Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Drift Boat fishing’

High Water on the Salmon River NY

Posted in Tips and Tricks, tagged , , , , , , , on November 7, 2013| Leave a Comment »

The start of Steelhead season has been very wet. With all the rain we have received the Salmon River has been running at what most consider to be high levels. Personally I prefer 750 cfs to 1800 cfs but I know most people do not.

There are two reasons I like the high water. The first is it makes running a drift boat down the Salmon River much easier as you can float about any where. The second reason is that it creates more places to fish. High water on the Salmon River changes the runs and pools enough that it actually makes more holding water for the Steelhead.

Many people are afraid of the high water because they don’t know where to find fish or they can’t see the fish. It’s not difficult. All you need to do is fish the slow water on the edge of the fast stuff. Inside seams on a corner are perfect. Another great spot is the edges of where the fast water runs into the center of a pool. If there are rapids and fast water upstream from the pool there will be a seam created on both sides of the edge of the head of the pool. This is a prime location at first and last light.

One mistake I keep talking about because I see it so often is people wading where they should be fishing. I can’t stress this enough. If you are wading over your knees you are in too far. This is especially true in times of high water. Steelhead don’t want to hang in the fast water. They will hold and rest in the slower currents on the edge of the faster water.  Make sure you are fishing these spots not wading into them. I see too many people wading out waist deep and casting into the fastest water in the river.

One last tip. Don’t be afraid to take a walk along the side streams and diversions of the Salmon River. High water makes many of these very fishable. Look for a deep pocket or long run that you can get a drift through. You may be very surprised at what you find on the end of your line in these little sections of the Salmon River.

If you still don’t feel comfortable fishing the high water hire a guide to take you down the river in a drift boat. Drift boat fishing on the Salmon River is the hands down best way in high water. You won’t be disappointed.

Read Full Post »

Night Salmon Fishing

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on September 29, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Due to lack of rain there is still good night time Salmon fishing to be had. The fish are stacked up in the estuary still even though there are fish all the way to the hatchery. Here are some pictures of some nice Kings caught the last couple weeks while night fishing. 

ImageImageImageNeImageImageImage

Read Full Post »

Salmon Fishing Black River Dexter, New York

Posted in Tips and Tricks, tagged , , , , , on December 2, 2012| 2 Comments »

The Black River in Dexter, New York is a great Salmon fishery that is not all that well know. The majority of the fisherman that come to Upstate New York looking to fish for Salmon stay in the Pulaski area. This makes the Black River out of the way. There are multiple other rivers and streams between Pulaski and Dexter that people will stop and fish never making it all the way to the Black River.

The other problem with the Black River in Dexter, NY is that it is best fished from a boat. There is good public access however the access doesn’t offer the best fishing depending on water conditions. If the water is low there are multiple areas an angler can get into with waders. Use extreme caution when wading on the Black River as there are many drop offs and you could go from waist high water to over your head in one step.

When the water is up fishing from a boat is best. Many will bring their own boats and fish below the bridge. If you know the water you can get above the bridge with a motor boat but there are many large rocks and it is easy to damage a motor in a hurry. A drift boat by far the best way to fish this section of the river. The drift boat allows you to cover a lot of water when fishing plugs. It also allows you get in the best position to drift bait or cast lures into the many different currents.  The dam in Dexter, NY has 5 different places that water flows out of it. This creates many different current breaks where the flows of water meet. Anchoring the drift boat in different places and fishing each of them from different angles gives you the biggest advantage when fishing the Black River.

Salmon fishing on the Black River starts in September. If we have a wet summer it will be early September and a dry summer will cause the run to start more towards the end of the month.  September is a great time to fish at night for these monster fish. If you are going to fish at night on the Black River at this time of year make sure you stay below the bridge as it is illegal to fish above the bridge at night. The best way to catch Salmon at night is by casting lures such as Hot n Tots or Rapalas from a boat or from shore. There is a public boat launch on the downstream side of the bridge right in Dexter, NY. This boat launch is free to use and offers a place to put a boat in or a place to cast from shore.  When the fishing is hot you will see multiple boats anchored and casting lures at night.

During the day there is public access on the up stream side of the bridge. You can park by the Fire Department and walk down the bank right above the bridge. This is a great place for casting lures or for drifting bait under a float. There a multiple rock piles in the area so bottom bouncing is can be tough and you will most likely lose a lot of gear. If you get hung up casting a floating plug you can let the line go slack and it will normally come lose and float back towards the surface.  This is also a good place for landing big fish as there is nice slow water along the shore by the bridge making landing the fish easier.

A second public access point is found if you drive past the fire department and across a small bridge. You will see a small parking lot with a concrete wall that many people will be fishing from. This is generally a snagging area. You will see very few people actually fishing here. However if you walk down along the rocks there is a stretch right on the water where you can fish. This area will also be full of snaggers at times. Again another reason why this area is best fished from a drift boat. This area is good for both bottom bouncing and float fishing. Casting floating lures is another good option in this area too. The down stream corner of this access point allows you to fish where 2 currents come together and is normally the most productive area to fish. It can get crowded when the fishing is hot so I recommend getting there early to get a spot.

If you are looking for a new place to fish for Salmon the Black River in Dexter, New York is a great option. There is a good run of Salmon every year and there is good easy to get to public access. It may be a bit of a drive from Pulaski, New York but it will be worth the while. If you would like to fish from a drift boat contact me at  www.wayneosguideservice.com  to set up a trip.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts