Yesterday we had the pleasure of taking Steve, his dad Julian and his father in law Tim our for an afternoon trip. The plan was to get some browns and then work out for kings.
We left the dock at 1:45 and had the first brown trout, a plump 10 pounder, in the boat before 2:30. After putting 4 brown trout in the box we turned northwest and started looking for king salmon.
We ended up finding some that wanted to play. Getting them to the boat was our struggle as it often can be. At the end of the trip everyone landed a brown trout and a king salmon. Julian landed 2 browns each of them tipping the scale at 10 pounds.
Atomik meat and flies being the key for the salmon. Reel cool lures and Michigan stinger spoons taking the brown trout.
I still have many week day afternoons available and a couple weekend mornings. Call now if you want in on the action.
This afternoon I had Carlos aboard with hopes of putting some nice fish in the net. He is in the area for work and had contacted me about getting out on the water. We had decided an afternoon trip would work best for his schedule and we picked the perfect afternoon.
We left the dock at 1 and were greated by calm seas as we passed the pier heads. I ran out to 18 fow and started setting lines. As I picked up the second rod the first rod fired. Unfortunately after a short battle we experienced a long line release. Setting the third rod the second one got bit but didn’t hook up. I thought it was going to be a crazy bite.
Once all the rods were in the water we trolled about 30 minutes west without a other bite. I made a turn and headed back through where we took the bites. As we got back to the area we hooked up with a nice brown trout that made it to the net. Pressure was off, Carlos caught his first ever brown trout. A few minutes later we had a small Atlantic in the net and Carlos was fighting another nice brown trout. After a picture and release another rod goes with a better Atlantic salmon. Another quick picture and release. I headed further east then turned to go back through that area again. This time no bites.
We decided with under 2 hours to go to pull the rods and run off shore looking for a lake trout for Carlos. It wasn’t long after setting rods we had one on that got off. Twenty minutes later I made a lure change. The rod was in the water less than 5 minutes when it fired. That one made it to the net. Shortly after resetting the rod we had another in the net and it was time to head to port.
We ended the afternoon putting 6 fish in the net. Carlos left smiling and now able to say he had caught an Atlantic salmon, a brown trout and a lake trout.
If you are looking to get in on the action give me a call. If I am not available I will set you up with someone who I trust to put you on the fish.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of taking Brandon, Christina, Jace and Daniel out on Oneida Lake. While the weather wasn’t the best, the fish kept us busy enough not to care and the Hewescraft kept us comfortable.
Unfortunately we couldn’t keep the undersized fish off the hook. It seemed like every move I made put us into more shorts. That being said the kids didn’t mind as they were happy to be getting bites and catching fish. Them catching a bunch of fish was the goal for the day and that is exactly what happened. They ended the day with 3 keeper walleye and 5 good perch. I lost count of how many we threw back.
We trolled worm harnesses behind bottom bouncers in 25 to 30 feet of water. Pink and purple being our best colors.
A big thank you to Captain Mike Tankersley for the tip location the day before. Also, a big thank you to Eddie’s Salmon River Lodge for providing them a great place to stay.
Jace got off the boat and said he wanted to do this charter again next year. Hearing that made me forget how miserable the weather was as I was loading the boat.
I have dates available for Oneida, Ontario, or Cayuga Lake. Give me a call for details.
A couple weekends ago I attended the 2025 Salmon and Trout School at Fairways and Dreams. It was put on by Captain Casey Prisco (Dirty Goose Sportfishing), Captain Pete Alex (Vision Quest Sportfishing), and Captain Rob Westcott (Legacy Sportfishing). As a captain who has been fishing Lake Ontario on and off for over 25 years I am confident I can put fish in the boat most days, however I am also humble enough to know that these guys will out fish me most days as well. I am also the type of person who enjoys learning and is always trying to learn more. At just $250 for two days including lunch each day I figured I should learn enough to make it worth it.
I never expected to learn as much as I did. I am sure these three left a few of their secrets in the bag but during the two days of class it didn’t feel like it. It felt like they were giving away their entire programs. The three of them each fish from different ports on different sections of the lake. This was huge as there are major differences in the fishery from the east end to the west end.
They started right from trip prep and ended with lure selections and techniques. Putting pictures of each captain’s go to lures for the season on the screen. The presentations were excellent as they each took turns presenting how they approach the different seasons and species in their respected areas. It was clear they took pride in presenting the information and wanted everyone there to become better anglers. This past weekend I used information gained from the school while I was on the water and the pictures below show the results. I am excited to use my newly gained knowledge throughout this season as I have no doubt I will be putting more fish in the boat.
The lunch put on by Fairways and Dreams was excellent both days. The raffle prizes were nothing short of amazing. Everything on the table was top quality gear. The school was sponsored by all the local shops including Woody’s, Sonny’s, Fat Nancy’s and All Seasons. Everyone left with discount coupons for those shops and Fish USA. As I filled out the feedback form at the end of day two I struggle to find anything they could do to make the class better.
