Helpful ReplySalmon in the lake!!!!!

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pafisher
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2018/06/17 17:50:43 (permalink)

Salmon in the lake!!!!!

So my son in law and family were on the big O fishing on a charter.They were on the western basin and said that the bite was off the charts.Limited out by 10 AM both days.So it appears there were a ton of Salmon there.My question for those that have knowledge of the travels of the Salmon.Do they congreate out west and then migrate east during the summer?
I know it's early but I'm trying to get a sense of what the fall river fishing will be.Last year it was great,but will it be the same this year?
#1
fichy
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/06/18 07:02:06 (permalink)
Maybe hyperbole, but they say the spring fishing has been incredible to "best in memory" on the lake.  I'd take another last fall , though some steel would have been nice earlier.  Looks good, Jack. Seeya there.
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troutbum21
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/06/18 11:55:05 (permalink)
I'm headed to Lake O this coming Saturday 6/23 for a charter out of Pulaski.  I hope some of those sharks are willing to play, will let you know.
#3
hot tuna
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/06/18 17:11:24 (permalink)
I'm no expert on the lake at all but what I seen told and hear, is that Oswego and West are the spring and summer fisheries for salmon. Maybe it's a collation with deep water and current flows.
Seasonal lake and charter anglers I know are in Fairhaven, sodus and Oswego.
Oswego is fishing well from the guy I know charters on the Hudson river. All species are being caught pretty much daily.
I do know Mexico bay/ port Ontario comes into play big time in late July.
I would run to the red brick over at Oswego often and troll out =NW but it's a good 8-12 mile haul just to start setting gear. Try that in 4-6 footers, BTDT.

So to answer the question,
Personally I think it's deep winter over water with bait in close proximity.
Not saying no bait in Mexico, it's just a very big flat bottom bay for about 4 miles out , then it only drops about 100 more feet, total 225 ish for quite awhile. We been swimming in 400 fow and made it to 600 a few times.
#1 thing is if you venture out , make sure the vhf works !
Second is a GPS.

"whats that smell like fish oh baby" .. J. Kaukonen
#4
troutbum21
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/06/26 20:32:01 (permalink)
The salmon fishing was very good this past Saturday.  We were 7 for 11 (Kings) under tough conditions with wind 10-15 knots, 2-4' swells and scattered showers. We fished in 200' of water off the power plant and found players 90-105' down. 
While we did not fish inshore for browns I'm told the bite is red hot in 30-40' of water.  We made a choice to target salmon foregoing the browns because bad weather was supposed to move in late morning. 
Almost all of the fish were in the two year class.  Big fish are being taken daily a little farther west off Oswego.
If the early bite is any indication it should be another banner season on the tributaries. 
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dimebrite2
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/06/27 09:15:33 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby troutbum21 2018/06/27 15:00:37
Trout bum i found this pic somewhere

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dimebrite2
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/06/27 09:30:28 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby troutbum21 2018/06/27 15:00:44
I think yhe only thing we should be worrying about is our water tables. Getting very dry. The lake is a fish machine regardless

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#7
pafisher
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/06/27 10:24:53 (permalink)
It's a little early to be worrying about water flow,we are just getting into the tropical storm season,so lets do a rain dance............there you go!!!
#8
pafisher
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/07/09 14:33:05 (permalink)
I called Cannon"s today to confirm my dates for Sept. and Oct. this year.She told me they are catching Salmon like there is tomorrow,more confirmation that this years silly season is going to be a great one....if there is water too run.They cancelled last weekends water release due to "drought conditions".
#9
hot tuna
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/07/09 17:13:54 (permalink)
Well that's good news Jack.
I still have no idea what I'm doing this "salmon " season. My boat has been parked broken since May and I haven't had the urge to look into the problem.
I do know that labor and Columbus weekends we will be at deer camp .
As time gets closer keep me posted on your dates. I want to make the trip to share water again with you, I'll figure out where I'll stay later, I don't foresee a problem there

"whats that smell like fish oh baby" .. J. Kaukonen
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pafisher
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/07/09 17:40:43 (permalink)
Rich,I'll be there 9/22 to 9/28,and 10/16 to 10/20.
#11
hot tuna
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/07/09 19:35:36 (permalink)
I got 2 weekdays I can fluctuate.
10/20 is our 34th anniversary. We've spent a few chasing steelhead on that date.
Let's see what happens and I'm sure if your there having fun , I'll be too

"whats that smell like fish oh baby" .. J. Kaukonen
#12
hot tuna
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/08/20 17:47:35 (permalink)
Something I find interesting.
Brown's have been pretty prevalent in lake last few years. Kings are making a steady catch last season and some say that this is a banner lake season.
What I find strange is I can't recall seeing laker picture at all this season.
4, 3, 2 years ago they were everywhere, now of course it's all salmon.
Obviously they are not being targeted but I'd still expect to see some pictures.

