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Posts Tagged ‘Steelhead fishing Pulaksi NY’

That’s it I am done. Yesterday was my last steelhead trip for the season. My season is over but your doesn’t have to be. There are still a lot of fish in the river. They are dropping back to the lake but the lower parts of the river should fish well for at least the next 2 weeks if not longer.

Yesterday there were still plenty of fish to be caught from Altmar to Pineville but not as many as I saw on Sunday. The water bump definitely spread them out.  That being said those fish still have 14 miles of river to go before the enter Lake Ontario.  If you want to catch a steelhead there is still time on the Salmon River.  Covering water finding the pods of drop backs will be key. This time of year one of my favorite techniques is throwing spinners for them.  This allows you to cover water while not requiring you to carry a lot of gear.

Now that I am done with steelhead it is time to move onto walleye. The next two weeks I’ll be chasing Lake Ontario Walleye from the Oswego to the Black River.  These are trophy size fish averaging 6 to 8 pounds with some tipping the scale at over 10 pounds. If trophy walleye fishing interests you I still have a couple week nights available. These trips are 6 pm to midnight.

After walleye the focus changes to trout and bass. I will be fishing all over the Tug Hill region for rainbow, brown, and brook trout.  These trips are either wading or from my Smith Fly raft. This raft allows me float streams that no one else is floating. It gives my guests the chance to cast to fish that have seen very few if any other anglers.  I will be floating the raft for smallmouth and largemouth bass as well. Smallmouth on the Salmon River and Tug Hill Region streams. Largemouth on back country ponds.

I will also be offering Oneida Lake walleye charters all summer long. Either with myself or my good friend Mike Tankersly of Full Tank Charters.  Last summer when everyone was saying the walleye bite had slowed and was tough Mike was still getting limits. He has spent more time on Oneida Lake than anyone I know.

If any of these trips interest you give me a call @ 315-529-3886 to set up a trip you won’t forget.

Shelby’s first great lakes steelhead fishing on the Salmon River

Pavati drift boat

Bobby with his first Salmon River steelhead

This one crushed a Maglip 2.5

Louie’s first ever steelhead fishing the Salmon River

Louie senior with his first Salmon River steelhead

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There really isn’t a lot to report other than the fishing is good and getting even better. Everyone is catching fish right now. With a good number of fish left in the hatchery this is going to be an extended season for sure. I believe the colder temperatures have caused the fish to trickle out of the hatchery rather than come in large groups. Add these fish to the fish that spawn in the river and it makes for a great season that will last into mid May for sure.

There are also still fish spawning and fish that haven’t started to spawn yet. This past weekend one of my customers caught a dime bright hen that’s eggs were still tight. Check her out on my Facebook or Instagram page.

The best baits seem to change from day to day but for me it has been beads and egg sacs over anything else. All fished under a float. The plug bite has been inconsistent with some guys getting them on plugs but most not doing any real numbers yet. With this weeks warmer temperatures I expect the plug bite to really turn on if the water temperature goes over 40 degrees.

If you haven’t made it up yet the time is now. I am fully booked with the exception of doing an afternoon trip but I likely can find someone who has an opening if needed.

I will be posting a lot more as we transition into summer. Well at least I think we are going to transition into summer. Either way after this weekend it is on to Walleye and Pike then it will be Brook Trout and Black Bass. I still have some openings for the summer trips. I will be offering float trips on the Tug Hill area streams with my new Smith Fly Raft.

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First off I would like to say good luck to all of those headed out for opening day tomorrow. As I write this I am sure on some streams there are people already lined up waiting for midnight to start casting.

Opening day is a holiday for many. For those that have to work they will most likely spend the day doing their job while secretly planning their attack for Saturday.  I am sure there are some that will even call in sick if they haven’t already.

I am going back to work tomorrow after being out for 3 weeks due to having my gallbladder removed. I know going back to work on opening day is crazy but I have guide trips Saturday, Sunday, and Monday so I needed to be back to work before I can be guiding.  Also there is the fact that my home water, the Salmon River, is open for trout fishing all year. We have been chasing giant rainbow trout, steelhead, all winter long and will continue to do so through April. In fact the bite just started to really get good while I have been out of work and unable to fish so I am really looking forward to this weekend. I do still have a couple dates open but my April is close to being fully booked.

In between working and guiding for steelhead this month I will be organizing my fly vest and tying more flies. Just waiting for May when I will hang up the steelhead gear and start chasing brookies, rainbows, and browns. I have already been following the line blue lines on my topo map and searching for new places to try. There is a beaver pond I have been meaning to hike to for two years now and this is going to be the year I finally do it. I have never been a still water fly fisherman but that is going to change this year.

I am also planning a trip to my favorite trout stream the West Branch of the Ausable river. I introduced my friend Jamie to it last year and he had a blast even though we were only able to fish one evening. This year we are planning a 4 day trip filled with trout and craft beer which happen to be two of my favorite things.

I am looking forward to seeing the Facebook and Instagram posts tomorrow as the mild winter has left most streams in prime condition for the opener.  Even the Tug Hill streams that normally have snow lined banks are in great shape as all the snow has already melted and run off.  Again good luck to everyone that is fishing tomorrow or this weekend.

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I had the pleasure of guiding Tom and Joe today. I decided yesterday I was tired of playing the who can get on the river earliest game. Last Saturday I pulled in to the Launch at 3:50 am and was not the first boat in the river. This morning we launched the boat at 5:30. I knew we wouldn’t get the spot I wanted but I also knew we could still get a good spot. We anchored up in a spot I like, started the heater and waited for day light.

