The 2010 Fishing Season is underway and so far two things seem certain. The fish are big and given favorable conditions they will bite, and I do mean bite! Our first couple of outings produced plenty of browns with several fish over 10 pounds and the largest critter weighing in at 14+ pounds. Here are a few of the fish weights (approx) entered in a recent lake wide fishing derby. 

   These fish were caught in early May. Imagine what the fish will weigh after a summer of feeding on chubby alewives and other resident baitfish. One can conclude that the next few angling months will be very rewarding. Basically, for many years, Lake Ontario has produced the largest average size salmon caught in all of the Great Lakes. How about that! Lake O’s big fish dominance will surely continue.
   Trout and salmon are cold water fish. They do not like warm water and seek out preferred temperatures lower than 60 to 65 degrees. When the spring fishing season begins, the lake surface temperature is generally in the low forties. Thus at this time of year we look to fish in the warmest water we can find. Even a temperature increase of a couple of degrees can turn a slow bite into a fishing bonanza. That is why we fish near shore and close to tributary flows as this is where warm water will be. Spring and summer brown trout fishing in the Eastern Basin is spectacular.
    As the season progresses and the lake continues to warm, we move to deeper water to target our quarry. Finally, the lake stratifies into layers of warm to colder water and we search for fish in their preferred temperature ranges. Salmon like 40 to high 50s, browns and steelhead can be found in the 50 to 65 range, while lake trout prefer the coldest water and can usually be caught on the bottom in 39 to low 40 degree water. Of course these guidelines are merely just that, guidelines. Sometimes a particular fish will be just where you thought it would never be. Now that what makes it interesting. As the season progresses and the mighty salmon migrate to the well stocked eastern tributaries that include the Salmon River, expect awesome fishing action. It happens that way every year on the eastern end.
    As I have often said, Lake Ontario fishing is like solving a puzzle. The pieces seem to morph themselves into patterns necessitating the altering of techniques as the right angling solution changes by the day. That is what makes trolling for trout and salmon so much fun.
   The start of the 2010 season seems to indicate that big fish should be the norm. Bait is plentiful so the fish should have their fill of pepperoni pizza, Big Macs and 5 dollar foot longs, all of which are destined to put on the pounds.

Come fish with us and enjoy the fishing wonderland that is Lake Ontario. It’s a big lake full of big fish.

    As April 2010 looms ever larger on the horizon, my genetic "vacasoricabobulation hormones" (I made that up) begin to alert my finely tuned fishing senses that another happy season is upon us. Oh yeah, "how great it is".      As if I wasn't excited enough, the other night I attended the annual NYSDEC State of The Lake presentation and am pleased to report that generally speaking "all is well". The bait population, (alewives) are doing nicely with several year classes growing bigger and bigger.

   This will do to salmon and trout what a 1/4 pounder with cheese, large fries and a strawberry milk shake will do to me. Pounds baby, pounds! Last year the kings averaged around 18 lbs and I expect that 2010 will see more big fish. A few wild born fish have been caught signaling that cleaner waters are more and more suitable for natural reproduction which can only add to the greatness of our fishery.  Our successful stocking programs should continue with occasional number spikes resulting when the boom or bust wild fish population cycle achieves the boom scenario.
    Deep water sculpin, a favorite of lake trout, thought to be nearly gone from the lake are showing up in higher numbers. Evidentially they have adapted to the ever changing lake chemistry and are slowly making a come back. Which is good news for lake trout?
    On another front, funding for the refurbishing of the now closed Allenegy lake trout hatchery has been secured, setting the stage for the repairs and improvements that are needed. After years of lower that normal laker stocking numbers we will soon be receiving full compliments of these fish as the modernized facility comes back on line.
    Want more good news? The windmill farm "green" energy "scam" proposed for Oswego and Jefferson Counties has been voted down by both county legislatures. It seems like no one wants hundreds of ugly, inefficient, government subsidized, boondoggle projects, except for those receiving the subsidies. These questionable so called "green" projects are being waylaid as the general public becomes more educated about the real effectiveness of wind power. In some parts of the country wind farms are already being abandoned. To me, wind farms are a subsidy scamola mirroring the ethanol gasoline silliness,
    The news regarding the deadly sea lamprey population is positive. Strikes on trout and salmon are within limits and of course this bodes well for the fishery. Currently, streams are treated with a chemical that kills the pests. A new step in eel control looks real promising. It is a love potion that is entered into the water. It is a man made scent not unlike the aroma that comes from the gills of male lampreys. It lures males and females into the streams where they can be trapped. A couple more years of testing will absolutely prove the validity of the potion. Can't help but think of the song, "Love Potion #9"
   Speaking of songs, how about "Happy Days Are Here Again" At least for a while!