So what does mean , with 2 straight great lake salmon fishing.
Personally from an outside observer, they are feeding and growing well.

"whats that smell like fish oh baby" .. J. Kaukonen
#13
troutbum21
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/08/20 18:25:53 (permalink)
I did see photos of nice lakers being caught back in May/June in Rochester.  The interesting thing is once the salmon showed up the browns never disappeared.  It made for a banner year in tight or out in the deep water.   
#14
hot tuna
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/08/20 20:14:54 (permalink)
Maybe Gerry, I'm just a bit stymied about the Lakers. This could be a not so good thing ? I'm sure they are prevalent and not being targeted now that the king is ruling the waters again.
Nobody is hunting them so they should thrive ?
No matter, I hope to get back to the adventures again someday. This would have been a good summer.
Things are piling up here and expanding so every year will be tougher for me , at least the next 6.

Other notable:
Getting dark way to early now.
Wish N.Y. didn't abide by daylight saving.

"whats that smell like fish oh baby" .. J. Kaukonen
#15
pafisher
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/08/25 11:37:32 (permalink)
The Salmon in the lake are now going up the river,DSR is reporting that they are seeing more Salmon running every day.The water releases planned for the beginning of Sept. should move them to my "secret" spot
Since I made this post this morning the DSR said in a mid day report that many more Salmon are moving thru.....the 2018 run has STARTED!!!!!!
post edited by pafisher - 2018/08/25 17:09:16
#16
hot tuna
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/09/06 21:12:34 (permalink)
If boats I know are doing 24 fish limits daily , how many fish are really out there ? To many ?
Geesh what a year to have a broken boat with no time.

