OK Where are the Fish !

[rapala]

    Seems to me that last year  killed the fishing for the next years coming. Guys were out there taking more than they should have. I spoke to a tackle shop and asked him how is business.  (Sucks) very little business!!!  Our camp marina has 40 some odd slips, last week end 3 boats out!!!  We fished 3 mornings approx. 5 to 6 hour trips, 2 lakers caught and released. Fished from 20ft to 350ft, pods of bait every depth and a very few hooks if any. Person I was fishing with, I asked him where is the brown trout, says they will be here. I say where the hell are they coming from, the (freezers)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Watch a video taken last spring , 30 Plus browns and you name it taken in a few hours. 3 fish in a net.

Come on give me a break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Just my thoughts

 

[Broadhorizons]

30 browns is a lot of C&R. You can still only keep 3 per person regardless of how many you boat.

[Rich D]

_{You really can't compare last year to this year, or any other year in the last 10-15 years. Last year was a gift from mother nature, this year we have been in a weather pattern with the wind blowing in the wrong direction all the time. I am not sure where you are fishing, but I can tell you the BT are around, and in great numbers in the north east part of the lake, due to heavy south and South east winds early. They will at some point return, esp now that the lake temps are just starting to warm, we are weeks behind schedule for this process. But that is why it is called fishing and not catching, this year is a great example of why you should keep a record of what the fish are doing and where, just for future reference.  Good Luck, and don't give up, you will be rewarded soon!!!}

 

_{Capt. Rh}

[madman1]

my point was give the charter captains the business while getting the education. Most of them put the time into the pen projects that enable the fishery.

Edited June 19, 2013 by madman1

[NickR]

Agree w rich. Last year we got lucky we had high 60s on top this time of year. The fish were in their water and it was easy picking. With 50* temps this year from top to bottom the fish are so spread out its not even funny.

Also the lake has already flipped once as last year I think it may have flipped once the whole year. Wait it out keep fishing and you'll be back on them soon enough.

I think our first real king (15+) was caught June 18th (I'm out of sandy) last year.

Wait til late Aug when you mark 1000 in a day and can't get anything to go. Lol that is much more frustrating!

Edited June 18, 2013 by NickR

[Xxx]

My opinion;  This Site has brought so many new people to the lake with boats and a pretty good idea how to catch fish, Overfishing was inevidable. I remember jumping on boats and trolling around trying to learn until I was old enough and had earned enough money to buy my own boat. Now the economy is is doing good and anyone can jump on here find locations, tackle, water temps, depths and speeds and bang goes the fishery. The Penn projects can't keep up with tecnology and man do I miss the recession. I hope i'm wrong and it's just a spotty thermocline. Some of these folks need to pay a charter captain 5-6 times and watch them and stop posting things like " I just bought a boat and plan on heading to Lake O tomorrow so help me out, what is a downrigger?" Like I said just my opnion.

Man you need to take a chill pill, I see how you got your title, things will come together soon, just relax a bit, the lake is by no means overfished, If you want to see overfished go to western Lake Erie, and every year it's just as good as the year before I never seen anything like it!!

[madman1]

Man you need to take a chill pill, I see how you got your title, things will come together soon, just relax a bit, the lake is by no means overfished, If you want to see overfished go to western Lake Erie, and every year it's just as good as the year before I never seen anything like it!!

There is no emotion attached to it Pap, it is what it is.

[Rich D]

It deff has nothing to do with over fishing. Like I stated before it is 90% weather, and if I remember correctly we had a shortage of bts stocked last year, or maybe that is this year. But by no means do we have a shortage of fish. They will be right where they are supposed to be when the Tcline sets up, it is just going to be a few weeks late.

Capt Rich

[Adk1]

My opinion;  This Site has brought so many new people to the lake with boats and a pretty good idea how to catch fish, Overfishing was inevidable. I remember jumping on boats and trolling around trying to learn until I was old enough and had earned enough money to buy my own boat. Now the economy is is doing good and anyone can jump on here find locations, tackle, water temps, depths and speeds and bang goes the fishery. The Penn projects can't keep up with tecnology and man do I miss the recession. I hope i'm wrong and it's just a spotty thermocline. Some of these folks need to pay a charter captain 5-6 times and watch them and stop posting things like " I just bought a boat and plan on heading to Lake O tomorrow so help me out, what is a downrigger?" Like I said just my opnion.

Man I hope that this post isn't what guys think of me. Yeah, I have been poking around on this site for well over a year learning what I can. Yeah I bought a boat last fall and am equipping it to fish Lake O. I am the type of person who learns as much as I can and equipping myself the best I can before I actually do something. I like to go into something with the right equipment and the confidence enough to do it. Just the way I am. Been fishing all my life on lesser waters. Want a new challenge. I bet there are some newbys that will hit Lake O a few times and never be back.

[devilfishIII]

The economy is doing well???

[bandrus1]

We have one of the best years on record and the next year people say the lake is overfished

 

wild

[gregc1]

I have had a pretty good year so far...no complaints. I agree the wind and water temp has made difference.

[King Slammin]

This yr started late for me as we have been very busy at work. However, it has been one of the best starts ever. We have caught at least one major in 3 out of 4 trips this yr. The one trip we didn't, produced s few teenage kings. It's all about adapting to conditions and changing your program to give the fish what they want in those conditions.

[Tim Bromund]

I have no complaints with the quality of the fishing so far this year. It's actually been pretty killer out of Olcott so far.

Tim

[Yankee Troller]

We've been smoking them pretty damn good too! No complaints here!

