I Bay Report

[bosco]

I took a buddy out on the bay tonight. He's a rookie and not into the night thing so I figured I'd just move around and start exploring for a for a daytime Walleye bite. Got into a whole bunch of Silver Bass I think they were (or Silver Perch?). One very big Sheep's Head. Then as we were approaching dusk I decided to cover some water and troll some diving sticks and my buddy, rookie as he is, hooked into, and boated, a very healthy 35" Northern. (pictures coming....his cell phone camera with no adaptor). I couldn't believe it when he got it near the boat. I thought it was going to bust off for sure. No steel leader and he just didn't have experience playing a fish that size and that fights like a Northern. Had to cut out early but that was a very pleasant surprise. I'm not a northern fisherman but still....that's the largest Pike I've ever had in my boat.

[Fishin With Phil]

Nice!

Sounds like fun. No eyes yet?

[bosco]

Still no eyes. I didn't anticipate getting any yesterday though because I was just taking an old friend fishing at a time that was convenient to him. I wasn't running any of my familiar programs or fishing during my peak times. Like I've said before, I usually don't even launch before 10PM. Fishing is going to be real infrequent for me until school lets out but once it does and I'm out regularly (if not nightly) and get the program established, I'll be just fine I'm sure.

[rabhunt]

I have fished Dunkurk harbor in the past at night for walleyes, just flat lining #9 & #11 rapalas with great success. Do you fish for them the same way in the bay?

[bosco]

Not usually. That's what I do when I'm up the river for them. In the bay I fan cast the shoreline with big sticks or big shallow diving ShadRaps. I'll also work these outside the weeds and if no hits I'll switch to deep diving cranks keeping a close eye on my graph. If I'm marking fish that aren't taking the divers either then I'll throw a big minnow on a jig. There's really just two or three spots that I troll and they're rather short stretches. I'll make 1 or 2 passes keeping an eye on the sonar and decide whether or not to slow down and work it harder based on what I'm seeing.....or catching. Ideally, I catch a fish or two in my more successful spots and then I spend the rest of the time exploring. Looking for new structure and new spots. Trying to learn the bay as much as I can. I've only been fishing it for a few short years so I've still got quite a bit of exploring to do.

[SinDale]

Nice northern! I'll be there tomorrow, but one of those unfortunate convenience issues... prob. the 10-5 pick... anyone go to the lake for smallies yet? I may if the lake looks manageable.Thanks for the report Bosco, hopefully I'll see you out there one of these nights!

[bosco]

FINALLY.....the photo is in.

[solgrande]

nice catch ,i`ll be on sodus or ibay today(white starcraft)for northerns.He`s not holding that like a rookie......whatchout for those gill rakers!!!!

Bob