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Fishing Reports for Local Area - Location |
    
shane thomas (Gottumguide)
New member
Username: Gottumguide
Post Number: 5
Registered: 2-2005
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 23, 2005 - 2:43 pm: | |
The wrath of Lake Ontario strikes again!! But that's Ok cause the salmon- well they showed up en-mass!
After a slow first hour we had 1.5 hours I couln't catch my breath-much less sit down. Fast as I could set one the other would fire. We landed plenty and lost plenty more by 8:30 the lake built to 6-7' and we headed in along with the rest of the fleet.
We fished 1-2 miles straight off the stick in 75-85fow-
Water temps down 70-75' - we hit most fish on green or white pro chips with either G flies or twinkie flies only a couple hits on meat- one weighed in at just shy of 27lbs most the others were about 20-25lb with one decent 10lb coho. |
shane thomas (Gottumguide)
New member
Username: Gottumguide
Post Number: 1
Registered: 2-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 5:41 pm: | |
Steelhead fishing continues to be very productive. The last week we averaged 10 hook-ups a trip. Looks like this mild weather will be over shortly, back to normal winter conditions. It doesn't look like it will be as severe as it was, so fishing should remain decent. Water levels are low 350 cfs for now but run-off may increase flows soon. |
Shane Thomas (Gotguide)
New member
Username: Gotguide
Post Number: 8
Registered: 7-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 18, 2004 - 6:12 pm: | |
Salmon Fishing on big lake O is still producing well. We have been catching all mature fish now, no runts. Fish are moving in a little more everyday. 90-95fow is where we were today.There is cold water on the bottum, however half the fish are coming out of temp. Slashers/tweenkie combos in white/blue glow and blacksilver/red have done the trick. The Salmon river has yet to see any good runs, however a few stragglers are present. How would you like to catch that record steelie in the Salmon River?? HOLD ON Check out Fat Nancy's all new shop at http://www.salmonriverguide.com |
Shane Thomas (Gotguide)
New member
Username: Gotguide
Post Number: 4
Registered: 7-2004
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 09, 2004 - 6:33 pm: | |
What do charter boat captains and guides do on their day off? WE FISH- well today we did anyway. We're fishing for a 1000 bucks and maybe, just maybe we can claim it. In other words we got a good one-14.2 kgs or 31.3 lbs. After boating a 33lber Sat. we thought it might be a good idea if we tried our luck at 1000$ a day fishin derby. Hopefully we can bring home the bacon. We caught the fish off the Salmon river in 110fow it hit 95 ft down on a meat rig, the same one the large one hit Sat. white/glow slasher w/blueglow twinkies. The twinkie king himself reeled it in (George Metzler). He asked me where we should go and I said to the same spot we worked Sat.(where we landed the 33lb slammer). It paid off we went 4 for 5 with 3 fish over 25 pounds including the 31lber. The fish were starting to darken. I will try to get a picture on my site asap- www.theriverguide.com |
Shane Thomas (Gotguide)
New member
Username: Gotguide
Post Number: 3
Registered: 7-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 04, 2004 - 8:55 pm: | |
Lake Ontario keeps kickin butt, I talked to another charter captain today and they had 22 fish-19 kings, WOW that's killer fishing. They had only a few over 20lbs, but did have a 28lber. We went out for just a couple of hours and hit 10 boated 6, the largest being 24lbs. The fish slid back out to 200ft and were coming 105ft down mostly on cutbait. We were straight out from the Salmon River and had little company. Check out a picture of todays catch at www.theriverguide.com
Good fishin |
Shane Thomas (Gotguide)
New member
Username: Gotguide
Post Number: 2
Registered: 7-2004
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 02, 2004 - 7:31 pm: | |
Well the fishing continues to be better than average for the big pond. Most boats are hitting 5-10 kings per outing. The fish have moved closer to shore- 65-80ft. and are hitting close to the bottom. Cutbait and howie flies are working still for now. Some big trout are being taken on stinger spoons, my friend took a 18lb brown trout on monkey-puke. Check out www.theriverguide.com for pictures, reports and charter/guide info. |
Shane Thomas (Gotguide)
New member
Username: Gotguide
Post Number: 1
Registered: 7-2004
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 10:58 am: | |
Salmon fishing has been excellent,for several weeks now. Kings are showing up early off the river due to the rainfall and mild temps. Cutbait and howie flies have produced the best.
For up-to date pics and reports checkout www.theriverguide.com |
Randy Jones
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 12:15 am: | |
Subject: Salmon River DEC Meeting?
Hello All,
Was wondering if you heard any comments, new news from the DEC meeting held last night?
Sincerely,
Randy Jones
-----------------------
Randy Jones is a full-time professional fly/spin fishing guide with over 18 years of experience. He has represented the Orvis Corporation as a guide and chief instructor of their 2 1/2 day Saltwater Fly fishing schools.
During the summer, Randy can be found guiding the Monomoy Island area where sight casting on the flats to trophy Striped Bass is his specialty. During the Fall, Winter, and Spring Randy runs drift boat and
wade trips on the world class Salmon River for Steelhead, Coho, Browns, Atlantics, and Kings.
RATES: SALMON RIVER
Sept. to April -
Wade or Drift Boat
One Angler $225
Two Anglers: $300
Three Anglers: $375
Orvis equipment provided
Flies-(Egg sacks) not included.
RATES: CAPE COD
Cape Cod May - August
Wade flats, beaches, bays and ocean islands.
One angler - $250
Two anglers -$350
Three Angler-$400
Orvis equipment and flies provided
For more information see his web site or drop him an email.
Randy Jones
Cape Cod Hm (508) 398-9980
Hm (315) 298-5999
V-mail (315) 251-8210
E-mail randysjones@earthlink.net
Web Site http://www.yankeeangler.com/ |
Capt Matt Gutchess
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 13, 2001 - 11:20 pm: | |
Subject: fish report 8/14
Hello Fish heads.
Salmon season is in full swing and I wish I had better news to report for the middle of August. Fishing is tough right now and we are all hoping that things turn around real soon. No one can know for sure what is going on right now but from Pulaski to Rochester all the reports have been the same, seeing fish and more bait than people have seen in years but no one can seem to make them bite with any kind of regularity. Its one thing if you don’t have any fish with in your daily range to fish to, but when you are seeing numbers of fish on a regular basis and they don’t bite you start to get frustrated. At some point you start to over think all your decisions from where to go to what hot items you put down there.
One Morning were going to go out and it’s going to be a blood bath, you won’t be able to keep a rod in the water. But for all of the customers that have already came on their yearly fishing trip they will have to wait until next year. These are the times when we take a big bite of humble pie and try to remember that we enjoy the act of fishing as much as we enjoy the catching part. Well it sounds good anyway. The fishing can only get better and when it does well be out there putting it to them, will you be there. Remember that the fall LOC derby starts soon so reserve your charter and get a ticket for the derby, your chances are better than in the lottery and there’s a pretty good chunk of change to be won. Next report will be less whining and huger fish stories. Until then good fishing.
Capt Matt
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Capt Matt Gutchess
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 06, 2001 - 10:14 pm: | |
Subject: fish report 8/6
Hello Fish heads:
August is here and that means salmon season is upon us. People are pulling out their hot spoons; meat rigs and dodger fly combos and chasing the ever-elusive giant king salmon. July by all accounts was a good month for kings and we are all anticipating a good august and September.
Now to the current news at hand. The salmon have scattered and have not bit very well as of the last week. But it is very early in august still. The good news is that the BIG lake trout are biting very well, and so are the brown trout inshore. One major problem again this year is the appearance of the Spiny Water Fleas. These microscopic creatures make it almost impossible to troll with line that’s any lighter than #25 lb. Now for salmon and lake trout that’s really not a big deal, those fish aren’t line shy, but try to consistently catch brown trout that are right now in only 40 ft of water on 25 lb test and it’s not going to happen. On the pirate we have switched all our rods to Ande’s blue in 30 lb test and so far it’s working pretty well. You still pick up some fleas, but not so many that you can’t reel through them.
