how is fishing in buffalo

[Mr. Roboto]

any tips or advice is appreciated.

GO WEST YOUNG MAN!!!!.......( Horace Greeley 1854 )

[Wackyracer]

We were down off Cat creek 2 weeks ago, once again marked a lot of fish caught one small walleye, 1-sheepshead and snagged 1-silver bass for 6hrs of fishing. These were the fish of any kind that we had caught since the end of June....going out at least once a week weather permitting. Not a sheepshead nor a sliver bass....absolutely NOTHING!

Exactly What is everyone using for spinners? line? depth? speed? Bait?I don't have down riggers. I do have one #0 black dipsy, 6 Church's walleye boards, 6-line counter reels, Berts tackle rod trees and holders, about 10 different Colorado spinners in size #5 and 6, What color harness beads and spinners have been working lately?...so many questions and so little fishing time left!

[glowgetter]

You have to fish , were the high percentages of walleyes are right now. Thats well west of sturgeon pt. At this point.I have been trying to tell guys that I work with. And they still continue to launch from the city, and then come back and say they caught nothing or maybe one. Set yourself up for failure, your gonna fail.
Go West !!

[Lerie]

The tip of going west is some of the best advice for those of you struggling with the walleye catching. Barcelona has been good, State line a bit better. Over the past several weeks I have been doing OK in 100 to 120 feet of water. There was one day in particular that I caught 4 off a downrigger set at 85 feet down. Was doing well with a worm harness - make my own - a double 4 1/2 willowleaf in a hologram blue shad finish has been my best color. The distance I fish behind the riggers is 60 to 70 feet and I keep my trolling speed in the 2.3 to 2.5 range. Due to the amount of Silver bass that I have been catching on the worm harnesses, over the last week I started to fish a larger 4 1/2 inch trolling spoon which the silver bass still hit. Best colors for me in lures are watermelon and girl/boy. Due to the silver bass action and the fact that they hardly trip a rigger release, check your rods out every 20 to 30 minutes by releasing them to see if you have a hitch hiker.

I do not own or use lead core. Started fishing Lake Erie's deeper waters off Dunkirk in pursuit of coho's back in 1980 or so. When we discovered the amount of walleye out there and started employing planner boards, we found it necessary to add more weight to our deep diving lures as the summer moved along and the fish kept on moving deeper with the forage base. I found out that I did not like to add more than 2 ounces of weight or so as it took away from the fight of the fish - it was more like winching them in. Then I started using stainless steel monel line to accomplish getting my lures down deep. You have the weight of the steel line and because it does not stretch, the deep diving crankbaits got deeper. A decided advantage for me that I enjoyed fighting a fish with this rig as I could feel every head shake of the fish. Back in those days the Bomber 24A was one of the most used plugs. It got down to around 24 feet on its own. With wire line it hit the 40 feet mark. Ok - so here we go again having to add weight to get it even deeper as August September rolls around. That's when I added sinker releases to my arsenal of tools. First started with those made by Les Davis. Found and tried the Big-Jon Jettison Release and have been using those since. Yes - you lose the weight when a fish strikes it. My reels for this rig are filled with a mono backing - about 200 yards. Then I add 125 feet of the monel in 12# test. Next is a leader length of 20 to 30 feet. I then add the Jettison Release and tie on my snap swivel. Then attach your lure of choice, while holding unto the Jettison, I let out approximately 10 feet of line and then add the sinker weight to the release that I need to get down to the fish. This time of the year I may be using from 6 to 8 ounces. While I have yet to use them, I even added some 10 and 12 ouncers to my arsenal. I do fish these off the Off Shore Boards and let out all of the leader and monel line in addition to 20 to 30 feet or more of backing and then attach the backing to the boards. With 2 rods set up with this I can cover almost all depths of the water column where we target fish. Those Off Shore Boards will handle the 8 ounce with no problems. Recently I did try one of those 10 ouncers and that may be the limit of what those boards can take in calmer seas. There are some that may say that you will wear out your fishing rod guides. I have been using the same Shakespeare Ugly Stik 9 foot Rigger Rods for more than 30 years and have never had to replace a guide or tip top.

Did not plan on writing a book, but one last thing for those of you employing downriggers. Use your electronics. If for example you have your riggers set at 75 feet down and you mark some fish at the 80 feet level, start doing some s-turns. The lure on the side that you are turning to will flutter down to the 80 feet fish and when you turn to the other side, that lure speeds up and comes back up. With my lures fished some 60 to 70 feet back of the ball, you even have time to let your rigger down that 5 feet to cover the fish that your marking. Another thing I will do when marking fish below the level of my rigger balls is to place the motor in neutral. When I initially mark the fish I will start a 3 to 5 second count, place the motor in neutral for a 10 second count, then place the motor back in gear. Most hits with this occur after placing the motor back in gear.

[GreenHead]

Wackyracer pm sent

[fishkiller16]

You don't need to travel to Barcelona to get your fish ( don't get me wrong the fishing is good there ) but I haven't had to travel more than 4-5 miles from the Catt. since the beginning of July. We are at 480 walleyes for the NY season and I didn't start till June 8th this year. Keep it simple, lead core (deep 8,9,&10 color right now), and 8oz torpedo divers 150 back. We have been catching fish from 65' to 80' around the 35/14-17 line harnesses and sticks been working good the new bay rat lures stick baits have been taking more fish than the renosky's have been. Good luck and don't over think keep it simple.

[Wackyracer]

Thanks for all the info and a special thanks to all those that PM'ed me...I will be making a couple calls!

[Anchor Wheel]

IMO keep it simple, as an example was out yesterday west of SP (last time out for Walleyes this season) Fished 7am till 12:30 caught a two man limit, had 4 rods on board 8 & 10 color running on church TX22 boards, and two rods running dipsy's. No big boards No Downriggers and I don't want them. Ran the same basic program all year but progressed with the leadcore colors, from 3,4,5 --- 5,6,7 ----6,7,8 and 7-10 color boated over 300 and didn't try to over think it. biggest thing find the bait find the Walleye. Going to try a simple 4 dipsy rod program next year, fast and easy!!. Time for some fun Bass fishing and perching now.

[GreenHead]

Sound advise AnchorWheel! Man 300 fish, great angling!! Maybe should we attach a transmitter like the ones parents do on there teenagers cars to track you next year Lol...nice fishing!

[captainjoe]

IMO keep it simple, as an example was out yesterday west of SP (last time out for Walleyes this season) Fished 7am till 12:30 caught a two man limit, had 4 rods on board 8 & 10 color running on church TX22 boards, and two rods running dipsy's. No big boards No Downriggers and I don't want them. Ran the same basic program all year but progressed with the leadcore colors, from 3,4,5 --- 5,6,7 ----6,7,8 and 7-10 color boated over 300 and didn't try to over think it. biggest thing find the bait find the Walleye. Going to try a simple 4 dipsy rod program next year, fast and easy!!. Time for some fun Bass fishing and perching now.

Yes Anchor Wheel. Way to go. I'm still fishing Walleye. I need to get a few more of Baileys, Copo's etc. fish. I have had the BEST year ever. But not close to those numbers.

I fished out of Dunkirk today. 9 large Walleye. One 9.75 lbs 4 others were heavy 8.5 to 9lbs. The others were large also. One rainbow several silver bass and white perch.