West Side Browns

Capt. Gehrig and 1st Mate Chad, holding the one that didn't get away

Late last month Greg Gehrig, owner of K&G Sportfishing (800-346-6533), invited me to go for brown trout aboard his luxury liner, Top Gun. (I mean any 40- foot long, three-story yacht, with a head tall enough for me to fit without bumping my head—I’m 6’5”—is luxurious!) It’s the biggest tub I ever fished out of in Oswego County, and when I went up to the bridge to talk to the first mate, Greg’s son Chad, I noticed I was looking down on everyone else out there.

We left Wright’s Landing at daybreak, heading straight out of the harbor. About a half mile later, we turned left.

Capt. Gehrig loaded four rods with Michigan Stingers and ran the baits off downriggers between 35- to 50-feet deep; and flat-lined a couple Stingers on lead core, seven colors out. Our target was 56 degree water and we trolled at 1.9 to 2.1 mph.

Before long, Chad reported “pods” of bait below us, with trout along the edges. Fish were there but they had lock jaw.

For a few minutes, anyway. Then one of the rods sprang to action. Unfortunately, I was too busy picking the good Captain’s mind for nuggets of fishing wisdom—the man just won the Pro Division championship of the Lake Ontario Pro-Am Orleans County tournament--and I ain’t ever won a tournament, so I wanted to know how it’s done.

Talk about being able to talk and work at the same time: mid-sentence, the captain ran over to the rod right next to me, pulled it out of the holder, handed it to me and requested “Bring ‘em in.”

Well, I fought the thing for a few seconds, just long enough to start developing the story I was going to tell all my friends when I got home, when suddenly my fingers experienced the angler’s greatest anguish—limp line.

Fish one; Spider nothing!

We trolled around some more, locating bait pods left and right, with browns always nearby. However, the end of June was under the weather most of the time: rain, sun, cold, warmth…and everything in between. The fish were a little out of sorts, to say the least.

I kept asking the captain questions. He kept filling the blanks. I was learning a lot.

Up in the hawk’s nest, Chad watched a pod of bait wash over the screen and ordered: “Get ready.”

I no sooner riveted my eyes back to the rods when one started dancing the “Brown Trout Trot.” I grabbed it--all by myself this time--and the fight was on.

I knew it was a good fish because it took so long to bring in…or maybe it was because so much line was out.

At any rate, when we netted it, the thing was hefty and we estimated it at around 10 pounds.

Having gotten a load of notes, a good fish and photos, I was prepared to let the crew off the hook and go home for the day. They looked at me like I lost some the strands in my head, web or something, and set our course for deeper water hoping to nail me shots of a humongous laker or king.

But that’s for my next post.

When we set out that morning, Captain Greg predicted the day’s fishing before we even dropped a line:

“When the fishing’s easy, anyone can catch fish, including the young guys. But when it’s tough like it is now, us old timers come through.”

You know, he convinced me.

For more information go to www.visitoswegocounty.com or call 800-248-4386 and request an Oswego County Hunting & Fishing guide.

Chad in the "crow's nest": room with a view!

Habitat Row

Capt. John Kopy holding a trophy rock bass

Oswego County's anglers are like their peers everywhere; they can't keep a secret. For instance, they brag about the Salmon River's legendary coldwater fishery. Come summer, they'll tell ya all about the landlocked Atlantic salmon and Skamania runs that make the river the best summer trout fishery east of the Mississippi.



But when it comes to the Salmon River's warmwater opportunities, something strange happens -- mum's the word. It's not that they don't know about it. It's more mercenary than that. They wanna keep it to themselves.



You see, the slow moving, weed-lined water in the stream's estuary and the narrow channel right at its mouth, offer some of the best warmwater fishing in the county. Northern pike commonly go 15 pounds, smallmouth bass average three, and panfish reach bragging-size.



Even back in the 1960s, when the fishery was threatened because of lamprey eel predation and water pollution, Selkirk was one of the best bets in the state to catch trophy smallmouth bass and northern pike.



