Muskie Opener

[Stinky Finger]

Didn't get out today due to family functions, First Communion celebrations for nieces and nephews and an early Mother's Day party when everyone could be in the same place at the same time. Big party & Kentucky Derby too!

Doesn't look like I missed anything anyway, fishing wise.

Things are however shaping up for a rare occurrence in Buffalo. Not every spring is the same. Right now we are all lamenting high waters, launches not open, closed lakes, etc. for the pike opener. Oh well, things will shape up soon. I have no clue what stage the pike are in now. It's a high water spring so once I can get out somewhere it will probably be a pre summer bite. Have had now 17 days straight of at least some rain every day or night in Leicester, between Conesus & Silver.

Muskies are a bit slower and a cold wet and long New York spring coupled with an early opening date can mean a short shot/small window of rare opportunity in Buffalo harbor on the big girls. The REALLY BIG girls. This doesn't happen often, once in seven to ten years do the moons, stars, planets all line up like this.

With a New York opening date of the third Saturday in June for muskie, past most other states, Buffalo harbor is usually devoid of the biggest of the big. Warmer waters arrive, they spawn and are gone, vanished into Lake Erie like a needle in a haystack before the opener. It takes a long, slow, cold and wet spring coinciding with an early opening date to produce the rare occurrence when the pigs are still in on the opener. This could be one of those years. This year is the 18th. Some years as early as the 15th or sooner!

Buffalo has good muskie fishing as a general rule. Strawberry Island is legendary as are the deeper shoals out in the lake. Like any other fishery, it has its off times and poor seasons. Buffalo does not share the limelight with more consistent honey holes as Lake St Claire or the Larry. Now and then though, it has the potential to be a true contender, bar none. As I stated, conditions could shape up this year -if the cruddy weather holds- to produce that rare window when a true pig might turn up. Lake Erie has them just the same as Eagle, LOTW, French River or Moon River /Georgian bay. The big girls are here but they don't stick around long. They do their do and split, usually long before the season opens. Gone. Keep your fingers crossed that the weather, and the water temps stay in the dumps.

BTW, this isn't breaking news, among those in the know. You will see plenty of out of state registrations out there under these rare conditions. I'm putting this out there because I'd like to see more N.Y. boats out there among the Pa. Oh. Wi. Ont. Mi. etc. etc.

This was "in the know" stuff 15 or 20 years ago among the traveling muskie hounds.

[mostlymuskies]

Why would you want to make a post like this talking about the Buffalo Harbor that is in a fragile state? 3/4 of the big muskies died from old age,another large number died from VHS,some were carried away as trohpies and there has not been a good year class to follow the loss.So most of us leave the Buffalo Harbor alone for the opener and let what small number of big girl's that are left get uninteruped spawing time.Posts telling everyone that the conditions are right this year for getting the big girl's is not needed.I run a charter fishing service,you don't see me going to the harbor in the spring because I care about the fishery!Most likely the fish will be done spawning and be gone by June 18th,if not let them spawn,let the fishery have a chance to come back.

Capt. Larry D. Jones

[Stinky Finger]

Larry when you are King you can pass any royal edict you like.

[mostlymuskies]

I'm definately not professing to be the King of anything.I'm only saying what I think should be said,the fishery is almost totaly gone and needs everyone's help to try to get it to turn around.There were no young of the year muskies found in the Harbor the last three summer shocking studies by the NY DEC.The habitat is not good anymore to substain a good fishery,new habitat is being built but maybe to late.They will not do a stocking program because of VHS. So the only chance the Buffalo Harbor has to rebound is through people carring enough to allow the fish to have a good spawn in the spring.So with the Harbor in this fragile state the fishery doesn't need someone saying this could be a banner year to catch the big girls because the water looks to be colder this year.So you do what you think is right,you do have the right to go there,maybe your kids and others kids will not in the future if the pressure stays on durring the spawning period.

Capt. Larry D. Jones

[bosco]

Darn, I was looking forward to just a couple more 40 plus inchers to bury in my yard again this year. Those monsters make such awesome garden fertilizer.

[bosco]

Just rabble rousing. Seriously though, I've never seen a group of anglers more protective of their preferred species than you Musky anglers. Hats off for true sportsmanship. Question though, is it an unusually late spawn this year? Why wouldn't the DEC push the opener back a couple more weeks?

[Ronix 51]

^haha way to stir the pot. im sure larry can chime in more on that question when he sees it but i would assume there would be quite the process in pushing back an open season date which would take much longer than saying "oh by the way seasons closed for another 2 weeks"

[mostlymuskies]

Yes, any season change takes years to implement in NY State. If we keep getting warm weather in the upper 60's to low 70's the spawn will be over and the fish will be in post spawn lockjaw or already be gone far out into Lake Erie depths by June 18th.

Capt. Larry