rswanson330

Fished 60-200 fow, spoons and flatfish. Not a hit. Marked bait and a few fish right on the bottom, mostly around 130-145. Tomorrow we'll try the mouth of the salmon river, see if the returning steelies can be coaxed... Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Yesterday was a wash so today we're dragging spoons across the front of nine mile, fishing since around ten in 85-95 fow, so far nothing but the day is young. We're listening o. Channel 9 Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Left the kings at 10:00 with no action; headed down to little salmon to see if we could pick up any of the fish we were flashing. Went from below lite salmon to catfish in 10-25 fow, one 4 lb 10 oz smallie. At least we saw scales. Trolling sticks back to little salmon now and then it's miller time Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

Out off the bluffs not in 70-85 fow, nothing I h happening. Marked a lot of fish coming up from Little Salmon in 15-30, probably browns. If the kings don't pick up we'll head back there. Two hits and misses yesterday on purple and black spoons where we are now, both down low. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

If I have a good day and the mate was helpful I tip 20% of my share of the charter. If the mate was outstanding I'll tip 25%. What I mean by that is if the charter was $800 and we split it between four of us, my share was $200. I tip 20% of that; $40. And I feel that I tip more than most. Regarding the captain not paying the mate and a $40 tip sucks... I pay the captain for the charter. He pays for everything else. The mate gets what I consider a generous tip. The deal he made with the captain regarding payment is not my concern.

I like a good ball bearing swivel about 5-8' above a dulock snap. The ball bearing keeps your line from getting twisted up. I run fluorocarbon line and leaders. I have five reels loaded with 8# fluoro, same line used for the leader. Then another 4 reels loaded with 12# fluoro. Same line again for the leader. I pay attention to my line and leader and trim it if I feel any nicks or abrasions. I use the 8# for browns, then just switch reels to the 12# for kings. I use Berkley Cherrywood downrigger rods (CWGC862DR); cheap but they get the job done nicely. I think that the long bendy rod provides a lot of forgiveness with the light line.

Thanks, guys. We're still coming the week of the May 9th. Too many things to change in order to change the date. We have nailed them that week before, we've been skunked that week before. Good luck everybody.

When do the kings usually show up in the eastern basin?

My brother-in-law and I are scheduled to come up the week of May 9-18th. We missed the last couple years, the year before that we were up a week later and hit bluebird days, t-shirts. A solid week of fishing early morning till supper. Hooked 7, boated 5, kept 3. Years before that we were up there the third week of May and slammed the browns and kings. Anybody have any idea when the kings will be there? We like trolling off the bluffs in 70-150 fow, and picking up kings on... well, spoons on planers have always been best. Found that anything with pink in it worked best. We play with the browns when we want to change things up. They liked brown sticks in dirty water for the most part. We also usually pick up a couple small bows (steelies?) as you make the bend from the plant to the bluffs in 20-25 fow, never anything that we kept though. All too small. I'm reading a lot of great brown reports... but nothing about the kings. I know its early for them, I just don't want to get up there before they make their appearance. We're coming from CT. Anybody got a clue? I know everything has been a tad late this year, and I have the opportunity to move my booking forward a week or two. I guess I'm looking for a crystal ball report. We'll be in the Lund Tyee 1950, two of us during the week, 4 on weekends when the kids come up. If you see two guys trolling around throwing peanuts at each other, that's us not doing so too well with the fishies. Thanks for the opinions.

Today stunk as well. 2 kings, one 19 inches, the other off at the boat. One in front of the plant, missed fish off the alum plant in 130 fow. Real slow. [ Post made via Mobile Device ]

You've probably seen my other posts. This is our third year coming up for a week in May. We've always done well with kings and fell back on browns. None of our strategies are working this year; clear water and low lake (although I don't know how the kings know that). Headed out now (kids coming up late tonight and we'll be up late), I'll post tonight. We're hityying outside the plant first, then wbere we picked up the kings off the aluminum plant. [ Post made via Mobile Device ]

No wonder. Read about 2 posts there yesterday, never saw a boat. Was wondering where everybody was hiding. Thanks for clearing that up. Well, Mexico and oswego today... [ Post made via Mobile Device ]

