Texan needs help

[jack iv]

Texan needs help

HELP PLEASE!!!!

My wife and I are driving to NY on 7/10 to fish for small mouth on Lake Ontario. We will be in the Henderson Bay area. As I am from Texas I have absolutely no Idea where to even begin looking for small mouth on the lake.

Any help on where to start looking, techniques, baits, depth etc. would be greatly appreciated.

 Thanks

[dmd113]

Book a charter the first day & take it from there. It will shorten the learning curve for sure!

[greenboatluke]

What kind of boat will you be running?

I fished smallies since I was a kid, but haven't focused on them in summer too much in some years (after salmon and trout now), unless I take my 6 year old daughter out. I have a place on the Sackets side of Henderson Bay.

Mainly trolled plugs and drifted bait around shoals and islands in that area. Also, fished some of the rock cliff areas in the Black River Bay and between the cut and Stony Point. Even out to Stony Island and the Galoo Islands.

 

 

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[jack iv]

I will be bringing a 21' Skeeter bass boat. I guess I am a little late for the smallies but I am going to give it a shot.I have been waiting a long time to to get on the great lakes for some of the best small mouth fishing in the world and can't wait. I will look at the islands and shoals for sure. thanks for the heads up!!!

[Chowdaire]

There was a Bassmaster event a few years ago and the winner made the run all the way down from Waddington (?) to fish the deep structure on Henderson. You might want to look that up. Drop shotting, I believe.

 

 

[greenboatluke]

The lake may dictate where you can safely and comfortably fish. Do you have the Navionics app or access to a decent sounding map?


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[jack iv]

Chowdire great idea. I will look it up and see if there is any available info

Thanks

[jack iv]

Greenboatluke. I do not have the Navionics map for the great lakes. I do have the Navionics web app for that area on my computer so I can look at it before I go out. I am not sure if my Humminbird electronics have any default maps for that area.I thought about buying the Navionics map for the great lakes but hate to spend $200.00 and never use it again.

 I understand that the wind plays a huge factor there. I will be in a 21' Skeeter bass boat but I don't want to be in any boat if the swells get to the 5' plus mark.

 What direction is the wind predominantly out of on Ontario this time of year?

 

[greenboatluke]

Jack iv, you have a PM.


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[greenboatluke]

The winds can commonly come from the SW-ish direction, this time of year. But the lake is big and you could have days of it or some days where it moves around. Look at the speed and direction for your preceding days and go from there.
If you're trailering, you're in a good place to play the wind. The Henderson, Black River Bay, Chaumont Bay Area is great for this. Check your maps for the following, look for structure you like, and you should have plenty to explore:
Henderson: Association Island area, Lyme Barrel Shoal, cliffs between Assoc and Stony Point, if you can make it out to Stony, Calf, and Gallo islands my grandfather used to love to fish it and I've been out there and had luck.
BRB: Bass and Horse island, cliffs and southern shore line of BRB. Sherwin bay on N side.
Chaumont: just check it out, tons of shoals and areas to work. My grandfather always told stories about Cherry island fishing, I regretfully never got to go there with him.
Anyway, this should help you find some places to fish with whatever the wind is doing.


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[jack iv]

Thanks a ton Greenboatluke. I will surely check out all of the areas that you mentioned depending on the wind.

 Again, thanks a ton!! I'll try to post pics if I catch anything worthy of posting!!!