So when my good buddy, local fishing guide John Kopy (315-387-6343) called a few days ago to see if I wanted to try my luck in this wonderful web of habitats, I jumped at the chance.



I don't have to tell anyone how iffy, even by New York standards, the weather has been lately. When we started out, a cold front sat on the water, sprinkling a fine mist that gave the waterscape an enchanting air. By the time we motored up to the NY 3 bridge, the sun was out and you could feel it burn the fog off the water.



While shifting meteorological events enhance the beauty of the scenery to man, it makes the fish clam-up and dive for the deep.



However, we managed to eke out some exciting encounters.



Unfortunately, they were all short strikes, connected to the line just long enough to tease us. Just as John or I had our hands in the water to mouth Mr. Bronzeback, he'd spit the bait right back at us like it was bad meat.



Still, Kopy managed to land a couple for photographic purposes.



Equally important, he lead me to the biggest rock bass I've caught so far this year. One was a staggering pound and half.



This area is notorious for huge rock bass. Unlike the lake's other bays and ponds, where they come in to spawn and leave right away, the estuary holds monsters year-round. They'll hit all the usual suspects, but the most exciting way to take 'em is off the surface with a popper.



Huge sunfish and a few crappie are also available.



With its ample weed beds, cattail mats, emergent weeds, sunken and exposed timber, the estuary is ideal northern pike territory. They'll take a large minnow, spinner bait, or buzz bait.



To look at it, you'd swear the estuary's marshy areas make for great largemouth bass action. Yes and no. Bucketmouths are rare in this water. However, when you get one it's usually big enough to write home about.

Bronzebacks, may more than twice this size, rule the Salmon River's estuary all the way to the mouth.

A little of Southern bayou in upstate NY

Fishy looking habitat lines the Salmon River estuary.

Pool Between the Locks

This ambitious rock bass hit a Bomber larger than itself.

Panfish like this pumpkinseed are plentiful in the pool between Locks 06 and 07.

I live on Oneida Lake, but I like fish dinners at world famous Rudy's of Lake Ontario. So last Friday I headed up to Oswego for a bite to eat and watch the sun go down over the big pond.

Like everyone else, I'm usually busy and always in a hurry. But the second week of June was unusually hectic. Several deadlines converging all at once, inventory forcing me to work extra hours at my part-time job, and the new home I just closed on made the period one of the busiest weeks in my life. When Friday finally rolled around, I wasn't gonna hurry anymore, and took the long, scenic road to the city; NY 48, along the Oswego River.

At the mouth of Ox Creek, the stream looked very inviting. By Minetto, it cast its spell on me, splashing my imagination with fishing scenes. By the time I reached Oswego, I couldn't fight the urge anymore. Pulling off the road just downstream of the upper power dam, I grabbed a couple rods out of the trunk and headed down to the water.

I'd never fished the pool between the dams before, but Larry Muroski, owner of the Oswego Salmon Shop, assured me many times in the past that the place was loaded with fish, including one of my favorites, catfish. Not just your average size whisker-pusses either; but some of the biggest in the drainage, monsters up to 20 pounds.

While scanning the rapids for pockets, eddies, seams and other likely holding areas, visions of catfish the size of miniature Minotaurs swam through my imagination. I decided on a spot about 100 yards downstream of the power plant, where the rapids left the shoreline and pushed towards the center of the river. I cast a worm weighed down with a large split shot across the current and let it sweep downstream. When it sank to the bottom at the current's edge, I worked it back slowly along the river floor.

A pumpkinseed of about five inches took my bait right away. Next cast I reeled in a decent rock bass. About an hour later, the tally was one sheepshead, five smallmouth bass, two rock bass and two sunfish; and numerous hits I couldn't connect with.

No catfish, however, and I wanted one bad.

So I decided to cross the stream and try my luck off the concrete bulkhead at the base of the lower lock, where the water is much deeper to accommodate shipping. It looked like perfect habitat for catfish. I got some hits and pulled in some more panfish, including a couple perch.

