OUTDOORS IN CENTRAL NY

The Latest Fishing, Hunting, Snow Sports and Outdoors News and Events

Fishing outside weed edges in 12 to 16 feet of water with deep diving crankbaits or rubber worms are good mid-to-late-summer fishing methods for largemouth bass. There are still plenty of fish shallow though, so it pays to fish the pockets in the weed beds with Texas- rigged tube baits and creature baits. It's a good idea to use a braided line to help get the fish out of the thick vegetation. This technique can be great during midday. Keep searching for fish as good numbers of fish may be concentrated in a relatively small area within a large weed bed. For smallmouth bass try fishing in 20 to 30 feet of water with minnows, crayfish or Berkley Gulp baits. Smallmouth bass will often suspend in open water so keep searching for schools of fish.

Lake Ontario
Salmon fishing has been very good from Oswego to Port Ontario. Salmon are being found in 100 to 400 feet of water, down 90 to 140 feet. E-chips, Spin Doctors, Inticer flashers, Atomik flies, J-plugs and spoons all seem to be working. Good colors have been green glow, white and chrome. Brown trout fishing continues to be good in 70 to 90 feet of water on Northern King, Michigan Stingers and Dream-weaver spoons. Good colors have been black & silver, glow green, lemon lime and chartreuse. Yellow perch are still being caught on small minnows fished along the shoreline.

Salmon River
There's a few Atlantic salmon and Skamania strain steelhead in the river. Northern pike and bass are still hitting well in the estuary early and late in the day.

Oswego River
Fishing is slow. Some bass are still being taken on crabs and minnows. Smallmouth bass are biting better along the breakwall in the harbor. Yellow perch are biting in front of Flat Rock off Fort Ontario on night crawlers and minnows.

Oneida Lake
Walleye fishing has been good in the deep water areas. Trolling with stickbaits like Jr. Thunderstiks and Rapalas is working well. To get the stickbaits deeper, try using lead core line. Good areas have been from Buoy 121 to Buoy 109. Bass fishing continues to be good around the shoals and rock piles. Good baits remain crabs, minnows, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and plastics.

Continue reading "CNY fishing report for Labor Day weekend" »

Tavish Daly, 9, of Manlius, caught this 5-pound smallmouth bass near Wolfe Island in the St. Lawrence River, on Aug. 3. He was fishing with his twin brother, Ben, at the time, who also caught a keeper bass

Autumn Frodelius, 13, of Fayetteville, showed recently she's got what it takes to win when it comes to competitive shooting.

According to Ron B. Frodelius, her proud grandfather: "At two recent Fayetteville-Manlius Rod and Gun Club rifle shooting, metallic silhoutte matches, Autumn, a first-time shooter (she never held a rifle prior to the matches) won both!

"She won the junior division (twice) beating all boys and girls to age 16. She was shooting at metal targets, 35 to 100 yards, using .22 rimfire rifles. She won two trophies and two perfect "5" pins for perfect scores at 50 and 75 yards.

The grandfather credited her wins with the fact she "had a good rifle, young eyes ... and a "I can win" attitude.

Christopher Haley, Central Square, holds up a 22-inch largemouth bass weighing 5 pounds, 4 oz. that he caught recently during a fishing trip with his buddies on Bob's Lake in Ontario, Canada. He caught the fish on a 5-inch, plastic Senko worm (black with blue flakes).

His wife, Teri wrote: "My husband, Christopher, purchased a new Tracker Bass Boat last fall and has been fishing whenever he can this summer. He has caught his share of bass on Oneida, Onondaga and the Salmon River Res. but nothing this big. During a recent four day fishing trip wth a group of firefighters from the Syracuse Fire Department, (Chris is a firefighter) he caught his best bass to date. Funny thing is that he was teasing me before he left that if he caught the 'big one'' he was having it mounted above the fireplace. The afternnoon of his first fishing day I got a phone call from him. The first thing he said was 'Get the fireplace ready!' "

Teri added: "This fish put up a good fight, coming out of the water three times before going deep into the weeds. After measuring it and taking pictures, he released it for someone else to catch!"

Jim Clary landed this 38-inch, 16-pound northern pike on Cayuga Lake. He caught it Aug. 22 on 8-pound test line using a tube jig.

Steve Houseknecht of Cortland and Dick Wescott of Jordan traveled earlier this year to Brazil to fish for peacock bass -- a true Amazon adventure. Also on the trip were Steve's son, Philip, and long-time friend Doug Albertson of Pa. Steve and Doug share their unique experiences in the following video slideshow. Introduction by Outdoors Editor Dave Figura. (4:28)

Steve Houseknecht of Cortland and Dick Wescott of Jordan traveled earlier this year to Brazil to fish for peacock bass -- a true Amazon adventure. Also on the trip were Steve's son, Philip, and long-time friend Doug Albertson on Pa. Steve and Doug share their unique experiences in the following video slideshow. Introduction by Outdoor editor Dave Figura. (4:28)

Six young fishermen show off their haul of crappie and large and amallmouth bass (13 in all). They caught them all Aug. 2 in the Lake of The Isles on the St. Lawrence River. They fished for three hours and used minnows and worms.

The boys names from left to right are: Matt DiPaulo, Zach Falkner, Cody Freeman, Cameron Freeman, Mike Gras and Max Falkner (lower right)