Fishing Line
Column note
Beginning next week, the Fishing Line column, which has appeared on Thursdays for more than two decades, will be offered on Wednesdays. The major focus will remain on sites where the fish are biting, with added notes on angling- related news events, products, destinations, issues, and whatever else slides down the fishing line.
Lake Erie
Capt. Paul Dreher of Small Fortune Charters out of Dunkirk Harbor, reports a solid showing on walleye at 60-to 65- foot depths either side of the harbor.
Dreher has been running a spoon and plug/body bait program at suspended depths of 30-55 feet for good numbers of mainly 2003-year class fish measuring in the low to mid 20-inch range.
Bass activity has been spotty and catches sparse as waters warm and late spawning—the next full moon is July 7 —affects bass movement. Flashy jigging and oversized grub baits still open a smallmouth or two.
Perch catches put more boats on Erie waters than all other fish forays. Deep waters continue to produce the fullest pails of perch. Off Cattaraugus Creek, 50- foot depths have been a good starting point for anchoring in the wind or slow drifting over those depths. At times, good schools have moved into 30-to 40- foot depths off Evangola State Park.
Emerald shiner schools hold heavily in the upper Niagara River, but boaters along the lake have fewer shots at legally netting bait on the way out to perch fish in deep water.
Niagara River
Upper and lower river moss makes musky and bass casting messy. Best perch prospects for river runners has been at the head of the river around the departure buoys.
Lower river moss has slowed bass busting, but golden shiners and leeches have been selling well in the Village Hardware bait store in Lewiston, said Nick Custodi.
New York State Power Authority officials announced this week that the newly expanded parking area next to the fishing platform at the base of the Robert Moses Power Project is open for public use.
Lake Ontario
Water temperatures, behind last year by a week or so, have kings and steelies working over depths of 100-250 feet and showing best between Wilson Harbor and the power plant east of Olcott Harbor.
A scattering of trolling spoons works better for numbers; meat in the form of cut bait or Spin Doctors do nicely for sizes, said charter Captain Bob Cinelli while trolling Wednesday afternoon. Most of the bigger salmon entered in an Olcott Harbor weekly contest went for bait or doctor rigs. Boaters off Oak Orchard have gone to deeper waters, but the best bites in Western New York waters come on lines set in the top 80 feet.
Fish photo finds
Anglers with good photos of great catches can have their trophy shots displayed on the Fishing Page of the News’ Web site ( www.buffalonews.com/fishing ). New photos will be added as they are received.
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 email address listed below.
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