ReelPower

Dedicated King hunting for a week out of my favorite port. The week started very slow with the scorching calm conditions. Picked away at the nearshore kings flasher fly bite down 80-120, dipsey divers were the producer. Green/Silver/Glow paddles and flies 220 fow to 100 fow from Olcott to the Bar. Bar was loaded with shakers and fleas were rough. Averaged 2-4 kings hooked per day, 10-18 lb. range. Only a few large steelies and a couple lakers. Lots of work and incessant sun followed by the full moon (still can't get a night bite to save my soul). Couldn't get the offshore bite to fire so kept picking away nearshore as temps were decent and stable. Thursday got blown off, glad we had a rental cottage to relax in. Friday fished off the bar took an 18, lost a screamer in amongst the zillion shaker kings, then picked up four 10-13 lb. kings on the troll back to Wilson in 150-100 fow. Same stupid dipsey put out almost every fish. Yes we tried to replicate it on all the other rigs...fly had rubber legs, that was the only difference in our eyes. Longish lead to the flly, about 30 inches, and an 8 foot run from the dipsey to the spinnie. Inside temps were still good. Saturday banged out N to 400 fow on a tip and had a good dipsey bite on matures. Green glow frog spinny with a green/pearl rubber legged fly I can't find more of was the stud. Took a 25, 20, 15, and lost a couple but had to retreat as the 6 footers were capping. Grabbed another decent mature in evening out deep when things calmed down a bit. Checked inside temps had gone through the washer it was all 48 degrees all the time. Yuck. Sunday am quick offshore fish in 390-435 fow yielded a nice 17 lb. king on a 100 foot rigger spinnie/fly. Some buddies found a wolf pack in 440 fow had a good bite. Checked the inside water the cold water had flooded into the very nearshore areas 41 degrees down 75 in 100 fow! Bait everywhere, lots of hooks, no players. Packed up, inventoried the large amounts of damage inflicted on my swim platform and kick by the conditions, figured that would run a few boat bucks and hit the road. Who makes that rubber legged fly? It had a tournament tie for the hooks. I see Siggs makes some rubber legged flies but their hooks are single trebles. I need more of those, wow. Meat didn't fire and spoons were useless for anything but steel. Thanks for your NY hospitality and all of the reports and info on this site. Till next year...

We spooled 100 foot or so of 40 lb. big game on the rigger reels, made a huge difference from the 30 lb. big game main line we were running.

Nice! I'm fishing Wilson all week I appreciate your report. Tight lines!

That must have been either battlehammer or killians I spoke to at the Wilson State Park ramp. Thanks for the info I'll be out of Wilson all week if you need a report, docked at the boathouse historic vehicle qualifying Trophy Hardtop.

These stories are great! Keep 'em coming.

Are there any old timers in the forum who remember the start of the Lake O king fishery? I was too young growing up in the 80's chasing Erie salmon in Cleveland. I've read a lot about lake Michigan's experiment with salmon in the late 60's but I don't know squat about how things started off on Big O. I'm sure many members would love to hear how it all began. What techniques were used? Size of fish? Learning curve?

Thanks for your reports I will do the same for you when I get up there last week of July.

Cut The head off and put it behind a flasher!

Not a bad day on the water, better than my office window view of Lake Erie. Sounds like you've got a program dialed in.

Sweet, way to grind it out. Any size on the kingers?

Nicely done, what dId the down temperatures look like out there? Cold?

What a giant but where did the pic go?

Good luck that is my favorite port, can't wait for the end of July trip. Thanks in advance for your reports.