We fished Thursday thru Sunday last week. Thursday was like watching paint dry. Catching only 3 small lake trout all morning. Friday we headed out to the heavy depths with thoughts of salmon dancing in our head. We searched high and low and deep and shallow and only managed to capture one breeder sow salmon. We added an over 30” lake trout and two more lakers that were in the slot and had to be thrown back. Saturday we had had enough and we went with a whole new game plan. We sped off to the north to fish the shelf west of Henderson Harbor for big Fork Tails (Lakers). We traveled 12 miles north from port and found the Lakers as soon as we came off plane. We did well, but not as good numbers wise, as we would have liked. We caught 12 Lakers and were able to keep 6. Of the 6 keepers 5 of them were over the 30” slot. The biggest that day was 34.5” and weighed 18 lbs. What we lacked that day in quantity we made up for in quality. Sunday we again headed north to laker land because none of the other boats we talked to had done much of anything with the salmon on Saturday. We found where the Lakers lived on Sunday but we had found all the slot size fish. (Lake trout must be 25” or less, or 30” and larger to keep. Any fish that is between 25-30” must be immediately released. These fish are deemed to be the prime breeding size.) We ended up catching 18 or 19 Lakers and were only able to keep 6. But everyone enjoyed themselves. We would like to be catching salmon right now but its slow going right now and we would rather catch a dozen Lakers than maybe not catch a salmon. The salmon will come they always do and when they do were going to make them walk the plank right into our cooler. Bye till next week.
Good Fishing
Capt Matt Gutchess
www.Piratefishing.com
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Captain Tom Burke
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, August 03, 2001 - 5:11 pm: | |
Subject: Lake Ontario fishing report 8/1/2001
Fishing report 8/1/2001
The fishing on Lake Ontario out of the port of Oswego continues to be very good. The winds have been much calmer & from the
south in recent weeks & as a result the thermocline( preferred temperature for trout & salmon) is much shallower than it was.
When the fish are shallower they tend to be more active. A lot of the fishing is still taking place over deep water(250 to 600 feet)
but the action is coming on downriggers down 60 to 100 feet and dipsey divers using wire line 220 to 300 feet out. Slashers &
flashers with cut bait along with dodger/fly combo's have been working well & a few spoons. We have been catching 3 classes of
king Salmon. 1 to 5 pounds, 6 to 12 pounds & 13 to 22 pounds. There have been a few in the 23 to 35 pound class, but most of the
"big boys" are still a few days away. We are also catching some huge Lake trout, from 30 to 34 inches in the 10 to 16 pound
range. There has even been a few from 35 to 37 inches, 17 to 22 pounds. We caught a gorgeous 37" 21 pound Laker yesterday
along with a 15 pounder & Kings from 7 to 22 pounds. As always when you have a lot of trips booked, you end up with a few
cancellations. CALL TODAY for the few prime dates that are left!! |
Capt Matt Gutchess
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 22, 2001 - 10:10 am: | |
Subject: fish report 7/21
Lake Report for week ending 7/21
Sunday 7/15
We had a double charter. The morning started off good and stayed steady for the whole charter. In the box that day we had 6 lake trout a brown and a small salmon. We had to throw 5 or 6 lake trout back because they were in the slot. (There is a federally imposed slot limit on lake trout in lake Ontario, in order to keep a fish it must be 25” or less, or 30”or bigger.) It was a little odd to be catching so many Lakers because we were running a high-speed program for salmon, but these Lakers were up out of temperature and feeding heavily. This time of year is known for producing very mixed bags of fish. In the afternoon we managed to get a salmon and two lake trout before the wave action caused some angler discomfort and we were forced to cut the trip short and head back to the dock.
Monday 7/16
Monday morning started off slow, going for two hours without even a knockoff. Then around 9:00am as the sun got high in the sky the fish woke up. From nine to noon we boated 3 salmon, 2 browns (8 and 10 lbs) and 5 Lakers (2 of which we could keep). You never know when these fish will turn on out here, so you must find a group of fish and commit yourself to working them. Don’t just make one pass thru them and if nothing happens keep going. Work those fish from different directions at different speeds with different hot items down there. You can make yourself nuts on that lake if you start tearing all over the place looking for radio fish that someone says are biting like gangbusters. Have a plan out there and stick to it; you’ll be a lot more successful.
Wednesday 7/18
We had friends of ours on the boat today, Sam and Joe Reina. Sammy is our web- site designer and Wednesday was his birthday so we took him fishing. Once on the water we started to put our rigs down. We got the first one down and before we could get the second one in the water the first one had fired and was tearing off at a hell of a clip. These big early salmon are as strong as they will ever be and they fight for all they’re worth. We landed that fish and everybody on board thought we were in for a fast and furious day. Well needless to say that was the last bite for the next three hours. We had fish under us that whole day, and between three other charters that we were talking to there was about 8 bites total that day, sometimes you just can’t win.
This is just the beginning of the salmon season and with every passing day you get more and more salmon in our area. This is shaping up to be another great year. Call or E-mail us and ask about our Salmon Season Blowout Specials. Also check out our new web site WWW.Piratefishing.com
Thanks and good fishing
Capt Matt
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Capt Matt Gutchess
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 12, 2001 - 6:18 pm: | |
Subject: new law
This letter is in direct response to the proposed law from NYSDEC in regards to making legislation that says the maximum length of your leader on the Salmon River can not exceed 4 ft. Before I continue, this is only my opinion and I don’t claim to speak for the majority. Secondly let me say that I think there are much bigger issues that should be addressed about this fishery, and try as you might, you can not legislate ethics. Stockbrokers sell junk bonds, car dealers sell lemons, and some guides and anglers need to use long leaders and tiny flies to get hook ups, yes hook ups not bites. For those of you that don’t know or aren’t familiar with what is in question here its simple. The longer the leader the more water you cover from top to bottom and side to side. These fish are always sitting head up stream and into the current and with every breath move their jaw and open their mouth. When you are drifting a very small fly at the end of a long leader you hook fish that never see your fly. This works when the weight drops to the bottom during your drift and passes by the fish and as the current lifts the weight off the bottom at the end of your drift the fly at the end of your leader follows the same path as the weight did thus sweeping the water for anything that’s down there. So the angler at the other end feels the line rub up against the fish’s body, not necessarily its mouth but somewhere and they pull back on the rod and there you have an illegal hook up. This happens sometimes by accident and there’s nothing you can do about it, but this is the act that is happening every single day and the people that are doing it know exactly what they are doing and it’s killing our fishery. This is one of the things that need to be addressed and stopped.