I would highly recommend anyone who fishes Lake Ontario for salmon and trout to attend in 2026. I feel you can learn something from every angler no matter your skill level. I know I took away much more than I ever expected over the two days. I have a note book with page after page of notes to refer back to and will likely attend again in 2026.
As I was walking along the river this morning I starting thinking it’s not about the fish. I thought for me it is about seeing the sunrise and getting exercise in a way that I enjoy.
Then I thought, well that is a bunch of crap. You are only thinking that because the fishing is slow. I have had plenty of customers tell me the same thing. They tell me it’s not about catching fish it is about being outside or hanging out with friends or family. I have come to realize they were probably lying and didn’t even know it.
I have never thought or heard that on a good day. It is only the slow days or at the start of the day when we don’t yet know how the fishing will be. If the water had no fish would we still be there? The answer is likely no or at least not in the same capacity. I doubt many people would pay me to just drive them around the lake.
At the end of the day it really is about the fish. We go fishing to catch fish. Are we mad if we don’t? Probably not but we are no where near as happy as when we do catch fish. Enjoy your time on the water. Enjoy the beautiful places fishing can take you. Soak it all in. Just stop lying because at the end of the day we all are here because of the fish.
Fish fish fish. There are fish everywhere. With the massive amount of rain that has fallen the last two days this will include all the small streams.
Up until today the larger rivers held all the fish. That is unless you wanted to chase a few around with their backs out of the water. Some unethical anglers have been doing exactly that but they won’t be able to now. Every stream in the area is running at good levels to support fish and fishing.
This season has had its ups and downs but the cold rain over the last two days is exactly what we needed. The water temps should be dropping after a warmer than normal start to the season. This will get the kings snapping. It will also draw steelhead and brown trout in from the lake.
With good numbers of salmon still in the river there is plenty time to get in on the action. If you want to fish small streams now is the time. Dont miss out on fresh fish and good water.
If you are looking for steelhead I would concentrate on the lower half of the river. I do have steelhead dates open in December. December is my favorite month to fish for steelhead as the crowds finally start to thin.
Salmon season has come to an end and what a season it was. With a horribly dry summer we found ourselves facing very low water conditions. How’s that old saying go? When life gives you lemons make bull frogs or something like that.
I have to give a huge thank you to all my awesome customers. You are the reason I do what I do. In less than ideal conditions everyone was more than willing to change things up which equalled smiling faces and fish in the net. Some days where better than others but everyone was happy.
Another thank you to those who have already booked next year’s trips or steelhead trips. It’s a great feeling having most of your next season booked as this season is ending. That being said if you want to salmon fish with me next year I wouldn’t wait too long to start planning.
With the low water I never fished the Salmon River this fall. I stayed on the lake as much as possible and fished other locations when I couldn’t get on the lake. Next weekend that changes and I will be steelheading on the Salmon River come hell or low water. The reservoir is slowly filling and I expect 335 cfs base flow to return in the near future as long as it keeps raining. My Smithfly raft floats no problem at 185 cfs so I am not concerned either way.
Steelhead season is looking like it is going to be a good one. Some very nice steelhead have been caught already along with some impressive brown trout. I do have a couple December dates open that I would like to fill if anyone is interested give me a call.
Last year my oldest son came home from school upset that his classmates had been off for take your kid to work day. We explained to him that kids aren’t allowed into the aluminum factory that my wife and I work in. Then it dawned on me that he could come to “fish work” as he calls my guide business. He was so excited that could come to fish work with me next year.
Well next year came and I had it all set up. Customers to take that understood the plan and how our trip could be cut short as Gunnar would be with us. Then the Corona virus shutdown school and guiding. This left me with one very disappointed 6 year old. It was time to come up with a new plan.
Plan B was to “guide” my father and wife for crappie and/or rainbow trout. Gunnar was very concerned that we would get in trouble for guiding when it was shut down. I told him mom and grandpa would just pay us at home where no one would see as he made sure they both knew they were going to have to pay him.
That morning Gunnar helped me get the gear and boat ready. Then he packed snacks while I went and bought subs for us for lunch. When we arrived at the reservoir he helped to launch the boat.
Unfortunately we tried about everything we had and couldn’t get anything going on the reservoir. We decided we would head back home and try fishing in the creek that separates our property from my parents. In the truck on the way home my dad gave Gunnar $4 which made his day.
Back at my parents house Gunnar wanted to ride his bike before fishing. I headed down to the creek with his fishing rod and a container of worms. As I made my way across the lawn I saw a fish splash on the surface. It was a good size steelhead. I called to Gunnar, who had just put on his bike helmet, telling him there was a steelhead in the creek. He came running down very excited to try to catch it. I explained we needed to be very careful not to spook it. I took the bobber off and hooked a whole night crawler on. I told him I would cast it for him becuase it needed to be a precise cast. Not sure if the spin cast rod would even make the cast I made a test cast in the yard.
