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WILL ELLIOT FISHING LINE ~ Updated Weekly
     By WILL ELLIOTT ~  Buffalo News 

Will Elliott received three awards during the joint NYSOWA/AGLOW conference
at Niagara Falls Sept. 17-20. The awards are:

• Ice Team Second place for ice-fishing column, Buffalo News, Jan. 28, 2007
• NYS Outdoor Writer Association Humor Category, second place for NY Outdoor News column on hating squirrels.
• Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers third-place award for Page Layout, Buffalo News, Oct. 29, 2006, on gun maintenance and tree care.

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Fishing Line ~ ~ ~ ~ By Will Elliott
JULY 17 2008     
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Lake Erie

Some fished deep, others stayed close to shore. But competitors in the New York Walleye Association AmaraCan Team Tourney brought in good walleye numbers and sizes this past week from sites near and far from Dunkirk Harbor. Winning 10-fish totals averaged more than 6 pounds per fish.

Most boaters have been heading deeper, but the high end of a thermocline holds at depths of 60 feet off Dunkirk Harbor, extending to well east of Cattaraugus Creek. A few larger ’eyes cruise along these closer, shallower haunts.

The worm harness hauls in the most walleye, but depth control can be taxing. While some boaters have high sets — 20-foot Jet Divers, 3-4 colors out on lead core, Dipsy Divers on the 1-or 2-setting out less than 100 feet — others go with down rigs run just off bottom.

Color combinations vary daily, but for more than a week anything with chartreuse found use. Spinner blades and body baits with bright, light green have been keen. The standard copper/ watermelon, black/purple, and copper/orange all do damage. But hang a light shade of green out for everything from walleye to trout.

Don’t put perch rigs away just yet. A nice summer run continues at depths of 40-70 feet between Sturgeon Point and Dunkirk Harbor. Depths and peak hitting times vary, but trollers running video cameras see ringback packs close to bottom at spots all along the shoreline drop-offs.

Lake Ontario

Open-water trollers can still hit into kings and assorted trout within two miles of shore most mornings.

The salmon, steelie and brown trout bite starts at first light over 100-150, notes Wes Walker at Slipper Sinker Bait & Tackle in Olcott. “Sometimes they will be shallower at the start, but the best time is just after sunrise and at dusk,” Walker said of the near-shore fishery.

Out deeper, trollers work the top 65 feet for a mix of young kings, browns, and steelies. Spoons with metallic flash work well on trout; a flasher and fly can be regal for kings.

Along shore, bass have harbor casters busy. Smallmouths seem to be everywhere, but a notable number of largemouth bass have been taken around Wilson Harbor. In tight, the crappie bite is just right.

Chautauqua Lake

Regulars have seen an up-tick in both walleye and musky activity in relatively shallow waters at Chautauqua. Walleye trollers run Hot- ’N-Tots well away from the weeds in the South Basin in 15-to 18-foot depths during early morning hours.

The musky bite has been best for casters working bigger Storm lures around weed edges, said Lisa Green at Happy Hooker Bait & Tackle.

Photo-worthy fish

Anglers with good photos of great catches can have their trophy shots displayed on the fishing page of The News’ Web site (buffalo-news. com/fishing).

New photos will be added as they are received.

To get your photo published, e-mail it along with a brief description of the catch, including the name and home (city, town or village) of the angler, the location of the catch and how the fish was caught towillodrs@gmail.com.

willodrs@gmail.com

 

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Fishing: Anglers confront emergency bait rules
By Will Elliott

Update on VHS 

Baiting up for that big bass or a nice bucket of yellow perch will take a bit more of a bite when buying minnows — and an understanding of what and how to do your bait gathering and keeping.

Emergency regulations designed to stop the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) has put a strain on how anglers can collect bait minnows for personal use when fishing.

Currently, rules have been set up to block VHS, and the stipulations are substantial. These rules remain in place until June 7, with a public input period extending until April 22.

For now, here’s the deal: Anglers cannot transport bait (live or salted) from one site to another. Persons dipping bait must use that bait at the location where minnows or chubs were captured.

The bait can be transported aboard a boat on the waterway from which the bait was taken, but minnows cannot be transported by any form of motor vehicle on land.

Bait dealers can only sell certified live minnows or minnows that have been salted by Department of Environmental Conservation approved procedures.

Dealers have to issue a receipt indicating the date and amount of bait sold to a purchaser, and that bait can only be used for a period of one week after the date of sale.

Many fishermen rely on minnows as a bait option, but perch anglers, especially in Western New York, consider minnows a must for catching these tasty food fish.

While bait prices have yet to double — as was the rumor over the winter — the new regulations are keeping area bait dealers busy trying to comply with the rules and finding sources of bait supplies.

“My bait prices went up 50-75 cents per dip and quantity went down,” said Jerry Olejniczak of Penrod’s Bait & Tackle in South Buffalo. On average, his bucket of bait price went from $5 to $6 since the new rules took effect.

“I’m sure it’s discouraged some people because they have to keep a dated receipt for only a week’s use, along with the price increase,” Olejniczak said. “This is not helping.”

Bill Van Camp, at Big Catch Bait & Tackle in the Riverside area now sets his price at $6 per dip. Van Camp pegs the end of certified Wisconsin emerald shiners at no later than sometime in May, about the start of the Lake Erie perch run.

Once certified emeralds will no longer be available, small golden shiners or fatheads will be the mainstay for perch pursuers — at even higher costs. He pointed out that bait dealers can sell salted minnows kept in a labeled bag as proof of purchase.

He predicts, “You’ll see a dramatic drop in the perch creel survey on Erie this year.”

Rick Miller, at Miller’s Bait & Tackle in Irving, dips about 60 minnows at $6 for his customers.

“We’re relying on Wisconsin bait, but it takes so long to be certified before they can be purchased from wholesalers that we might not have emeralds when the good perch fishing starts,” Miller said.

“Keep this up and there won’t be anyone doing anything [fishing],” he added.

Dave Watts at Dave’s Bait & Tackle in Derby simply said, “Boy, it’s hurting us here.” His sales have dropped and he wonders about the forthcoming perch season.

Lee Weber has already seen the enforcement side of these regulations. Weber was cited for selling $1 worth of bait to an angler without issuing him a receipt. He will appear in Evans court on Monday evening to argue this case.

Weber’s prices have gone up about a buck, in line with other dealers.

Lisa and Brian Green at Happy Hooker Bait in Ashville on Chautauqua Lake have not seen a drastic change in bait sales but, Lisa said, “They’re buying by the dozen rather than a dip of bait now.”

DEC officials plan to post signs indicating details of these new regulations at access sites, but, to date, all bait-dipping related notices have been posted by private individuals.

Tradition has it that Lake Erie perch only bite on emerald shiners. Oneida Lake perch like leeches, eyeballs, and nightcrawlers; Seneca Lake perch devour oak leaf bugs, many a nearby lake in Canada produce perch with just a can of blood worms.

Erie anglers will have to adjust, test the waters and find alternate ways to round up ringbacks. These VHS rules could be around for a while.

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