Fishing Report Your Name / Boat Name: ============== TRIP OVERVIEW ============== Date(s):5/16 - 5/19 Time on Water: All day(s) Weather/Temp: Wind Speed/Direction: Waves: Surface Temp: Location: LAT/LONG (GPS Cords): =============== FISHING RESULTS =============== Total Hits: 5 Total Boated:4 Species Breakdown:bows, kings Hot Lure: Black Trolling Speed: 1.8 - 2. 4 Down Speed: Boat Depth: Lure Depth: ==================== SUMMARY & FURTHER DETAIL From handheld; it will be brief. Came up for annual trip. Monday fishing by 9:30. First small steelie before the rods were set up. Looking good. Second steelie 20 minutes later. Both undersize; Second by 1/2 inch. Then nothing for the rest of the day. Got the steel off the blufs west of Mexico, 80' fow. Tried for browns west of the plant the trolled the shore for the trip home. Nothing. Tuesday fishing by 6:45 off the bluffs again. No hits by 9:30, went into the fleet in front of the plant. Nothing there either. Headed out to 120 feet fishing east to Oswego. Nice king on at noon; black and silver. The line jammed in the spool and that was that. Then one small king; another at 2:00. Weds we went to Sandy; got there at 11. Fished 70 - 100 fow; not a hit. Started whipping up so we. Shot back across to the bluffs at Mexico. Fished the bluffs in 50 - 100 fow; not a hit all day. Tomorrow the kids come up; maybe they will bring luck with them. ==================== [ Post made via Mobile Device ]

We were at sandy from about 11 till 2; not a hit. First time up there. Fished 70 - 100 ft of water; close to bottom and 30' above. When it started whipping up we headed back to Mexico. Very uncomfortable ride. How much water were you in and what colors? We didn' see any other boats; we were off the mouth of Sandy Creek. Good luck. [ Post made via Mobile Device ]

Nine months, eh? Let's see. If I slip off for a couple minutes with the wife now, in nine months she'll be "otherwise distracted" and I won't have to buy her a Christmas present. I can use the money to buy those power planer reels I've been wanting.

We launch in Mexico Bay. I'm not all that familiar with the area; we come up once ayear from Connecticut and stay in Pulaski. But the launch in Mexico is nice and its sheltered; you're about 150 yards up a river so you can put in, fire up and prepare in a calm, sheltered area before getting under way. We catch kings in 70-100' off the blufs in May (just to the west) Take a look on google maps, look for Mexico Point Marine Park. Hope this helps.

Well, we made our annual trip up the second week of May. I prepare for the trip by reading this site, when I get home I try to help out by posting how/what we did. Fished Mexico Bay May 11-15th. Caught fish. Sunday 5/10 - couldn't get out, too much wind. Monday 5/11 - Limit of browns (6) in an hour and a half trolling around Catfish Creek in stained water, 9-12'. Black and silver stingers behinf boards way up on top. Tuesday 5/12 - Fished off the bluffs just east of the power plant in 75-95 fow. 4 kings (30-36 inched) and two steelies 24 and 27 inches. Kings were off the ball at 55' (ball was probably at 45'). Flashed fish down to 65', even some lakers (presumably) on bottom at 110' later in the week. Used a no name spoon, dark metalic green, metallic red and black. Lost it and it's brother on Friday... sad day. Steelies came at 20' (tandem rigs off down rigger) in black and silver stingers. Wednesday 5/13 - 2 kings 34 inches each. Good, I was getting tired of filleting. Same place, same spoons. Weather wonderful, fish weren't hitting like day before though. Trolled entire shoreline from bluffs to east of catfish creek for browns without a hit. Water was fairly clear, even at the creek discharges. Thursday 5/14 - couldn't get out, too much wind. Friday 5/15 - First two hits off the bluffs took our spoons. Just checked the leaders too. Looked like steelies out of the water, then gone. Fished hard with pink and black (only colors that seemed to work) between 85-110 FOW for two kings. Found a break where the water went from 45 to 49 degrees, hooked fish each side of it as well as in it. Didn't seem to make much difference. We noted that the fishing was always better if there were waves and chop. Browns like the stained water coming out of the creeks (duh). So really, blow off days are good because you're going to catch fish the next day. Bring cards for the blowing days though. We also noted that we would frequently pick up fish exactly where we had picked up fish before. So when you hook up, mark a way point and then keep going over it. Most fish came from basically the same places. Different days, different place... but it remained fairly consistent. We ended up playing connect the dots on the gps.

Power plant was just shy of 50 at the west end where the "sweet spot" was and in front of the discharge. The bluffs were 45. Most of the lake, where not changed by a river was 46. Bait was in the warm water... with some exceptions. Good luck.