The 4 ft leader law is not what is raising the commotion, 4 ft is only a number it could have been 2,6 or 10 that’s not the point. The problem lies with the fact that certain guides and anglers feel like they are getting singled out. Well the simple truth is that if you are using 8,10,12 ft leaders or what ever length you use with the INTENT of hooking fish, and not trying to get them to legitimately bite then your going to take this law on the chin. There is no place on this river where you can’t effectively fish a 4 ft leader. I’ve heard one so called expert guide try to tell people about a steelheads “cone of vision” and how in slow deep water that “cone” is so great that the fish sees your weight and mainline before it ever gets close to him and therefore he moves out of the way and wont allow himself to be “hooked”, well that was never an active fish to begin with. If that fish is sitting that low in the water column so that he sees everything that’s happening in the pool he wasn’t going to bite anyway. Now approach that same scenario with the 4 ft leader law in effect. Lets say for arguments sake you were in the Schoolhouse Pool, what are my options to try and get a fish to bite. First of all I can still drift a fly probably one that is larger and brighter than most maybe in size 6 or 8 or larger depending on what time of year it is. By using the larger flies I can hope to trigger a strike out of aggression or reflex, this can not be accomplished by using a tiny fly in size 12,14,16 or smaller. Second I could use an egg sack, with the countless number of colors you can tie eggs in, as well as all the ways to prepare the eggs this is far and away probably the most accessible way for anglers to catch steelhead legitimately and not have to worry when they get a bite if he’s” hooked in the mouth”. Thirdly I could use a float with any number of things below it, an egg sack, a fly with segmented shot so as to present the fly vertically below the float, or a marabou steelhead jig that you present vertically and can impart an action onto by twitching your float as it goes downstream. Fourth I could use heavy metal of some sort, being either in line French style spinners (blue fox, panther martin, c.p. swings etc.) or steelhead spoons (cleos, acmes, etc) both of which are featured annually in the pages of Salmon, Trout, Steelheader Magazine. That’s four things you could do from shore with a 4 ft leader, and have every opportunity to catch fish the right way. If you cant raise a fish using all that ive just said the fish has won and you need to move to another spot and look for some active fish that will bite.
Steel heading is about trying to catch a fish that at times is uncatchable, about doing battle with one of the toughest fish that swim in freshwater. Not about pounding your chest at the boat ramp or at the bar after a day of “Hooking” fish. We’ve chosen to guide and fish for these fish because we wanted to put our skills as fisherman to the test. I’m totally in favor of this new law and im more than willing to put down my flies and long leaders in response to a fishery that needs help.
Sincerely
Capt Matt Gutchess
Black Dog Outfitters
Pirate Sportfishing Charters
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Capt Matt Gutchess
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 11, 2001 - 1:03 pm: | |
Subject: Fishing report for 6/10
Fishing report for 6/11/01
Hello Fish heads.
The fishing on Lake Ontario is starting to heat back up in a big way. The Brown trout have moved offshore and haven’t quite set back up in their summer haunts yet, but everything else has started to. Now that the in shore water is getting warm all the way to the bottom the Lake Trout are setting up and grouping together out in the depths. This past weekend we did not fish for lake trout, but I still kept a close eye on the fish finder so I knew where they were. We haven’t fished for Lakers this year because everything else has been biting so well and also because there has been no good concentration of them to target that has changed in the last week. Lakers are a great fish to eat and fun to catch; if you get into them you can catch a bunch in just a couple of hours.
The more exciting news I guess would be that the Steelhead have set up on the deep water temperature break lines and are biting like gang busters. This is the best steelhead fishing that ive seen in quite a few years. Usually the steelies stay more to the western end of the lake, but we’ve been catching them all spring and this weekend that was all that we caught. These fish are right on the surface feeding in the scum lines that set up on the breaks. This is exciting fishing, you normally see these fish jump behind the boat before the rods even go off. We lost two big fish this weekend right at the back of the boat, that happens sometimes but it seems even worse when you can see what you lost. Light tackle and big fish don’t leave much room for error, but its fun while it lasts. There were quite a few Salmon that were caught this weekend while fishing for Browns or Steelies but every passing day brings the big boys closer to us. We wont get ahead of ourselves; there is a lot of good fishing ahead of us in the next month before Salmon season gets into full swing. This is a great time that offers such a mixed bag of fish you never know what’s going to be on the other end until you get it to the boat.
The summer boating season is here so be careful, and watch out for the other guy, also the kids are out of school soon so take them fishing and get them hooked on something that’s worth their time. If your going to hang around all day make sure you have a fishing rod in your hand. Thanks and good fishing.
Bent rods and screaming drags
Capt Matt Gutchess
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Capt Matt Gutchess
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 04, 2001 - 1:50 pm: | |
Subject: Fishing report for 6/3
Fishing report for 6/3
Hello Fishheads.
Last week was much like the week before, very unstable weather and changing wind directions. That’s never a good scenario for fishing. This is usually the time of year when the bait and the Brown Trout move offshore and start to set up for the summer. The bait fish have spawned and are moving back out to deeper water. This is a fun time to fish for the Browns and the occasional King. You will find these fish this time of year in anywhere from 40 to 150 ft of water, suspended somewhere over bottom. This is where you can get creative with your rigging program. This fishing will all be off of riggers or with the use of dipsy divers the surface program will be done once the surface temp gets over 60 degrees. Stackers, cheaters and mini-disks off of your riggers are all options you can use.
Last weekend we took a group of youngsters out on three charter boats, this was a fishing field trip for their school fishing club. These kids are 7 & 8 Th grade and love to fish. The weekend was cold and damp but we did have some great moments. Chris who is 13 fought and landed a beautiful King Salmon that was bright silver and jumped 3 times like it was a Tarpon, the fish weighed 24 lbs. That is a big King for this time of year, besides the fact that it was caught on one of our lightweight Brown Trout rods with 8 lb test fluorocarbon line. We will be checking into seeing if that will qualify as a junior line class record for IGFA. There have been a lot of Kings around already this year and that’s a good sign for the coming king season. Kings usually start by the 15 Th of July and go thru the middle of September. Good dates are still available, so get onboard. Walleyes are still going strong at night, its hard to say how long they will still be there in good numbers, but the water has stayed cold this year and they are still their feeding heavily at night. Lake trout fishing has been slow this whole spring but the brown Trout fishing has been so good we haven’t needed to fish for them. They will start to set up real good as soon as the inshore water gets warm all the way to the bottom in 100 ft of water. As soon as the wind turns back around from the west and sets up our temperature the Brown fishing will start right back up, and the next month and a half is when you get the really big browns 15 pounders are common and some that go even bigger. If you are looking for a trophy brown for the wall June and July are the time to be here.
Start your summer out right with a great fishing trip on Lake Ontario. June 16 Th is opening day of Bass season in NY. We have the best Small mouth Bass fishing on the Eastern end of Lake Ontario with in a couple miles of our marina. We drift bait, use tube jigs, crank baits, even fly fish for them, 50 – 100 bass per day is not out of the question ranging from 17 to 22 inches. This is a great way to take the whole family fishing and keep everybody interested. June 17 Th is father’s day so don’t forget pops. Take him fishing or get him a gift certificate with us so he can go whenever he wants. Thank you.
Bent rods and screaming drags
Capt Matt Gutchess
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Randy Jones
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 29, 2002 - 7:40 pm: | |
Subject: Salmon River Pulaski NY Steelhead Fishing Report
Updates:
I'll be updateing from time to time over the next couple of weeks. They will include fishing reports , articles and ramblings.
Dec. 29 Salmon River Report
http://www.flyfishingfotography.com
A little treat for all of you to enjoy. Pete is a good friend, angler and Photographer. You might enjoy viewing some of his stuff on his new
web site.
Why dont you pull up a chair and lets chat about what's up on the Salmon River of late.
Ya, I know. You've been soooo busy with holiday stuff, you have not had a chance to make it up here to go fishing.
I understand completely. I just got back from visiting Mom, Dad and the rest of the family in Iowa.
My friends are telling me that some fresh fish are being found in the lower river and also some of the other local streams and creeks.
Other wise nothing has really changed. Fish are in transition so don't give up on those area's yet. They are also in their normal Winter
locations too.
Yes, it's still cold. But the temp's are closer to normal now, than in the past. Rain is in the forecast
Yes, we have a lil snow on the ground. Maybe 6 inch's here in Pulaski and more in the Tug..
No, the storm did not hit us as hard as it hit you or Rochester.
Yes, the fish still swim and face into the current. he-he
Yes, they still run UP, the river. he-he
Yes, they are spread out over the entire river. Some spots are hold'n bet'a than other's.
In other words, same ol, same hole.
