Looking for Browns in Wilson/Bar area

[TBrovata]

Hey guys,

 

I was hoping I could get some advice from you guys as I am new to this all this year.  I have a smaller boat (18') that kinda prevents me for looking for Steelies and Kings out in 450 FOW so I've been pretty much been targeting Browns within 100 FOW with no success.  I have a friend who is very knowledgeable and has helped me out tremendously with setting up my boat/gear and tells me hot spots when he's in close but now that he is out in 450 FOW I'm back to struggling.  I know most of you target the Kings and I wish I could but I have to stick somewhat close to land and I would be more than happy with Browns and Lakers.  I understand most of you laugh at others targeting Lakers but to be honest as a new guy in April my 11 year old son and I experienced "Lakerfest" going 55 for 63 in a day and had an absolute blast!  Any info on Browns or Lakers this time of year would be greatly appreciated.  I have the standard set up most guys use with 2 riggers, dipsys, Depth Raider probe, etc...

 

 

[Sweet Caroline]

No need to make excuses. Lakers and browns can be a blast!

 

For browns use your probe and start where you find 60 degree water near bottom and focus on areas where you have no colder than 50 degree water and no warmer than 65 degree water within 10ft of bottom. Set your rigs 5ft to 15ft off bottom. Same with lakers except focus on water in the 40s.

 

Both are bottom oriented and can be found where their preferred temp intersects with bottom. All should be within 100 FOW too. In Summer for browns start looking in 30-40ft of water you may have to go out as far as 80 FOW or so. For lakers start in 70-80FOW and you may have to go as far out as 120FOW.

[TBrovata]

Thanks A-Lure-A,

 

That's great info.  To be honest I was going about it all wrong on Saturday and only ended up with a Coho down 30 feet over 70 FOW.  I guess I didn't realize that Browns were similar in habit as a Laker and stayed near bottom.  Thanks again sir ! !

[Paul Czarnecki]

Bring your 18 footer to Oak Orchard. Plenty of help and you're only a couple miles (at most) from the steel and kings. No reason to only fish 100 fow because you have an 18' boat. It's plenty big enough

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[tove12345]

I have a 17ft. lund and have been fishing deep for kings for many years. Be a good weather watcher. When I see high pressure settling in over the lake,I am on it like a hornet.Make sure all your safety equiptment is ready to go and have at it.For extra comfort, I invested in an epirb type personal locator.Just makes me feel better.Nothin better than hooking kings and steel out deep on a 90 degree day.

[Xxx]

No need to make excuses. Lakers and browns can be a blast!

 

For browns use your probe and start where you find 60 degree water near bottom and focus on areas where you have no colder than 50 degree water and no warmer than 65 degree water within 10ft of bottom. Set your rigs 5ft to 15ft off bottom. Same with lakers except focus on water in the 40s.

 

Both are bottom oriented and can be found where their preferred temp intersects with bottom. All should be within 100 FOW too. In Summer for browns start looking in 30-40ft of water you may have to go out as far as 80 FOW or so. For lakers start in 70-80FOW and you may have to go as far out as 120FOW.

This type of help is why this is the best site to belong to!!! I commend you for your info. Reading this thread made my day, thanks A-LURE-A.

[Yankee Troller]

For browns use your probe and start where you find 60 degree water near bottom and focus on areas where you have no colder than 50 degree water and no warmer than 65 degree water within 10ft of bottom. Set your rigs 5ft to 15ft off bottom. 

 

This ^^^

 

However as of this weekend it really wasn't set up good for BT with no real breaks on the inside for them. That can change in a day though.

[TBrovata]

Thanks guys, I can't thank you enough for this info ! !  My friend gets me out in the deep water here and there and last Sunday was an exceptionally calm day 10 miles out and it got me to thinking I could get my boat out that far on a god day.  I'll reserve those days for friends and not my worry wart 11 year old son though. 

 

Paul, where could I launch at the Oak and what is the depth a couple of miles out? 

 

Tove12345, thanks for the info. The EPIRB is a great idea and would keep my wife off my back

 

Again guys, thanks for the info.  I can't thank you enough and hopefully I can contribute some information someday soon to some new guys looking to experience this exciting sport.  This site is a truly invaluable resource ! !

[Sweet Caroline]

 Correct YT. I should have added that this tactic is when the thermocline is established. Right now with the surface temps still cold you can apply Spring tactics. Probably still get browns in 15-30 FOW right now.

[TBrovata]

Thanks Yankee Troller, that's kinda what I was seeing out there.  Surface was 63 and bottom was 55.8 with that temp pretty steady throughout the water column in 50-70 FOW.  Not that it mattered.  I was fishing for Browns 30 feet off bottom so it was a futile effort.  Can't wait to get back out and put my new found knowledge to work ! !

[Paul Czarnecki]

Thanks guys, I can't thank you enough for this info ! ! My friend gets me out in the deep water here and there and last Sunday was an exceptionally calm day 10 miles out and it got me to thinking I could get my boat out that far on a god day. I'll reserve those days for friends and not my worry wart 11 year old son though.

Paul, where could I launch at the Oak and what is the depth a couple of miles out?

