Canal Pike trolling info

FISHINMAN · March 17, 2016

Looking for someone that has some experience in trolling for pike in the canal. Saw a couple doing it last year in their boat and decided we would give it a try but had no success for the toothy critters but did manage a bunch of small mouth.

stinkfinger · March 17, 2016

Me and a buddy did a bunch of trolling last year in the spencerport stretch of the canal. Most of the pike we caught came on large swim baits or rapalas and right in the center of the canal didn't matter heading upstream or not.

Sk8man · March 17, 2016

Hopefully you are thinking of waiting until the season opens back up again :lol:

old man · March 17, 2016

I live on the canal in Palmyra. I don't fish it anymore since i got musky sick but i used to. Between Palmyra and Newark is pretty good for pike. You will catch more bass than pike for sure. I never trolled for them. I just stayed close to shore and cast. Both sides are good. There is a brand new ramp in Palmyra but no dock[emoji12]. There is a nice ramp with a dock by the Ford dealer near Newark. Wait til the season opens and good luck.

old man · March 18, 2016

that's the view of the canal from my toilet. An under appreciated fishery to be sure. After a big rain it looks like chocolate pudding and nothing bites. But when it clears up some the fishing can be amazing.

FISHINMAN · March 18, 2016

Me and a buddy did a bunch of trolling last year in the spencerport stretch of the canal. Most of the pike we caught came on large swim baits or rapalas and right in the center of the canal didn't matter heading upstream or not.

That's where i saw the other people in the boat trolling in the stretch between Spencerport and Brockport. they were zig zagging back and forth. Managed some nice smallies but no pike but I never ran straight up the middle either.

Thanks for the info much appreciated gives me another option when the Big lake is rough or the fishing is slow out there

FISHINMAN · March 18, 2016

I live on the canal in Palmyra. I don't fish it anymore since i got musky sick but i used to. Between Palmyra and Newark is pretty good for pike. You will catch more bass than pike for sure. I never trolled for them. I just stayed close to shore and cast. Both sides are good. There is a brand new ramp in Palmyra but no dock[emoji12]. There is a nice ramp with a dock by the Ford dealer near Newark. Wait til the season opens and good luck.

Yeah I have fished that stretch a bunch of times. Fishing is not what it used to be out there with so many people fishing bass now down there.

BSmaster · March 18, 2016

I have a question. When I lived up there the canal looked like it was full of fish in the summer. All kinds of activity, but in the winter they drained it and I always wondered where do the fish come in and where do they go?

muskiedreams · March 18, 2016

I live on the canal in Palmyra. I don't fish it anymore since i got musky sick but i used to. Between Palmyra and Newark is pretty good for pike. You will catch more bass than pike for sure. I never trolled for them. I just stayed close to shore and cast. Both sides are good. There is a brand new ramp in Palmyra but no dock[emoji12]. There is a nice ramp with a dock by the Ford dealer near Newark. Wait til the season opens and good luck.

I haven't been there in along time but I remember in the mid to late 90s both of the ramps were barely long enough for me to launch my 18' boat and it dropped right off. Had to be very careful to not let the wheels go off the edge. Is it still like that? I used to catch some nice largemouth in that area.

GAMBLER · March 18, 2016

I have a question. When I lived up there the canal looked like it was full of fish in the summer. All kinds of activity, but in the winter they drained it and I always wondered where do the fish come in and where do they go?

There is still a good population of fish in the lowered parts of the canal. Not nearly as many as summer but they are there. Find ANY kind of structure and you will find fish. I used to live on the canal as a kid in Spencerport and we did well anywhere we found a branch, log, deep hole, drainage pipe or bicycle. It was amazing how little of a branch would hold a bunch of fish. We caught walleye, pike, smallmouth, largemouth, rockbass, perch, catfish, suckers, sheephead and carp.

