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Posts Tagged ‘Wayne-o’s Guide Service’

Small Stream Raft Trip

Posted in Reports, Stories, tagged Bass Fishing, Brown Trout, Fly Fishing, fly fishing bass, Fly Fishing New York, Guided Brown Trout fishing, JP Ross, JP Ross Rods, smith fly raft, Tug Hill, Tug Hill fishing, tug hill trout fishing, Wayne-o's Guide Service on June 26, 2022| Leave a Comment »

I have been trying for a while to float this stream and make sure it was still a viable guiding option. The conditions were never right when I had the time. Today it all worked out.

There are a few new challenges but nothing myself and the raft couldn’t handle. My biggest concern on these floats is the customers don’t have to help get around obstacles. The fishing needs to be good as well.

The fishing was nothing short of fantastic with a combination of small mouth bass, brown trout and some big fall fish. One fall fish may very well have broken the state record. We had thoughts of filling the cooler with water and getting it weighed when we were done. The 90 degree heat and lack of scale on the raft to get an estimated weight ended those thoughts. It seemed like a lot of hassel for a maybe.

If you would like to book one of these trips give me a call to set it up. The cost is $400 for one or two anglers and can be fly or spin fishing.

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Guided Ice Fishing Trips

Posted in Trips, tagged Guide Wayneo, Guided Ice fishing trips, Ice fishing, Ice fishing New York, oswego county ice fishing, Perch Fishing, Pike Fishing, Sandy Pond, Wayne-o's Guide Service on December 18, 2018| Leave a Comment »

I have decided to take a new approach to guided ice fishing trips. I have found that there are a lot of people who have never ice fished and would like to give it a try but don’t want to spend a bunch of money. Given this I am going to be offering 2,4, and 6-8 hour ice fishing trips.

The two hour ice fishing trips will be either intro to ice fishing or learning something specific. Intro to ice fishing would include the basics of jigging, tip ups, tip downs, and electronics. It would also include the basics on where to start when trying to locate fish and what moves to make if your first spot doesn’t pan out. Specific two hour trips would focus on just one thing. That could be setting tip ups for pike or walleye, using a Vexilar, jigging for pan fish, or using tip downs. A third option is just going out and trying to jig up a pile of fish in two hours. Many days you can end up with at least a meal if not two or three in two hours. These trips will be priced at $100 for one person or $150 for two people. This price includes all gear and bait along with coffee for morning trips. If available additional time can be purchased for $75 per hour.

A four hour trip can be a more detailed intro to ice fishing. This would again cover all the basics. However, the extended time frame will allow you to get further instruction where desired. This will likely also lead to more fish being caught. Another four hour option is to go out and target one species of fish such as pike, perch, crappie, or bluegills. Four hours most days is enough time to catch a fair number of fish while also learning new techniques. It is also a good amount of time to learn how to use a Vexilar if you have never done so before. Four hour trips will be priced at $250 for one person or $300 for two people. This price again includes all gear, bait, and a pot of coffee if desired. If available additional time can be purchased for this trip as well for $50 per hour.

The 6-8 hour trip is a full day of ice fishing fun. There will be two options. The first is a run and gun perch and panfish trip. We will stay mobile using jigging rods inside the shanty and only setting a few tip downs if we are really on the fish. This approach will allow us easily move if and when needed to find the fish or stay on the fish. The second option is to set up for pike and or walleye with tip ups and then jig near by. Using this approach we will run a large spread of tip ups and tip downs then work around our spread jigging. This allows us to target larger game fish and still fish for panfish at the same time. It is a much less mobile approach as it takes time to set 10 to 15 tip ups. It is hard to beat the excitement of hearing someone yell flag followed by everyone running to see what is on the end of the line. These trips will be priced at $350 for one person or $400 for two people. Larger groups can be accommodated as well. This price again includes all bait and gear. All you need to bring for any of these trips is warm clothes and boots.

If you have any questions or would like to book an ice fishing trip call me @315-529-3886.

Disclaimers:

Additional time will not always be available to be purchased. Please book the time that you think you will want. If you book a 2 or 4 hour with the plans of adding time that time may not be available. I may have another trip booked or might have other plans. It is also possible I will not have enough bait left to stay out as I will be buying bait based on the time frame booked.

