St.Lawerance info-clayton area

[solgrande]

I`ll be heading up to the clayton area next saturday the 18th in search of mr.musky,since i have never fished the river i was hoping a few of you can lessen my learning curve.I have planned on doing some trolling and drifting some red october tubes.I`ll be picking up my uncle from 3mile bay(he`s a snowbird,so he`ll be heading south soon!lol)and heading out around 8am from there for the day.Any help will be greatly appreciated.I have my ontario lisc but he does not so we``ll stay on this side.

Thanks

Bob Solley

[zach]

the only advice i have is to hire rich clark. that guy seems to always get the biggest fish in the state every year. that guy is money on the larry. if i had any sort of cash flow i would hire him in a minute. i red an article by him on the st lawrence and he said he runs really really long lines. like 300-400 foot back b/c of the water clarity. long, long lines and he uses light mono instead of heavy braid like most of us. i want to say he is landing these 50lb muskies on 17lb test line. he runs lots of radke's and believers most on downriggers targeting suspended fish 25-30 feet down over anywhere from 30 to 50 fow. the dale mcnair musky was caught on a 8" black perch jake. the guys from red october jig the eddies and current areas. good luck but i here you can put some time in and not get much on the #'s side but a chance at some of the largest fish in all of north america. wishing you the fatty of all fatties but i hope your relative catches it just to make you jealous. have a nice trip and i always here 40 acre shoal and grindstone are good spots to try.

[Believer]

I just want to correct a technical point. I think the McNair fish was caught on a 10" Jake in black perch; not the 8". (Not to be pedantic.) The Larry has taught me some harsh lessons. If I were going back--when I go back--I would fish around the shoals. I would be using the Jake (I don't have any 10"ers), the Depthraider, and the Believer. Because the water is so clear I would be using natural colors. When I got the yen to cast, and I always do, I would be throwing the 9" Grandma or a Depthraider up to the edge of a shoal. Black perch looks like a good color to me; so does a sucker finish. One thing I might try is throwing a bulldawg around the edges of the shoals. Reportedly, a guy caught a dandy of a ski while doing this in June of 2009. Good luck. The Larry is a heck of a place but it's not easy.

[zach]

i just listened to it again and i was wrong. it took the 10" jake and believer was 10% correct. sorry about that again. here i am telling bob the wrong things.

[solgrande]

Did`nt find any muskies but got 3 northerns on the upriver end of carelton.Wind was high and waves pretty good @times.Kept us from the iron man end and the featherbed and hinkley shoals.Upon arrival @ prescision marine i noticed my bearing missing from my trailer.We launched and fished while "cork"took a look.Axel(spindle)is damaged and we could not find bearings in the area.Ran down to clayton and chaumount.Thinks he may get bearing on to get it home but ultimately i will need an axel!!!(I`ve posted in classifieds for an axel).He`s gonna check around and price one if he can locate one.So ...with my boat in clayton and me 3hrs away and chautauqua coming in 2wks,well it`s just bad timeing.We`ll see how it goes.If i get it and it`s fixed i`ll be there with it.Otherwise gus(lee)has offered for us to join him which we`ll do-

Nitro...thanks for your offer to bring parts ALL the way up for me-much appreciated.

sol

[zach]

come on--- on the way home from the musky opener i had my bearing go and it did damage the axle slightly. i fixed it myself but finding bearings and seals was fun. sorry about the bummer bearing. didn't you here it grinding? i can recommend brads trailer world. it was the only place that could help me. good job on the northerns.

Brads Trailer

1950 Lyell Ave

Rochester, NY 14606-2384

(585) 458-4498

not sure if they are open on sundays or not. i have a game on monday night if you want me to get them for you. i can also do repairs if you want to drag my butt up to the trailer in the islands. i have done bearings and seals many times and can almost do it blind folded. you know my ph # if you need any help. take care bob.

[solgrande]

Thanks zach.....did`nt hear it and did`nt feel it.I can`t take time off so i`m having him do it.But if i can find the axel i`ll do that myself and maybe install new hubs with that depending on $$$.I get bearings from factory direct trailers and will carry extras from now on.I won`t be able to get back up there `til next wknd.

sol

[mccoy13]

That is crazy. I was replacing a bearing on my mountaineer on friday at millens bay (right next door to Corkys). I didnt think we were gonna make it there from rochester before it totally came apart, it started in mexico. I'm glad you caught something, that river does not give up it's muskys easily.

[solgrande]

axel ordered!!!! hopefully i`ll head up this weekend.Thanks for all the help guys.Of course i won`t be happy until i see her in my rearview!

Thanks

sol