Fishing

[stoneam2006]

Is it just me or has the fishing been slow last few weeks to a month...cant seem to find anything to bite. Hope it's just me and having an off month lol

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[Lawdwaz]

Ha!

 

I was just going to respond to a text I got from a forum member tonight regarding the lack of biting bass locally.  I've only been out one day on the river and did lousy too.

 

Pygmy should have report worthy of what you'll pay for it. 

 

Seriously, he has his finger on the pulse of WNY & Central NY waters.  Stay tuned..................he'll sniff this out. 

[stoneam2006]

I had 1 good night on bass last week in Canandaigua in an oddball location we tried. Had a few carp hooked up wife actually caught one Sunday night. Other than that been squat..live minnows worms lures you name it I've thrown it and nothing. Even the crappie aren't biting.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[Lawdwaz]

My buddy was hammering the perch at the north end of Canandaigua two months ago but I don't think that will help you.

[stoneam2006]

Nope lol...I've been out on cuba fishing olean Creek and a little bit of the alleghany. Will be getting out fly rod this week over my vacation and will be on lime lake 1 day this week see what is happening there but slowdown here

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[Jeremy K]

Ha!

 

I was just going to respond to a text I got from a forum member tonight regarding the lack of biting bass locally.  I've only been out one day on the river and did lousy too.

 

Pygmy should have report worthy of what you'll pay for it. 

 

Seriously, he has his finger on the pulse of WNY & Central NY waters.  Stay tuned..................he'll sniff this out. 

I think i might have to let you on a little secret spot via PM ,if the bass arn't biting there ,you might as well bring the boat back in and go home.

[grampy]

Fished the Mohawk between locks 9 and 10 today. I know this stretch very well. Caught a few small fish nothing great at all. Tried a bunch of stuff and just couldn't get them to bite today. Very slow for sure.

[Lawdwaz]

I think i might have to let you on a little secret spot via PM ,if the bass arn't biting there ,you might as well bring the boat back in and go home.

 

The PM system is secure, even the mods can't access it. 

 

Lay it on me brother.......

[Jeremy K]

The PM system is secure, even the mods can't access it. 

 

Lay it on me brother.......

I may have laid it on a little heavy but we've never been skunked there ,ill hit ya up.

[Jeremy K]

The PM system is secure, even the mods can't access it. 

 

Lay it on me brother.......

Is there a way to send pictures via PM ? 

[Pygmy]

I have fished Keuka several times for bluegills ( Penn Yan end)  and a couple of times for smallies..

 

Bluegills have been excellent..  The last couple of trips we caught all we wanted to clean in 2-3 hours and could have easily limited out if we were so inclined..

 

Smallmouth fishing opening weekend was somewhat slow...Everybody I talked to caught fish, mostly on hair jigs, but nobody murdered 'em.

 

I went back with a buddy two days ago armed with a bunch of small crayfish trapped from a farm pond..We had an excellent morning...Kept a few 14-15 inchers to filet and put back several several real hogs, including two fish over five pounds.

 

Rock bass are very active too, but perch action so far has been spotty.

[Lawdwaz]

I have fished Keuka several times for bluegills ( Penn Yan end)  and a couple of times for smallies..

 

Bluegills have been excellent..  The last couple of trips we caught all we wanted to clean in 2-3 hours and could have easily limited out if we were so inclined..

 

Smallmouth fishing opening weekend was somewhat slow...Everybody I talked to caught fish, mostly on hair jigs, but nobody murdered 'em.

 

I went back with a buddy two days ago armed with a bunch of small crayfish trapped from a farm pond..We had an excellent morning...Kept a few 14-15 inchers to filet and put back several several real hogs, including two fish over five pounds.

 

Rock bass are very active too, but perch action so far has been spotty.

 

Are you keeping the Rock Bass?

 

I kept a bunch last year and I thought they were great.

[Pygmy]

Yeah, Larry, I kept a few of the bigger ones and filleted them up.

 

Rock bass is good,  but they taste best to me when I cook them by themselves.

 

If I have them on the platter with perch or bluegills, the rockies taste a bit bland.

 

That is why often when I am perch fishing, I put the rockies back...

[dbHunterNY]

slow here because i haven't had the time to get out.

[philoshop]

Yeah, Larry, I kept a few of the bigger ones and filleted them up.

 

Rock bass is good,  but they taste best to me when I cook them by themselves.

 

If I have them on the platter with perch or bluegills, the rockies taste a bit bland.

 

That is why often when I am perch fishing, I put the rockies back...

 

It's been a while, but I do remember giving the rock bass a generous coat of 'Italian breadcrumbs' as opposed to the light dusting of cornmeal for the perch, bluegills and sunfish. All good, just different.

 

[wolc123]

We fished this past Sat, Sunday, Monday, Tues on the St Lawrence, below Alex bay.   The smallmouth action was a little slow on our usual drifts out near the shipping lane,  but the fish seemed extra big, stuffed on round gobies I suppose.   We kept 5 on Sat and on Sunday, all very healthy looking, even the fat 20 inchers.    On Sunday we also hit a 24" and a 27" walleye at the deeper part of our drift (25-30 ft).  The last 20 years , it had been 5 years almost to the hour in walleyes for us taken in that part of the river.  I rarely target them since learning how to properly care for and prepare bass, so the only ones we get are strays while bass fishing.    