Until 12:01 AM Mon DEC 30, 725 CFS
From 12:01 AM Mon, until MIDNIGHT, Fri JAN 03, 335 CFS
Hhmmmm, thought the water would of stayed a lil higher for a lil longer.
Look for the fishing to be smashing for the first 3 days after the drop. (Fishing may be slow the first day after the drop as they get used to the lower flow.) Then back
to one here and there, cover a lot of water, don't stand in
one spot all day, keep moving, fish the transitional spots as well as the winter holding area's. Black stones, Blue Goo.
After the drop concentrate more on just the Winter holding area's. Any deep, slow water will hold them. Be on the bottom (or within 6
inch's) for best results in the Winter time. Look for less fish to enter with this lower flow. If anchor ice and shelf ice build up in the lower
river, look for a good number of freshies to hang in this area. Not leaving it until we get an influx of higher flows.
Look for very-very few angler's and guides out fishing over then next couple month's. Prime time to fish, in my opinion.
Know any good guides with a heater in their boat?
Today's joke:
I found this comment on a "Steelhead Bulletin Board Web Site"
The reports coming from DSR and Salmon River are full of carp..Randy Jones must have fish penned up in nets for his clients. If
Walmart ran same false ads they would wind up in Federal court.
Like a lot of you, I enjoy surfing the web at days end. I get a kick out of some of the stuff I read.
Look for update's as time and any new information allows.
Thanks for stop'n by.
Yappy Hew Near!!
Randy
Today's Mail Bag:
Hi Jeff,
Was just thinking.
Why fix it, if it aint broke.
Why don't you just come out with the 80200BR (shrimp/caddis hook) just the way it was, but in a signature series?
My guide friends and myself don't think you could really improve on it.
Happy Holidays,
Randy
Randy,
I completely understand where you are coming from. We are going to have it
in the Signature series with a few minor but important changes.
1) Everything within the Signature series is proportionally correct. So,
the new hook will be correctly proportioned. Gap, wire diameter and tying
length will increase or decrease proportionally as you go up or down in
size.
2) Signature machine quality. The new hook will have a VERY sharp and VERY
durable chemically sharpened premium point and the eye closures will be
flawless.
The new Signature hooks are very consistent and I cannot wait for the new, reborn 80200BR.
You will be THE FIRST outside of Mustad to get hooks when samples come in :)
I'll keep you posted. I'm hoping to have hooks by late summer.
Have a great holiday!
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
Hooray!! Cant wait to see those new Mustad Signature Series 80200 BR's. (Shrimp/Caddis) You will make lots of people very
happy with those!
Randy
My favorite time of the year:
First off, we have had a good amount of water for a while now. This has and well continue to cause a flow of fresh fish into the
river. The reservoir's are looking good with ample water for the upcoming month's.
Weather and water wise, things are looking to be shaping up nicely for Jan.-Feb. With air + water temperatures dropping you will then see them
keying in on the slowest, deepest water for the remainder of the Winter. Keep in mind the transitional spots will still produce as long as we
have fish on the move. (Presently)
Another key is angler pressure. Less anglers = less pressure. With cold temp's, this cuts out a lot of the fair weather anglers. Hunting
season also causes a reduction of angler's on the river. One of the main ingredients that effect's angler pressure at this time of year are
the holidays.
Almost everyone swears by Nov. being the best month. But, over the years Nov. sometimes can be slow. Typically Dec. is the better
month. Most folks would think of Jan., Feb. not being very good. But I can tell you, it can and is a couple of great month's to fish.
All of the above and more are reasons why this is my favorite time of the year.
www.yankeeangler.com - Fishing Reports
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Randy Jones
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, September 09, 2002 - 7:13 pm: | |
Subject: Salmon River - Pulaski, NY. Reports and Ramblings-
Salmon River - Pulaski, NY. Reports and Ramblings:
I hope you find my reports and articles entertainingly informative and mildly educational
Where the land ends LIFE begins
May devoted anglers read these words and relive the simple pleasures of finding - and landing - the big one. ( The fisherman's book of wisdom )
Mondays Report:
Light but steady was the word I got for today. A friend fished for 1 hour and counted 50 fish passing by in the middle of the day. It was sunny and 90 degree's.
Again Coho, King and Steelhead were running.
My girlfriend was visiting for a few days and today I dropped her off at the airport. While all my friends were fishing for all these Chinook's. I was at home with my
girlfriend getting a lil CHINOOKY! he-he
There is only one thing better than fishing, do some of you "Older Farts" - "Married Men" still remember what THAT is? (he-he)
Sept 9 Salmon River Report:
Looks like yesterday the run was a little lighter than the previous 2 days. Still a number of fish around offering the early season angler
lots of opportunities. I would give this weeks fishing two thumbs up. I would highly recommend coming up with so few anglers present
and the number of fish that have entered the Salmon River.
Sept 8 Salmon River Report:
Yesterday was another great day of fishing with good numbers of King, Coho and Steelhead charging up the river with very light fishing
pressure. Everyone hooking up and having a blast. The fishing from Rt. 2 A down should be on fire today. If you do decide to release
any of your catch, please take a little extra time reviving these fish. Water temperatures are very warm.
Sept 7 Salmon River Report:
Wow!! Yesterday we had a very good run of King Salmon and some BIG Skamania Steelhead. Did not see a single Coho? The only
thing weather wise that could have triggered this run was how cold it got the night before. Or, I personally think its possible that when
so many are stacked up in the estuary that the ones coming in from behind sort of push the lead fish up the river. Another difference
this year is we don't have ALL that work being done on the RT. 3 bridge. I believe all that commotion did have an effect on the fish
last year. Mid-week is normally always best for fishing as you don't have tons of boats, people, etc.. all over the place pushing them
around, causing them not to want to run or turning around and heading back to the safety of the estuary. Friends who have been fishing
the morning run all week have been hitting a few here and there. Nice time if you don't like crowds.
(See Photo - http://www.yankeeangler.com - Fishing Reports)
"Salmon River, where Memories are Made"
The relationship between transitional fish and structure during low light periods and bright sun.
I prefer to fish just above the estuary for several reasons. Fresh fish, less people, fish tend to stay more concentrated, not as educated
and harder fighting fish. I prefer to fish to the A.M. run and not concern myself with what came in the day before. With fewer anglers,
the alternative option to fish several holes or more is always present with the added bonus of less fishing pressure. We all know that
wherever you fish in the world, fresh or Salt, the most crowded areas are the places most easily accessible. I feel fishing in a relaxed,
uncrowded area enhances the quality of the experience for myself as well as my clients. Even if it means a few less fish.
Where to fish? --This covers all species of fish that are in a transitional stage that are entering the river. Most fish use the contour
of the bottom and current to navigate. They travel virtually the same route, day after day taking a lot of the guesswork out of it. (Where
I sight fish for Stripers, Monomoy Island-Cape Cod on the flats, this is also true.) Normally the deepest part of the river is where they
will travel. Once you've made this determination, the next step is to search out their holding, resting points. The length of time they will
hold in any particular type of structure is determined by the size of the hole, pocket, depth, speed of water and what they had to travel
through to get to that point. Also fishing pressure and weather is a consideration. To narrow your search down for the best spots,
consider any deep water just above a long stretch of rapids. These normally are the tails of pools were there is rippled water and depth
to offer security, and a break from stronger currents. These are the areas were they will be for the longest period of time allowing you
the most shots. To improve your odds even further, look for channels or areas where the majority of fish travel and hold in a small area
of the tail end of the hole.
Now you know where I fish. Not only will you have 90% of the fish passing by in a narrow area offering you the opportunity to
present your fly to almost every fish, but you'll also have them sitting in front of you for the longest period of time, allowing the best
odds in the house for hooking up! I call these areas funnels. Other areas to look for are heads of pools, white water on a sunny day or
when the water temperature is so high the oxygen level is low. Depressions on the river bottom were they could hide underneath the
faster current. Pocket water, surrounded by rapids. Outside bends in the river combined with a depression.
