Angler`s - FISHCAP

Angler’s
Guide
May 2015
Waddington Part Of
Historic Bassmaster
Elite Venues
Supplement To:
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — In 2015, B.A.S.S. celebrates the 10th anniversary of the
Bassmaster Elite Series with a schedule that commemorates some of the greatest
events in bass ishing history. Six of the sites have hosted Elite tournaments in
the past decade, and all eight isheries are among the inest venues the sport has
to ofer for the best anglers in the business.
“It’s itting that the 10th Elite Series season features such prominent and important isheries,” said B.A.S.S. CEO Bruce Akin in announcing the 2015 schedule.
“he schedule spans the country from coast to coast and from the Great Lakes to
the Gulf of Mexico, and it includes some of the very best bass lakes and rivers in
the country — and some of the most challenging.”
Ater a summer hiatus, the Elites are back in action on the St. Lawrence River,
July 30-Aug. 2, out of Waddington, N.Y. he St. Lawrence has been a frequent
stop on the Bassmaster Tournament Trail, hosting 16 previous tournaments, including the 1980 Bassmaster Classic and an Elite contest.
See Bassmaster On Page 2
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Page 2 - Northern New York Newspapers
Anglers’ Guide
Bassmaster
Continued From Page 1
In 2013, the Waddington event broke the Elite Series attendance record set months
earlier in Orange, Texas, with more than 34,000 fans participating over the four-day
event.
The St. Lawrence is a world-class smallmouth fishery and ranked 11th among the
100 best fisheries in America. Brandon Palaniuk earned his blue Elite trophy in 2013
with 88 pounds, 12 ounces of smallmouth bass, an average of 4.4 pounds per fish.
Held in conjunction with the tournament in Waddington will be a four-day Party in
the Park fillwed with top flight entertainment, kids rides, food and cold drinks.
The gates will open at 11 a.m. and close at 11 p.m. each day.
The season began March 19-22 in Orange, Texas, at the Sabine River, site of one of the
most popular Elite tournaments in history. At that 2013 event, a new Bassmaster Elite
Series attendance record was set with more than 33,000 visitors during the four-day
tournament. While some Elite anglers struggled to fill out limits in the Sabine’s backwaters, Todd Faircloth caught almost 50 pounds of bass to earn his fourth Elite victory.
From the Sabine, the best bass anglers in the world headed east to Alabama and Lake
Guntersville, April 9-12, the site of 22 previous professional tournaments, including
four Elite events and the 2014 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by Diet Mountain
Dew and GoPro, won by Randy Howell. It took more than 100 pounds to win each of the
last two Elites here, and weights should be high again next spring.
“Lake Guntersville is a perennial bass fishing powerhouse,” said Bassmaster Magazine Editor James Hall. “It has never ranked below fifth on the annual rankings of Bassmaster’s 100 Best Bass Lakes list.”
Later in the month, the Elite Series reconvened in California at the Sacramento River, April 30-May 3. The river may appear to be new to the B.A.S.S. schedule, but it’s a
tributary of the legendary California Delta, and it’s a sure bet that many of the pros will
make the run to the Delta for their catches. The birthplace of the “flippin’” technique,
the Delta has hosted two previous Elite tournaments; they were won by Aaron Martens
and John Crews.
The California Delta produced the heaviest bass in Bassmaster tournament history, a 14-pound, 9-ounce largemouth caught by Mark Tyler in 1999. Big bass like that
make the fishery one of the best in the country (13th on 100 Best Bass Lakes list). If the
weather’s right, it will take more than 100 pounds over four days of competition to have
a chance to win.
Upon leaving Sacramento, the Elite pros will travel approximately 600 miles to Lake
Havasu City, host of the fourth Elite event of the season, to be held May 7-10 on Lake
Havasu. The Colorado River fishery, which is ranked 20th on the list of best bass lakes,
has been the site of three previous B.A.S.S. events, but none since the Elite Series debuted in 2006.