I haven't posted much in this forum, I joined in preperation for a week of springtime fishing. I just got home. Here is what we found. Sunday - 25mph winds.... fished the river in boots. Missed 1. Monday we were on fish all morning west of the power plant in 10-20' of water. Water was stained, we picked up fish from 9:30 until 1:30 on brown stick baits. Water loaded with bait. It didn't seem to matter how far we traveled west, we got (and lost) fish the whole way. Came around front to the blufs when the bite stopped, picked up one 18" steelie. Too short.... but encouraging. Tuesday back to the plant around 10:00 (up late cleaning fish and celebrating). Throwing brown sticks again and nothing. Bait was in the water, we couldn't hook up. Tried the entire shore.... discovered where the water goes to 5' on the point about 1.5 miles west. You might have seen us there... lines caught in the rocks.... boards dead in the water.... got out of it minus one rig. Not bad. Tried the front of the plant at the outflow, still nothing. Tried the bluffs east of the plant and picked up one steelie again about 17" on a orange/black spots over brass salmon spoon. Fished there for a while longer..... nuthin. Off the lake around 6p.m. with a empty box. Wednesday - Looked beautiful in the morning, headed wet of the plant again. Fished hard all day again, nuthin. One steelie back at the bluffs again. Started to get worried. Fellow at the launch told us he was doing well with watermellon spoons. Stopped at Fat Nancy's and picked a couple up. Thursday - whitecaps. Trolled from Mexico Point to the bluffs, nothing. Waves were really picking up around 9:30... called it a day. Smoked brown trout at the camp. Friday - Fishing at 6:30. Second watermellon wasn't all the way out and a fish was on it. Non stop in 10-15' tight to the western boundry, from the golf course (is that what it is) to the boundry. Watermellon took most of the fish, rainbow sticks and mooselooks did well as well. One came over the side on brown. Limited that day, one more short steelie as well. Week's over... hope this helps somebody. Thanks for your help in preperation for the trip!!! It was great to get there and have an idea of what we were going to do and how we were going to do it!!! BTW; I was in the Lund Tyee 1950 running the yellow boards off a single mast.... on autopilot with the elec trolling motor. Makes it so you don't have to touch the steering wheel unless the wind catches your bow.

Thanks, guys. I always keep a copy of the "Directions" for the body I'm fishing in the boat. I'll be downloading and going over the Lake Ontario and Tributary directions long before we hit the road. I see now where I was confused with the rules on the NY DEC website; I was reading about the tributaries, not the lake. Thanks for the help.

Hi. I'm new to your forum, very impressive. I'm from Connecticut and am planning a trip up to Pulaski in May targeting steelhead, browns and walleye. I'll be trailering my boat and, as the plans go, will concentrate on salmonoids during the early hours and, as the week moves on, pay attention to the walleye after dark. I was reading the regulations and, as I understand it, there is no fishing on Lake Ontario after dark. Is night fishing for walleye against the law?

Are these Otter Boards or Otter Boats? I'm picturing Big Jon Otte rBoats; the orange planer boards that look like an otter could comfortably sit in them. A pic would be helpful.

HI. I'm new to this forum; I'm from down in CT coming up in May with my 2000 Tyee 1950 to play with the salmon and walleyes (I hope). First time up, should be fun. I run two downriggers on the gunnels (one on each side), but I've seen guys running 4 with a board across the back (Quabbin Reservoir, 18 mile puddle in central MA). I thought about it; even have a cheap board... just never set it up. If a board was to be set up on the Tyee it would have to be done such that it is easily removable. I'm speaking for my 2000 here, but I think this is consistent. The canvas top stows just before the live wells in the rear. You have to be able to get into the live wells from time to time so you either have to mount the board high or too close to the front of the boat. If you move it more toward the front you're going to need a heck of a boom on the downrigger... you have about a foot of splash well where the motor mounts, then a foot and a half of live well. As far as ride, I have the 200 Opti on mine. I love it. I'm sure it doesn't ride as nice as a 22 footer, but it takes long island sound and the Rhode Island shore very nicely. Sure, there are days that I can't get out... but I can trailer it any place I want to go. That's a definite advantage. The boat is heavy, trilers like a dream, rides beautifyul, handles like a dream and cruises at 30; tops out around 50. We fish, ski, tube... it does everything. And I wouldn't trade the 200 for a smaller motor... it's a lot of boat. I think it needs 200. Oh, one other thing... a 120qt cooler fits beautifully in the back of the boat; don't even have to remove the rear seats (although I prefer it wothout the seats). Down here the 120 is great for stripers and blues; up there I imagine it would come in handy for kings. Work that into your equation if planning a board and 4 riggers.