"whats that smell like fish oh baby" .. J. Kaukonen
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troutbum21
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/09/07 09:06:06 (permalink)
It's been an all out slug fest this season.  To think just a few short years ago all you heard was the lake and the salmonid fishery was on the verge of collapse.  I think NYS DEC biologists have not only missed the mark on the state of the lake but also the amount of natural reproduction that is taking place.  It's incredible that the salmon have set up in the eastern end of Lake Ontario this Spring and never did their traditional disappearing act.
Those of you who plan to fish the tributaries in the next six weeks should make sure you tied enough flies.  You're going to need them!  
#18
Lucky13
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/09/07 09:33:27 (permalink)
Any action related to stocking taken on the Lake takes two years to take effect. 2013, the alewife hatch was almost non-existent, and that was repeated in 2014, as seen in the 2015 trawls.  Stocking was reduced in 2016 by 20%, which was estimated to reduce predation by 10% when the natural reproduction, estimated as equal to what is being stocked, was taken into account.  This past year was the last "pre-cut" year, and the preliminary data on the 2017 bait hatch says the fish out there chowed down last year's "record" bait hatch and the remains of the prior years pretty well, and there was only a moderate hatch out there last year.  I personally think the biologists are doing a masterful job of managing the fish and indicating the state of the lake, we could very easily have gone the way of Lake Michigan without some action, and we are not 100% out of the woods yet.  Certainly, if they had just let the Charter fleet have their way, and continued stocking all those predators along with the natural reproduction, which they can't control and which could be very good one year and could fail the next (it'll be interesting to see what recruits after the steambath of a river this past summer), we could be very close to Michigan now.  Certainly the size of the kings is down, fall LCO 2017 was won by a 39 pounder, 2018, just 31.  It has been a strange year, as there have been numerous reports of next to no salmon on the Canadian side of the lake all spring and summer. Of course, 20-20 hindsight based on conjecture is certainly the superior management technique. Perhaps you should reveal how you are getting your natural reproduction data, other than "I think."   I think a lot of things but doesn't make it science.
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r3g3
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/09/07 09:56:01 (permalink)
Agree totally- its all about the baitfish.
Am not so concerned with very  large Kings ( high 30s to 40s) other than as a barometer of whats happening in the lake with bait stock.
Most of what we catch in the river generally run from the teens into the 20s indicating- to me- that those sizes are most common over time.
Have seen a few bruisers from time to time far out sizing the fish they are running with but have only hooked up a couple in over 30 years up there.
Nice to hear bout all the fish on our end this year but a bit concerned about a lack of fish on the other end.
Could mean a lot of things but questions  an overall big lake wide increase picture IMHO.
All that is nice to think about but am ready to appreciate the fish that seem prepared to make the SR a good run this season.
Hope the Hos and Steel are just as cooperative on our end.
post edited by r3g3 - 2018/09/07 09:58:04
#20
Lucky13
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/09/07 10:34:59 (permalink)
Reports indicate a plethora of salmon all season from the Niagara Bar to the Trench off Henderson, along the south shore, north shore, not so much.  Usually a lot of the salmon are in Canada, maybe this year's bunch were all Trumpsters(LOL!).  Recent reports from Henderson indicate a fair number of 'hoes showing up in the mix, so those guys could be doing their sprint upriver soon, they like to run early, and then they hang around until the end of the King spawning to do their mating dance (if they don't side trip to other parts of NYS and the NE).  According to the DSR reports, there was a small run  of steel last week, but that could have been the remnants of the Skamanias.  We had planned to go up and take a couple of hikes Wednesday and yesterday, but between a funeral I had to attend and the brutal heat, we bagged it.  I'm debating a trip to the woods for next week, the yogi hunters are out after that, and I hate fishing in Blaze Orange, even from a canoe. 
post edited by Lucky13 - 2018/09/07 10:53:37
#21
r3g3
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/09/07 11:30:26 (permalink)
At one time saw fresh dead Hos in Kiddie in February.
Then- on the flip side- have had difficulty finding them in Dec in other years.
LOVE FISHING COHOS----
Recall that very low water season some years back when they were spawning early only halfway up the river.
Bloodbath season.
Guys were walking up close and lifting them right off the beds.
post edited by r3g3 - 2018/09/07 11:33:44
#22
Lucky13
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/09/07 11:44:02 (permalink)
We find a lot of them in braided areas of the river while looking for chromers, even into December.  I was very surprised to see them actively working redds that late.  And while there always seems to be a big and very visible push of them in September, I got one a few years ago in mid November up above Pineville that was mint bright, thought it was  a steelhead right up until landing. 
#23
bigbear2012
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/09/07 13:21:21 (permalink)
Looking back over the past few years, that first coho blast should be very soon.

wishin i was fishin
#24
r3g3
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/09/07 13:22:43 (permalink)
Yea- often a very visible nice run early then mixed in with Steel as the season goes on.
Have often seen both feeding behind spawning Kings into late season.
post edited by r3g3 - 2018/09/07 13:24:19
#25
fichy
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/09/08 09:27:04 (permalink)
RG, do you think the ho's are crushing eggs of their competitors?  They supposedly, and I believe that's entirely accurate, don't feed during their run.  I've seen them in the braids pretty darn late, as in skim ice late.  
   I've staked out a campsite and  will be hitting whatever's hitting  the 25th and 26th.  Maybe a suicidal  venture with  Wayne if we can find some space in both of our packed schedules.  I've got many dozens of flies left over from past seasons. Hopefully, a few get torn up with some teeth.  This cooler weather is starting to get my blood flowing.  
#26
hot tuna
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/09/08 10:05:46 (permalink)
Fichy, my answer is instinct and competition. You've seen both I'm sure. Males snapping at each other for the right to territory of a female. Fish in general for their spot .
Another aspect that I believe in instinct is when a complete zombie snaps at floating leaves. This leads me to feel no matter their state of being, instinct still prevails.

Yes this weather has me getting more anxious to spend time afield. My gardening and livestock chores are coming to an end soon. The smokehouse is a smoking today and tomorrow.
Happy fishing and hope to share some water.

"whats that smell like fish oh baby" .. J. Kaukonen
#27
r3g3
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Re: Salmon in the lake!!!!! 2018/09/08 10:58:52 (permalink)
Don't know Charlie--always felt the Steel are eating and have had  some Hos hit behind the reds but had never considered they were crushing.
With the Hos -generally use a pink bug when they are around and tend to like anytime but have  used small blue sacs too.
Know the male Kings will crush the sacs and be hard to hook without a quick set.
( I know which end of the 90/10 thingie I am on-lol)
 
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