how is fishing in buffalo

[wnyguy]

I've learned so much from you all but, am curious do you guys engage in other types of fishing...sm. & lrg. bass, crappie, etc.

I used to do a lot of fishing before I got married and up until kids were born, and lots of hunting, more hunting than fishing. Grew up in wny and never fished erie once until a few years ago when I realized that I really ought to try fishing in this lake I keep reading about! I used to carry around a collapsable pole in my car and fish whenever I could. I remember catching these brown trout in a stream near washington dc that you wouldn't expect to hold fish. I fished far carp at ub when I took classes there, right on the spaulding dorm area lakes, they were fun, caught them on nightcrawlers. One of my favorite places that I caught fish was up in homer, alaska, and my wife and I went halibut fishing on a charter boat that was lots of fun, but a lot of work. 2 lb weight, big hook and 200 feet down on the bottom just like perch fishing. The biggest halibut we caught that day was over 100 lbs. Once they get over 60 lbs they actually shoot them before bringing them in the boat so the flipping wouldn't hurt anything. Nobody knew this and somebody brought in the first decent fish like that, and the first mate pulls out this rusty old .410 shotgun, I think we all thought at the same time he was going to shoot us and dump the bodies LOL. It was hard work though to reel up that 200 feet just to check your bait, arms get tired from all the reeling. It felt like you were bringing up a concrete block when a decent fish was on.

Also we went to yellowstone park, hiked a 5 mile one way trail in a bear infested area (warning signs at trailhead), but ended up catching artic greyling, that was neat. Not real big but plenty of them, on spinners.

That collapsible pole came in pretty handy sometimes when on a golf course, throw a cast or 2 if you could sneak one in, sometimes those bass got big.

[NateD]

I fish mostly Erie, so will chase steelies in the tribs from Fall to Spring. Then it’s smallies in the tribs and from shore before getting the boat out. I will also cast for largemouths anytime I am around a pond!

In terms of walleyes, I did manage to get out last night for the first time in about a month, so finally have something to report. Boated 3 and lost 2 along the eastern end of Seneca Shoal, bottom bouncing crawler harnesses off 3-ways. As is often the case for me, if I get fish it’s typically on a small chartreuse pattern with silver blades, and that was the case last night. The copper/ watermelon harness got the two fish which I lost (one which hit while I had cut the trolling motor to bring in the other fish, so there must have been enough drift without it)! Too bad it cut the line on the way up… Sure felt like a walleye versus the head-shaking of a sheephead. The boated fish probably ranged from 2-4 pounds each

All the ‘eyes hit between 8:15 and 9:15. I have read elsewhere that a half hour before and after dusk is often a prime feeding time, and that has generally been the case for me most times.

It took a little while to get out to the shoal with the 1+ footers, but heading back with the waves was much easier. There were a few other boats up past the shoal, where I started, but where I found the fish there wasn’t anyone else around. The shoal was also crawling with bait- I didn’t mark any big fish but could certainly see what was attracting them. For a relative newcomer like me, it was a great night to be out and to be able to get into multiple fish!

I was hoping to try and get out tonight, but looking at the forecast as well as the buoy conditions it’s probably not going to happen. Good luck to anyone else who may be heading out…

[milt]

I fish mostly Erie, so will chase steelies in the tribs from Fall to Spring. Then it’s smallies in the tribs and from shore before getting the boat out. I will also cast for largemouths anytime I am around a pond!

In terms of walleyes, I did manage to get out last night for the first time in about a month, so finally have something to report. Boated 3 and lost 2 along the eastern end of Seneca Shoal, bottom bouncing crawler harnesses off 3-ways. As is often the case for me, if I get fish it’s typically on a small chartreuse pattern with silver blades, and that was the case last night. The copper/ watermelon harness got the two fish which I lost (one which hit while I had cut the trolling motor to bring in the other fish, so there must have been enough drift without it)! Too bad it cut the line on the way up… Sure felt like a walleye versus the head-shaking of a sheephead. The boated fish probably ranged from 2-4 pounds each

All the ‘eyes hit between 8:15 and 9:15. I have read elsewhere that a half hour before and after dusk is often a prime feeding time, and that has generally been the case for me most times.

It took a little while to get out to the shoal with the 1+ footers, but heading back with the waves was much easier. There were a few other boats up past the shoal, where I started, but where I found the fish there wasn’t anyone else around. The shoal was also crawling with bait- I didn’t mark any big fish but could certainly see what was attracting them. For a relative newcomer like me, it was a great night to be out and to be able to get into multiple fish!

I was hoping to try and get out tonight, but looking at the forecast as well as the buoy conditions it’s probably not going to happen. Good luck to anyone else who may be heading out…

what fow were you fishing in

[NateD]

Forgot to mention that... they hit on the transition from 35 up to 30. I think it may have gotten as shallow us the upper 20s before I hit the other side, but mainly was in the low 30s.

[milt]

Forgot to mention that... they hit on the transition from 35 up to 30. I think it may have gotten as shallow us the upper 20s before I hit the other side, but mainly was in the low 30s.

thx for the info in early may at night i fish the 16 fow on the west side of the departure bouy

[captainjoe]

I went out Sat 7:00 am to 1:30 pm. Boxed 3 with 1 throwback. It was legal but too small to keep. Got one perch off the down rigger 63 fow 58 ft down. A few silver bass and of coarse Mr. Sheephead. I found something interesting. We started out at 62 fow. It was 75.6 on the top. I put the downrigger down to 55 ft & the temp. Was 74.2. We trolled west from Pt. Abino to 68 ft. & put thd downrigger down to 64 ft. The temp there was 66 deg. I hit numerous cold spots intermittently.. Wanted to get out Sun. but you know how hard it is to get two nice days in a row on lake Erie

[copo427ss]

Jim how did you do Sunday? I saw you puttin the baja on the trailer as I was headin out with my friends family to go tubing. It was pretty rough on the other side of the wall.

[wnyguy]

I found something interesting. We started out at 62 fow. It was 75.6 on the top. I put the downrigger down to 55 ft & the temp. Was 74.2. We trolled west from Pt. Abino to 68 ft. & put thd downrigger down to 64 ft. The temp there was 66 deg. I hit numerous cold spots intermittently.. Wanted to get out Sun. but you know how hard it is to get two nice days in a row on lake Erie

It's almost hard to believe, 76 on top, and 74 degrees 55 feet down. I never would have imagined that. My guess is that is what happens when zebra mussels clear out the water like they have over the recent years?

Here is another interesting one:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/buf/laketemps/laketemps.php

Lake erie temperature, today it's 76, and that reading is taken from 30 foot depth.

So when you hit cold spots, did you register more fish on the finder?