 

There is no way you will over fish this lake. Back in the hay days there were lines of trucks/trailers waiting to get to the Lake on derby mornings. You don't see that crowd anymore. The last two seasons have been oddities, and I think we are finally back to a "normal" season. Two years ago we had a very cold Winter/Spring. Last season was extremely warm during the Winter and Spring. This is traditional June. Fishing is slow as the lake stratifies. 

 

If your not catching them your not in the right place. 

[lakebound88]

West end life..... aaahhhh. Lol. The winds are messing up all lakes... almost July. It will turn on!

Sent from my XT907 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Wolfhound]

I've had a good year so far....the fish are not jumping in the boat like last year.  Just have to work for them and find them   Over fished NO!

Edited June 19, 2013 by Wolfhound

[Gill-T]

From someone who pulls up NOAA charts on Lake O every day.....even winter, I can tell you that EVERY day the down currents measured off Buoy data has been a different direction EVERY day.  Lake O is a washing machine right now.  Best advise I can give anyone under these conditions is fish the middle of the lake.  Lake O is like a toilet bowl with the water swirling around west to east on the south shore.  What doesn't go down the St. Lawrence will circulate back west along the north shore.  With the toilet bowl effect "stuff" will move to center.  Stuff being plankton, bait fish and therefore predators.  During the winter the middle has the warmest temperatures.  Because of the mild weather with mixing winds and currents the food chain has remained offshore.  The bait is just now coming into the shallows and the kings will follow.  We need sustained SW or W winds for multiple days.....weeks etc. for the fishing to pick up inshore.  My advise for now for if you want numbers head out and fish high in the water column........and stop blaming the fishermen.

[G-Daddy]

I've been fishing for a long time in a variety if waters ranging from rivers and streams to manmade reservoirs to natural lakes to bays and oceans. Cycles of spectacular fishing changing to times where you can't buy a fish are normal wherever you go. I'll be up to Lake O in August for a month and will either catch or not catch depending on how well I do in locating the lake's abundance. By the way. What is a downrigger?

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm.

[tangleweed1]

From someone who pulls up NOAA charts on Lake O every day.....even winter, I can tell you that EVERY day the down currents measured off Buoy data has been a different direction EVERY day. Lake O is a washing machine right now. Best advise I can give anyone under these conditions is fish the middle of the lake. Lake O is like a toilet bowl with the water swirling around west to east on the south shore. What doesn't go down the St. Lawrence will circulate back west along the north shore. With the toilet bowl effect "stuff" will move to center. Stuff being plankton, bait fish and therefore predators. During the winter the middle has the warmest temperatures. Because of the mild weather with mixing winds and currents the food chain has remained offshore. The bait is just now coming into the shallows and the kings will follow. We need sustained SW or W winds for multiple days.....weeks etc. for the fishing to pick up inshore. My advise for now for if you want numbers head out and fish high in the water column........and stop blaming the fishermen.

From someone who pulls up NOAA charts on Lake O every day.....even winter, I can tell you that EVERY day the down currents measured off Buoy data has been a different direction EVERY day. Lake O is a washing machine right now. Best advise I can give anyone under these conditions is fish the middle of the lake. Lake O is like a toilet bowl with the water swirling around west to east on the south shore. What doesn't go down the St. Lawrence will circulate back west along the north shore. With the toilet bowl effect "stuff" will move to center. Stuff being plankton, bait fish and therefore predators. During the winter the middle has the warmest temperatures. Because of the mild weather with mixing winds and currents the food chain has remained offshore. The bait is just now coming into the shallows and the kings will follow. We need sustained SW or W winds for multiple days.....weeks etc. for the fishing to pick up inshore. My advise for now for if you want numbers head out and fish high in the water column........and stop blaming the fishermen.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Sorry Aboat That]

So much for a bad day fishing is better then a good day at work.  Total Newbie to Lake O. Bought three boats in the last 3 years.  Fished Cayuga Lake my whole life.  Madman stay off my home lake!  We can catch perch and small mouth on Lake O, have not figured out the Salmon or Walleyes yet.  Will spend a lot of money (bait/tackle/fuel) trying to figure it out, and oh ya and $20 on this site!  I can't even figure out how to get my real name off the profile.  I have not put the name on my boat yet but know now exactly what it will be 'Sorry Aboat That'. 

 

If you ever watched the movie casualties of war you will catch the irony.

 

Compared to Cayuga Lake getting out of the harbor on Lake Ontario takes some courage, common sense and planning to do it safely.

 

I also pay marina fees, state and federal taxes, license fees etc.  I am thinking that first 15 lb King will cost me about $2,000 per pound.  Still better then a good day at work!  If I learn anything original I will try to give back to all of those who have contributed.  For now I will just continue to plan, read, spend, learn, spend, review. 

Cheers,

'Sorry Aboat That'

 

PS: Even if the 20 bucks says I am a pro, I am not!  I wonder what the fishery would be like if there was only 1 boat on the lake?  I have heard almost all the salmon are spawned by the state?

[Adk1]

My cousin used to have a camp near Oswego and fished Lake O allong in the late 80's and early 90's. He would tell me that launching at the Oswego Public Launch was crazy on every weekend. There were attendants at the launch. You had to wait in line. You had a short time to ready your boat to launch and if you couldnt back your rig down by the third time the attendant would tell you to go to the back of the line! which could be 20 deep

[thumbburn]

i sure wish they made those people that cant back a rig up go to the back of the line again......lol                 

[Chas0218]

i sure wish they made those people that cant back a rig up go to the back of the line again......lol                 

Wouldn't that be funny. Almost like making them wear a dunce cap.