Fishing line: Conditions expected to improve this weekend
Published: January 26, 2010, 8:46 pm
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Thawing streams and iffy ice covering have most fishermen fishing for a place to fish. Most area shore watchers see stream and ice conditions improving by the weekend.
Most Great Lakes feeder streams are glutted with dark chocolate runoff. Smaller feeders could be good in a day or two, but bigger creeks and rivers need to drain snowmelt and weekend rainfall before they can offer favorable fishing forays.
Melted snow cover has leveled ice surfaces on many inland lakes, but areas around feeder creeks could be thin on ice right now. Check before heading to any ice site this weekend.
Ice sites
• Chautauqua Lake — Ice covering held well around the North Basin through the weekend rains and scores of auger addicts covered the ice through Sunday's rains to bring in good numbers of perch.
The Long Point-to-Dewittville section produced a good number of bigger perch, averaging 7-8 inches, at depths varying from 15 to 36 feet. Perch presence exists lakewide, but this northern side of the North Basin seems to have the bigger ringbacks.
The walleye bite picked up this past week in deeper water. Ice thickness melted to about 8 inches over deeper open waters between Dewittville and Prendergast Point. A jig and minnow close to bottom accounted for a few deep 'eyes at depths of 40 feet or more during the day. Evenings, the bite picked up along 15- to 20-foot ledges.
Best crappie bite at Mayville has been entirely after dark.
• Silver Lake — Ice lakewide held and thinner ice in the South Basin off Mack's Boat Livery measured 6 inches by Tuesday morning. Perch in deeper water and bluegills along deeper weed edge drop-offs keep hole hoppers busy throughout all daylight hours.
Avon Anglers holds its Take a Kid Ice Fishing Tournament on Saturday out of Mack's Boat Livery at the southeast corner of the lake. Registrations ($20 per angler) include a free entry for kids 12 and younger. For details on entries and directions, call Ken McGee (585-226-3149), Dale Rathbun (585-243-0644) or the livery (585-237-5983).
• Conesus Lake — Shoreline pike have been sending tips up on tip-ups along the western side north and south of Long Point. Also, a run of bigger bluegill make it a tossup between going deeper for perch or holding closer to shore for the pike and 'gill bite.
• Honeoye Lake — That crappie bite has been stinging during evening hours along the northeast shoreline. Bluegill hit virtually everywhere, but the ultra-light bite for crappie has been either off Trident Marina or the very southwest corner. Tip-ups set with minnows at 15-25 feet have wound up with a few nice walleye.
• Lake Ontario ponds and bays — Wilson Harbor still offers some ice cover near the boat launch, but the main harbor ice broke up during weekend rains. Most ponds between Olcott and Rochester are iffy at best. Irondequoit Bay ice shows promise along the shoreline, but the main spine may not be solid until the weekend. Sodus Bay ice held best and still produces good catches on reasonably safe ice within the bay.
Niagara River
Drifters did well below Lewiston, before the high winds and rain. Egg sacks did better in bait-clogged waters from Lewiston to Fort Niagara. The steelhead run has been good each time clarity resumes. Weekend runs could be good, charter guys say.
Feeder streams/open water
Cattaraugus Creek may take all weekend to restore fishable waters. Smaller creeks along the Lake Erie shoreline began looking good Tuesday morning. Silver, Canadaway and Chautauqua creeks all could be stable by the weekend.
Casters continue to do fairly well along the Dunkirk City Pier, when winds subside enough to keep waves from freezing on paved surfaces. With bait moving around the harbor, steelhead trout have been cruising the inner harbor close to the pier. Both live bait and silver-based casting spoons stick steelies.
Funds have been obtained for the repair of the Harry Probst fishing access platform at the power plant. DEC officials will immediately announce when the walkway and pier will be reopened for fishing.
Fish for photos
Anglers with good shots of great fishing catches can have their trophy photos displayed on the Fishing Page of The News' Web site (www.buffalonews.com/fishing).
To get your photo published, e-mail it along with a brief description of the catch, including the name and home (city, town or village) of the angler, the location of the catch and how the fish was caught to the e-mail address listed below.
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