    The title of this blog does not include a transposition error in the second word. It is actually just what it says and it simply and clearly defines a serious problem. Here is the scoop on our latest potential Great Lakers invader, the Asian Carp. This fish could become the most troublesome exotic species that the lakes will ever encounter. The Carp has reached the doorstep of Lake Michigan as it moves north through the waters of the mighty Mississippi from

southern states where it was introduced to US waters. Presently, it is only several miles from Chicago and its entrance to Lake Michigan.   
    If it gains a foothold in the Great Lakes one can almost predict a major impact on commercial, salmon and trout sport fishing as we know it. The results could be devastating to the billion dollar fishing industry and that includes sport fishing!     
    To combat the invasion, after much shouting and lobbying by environmentalists and sport fisherman, our federal government has finally agreed to provide 78.5 million smackers that may or may not stop the advance. Time is on the side of the fish and the dollars provided may be too little too late.
   The only sure way to prevent the fish from reaching the Great Lakes is to close the canal waterway connecting the Mississippi basin to Lake Michigan. The feds are going to provide funds to further study the matter. Now doesn't that sound familiar? To be fair it would be a major task to close or divert the canal. They will also try to strengthen the currently employed electronic pulse barrier system that is the last point in the water way where we hope we can stop the advancing fish.  The electronic system has been in place for some time and has provided protection, so improving it should definitely help.
    Other promising deterrents are also in the works but it will take time to see if they will work effectively. Right now the only sure way to stop the migration is to close the canal, but this will not happen because of commercial shipping traffic.
    This Crap, yikes I mean Carp, has been moving north since the 70's and can reach nearly 100 pounds. It is a ferocious plankton eater and more than likely will upset the lake's already under duress food web chain, and that's not good. It was brought to the US to control algae in southern ponds and like the southern creeping vine plant known as Kudzu, it is a well intended "fix" gone wrong.
    For some reason the fish will leap several feet out of the water when disturbed by a fast moving boat. Several low profile bass boat operators have actually been hit by leaping fish which resulted in injuries to operators and passengers. Just imagine moving at 30 to 40 mph and running into a big ole fish. Now that would hurt. There are plenty of videos on You Tube showing the leaping fish striking boaters, just search the key words "Asian Carp."      I drove up to Oswego the other day to check things out. Work is going on at the marina to repair construction problems with the recent harbor upgrades. You know the old adage "if at first you don't succeed etc. etc." Well they did not succeed so they are trying again. I am sure they will get it right this time.
    The fish that will be stocked in our net pens are snuggled in their tanks at the hatchery and are doing great. New pen water temp. monitors will provide another tool for raising and stocking the healthiest fish possible. This program has been a hell of a success and bodes well for the future of the fishery. It also speaks well of the volunteers who support the lake wide pen projects.
    I can't wait for the start of our 2010 lake fishing adventure. I hope to see you in 2010 as I expect yet another fabulous fishing season. It is not too early to call us for a charter date. We hope you will join us on the DIXIE DANDY and like I always say, "it is still great to be a Lake Ontario troller".

    This blog title needs some clarification. It is not about what you may think, however, it is about windy things. The rhetorical winds emanating from our nations capitol have elevated to hurricane force as our elected officials trudge forward with never before seen spending adventure. While this is going on, states like California and NY drift toward bankruptcy. Climate change fanatics and cap and trade believers seem to be interested in tightening the choke hold on the general working public. Polls show most Americans do not

agree with the direction of our political wind blowers, yet the bloviators simply will not listen, as they continue to print more money and then spend it. 

    The volcanic eruption of spending proposals does not however find its way to the NYS Bureau of Fisheries as fishery budgets are curtailed and new hires and needed programs are in the strangle hold of belt tightening situations. Things are tough and our fishery people must do more with less. So far we have made do with less and that is solely because of our dedicated fishery personnel. We are lucky to have such a committed fishery staff running our programs.

