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For Release: Thursday, February 28, 2013

DEC Announces State of Lake Ontario Meetings

Biologists to Update Status of Lakes Fisheries

The annual State of Lake Ontario public meetings will be held in Oswego, Monroe and Niagara counties during March, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today.
"In recent years, Lake Ontario anglers have experienced outstanding fishing on Lake Ontario and its tributaries, based on DEC's science-based management of the fisheries," said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. "DEC's goal is to maintain Lake Ontario's high-quality angling opportunities and associated economic benefits. The State of Lake Ontario meetings provide an excellent opportunity for individuals interested in the lake to interact with the scientists who study its fisheries."
Lake Ontario and its embayments and tributaries support thriving populations of fish, including a variety of trout and salmon, bass, walleye, yellow perch and panfish. New York's Lake Ontario waters comprise more than 2.7 million acres. A 2007 statewide angler survey estimated more than 2.6 million angler days were spent on Lake Ontario and major tributaries. The estimated value of these fisheries exceeded $112 million to the local New York economy.
The meeting dates are as follows:
Wednesday, March 6, 2013: 7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. at the DEC Training Academy, 24 County Route 2A, Pulaski (the former Portly Angler Motel), Oswego County. The meeting is co-hosted by the Eastern Lake Ontario Salmon and Trout Association.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013: 7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. at the Carlson Auditorium, in the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science building (76-1125) on the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) campus, Rochester, Monroe County. The meeting is co-hosted by RIT and the Monroe County Fishery Advisory Board.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013: 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Building, 4487 Lake Avenue, Lockport, Niagara County. The meeting is co-hosted by Niagara County Cooperative Extension and the Niagara County Sportfishery Development Board.
DEC, United States Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources biologists will make a number of presentations, including updates on the status of trout and salmon fisheries, forage fish, stocking programs, and fisheries management plans. Ample time will be provided at the end of the scheduled program for the audience to interact with the presenters. Information summaries for a host of Lake Ontario fisheries assessment programs will be posted on DEC's website prior to the public meetings. Previous annual reports can also be found at this site.
As part of the NY Open for Fishing and Hunting Initiative, this year, Governor Cuomo's Executive Budget proposes that hunting and fishing licenses be simplified and fees be reduced. For more information, go to Governor's Press webpage (leaving DEC's website). For further information contact Steven Lapan, New York Great Lakes Section Leader at Cape Vincent Fisheries Research Station, (315) 654-2147.
 
L13

Tell us the bullet points afterwards.
Me I'll be in bed before it starts.
 
By the way this morning nada in about 45 minutes at the parking lot.
Back after bloodwork landed 1 5-5 pound male .
The only touch I had between 10 and 2.
Water colored up pretty good.
Fishable but real dirty.

Dropped a tad it seemed today. Still a bit dirtier than I would like but fishable.
Stopped after work.
Bad sign, noone fishing.
Went to the shaft and fished for twenty or so until the mini blizzard hit.
Five minutes from chilly(in my work duds of kackies and a short sleeve polo shirt, don't have the lining in my coat) to near whiteout with a steady 20 mph wind.
Not a bite, line rub,or bump.
didn't see a tail, fin or passing shadow.
 
Did I mention a few suckers have showed up.
Its over dude everybody stay home.

Dont know if ya meant small size of fish in Altmar or if that meant small numbers. Personally  felt  that Altmar had a average  season as most never went up that far. Likely because of temps and flows.
 First year in a LOOOOONG time I moved down to find that larger run they all talked about. Seemed they  never got up to my normal haunts in those big numbers.
   Fished  much more than normal early last year because of a nice schedule and the big runs.
 Ill say one thing for last year- when it was over it was OVER.  My up top later Nov fishing was pretty much a bust and thats a time I generally enjoy. Steel and Hos were sparce up there too cept for  early.
   Most early days were split between upstream with some here and there and downstream  with schools of them all over.
  That said it was indeed a banner year in mid to  lower sections and indications are of another upcoming.

