Bass fishin Fort Niagara

[Diversion]

Fished opening day of Bass season for a change of pace. Caught a ton of gobys on leaches. The only smallies with any size taken were caught flatlining hot-n-tots in 10 - 14 fow outside the fort. Tons of moss everywhere. Nice for change of pace, plus my buddy snapped this pic of my ride......ok, back to salmon next weekend

[Gill-T]

Bass fishing opening week is not what it used to be since the Gobys. I have a theroy on why. One, less bass because Gobys eat the bass fry....but the ones that grow up and can eat the goby are bigger. Two, they can't leave their beds very far the chase a bait....because of the Gobys. Adam, if you go slowly around the fort you will see white zebra muscle shell beds. Often there will be a big black shape sitting on those beds (bass). When are you heading out for salmon next? I am getting that itch to go back to my stomping grounds.....maybe a little tag team action? Or maybe a friendly Baylinner vs Penn Yan duel.

[Diversion]

Me and my friends have fished the opening day of bass for probably the past ten years, and each year gets slower. You really had to work for the couple fish we got :roll:

As for salmon, i will be fishing the weekend of the 4th for sure, not sure about it any sooner. I'm definatly up for a Penn Yan vs. Bayliner event

Maybe we could even get a Thompson to compete

[Gill-T]

Tim would have to get up pretty early to drag his boat out of the water and put in at the Fort. Of course he could run his gas bill up and make the run from Olcott.......he just won't have enough gas to troll very long.

[Tim Bromund]

Nope, you're both just gonna have to come launch at Olcott

Tim

[Guest ReelDiel]

i think the gobies have a def impact, but the fish are also spawning much earlier now. You may have a straggler here or there now but the majoriy of the spawn is done. And post spawn is a ****. We were c atching 4-5lb females pre fishing the loc looking for browns, at the oak and fort. Look at erie for an example not so long ago you would do pretty well end of may to mid of june. Now your getting 100fish days in end of april early may. Fish adapt to the change in thier habitat, fisherman on the other hand....

[Gill-T]

There is nothing to adapt to .....bass season does not open until June.

[Diversion]

I'm game for launching at Olcott in a few weeks from now.

[Tank]

Gill-T..we are in the second year of a year round catch and release bass season. Only keeping them starts in June(which I never do) I have recently switched my focus away from smallies, but you can go catch em early...and I am NOT a bed fisherman. Tank

[Gill-T]

Maybe, a multispecies format. Biggest fish King, steelhead, brown, laker, coho gets points with a friendly wager?

[Guest ReelDiel]

There is nothing to adapt to .....bass season does not open until June.

:roll:

[shu9265]

Next time you go out off the Fort for bass, try moving out to the 20-25 foot range.

When my dad and I used fished it, we always got the trash fish in less than 20 fow.

Hope this helps.

shu.

[Gill-T]

Excuse my ignorance for not looking at the current regulations, but is there a trophy season catch and release on Ontario now also?

[Chromeslayer]

Excuse my ignorance for not looking at the current regulations, but is there a trophy season catch and release on Ontario now also?

there is catch and release all yr now on ontario