Has anyone had luck jigging for salmonids on Lake O?

[lavarock64]

I did a search and came up with little. My sister just moved 5 miles from Olcott and i've been toying with trying my luck up that way.

I've been jigging on the finger lakes for a few year's now and have built up some confidence in the technique.

My question is: has anyone had luck with this method on the big lake? or is there too much water to cover to make this a viable option?

Thanks, Chris

[GAMBLER]

It would be a little tough with the currents. Give it a try and let us know how it works.

[nyforests]

They do it in the lower niagara

[King Davy]

Yes it can be done...and has been done...and your finger lakes training will help you out. I have a friend...who used ot post on this board in the fingerakes section..."BigGuy'....he's jigged up some kings this time of year in open water.

Most good jig fishermen are using "Flasher" units ...so they can locate fish...and on the flasher you can see the fish and your jig...and actually watch the fish move to the jig. A couple years ago Toby hung three or four kings in ther high teens to low 20's...using this method.

Simply located some big hooks in open water...Off Sandy BTW out about 150 foot of water and had at em. Using flukes, or soft plastics.

Back in the 80's we've jigged for lakers off sandy...caught one down about 250 foot once....4 ounce jig used in Flaming Gorge Utah. I tell ya...if the fishermen ever gave jigging a chance...and worked at it...and you felt those fish grab a bait...trolling would not be the method of choice to catch these fish.

Now you are 1v1 with the fish start to finish.

[lavarock64]

Thanks for the replies. Just the confidence that I need. Davy, I hear you loud and clear. I've been digging my old trolling equipment out in preperation for fishing up there. The more I rig up the less excited i'm getting. Personally I would rather catch 1 on a jig vs. 5 trolling. I love the hook set!

WOW 250 FOW with a 4 ounce jig, that's wild!

Any other recommendations on jigs? I've built up an supply of buck tails, plastics and salt water jigging spoons. Mostly 1 oz stuff. Some of my jigs are rigged with #4 trebels, sounds like it may be a good idea to go one size larger? Also, what pound test should I be thinking. Right now I'm spooled up for 10 and 12.

Thanks, Chris

[Guest Jekyll]

Jigging or mooching, whatever you call it, was/is a very popular method for catching salmon in the Puget Sound. One of the most popular lures is the Buzz Bomb.

I've pulled out a Buzz Bomb on LO but did'nt put much time into it. Maybe when they start to stage... a Buzz Bomb might provoke anger strikes.

Jekyll

[Landshark]

Im very intrigued with salmon jigging.

[lavarock64]

Thanks for the replies guys.

What Buzz bomb did you try. I checked their website and they list length of jigs, not weight.

I shot Ardentangler an e-mail. He has a pretty impressive website. I may need to book a Tuna trip with him at some point. Also, it led me into ordering a couple Butterfly jigs, should be interesting.

Thanks again, Chris

[King Davy]

Hi lavar....looks like you have some updated info. It's been a long time since i was jigging up trout on LO...but we used Salt water style jigs and Back in the day the Catalog for Offshore Angler (part of the Bass Pro corp)....had plenty of jigs from 1/2 ounce to the stuff we used. I would think they have a catalog on line.

We used 12 pound test...back in those days i used 12 pound test for everything...but no fleas in those days....I liked Ande' line because it has very little stretch...but you want a little give. We jigged with the boat rods which were 9' ugly sticks...but again...if you are working under 100 foot of water...a nice 7 or 8' rod ...with a fast action butt...power flex mid section...and a soft or slow tip would be ideal. You have to set it hard when down deep...and those hard mouths.

I've caught 1000's of fish trolling...and I enjoy it...but there is no more fun way to catch fish...then to get them to take a bait...while the rod is in your hand...Night and day.

if i get back into boating on the lake again some day...I will absolutely perfect chasing trout and salmon with mooching...or jigging gear....if you can perfect that style...you won't be dragging lures around.

We used to fish the canyons of LO during the thermo bars...locate schools of steelhead...then break out the fly tackle and catch them near the surface stripping a streamer...in 600 foot of water....man that was off the hook... I actually hat steelies raise to a Bumble Bee dry fly i tied....out deep. Crazy fun....just have to be willing to learn and try other tactics.

[Guest Jekyll]

Chris:

I use 4 inch buzz bombs but the 5 inch may be good also. The 2.5 may get some smaller fish than the 4 inch.

Another method with Buzz Bombs is to do a slow troll with a free line using a large jigging motion on the rod. The fish see the bomb rising and falling like an injured fish as you move it through the water. Can do this suspended or near the bottom (mooching or jigging).

Fancy stripes and color patterns are not needed with Buzz Bombs because they spin rapidly as they fall. It will all be just a blur.

The main trouble with jigging in LO is zebra muscles. You'll be using a fairly large jig head to get down to the bottom and guess where those suckers live? You'll need to be alert to minute changes that signify a zebra muscle closed on your jig and you'll need to pull out to check it often

Jekyll

[lavarock64]

King Davy- Thanks for the advice. We've got the method down well here on the fingerlakes. We've been using heavy Bass gear (7.5' heavy HM rods) with 10 or 12 pound XXX spiderwire super mono (little stretch). I may bumb up to 15 for the big O.