Pike bait is expensive. Please do not tell me you want to fish for pike and then change your mind. One I have purchased minnows we will be fishing for pike.

My limit will not be kept. The rules will be the same on the ice as they are on the river or lake. You are welcome to keep your legal limit.

We had 7 tip ups and 3 tip downs set up.

Northern Pike caught on Sandy Pond

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Lake Ontario Salmon River Fishing Report 5/15/18

Posted in Reports, tagged Bass Fishing, Black River New York, Drift Boat, Drift Boat fishing, Drift Boat guide, Fishing Black River, Fly Fishing, Lake Ontario Fishing, Salmon fishing, Salmon River, Trout Fishing, Walleye Charters New York, Walleye Fishing, Walleye fishing New York, Wayne-o's Guide Service on May 16, 2018| Leave a Comment »

The fishing is very good for brown trout, king salmon, and steelhead. The lake has been producing good numbers of browns and kings out of Oswego. From what we are seeing so far the fishing this fall is going to be excellent on the river again. Charter captains are seeing good numbers of fish hitting the deck each trip out. The Walleye fishing at night has been excellent as well. I have some openings for Walleye trips.

The Salmon River is still running at 350 cfs and has steelhead top to bottom. I floated Altmar to Pineville Monday evening and couldn’t believe the number of steelhead up that high still. There are also large numbers of small stocked trout. Try not to abuse these fish as they are the future of this fishery. We made a couple moves Monday because in some spots we couldn’t keep them off the hook. The smallies are starting to enter the river as well. A few very nice ones have been caught so far and it is only going to get better. I will be offering Smallmouth Bass float trips all summer. These are spin or fly fishing trips.

Salmon season dates are almost full if you want to get on the river with me this fall you better call with a deposit very soon. I have September 8th and 9th open. Last year we were getting them up river with no one around on this weekend. This year if they aren’t in the river yet we can troll the lake or fish the estuary in my recently purchased Lund. This boat opens up a lot of options for the early season. These dates won’t last so call soon if you want them.

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Taxidermy – Make the right choice

Posted in Tips and Tricks, tagged Anglers Choice fish mounts, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Guide Wayneo, Taxidermy, Wayne-o's Guide Service on August 5, 2017| Leave a Comment »

You have just landed the fish of a lifetime and you want more than just a picture to remember it by. Taxidermy is the first thing that comes to mind. You would love to see a mount of the fish on the wall. The question is who do you take it to. This is where it can get complicated.

If you already know someone who does taxidermy and you like the work they do then your choice is easy. However, if you are out of town or don’t know any taxidermists then you need to make a decision. The first decision is do you want a skin mount or a reproduction. The big plus to the reproduction is with a few good pictures and measurements you can release or eat the fish and still put it on the wall. Once that is decided now where do you go.

If you are fishing with a guide there is a good chance they will have someone they recommend. Personally I recommend people to Anglers Choice Fish Mounts as he does excellent work. I have not seen a fish he has done that didn’t look good. His prices aren’t the cheapest but also not the most expensive and you get what you pay for. Actually sometimes you don’t get what you paid for and that will leave you with an ugly fish on the wall ruining the whole memory of the catch. The last thing you want is to pay top dollar for a mount and be unhappy with it. This brings me to my next point.

If you aren’t with a guide ask your fishing friends or a local tackle shop for a recommendation. Many tackle shops are drop off locations for taxidermist.

Even if you have been recommended to someone look at their work first. Make sure the fish they do look good. Everyone has different tastes when it comes to fish mounts. Make sure the work they do matches what you like. If possible go to the shop in person and look at the fish they have there. DO NOT just agree to have your fish mounted with out seeing work first. I know of multiple people who have had fish mounted and were unhappy with the results. You want the fish to look like it did when it was caught.

Price is normally a concern when it comes to taxidermy. I am all about shopping around and comparing prices but only if you are happy with the quality of multiple peoples work. DO NOT compromise quality to save a couple bucks an inch. Remember most likely you aren’t getting fish mounted that often and it is going to be hanging on your wall. You want to be proud to show it off to your friends.