At 19,300 acres, it’s one of the smallest venues on the slate. That means the 100 or
May, 2015
more Elite anglers could be fishing in a crowd on one of the finest impoundments in
the West. That just might give Elite pro Dean Rojas, who lives in Lake Havasu City, a real
home-water advantage.
Fishing fans will be glad to learn that BASSfest is back in 2015, and this time it’s on
Kentucky Lake, June 3-7, out of Paris, Tenn. The seminars, photo and autograph sessions and fan-friendly format that made this special event such a hit in 2014 should be
hugely popular on a lake that has already hosted four Elite tournaments, two of which
required more than 90 pounds to win. Kentucky Lake is one of the most consistent
bass fishing destinations in the country, which led to its ranking of 18th by Bassmaster
Magazine. The century mark is certainly within reach on Kentucky Lake in June. And
watch out for Kevin VanDam to regain his winning form — he’s already won two Elite
tournaments here.
Chesapeake Bay out of Cecil County, Md., is big water with an impressive B.A.S.S.
history. It was the site of the 1991 Bassmaster Classic, which was held in mid-August
and won by former fisheries biologist Ken Cook with 15 bass weighing 33-2. Exactly 24
years later, on Aug. 13-16, 2015, it will help set the stage for the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race and dozens of Classic berths.
The 2015 Elite Series regular season wraps up in Detroit, Mich., on Lake St. Clair Aug.
27-30. St. Clair has hosted several Bassmaster events in recent years, including the 2013
regular season Elite finale won by Chris Lane. One of the best smallmouth lakes in the
country, it ranked 16th on Bassmaster’s 100 Best Bass Lakes this year. It was No. 1 in the
nation in 2013.
Once again, the season will culminate in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year
Championship tournament, to be held at a time and place to be announced later. The
Top 50 pros in final standings for the regular season will battle for the Angler of the Year
title, berths in the 2016 Bassmaster Classic and shares of the $1 million AOY prize fund.
Though the traditional gift for a 10th anniversary is tin or aluminum, the first decade
of the Bassmaster Elite Series has been gold and platinum all the way. The eight fisheries on the 2015 schedule are “classic” waters that have hosted Classics, heavyweight
contenders that have produced 100-pound catches and popular venues that have attracted record-setting crowds of fans.:
It truly will be a “test of the best.”
Qualifiers for the exclusive Elite Series won’t be known until later this year, but anglers who would like to spend two to three days on the water learning valuable tips and
techniques from the world’s best bass anglers can register to become Bassmaster Elite
Series Marshals. Enrollment for B.A.S.S. Nation and Life members begins Oct. 7 online
and Oct. 9 by telephone. Registration for other B.A.S.S. members begins online Oct. 14
and by phone Oct. 16. All entries start at 9 a.m.
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Northern New York Newspapers
Anglers’ Guide
May, 2015 - Page 3
Here’s What You Need To Know When Muskie Fishing
The muskellunge or “muskie” for
short was the target of several new sportfishing regulation changes in New York
that will affect St. Lawrence County anglers this spring and summer when they
take to their favorite fishing holes.
The Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC) has announced
that the minimum size limit for muskellunge, the signature fish species of the
St. Lawrence River, will increase from
48-inches to 54-inches, a change that
will put New York alongside Canadian
size limits for this large, predatory game
fish. This change will also go into effect
Sportfish
Report
ALBANY, N.Y. - The fishing season for
many popular warm water sportfish, including walleye, northern pike, pickerel
and tiger muskellunge, is now open and
with this, most of New York’s sportfish
seasons will be open, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced.
This includes catch and release fishing
for black bass (largemouth and smallmouth bass) in many waters across the
state and the special trophy black bass
season on Lake Erie where anglers can
take one 20-inch or longer fish per day.
Bass anglers should check the New
York State Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide (www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7917.html) to ensure that the water
they desire to fish is open to catch and release angling.
Muskellunge fishing season and the
regular (harvest) season for black bass
open on the 3rd Saturday in June (June
20).
