Adirondacks Fishing Report - June 14th, 2013

Posted on Thu, 13 Jun 2013

Cooler weather, along with some breezy days, rolled into the region recently and created some challenging fishing conditions. Still, water temps are set up for some fine action on Lake Champlain, Schroon Lake and other waters, including trout streams like the West Branch of the Ausable River, which has seen red-hot action. Green Drakes may be starting to appear on some rivers.

On Champlain, some huge lake trout – four over 15 pounds – were caught during the annual Rotary Fishing Classic.

Bass will be the focus for many anglers now, and chances are some sight fishing for spawning smallmouths and largemouths will be possible.

Capital District Fishing Report - June 14th, 2013

Posted on Thu, 13 Jun 2013

Fishing has been solid on the Mettawee, Battenkill and other trout waters, and cool weather conditions should help keep water temps at a trout-friendly level. Bass anglers undoubtedly will be hitting Lake George and Saratoga Lake when the “regular” season opens June 15.

Catskill Fishing Report - June 14th, 2013

Posted on Thu, 13 Jun 2013

Beaverkill and Willowemoc: Both are wadeable and clear at last look.  

East Branch of the Delaware: Limiting wading last week, and fishing was slow.

West Branch of the Delaware: Limited wading here, too, but things could be much improved by now. Sulphurs are a good bet right now.

Neversink River: Clear and fishable. Sulphurs, small BWOs and Caddis.

Catskill Flies

Central New York Fishing Report - June 14th, 2013

Posted on Thu, 13 Jun 2013

Lake Ontario: Brown trout continued to be scattered after the variable winds we've had the last few weeks. If you can find some off colored water, try fishing stick baits and small spoons in the area during the early morning. As the day gets brighter, moving to 40 feet or deeper water has been helping to extend the brown trout bite. Some salmon have been hitting flasher and flies and spoons fished 80 feet down over 150 feet of water.

Oneida Lake: Walleye were being taken in 15 to 35 feet of water with bucktail jigs tipped with nightcrawler or blade baits working. Shore anglers were still getting some walleye on stick baits or jigs just before and after dark.

Oswego River: Some walleye were being taken in the river on large stick baits, jigs and nightcrawlers. Trolling after dark in the harbor with large stick baits was producing some walleye.

Salmon River: Fishing has been slowing down on the river, which is normal for this time of year. There were smallmouth bass and rock bass being caught in the lower river.

Sodus Bay: Anglers fishing the deeper water were still getting some yellow perch. Bluegill fishing has picked up as the spawn has started. Northern pike fishing has been good, with pike hitting a variety of lures. Stick baits and spoons are good bets. Bass fishing has also been good, with bass jigs, plastics and topwaters all working.

Irondequoit Bay: Anglers fishing the deeper water areas were getting some larger yellow perch. Northern pike were hitting on spoons and stick baits. Bass were hitting on bass jigs, a variety of plastics, spinnerbaits and topwaters.

Sandy Pond: A few walleye and northern pike were being caught. Anglers were also getting some black crappie, bluegills and yellow perch

Finger lakes/Southern Tier Fishing Report - June 14th, 2013

Posted on Fri, 14 Jun 2013

Cayuga Lake: Trolling in 80 to 160 feet of water with spoons or flasher and flies, fished off downriggers, copper wire, or Dipsey Divers was producing lake trout. Vertical jigging was also working for lake trout in 50 to 150 feet of water.

Seneca Lake: Despite poor weather conditions, anglers still managed to catch some nice sized lake trout during the Memorial Day Derby. Lakers were hitting spoons and flasher and flies fished 60 to 150 feet down. Vertical jigging was also working in 65 to 135 feet of water.

Canandaigua Lake: Fishing spoons or flasher and flies down 90 to 100 feet has been working for lake trout. A few rainbow trout were also being caught trolling in 40 to 60 feet over a variety of depths.

Keuka Lake: Anglers vertical jigging with plastics in 110 to 160 feet were catching good numbers of lake trout. Tubes and fluke-style plastics have been working well. Trolling was also working for anglers fishing spoons or flasher and flies 140 to 160 feet down.

Owasco Lake: Anglers getting out on the north end were catching yellow perch on minnows. Anglers trolling with spoons or flasher and flies were getting some lake trout and a few brown trout.

Otisco Lake: A few walleye were being taken by anglers trolling with stick baits or spinner rigs.

Skaneateles Lake: Perch were being caught on the north end. Smallmouth bass were being taken by anglers taking advantage of the catch and release season. The regular season opens June 15. Tube jigs have been yielding the most bass.

Susquehanna, Chenango, Tioughnioga and Unadilla rivers: When water clarity allowed, walleye were being taken on hair jigs, with lighter colors like yellow or white working best. Smallmouth bass were hitting on darker colored tube jigs.

Whitney Point Reservoir: White crappie fishing continued to be good, with most of fish now being found away from shore. The walleye bite was starting to improve, with anglers getting them on worm harnesses. 

Long Island/NYC Fishing Report - June 14th, 2013

Posted on Thu, 13 Jun 2013

The striped bass fishing in New York Harbor continued to be excellent, with fish in the high teens to low 20-pound class being caught on bunker chunks fished on the flats south of Governor’s Island, with the bottom of the nighttime outgoing tide best producing the best action. Live eels drifted in the East River from the UN south to the Brooklyn Bridge produced numerous stripers during the outgoing tide. A few bluefish in the low teens were mixed in with the stripers.

