Things were finally starting to settle down in our Great Lakes waters, but a big wind event earlier this week could shut things down for a few days. Hopefully by this weekend, anglers will have plenty of opportunity with less pressure as big game hunting kicks into high gear. There is a free fishing day on Nov. 11 to honor veterans.
Lake Erie and tributaries
Perch action continues to be good when you can get on Lake Erie says Capt. Joe Fonzi of Thumbs Up Charters. His most recent outing saw better than average-sized perch on the Canadian line out of Buffalo all the way to Point Abino, from 48 feet to 60 feet of water. Perch were happy to bite dropshot baits like flat worms and gulp minnows. Bass are set up in their fall haunts in 26 to 46 feet of water. Focus on anywhere there is drop off and scattered rock. Use tubes, dropshot rigs and Browndog Tackle A-rigs. Walleyes share bass structure and have been susceptible to jigging spoons and Jigging Raps. A lot of these walleyes are up off the bottom, so a high lift jig cadence has been the ticket according to Fonzi.
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Shub Stevens with Catt. Creek Bait and Tackle reports Cattaraugus Creek has been busy with plenty of fresh trout pushing into Clear Creek, Gowanda and Zoar. Hot baits are pink egg sacs and night crawlers. Bruce Kowalski with TAAR Outdoors in Lake View reports that the other Erie tributaries are still low and clear, but steelhead are up most streams. Perch reports out of the Catt (when weather permits) in and around the 55-foot area on live bait has been decent. Steve Brzuszkiewicz of Marilla got out with Tom Baskerville of Marilla to chase perch out of the Catt. Armed with hip boots to launch at the Sunset Bay State ramp, they went straight to 54 feet of water where they were successful last time out. In three hours, they had their limit of 100 perch up to 14 inches long. They were the only ones out there as everyone else went to Sturgeon Point because of the remaining launch dock. Steve went back on Sunday, but the fish were gone at the Catt. He motored to Sturgeon Point and found fish at the 55-foot drop off and managed a second straight limit. Kowalski noted that muskies are being caught in Buffalo’s outer harbor for those willing to brave the cold weather conditions trolling big body baits.
Niagara River
The Niagara Musky Association held its Tim Wittek/John Henning Memorial Catch and Release musky tournament Sunday and the winner was Andy Lacko of Tonawanda with a 50 1/2-inch fish he jigged up from the upper river using a Bondy Bait. Second place went to Cullen Veiders of Lockport with a 48 1/2-inch musky he jigged up using a Red October ninja tube. John Miller of Lackawanna placed third with a 44-inch fish he caught casting with a Hans the Carver blade. Thirty-eight anglers participated and nine fish were caught.
Capt. Connor Cinelli of Grand Island split his time between the upper and lower rivers. In the upper river, he had a few musky bites this week. Sucker baits with quick strike rigs is his go-to approach. There are lots of big smallmouth bass around Strawberry Island and in the East River. Big golden shiners and small suckers have been the ticket, fished off three-way rigs. In the lower river, he’s been getting a few steelhead mixed with lake trout. There has been a good brown trout bite at Fort Niagara on chartreuse or yellow beads fished off three-way rigs.
Capt. Frank Campbell of Lewiston reports that fishing is good to very good from Devil’s Hole to the Niagara Bar. In Devil’s Hole, steelhead are on and off with eggs, beads, minnows and Mag Lips. At Artpark, lake trout, steelhead and browns are being caught on eggs, beads and Mag Lips. At Fort Niagara, browns are cooperating. Use eggs or beads. Smallmouth bass action has been decent on live bait and swimbaits. If you can get on the Niagara Bar, there are trout, walleye and bass hitting Mag Lips and minnows. Boat and angler etiquette is important when fishing.
Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls this past week caught the end of the salmon run, the beginning of the steelhead run and inadvertently hooked up with lake trout that are out of season until Dec. 1. Water clarity was 6 feet easy, but it’s probably going to change with the big south-southwest winds. Ziehm has been using No. 4 white and chartreuse mixed spinners. Orange also will work. His favorite ¼-ounce bucktail jigs are pearl white. Tommy Holycross of Wheatfield landed two and lost four steelhead in what he says will be his last trip to the NYPA platform due to the Southern Zone deer season going on. He expects to lose fish when using 8-pound test line, with light line giving him a better chance to hook up. Steelhead are plentiful, with the occasional zombie salmon still around as well. Beads are the ticket to success at this point.
Lake Ontario and tributaries
Jim Evarts of the Boat Doctors Tackle Barn reports that brown trout fishing continues to be good in 18 Mile Creek and Burt Dam/Fisherman’s Park with egg sacs, beads and flies. Hot colors continue to be orange and chartreuse. Wax worms and spikes are helping to attract hits. Wilson Harbor perch has been decent the past week and some are showing up in Olcott. Kowalski with TAAR Outdoors reiterated the brown trout action and steelhead are starting to build numbers in places like Burt and the Oak. Oak flows were medium to slightly high with a slight stain. Recent rains have helped smaller streams, but only slightly. Best flows can be found at 18 Mile, Oak, Johnson and Sandy creeks due to Erie Canal water releases.
Chautauqua Lake
There are reports of walleye catches after dark casting from shore according to Capt. Mike Sperry with Chautauqua Reel Outdoors in Lakewood. Floating Rapalas and other stick baits are working. The vertical jigging bite has been good in the deeper north basin holes. Use 1 1/2- and 2-ounce Gotchas and No. 9 Jigging Rapalas. Experimenting with different colors is important but chrome colors on the Jigging Raps usually work. Musky action should be good fishing the remainder of the season. Casting 8- to 10-inch Jerkbaits, slow trolling spinnerbaits and working mid- to deep-diving cranks near remaining weeds on the north basin is always good this time of year.
Finger Lakes
Water temperatures on the surface in the region are in the low 50s according to Capt. John Gaulke with Finger Lakes Angling Zone. Expect good fishing throughout the Finger Lakes now for game and panfish. It’s one of the best times to fish and very few anglers are out.
Otisco Lake: The lake is fishing well for tiger muskies according to Gaulke. Fish around green weed growth in 7 to 15 feet of water. Bass and walleye are active lakewide.
Seneca Lake: Gaulke had slow fishing for pike out of Watkins Glen, but conditions were poor. Some salmon and perch are being caught in the lower lake. Expect good pike fishing. Over the past few years, the northern half of the lake has provided better pike fishing than the southern.
Cayuga Lake: Lake trout fishing is still top-notch in 100 to 130 feet of water. Perch, bass and pickerel should be hitting well on the lake’s north end.