Walleye are very popular springtime
targets, and fishing opportunities now
on the Niagara River and Lake Ontario.
Other highlights affecting anglers in
St. Lawrence and Franklin counties include the following:
• Initiate a catch and release season
for trout for sections of the Salmon River
(Franklin County);
• Establish a special trout regulation
of a daily creel limit of five fish with no
more than two fish longer than 12 inches, in St. Lawrence County including the
Oswegatchie River;
• Modify trout and/or salmon regulations for Star Lake and Trout Lake by
increasing the minimum size limit for
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“DEC modifies its freshwater sportfishing regulations as necessary to help
maintain the fantastic freshwater sportfishing New York is known for,” said
DEC Commissioner Martens. “Changes
are made to the regulations governing
sportfishing and related activities to
address management needs in specific
waters, as well as to accommodate angler and other stakeholder desires. Many
of the proposed changes resulted from
DEC’s focus on consolidating regulations where possible and eliminating
special regulations that are no longer
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trout to 12 inches and reducing the daily
creel limit to three. DEC will now allow
fishing all year for landlocked salmon in
Star Lake, with ice fishing permitted;
• Establish an open year-round trout
season for Sylvia Lake with a 12-inch
minimum size limit and three fish daily
creel limit, with ice fishing permitted;
and
• Eliminate the special regulations
(examples being minimum size limit,
daily creel limit, season length and/or
method of take) for trout at Cold Brook
and the West Branch of the St. Regis River.
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Page 4 - Northern New York Newspapers
Anglers’ Guide
May, 2015
Fantastic Fishing In St. Lawrence County
Wherever you are in St. Lawrence
County, great fishing is only minutes
away. From the foothills of the Adirondacks to the St. Lawrence River, the County offers fishing opportunities for everyone. Hundreds of rivers, lakes, reservoirs,
and streams offer peaceful surroundings,
a variety of species, strong fish populations, and good public access. Tournaments are held throughout the year including some cool ice fishing derbies. The
Jr. Carp Tournament for youth age 11-18
is in its 9th year.
St. Lawrence is truly a “county for all
seasons” and a “county for all anglers.”
Consider the possibilities: downrigging
for muskies at Massena, ice fishing for
yellow perch and northern pike at Chippewa Bay, jigging for walleyes on the
Raquette River reservoirs, canoeing for
smallmouth bass on the Grasse River,
flyfishing for brown trout on the St. Regis
River, small boating for lake trout at Trout
Lake and rainbows at Star Lake, trolling
for trophy brook trout at Cranberry Lake,
jigging for black crappies and casting for
largemouth bass at Black Lake, and hiking the wilderness for native brook trout
swims, or casting that 12 foot pole to fight
with the mighty carp.
Fishing Note: When fishing on the St.
Regis Mohawk Territory, all New York
State Fishing regulations now apply. The
Tribe recently adopted the State’s regulations for an interim period, until specific
regulations for tribal lands can be worked
out. These regulations apply to all nontribal members seeking to fish in Akwesasne’s waters. They do not limit the inherent right of tribal members to fish on
the reservation so long as their activities
are consistent with applicable tribal law.
Major Waterways
St. Lawrence River
The majestic St. Lawrence River forms
a portion of the north-western boundary
of the County, State, and the U.S., and the
scenery alone makes any outing a memorable experience. The river is more than
700 miles and is the largest west-east river
in North America. The U.S.-Canada border does not divide the river down the
middle, so it is advised that boaters and
anglers consult river charts for the border
delineation.
You must have a Canadian fishing license to fish in the Canadian waters. The
St. Lawrence River is patrolled by U.S. and
Canadian Coast Guard forces, as well as
border patrol and on occasion New York
State Police.
This powerful low offers first-rate angling for muskies, walleyes, northern
pike, smallmouth bass, yellow perch,
bullhead and carp along its entire length.
It is also has crappies, pumkinseeds,
rock bass, catfish, coho salmon, Chinook
salmon, lake trout, brown trout, rainbow
trout, eels, suckers, drum, and others.
