King Davy

I think we have to take into account the fact that for the past 8 years the DEC has been doing a yearly seining study on the salmon river in May and June. capturing wild king salmon smolts working their way to lake Ontario. I've participated in this study. Other then the spring of I think 2003...where the fall of 2002 was very dry and poor natural reproduction...Cape Vincent Biologist Dr Mike......(can't think of his last name at the moment...get over 50...and the memory starts to leave you) has detailed results that says between 3 and 6 million smolts successfully hatch out of the Salmon river. This is due to since 1998 the base flow agreements with the power companies that have run the powerstation up in Altmar. Doesn't make sense to me that all of this great fishing is only due to the 1.6 million fish that are planted. I truly believe Pen rearing has been succeessful...but combine that with a shot in the arm of another (on Avg. 3.5 million salmon smolts.....you are going to have even with a 2 or 4% survival rate three and four year classes of fish that raise the total in the lake by several thousands. The alewife population fluxuations are legendary on our lake...they get real low...but they bouince back. Wild fish in any species...and I've had the pleasure of fishing for many wild species in Canada and Alaska....are historicaly much better at survying poor food web situations then stocked fish. Funny that with only 100 CFS of water running out of the salmon river they are getting solid pushes of fish daily right now into 70 degree water...while the rest of the warm water rivers are not. I believe these are wild salmon...that are much more tolerent of the natural conditions then the stocked fish....and they run regardless of the river temp. We won't know for sure until we get into the new tagging routine that DEC is lobbying to employ if they get to spend some of the Hooker Chem money....where they can tag all the stocked fish without handling them...and use the same scanner whne the fish come back as adults to see if they are wild or stocked. My theory is that we probably have more adult wild fish then stocked fish now. Wild fish in this kind of stressed system will survive to adulthood better then stocked fish...they will be smaller...but their numbers will be decent. There is a Salmon River lake ontario strain of king salmon...and they will survive food web fluxuations....and in doing so will fluxuate in their size as well. On a wet fall...and wet spring many streams on the south shore have produced wild fish...including our Sandy Creek. DEC the past two years have also netted a significant number of now wild COHO salmon....hows the Coho fishing been ????????? Soooo...what I'm saying...we have many more salmon then we plant...a higher % wild then one would guess...that naturally won't grow on Avg. per year class as big...but survive better in stressful conditions....and create a sound fishery.

Fireplug...FWIW.....with the cold water up-welling....we have right now...the Summerville pier would be good. Today...At The Oak reported kings rolling all over the inshore waters at oak orchard....so you can fish those piers...but it's 40 minutes west down the parkway.

Hi lavar....looks like you have some updated info. It's been a long time since i was jigging up trout on LO...but we used Salt water style jigs and Back in the day the Catalog for Offshore Angler (part of the Bass Pro corp)....had plenty of jigs from 1/2 ounce to the stuff we used. I would think they have a catalog on line. We used 12 pound test...back in those days i used 12 pound test for everything...but no fleas in those days....I liked Ande' line because it has very little stretch...but you want a little give. We jigged with the boat rods which were 9' ugly sticks...but again...if you are working under 100 foot of water...a nice 7 or 8' rod ...with a fast action butt...power flex mid section...and a soft or slow tip would be ideal. You have to set it hard when down deep...and those hard mouths. I've caught 1000's of fish trolling...and I enjoy it...but there is no more fun way to catch fish...then to get them to take a bait...while the rod is in your hand...Night and day. if i get back into boating on the lake again some day...I will absolutely perfect chasing trout and salmon with mooching...or jigging gear....if you can perfect that style...you won't be dragging lures around. We used to fish the canyons of LO during the thermo bars...locate schools of steelhead...then break out the fly tackle and catch them near the surface stripping a streamer...in 600 foot of water....man that was off the hook... I actually hat steelies raise to a Bumble Bee dry fly i tied....out deep. Crazy fun....just have to be willing to learn and try other tactics.

Yes it can be done...and has been done...and your finger lakes training will help you out. I have a friend...who used ot post on this board in the fingerakes section..."BigGuy'....he's jigged up some kings this time of year in open water. Most good jig fishermen are using "Flasher" units ...so they can locate fish...and on the flasher you can see the fish and your jig...and actually watch the fish move to the jig. A couple years ago Toby hung three or four kings in ther high teens to low 20's...using this method. Simply located some big hooks in open water...Off Sandy BTW out about 150 foot of water and had at em. Using flukes, or soft plastics. Back in the 80's we've jigged for lakers off sandy...caught one down about 250 foot once....4 ounce jig used in Flaming Gorge Utah. I tell ya...if the fishermen ever gave jigging a chance...and worked at it...and you felt those fish grab a bait...trolling would not be the method of choice to catch these fish. Now you are 1v1 with the fish start to finish.

Nice going Joe....looks like my old stomping grounds is holding a lot of leader board fish. I was out there a couple weeks ago...on a shake down cruise in a little 14 foot LOWE.....no gear on it yet...(not my boat either)..and running out of Sandy brought back a rush a great memories.... Have to get back into it some day...right now...running all over North America with a fly rod in my hand fishing from Mexico to Alaska...great fun...but I do miss the lake fishery and especially Sandy Creek. Good luck in the LOC...probaby see you this fall some time.

BP...you should get a lot of feed back here from folks who've spent a lot of time on the water. I did some exhaustive studies on this subject over the last 35 years on LO.....Cold fronts essentially means Barometric changes...and in the case of an approaching cold front a steep drop depending how fast it's moving. My experience is easily put this way. T&S are affrected by an approaching front....and in the case of T&S...I can say as many times as they've negatively been affected...I've had them turn on. I have documented days...when the front gets in over us...and I've litterly had five rods bounce free all at once... If they are on the bite and the front comes in....I've had them shut down... Fish will move on the front as well...so they are "Active'...but the activity might be simply they are repositioning in the water column....and many times I've had them move a little further off shore...so if you can fish through the front...and you've lost the bite...i start to work north and run North and South ovals...to locate them again. So my answer...is they are affected...can be a positive or Neg affect...but they will be doing something for sure...not just siting there so to speak...but running for cover or repositioning...from the affect of the pressure drop. As you know bass...go deeper....but they can be caught on the cold front...just follow them out...many times the same thing for me on the T7S.