Before I knew it, the sun began to set. Hunger returning, I packed my gear and hit the road for Rudy's.

Unfortunately, I hadn't caught a catfish. But I fished a new spot, one I believe will give me some good cats and walleyes in the future. After all, everything these popular species crave is right there: rapids near the safety of deep water.

To get to Lock 6 from downtown, head south for 1.2 miles on NY 481 from its intersection with Bridge Street, turn right onto the lock road, and park in the small lot. Head north, climb down the tall stairs and fish at the end of the wall.

A family fishing below lock 6.

A sailboat leaving lock 6

Oswego County: World Famous Carping

A fish this big ain't somethin' to carp about!

A couple of average-sized Oswego drainage carp

From the above title, you'd think this story is gonna be about world class complaining.


Nah, it's about fishing


You see, Oswego County residents are basically a mild-mannered bunch. When they carp, they're not critical or nasty or anything like that. Instead, they're out sitting on the bank somewhere, still-fishing for carp, one of the largest, toughest challengers in fresh water.


We're loaded with carp; primarily because the Oswego River runs through the county. Lake Ontario's second largest tributary, it gets that big by draining the Finger Lakes, Oneida Lake, a couple of smaller lakes and a whole mess of streams in between. All that water runs through farm country and skirts swamps and marshlands, gathering nutrients along the way. Good stuff that supports a wide variety of plants and animals, serving up a cornucopia that makes carp grow fat.


There are so many, and they get so big, the waterway's population has made it onto the national scene. Last May 15-16, the Catch-And-Release Professional Carp Tournament Series (CARP) held its Northeast Regional on the Seneca River (its union with the Oneida River in the hamlet of Three Rivers forms the Oswego River).


Teams from around the world competed in the multi-day event. Everyone caught fish. Many went better than 20 pounds.


That's a lot of carp!


Watching these guys for a while brought back memories of my youth. I didn't give it much thought again until last Saturday. I boiled a couple potatoes and cut them into bouillon-sized squares; rolled a loaf of white bread into about 250 marble-sized bread balls; and pulled a can of kernel corn out of the cupboard.


Then I went to the DEC fishing access site on Cty. Rte. 37, on the north end of the I-81 bridge.


I chummed the area by throwing out a handful of each of the above food items, baited a rod with a piece of potato, another with a bread ball, cast them out, and sat down for a bite--a hit, that is.


While waiting, I did what every man who chases this "thinking man's fish" does. I started thinking about things; anything and everything.


Right when I was on the verge of cracking the secrets of Wall Street, my rod snapped me out of it by heading for the drink. That's how a carp hits: hard and with enthusiasm. I set the hook and the fight was on. It took a full five minutes to bring the brute, a 15-pounder, to the rocks.


Exhausted, he didn't struggle as I removed the hook. I looked at his rubbery mouth, huge scales, massive tail, and his rapidly gasping gills and thought: Yup, this is one ugly critter, but it sure gave me a good fight.


I wondered why others didn't take advantage of this resource. Indeed, why his kind is treated with extreme prejudice by a significant minority of American anglers.


After all, Ulysses S. Grant brought carp over here from Germany when he was President of the US, hoping to beef up the nation's depleted fisheries. They took to our waters, and, being one of the hardiest species under the waves, thrived. While at the same time, our native species were fading fast.


Seeing all the carp caused a lot of Americans to blame them, instead of the real culprits--over--fishing and pollution--for decimating native stocks. This mentality sent carp slipping down the slope of discrimination to this very day.


Fortunately, their importance as a sports fish is finally being recognized. See for yourself by tangling with a few. It's as easy as I described above.


One important thing to remember: cover your hook completely with the bait. Carp have very sensitive mouths and will drop a piece of potato if it doesn't feel right.