Local launch communities along the
St. Lawrence:
•Schermerhorn Landing
•Morristown
•Ogdensburg
•Waddington
•Massena
See Fishing On Page 6
Northern New York Newspapers
Anglers’ Guide
May, 2015 - Page 5
St. Lawrence, Franklin County Stocking Numbers Reported
The following are the 2015 trout stocking
numbers for North Country rivers, streams,
and lakes in St. Lawrence and Franklin
counties, what species of trout would be
stocked as well as when.
If not mentioned, the trout will be from
8-9 inches, according to the New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
DEC Stockings In St. Lawrence County
• Bog River (Piercefield) - 660 brook trout
in May; Cranberry Lake (Clifton) – 6,120
brook trout in May; Grasse River (Russell)
- 2,480 brown trout in May; Grasse River
South Branch (Clare) - 2,650 brown trout in
May; Hopkinton Brook (Hopkinton) - 730
brown trout in April; Little River (Canton,
Russell) – 1,710 brown trout in May; Little
River (Fine) - 1,540 brown trout in May; Little River (Fine) - 1,490 brook trout in May;
Oswegatchie River (Clifton) – 1,750 brook
trout in March; Oswegatchie River (Clifton)
- 340 brown trout in May between 12-15
inches; Oswegatchie River (Clifton) – 2,230
brown trout in May; Oswegatchie River
(Fine) – 880 brook trout in May;
• Ozonia Lake (Hopkinton) – 3,000 rainbow trout in the spring;
• Parishville Reservoir (Parishville) –
1,280 brown trout in May; Plumb Brook
(Russell) – 1,110 brown trout in May; Plumb
Brook (Russell) - 2,820 brown trout in May;
St. Regis River (Lawrence) - 730 brown trout
in May between 12-15 inches; St. Regis River (Lawrence, Hopkinton) – 4,600 rainbow
trout in May; St. Regis River (Lawrence,
Hopkinton) – 3,940 brown trout in May;
Star Lake (Fine) – 2,000 rainbow trout in
the spring; Sucker Lake (Fine) - 430 brown
trout in May;
• Sylvia Lake (Fowler) – 3,000 rainbow
trout in May; Trout Brook (Stockholm) 1,450 brown trout in April;
• Trout Lake (Edwards) – 3,400 rainbow
trout in the spring; Van Rensselaer Creek
(Pierrepont) - 260 brown trout in April; and
West Branch St. Regis River (Parishville,
Stockholm) - 3,850 brown trout in May.
Some Stockings In Franklin County
• Alder Brook (Franklin) - 350 brook
trout in the spring; Ampersand Brook (Harrietstown) - 610 brook trout in the spring;
Black Pond (Santa Clara) - 150 rainbows in
the spring; Chateaugay River (Chateaugay)
– 4,560 brook trout in April; Chateaugay
River (Chateaugay) - 400 brown trout, ranging from 12-15 inches in May; Chateaugay
River (Chateaugay) - 2,200 rainbow trout in
May-June; Chateaugay River (ChateaugayBellmont) - 1,310 brook trout in April; Cha-
teaugay River (Chateaugay-Bellmont)
• Fishhole Pond (Franklin) - 220 brook
trout in the spring; Green Pond (Santa
Clara) - 510 brown trout in the spring;
Hatch Brook (Bellmont) - 390 brown trout
in the spring; Horseshoe Pond (Santa
Clara) – 1,000 rainbows in the spring; Lake
Clear (Harrietstown) - 1,710 brown trout
in the spring; Lake Colby (Harrietstown)
– 3,400 rainbows in the spring; Lake Colby
(Harrietstown) – 2,910 brown trout in the
spring; Lawrence Brook (Dickinson) - 210
brown trout in the spring; Little Hope Pond
(Franklin) - 130 brook trout in May; Little
Long Pond (Santa Clara) – 1,000 rainbows
in the spring.
Time To Get Going!