Sk8man · March 18, 2016

I used to operate the lift bridges on Main Street and Park Avenue in Brockport and occasionally the Adams Basin and Holley/Hulberton bridges and there were a lot of bass in there as well as pike and chubs and rockies and sunnys in all the sections up that way. During the winter the water is drawn down and repair work is done etc. but there is still some water inthe canal itself and a good degree of it in the wide waters areas along the canal system. A lot of the fish seem to winter over in those wide water areas.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Sk8man

GAMBLER · March 18, 2016

Was that when the horses pulled the barges down the canal path Les?

ontherise · March 18, 2016

ImageUploadedByLake Ontario United1458271058.153002.jpgthat's the view of the canal from my toilet. An under appreciated fishery to be sure. After a big rain it looks like chocolate pudding and nothing bites. But when it clears up some the fishing can be amazing.

What looks like chocolate pudding? The canal or your toilet ?

Sk8man · March 18, 2016

Yeah Brian.... I had a hard time with the donkeys though and the folks there probably had a tough time telling us apart :lol: Best job I ever had ,....sure as H beat the h out of the previous job doing steelwork

Edited March 18, 2016 by Sk8man

old man · March 19, 2016

They don't drain the canal between Palmyra and Newark. Maybe that stability is why the fishing is so good there. I still shore fish the canal spillways in the fall for pike. Usually on Sunday when i can't watch the Bills anymore.they will be lurking in areas protected from current near the waterfalls.

justtracytrolling · March 19, 2016

Lure looks familiar....seems to work at home as well as on the road! I cant wait to try the orange one you left me!

ifishy · March 20, 2016

old man i fished that very spot this fall/winter one day on my way home from poor trib fishing. I didnt catch anything but slipped on a rock and darn near broke my leg. Looked like a good area but I had no luck I casted all around the area from many different spots

FISHINMAN · March 21, 2016

I haven't been there in along time but I remember in the mid to late 90s both of the ramps were barely long enough for me to launch my 18' boat and it dropped right off. Had to be very careful to not let the wheels go off the edge. Is it still like that? I used to catch some nice largemouth in that area.

Yeah the ramp is still the same I have a 19.5 boat and it drops right off and takes a bit to get it back on. Still get some decent LM but with local bass tourney there (every week I believe) now and a lot of pp fishing it these days it's not what it once was. Seems like the weeds certainly aren't what they used to be either. :shake: :doh:

What about speed when trolling for the toothy critters? I think we stayed in the low side around 1.2 - 1.5mph

S * K · March 23, 2016

Enjoy what u have one of my favorite places to fish since a child.I'm at other end and 3 yrs in row they have killed all weeds trying to irradicate water chestnut and some other weed so they say. Local game warden said yacht owners kept complaining about weeds as well as business along water. No weeds no fish sucks now its just drainage ditch now. I contacted them and local Dec they basically said who cares...

justtracytrolling · March 23, 2016

Yeah the ramp is still the same I have a 19.5 boat and it drops right off and takes a bit to get it back on. Still get some decent LM but with local bass tourney there (every week I believe) now and a lot of pp fishing it these days it's not what it once was. Seems like the weeds certainly aren't what they used to be either.

What about speed when trolling for the toothy critters? I think we stayed in the low side around 1.2 - 1.5mph

That's really slow even for walleye...pike, musky, tiger musky 3-4 mph is average...cold water 2 mph...and fast/aggressive would be say 5 mph...

GAMBLER · March 23, 2016

He is used to fishing Lake Trout Justin. He loves that slow troll!

justtracytrolling · March 23, 2016

Lakers bite at 3 plus too! Lol! I figured that or a walleye guy. Seriously though, if you pick the right spread slow can work well for all species, but I feel i get better quality warm water fish the faster i go....the only reason i dont go much faster than 5 is i havent had much success though ive done 6... whats the max those spin n glows can take and be effective?

GAMBLER · March 24, 2016

Cowbells are what restrict the speed. Cowbells do not produce well over 1.8 MPH. They thump too hard and spook fish. They will work faster on some days but the norm is under 1.8. My sweet spot is 1.4mph ball speed. Max is around 2.3.

Edited March 24, 2016 by GAMBLER

FISHINMAN · March 25, 2016

That's really slow even for walleye...pike, musky, tiger musky 3-4 mph is average...cold water 2 mph...and fast/aggressive would be say 5 mph...

Thanks thought I had read somewhere or saw a video about it being slower.

FISHINMAN · March 25, 2016

He is used to fishing Lake Trout Justin. He loves that slow troll!

Brian don't make me come down there :ninja: :punch:

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