Out of Stony Creek Boat Launch 02JUL25

[chk555]

We started fishing at around 0600hrs. Marking plenty of fish between 95 and 115 feet of water. Fish marked near the surface be 35 and 45 feet deep. Used MAG Dipsey Divers on the number three setting for maximum spread set for 45 feet deep. We had Spin Doctor and Pro-Troll flashers with A-Tom-Mik flies and Michigan Stinger spoons. No hits. Then switched to Downriggers with the same. No hits. We changed colors, flashers and clean lines on downriggers with spoons only. A curious thing, we saw dead Alewife floating on the surface of the water all day. Anyone know why the Alewife are dying?  We also marked some huge bait balls off of the bottom. We were in a 16 foot StarCraft boat, so we could not put out Dipseys and Downriggers at the same time with the waves at nearly 3ft because it was too risky for a tangling up. We used six-foot long 20lb fluorocarbon leaders from the Dipsey to the Flashers.    12 to eighteen-inch leaders from the flasher to the spoon or fly. My trolling speed was between 2.2 and 2.8 miles per hour.

At 1000hrs, we switched to Cowbells with Laker Candy between 10 and 5 feet off of the bottom trolling for lake trout. We called it a day at 1100hrs. The sun was scorching; we didn’t take one fish, not even a hit. The waves were beating us up in the small craft from the time we started until about 1000, when the waves settled a bit to about one and a half to two feet.

I tell you getting skunked like this is getting to cause me to lose a bit of confidence in my ability to catch salmon. I keep asking myself WWDKD? What would Dan Keating Do? Captain Dan Keating that is.

[Kingfisher06]

Thanks for the report! Last few years we’ve been spoiled with an early bite out here. Should heat up in coming weeks. 

[chinook35]

Many people have been asking about the cause of the alewife fish die off along the shore.  I checked with the lead Aquatic Biologist for Region 6 at the DEC and received the following reply:

"There has been an ongoing alewife die off in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River this spring. We have one of the biggest year classes of alewife produced in a while and they went into the winter a bit slender (due to prey limitations). They then had to try to make it through a tough winter and headed into spawning a bit stressed. We've seen this before. It's a natural thing like you said, and yes we haven't seen this in quite a few years. Nothing to be alarmed of, just a little stinky."

Ron Fisher, ELODC (Eastern Lake Ontario Dune Coalition) Landowners Committee Chair
 

an little addendum:  you are early for salmon on the eastern shore. This time of year target LT in 150 ‘ of water 

the silvers historically show up in Mexico bay around the 2 nd week of July migrating eastward from the Niagara region 

I just read your post again and 5/10 off bottom is too high for Lakers.  I run  my ball right into the bottom and bring it up 1-2 ft  

Edited July 3 by chinook35

[GAMBLER]

6 hours ago, chk555 said:

We started fishing at around 0600hrs. Marking plenty of fish between 95 and 115 feet of water. Fish marked near the surface be 35 and 45 feet deep. Used MAG Dipsey Divers on the number three setting for maximum spread set for 45 feet deep. We had Spin Doctor and Pro-Troll flashers with A-Tom-Mik flies and Michigan Stinger spoons. No hits. Then switched to Downriggers with the same. No hits. We changed colors, flashers and clean lines on downriggers with spoons only. A curious thing, we saw dead Alewife floating on the surface of the water all day. Anyone know why the Alewife are dying?  We also marked some huge bait balls off of the bottom. We were in a 16 foot StarCraft boat, so we could not put out Dipseys and Downriggers at the same time with the waves at nearly 3ft because it was too risky for a tangling up. We used six-foot long 20lb fluorocarbon leaders from the Dipsey to the Flashers.    12 to eighteen-inch leaders from the flasher to the spoon or fly. My trolling speed was between 2.2 and 2.8 miles per hour.

At 1000hrs, we switched to Cowbells with Laker Candy between 10 and 5 feet off of the bottom trolling for lake trout. We called it a day at 1100hrs. The sun was scorching; we didn’t take one fish, not even a hit. The waves were beating us up in the small craft from the time we started until about 1000, when the waves settled a bit to about one and a half to two feet.

I tell you getting skunked like this is getting to cause me to lose a bit of confidence in my ability to catch salmon. I keep asking myself WWDKD? What would Dan Keating Do? Captain Dan Keating that is.

You would have caught lakers if you used Gambler Rigs instead of Lake Trout Candy! 

[Drebs12]

For an 8" flasher you should have 21-23" between the flasher and the fly. 12" is far too short

[show me the money]

Agree about the gambler rigs