Escape Sandy Creek Shootout and BFF

[GAMBLER]

Friday

Mike and I left the creek at 5:30 and set down in 90’ right out front.  We turned West and found a great screen and a great bite right off the bat.  We left that water looking to look for a plan B for the Shootout if plan A failed.  We trolled out to 300+ and found fish and bait all over.  The water wasn’t much different in 90 than it was in 300.  Temp was down 50’ when we started and the last hour of fishing, warm water started rolling in.  We went to BFF weigh in with a 17lb king as our biggest.  We had our opportunities for bigger fish but never landed them.  
 

Saturday

We left the creek in the fog and slowly made our way to the water that was best yesterday.  When we go there, the screen was dead.  We immediately turned out to see if the fish were pushed out deeper from the warm water that rolled in.  We found a few fish in the 140-180 zone but nothing big.  We did end up throw a very sick steelhead back instead of in our box (the fish had brown sores all over both sides).  We trolled out to 225 and started marking some fish and bait.  We settled in there for the mid morning and boxed a good steelhead, a medium sized steelhead, two good kings and a smaller king.  Late in the day, we ran into the laker water and quickly picked a good laker to upgrade our small king.  At weigh in, we ended up in 7th place and won the big laker prize.  Congrats to Rob, Billy, Paul, Matt and Hunter on an impressive win!  Congrats to all the other winners!  

 

 

[whaler1]

Great report Brian and as always a great tournament. 
We were inside as well both days. 
Saturdays fog was definitely interesting. From what I heard off the Oak it was fairly chaotic. 
Some big fish around this year, looking forward to the rest of the season. 

[whaler1]

54 minutes ago, GAMBLER said:

Friday

Mike and I left the creek at 5:30 and set down in 90’ right out front.  We turned West and found a great screen and a great bite right off the bat.  We left that water looking to look for a plan B for the Shootout if plan A failed.  We trolled out to 300+ and found fish and bait all over.  The water wasn’t much different in 90 than it was in 300.  Temp was down 50’ when we started and the last hour of fishing, warm water started rolling in.  We went to BFF weigh in with a 17lb king as our biggest.  We had our opportunities for bigger fish but never landed them.  
 

Saturday

We left the creek in the fog and slowly made our way to the water that was best yesterday.  When we go there, the screen was dead.  We immediately turned out to see if the fish were pushed out deeper from the warm water that rolled in.  We found a few fish in the 140-180 zone but nothing big.  We did end up throw a very sick steelhead back instead of in our box (the fish had brown sores all over both sides).  We trolled out to 225 and started marking some fish and bait.  We settled in there for the mid morning and boxed a good steelhead, a medium sized steelhead, two good kings and a smaller king.  Late in the day, we ran into the laker water and quickly picked a good laker to upgrade our small king.  At weigh in, we ended up in 7th place and won the big laker prize.  Congrats to Rob, Billy, Paul, Matt and Hunter on an impressive win!  Congrats to all the other winners!  

 

 

What did the laker hit on?

[GAMBLER]

1 hour ago, whaler1 said:

What did the laker hit on?

Alien UV Gambler Rig behind a Froggy Hammerhead 5/0 Cowbell.  

[HB2]

We went out Fri morning for a few hrs  and did great . 23 + wasc our biggest  and our # 8 for July good size Atlantic . 

Sat morning we went out in the fog  and it was the opposite .

Was terrible for us with just 1 laker and a sinus headache . 

Sun morning was not much better . 

Stayed inside looking but the screen was never that great . 

In hindsite , probably should have ventured  offshore . 

 

 

 

[whaler1]

140 to 160 was our best both days. 

[GAMBLER]

16 hours ago, HB2 said:

We went out Fri morning for a few hrs  and did great . 23 + wasc our biggest  and our # 8 for July good size Atlantic . 

Sat morning we went out in the fog  and it was the opposite .

Was terrible for us with just 1 laker and a sinus headache . 

Sun morning was not much better . 

Stayed inside looking but the screen was never that great . 

In hindsite , probably should have ventured  offshore . 

 

 

 

90'-110' was stellar on Friday.  Gone on Saturday.  We caught an 8 pound Atlantic Friday and it was the worst fight I have ever seen from a Lake Ontario salmonoid....  Not saying a lot when I laker fish!  The fish hit a diver pulling a Hawks Tackle Electric Funeral Meat rig.  Two head shakes before I got to the rod and then nothing until it hit the floor of the boat.  Then it went ballistic.  

[Gill-T]

This is the usual fight I get from Atlantics. They play opossum until you net them. Caught one last week. Lots around this year so not sure what is going on with stocking?  Perhaps there was a hatch in some trib of naturals? Hell must have frozen over. 

[GAMBLER]

41 minutes ago, Gill-T said:

This is the usual fight I get from Atlantics. They play opossum until you net them. Caught one last week. Lots around this year so not sure what is going on with stocking?  Perhaps there was a hatch in some trib of naturals? Hell must have frozen over. 

I heard but can't confirm it's a new strain of Atlantics.  Beautiful fish but not the fighters they are advertised to be.  I have caught a couple bigger males that put on an areal show but the majority were lame.  Give me a king, coho or steelhead any day over Atlantics.  

[ScheerBrawlers]

3 hours ago, GAMBLER said:

I heard but can't confirm it's a new strain of Atlantics.  Beautiful fish but not the fighters they are advertised to be.  I have caught a couple bigger males that put on an areal show but the majority were lame.  Give me a king, coho or steelhead any day over Atlantics.  

 

The new strain is from the ADK area -- at least thats what my 2 friends who stock them in sandy said, so those fish don't know the SR.  Idk if you had a fluke or not but, all the ones I've caught have been very fierce fighters, I have zero complaints with the fights they give.  They've all been like fighting a steelhead with the power of a king.  Hopefully just a fluke or maybe when you pull them out of this warmer water we've been fishing inside -- things might be a little different.  My limited exp has been scorchers on the divers and 10-20 jumps several feet out of the water, I was loving it, very entertaining.  

[GAMBLER]

20 hours ago, ScheerBrawlers said:

 

The new strain is from the ADK area -- at least thats what my 2 friends who stock them in sandy said, so those fish don't know the SR.  Idk if you had a fluke or not but, all the ones I've caught have been very fierce fighters, I have zero complaints with the fights they give.  They've all been like fighting a steelhead with the power of a king.  Hopefully just a fluke or maybe when you pull them out of this warmer water we've been fishing inside -- things might be a little different.  My limited exp has been scorchers on the divers and 10-20 jumps several feet out of the water, I was loving it, very entertaining.  

Over the years I have caught a bunch of Atlantics of all sizes.  About 50% were duds.  The giant I caught back in 1997 fought amazing.  It seems like the males fight better than females.  The top photo fish fought great.  The bottom photo, the brown in photo fought way better!

Edited July 30, 2025 by GAMBLER

[WillsboroTrout]

We get Atlantics all the time out of Champlain and they act like a crazy meth head. Jumping, runs across the spread or up next to the boat. Of course a BIG one is 8-10#