Stripers in the low- to mid-teens were caught on the bars and rips in South Shore inlets on clam bellies and fresh skimmer clams. Larger stripers were caught drifting live eels in the inlets at night and on live bunker during the day. The outgoing tides continued to provide the hottest action. The striper fishing off Montauk Point was excellent with boaters scoring stripers into the 30-pound class on live baits and by trolling tubes and parachute jigs in the rips.

In the Sound, the best striped bass fishing occurred on the reefs in the western Sound using bunker chunks and diamond jigs. Small stripers were caught on the beaches on the north side of the North Fork.
Surf and shore anglers caught stripers from back of the harbors in the Sound and at the South Shore inlets on bucktails, plastic baits, poppers and swimming plugs. A fair number of bluefish between 5 and 8 pounds were mixed in the with stripers. The best striper action occurred during the night tides, with dawn and late afternoons the best time for bluefish. Fly-rodders caught stripers and blues on crease flies, poppers, sliders as well as bunker patterns. The flats in Shinnecock Bay and Gardiner’s Bay has produced stripers for fly-rodders tossing crab patterns when the wind was not blowing.

Schools of 2- to 5-pound bluefish were roaming the South Shore bays, with anglers catching blues under the birds using tins and poppers, or while drifting for fluke.

The fluke fishing was improving, with the keeper ratio being about 1 in 10. Squid and spearing combinations as well as bucktails tipped with squid were good choices. The largest fluke were being caught outside the South Shore inlets, off Montauk Point and off Orient Point.

There has been resurgence of weakfish, with numerous weakfish in the 2- to 4-pound range being taken in Peconic and Gardiner’s bays. A fair number of weakfish were caught in Moriches Bay near the new cut to the ocean.

There were quite a few blowfish caught off the South Shore docks.  Most of the fish are small, but this year has yielded more blowfish than in years past.

The porgy fishing on the North Shore has been excellent for both boat and shore anglers. The porgies are big, with fish over 3 pounds reported. Hot spots have been the Peconic and Gardiner’s bays, and off Port Jefferson.

The offshore scene has been quiet due to the high winds experienced during this report period.

Overall, the freshwater fishing was excellent. The largemouth bass fishing has been very good, with bass in the 2- to 4-pound range falling to spinnerbait and top-water plugs during the early morning and late afternoon hours.

Guy Zummo

Southeastern New York Fishing Report - June 14th, 2013

Posted on Thu, 13 Jun 2013

Anglers will be targeting bass with the regular season opening June 15, but trout are still an option on several east of Hudson reservoirs, notably West Branch and Kensico. Muscoot Reservoir should be a good largemouth option.

Bobs Bait and Tackle

Thousand Islands Fishing Report - June 14th, 2013

Posted on Thu, 13 Jun 2013

St. Lawrence River: The recent cold front slowed fishing some, but anglers were reporting catches of pike, perch and a few walleye.

Black Lake: Bass should be the main attraction on the lake now, given the reports earlier from panfish anglers who were encountering plenty of smallmouths this spring. Remember, there’s a 15-inch size limit on Black Lake bass if you’re planning on keeping any.

Western New York Fishing Report - June 14th, 2013

Posted on Thu, 13 Jun 2013

Lake Ontario and tributaries: Some browns are available inside 50 feet. Some kids’ contests are scheduled on June 15 so be sure and mark your calendar. The Wilson Conservation Club will be holding its annual kids’ contest on the public waters of Niagara County. For the bass opener on June 15, the Burt Hotel in the town of Newfane will be holding an opening day bass contest that includes both smallmouth and largemouth bass. Stop in at the restaurant-tavern located on Route 78 near Fisherman’s Park.

Lake Erie and tributaries: A mix of live bait and artificials like tube jigs and jerk baits will help produce a mix of smallmouth sizes. Fish can be found in 10- to 30-foot depths around structure. Walleye were starting to hit with more regularity. Target 8 to 15 feet of water at night with stick baits or worm harnesses. Try outside the Buffalo Boat Harbor breakwall, off Hamburg and around Van Buren Bay. Yellow perch were hitting out in the lake again, too. Off Sturgeon Point and Evangola State park, focus in on 50-55 feet of water.

Upper Niagara River: Perch action around Ontario Street continued to be very good for drifters and still fishermen using emerald shiners. Also, perch were hitting below the Black Rock Canal. Some walleye were being reported around Broderick Park and along the wall running north on minnows. Bass have been hitting tubes and other artificials from the head of the river to the head of Strawberry Island.

Lower Niagara River: Shore fishing in the gorge has been producing some lake trout for casters using a yellow jig with white Twister Tail. Boat fishermen were using emerald shiners to take a mixed bag of fish, including lake trout and steelhead.

Chautauqua Lake: Big crappies were still being reported around Rock and Grass islands in the lower basin of the lake. Use a 1⁄32-ounce jig tipped with a minnow or a one-inch tube tipped with live bait. The walleye bite has picked up again outside the weed edges at dusk and into the evening hours. For bass, try off the Mayville Flats and Warners Bar with soft baits like crawfish.

Orleans County: The only thing heard fairly consistently is to look at the 80- to 100-foot range before wandering off too far for trout and salmon on Lake Ontario. Rains should create a pretty well defined mud line in the lake, which would be another good place to target. On Lake Alice, the bluegill and crappie bite seems to be holding steady.