Good places to try are Minetto, Caughdenoy, Oswego, Three Rivers, Phoenix, anywhere there's a river, really. Lakes Oneida and Neahtahwanta are loaded with them, too.


For more information go to www.visitoswegocounty.com or call 800-248-4386 and request an Oswego County Hunting & Fishing guide.

A Time to Teach

Caughdenoy resident Gerald Donegan holds son Robert's first largemouth bass.

Under the proper conditions, kids'll take to fishing like minnows to water. And the best time to get them hooked on this exciting, lifetime activity is right now.

You see, a youngster's attention span lasts as long as the fish are hitting. When they clam up, everything else that's going on takes center stage. Peepers peeping, frogs croaking, turtles basking, heron's fishing, all become distractions. While lessons in nature are good things, the object is to keep the child focused on catching fish.

And that's easiest and cheapest to do from now through mid-June. You see, spring raises water temperatures, triggering warmwater species into spawning mode. By now, some like northern pike, walleyes and perch have done the deed and are basking--and feeding--in the shallows.

Others like sunfish, bass, catfish, and carp are just getting started. This draws them to muddy flats and weed beds near shore, within easy reach of bank anglers. (Bass season opens the third Saturday in June. Right now bass season is catch and release only, with artificial lures.)

Equally productive habitats right now are tributary mouths and rapids. Fish that have just spawned are famished and tired. Since current carries food, all they have to do is rest on bottom or behind structure and open their mouths.

The best bait to use depends on the species you're targeting. For instance, if you're specifically going for crappies, northerns or pickerel, minnows will work best. However, if you're just out to have a good time and don't care what you catch, worms will do.

Make the experience visual by using a bobber. Not only does it allow you to see the bite, it keeps you out of rocks and other snags. Stick with the smallest bobber you can so the fish feels the least resistance possible.

If you'd rather not handle live bait, try lures. The best, all around bait is a bucktail jig. A jighead flavored with a YUM or Powerbait grub (1- to 2-inchers for panfish, 3-inchers for pike and walleyes) works well, too. Or try crankbaits like Rat-L-Traps, Smithwick, Rogues, Bombers and Rapalas, working them just fast enough to give them some action.

Oswego County is loaded with productive, shallow water habitats. Look at a map and you'll see a web of fishing spots. Just pick a city, village or hamlet on water, and rest assured it has public access.

Then add a kid with a fishing pole and watch the fun begin.

For more information go to http://www.visitoswegocounty.com/ or call 800-248-4386 and request an Oswego County Hunting & Fishing guide.

Daughter's first fish.

Granddaughter's first fish.

The Eyes of May

Palermo native Rick Emmons with a nice stringer he took on the Oneida River in Caughdenoy on May 11.

Oneida Lake is your best bet in the Northeast to catch a batch of walleyes for the frying pan. But it's not Oswego County's only hot spot for this delicious critter. Indeed, the Oneida and Oswego Rivers are every bit as productive right now.

The reason is that water temperatures are pretty mild this month, allowing walleyes to hang out in one of their favorite habitats, fast water. Come mid-June, the surface layer will heat up to uncomfortable levels, forcing walleyes to beat fins for the rivers' darkest depths, or back into the lake.

This also creates the ideal situation for bank anglers. In the old days, villages sprang up at the site of rapids because dams and mills were built to harness water power. More recently, locks were built to facilitate boat traffic. As a result, river rapids generally offer a lot of public fishing access.

So I went out Monday afternoon to try my luck. I started in Caughdenoy. As I pulled into the lot, Rick Emmons, a Palermo resident, was just leaving. I asked how he did and he showed me a stringer containing several nice perch and a 22-inch walleye.

Psyched, I started casting a Rebel. Within a half hour I caught an 18-incher. I fished for another hour, caught a feisty two-pound smallmouth and a Sheepshead twice that size.

I split, went to Phoenix and fished the plunge pool below the floodgates on the east shore where I caught a smallmouth of about 1 ½ pounds. Schools of huge carp, some over 25 pounds, were in the gate, trying to figure out a way to get under the barrier.

