backinthegame

5 for 8 from 6-8am this morning, all kings, biggest just over 20#, mostly meat. 200-300fow, baits down 50-100’, NE of port, barely a ripple out here.

After taking a month off from Lake Ontario, I decided it was time to get after it again.  A scouting mission after work tonight seemed necessary to try to figure out the pattern.  Found a couple mature fish pretty quickly.  150FOW with baits in the bottom 50’ produced.  I had forgotten just how amazing it is to be out there.

Took my son and my MIL out.  Went 8/14 today, all kings, biggest only 17#.  Meat and spoons, 60-90’ down over 295-425FOW.  Wasted a bunch of time in 450FOW without moving a rod.  All in all, pretty decent day.  Lost a decent fish right at the end, ran out 800’ and got it back to 100’, on a moonshine “stripetastic” mag. 

Went 21/25 today with some periods of fast action and it made for happy guests. However, we did not find the big ones today.  250-350FOW, baits 45-90’, 2.4-2.9mph down speed.  Meat, flies, and spoons all worked.

A little of both really.  Yesterday the surface temp was 71*, 35’ down was 64*, 45’ down was 50*, 55’ down was 44*.  Depth and water temperature won’t have a linear relationship once thermocline sets up.  48-52* is where they want to be, sometimes just a little below.  Hope this helps.

15/21, 12 kings, 2 steelhead, 1 big coho.  Fished 6-11am, 250-350FOW, straight out.  Mostly a spoon bite today, fish were up high again, temp break was 44-49’.  Unbelievable action first hour and a half.

Crazy morning out there!  13/19, all

kings except a 9# steelhead.  Wind shifted around 9am and temp break moved up rapidly.  Spoons and meat mostly.  Dipseys were much less productive than usual.  250-350FOW was best.

Waited all day for the small craft advisory to expire.  Trolled from 5pm-830pm right out in front.  Set up in 150 FOW and a 300WS goes off before I could get the third rod in.  Smaller king, but a great start to get my daughter interested.  Didn’t get all 6 rods in before we had a 15# king on a dipsey with a spin doctor and fly.  Worked out to 250 FOW and started bringing in the rods to quit for the night and the deep rigger @100’ goes off, 18# king on a DW froggy meat rig.  Great way to end the evening.  I think my daughter really enjoyed her first salmon trip.  Ended up 7/10, 4 kings, 2 coho, 1 steelhead.  Pretty sharp temp break between 80-90’ down.

We had been catching more fish out deep since the lake went into transition after the spring derby.  I had not fished Ontario in 2 weeks because we were focused on walleye in Erie but the reports I had been getting were pointing to the actively feeding fish still being out deep.  We started marking fish as soon as we crossed over the 270’ line and we were  seeing good water temps.  Lots of guys have been marking fish and bait inside of 200’ but not getting bites.  That may be changing as we speak though.  Hope this helps.

Headed straight out of port and got set up in 180’ at 6am and trolled due north.  We got to 315’ before we had our first bite.  Bay Rat NBK mag spoon on a 300 weighted steel with an inline board took a 10# steelhead.  My son was thrilled when it broke the water surface.  We got out to 397’ and a wire dipsey set at 280’, #2 setting with a 10” Mountain Dew spin doctor and a JB custom fly called “showtime” screamed out to 600’ before my son could stop it.  Ten minutes later we had a 24# king on deck and my 8 year old was beaming.  Personal best for him by several pounds.  Ended up 8/12 on the day.  2 kings, 3 steelhead, 3 coho.  All fish were taken between 260-400 FOW.  Temp break was right around 60-65’ down.  Great morning on the water.  Hopefully a sign that things are improving.  

Good news on the kings dispersing from the bar a little.  How are the bugs?  They were awful on the final day of the LOC spring derby.  I haven’t been out there since.

Fished 130-630 today.  Boated roughly 20 lake trout today, 6-16# range.  Ran a mix of salmon gear 50-75’ down over 75-100FOW.  Worked east towards the power plant and back.  Drove through a pod of kings halfway back to port, only boated one of them, lost the other two after one went on a long run on a wire dipsey and got into a leadcore on a planer.  My 8 year old got his first king ever though, so It was a great day for sure.

82 FOW, 80’ down, east of port, spoon, 2.2 mph.  Lake trout action was still very good.

First king salmon of the season!

We’re headed out there in the morning.  Great news!

Had an opportunity to get out on the lake and work the bugs out of some new equipment.  15 lakers in 2.5 hours, 55-75 FOW.  Trolled west out of port, quit near Wilson.  No monsters, biggest was 16.5#.  Spent the rest of the morning tinkering with gear and electronics.  Successful trip on all fronts.  E/NE wind, 1-3’ waves, 39* water.

Try the Malin Soft Wire stainless, recommend a 1000’ spool for kings.  Okuma White Diamond 10’ trolling rods with roller tips and abrasion resistant rod guides.  Shimano Tekota 600 Line Counter reels.  Lots of different ways to get setup, but this is my preferred method.