Irisheyeball
Salmon River - 9/14 and 15.  Much success.  Many Cohoes and Kings caught and it seems that it's just getting started.  

 
When I was stationed at Fort Drum I would fish that river every chance I got in the fall and winter. 

Made it up to kinzua this weekend. Camped at willow bay Fri-Sun, bought the 3 day Seneca reservation license to fish NY water.

The lake is crazy low right now, I’d guess maybe 15’ below normal pool for this time of year and the water has a pretty heavy algae bloom. I’m used to kinzua being relatively clear, but it looked like Arthur. Maybe 2’ - 3’ of visibility tops in most places.

It can be a tough lake to fish but I think we did alright. We got into some bass this time. Lots of dinks and a few pigs here and there. When we found fish it was like you either got bit every other cast for 30 minutes straight but they were all 10” and under, or you got one hit in half an hour but it was a tank.

Everything seemed to be relating to these huge schools of really small baitfish that were, I guess, eating something in the algae? Lots surface action with bass chasing baitfish too. Pretty much every fish we put in the boat hit some kind of small, flashy paddletail.

Beautiful weather tho. The campground was basically deserted and pleasure boat traffic wasn’t too bad. Pretty great trip overall.

Put the boat in at the Harmar launch Sunday morning, and chucked jig's at the dam. Fishing was decent till about 9 AM, lots of smallmouths and a few walleye's. 

We got the reservation licenses at Bells Meat and Poultry in Kane. Its right on the way up from pittsburgh so it’s an easy stop if you are coming from the south. I think you can get them up in Salamanca NY too but that’s kind of out of the way. You might be able to find other spots that sell them in like Bradford or Warren if you ask around.

The 3 day license was $25. And from what I was able to find out, you only need the reservation license to fish NY water, you don’t need a NY state license.

The Willow Bay tent campsite was I think $56 for two nights. You can reserve them online. Might be a little less $$ if you just drive up.

I don’t know exactly why the reservoir was so low but I’m guessing it’s because there hasn't been enough rain in the northern parts of the watershed. I don’t think the water was drawn down intentionally.

I know it’s not unusual for the water to be a little bit lower at the end of a dry summer but this was kind of crazy. There was only one segment of dock in water at the willow bay launch, and the Webb’s ferry dock looked like it was completely out of the water. Pretty much all of the private docks that we saw across the state line on the NY side were sitting out of the water too. All of the fish cribs and habitat structures along the willow bay shoreline were on dry land, and I believe those are normally in 10’ - 15’ of water.

You can probably just buy the NY state license online? I buy my PA license online, I’d imagine you can get most state licenses that way.

Yea the Seneca reservation license is for the NY part of the reservoir. My understanding is that pretty much the entire NY side is a Seneca reservation so that’s why you need the Seneca license rather than a NY state license.

I tried to find the Seneca reservation license online somewhere, but it doesn’t look like they are available online. You can only buy them in person (and when I bought them we had to pay cash).

I don’t know anything about silver creek specifically but I’d guess you would also need the reservation license to fish whatever water is within the boundaries of the reservation. I’d double check the regs just to be safe though.

Do any of you see the cheaters that got busted at the Walleye tournament in Ohio yesterday? Jack Runyan and his partner got caught with 8lbs of weight in 5 fish on the final day. This guy has won $3M over his career on tour. What's wrong with people? Guess it's true, money is the root of all evil. I'd post the video but it's too explicit.

I seent it.Imagine how mad you would be if you were in that tournament.I wonder how they got caught? Either someone saw them do it, someone ratted on them, or they got stupid and put too much weight in to be believable.

   It happens 

  Fish have to still be alive or get a deduction in weight in tournaments. But yeah that cooler of dead fish would be a dead giveaway. Never fished one and don't plan to.   Don't know why they would bring a cooler full when longest fish is the winner though? Timmy catches 10 pounders in the spring near creek mouths and he don't even know the lake. Helped when he bought a depth finder from a pro that still had his hot spots loaded in it though 

I was debating to hit the Yough. I too seem to struggle when it cools. I’m also not too fond of wearing waders in that river. Falling in the warm summer water stinks enough. If the bite was superb, I’d be a bit more willing.

Today was just a wash for me. I don’t mind a little rain, but the wind added, just makes things a bit tough.

https://youtu.be/ung4qEQTaN0
 
This one?   Was on the Texas forum I'm on....lol
 
Warning....bad language.

https://www.post-gazette....BXg#Echobox=1665015205

Exciting news. Gizzard shad only have flatheads and musky to worry about when mature. Pretty sure fully grown they are likely passed up for other forage by flatheads and musky too. Likely won’t be the case with the blues. Not that blues will only eat them, but was why they stock hybrid stripers in the rivers from what I had read years ago. To attempt to chow down on the juvenile gizzards before too big to not have predators. Being native, I am 100% behind return of the apex to they system. Likely means an end to the hybrid stripers in the rivers if it works. Probably won’t determine that for 10+ years though. Hopefully it works and clean enough for natural reproduction. Just means more hybrids in the lakes that they blues aren’t approved for.

Launched at Templeton yesterday and trolled up river through Rimer to #9 Lock & Dam. Two little bass. Jigged all around the Dam and power plant. 1 little walleye, so we trolled back on the other side of the river back to the launch by 4:00 PM. Another little walleye on the way back, plus a snag that cost me a new fire tiger X-Rap, first time I ever used it. River is down to 54 degrees surface temp.