Skook

Thanks, all, for the advice. I've never been on the lake before, but I was under the impression April - June were prime brown trout months. I have been following the websites/Facebook pages of several charter captains, and it seems like the trout fishing was very hot for several weeks but has tapered off significantly since then. I'm not doubting your knowledge - just a bit surprised. Maybe we can get after the browns in July instead of waiting for salmon. We were taking a few teenagers on the trip, and so we were somewhat more worried about quantity over quality of the fishing.

Hello, I need to reschedule a brown trout charter that was canceled in May because of the weather. For various reasons, I couldn't/can't reschedule until July or August, at the earliest. If you were looking to book a salmon fishing charter out of Mexico, what time of year do you think would typically provide the best fishing? Thank you.

Yeah. I texted the captain earlier and received a prompt reply. We are canceled for Sunday. Thank you all for the replies and advice.

Maybe there is hope. I looked at the Accuweather hourly forecast for the city of Oswego, and it shows that winds are supposed to be anywhere from 7 mph to 10 mph between 6 A.M. and 12:00 P.M. on Sunday. They are not calling for winds in excess of 10 mph until the afternoon. Our trip is scheduled for the morning, and so maybe we can sneak it in before conditions deteriorate. This with the understanding that the forecast is probably worth about what I paid for it. Because I would need to cancel the hotel arrangements by 6:00 this evening, I was thinking about calling or texting the captain before then to get his thoughts. Would this be acceptable protocol on the part of a client? My guess is that he could be out fishing with other clients at that time, and I don't want to be a jerk. Unfortunately, rescheduling probably won't happen.

Yeah. A friend and I were planning to take our sons out on this trip. I guess the issue is that they are forecasting a Nor'easter type system, and the winds will be coming down from the north on the backside of the low pressure system moving up the Atlantic coast. If this is the case, the forecast conditions for Sunday might be pretty accurate. I'm not sure if the boys will be content fishing the river for a few days in the rain hoping for dropbacks or smallies. I have till 6:00 PM this evening to cancel the motel room without getting stuck with the bill. Decisions, decisions....

Thank you for the replies, but it's just what I didn't want to hear. I've been reading all sorts of reports that say the brown trout fishing is crazy good right now. Just my luck that I'll probably miss it. Here is the latest forecast from the NWS that I just pulled off the Internet: SUNDAY...WEST WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS BECOMING NORTHWEST AND INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KNOTS. SHOWERS LIKELY. WAVES 2 FEET OR LESS BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FEET.

Hello, I have a brown trout trip scheduled for Sunday morning out of Mexico Bay. The captain called yesterday to go over the details and mentioned that he is keeping his eye on the potential for poor boating conditions on Sunday, and that he should be able to let me know by Friday evening whether the trip is still on. I'm new to Lake Ontario fishing, and so I googled the forecast conditions for Sunday. I found a National Weather Service nearshore marine forecast that is calling for west winds 15 to 20 knots and waves 1 to 3 feet. I would like to ask whether these conditions as forecast would be considered relatively safe and fishable. My understanding is that the wave height could have an impact on the ability to run boards (not to mention the ability of my landlubber self to keep food down). Like I said, I am completely inexperienced, and I'm wondering whether it's likely that the trip will go on or be cancelled. Thank you.

Fantastic dogs. This is what they look like when they grow up:

Thank you, Justin. I appreciate the suggestions. I checked out your website, and Otisco Lake looks like it could be a good option for us to take in some more fishing while we are in the area. I'll talk it over with my friend and get back to you if we decide to give it a try.

Thank you both for your reply. Yes...but we already booked a charter out of Mexico Bay. Because we fish the SR, it is more familiar territory for us, and we were hoping to add in some dropback fishing. Also, we are located in eastern PA, and so a straight shot up I81 is closer and more convenient than fishing western NY. I hope we didn't make a mistake in our choice.

Hello, My friend and I are taking our sons on our first-ever charter for Spring brown trout in mid-May. They're graduating from high school this year, and it's sort of one last hurrah before they are out of the house. We have had them steelhead fishing the Salmon River and smaller tribs several times over the past few years. We would like to make it more than a one-day trip, and so we are hoping that there might be a chance to catch dropbacks at that time of year, although it might be getting too late for that by mid-May. In the event that dropbacks do not cooperate, what other fishing would be available at this time of year to keep teenage boys occupied for a few days? I was wondering whether brown trout would be catchable from the shores of Lake Ontario at that time of year. We are coming from PA, and we are not too familiar with the fishing at this time of year. Other than the charter, we would be relegated to shore or wade fishing. Also, we are hoping that mid-May is normally a good time for brown trout fishing. Between work schedules and school activities, it was about the only time we could all get together. Is mid-May usually a good time to get on the lake for trout? I would appreciate any and all suggestions. Thank you.

I'll take the set, please. PM to follow.

Well, I might have gotten a bit hasty, but today I ordered a 12" track from Traxstech, along with a 6" swivel downrigger mount and a 12" backing plate. My plan is to remove some flotation foam from under either the rear or middle tank seat and anchor the track and backing plate to the seat. At this height, the downrigger should just be over the top of the gunnel according to my measurements. Should I mount it to the driver's seat (rear) directly across from where I sit or the middle seat? If the middle seat, which side (I sit on the right side of the rear seat)? I think I am only going to mount one rigger for the time being until I learn the ropes, and until I recover, financially. Would anyone have any concerns running an 8 lb. ball from such a set up? My trolling won't be very deep, probably 30 feet at the most for brown trout and walleye. I'm hoping the 12" track and backing plate, along with the aluminum tank seat, will be up to the task. The nice thing is I can remove the downrigger when not is use, which will probably be most of the time I am using the boat.

Thanks, all. I like the idea of using a board bolted through the existing oarlocks, and I will think about that some more. Another idea I had after posting was to have Big Jon's available 4"x4" mounting plate welded to the aluminum (I think) bracket or brace at each of the rear corners. With the bolts and nuts running through the transom and gunnel to anchor this piece in place, I do not believe there would be enough room under this brace to get the four mounting bolts through with nuts on the underside. However, I am pretty sure the top surface is large enough to accomodate the 4"x4" mounting plate if it was welded on. Of course, this is dependent upon finding a good aluminum welder that wouldn't cost a small fortune. Good or bad idea?