I gotta say, ..I'm a little intimidated.

[CC25]

Well, weather permitting I'll be dragging the boat to Ontario this friday. I plan on showing up late Friday and fishing Saturday and Sunday weather permitting. I've clicked around on this site to pluck as much "know how" as I could. Its all sloshing around in my head, and some of it never to be retrieved again. I've got a bunch of spoons, all shapes, colors and sizes. Flashers, flies, stick baits, down rigger releases, and boards.... A couple of kitchen sinks too. My presentation will not include wire or lead core. I don't have any kind of temperature sensor with the exception of the surface temp. Having read about and heard about the spring fishing at the bar, this is the year I finally get to do it.

Just thinking out loud......

If you happen to see a 25' boat circling aimlessly with the keystone cops on board accept my apology in advance!!

[salmonite]

Good luck to ya!

[Jeff J]

Good luck and have a great time.

Word of caution though, you will be hooked for life!!!

Jeff

[CBish]

DON'T over think it. Go simple. Start your set with basic "NK" like spoons, I'm only saying that because that is what lake ontario salmon eat. Run them 15' to 40' back off of your downrigger ball. Keep your balls 10' apart start in 60' (riggers at 55', 45', 35', 25') and troll north till they fire then circle. Best colors will be black/purple glow, 42 second, purple thunder and black magic. All in the standard "28" size. Put the same lures on your sliders maybe add a silver with orange diagonal or orange crush.

If you are running dipsys run the same spoons on them, if you were a week or two later I would tell you to run flashers, but this weekend (early May) spoons typically out fish flashers. Or run a flasher fly on one side and a spoon on the other. Dipsys should set at 120 and 180 feet on a 2 1/2 setting with mono subtract 30 feet and go to the 3 setting if you have power pro.

If you need help remembering what these spoons are go to the at the oak site (link to the left <----) and look at the popular spoon page.

There is no place on the BIG O where the catching is easier then Niagara County waters in May. Keep your lines from tangling you will catch fish.

Have fun,

CC

[on the lam]

Its like golf, you will love it , or hate it .

I like to consider myself someone who loves "boating" and drinking , and if we catch a fish or two thats a bonus .

Good luck

[big easy]

Ditto what CBish said.

Don't try to think about all the different things that you read on the websites.Start off by keeping it simple.A few years ago,we took a buddy of ours out on the boat,who had zero experience fishing for great lakes fish.

I'm not kidding when I say that he had six spoons total.

He insisted on running his own rods,and his own spoons.Well he proceeded to catch almost all the fish that day.His rods would fire as soon as he got them down.

Here we are with probably 800 spoons on board,not to mention all kinds of flashers, flies, etc. etc.,and we get humiliated by a guy with no experience and six spoons.

Just think about the basics,and apply some common sense,put the lure in the water and bring the boat speed up to the point that provides the best action.Try to remember what direction and what speed you were doing when you get the first fish.Keep a mental record of the little things,so that you can repeat them.

The fishing in the western end is very good in the spring,so that's a bonus and help to you.Don't stress over it,you'll do just fine.

Good luck to you.

[CC25]

Thanks for the kind words guys. And S.W., thanks for the e-mail. I'll be pulling out in a few hours. I'll report back on our results. THANKS!

[CC25]

Well, fished the 2nd and 3rd. Got on the water on the 2nd about 8:00, and fished until 4:00. Had one hit. Put in at Wilson went 3-4 miles west, and set up in 60'. Boats were fishing 72-75' pretty hard. ran north-south out to 155' and back in. Marked fish all over. Riggers and stackers, From floro orange to burnt orange, same with the green's. Pinks, reds on black, silver on black.... You name it. Spin doctor with flies, flies on dipsys.... Kokanee rig.... One hit with two days of fishing..

I shoulda been there THIS weekend