Tove12345, thanks for the info. The EPIRB is a great idea and would keep my wife off my back

Again guys, thanks for the info. I can't thank you enough and hopefully I can contribute some information someday soon to some new guys looking to experience this exciting sport. This site is a truly invaluable resource ! !

There are several public launches. The Black North on the east side and the park on the west side are both very good ramps.

At the Oak we loose approximately 100' for every mile you go out. 450' at the Oak is about 5 miles from shore.

There are a LOT of charters and very good Rec anglers at the Oak that are more than willing to give you an assist on location and baits. More so than in any other harbor on the lake. It s a GREAT port to learn to fish salmon from.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[TBrovata]

Thanks Paul,

 

I would definitely like to try and get to the Oak.  I've never been but I think it's only a 45 minute ride from Lewiston so that's doable...

[jason]

Yeah Paul is right. Lot of guys will to help out and give up info at the oak.

[John Kelley]

The Oak is where I used to fish every weekend when I was working out there for two years.  Absolutely the friendliest port I have been to on all of the great lakes!!  People are very forthcoming with information, and the fishing is outstanding as well!!  In the wee early mornings, (like before 5:00 a.m.) I used to find the browns up very shallow, like 8-15 feet, and would troll for them until the sun came up, with stick baits off the boards.  Then, when the sun would rise, and drive them deeper,  I would gear up for salmon around 5:30 or 6:00 a.m.and start trolling north. This makes for a good day of fishing, as well.     

[Gill-T]

There are browns all along the south shore.  From Lewiston, put in at Wilson and troll towards the Niagara using the methods discussed above.  Also, NOBODY targets browns on top of the bar before the drop off.  There is warm Niagara water there with bait and no boats!

[TBrovata]

So Gill-T, are you saying there are Browns on the bar or no?  With the depths that vary through there I would think you could find 60 degrees but like you said there is warm water from the Niagara flowing in.

[Gill-T]

Yes there are browns ON the bar.  The challenge of the bar is there is it is such a large area to cover.  Trolling shoreline contours you can identify a depth where fish are and just stitch a trolling line parallel to the shore to stay in the hot zone.  Browns can be anywhere on the bar from 30' out to the drop at 90'.  The nice thing about your home Niagara water is that if you want kings, there are ALWAYS kings on the drop. At certain times of year the area may be swarming with little shaker kings but there are always fish on that piece of structure.  Larger Kings make early evening movements from deeper water to the drop-off to feed each night. Out past 250' you will get into a steelhead bite.  Living in Lewiston you are close to one of the greatest stretch of water in the world.....the Niagara Bar.  My suggestions is to save on gas money and spend the majority of time learning your home water.

[TBrovata]

Yeah, I've worked that area in April for Lakers and tried to keep the spoon near bottom but with the fluctuating depths it was non stop readjusting the rigger depth.  I was thinking about going out there with Navionics and find a line of common depth and try to follow that to prevent my arm from falling off from readjusting depths or donating lead to the lake bottom.  Definitely a difficult area to troll but sounds like the payoffs are worth it.

 

Thanks for the great tip ! !

[Gill-T]

Use your GPS and trace your course to mark the drop.  Start at the Canadian border and turn east when you hit 90' of depth (don't put rods out to distract you).  You are at the rim of the drop off.  Troll E/NE towards the red can buoy while maintaining a constant reading of around 90'.  The red can denotes the location where the the Niagara Bar comes to a point.  Troll past/around the red can buoy for another 3-5 miles and then save the trail on your GPS when finished.  The drop off trail should now appear on your graph every time you turn it on and will help you identify the feature and reduce the stress of possibly loosing your gear if you were to run up on the structure.  Do the same thing to the East rim of the trench hole at the mouth near the fort.  Start even with the fort and trace the East edge of the hole at the 30' level.  As you get close to the green can buoy start to head more on a  NW/W heading and end at the Canadian border.  

[tove12345]

Yes there are browns ON the bar.  The challenge of the bar is there is it is such a large area to cover.  Trolling shoreline contours you can identify a depth where fish are and just stitch a trolling line parallel to the shore to stay in the hot zone.  Browns can be anywhere on the bar from 30' out to the drop at 90'.  The nice thing about your home Niagara water is that if you want kings, there are ALWAYS kings on the drop. At certain times of year the area may be swarming with little shaker kings but there are always fish on that piece of structure.  Larger Kings make early evening movements from deeper water to the drop-off to feed each night. Out past 250' you will get into a steelhead bite.  Living in Lewiston you are close to one of the greatest stretch of water in the world.....the Niagara Bar.  My suggestions is to save on gas money and spend the majority of time learning your home water.

x2.....The drop and beyond the bar is my favorite place to fish.It is a feast or famine kind of place,but when its hot.......its RED HOT.My 2 biggest kings in over 25 years of fishing have come from the deep waters off the bar.Nice launch at Fort Niagara too.

[wishinfishin]

Like Pap said , this site is the best because of guys sharing hard earned knowledge. Ive learned a bunch.

I also am new and have limited gear,and also have an 18' boat,but my boat is a semi-v jon boat thats pretty wide.

 

Do the more experienced guys think I would be ok going out to steel country on a nice day(400')

Im guessing winds of 10 mph or less, what your opinion????

[TBrovata]

Thanks guys,

 

Hoping to give it a try this weekend ! !