Anyone have a report on the St Larry??

[Curt7234]

Coming up in two weeks, just wondering how the fishing has been? I know the water levels are very high, has that hurt or helped the fishing? Any info is much appreciated.

[Curt7234]

Nobodys fishing the larry???

[mccoy13]

The river itself is still cold. Shallow bays with stained water are still producing pike, and the occasional walleye. The next couple weeks can be tough until the weeds develop. Last saturday we trailered the boat to black river bay and had an interested morning. picked up a bunch of pike (only one over thirty inches) pretty quick. Mud Bay is next on the list to explore.

[Curt7234]

I live near Philadelphia PA our main body of water is the delaware River, our water temps have been unusually cool this time of year, finally hit 60 degrees in the open water, 65 in the bays. What is the water temp up there? Are the bass even on their beds yet? I'm wondering also if it was a real late spawn for the walleye as well. I know the water levels are very high, how has that impacted the fishing? Your gonna fish Mud Bay? I thought all that was in there is catfish, the water is always so nasty in there anytime I have ever been through there. Good to hear the Pike are biting, no size though really huh? No muskie? We are looking to fish Carlton Island, French Creek Bay (found a honey hole in there for Pike last year) also the backside of Grindstone is a nice area for just about everything. We are gonna try Fox and Grenadier islands this year as well....

[NitroMusky]

Curt, muskies are closed season right now.

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[Curt7234]

Curt, muskies are closed season right now.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

Yeah i keep forgetting NY and Pa's muskie season is way different....Our's is open year round in the river.....So the rule in NY is you can't fish for them or you can't keep them prior to June 18??? We have been coming up to the st lawrence the middle of June every year for about 5 years now and none of us have ever hooked into, or even seen a muskie in the St lawrence, but we have heard about them. Right where we stay a guy (a local guy up there)caught a 50 Pounder last year in April I believe....Hey, wait a minute, that guy was fishing with a big Cleo clearly he was targeting Muskie, so what's the deal?

[NitroMusky]

Yeah i know, been trying to make my way to PA here soon for that very reason.

There are catch and release seasons for some fish, but closed means you cannot legally target a species. You are correct that muskies here open June 18.

Can't say what was up with the dude and the spoon...might have been targeting pike and got an accidental 'skee. If he did the rule is to release in the water if possible, no undue time out of water (harm) otherwise. If the dude did pose for a pic with it out of season then he would technically be breaking the law.

[Curt7234]

Yeah i know, been trying to make my way to PA here soon for that very reason.

There are catch and release seasons for some fish, but closed means you cannot legally target a species. You are correct that muskies here open June 18.

Can't say what was up with the dude and the spoon...might have been targeting pike and got an accidental 'skee. If he did the rule is to release in the water if possible, no undue time out of water (harm) otherwise. If the dude did pose for a pic with it out of season then he would technically be breaking the law.

Are you sure that law didn't chage in NY 2 years ago? I know the NY law on the St lawrence governing bass has changed and you can in fact fish for bass out of season, however you must release them immediately unharmed. I would think Muskie should be no different. I'll fish around the net for a bit here and see if I can find something to back up my statement.

[NitroMusky]

I'm positive.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/31423.html

In fact you reminded me...looks like you're fishing the thousand islands area...bass are closed season in jefferson county on the Larry until June 18 as well. No catch and release season there. Stupid rule, I know.

If you are unclear in reading the bass regs in the link...trust me I have called the DEC in Jeff cnty...confirmed.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Curt7234]

I'm positive.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/31423.html

In fact you reminded me...looks like you're fishing the thousand islands area...bass are closed season in jefferson county on the Larry until June 18 as well. No catch and release season there. Stupid rule, I know.

If you are unclear in reading the bass regs in the link...trust me I have called the DEC in Jeff cnty...confirmed.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

Last year our boat was boarded by port authority and they asked us what we were doing, what we were fishing for....it was 2nd week of june, we said we were fishing for anything that wanted to bite, which is exactly what we always do, however we were throwing crankbaits...Now we see 100 fisherman fishing the week we come up there, they are all doing the same thing we are...Your tellin me they are all breaking the law? if so where are the wardens?

[NitroMusky]

I'm just telling you what the laws are...i dont pretend to know the nuances of how they enforce or how well they enforce them. People speed on the highways all the time too. How many of them get tickets or are even stopped when they zoom by a cop?

people fish for pike with crank baits all the time...in season June. Nothing wrong with that.

Now if you had had a 16oz mag bull dawg hanging off your line, you would most probably be relating quite a different story right now though.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Curt7234]

I'm just telling you what the laws are...i dont pretend to know the nuances of how they enforce or how well they enforce them. People speed on the highways all the time too. How many of them get tickets or are even stopped when they zoom by a cop?

people fish for pike with crank baits all the time...in season June. Nothing wrong with that.

Now if you had had a 16oz mag bull dawg hanging off your line, you would most probably be relating quite a different story right now though.

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So as long as we are just fishing for Pike we are ok? Pike it is then!

[mccoy13]

Nitro is right on the money. My families place is on a small bay on the river and every weekend the same boats come through and pull the bass off their beds around our docks. I'm sure if questioned they would say their pike fishing. Whatever. IMO, There just aren't enough officers to keep up with it, and in the big picture they probably are more worried about other laws being broke. Jefferson is one of the only counties left where there is still no catch and release season. I say leave them alone. It just make sense to me. I definetly would not want anyone harrassing the muskies during the spawn. Speaking of which, I saw an absolute pig, while cruising with the family this afternoon. She was a little banged up, apparently done with her job, she had moved out into deeper water. It is always good to be reminded that true trophies are down there, because you can spend a lot of time between fish up there.

[BP Swing]

Curt,

Nitro is 100% correct, you can not target Muskies out of season, even catch and release. They need all the help they can get right now there as they have not recovered from the big VHS kill from a few yrs back.