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Be honest with yourself (and your guide)

Posted in Tips and Tricks, tagged Bass Fishing, brook trout, Brown Trout, Fishing, Fly Fishing, i fish NY, i love ny, Trout Fishing, Tug Hill, Wayne-o's Guide Service on August 1, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Everyone has different levels of experience and abilities. There is no getting around that. When planning an outdoor adventure you need to remember this and be honest about it. You also need to remember you might not be as good as you once were. This is true for many aspects of your trip.

When you set up a trip with a guide they may ask you questions trying to judge your abilities. Based on the answers you give them they then plan out said trip. This is why honesty is important. Any good guide is going to have a plan b and probably a plan c. However, if you weren’t honest on the phone plan b and c might not be any better than the original plan.

This is especially important if your trip includes fishing back country out of the way waters and you have to hike to get to them. You might have had no problem hiking for miles fishing in your younger or lighter years. If those days have gone by and you don’t have time to get back into shape be honest. Tell your guide if you have trouble getting around or if you have knee problems. Ask them if they can still put you on fish with out long walks to the water. If you don’t you may arrive and quickly find out you are not up for what the guide has planned.

This recently happened to me. I was told by a gentleman that him and his sons were used to hiking 3 to 6 miles in search of wild trout. They wanted to fish somewhat remote areas where they wouldn’t see many people if any at all. I was excited to book this trip as it is one of my favorites. I started planning months before they trip and had 4 streams mapped out for the two days they would be fishing with me. One of these streams required some bushwacking as there are no worn down trails and the other included a half mile walk from the truck followed by multiple waterfall climbs. After fishing these two spots on day one I knew that my plans for day two were out the window and it was time to scramble and come up with a plan d.

The original stream for day two involved a few miles of step grade and big boulders. This left me scratching my head as I needed easy walking wilderness fishing. As you probably already know those don’t go together that often. I scraped together a plan and we did our best on day 2 actually landing the biggest wild brook trout and wild brown trout of the weekend. At the end of the day I was left feeling like two of my four guests weren’t happy with the results of the day. I don’t like that feeling at all and of course went home and tried to figure out what I could have done different.

The answer was nothing. If had taken them any where that was easier walking it would have involved stocked fish and/or an urban environment. Two things they didn’t want. In the end given correct knowledge of their ability I could have planned out the days a bit different as to not beat them up so much on the first day. I could have also explained ahead of time that I could put them on some big fish with easy walking on day two but we would be fishing in the middle of town. If they were honest with themselves that might have been alright with the idea.

Here is a list of some of things you should be upfront about when talking to your guide before the trip.

What time you are willing to get out of bed. – Many guides want to be on the water before sun up.
Your physical ability – Can you hike all day or would a boat be a better option.
Your fishing ability – Don’t say you can cast an indicator rig 70 feet unless you can. This will come out very quickly. A good guide will put you within your casting range of the fish.
What you are expecting to catch. Make sure your expectations align with what the guide is planning to fish for. If you want 20 inch wild brook trout in a small stream it’s probably not going to happen.
Any food allergies. Especially if the guide is providing food.

Just be honest with yourself and your guide. It will make for a much more enjoyable trip.

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Echo Ion XL 10′ 7 weight review

Posted in Product Reviews, tagged Echo fly rods, Fly Fishing, Fly Fishing New York, Guide Wayneo, Salmon River, Wayne-o's Guide Service on December 18, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Today I finally was able to fish one of the Echo rods I purchased a couple months ago. The rod has been fished by multiple customers and I have made some demonstration casts with it but never had time to fish it myself.

This morning that changed when I decided to head to the river for a couple hours. As I hiked to a couple holes that I have only fished by drift boat I imeaditly noticed how light it felt to carry. I have it paired with an Echo Ion reel and Airflo line.

The rod fished very well. I was casting a 1″ Air Lock indicator four size b split shot and an egg pattern with no problem. I was able to cast overhand, roll cast, and single hand spey cast this rod with no issues. The 10 foot rod makes mending line a breeze. It was a typical steelhead day so I was fishing in rain, sleet, and snow all just two hours. Oh and add wind gusts of 20 mph which made casting tough but the Ion got the job done.