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Sportfish
From T3
exist in more than 100 waters throughout
the state. As part of ongoing management
and research programs, DEC has stocked
56 waters with walleye fry or fingerlings
over the last five years in almost all regions of the state. Spring also provides
outstanding fishing opportunities for yellow perch, sunfish and crappie.
These species are common throughout the state and provide easy fishing for
even novice anglers. A popular sportfish
in southern and Midwestern states, channel catfish also flourish in many of New
York’s larger lakes and rivers, provide a
very tasty meal, and are under utilized by
anglers.
Tips and locations for catching big
channel catfish are available online at
www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/77432.html. A
complete listing of 2012 warm water fishing hotspots recommended by DEC biologists can be found on the DEC website.
DEC will continue a number of bass
studies in 2012. These studies include an
effort to assess black bass populations
statewide, the investigation of black bass
movements following bass tournaments
on Lake Champlain and a tournament
monitoring program on Oneida Lake.
Participation from bass anglers will be
requested for both tournament studies.
Anglers using fish for bait are reminded
to be careful with how these fish are used
and disposed of. Careless use of baitfish
is one of the primary means by which
non-native species and fish diseases are
spread from water to water.
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Page 6 - Northern New York Newspapers
Anglers’ Guide
May, 2015
Fishing
From T4
Black Lake
The largest of the Indian River lakes,
Black Lake has a 20 mile length and 60
miles of shoreline, located in the township of Hammond. While there are
depths of 30 feet, the average is only 8.
Channels and shoals are well marked,
but boaters should use a lake chart or
depth finder when traveling in unfamiliar areas. A fisheries biologist once
referred to the lake as a “fish factory.”
Indeed, this water does hold incredible
populations of game fish and panfish. A
number of national publications have
rated Black Lake among the ten best bass
waters in the country. The lake’s outstanding ice fishing also contributes to
its fine reputation.
The Marathon begins in the beginning
of May and ends in the beginning of July.
Tagged crappie and other panfish are
caught, tagged and returned to the lake.
Catch one of these specially tagged fish,
and win various prizes. You can fish for
one day, a weekend, or anytime during
the entire tournament.
Other tournaments include the Chuck
Waller Memorial Bass Tournament in
July, the Big Bass Dash for Cash in September and the Black Lake Fish and
Game Club’s Annual Ice Fishing Derby
the first weekend in February.
This lake is know for its largemouth
bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike,
walleye, black crappie, yellow perch,
bluegills and bullhead, and even muskie.
Black Lake has long been known for its
fishing and a cottage colony has grown
along its western shore and County
Route 6. For information about lodging
check out our listings, or visit the Black
Lake Chamber.
Oswegatchie River
Meandering 132 miles through St.
Lawrence County from Newton Falls to
Ogdensburg where it empties into the St.
Lawrence River, the Oswegatchie River
has nearly 40 public access points. Good
fishing exists for shore anglers, waders,
and boaters who use canoes, car-top
boats, or small trailered boats. Available
species include smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, catfish, some largemouth bass, and the occasional muskie.
The 67-mile portion from Hailesboro
to Ogdensburg is a wider, slow-moving
stretch with a vertical drop of only 200
feet, and fishing is good for walleye,
smallmouth bass, northern pike and
panfish. The upper portion from Newton Falls to Hailesboro has a 970-foot
drop and is a wild section of the river
with rapids and dams and good spots for
native brook and brown trout.
Grasse River
The Grasse River for the most part,
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receives light angling pressure. Smallmouth bass, walleyes, and panfish can
be found throughout most of the middle
and lower stretches of the Grasse. Some
sections hold northern pike and even
muskies. (Catch and release is encouraged for muskie on this river, 40 inch
minimum length is required to keep it).
Most anglers concentrate on the
44-mile stretch from Russell to Massena.
Boat launches below Canton and in
Madrid make those stretches attractive
to small boaters. There are also various
road crossings and roadside pull-offs
making the river a popular one for daylong, float trips via canoe.