Remember to fish the resting, holding areas during the run, which is normally during low light periods. Look (fish) for them in the
shade, deep rippled water, white pocket water during the high noon sun. If heavy fishing pressure is present, fish for them in the white
water.
If you remember that 90% of the fish swim in 10% of the river, you will do just fine.
My newest endorsed guide is Heather! She wore something very special for my first official report for all of you! She can
be seen at http://www.yankeeangler.com - Trophies
(See Photo's)
All photo's are of Steelhead. They were photographed in the fall, Winter and Spring.
(See Photo's)
Stay tuned for more entertainingly informative and mildly educational reports and articles on this never-ending
virtual fishing trip with your host
Randy "The Yankee Angler" and friends.
randysjones@earthlink.net |
Capt Matt Gutchess
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 02, 2002 - 6:42 pm: | |
Subject: fish report 5/2
Hello Fish heads
Well happy 1st of may, the spring river season is just about over, although theres been so much rain so far this spring that we still have plenty of cold water in the salmon river as well as steelhead. The last two weeks staying true to form have been very good on the river. Usually the first week of may means they turn the water off well that’s not going to happen this year at least not for a while, Mother Nature is providing plenty of natural water. So if your still thinking about a last minute float trip call me because from here on out the river can change any day.
Today is Thursday May 2 Turkey season opened yesterday and walleye season opens tomorrow night at midnight. The charter boat is in the water and it took a limit of browns two days last weekend. The lake is just starting to get cranked up and well be out there every day starting Saturday, some prime days are still left open so call now and secure your lake charter today.
May is great unless you like to sleep more than two hours a day and never in succession. Too much to do and not enough time to do it, charter fishing all day, walleye all night and turkey hunting in the mornings when you can squeeze it in. They always say you can sleep when your dead at least ill catch up someday. Well folks this report is short because ive been up since 2:30 am to turkey hunt this morning in the pouring rain and ive got to fish the salmon river in the morning and then go back out at midnight tomorrow night to fish the opener of walleye season so im going to bed right now, GOD I LOVE MAY!
See you out there somewhere.
Capt Matt Gutchess
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Randy Jones
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 14, 2002 - 5:46 pm: | |
Subject: Photo's Salmon River 6,000 cfs plussss
If you are interested in seeing the Salmon River, NY running at 6,000 cfs plus run off. Photo's I took today can be viewed at http://www.yankeeangler.com
"Fishing Reports" - 4/14 - Salmon River Report
(High speed connection a must)
Enjoy,
Randy |
Capt Matt Gutchess
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 08, 2002 - 9:59 pm: | |
Subject: fishing report for salmon river 4/8
Hello Fish heads
It’s April and so far the river is playing a cruel April fools joke. The Salmon River is running high and cold and has severely turned the fish off. The steelhead fishing has been tough to say the least as of late. I fished the river on Friday and Saturday, pulling plugs both days and in two long days of hard fishing I took one bite and landed one fish. The river water temperature was 34 degrees not very conducive to hot fishing action. On Saturday I fished in Oswego and caught two brown trout in seven hours of fishing, not real good either. As I am writing this report it has rained on and off all day but the air temperature is warm, it’s supposed to rain most of tomorrow as well. The good news is that by Wednesday the rain is supposed to stop and it is supposed to get much warmer. The fish are in pre- spawn as well as some of them that are already spawning in the high water. The fish hatchery has already stripped its quota of eggs and the hatchery is absolutely loaded with fish that will soon come back down the river on their way out to the lake. The water doesn’t have to warm that much to get these fish in to an active mode, if we could get this water into the high 30’s or low 40’s you’ll be amazed at how fast the fishing will improve. There are plenty of fish in the river with a whole pile still to come out of the hatchery. This weekend could be the start of some great fishing, LETS HOPE!
We put the Pirate in the water today, its nice to have the big charter boat in the water this early it’s a great back up plan if the river fishing is tough. I can always take my customers out on the lake. The charter will be going strong everyday by the end of April, May and June is prime months on the lake with some of the best fishing of the year. Brown trout, lake trout, and rainbows are what were catching at this time, and at night it’s all about trophy walleyes. We have it all up here in April, May and June don’t miss out on the best fishing on the east coast. There are good dates still available so call today and reserve your spot.
Thanks and good fishing
Capt Matt Gutchess
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Capt Matt Gutchess
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 - 9:18 pm: | |
Subject: salmon river report 3/27
Hello Fish heads:
The winter show season is finally over and I couldn’t be happier about that. I’m much better at fishing and hunting than I am at selling myself to the public. I always feel like saying enough with the sales pitch just come on a trip with me and I promise you won’t be disappointed. That is not a realistic approach, but it sure would be easier on me.
Anyway I got home on 3/24 and I fished yesterday on 3/26, god it sure did feel good to get up in the morning with the purpose of going fishing. The Salmon River has been running high for the last week or two. If you remember we had 70-degree weather only two weeks ago, a lot of the snow pack melted and some of the frost started to come out of the ground. This created run off and in turn they opened up the flow of the river. I haven’t heard of this bringing in any silver fish but I do know its moved some of the fish around, yesterday the water went down to what looked like between 1000-1200 cfs, you could clearly see in some gravel spots that the fish had been there under the cover of the high water. Not every piece of gravel had been freshened but quite a few had, and the only three fish that I saw hit all day came off gravel areas. The water temperature is cold 33-34 degrees and it seems its still going to be a little while before things get really hot.
If you are going to go to the river on your own start in the deep pools but if that isn’t paying dividends, move to the transitions and then onto the gravel beds. Keep your distance so as to not spook the beds. Be safe wading the river when it is higher than normal, 33-degree water is no fun to go swimming in and its no joke if you’re alone. Always be safe out there so you can come back to enjoy our great fishery another time.
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Capt Matt Gutchess
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 08, 2002 - 12:24 pm: | |
Subject: 03/08
Hello Fish heads:
Its March, the weather is showing signs of breaking our cabin fever is reaching epidemic proportions and we want to go fishing! Now lets relax for a moment and think rationally, spring steelhead season is right around the corner, by the end of the month you will be able to not only cure the need to wet a line but to also work out the arm fighting spring steel. The next two months are not just for show this is prime time, and the fishing will only get better as the water warms up into mid to upper 40’s. Myself and most of the full time guides don’t start fishing in the spring until mid to late march because were on the road all winter doing the sport show circuit. Pirate Charters and Outfitters would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who came out to the shows; it was great to not only meet potential new customers, but also new friends.
Now lets get back to fishing at hand, if you have ambition to go out on the ice please be very careful, the temperatures have been up and down and the ice is not safe, there’s not a fish in the world that’s worth dying for. The Salmon River is running at normal levels and cold, water temps are hovering within a couple of degrees of the mid 30’s. This means winter conditions still prevail, the rule of thumb is low and slow, fish deep and slow and remember these steelies metabolisms are still very slow. March is a transitional month and thru the course of 31 days these fish will go from lethargic creatures living in 33-degree water into pre spawn, and then out of the depths of the pools and start to actively move and spawn on the gravel shallows. A lot of things are happening in March be willing to adapt to what the fish want. If the fish are sluggish then throw them something that will get their attention, big bright flies, egg sacks, spinners or spoons, those three things will work on all three senses that a fish uses, sight, smell, feel on lateral line. Work on your angling skills that will get these fish to strike, better your skill and the fish will bite, don’t buy in to the dark side that says these fish wont bite, and the only way to get them is to use tiny flies and long leaders and line them as they lay unaware in the bottom of pools. We are anglers, not commercial fisherman, the intrigue lies in outwitting the fish not taking advantage of them.