Jekyll- Thanks for further advice on the buzz bombs. Do you have an idea of the weight for the 4 and 5 inch jigs?

Thanks, Chris

[lavarock64]

Jykell-Forgot the zebra mussels. I know about them all to well here on the fingerlakes. We seem to bring them up on our jigs about 1 in 5-7 drops. it seems that the fish know they are on there as well.

[Guest Jekyll]

Chris:

My postal scale tells me the 4" bombs weigh about 1.75 ounces.

I occasionally jig Seneca for LT but use mostly plastics there. Haven't tried the bombs on Seneca. It sure can be tough to jig deep when any current is in play. Especially when the wind is blowing you 1 way and the current is going 'tother'. Been on Seneca with currents so strong that my line was racingahead of me in a 1.5 mph wind drift. Resort to trolling at those times. I would much rather bring up a laker from a jig than from a troll.

I talked to 3 guys once several years ago that jigged Seneca for 4 hours and had over 90 lakers to the boat! It is a target rich environment. A great place to learn how to use a fish finder because of the numerous arches you'll see in a day.

Jekyll

[BP Swing]

Definitely worth a try. One of the highlights of my year is to jig big 10-15 lb lakers at the Niagara Bar every spring on medium spinning tackle. It doesnt get any better. Those laker dig hard and fight unbelieveably well on 10 lb test and medium action rods plus the current helps them too. We have caught spring salmon also doing that. Big hair jigs, tube jigs, fin s fish, big twisters, etc. Id like to try this myself for fall salmon, I dont know any fish alive that wont hit a jig. Good luck. BP

[lavarock64]

Thanks again for the replies and confidence!

We are just waiting for the right day (fish and weather wise) to try around the salmon river.

BP Swing- Does the jig fishing only work on the Niagra bar in the spring? Wher do you launch from to hit the bar? I have family in Randsomville and I'm looking to explore the area!

Thanks, Chris

[BP Swing]

Lava,

Never tried it in the fall but if you have a jig down there, you can get ANYTHING that swims. You can launch at Ft. Niagara lauch right at mouth of river or Lewiston. Let us know how you make out. BP

[lavarock64]

Well...........We tried the jigs on sunday (oswego). We did have a few chase, but did not get a hook up. I think it is worth another try or two, but we would need to find a better concentration of fish.

On a + note we really got into the smallmouth of the break walls of the harbor. and my buddy nailed a really fat 8.5 walleye. Great way to end a slow morning.

[chugbug]

Lavarock , I jig the fingers a lot also and have been following your thread , was wondering how you made out , at least you had some chasers they were looking !! to bad you couldn't get one to hit !! I was wondering how interested they would be . Were getting a few browns right now so you would think you might get them to bite also . What depth did you try ?? I will be up this weekend weather permitting , if the regular stuff doesn't work I will give the jigs a try !!

[lavarock64]

We started in 70 fow and slowly coverd depths out to as deep as 120. We tried to fish over bait. It was difficult covering lots of ground, I would really crank up the trolling motor and by the time we saw a solid suspended mark, it was tough to stop the boat to target it.

There is no doubt that it can be done, it's just a matter of knowing the area better and hitting a good concentration of fish.

[chugbug]

I think that the weather would be the biggest problem up there for jigging , trying to stay vertical could be real tuff , we get alot of good weather on the fingers but Ontario is a whole other ball game !!! At least you gave it a good shot ! It would be a hoot to nail one on the jig and see what happens !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mr. Twister]

Toby's trick to jiggin Lake O salmon during the summer was to wait for a lake flip. No lake flip = no fish. The method of jigging in the same as in the Finger Lakes; use a 1 oz lead head, 12 pound test and a heavy 7 foot rod. He was using the same baits, just bigger... 5 3/4 inch or 7 inch Fin-S or 4 inch tubes - mostly the Fin-S. Jiggin started in 70 FOW and rarely went over 100 as the jig wouldn't make it deep enough. He wouldn't waste time in areas where there was excessive expanses of water between 70 FOW and deep, deep water say 250 FOW as the fish wouldn't come into the zone. Jigging when the fish were staging in 20-30 FOW didn't work, the fish would not chase. The fishing is slow, real slow when compaired to the Finger Lakes Laker bite. Don't expect bites every trip. We never caught Lakers or chrome - just Kings and Browns. Turn the sensitivity up on the fish finder so you can watch the jig; when you get a chase, keep droping the jig until you are about 5 feet away from the fish and then start a slow retrieve. If they drop to the bottom, drop the jig back. You will catch fish you don't see - usually Browns at or near the surface. The Lake O fish will be very scattered so you usually fish single fish on the screen. Be prepaired, the Lake O fish chase about 2% of the time versus the Finger Lake Lakers that chase 50%. Toby would point his boat into the wind and then use the trolling motor to back-drift slow enought for a vertical presentation. Hope this helps.