Remembering the old days

[HB2]

I remember way back when and the first  ESLO derby . A lot of people got in it . Guys were casting Cleos off the piers . Anything that floated was out there. Long launch lines at every port . All we had were spinning reels pulling flat lined Rapalas in 15 ft of water or less . Then planer boards and it was a traffic jambs in close . That's where everyone fished  we didn't know any better.  

Grand prize winners form Sodus, Rochester , a few at Bald Eagle and the oak 

 

Fast forward to now . If you don't  fish Ollcott West or more specifically Wilson West your chances at the Grand prize King are slim or none .

It's a now a west end king derby , and an east end Lakers derby.  Very few guys run the shore for browns maybe explaining 2 on the board . Few boats out of a lot of mid lake ports   Everything changed after the zebras cleaned up the lake water . 

I know time marches on but I long for the old days . 

 

 

 

Edited May 12 by HB2

[GAMBLER]

  On 5/12/2025 at 6:14 PM, HB2 said:

I remember way back when and the first  ESLO derby . A lot of people got in it . Guys were casting Cleos off the piers . Anything that floated was out there. Long launch lines at every port . All we had were spinning reels pulling flat lined Rapalas in 15 ft of water or less . Then planer boards and it was a traffic jambs in close . That's where everyone fished  we didn't know any better.  

Grand prize winners form Sodus, Rochester , a few at Bald Eagle and the oak 

 

Fast forward to now . If you don't  fish Ollcott West or more specifically Wilson West your chances at the Grand prize King are slim or none .

It's a now a west end king derby , and an east end Lakers derby.  Very few guys run the shore for browns maybe explaining 2 on the board . Few boats out of a lot of mid lake ports   Everything changed after the zebras cleaned up the lake water . 

I know time marches on but I long for the old days . 

 

 

 

Expand  

The fishing overall now blows away 30 years ago as far as numbers are concerned.  As for salmon size, the fish now are nothing like 30 years ago.  The East end lakers filled the board because a couple of guys targeted them.  A couple of us did that in the 2012 Fall LOC and Dave took the Lake Trout division out of the LOC.  

[tenatureboy]

Agreed times change!

 

Fished my first ESLO in the late 70s with my dad and his buddies from a 25’ sailboat holding Mitchell 300s with our hands. Caught 2lbs cohos lakers and browns off Charlotte and thought it was awesome!!!

the derbies were late April and 4 days only. Used to get to skip school and we would dock our 17’ at shummway

 

during college we almost won the brown division for a Grumman boat out of sandy creek then a year or so later out of Braddocks weighed in a rainbow for the board (almost got in a fight at the weigh in with an obnoxious guy from another boat). My 86 yr old dad still recalls that as the guy was big but I was young and ripped!  The memories!!!!
 

I will admit to fishing Wilson the last 2 spring derbies for a long weekend but missed this year (lucky to save my $$$) last year was on fire May to July so this year we pay the price. 

now those 2lb fish don’t even get netted and the only fish we typically keep are 8-15lb kings for a nice fillet!

 

still love it just Learning to adjust!

[Gill-T]

HB2, are you saying “make salmon fishing great again”?  MSFGA is hard to roll off the tongue. 

[shorething]

I actually led the brown trout division for a few days in 1988. Smelt and a bobber off Charlottes pier. Ended up up in 17th, last day was horrible, all the salmon guys stayed in close that morning. Pier fishing was way better back then! 

[HB2]

There were way more kings and fish back then . We just didn't know how to catch them . Look at what we have now compared to back then . Boats ,equipment , electronics , rods and reels , lures .And better , we have seasonal knowledge .  Nobody has a down  speed / temp gauge back then 

How many big kings broke off a 6 ft spinning rod and reel ? 

A friend of mine won with a 1/5 Cleo on 8 # line and a 5 ft ultra light 5 ft down over 15 ft on a rigger . They netted the fish and the mesh was rotten and it fell through . They fed the pole through the net and grabbed it by the gills . 

[whaler1]

Bottom line we were blessed then and still blessed today. I’ve been doing it for over 35 years as well. Was and still is an incredible fishery and I look forward to every trip. 
Solo shakedown cruise today out of my new, old home. No rods, just ran out to the lake and put the boat up on plane for a minute and cruised back. Always glad to get that first run out of the way. 
Looking forward to the year. Good luck to all. 

[chinook35]

Great memories! 
trolling Oswego harbor in a 14’ Mirrocraft , Downeaster rod holders clamped to the gunnels , Garcia 300 reels on spinning rods 6# test line and repalas or rebels 

then Riviera downriggers , high tech then , and our first downtemp attempt , Combinator from Advance NC . 
getting in line for Mexico point launch and hoping  there was still parking available when you finally got past the booth  . Got turned away more than once  

Then the cut bait revolution in the 80’s 

Rhys Davis herring strips 6 to a tub for $4.95

Never been another cut bait that could come close to RD for quality 

The ESLO derby drew fisherpeople from all over . The launches had license plates from virtually every state 

I started fishing Lake O in the late 70’s and have an encyclopedia of memories ( good and bad ) 

every trip was an adventure