If your looking for a spring get away we have you covered, march and April we are fishing the salmon and Oswego rivers for steelhead and browns, in may we switch over to our 30 foot charter boat and fish the lake for browns, Lakers and steelhead. May is also the start of MIDNIGHT WALLEYE MADNESS, incredible trophy walleye fishing at night, (great fun). We also offer one on one guided spring turkey hunting on over 500 private acres, NY turkey season is the month of may and you are allowed to take two bearded birds. We can also make combination trips out of anything that we offer and is in season, contact us for pricing and availability of dates.
Visit our web site: www.Piratefishing.com
E-mail: Piratefishingcharters@msn.com
Boat Phone: (315) 263-2233
Thanks and good fishing
Capt Matt Gutchess
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Capt Matt Gutchess
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 24, 2002 - 2:43 pm: | |
Subject: fish report 2/24
The Hottest Deal on the Water!
Pirate Charters is offering a special deal this summer on our Lake Charters, book your fishing dates before April 15 and receive a 10 % discount on the charter, book two days and receive 25 % off. This is our way to fight the recession and to get more people involved in the trophy fishing that we have in Lake Ontario.
Now to the fishing report. What little Ice that we have around the region is marginal at best, if your going to go out on it please be very careful this has not been a good year for the hard water fisherman. The good news is that spring is right around the corner. The Salmon River region never really got much snow this year so spring water levels should be medium to low for this spring. That can change in the blink of an eye depending on what becomes of the spring rains.
The Salmon River received one of the biggest runs of fall steelhead that ive seen in 10 years. Late October, November, and early December provided some great fishing and those fish have held over and will spawn this spring in March and April.
The spring breaks down for me in three phases. Late March is the time that I really concentrate on bait fishing the deep pools and the longer runs, looking for Pre-spawn feeding fish. The old saying that nothing beats bait is true. Eggs, worms, and scented plastics will do the trick this time of year.
Second time is during the spawn in early April, when the fish are up on the gravel and actively spawning. This time is a fly-fisherman’s paradise, sight fishing in the shallows for big steelhead. Running big flies with little or no weight across spawn beds, all the while anticipating the strike and the fight that will follow. For the spin fisherman this is the time for heavy metal, spoons and spinners across the beds will give you the needed flash and thump to turn these big fish’s head.
The last time is my favorite time of the year, from the middle of April thru the first part of May. This is the time where most everything works, Bait, Flies, Heavy Metal you name it. These steelhead are post spawn at this point and are headed back to the lake for another year and they are looking for food. This is the time that I like to fish plugs off of the drift boat (Hot Shots, Rapalas, Wiggle Warts, etc.) These post spawn steelhead will absolutely crush a plug. Nothing is hotter in the fishing world than to get into a hole with 5 plug rods out and to have one of them smash over so hard that you cant even get the rod out of the holder. That’s spring fishing!
Pirate Charters has a lot to offer the angler or hunter in the spring. We have spring Steelhead in the River, Steelhead, Brown Trout, and Lake Trout along the Shoreline of Lake Ontario. We have Midnight Walleye Madness in May and June, and you can combine any of that fishing anytime in May with a fully guided spring Turkey hunt. A spring Cast and Blast is a great way to spend a day. Spring Dates are going fast so get the day you want now.
Call: (315) 625-4802 Home
(315) 263-2233 Cell
E-Mail: Piratefishingcharters@msn.com
Good Fishing
Capt Matt Gutchess
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Randy Jones
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 16, 2002 - 5:51 pm: | |
Subject: Salmon River Info
Hello Everyone,
Countless people have been guided by me and most have gone on to live normal lives!
1/15 - Salmon River Report
(Visit www.yankeeangler.com - Fishing Reports, for the latest Report and Article.
Final Public Comment Period
As promised, I want to keep you updated and informed on the latest proposed 2002 possible regulation changes on the Salmon River.
In case you have not heard, the DEC has begun the final public comment period for the proposed 2002 regulations. If you are interested in what is proposed and want to comment on these proposals directly to them (for or against) then go to:
http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/fish/profshregchng02.html (Great Lakes) # 12 to view
There is an email address to respond.
While the DEC's heart is in the right place, I personally feel they have made a big mistake on one of their proposals. - The distance between the hook, artificial fly or lure and any weight attached to the line or leader, whether fixed or sliding, may not exceed four feet. That's a maximum distance of no more than 4 feet from fly (hook) to any added weight.
I feel a 4 foot leader (tippet) law would deny me and many other anglers from fishing larger pools where the water is slow, deep, and crystal clear and the fish are very educated. The fish's visual cone would be so large that a 4 foot leader (tippet) with main line and weight in plan view would negate a positive reaction to our fly or bait in many instances.
I was alarmed when I personally called the states head biologist and inquired if he understood what fish see. His response was, and I quote, "I have no idea". This caused me great concern and started my personal protest against this possible regulation that would affect all anglers. Thousands of concerned anglers, guides, and business owners feel the same way.
We would be in favor of a two - six foot maximum.
Please let your voice be heard and email your concerns to them. (DEC email address can be found on their site)
Thanks again for your support and time concerning this matter.
Sincerely,
Randy Jones
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Capt Matt Gutchess
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 4:47 pm: | |
Subject: 11/15
Hello Fish Heads.
Happy Thanksgiving (tomorrow) and all that fun stuff. Turkey, stuffing, family and all are great but in small doses, about an hour in to the day my mind starts to wander out to the solitude of the river and the excitement of the steelhead that it holds. You can eat turkey any day of the year, you can’t always catch steelhead. This time of year most people turn their attention towards hunting season, myself included, but we forget about some of the best fishing of the year.
I fished last week and had pretty good luck, especially early in the week Monday and Tuesday we hooked a lot of fish, more than you would probably believe if I told you, more than I would have expected especially with four very novice customers. Flies were what they wanted; the water was high so we were using big bright flies. Copper metallic dubbing, black and purple, hot pink and chartreuse. I have not been successful in the last 10 days to any extent with egg sacks; they are on artificials right now flies and plugs. It’s a common occurrence to see these fish change their preferences periodically and that’s exactly why I always stress how important it is to be flexible as an angler. No one technique will work 100% of the time, and that holds true no matter what kind of fishing you are doing.
The water on the Salmon River has dropped down to 350cfs and will probably stay there now for a while barring an unforeseen amount of rain before the snow flies. As the water is getting cold now start to fish the deep holes and runs. I’m sitting here trying to write this report and my wife is in the kitchen cooking pies for dinner tomorrow and the smell is making me loose my concentration, so the report is now done.
If the confusion of the holidays is making you batty, call me and schedule a day on the river between now and Christmas. I also offer gift certificates for fishing trips on the Lake and river. Buy a gift certificate for a fishing trip and receive a 10% discount on the price.
Give thanks during the holidays, for friends, family, and our freedom.
Good fishing
Capt Matt Gutchess
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Capt Matt Gutchess
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 09, 2001 - 8:50 pm: | |
Subject: fish report 11/9
Hello Fish heads.
Steelhead season is in full swing. The leaves are gone, the crowds are gone, and the steelheads are here! So what are you waiting for? If you’re a hunter then put it off for a day and get out of the woods and into the water. Steelhead is more of a challenge to catch than wood goats are to kill. Now if we were talking about Duck hunting then that’s a different story. Id walk through a mile of broken glass to hunt ducks. This is the second year im offering fall cast and blast trips. A morning of fast paced duck shooting and an afternoon float trip for heart pounding steelhead. That’s a hell of a way to spend a day. Our duck hunting season runs through the first week of January and goose through the end of January. Usually the best steelhead fishing is before Christmas, but that can depend upon the weather and how soon and how hard the snow comes.