    The latest winds in the lake area are being fueled by the recently announced preliminary plans to erect hundreds of wind turbines along the shoreline of Lake Ontario. Now when I say shore line I am talking about following the shore line but actually building the huge generating structures off shore, right in the middle of a major bird flyway and smack dab on top of fish spawning grounds. Remember the wind turbine farm that Senator Kennedy did not want built within his view from his Hyannis home, well how do you feel about dumping the tri blade behemoths into Mexico Bay? We are talking about hundreds of turbines.

    Ah yes, green energy, doesn't that make you feel good? The truth is that the turbines are very inefficient power generators, as they work on average only about 30 percent of the time according to a blog article by Margaret Collins titled "Environmentalists Need o Rethink Wind Energy". The video attached to this blog shows some recent fierce December winds blowing across Lake Ontario. This is great for generating wind power, right? Not so fast sports fans, wind turbines would be shut down during this kind of weather. Too much wind such as this would damage the turbines.

    Oh well, it is just another chapter in the book of pipe dream energy solutions. It is green energy alright as the green equates the dollars that will be reaped by the developers. We have 3 nuclear plants in the Mexico Bay area and a 4th unit is proposed, would the one additional nuke plant be better than 500 inefficient wind generators? Duh! Wind turbines cannot replace fossil fuel energy as this type of energy will remain necessary because of constant fluctuations in the wind turbines efficiency. These fluctuations require back up power to feed the grid. Turbines are a money making scheme which will line the pockets of a few.

    We shall see what happens as the public meeting phase begins. It is going to be interesting as John Q becomes more informed about "turbinegate". As a small business endeavor, the charter life is not easy; however the intangible rewards are many. Things like big smiles, whoops and hollers, looks of pride and people having fun make a charter trip an enjoyable experience to both the captain and his fishing patrons. So in spite of the doom and gloom of 2009, we look forward to the 2010 fishing season. It is time to get stimulated in a good way. Treat yourself to an exciting and enjoyable day on the water without dodging a gaggle of blade swooping feel good turbines.

For more wind energy information check out www.wind-watch.org and www.windpowerfacts.info  Get the facts man, just the facts!

Ok already, I really am truly sorry for the long summer delay between updates. It is just that I get so busy from April through September doing that fishing thing that the frequency of my blogs suffers. Anyhow, I know this is a rather flimsy excuse, so color me guilty. In any event as someone once said, "I'm Baaack!" 2009 was a decent year for fishing with great brown trout action, and a good salmon season that produced generally larger kings than in years past. That plump, pesky exotic invader known as the Round Goby is being gobbled up by the brownies resulting in sizeable football shaped fishing targets.

This is probably the only good thing associated with the Goby as they are truly an exotic specie nightmare. The shipping industry battles hard for status quo regarding ballast water exchange regulations. As long as present ballast regulations remain in effect, exotic invaders will continue to infiltrate the Great Lakes. 

     I moved the "Dixie Dandy" back to the Little Salmon River around September 1st as cold, cold, water blew into the Oswego area turning those waters into a icy cold no mans land, or should I say a no fish land. In any event fishing was spectacular in front of the Salmon River with Chinooks and Cohoes on the attack most every day. Keep in mind that this area receives the largest planting of stocked fish as the only NYS Salmon rearing facility sits some 13 miles upstream of the lake. In all probability I will follow the same plan in 2010, which will be to start the season in Oswego and depending on fish movement, sliding back to my Little Salmon River mooring at the B&B Landing for the month of September.  Please keep in mind that this cleverly designed plan is entirely dependent on the whims of Mother Nature. It will all depend on how the winds blow.

     The Columbus Day arrival started the egg taking process at the Salmon River Hatchery in Altmar, NY.  Good fish returns resulted in planned egg quotas being achieved for both Chinooks and Cohoes. The eggs are now in the incubation stage and will transform into smolts over the winter to be raised and released into the lake in 2010. (Once they have spent a few weeks in the net pens adjusting to non hatchery life.) For the third year in a row the Chinooks will be given an adipose clip,  (last fin on the back) to identify them as stocked fish. Catch a mature salmon with no adipose clip and you can bet it is a salmon spawned in the wild. We will soon have a scientific handle on just how many wild spawned fish make it to adulthood. This is important information necessary for biologists to properly manage the fishery. Prior to arrival of our technically advanced fish marking system wild fish population estimates were non existent. With the guesswork replaced with empirical data, even better fishery management will result. The "crackerjack" NYS DEC Lake Ontario Fishery Team continues their excellent work. 
     Recently, I completed my sixth USCG License Renewal. Things have changed quite a bit since my first application over 25 years ago and the 911 tragedy has had much to do with it. The Captains license is now referred to as a credential and rather than a piece of paper it is in the form of a booklet that reminds me of a passport. It contains my now required Transportation Workers ID photo, which requires fingerprints to be on file, and other pertinent information. This is a good thing and will have nothing but a positive effect on the charter industry especially for those who play by the rules.

