Super User J Francho Posted December 16, 2008 Super User Posted December 16, 2008 I've posted a few pics of what we do up here when the ponds freeze up, but I thought I'd post a few more recent pics. Tokyo Tony: I did end up on the SR Sunday, but action was slow, and flow was high at 1100cfm. We all had a hard time getting our baits to stay down. The five of us went 3-11, combined. I didn't get a whiff. Friday nights are spent prepping baits, and repairing gear. Ice gets into drag washers, main lines get twisted, reels that got dunked need to be cleaned and rebuilt, LOL. Although the fishing doesn't really get going until a couple of hours after first light, its important to stake your claim early on a good stretch. They fill up fast. Turkey day rainbow for our friend Joe: A surprise, a Chinook hen full of eggs. very late for these to be around. Getting pics of the shot adds to the fun. Hmmm...looks like goon tracks here: Not all of our state is pristine wilderness. Its not all brown and chrome here in the early winter. I caught this thing while dragging a tube for smallies: They aren't always huge up here, either. You gotta start somewhere. A beaut from the SR by my buddy. We even got some bass guys into the fun. Some might recognize this guy from recent Lunkerville episodes, Hail to the Chief, as Mike Cusano. His first time out for SR trout. Here's Burnie Haney, ABA Div. 124 president and AOY, three years running. He does htis all winter long. Yes, that is a Daiwa Steez he's using, LOL: He lips them just like a bass! NY Bass Chapter Fed AOY, Randy L hooks into a SR chromie: . I didn't fare so well on the past two trips to the SR. I'm 0-0 this year. Yes folks, not even a hookup! Here is a little brown I landed this past Saturday, on western NY trip. SR chrome in action. We love the pink worms and so do they, LOL. Enjoy! Quote
Tokyo Tony Posted December 16, 2008 Posted December 16, 2008 WOW - great pictures! I can't believe the kind of preparation you do the night before. That looks pretty intense. A "little brown" for you is a big brown for me. I'm torn between making the trip to the SR and just hanging out in CT. It would be awesome if we ran into some steelhead, but it gets freakin' cold there and I HATE dealing with ice in the guides and on the reel. It would be worth it if we ran into some fish, but making a 5 hour trip each way, fishing in freezing temps with egg sacks and a good chance of not catching much of anything just seems like a big gamble. Maybe I'll wait until spring... 0-0? Get on your game - focus! Nice pics man. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted December 16, 2008 Author Super User Posted December 16, 2008 0-0? Get on your game - focus! Yeah, I know! I was married to the float and snagger beads that day. Kase and I finally switched to a bottom bouncing rig and trout worm. He ended up with three hookups, fishing right next to me! What's odd is, I was downstream from all of them and had 1st crack at any fresh fish. I joked that it was my offering that got them turned on for them, and it was my skunk that they were biting LOL. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted December 16, 2008 Super User Posted December 16, 2008 Great post! Nice fish, location and friends. 8-) Quote
Super User J Francho Posted December 30, 2008 Author Super User Posted December 30, 2008 A few more, from our Boxing Day Extravaganza on the river: I finally got some action, and had three hookups, and one on the bank. No photos, though. Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted December 30, 2008 Super User Posted December 30, 2008 Awesome location!! How did a shopping cart get stranded there?.......lol Back in Michigan my winter fishing consisted of just daydreaming, you guys have more heart than me and thicker blood. ;D Quote
Super User J Francho Posted December 30, 2008 Author Super User Posted December 30, 2008 The first shots from Thanksgiving morning are of the Genny River, and just downstream is a bridge for a major city route. My guess is it was thrown off the bridge by the snow plows. Its funny being down there, and realizing you are in the middle of a somewhat rough neighborhood. We always joke that our cars might not be in the lot when we get back up the gorge, LOL. Quote
Hung up Paul Posted December 30, 2008 Posted December 30, 2008 Man I need to try fishing the Genesee. I lived most my life in suburban Rochester and never fished there. My parents moved to a house just up the hill from Turning Point Park. I need to check that out. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted December 30, 2008 Author Super User Posted December 30, 2008 Check the flow before you go. I don't get near it over 1100 cfm. If the water is green, fishing is usually good. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 8, 2009 Author Super User Posted January 8, 2009 I just gotta post this one my buddy caught yesterday. 36" length, 19" girth. Looks like a 14-15 ponder to me. Awesome. My PB steel is 18 lbs. State record is 31 lbs! Imagine that beast! And a real treat, anyone guess what it is? Props if you know! Quote