Once it became legal fishing time we started casting Finger Lakes Tackle spinners. On Tom’s third cast the spinner stopped dead then took off upstream in the mouth of a nice 6 pound steelhead. Tom did an excellent job fighting the fish and it wasn’t long before it was in the net. They had decided they wanted to keep one to eat so this one went into the box. It was a good thing it did because the rest of the day we had a lot of trouble getting them to the hoop. We did land a nice little brown trout later in the morning though.

Spinners and egg sacks took all the hits today. Talking to people as we made our way down the river it seemed that most people were having a slow day. There were a few drift boats that had a pretty good day though. I know Tom and Joe thought it was an excellent day, as did I. We battled snow, wind, and cold all day yet still managed to hook multiple fish and land a couple. That is a good day in my mind.

Tom and Joe also enjoyed the comfortable seats and the warmth of the heater. Multiple times they complimented the Pavati especially using the doors to get in and out of the boat. I am definitely looking forward to fishing out of it this winter.

Finger Lakes Tackle Spinners doing work

Finger Lakes Tackle Spinners doing work

Happy Customers

Brown Trout and Cigars

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I had the pleasure of fishing with Joe and Natalie today from Altmar to Pinneville. We started at the Schoolhouse pool where were Natalie caught here first ever steelhead a nice 9 pounder that put up a good fight. Joe also hook into a very good fish that would have been his first ever fish on the centerpin if it hadn’t made a hard run right at the boat and broke off.

Overall the fishing was slow today. We hooked five and only brought the one to the net. Most people we talked to on the way down had little or no luck. This time of year can be very hit or miss. The fish are in prespawn mood and the bite is either on or off. Today was mostly off. Actually all of our hook ups came at our first stop. We tried almost everything, beads, sacks, jigs, plastics, and plugs. The best bait was plastics today.

In another week or two the fishing will really heat up as the fish spawn and head back to the lake. Looking at the snow pack along the river and up on the hill we are going to have high water right into May again this year. I am going to offer Walleye and Steelhead combo trips the first week of May. Walleye at night and steelhead during the day. Call for details.

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I didn’t fish today but I did take a ride around the upper half of the river after having an amazing brunch at the Tailwater Lodge. There were not many people on the river but those who were did well. There is a good amount of snow in Altmar and it didn’t look like people were traveling far from the parking lots.

Fish were being caught on both egg sacs and beads. The drift boats were also getting fish on plugs. With more snow in the forecast walking won’t get any easier. This is an excellent time of year to hire a guide with a heated drift boat.

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As everyone that fishes knows the cost of tackle has been on the rise the last few years. I have held out on increasing rates for the last 5 years but I have been left with no other choice at this point. Due to the increased overhead costs my trip rates have increased by $25 to $50.

I will honor my old prices for all trips already booked and any trips booked before August 1st. I have very few Salmon dates left so call soon.

I work with many other excellent guides so if I am booked I will be able to set you up with one of them.

 

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After listening to the rain and wind all night long I decided not to get out of bed when my alarm went off. I did go for a drive later on to check things out. I started at Mexico Point State Park Launch where I found no less ice than there was a few days ago. It will still be a couple weeks before we are out there chasing brown trout.

Grindstone Creek was completely blown out. It should fish very well in a few days as long as we don’t get any more rain. This high water will bring in some new fish.

The Salmon River is high and off color in town.  The Pineville gauge is reading 1150 cfs. There was no one fishing in town but there were 4 or 5 cars at the DSR. The Salmon is fishable but you will need to find slower water. This is a good time to hire a guide if you are not familiar with fishing high water. Plug fishing from a drift boat is often very good when the water is up. There is no rain in the forecast so everything should start to drop a little. Warm weather will start melting the snow on the hill though so it may not drop a lot. The flow cast is 750 cfs through tomorrow.

There are also some smaller creeks that will be fishing excellent in a day or two as the water recedes.

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The weather is about to turn a lot colder which will be good for making ice the next few days. I am guessing Lake View will be fishable right after Christmas. Parts of Sandy Pond might also be locked up good if we don’t get much wind. Sackets harbor and Henderson harbor may also have good ice by then.

The Salmon River has dropped to 750 cfs which is my personal favorite level to fish it at. The cold weather coming up with make fishing tough but it will also cut down on the pressure. I would fish beads or sacs under a float. I wouldn’t rush to the river if it is going to be cold. Sleep in a bit or stop for breakfast. Let the temperature warm up a bit first.

I drove over Grindstone Creek today and it was roaring as I suspect all the small streams in Oswego County are. The water will drop over the next couple days and if we get a day that warms up a bit the fishing should be good on any of them.  Getting on them before they ice up again will be key.

Good Luck

 

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The water is dropping and the fish are hitting. The Salmon River is at 900 cfs. This is a great level to fish from shore or a drift boat for Steelhead. The river has fish from top to bottom with most of the fishing pressure being on the top half of the river. Your best bet is drifting an egg sac or bead under a float. If you are fly fishing egg patterns such as the 3 loop pink lady(my favorite) will get the job done.

Cold weather, snow and strong winds will keep most away the next couple days. If you can handle the weather you should be rewarded with fish.

The smaller streams are also on the drop. The Sandy’s have been fishing well and and should be at good levels by now. Earlier in the week they where both still very high. After all the high water we had there are Steelhead in all the small streams. Don’t over look even the smallest of waters. If it connects to Lake Ontario there are probably fish in it. Remember though if the water is low and clear it will take a lot of stealth to get the bait to the fish before they see you.

Grindstone Creek was fishing well Tuesday and Wednesday. I fished it both days and we hooked multiple fish on each day. Unfortunately our 6 pound leaders where no match for the fish we hooked and they all got off.

If you need flies, egg sacs, hooks, sinkers, floats or anything else stop into Salmon River Sports Shop. Button will hook you up with everything you need.

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