 

Monday, the strong west wind blew hard, and just like they say, the wind is from the West, the fish bite the best.   We pulled into a protected bay and took our limits of largemouth on spinnerbaits in less than a half hour that morning.  That action was faster and fish more aggressive than I have seen up there in many years.  I suppose they were recovered from spawning and we hit them right at that "summer peak".  That afternoon, with the West Wind still blowing hard, we tried for more walleyes out in the river, but only managed a few more smallies (which had to be returned due to the largemouth limits we filleted in the morning).       

 

We froze our fish from the first 3 days, ending up with 12 vacuum sealed quarts of fillets.   We only had a couple hours to fish on Tuesday, having to pack up for home.   With no wind blowing, action was very slow out on the river with just one fat Smallmouth.   Back in the bay at Monday's Largemouth hotspot, just one 15 incher took the bait.   Fortunately, a 27" Northern pike hit my brother in laws's spinnerbait, so we managed enough "fresh fish" for a fresh meal when we got home.   I only keep them bony things if we don't have enough bass or walleye to make a meal.

 

So far this season, the smallmouth action has been off a bit, but the Largemouth, Walleye, and Northern Pike action is way up from prior years for us on the St Lawrence at least.  We landed about 7 other Northerns over 22", and about the same number of shorter "hammer handles".     

[New York Hillbilly]

Picture from our fishing trip a month ago. Just before I broke my wrist and needed  2 1/2 hours of surgery to repair, effectively putting my fishing on hold. 

 

 

 

Darn it! Can't get fish pics to post right. I'll try again tomorrow. Wait...wait...I think I got it!  Halibut and King salmon from Cook Inlet, on the Kenai Peninsula where I live these days. 

Edited July 2, 2016 by New York Hillbilly

[wolc123]

That looks like some good eating there Hillbilly.  It took us 4 days to secure a year's worth of fish from NY waters, but it looks like you did it in a day up in Alaska.  The thing that limits my fishing most in NY is the State recommendations against eating too much fish.  I suppose that is less of a concern with fish up there.  I never liked the idea of "catch and release", seeing it as nothing but the senseless maiming of a fine food source.   God gave fish for man to eat, not to play games with.  

[Dom]

That looks like some good eating there Hillbilly.  It took us 4 days to secure a year's worth of fish from NY waters, but it looks like you did it in a day up in Alaska.  The thing that limits my fishing most in NY is the State recommendations against eating too much fish.  I suppose that is less of a concern with fish up there.  I never liked the idea of "catch and release", seeing it as nothing but the senseless maiming of a fine food source.   God gave fish for man to eat, not to play games with.  

I agree give a man a fish he eats for the day give him a fishing rod/pole he will eat for life.To myself fishing is awesome you never know for sure what is on the end of your line no matter what bait is used could be a sunfish could be a turtle.

[turkeyfeathers]

.  I never liked the idea of "catch and release", seeing it as nothing but the senseless maiming of a fine food source.   God gave fish for man to eat, not to play games with.  

I apparently am doing it all wrong. Haven't kept a steelhead, salmon, perch, smallmouth, panfish etc in 20 years and I still have lots of fun doing it. I'm in it for the fun.

[Dom]

I apparently am doing it all wrong. Haven't kept a steelhead, salmon, perch, smallmouth, panfish etc in 20 years and I still have lots of fun doing it. I'm in it for the fun.

I only keep what I can/will eat and release the rest.

[wolc123]

The big ones are fun to catch, but I also release most of them.  The smaller the legal "keeper", the lower the health risk from eating.    While the bass pro's try and locate the largest fish, I aim for those that are just barely keepers.    Out on Lake Erie during the summer, smaller bass are often found near the bottom, with larger ones suspended above.  

I liked "the special early season" a lot better when the (1) bass allowed had to be over 15" to keep.    15 - 18" bass are still relatively young and good eating, while the larger ones carry more health risk from consumption.  I don't often fish that season now, since bass over 20 inches are not worth the risk, and I don't ever target something I don't intend to eat. 

 

The round gobies have made the bass fishing tougher, but they have significantly improved the growth rates of the smalmouth bass.   The 19-20 inchers we took in the St Lawrence last week looked healthier than 16 inchers from 10 years ago, and were likely younger due to the massive new food source they now have.

 

What makes fishing and hunting so superior for me compared to other "sports" is the "free" and delicious meal you can get, in addition to all the fun.    If you don't eat what you target you are not getting the full benefit.   That is the main reason you will rarely find me on a golf course.    

Edited July 3, 2016 by wolc123

[Zem18]

I apparently am doing it all wrong. Haven't kept a steelhead, salmon, perch, smallmouth, panfish etc in 20 years and I still have lots of fun doing it. I'm in it for the fun.

I'm in it for the fun as well and it isn't wrong at all. I do not eat much fish at all but do on occasion keep a few trout and perch to fry up, and everything else is released.

Just remember some of those fish that are kept as a "food source" were most likely released by someone else prior so you could enjoy them. Funny little game life is, isnt it?

[The_Real_TCIII]

Well Whichever of you selfish SOBs caught the last smallmouth in Lake Erie/Upper

Niagara ... I HOPE IT WAS DELICIOUS!!

[New York Hillbilly]

The Kenai Peninsula is a world class fishing destination. Runs of Reds, King and Silver salmon draw people from everywhere. The population of people explodes this time of year which can be a real pain driving to work or shop for people that live here year round. But, it is a mixed blessing because the economy relies heavily on tourism dollars. 

 

Many here are  truly subsistence fishing and what is caught makes ups significant portion of the family meals. Don't worry though, there are still lots of catch and release, and the fishing and hunting regulations in Alaska are the most complicated and numerous that I have ever seen.   

 

Pic of glacier run off Kenai River. 

Edited July 4, 2016 by New York Hillbilly