     Now that I have finally updated my blog and added 2009 photos to my site www.lakeontariofishing.net I will provide more frequent updates regarding our fishery. Really I will! So tune in often and of course let me know if you would like to fish with us in 2010. Thanks for reading the Captain Experience Blog.

For nearly four decades the magnificent Lake Ontario fishery has been managed efficiently through employment of a methodology that is based on yearly stocking of hatchery reared  trout and salmon. Each new season brings a planting of some 1.6 million fingerling Chinooks, approximately 200,000 yearling Coho, 600,000 steelhead yearlings, nearly 500,000 brown trout yearlings and about 500,000 yearling lake trout. In addition around 200,000 Atlantic salmon are also stocked on an annual basis. This is why year in and year out we have enjoyed consistantly good fishing.

I certainly hope the current management approach will continue. Sure some years are better than others due to nature's whims, but in general we are provided with excellent fishing opportunities second to none and it is why we can say that our fishery remains world class. Make no bones about it; the reason behind the good fishing is the stocking program. It is steady, consistent, controlled and as a result, very productive.

     Since fishing preferences vary greatly according to the likes of the myriad of anglers it is not surprising that some anglers really do not give a hoot about the salmonid fishery and would prefer other species to prevail in Lake Ontario such as the burbot. Many "green" people would like to see the lake returned to pre human settlement status. Sort of a return to the days when if you fished and you caught a cold you probably died. Ah yes the good old days.

     The last few years have seen tributary streams benefiting from clean water efforts and we have seen a huge increase in the number of wild salmon, especially in the Salmon River. Through use of a state of the art fish marking system, stocked salmon now have an adipose fin clip which will differentiate them from naturally spawned fish that of course have no clips. Soon we will know just how the wild fish are contributing to the Chinook biomass if at all. Scientists need to know if any of the tiny stream born wild creatures reach adult hood in the open lake waters. Right now that is the $64,000 question.

     Already some are suggesting that wild fish are better and we should discontinue the stocking program, to which I say bull feathers. Ever hear of the recent salmon situation in fertile northern Pacific waters? Salmon fishing out west is in deep trouble.  I welcome the wild fish but be advised that if we depend on a totally wild fishery we will soon see boom or bust fishing opportunities. It will be nothing like what we enjoy today. If wild fish are making a serious contribution to the numbers of adult salmon, (some biologists currently question their current impact,) their presence must be factored into stocking numbers and perhaps stocking numbers will need to be adjusted, but not eliminated. It should be steady as she goes so that our wonderful fishing history will continue. Keep an eye on this one.

Corp just to name a few once healthy employers. With the recent announcement that Magna Corp (formerly part of Chrysler Corp.) will soon close its E. Syracuse, NY facility, yet another major employer bites the dust. Take that Mr. Puny Economy. 

     Every election year I hear the political mantra being touted that "If you vote for me, I will create jobs. I have a plan and I will deliver".  Well don't hold your breath, as NYS continues to tax, and spend, NYS jobs continue to disappear. I for one am still waiting for the jobs to show up as promised in those campaign sales pitches. This is not about jobs for me, hell I'm well into the AARP mode, but jobs for the working willing who are certainly suffering. These guys and gals get elected, so they must be convincing someone to listen to the job promises. It doesn't appear to me that they have delivered on the age old campaign hoopla, unless they meant they would create jobs in China.

     So what is my point?  Why bring this up on my fishing web site? Read on my friend, read on. The Lake Ontario fishery is a revenue generating machine that requires minimal financial spending in relation to the revenue it provides. It has been estimated that the lake fishery generated over 75 million in annual revenues in 2008 and the Salmon River Fishery was responsible for another 27 million. That adds up to over a 100 million green smacker industry that is unique to New York State and this does not include revenues generated by tributary flows other than the Salmon River.