Thanks for attending and voicing your opinion, even if we are the majority and it fell on deaf ears..
I read through the report and seeing the seining catch for YOY in late May, If I were to fish steel I sure know what fly Id be tossing ;)

Sorry lucky, I been throwing the SRS for a number of years. We used to hide the fly from other anglers .lol One time some guy got a look at it after I caught or lost a few fish and said " that's a snaggin fly" laughed my azz off , mostly because it was a size # 4 instead of a # 12 black stone.
Ah , I even tied a few today :)

Just read this thread, thanks for informing lucky... salmon river stone??? I believe ive seen it in a book once or twice... i think mine work better though... lol!!!

Tuna did you ever get a chance to use the nymphs i gave you back in october... my lame azz hasnt tossed a fly yet this whole steelhead season... i did tie up a dozen a few months back for a friend though who happened to do very well with them in the lfz

The most productive fishing I saw this winter was a guy In Pineville that hooked and landed  4 in 5 or 6 casts on what was a slow day. His luck ran out  as his jar of 3" hellgramites  became empty.  Pretty standard big trout bait.  Harder to come by though , and most bait doesn't bite!  I use ostrich herl and marabou together  in a longer tail than you normally would put on a bugger.  I have no idea what the secret fly is, but I do know some of the flies from my smallmouth box have migrated.  
 
 

OK bear,I just have to know what is the receipe for that pattern?
This is the first I've heard of anyone using those critters for Steelhead,but seeing that the SR is loaded with them it's no big surprise.
I'm out here in Ohio waiting for some decent weather to go fishing,don't like cold,raw,wind and snow blowing in my face.Besides that the flow gauges all show high and probably dirty water.I have until April 7th to get out there so I'm patiently waiting

Dime,
 
SRS is HT's, so I am not going to rain on his parade.  While I have seen size 4 stones in the fall, the spring stuff is usually tiny winter blacks and early browns, which is probably why the little critters  are so effective in the winter. Hellgrimites were the impetus for the "no inverts for bait from trout streams" regulation in NY.  The bassers and bait dealers on the Schoharie would throw old matresses and box springs into the water, then haul them out later and pick the Dobsonfly larvae, but leave the mayflies, caddis, and stones to dessicate. Art Flick pushed the legislation, and since then you cannot pick invertebrates, including crayfish, in a trout stream without a scientific collector's permit.  In PA, last time I lived down there, you could pick up to 50 per day for personal use, and you can take hellgrimites, crayfish, stones, etc from streams that are Class C (not C(T)) or lower (if you can find a D anymore!) in New York.  This probably only meant big leeches, hellgrimites and crawdads back when the law went in because everything else is too small and squishy to keep on a hook, but in recent times, I've seen people using tiny leeches and scuds attached to fly hooks with super glue, with deadly results.  On the other hand, one of the most successful angler's at Irondequoit Creek this spring has been hammering fish on small (2-3") red rubber worms, and the Joe's wigglers (rubber Hexagenia nymphs) from Michigan used to work really well on the SR, so maybe the imitation will work just as well as the natural.
 
L13

Thanks for the pattern . Bear. Very cool.   The fellow that I saw using them, I've seen numerous times, as he's a long term resident of Altmar and fishes a lot.  He told me they weren't something he uses regularly, being a pain to collect. A friend had given him some, so he gladly  used them.  Once again, I have to plead ignorance, I'm just relating an observation.
 I recently  tied a bunch of Mike Mercer's dark  poxy back stones for a friend to use on the Trinity in California in size 6 and they worked well. That river has many similarities with the SR.  Those are a Skwala stone though, not a Dobson.  I tied a bunch for myself, too.  I have fun  knowing jack squat about fisheries sometimes, and just winging it.  I've spent  a bunch of time on the water teaching people to fly fish,  sometimes that carries over and I say way too much .  I'm very much an outsider here, with little knowledge,  so I'll  go back to being quiet.

Just one more thought on large bait versus small bait.... those browns that would hammer large helgramite patterns at night were the same browns that would sip size 18 sulfur emergers during the day while monster green drake snow storm hatch was in effect... trout will be trout and steelhead are trout too ;)

Does anybody market  an imitation Helgramite ?? - Have used the scented imitation sandworms with great results in Salt.
 Personally prefer large natural live garden hackle in Spring for drops.
  Flys are nice but I'll opt for a real natural bait whenever I can.

RG-
 
Smaller ones
http://www.fishusa.com/Berkley-Gulp-15-Hellgramite_p.html
 
L13

Thanks Lucky- especically like the biodegradable part.