One bumped into my lure and the treble hook sunk into its pelvic fin. The fish took off like a freight train. My 6-pound test strained as the drag squealed an agonizing protest. Fortunately, the fish shook off before it tore all the line off the reel. The way that fish was moving, I'm pretty sure it's in Canadian territorial waters by now.

Up in Oswego, the bite is fair. Larry Muroski, owner of the Oswego Salmon Shop (315-342-2778) tells me the fish are ranging from six to nine pounds.

"My customers brought in two last week that were over 11 pounds," claims the colorful bait monger.

A good number of these fish are being taken from the river walks on both sides of the stream. Bucktail jigs, leeches, worms fished plain or on spinner-rigged harnesses, and crankbaits like Smithwick Rogues, Rebels, Thundersticks and Rapalas are taking fish.

Charter boat captain Greg Gehrig, owner of K&G Resorts (800-346-6533), reports that the bite has been a little slow the past couple of days, attributing it to the cold fronts that have been sweeping in out of the north. Still, he's been leading clients to one or two huge walleyes each night, between dusk and 3 a.m. His favorite lure is a number 18 Rapala in Firetiger or Black/Silver.

For more information go to www.visitoswegocounty.com or call 800-248-4386 and request an Oswego County Hunting & Fishing guide.

Pen-Reared Trout and Salmon

Capt. Gerry Bresadola (red vest) receiving a $1,000 donation from Brookfield Renewable Power for the pen rearing program in 2008. General Manager John Elmer (sport coat) gave the award as David Turner (shirt and tie), Director of Community Development, Tourism and Planning Dept., and several volunteers look on.

Without a doubt, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation deserves the lion's share of the credit for Lake Ontario's world class steelhead and salmon fisheries. Still, legions of average Joes and Janes, either single-handedly or in small groups, have made generous contributions to the effort, too. One of the best, most productive examples of citizen activism is the pen-rearing going on right now at the Oswego Marina.

It wasn't easy starting the program. Gerry Bresadola, a charter boat captain many credit with being the brains behind the movement, and of a cast of local characters, including Mike Conroy and the late Jack Quinlan, got the ball rolling. "We argued with the DEC for three to four years for cooperation," says Bresadola.

When the authorities finally agreed, other locals joined in. Mike Dalonzo and Greg Hackett built the pens. The Oswego Marina put the cages into the water and allowed them to be anchored to its docks for the duration, and removed them after the fish were released.

Currently, DEC supplies 40,000 kings and 20,000 steelhead annually. Charter boat captains operating out of the Oswego Marina feed the critters five times a day.

This year's batch came in on April 15. Bresadola says water temperatures are rapidly rising to the maximum the fish can tolerate (mid 60s). He expects the cages will be towed out beyond the lighthouse on or around May 13, and the fish will be released in the open lake.

There are good reasons for keeping the fish temporarily penned up. One is to give the salmon time to imprint to the water so they'll return to the Oswego River in three and a half years to spawn

Another reason is to give both species a fighting chance. You see, when things were still in the theoretical stages, cormorants were eating the stockies almost as quickly as the DEC released them. Organizers hoped the pens would give the fish a measure of protection and a little time to get acquainted with their new surroundings.

The fish respond to the special treatment very favorably. "They don't want to leave when the gates are open and we have to coax them out," says Bresadola.

Sportsmen who are drawn to the ancient arts of hunting and fishing are fulfilling humankind's biological role as the natural world's greatest predator. The guys who participate in the pen rearing program go one step further and practice another strictly human gift: stewardship of natural resources. They do it selflessly and without fanfare.

But don't take my word for it. Instead, visit the Oswego Marina at 3 Basin Street, and check out the five pens bearing silent testimony to the patience and dedication the charter captains devote to nurturing Lake Ontario's future trophies.

DEC personnel preparing to fill the pens with salmonids

Pen being stocked

Steelhead coming out of the pipe