Gill-T

I caught a Chinook below Burt in March fishing for Steelhead. The fish was still silver, mature, about 19 lbs and had skein, so I know that some fish don't follow the rules. However, I still think that upper fish is a rainbow based on the fins, gill plate, head shape etc., but hard to tell from a photo.

I could be wrong, but that top fish looks like a rainbow and would explain the eggs.

I am sure this invasive species is contributing to the greater pink/orange colored flesh. Bloody Red Mysis shrimp

Pehaps now would be a good time to unveil the "Old Yeller" fly pattern.

Most charter captains I have asked say the same thing. Oranges/reds up high, greens/and blues down deep. They have the experience so that is what I go by. It just so happens that their pattern follows the what the scientists say by their fancy charts. Wish we could ask the fish. Just to be certain the fish see my bait, I usually have a little glow on anything below 60'. All though I don't belive fish discriminate between similar color schemes or patterns, I do think some colors matter. For instance, ORANGE. I believe the west coast fish plants have evolved to target orange because when they are in streams as juviniles, the cold glacial water is mostly sterile of invertebrate life, so they live off deposited eggs and flesh bits of carcasses. Don't believe me about orange? Go to Alaska or the Canadian rockies during a Coho run and throw something orange on top of the water and watch what happens. Then throw a different colored object out. When I was fishing up and down the coast this pattern always played out. When using a orange bobber, it would get rocked. Our orange fly-line strike indicators would get wacked. No problem with any other colored object.....they just ignored it. Vibrax spinner with orange treble fur was HOT.

In discussing this phenomenon where sailboats head right at you out of port.....when seemingly they have the whole lake to themselves has to do with setting a course by something on the horizon (usually my boat). I find sailboater guy has NO idea what kind of gear you have out, or how far back. Inform, by leaving a letter on yaht club bulliten boards. Yahter yahoos have often been concerned that steel wire might "saw" thru their gelcoat when I describe the dangers of getting too close (it helps to embelish)

Are Lake Trout exempt from the "no cull rule"?

Congrats Capt. Walleye. You realize all rookie Captains have to dress like Judge Schmells in there first year on the water.

It helps to know the water and lake topography and understand what is going on in the big picture. Case in point, trolling the drop off the Niagara bar where you can go from 150' to 60' in 50 yards....you can't pinch people trolling shallower than you even though the shore is miles away because it is almost impossible to move all the rigger lines, dipsy lines etc. at once. I had an incident last year when a troller coming towards me decided it would be a good idea to try to go between my boat and the boat in front of me with a planer and long copper, and then had the nerve to shout obscenities at me. What is it with the fall ESLO bringing out the idiots at the bar! Sodus has lots of little points and reefs you can run up on.....the locals know these spots and will have a set trolling pattern. Best advise is to follow the flow of what the other boats are doing if you are unfamiliar with the water.

I hope this proposed monday "caddilac" tournament is not going to dip into the weekends Pro/Am payout money.

Ray, I have a set of 10' Med/heavy Ugly sticks with roller tips which I use with my wire set-ups. I REALLY like them. In fact, when Lady Bluegill was on my boat for the Sodus Pro/Am he commented on how easy it was to move dipsys in and out. The roller and action make the difference more so than the length IMO. Just make sure the roller rod you get has tight tolerances between the roller and housing for obvious reasons.

I believe it is mostly diet related. Fish that feed on mysis shrimp, crayfish, aquatic invertebrates etc. will have more of a pink/orange flesh due to the higher levels of keratin in the food (exoskeleton). More Pelagic fish that suspend and feed on alewives are going to be more white in flesh color. West Coast ocean fish are REALLY orange because of the Keratin in Krill, shrimp etc. I don't know how the spiny water flea is effecting flesh color up the food chain, however, I have noticed the flesh of steelhead out of Erie and Ontario are more often orange these days.

Well there is the problem........ the planer line color. If you had spooled up yellow line you would not have had that problem.

I don't know Tom, every year that last island of 40 degree water runs out in the blue zone from Niagarfa to the Oak, and is setting up again on schedule (at least that is what NOAA is saying). One of these years I will have the balls to go check it out to see the happy wintering grounds. Call me when you have a launch open.

My boat is the same length as yours. With 10' dipsy rods stowed away, swivel at the tip, my set-ups run down around the handle and back up with the hook resting in an eyelet half way up the rod. I do have a swim platform that helps netting with the longer leaders.

If you don't like the 600' copper on Ontario, you can always save it for the finger lakes.

Stan, I am telling ya for those size fish.......a Lake Clear Wabbler with a 20" or so sized leader with a trailing hook with a piece of nightcrawler, salted minnow or regular minnow will haul in a few more fish after you run over them a few times with lures.

Sorry, fish hit from behind the bait, and turn it around in their mouth before swallowing head first. Just ask the fish.

What is the "man-law" interpretation of wearing a spedo around at fish camp?

That is ESLO derby and Scotty Tournament time. NO GOOD.

Purple Hologram Glow NK, A-Tom-mik Pro-Am fly.

There are two launches that I am aware of. The north end has a town launch, but probably will be ice locked. The south end near Naples has the other, that should be Ice free now. The better fishing for me has been on the southern 2/3 's of the lake. Same stuff that works on Seneca. Flasher,dodgers/flys, spoons, peanuts, seth green rigs etc.

Nice haul gents! Is winter fishing an early morning bite or do the fish heat up as the temps go up as the sun rises? You can include me in on a Sunday if you plan on hitting Canandaigua. The grouse hunting has been spotty and I am getting cabin fever.

Is Seneca in March a shore bound fishery or do you need your boat to get at them?

I am only for three rods for TROLLING. Three rods/angler on the piers of Lake O would be a disaster for short piers. I am also for a limit of nine total rods also.