We then snuck down the bank into position. After multiple bad casts I landed one the drifted perfectly to the fish. I was shocked to see it grab the worm. I set the hook as I handed the rod to Gunnar. The fish turned downstream splashing in the surface. Gunnar struggled to fight the fish as he laughed at the way it took line and splashed. After a couple minutes he managed to get it to the shoreline. I ran down the bank and grabbed it for him. He was ecstatic to have caught the biggest fish of his life and be the first person in our family to catch a steelhead from the creek.
He ran up to the house to get his mom so she could take our picture. After a quick picture we returned it to the water and watched it swim away.
We then returned the bobber to the line and proceeded to catch multiple shinners and horned dace. After all they were our target species when we headed to the creek. Gunnar later told me he had a great day at “fish work” and wanted to do it again next year. Given the circumstances take your kid to work day couldn’t have gone better.
Gunnar’s first steelhead and the rod he caught it on. Gunnar even let Beckett catch a couple
As I look back on this years salmon season I can’t help but think about how blessed I am to have such great customers. This year was with out a doubt my best year as far as guests go. I sent out a few messages to past customers in August and filled most of my open dates in just a few days. It is a great feeling to have people come back year after year. The remaining dates were filled by September by new customers some of which are now repeat customers as they have already booked future dates. In this business you never know who you are going to get. Every guide has stories of people they couldn’t wait to get off the boat. This year I never had a trip where I felt that way and it was great.
We spent the season casting or trolling lures and baits even when others said it was to warm to get them to snap. Day after day we proved them wrong taking plug bites on 70 plus degree days with water temps in the high 60’s. When we got to the ramp we may not have had as many fish on ropes as others but we didn’t snag ours. The only way the snagging mentality is going to change is if it starts with the guides. I know for a fact I changed a few peoples outlook on salmon fishing this season and I am happy I could do that.
Overall the Salmon River was crowded most of the season but 99% off the people were friendly and moved out of the way of the boat. There are always going to be the guys who hate the drift boats but I think the number of them is getting smaller. Most people are realizing that it’s not that big of a deal to wait or take a few steps back while the drift boat goes through. They are also realizing that many times the boat gets fish moving around and they hook up right after the boat passes.
2017 Salmon Season was my most fun season by far. The only problem I had was that my son is now old enough to realize that dad is gone all the time. This really hit me hard when he told my mom that dad couldn’t play with him because he works all the time. There will be some changes next fall continuing until the boys are old enough to understand why dad is working 7 days a week for 2 months. I will be running less trips and spending a few more days with family. That being said I have already been booking 2018 salmon trips so if you have dates you want to fish with me I would recommend getting them booked soon. I will be blocking off dates on my calendar on http://www.fisherguiding.com as they are booked if you want to see what is available. This should be done by the end of the week.
If you were a guest of mine for the 2017 Salmon Season thank you for making it awesome and I hope to see you again in 2018.
I spent the majority of the day inside watching it rain. I did take the time to spool up a reel with new 10 weight line and mount it on a 10 weight rod I had forgotten I bought last fall.
That might be the first sign of a problem. I was thinking about buying a 10 weight for fishing bass in heavy cover and for pike fishing. As I was shopping around trying to figure out if I could spend the money at the moment for something of decent quality I realized there was a fly rod in my garage I bought last year. I went out to take a look at it and sure enough it was a 9/10 weight. I bought it from a snagger that needed money so it had a 7/8 weight reel that was spooled up with monofilament.
I started looking for a reel on ebay hoping to maybe find one spooled with line already. Then it clicked. I have a 2 handed 5 weight rod and reel in the garage that I don’t use and the reel is too big. Again there might be signs of a problem developing here but I am just going to ignore that.
So today I swapped reels put the 10 weight line on the larger reel and spooled the other with a brand new switch line that I had forgotten about in my office. Perfect 2 fly rods all ready to go and both new to me in one way or another.
It was still raining when I sent my friend Jamie a text asking if he wanted to go fishing in the rain. I knew he would say yes. He is always up for fishing in the worst weather at the worst time of day.
I told him where to meet me and put the rods in the truck. I was excited to try out this 10 weight and hoped to find larger bass in a pond I just started fishing last week. My first trip to the pond I only had small poppers and a 5 weight. Today I had bigger flies and a heavier rod.
It was still raining as we strung up the rods. I gave Jamie the 5 weight with a smaller foam bug that I knew would catch something. As I tied on a fly that was given to me by a fellow guide and friend I pointed out how, well let’s just say not pretty it was. We had a little laugh but I said what my friend always says “It doesn’t have to look pretty, it just has to have the right shape and
size.
” In the case of top water bass flies the right movement is also very important.
It only took two casts to prove that statement true. I soon was releasing a Largemouth. I didn’t end up landing any big ones but I did see one that was over 2 pounds caught by a guy with a spinning rod. That gave me more hope that there may be some true lunkers in this water. After only fishing a short time I caught 3 bass and Jamie caught 2 crappie. We missed a bunch more strikes and will be back there with a boat in the near future.
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