Right now the water is high and the fish are spread out in the length of the river. The water is supposed to be going down Sunday the 11th, what its going down to we don’t know yet. We’ve seen quite a few very silver fish lately so this big water has brought in more new fish. Remember when fishing big water that the fish will not still be in their low water lies. Fish the current seams on the slow side, and the extreme tail outs. Steelhead have the strength to sit right in the heat of the current, but they will take the path of least resistance when they can. Bait and fly selection should also be bigger, give them something to look at. Remember that each run or hole only has just so many active fish, those are the ones you are targeting, Steelhead bite!
Here are a few tips for the upcoming winter steelhead season.
1) Dress for success; Warm clothing is a must, and wool and fleece is an angler’s best friend. This is not the time to be wearing lightweight or stocking foot waders. Insulated boot foot 3-5 mm neoprene waders are the way to go. With me it’s never my legs that get cold it’s my feet, and they are always cold but here’s a few tips to make it bearable. Buy your waders at least one boot size bigger than what you normally wear. Only wear one pair of wool socks, you want your foot to be able to breath and move around inside the boot. Cold feet suck, and ive had many customers spend their day in front of my heater in the drift boat instead of fishing. Dress in layers, Long johns, fleece pants, waders. On top long john shirt, flannel shirt, fleece pullover, wind breaker fishing jacket. If your walking a long way to the hole your going to fish carry a fleece jacket with you and put it on once you get where your going. That way you wont sweat on the walk and you’ll have a dry warm shirt when you get there.
2) To wade or not to wade; Take extreme caution when wading in the winter, its one thing to fall in during September or early October, its life threatening in December or January. Snow covered banks, floating Ice chunks and twenty pounds of extra clothing can lead to disaster. Be careful, korkers should really be warn at all times. The best part of winter fishing is the incredible solitude that you can experience out there. A fresh blanket of white covers up a lot of sins that anglers leave behind on the river.
3) The tortoise catches more fish than the hare; Fish slow! The water temps are falling and so are the fish’s metabolisms. Get to the spot you think the fish are holding in and work it thoroughly. Don’t be in a rush and this time of year and don’t worry so much about being on the water right at first light.
4) The iceman cometh; the most asked question, How do I keep the eyelets from icing up? Well ill tell you what I do. I bitch and piss and moan about it and then I walk back to the boat set the rod down and break the ice out by hand. And the best part is that you get to do that about every ten casts. Deal with it, were the ones stupid enough to be out there fishing in the middle of the winter.
Those are just a few tips to try to make your winter fishing a little more enjoyable. Here’s to a good winter steelhead season, (it has started good already) and a good holiday season. P.S. Thank a Vet for your freedom, thank a Police or Fireman for your safety, and thank a Service member for your hope.
Tight lines Capt Matt Gutchess
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Capt Matt Gutchess
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 29, 2001 - 10:38 pm: | |
Subject: fish report 10/28
Hello Fisheads.
Fishing report for the week ending 10/28.
Salmon River, Pulaski NY
Hello after a long absence. The river salmon season is pretty much over and in the same breath it never really got started. This was a long season that carried over from the last month on the lake to the month of October in the river. We as a group waited for the salmon to appear in the huge numbers that the DEC had said were coming. They never really did! We had salmon in the river, but not all that many, not like its supposed to be. I’m not going to whine about something that I cant control, we fished hard all season and didn’t get the numbers that we are used to. Now for the good news, and there’s always got to be good news. Myself and all my customers that were able to fish this fall were fortunate to do so. Were all-thankful that we live in a country that allows us the freedom to go and do something that we enjoy whenever we want to. I salute with head bowed all the men and women who lost their lives, all of them that helped us get through this, and all the ones that are now protecting us against this ever happening again.
More good news, the Steelhead are showing up in pretty good numbers and are as aggressive as they will ever be. My customers have taken two steelhead to the taxidermist in the last week one that was #17 and one that was #15.5. Both of those fish were not only big but were those anglers first ones, talk about setting the bar high right off the bat. We are seeing a lot of fish in the 5-8 pound range. These fish are chock full of piss and vinegar, and will give even the most veteran angler a run for their money. November and December are prime months to catch these fish before the doldrums of winter set in, so if you can stop chasing deer long enough you can come up and catch a silver bullet. But if hunting is on your mind we offer a cast and blast package that includes a morning Duck hunt and an afternoon of drift boat fishing for steelhead. Call or E-mail me for special prices on float trips, cast and blasts, and Lodging. We have plenty of prime dates still left open, and don’t forget that we are in the heart of snow country, if you want to bring your snowmobile or rent one up here we have local access to hundreds of miles of groomed trails.
Be safe and Ill see you on the river
Capt Matt Gutchess
Black Dog Outfitters
(E-mail) Blackdogoutfitters@msn.com
(Home Phone) (315) 625-4802
(Cell) (315)263-2233
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Randy Jones
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 18, 2001 - 6:14 pm: | |
Subject: Salmon River - Pulaski, NY. Reports and Ramblings
Salmon River - Pulaski, NY. Reports and Ramblings:
I hope you find my reports and articles entertainingly informative and
mildly educational
The relationship between transitional fish and structure during low light periods and bright sun.
I prefer to fish just above the estuary for several reasons. Fresh fish, less people, fish tend to stay more concentrated, not as educated and harder fighting fish. I prefer to fish to the A.M. run and not concern myself with what came in the day before. With fewer anglers, the alternative option to fish several holes or more is always present with the added bonus of less fishing pressure. We all know that wherever you fish in the world, fresh or Salt, the most crowded areas are the places most easily accessible. I feel fishing in a relaxed, uncrowded area enhances the quality of the experience for myself as well as my clients. Even if it means a few less fish.
Where to fish? --This covers all species of fish that are in a transitional stage that are entering the river. Most fish use the contour of the bottom and current to navigate. They travel virtually the same route, day after day taking a lot of the guesswork out of it. (Where I sight fish for Stripers, Monomoy Island-Cape Cod on the flats,
this is also true.) Normally the deepest part of the river is where they will travel. Once you've made this determination, the next step is to search out their holding, resting points. The length of time they will hold in any particular type of structure is determined by the size of the hole, pocket, depth, speed of water and what they had to travel through to get to that point. Also fishing pressure and weather is a consideration. To narrow your search down for the best spots, consider any deep water just above a long stretch of rapids. These normally are the tails of pools were there is rippled water and depth to offer security, and a break from stronger currents. These are the areas were they will be for the longest period of time allowing you the most shots. To improve your odds even further, look for channels or areas where the majority of fish travel and hold in a small area of the tail end of the hole.
Now you know where I fish. Not only will you have 90% of the fish passing by in a narrow area offering you the opportunity to present your fly to almost every fish, but you'll also have them sitting in front of you for the longest period of time, allowing the best odds in the house for hooking up! I call these areas funnels. Other areas to look for are heads of pools, white water on a sunny day or when the water temperature is so high the oxygen level is low. Depressions on the river bottom were they could hide underneath the faster current. Pocket water, surrounded by rapids. Outside bends in the river combined with a depression.
Remember to fish the resting, holding area's during the run, which is normally during low light periods. Look (fish) for them in the shade, deep rippled water, white pocket water during the high noon sun. If heavy fishing pressure is present, fish for them in the white water.
If you remember that 90% of the fish swim in 10% of the river, you will do just fine.
My newest endorsed guide is Heather! She wore something very special for my first official report for all of you! She can be seen at
http://www.yankeeangler.com/ - Fishing Reports
Daily Photos with Reports are also included.
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Randy
No hard feelings, but where does one stand to count (with +/-5 accuracy) the number of salmons that swim into the river? Is there a specific time where they all enter at once and swim past the person counting them? How many were males? females? Jacks? I'm truly intrigued by this! Vince
Vince,
Are you ribbing me? ( he-he) I think so, but in any case I get this question every year and am more than happy to answer it again for you and others who are curious.
The kings tend to run the main channels and depressions that make up their road map in the river. When running the shallow ledge or rapids they are easy to see and count. I normally count the Kings by the # of rooster tails (splashes) I see coming up the shallow rapids below me.
Because the Cohoes tend to run at the same time as the kings they sometimes get pushed out of these same channels and pockets and run shallower. They also are not as big so they need less water to navigate. This basically puts them at your feet and you can see them shooting up all around you. These fish are a little harder to count as sometimes they sneak up with out rooster tailing like the King.
Another simple way to determine approx. numbers of fish are by when the run end's. If it ends early then it's fewer fish that ran than if the run lasts all day. Simple.
Species is also determined by what I see most other anglers catching.
Sample:
Mid-Sept. 2 years ago
>From the minute their lines touched the water this early AM. until late morning, we were into Coho heaven.
Very good # of Cohos moving today. 80 % were Cohos with the balance mostly Kings. I would guess 500 or more Cohos with 100 or so Kings were running up the lower end today. Action was almost non-stop. I looked in the rapids below the hole at 9:30 and saw a line of fish working their way up. Hardly a splash was made with the higher water.
Several people thought they had hooked Steelhead but as it turned out they were Coho. It's very common at this time of the year for anglers who normally do not see such fresh Cohos to think they have a Steelhead. They are dime bright and fight just like a Steelhead. The easiest way I know of how to tell a Salmon from a Steelhead is to look at the color of the inside of the mouth. Cohos will have a grayish, blackness on the gums or inside of mouth. Steelies will not.
Please wear your corkers. Watched the same person fall in 3 times up to his chin! Its understandable as my friend had put him in a real good spot and he was hooking up almost every cast. He was excited to say the least. Each time he fell he had a fish on. He was only wearing felts. It truly is a battle to fight these fish. Not only do you have a 10-40 lb.
fish on screaming in every other direction in a blink of an eye, but you also have to fight the river and its many slippery rocks. If anybody can find me just 1 flat rock in this river Id like to know.
Watched a 14 year old hook up a bit. Some of the grown men could not believe he actually released a 20 lb. Steelhead. Id like to shake his fathers hand for instilling something other than, kill everything!
This report comes from me personally studying fish movement and species while guiding my guests in the D.S.R. area. Anglers and guides who fish below and above me from sun -up until sun- down. Past years observations and a host of other factors. Please keep in mind that some do come in during the evening and at night, so my estimates are only what I see during the day's run.
How many came in at night? I guess you'd have to ask the night watchman, that's not my shift.
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Forecast:
Presently approx. 100-150 Salmon are entering the Salmon River in every 24 hour period. Soon you will start to see 150-250 each day. Then---look out! (1,000's)
Few fish are scattered through out the river in small #'s in my opinion. You really have to work for them.
Very few structural changes in the river bottom this year. Its all pretty much the same as last year.
Please take some extra time reviving these monsters. Typically, it is not uncommon to see several half dead fish float by that was released by well-meaning sportsman up river. Several times I have been able to grab and work with them until they were able to swim off strongly. They need a lot of extra time, maybe 5-10 minutes or more to regain their
strength.
Please keep in mind that when you read other reports and they say the "www.Yankee hole" was good or the "angler.com" spot produced fish that these are some of the more popular (crowded) areas on the river. Normally the more hooks in the water, the more hook-ups. Some folks I know get turned off by the crowds when visiting these spots and rightly
so. Please don't think that you HAVE to fish shoulder to shoulder. I rarely if ever do it and even on the busiest day during Salmon season you shouldn't either. If you are unfamiliar with the river, think about taking a walk down stream of these famous holes during the busy Salmon season. Normally below these spots there are rapids. Look for the pockets and slots that create the deepest road map for the fish to follow. Find a nice pocket during the A.M. run and you will be surprised by the # of fresh fish you will see, hook and have all to yourself. Spend a little time scouting and I'm sure you will be rewarded.
I sincerely hope that this information will help you in planning your trip to the Salmon River and make it a safe, fun and most importantly, a memorable experience!
Fish long & prosper!
Randy Jones
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Randy Jones is a full-time professional fly/spin fishing guide with over 18 years of experience. He has represented the Orvis Corporation as a guide and chief instructor of their 2 1/2 day Saltwater Fly fishing schools. During the summer, Randy can be found guiding the Monomoy Island area where sight casting on the flats to trophy Striped Bass is his
specialty. During the Fall, Winter, and Spring Randy runs drift boat and wade trips on the world class Salmon River for Steelhead, Coho, Browns, Atlantics, and Kings.
RATES: SALMON
RIVER
Sept. to April -
Wade or Drift Boat
One Angler $225
Two Anglers: $300
Three Anglers: $375
Orvis equipment provided
Flies-(Egg sacks) not included.
RATES: CAPE COD
Cape Cod May - August
Wade flats, beaches, bays and ocean islands.
One angler - $250
Two anglers -$350
Three Angler-$400
Orvis equipment and flies provided
For more information see his web site or drop him an email.
Randy Jones
Hm (315) 298-5999
V-mail (315) 251-8210
E-mail randysjones@earthlink.net
Web Site http://www.yankeeangler.com/ |
Capt Matt Gutchess
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 14, 2001 - 1:58 pm: | |
Subject: fish report 9/14
Hello Fish heads.
This will not be a normal fishing report, after the tragedy that struck our country on Tuesday morning its tough to think of something as trivial as how’s the fishing. The fishing is good in the lake right now and the river will start picking up in the next week or two. This past week has put so many things into a greater perspective. We fish and hunt because that’s what we love to do. Not because we have to catch or shoot something to feel joy, but because we love the natural environment in which these activities take place.
As a group and as a country we need to come together and offer each other support and kindness. As sportsmen we know the value of freedom and peace for ourselves and for the country we live in. How much do we value the time that we spend in the outdoors, alone, with family or with friends? I value my time more than anything in my life; it defines me as a person and rejuvenates my soul. I will not allow a group of terrorists to change my life and fill it with fear, nor will I allow these same people to make me untrusting or hateful towards my fellow man. Maybe now more than ever sportsmen and women need to take an active role and show somebody who has never been introduced to our way of life all the richness and beauty there is to be found in nature. The calming effect and the cleansing feeling that comes from standing knee deep in a river as the morning comes and awakens everything around you. Solitude is your guide and adventure is your compass. In these trying times we don’t retreat into the natural world we reflect upon it for guidance.
I wish that Tuesday had never happened, but we cannot turn back the clocks. Our fears have become reality and now we must not let them overcome us. I hope all Americans can overcome what has happened to us. Unbelievable thanks and prayers go out to all the people in New York and Washington D.C. Especially all the Fire and Policemen and other rescue workers who are working tirelessly to save others and of course those who have lost their lives needlessly. We will not let your lives be in vain.
God Bless America
Capt Matt Gutchess
Black Dog Outfitters
Pirate Charters
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Randy Jones
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 06, 2001 - 8:59 pm: | |
Subject: 9/6 Salmon River Report
Today 75-80 fish ran the lower end. Very few preditors. More predators, less prey. Less predators, more prey at this time of year. If more people had been fishing today 3/4 of these fish would of ran back into the safety and sanctuary of the estuary by 7:30 AM.
See it happen all the time.
Mid-week is where its at. Last couple of days have been so-so to descent for those who know the lower river intimately, have not set their expectation levels to high, like to fish with a sense of solitude and are happy with
1-2 maybe 3 fresh, silver King Salmon trying to put you on you as-!
Normally on weekends this early, ???????
Best Fish's,
Randy Jones
www.yankeeangler.com |
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