Super User Paul Roberts Posted January 8, 2009 Super User Posted January 8, 2009 That's a very pretty hen Coho. Late, isn't it? Some years, not every, we had good numbers of large Coho's and I just loved them. They are aggressive, strong, and jump. The big males would dominate a tailout and I loved swinging a big streamer down to them. A wake would show and you'd have to wait for the bulge to overrun the fly. What fun. Even those that were rotted and black might take a crack at a streamer, unlike a chinook. We caught 'em from the lake front all the way to Linear. One year a bunch of big ones (9 - 12#)appeared off the mouth of Mill, and you could see them riding up inside the waves. They took streamers swung up those waves, and there they had room to run. Very cool. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 9, 2009 Author Super User Posted January 9, 2009 Paul, according to anal fin counts, it is not in the genus Oncorhynchus. Try again We do get dumb Cohos late all the time. I saw one come from Mills in February! Quote
Bass Dude Posted January 9, 2009 Posted January 9, 2009 Do you guys do any Centerpin fishing? It's big in the Oswego area, just wondering if it got over to the Rochester area. It makes for an almost dragless drift and the fish go crazy for it. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 9, 2009 Author Super User Posted January 9, 2009 Yep, its becoming defacto for Great lakes tribs. Its so big on SR, that there are young kids that NEVER bottom bounced with a spinning rig! They think you are a snagger. I wonder why they don't do so well when the river is over 750 cfm, LOL. My personal preference is a 9-12' casting rod with a baitcaster. Lately though, for all the small tribs, a 9.5' spinning rod has covered all the bases for me. Fish go crazy for a good presentation, not a reel. There really isn't too much to a good drift, though a pin is very convenient on really cold days. Quote
Tokyo Tony Posted January 9, 2009 Posted January 9, 2009 How do you deal with line twist? Awesome steelhead by the way. I have no idea what the second fish is. Quote
Super User Paul Roberts Posted January 10, 2009 Super User Posted January 10, 2009 It's definitely Oncorhynchus. If the anal count is too high it might be a Chinook -the spotting looks more Chinook like, but, with the tail shape and spotting, and that face -that's a coho. Has there ever been a Coho/Chinook cross? I've caught some steelies that made me look twice, being awful coho like in the face. It's NOT Salmo -no way. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 10, 2009 Author Super User Posted January 10, 2009 I was all over Salmo, specifically Atlantic, but I now I'm not so sure. I know they are out there. I think I may have "forced" the key to work for what others thought it was, and the more I look, probably under counted anal fin rays - leading to Salmo. I don't know - IDing these things is a PITA when they are fresh. I wish I was there, and looked in its mouth, which would have settled it I don't think its a king. Maybe its just a 'ho. Maybe I should stick to IDing bass, LOL. The Coho king cross is an interesting notion. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 10, 2009 Author Super User Posted January 10, 2009 How do you deal with line twist? Awesome steelhead by the way. I have no idea what the second fish is. Tony, this is the typical float rig we're using: mainline-----Float----O--O--O--o--o--o--o--micro swivel--(FC leader)-------hook The O's are shot. Its so cold, and the 8# mono gets stiff, and untwists itself, to a point. After a while, I just let it out in the yard, and let the wind take care of it. Reel it back up, and you're good to go. I now have no idea what that second fish is, LOL. Fresh lake fish are frustrating to me. Its not a rainbow, laker, brook, or brown. Quote
Super User Paul Roberts Posted January 10, 2009 Super User Posted January 10, 2009 John, I've gotta run right now, but I'll look through photos I have -that fish may be a steelhead. In fact, looking closer I see it has spotting on the lower tail, and the forked look is likely just a fold. As I said I've caught steelies with that coho face (which always made me bristle at the original Salmo designation for rainbow). I may have a similar photo, as well as a photo of an Oncorhynchus I never did ID satisfactorially, even showing the photo to a biologist at teh Salmon R hatchery. And they couldn't be sure. When was your fish caught (month)? Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 10, 2009 Author Super User Posted January 10, 2009 Paul, I appreciate the effort. It was caught this past Monday, the 5th from L park. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 12, 2009 Author Super User Posted January 12, 2009 I'm on the bus now. I was able to get more details that you can't see in the picture. Grey mouth was a biggie. I asked him if he tailed it with no issue, and he said yes. I really think Paul hit the nail on the head. Coho it is. Not as weird as I though, but still a weird catch this time of year. Incidentally, the longterm weather forecast here for this week includes °3 for Friday. That's the HIGH! Quote
Super User Paul Roberts Posted January 13, 2009 Super User Posted January 13, 2009 Hey John, Finally getting back here. I think we're on the same bus. Nice heavily spotted coho -there's too much anal fin there for a 'bow. Those elongated spots are very chinook-like! She's "smoked" -recently lost her silver and soon to spawn. Very pretty fish. Here are a few photos; a bright hen coho, and some male 'bows with that "Coho face": This is a bright 12# hen coho I caught under the MC bridge back in the 80s. Actually all these are 80s fish. 9# fall run 'bow (LP@441) Another fall run male bow (MC) Early maturing coho hen all of 14"long (SR) Another little hen coho of 13" (SR). I thought this fish was a pink (kokanee) at first. Quote
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