how is fishing in buffalo

[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.

[fishkiller16]

We went 3 for 8, we dropped 3 right at the net ( kids reeling). We were sheep masters though.....lol It got a little choppy coming in. You should have introduced your self.

[copo427ss]

We went 3 for 8, we dropped 3 right at the net ( kids reeling). We were sheep masters though.....lol It got a little choppy coming in. You should have introduced your self.

You guys looked pretty busy and it was a cluster at retrieval. Otherwise I would have stopped and said hey. And I had a boat full of kids myself. We did meet this spring at sbh perch fishing. It was raining. I believe it was you and ur partner with the wives.
Sheep masters lol. But kids never really care what's on the end of the line as long as its a fish lol.

[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?

[lineman49]

Fishkiller, I was putting my boat in at the same dock as you were pulling away Sun. AM.. I wondered how you made out, I got 1 in the so. gap & gave it away after 3hrs. of fishing.

[captainjoe]

Sometimes we did see more fish going into and out of the cold spots. But not to extreme that it made a big difference. But it was hard to watch the poles, temperature gage, fishfinder and drive the boat at the same time. We did pull up a few times and the harnesses were striped. Afew times we had good solid hits - started bringing them in and then poof it was gone. They did feel like walleye head jerks. I've never heard about so many people droping fish this year that happened in the years past. ???