     Fishing tackle, boat sales, and visitor revenues help fuel our economy.  The infrastructure called Lake Ontario exists thanks to a friendly glacier and will never move to another location, unless that glacier passes by once again. The south shore of Lake Ontario lays mostly in NYS and with proper care will serve up great fishing and substantial revenues as long as we continue to manage the "company" efficiently and intelligently. In fact we could probably even increase the revenue generation without too much effort. In a nut shell, the lake is a fabulous resource. If you build it they will come, except in this case it is already built. Pretty nice isn't it?

     The customers of the "business" purchase fishing tackle, boats, boat accessories, licenses; they eat at local restaurants and sleep at local motels. They buy fuel for their boats and cars; they buy food, drink, and snacks. They buy gifts, go to movies and a whole gaggle of other things to numerous to name here.

     Like it or not our fishery is a revenue generating machine that contributes to our statewide economy. If a 100 plus million dollar NYS based industry even hinted that they were considering leaving the state the elected overseers would jump to offer incentives of all kinds to get that industry to stay put and that is not a bad thing. It is however somewhat ironic that when our Governor finally tries to cool the state's boiling fiscal cauldron, as well he should, we look at the successful fishing industry and cut fishery bureau jobs and increase user fees. Truth is stranger than fiction, isn't it!

     While budget woes continue, the short funded DEC Fishery people are managing the effort to get the job done with less people. It appears that as usual the users of the fishery will accept fee increases if those increases are used for DEC support and not things like tattoo removal or bridges to nowhere, a couple of outrageous pork favorites.

     Let it be known that if you enjoy the Lake Ontario Fishery you are stimulating the economy. When you go fishing, even if you do it only once in a while, you are stimulating the economy. When you purchase fuel, when you place a line in the water with that recently purchased lure, you are stimulating the economy. As you are fishing, when you sit back, relax and chomp on that huge sub sandwich, that you recently purchased, you are stimulating the economy. When your brand new rod nestled in your expensive downrigger pops free and starts to buck and the reel screams with the peeling line attached to a mighty king, you are stimulating the economy. As you enjoy the exciting battle to bring the bruiser fish to the boat, well that's a stimulation of a different color. Only recreational and charter trollers will know what that is like. As I have said in the past, it's great to be a Lake Ontario troller. It is also very stimulating.

Starting in early April the action begins along the shoreline and in the confines of the Oswego Harbor. Using light line, light rods and warm clothing makes for some of the best fishing experiences one can find. Once hooked, the unpredictable browns can provide plenty of surprise filled action. Will the fish jump for the sky or swim to the depths, you never know till it happens? Will it prefer a shallow running lure or one down rigged to deeper depths, or will both presentations work? You just never know.

     Brown trout fishing is usually characterized by fast action where multiple hookups are quite common. A wide range of presentation techniques are used and this makes for some interesting situations. Catch one fish on one rod reel set up and the next fish on a totally different configuration and then on to still another type of presentation. Sounds interesting, doesn't it?

     Brown trout are wary, crafty creatures that do not wander too far from where they began their lives in the lake. They usually hang out together which affords the angler the multiple hookup probability. They will gobble up stick baits, spoons, spinners, tinsel flies worms and minnows just to name a few types of hook candy. This reminds me, about a time when I caught a brown on a young angler's Gummy Bear candy worm. True story, and if I remember correctly the color was green with a few white sprinkle "do dads". After catching that fish we would have used more gummies, but by that time we had eaten the entire bag. 

      If I seem excited about brown trout fishing it is because I really am. I feel it is a fishing scenario where the puzzle must be solved many, many times during a fishing outing making the experience really intense and thus magnificently rewarding.

     One final thought, the last three NYS record brown trout were caught in Eastern Basin waters within four to five miles of one another. Hundreds of huge browns have been taken since the current record fish was landed and I might add that the current record fish was caught aboard the Dixie Dandy, and in case you are not aware, thatsa my boat. The next potential record brown is cursing out there getting bigger and bigger. If you want to catch it, well then you have got to go fishing

      So if you want a trophy brown I think you know where you should fish. Perhaps that guy should have said "go east young man".  In any event it is still great to be a Lake Ontario troller, as long as it is somewhere on Eastern Lake Ontario.