Fishing is up and down right now. Brown trout are still cooperating most days in the near shore areas with black/silver Smithwicks, stingers and Raider spoons working well. Be advised that the brown trout bite is early and I mean early. You should have your lines in the water by 5 a.m. The hot spot is off the buoys in front of Nine Mile. Look for the trout in 40-80 ft. of water there. Also look for the browns off the Catfish Creek area and Mexico Bay
The lake appears to be setting up a thermocline and this should help to set things up for us this week. The bait is also moving back in and we should see more fish any day now.
The rare king salmon is being caught in the deeper water and there are signs of bait showing up which should help bring the fish back to the area. Look for salmon to be in the cold water which has been 90 to 150 down over 200 to 500 feet of water. Flasher/fly combinations, including Spin Dr's and e-chips with Atomik flies are working best.
Remember the area around the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Facility is off limits to boating. The restricted area stretches 1,000 yards offshore and extends from the Alcan plant to the Sunset Bay area along Lake Ontario, east of the city of Oswego.
The walleye action is good on Oneida Lake right now, although they are not as schooled as they have been. This means you will work a bit harder taking longer drifts. Fish deep in 35-38 ft. of water and look across the soft bottom. North of Buoy 109 midway to the north shore and in front of Lakeport at the first dropoff are good places to take the drift. Three-quarter ounce jigs, particularly black/purple, tipped with a nightcrawler are working well. We are also finding fish in tight off of Sylvan beach right at dark as that area is loaded with bait.
The Salmon River has been quiet with the exception of the estuary where there has been a good northern pike bite. Live minnows, spinnerbaits and rapalas are taking most of the pike.
Oswego river fishing has been somewhat quiet mainly due to not many anglers fishing it right now. There are plenty of sheepshead throughout the river, catfish near the powerhouse and the walleye seem to have moved out toward the lake. Look for rock bass, perch and other panfish around Wright's Landing and the Coast Guard Station. The same bait continues to be working - worms, minnows, crayfish, bucktail jigs and stickbaits
Now is the time to schedule a lake charter. Area captains are available for lake charters. Take the kids fishing, it will be a quality experience that they will not forget.
I have this Tuesday & Friday open if anyone is interested
See you on the water, Troy