Unfortunately I didn’t find a steelhead that wanted what I had to offer so I still haven’t fought a fish on it. However, my customers tell me it handles fish very well. At around $160 I think it’s a top choice for someone who wants a high end performing rod without the high end price tag. Pair it with an Ion reel for another $100 and you have a killer combo for under $300.

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Lake Ontario Spring Brown Trout

Posted in Reports, Uncategorized, tagged Brown Trout, Drift Boat, Drift Boat guide, Guide Wayneo, High Adventure Sport Fishing, Irish Knots sport fishing, Lake Ontario Fishing, New York Fishing, Oswego County fishing, Trolling Lake Ontario, Wayne-o's Guide Service on March 6, 2016| Leave a Comment »

It is only March 5th and I have already been on Lake Ontario. This is the earliest I have been trolling the lake by about 10 days. It was a great deal of work to break up the ice at the launch to get the boat in the water. Then we broke through the ice to get to the river and more ice on the river to get to the lake. Even though we only fished for about a hour and a half after it was all worth it when we landed a nice brown trout that weighed in at 10 pounds on the boga grip. The fish was brought home for dinner tomorrow.

Over the next week we are supposed to see some warmer weather which will take care of the ice and should kick the brown trout fishing along the shoreline into full gear. Today there was very little colored up water due to the lack of run of at the moment. The warmer weather will change that as the remaining snow melts. I am guessing next weekend will be an excellent time to be on the water. I will not be on the water Saturday as I will be selling tackle at the Eastern Lake Ontario Salmon and Trout Association flee market at the fire hall in Brewerton. I am available for a trip on Sunday though.

The tough part of booking a drift boat trip trolling along the lake is it is very wind dependent. If the wind is blowing hard we can’t fish the lake with a drift boat. However there is always a plan b and c. We can go to Oswego and troll the harbor or go to the Salmon River or Black River and fish for steelhead.

If you are set on trolling the lake I recommend hiring a charter boat such as Irish Knots Sport fishing or High Adventure Sport fishing. The benefit of going on a charter boat is that the wind is not as big of a factor. They are able to fish in a fair amount of wind and waves. The cost will be more but you can also split that cost between 4 to 6 people instead of 2.

Spring brown trout fishing is a trolling trip most of the time. If you are fishing on a charter boat it will definitely be trolling. If you are on a drift boat most of the time we troll but if you wanted to cast that is an option. We could even try fly fishing for them. Trolling will produce the most fish though. I also have two trolling fly rods that can be deployed if you wanted to catch them on the fly.

With warmer weather right around the corner now is the time to think about booking a spring brown trout trip. I will be having my gallbladder removed on the 14th of March so I am not booking any trips until April but I have other guides that I work with that I will gladly set you up with if you wanted to go before April. If you would like to book a charter boat give Chris Yard (Irish Knots Sport Fishing) or Troy Creasy (High Adventure Sport Fishing) a call and they will set you up for sure.

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Some pictures from last weekend

Posted in Reports, tagged blades of steel, Drift Boat, Drift Boat fishing, Drift Boat guide, Finger Lakes Tackle, Fly Fishing New York, Guide Wayneo, ny fish guide, Oswego County fishing, Oswego County Fishing Reports, Pulaski NY, Row Jimmy's Guide Service, Salmon River, salmon river fishing reports, Salmon River NY, Steelhead, Wayne-o's Guide Service on November 10, 2015| Leave a Comment »

I am a bit late posting but Saturday I set up and ran a 2 boat trip. The fishing wasn’t hot and heavy but we had some action and managed to get one into the net. The guys were very happy as they had struck out on their trip the day before. (It wasn’t with me) The one that came to the net smashed a Finger Lakes Tackle Blades of Steel spinner. We also took hits on beads. Overall it was a great day. The weather was good and we all had a good time.

Sunday I had the chance to be guided rather than be the guide. It was great. I set up the trip for my friend Steve’s bachelor party and we had a blast. We landed 4 steelhead and lost many others. A big thanks to Mike Kerstetter and James Kirkland for taking us down the river.

This is a short report as I am tired but I will say fishing has been a lot like it used to be. You have to work for them but they are there and if you put in a bit of effort you will be rewarded. Spinners and beads have been the hot baits the last couple weeks. Fly guys that know what they are doing are getting them too.