The Grasse River and Plumb Brook
rate highly for brown trout. Annual
stockings of browns include nearly 700
in the South Branch of the Grasse in the
Town of Clare, over 2,000 in the Grasse
River in the Town of Russell, and over
4,000 in Plumb Brook in the Town of
Russell.
Raquette River & Reservoirs
The Raquette River is one of the longest rivers in the State, from the headwaters in Hamilton County through St.
Lawrence, the river empties into the St.
Lawrence near Massena. From the headwaters to the dam at Colton Flow, the
Raquette is typical of other small rivers
that flow through the county. Access is
available at numerous points, fishing
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pressure is light. Game fish along the
river range from crappies, panfish and
muskie on the lower sections to trout in
the upper regions.
The construction of hydroelectric
dams on the Raquette River created a series of eight reservoirs called the Upper
Impoundments. Carry Falls, Stark Falls,
Blake Falls, Rainbow Falls, South Colton,
Higley Flow, and Colton Flow reservoirs
comprise this 30 mile stretch of river.
The upper Raquette River has good
bass fishing and fair angling for pike and
walleye, but this 17 mile stretch above
the impoundments receives minimal
pressure because access is limited and
strong rapids are common.
The middle and lower portions of the
Raquette River low for nearly 50 miles
from Colton through the larger communities of Potsdam, Norwood and Massena to the Akwesasne Mohawk Reservation.
Long river stretches, numerous dams
and several reservoirs characterize the
middle stretch of the river, while the
lower stretch offers 15 miles of gentle
uninterrupted low. If you wish to fish
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Northern New York Newspapers
Anglers’ Guide
May, 2015 - Page 7
Want To Fish? Here’s Where To Launch Boat
The myriad of waterways in St. Lawrence County are a special sporting paradise.
Sportsmen are offered the opportunity to enjoy the great St. Lawrence River
and tributaries like the Oswegatchie, Raquette, St. Regis and Grasse River; and
lakes of all sizes. To help residents and
visitors enjoy the aquatic bounty the New
York State Department of Environmental
Conservation offers boat launches of all
sizes.
Some are limited to canoe/kayaks but
many other accommodate any size boats
on trailers.
A list of the DEC launches follow.
Black Lake
1. A concrete ramp to accommodate
55 cars and trailers is located on County
Road 2 near Edwardsville in town of Morristown.
Oswegatchie River
1. A hand launch for non-motorized
boats is located on Town Road 3 in the village of Star Lake.
2. A beach launch is located off Route
58 in the Village of Edwards.
3. A hand launch is located on County
Route 58 in the Village of Edwards.
4. A hard surface ramp to accommodate
30 cars and trailers for motorboats is located off Route 87 in the Village of Heuvelton.
Fishing
From T6
For more information on the Raquette
River, a free brochure is available from
the NYS Department of Environmental
Conservation.
Lake Ozonia - St. Regis River
Special regulations allow year
round fishing at this popular lake
which receives annual DEC stockings
of rainbow trout and splake numbering 5,000. In recent years, Lake Ozonia has also been stocked with lake
trout, landlocked salmon, and brown
trout. The browns are two year old
trout measuring 15 inches. The high
numbers of trout here overshadow
the outstanding yellow perch fishing
that exists.
The St. Regis River ranks among the
county’s most popular trout streams.
Special regulations allow year round
fishing on the St. Regis between Fort
Jackson and Mill Street in the town of
Hopkinton.
A DEC car-top launch located off the
Lake Ozonia Road offers year round access.
Note: A concrete ramp with a large
parking area is also maintained on the Oswegatchie by City of Ogdensburg and the
Village of Gouverneur.
St. Lawrence River
1. A concrete ramp to accommodate 15
cars and trailers is located at Robert Moses State Park just north of Massena.
2. A hard surface ramp accommodating 10 cars and trailers is located on Brandy Brook just north of Waddington on
Route 37.
3. A municipal hard surface ramp accommodating 30 cars and trailers is located at the Massena Intake just off Route
131.
4. A flat rock ramp accommodating
10 cars and trailers is located at Jacques
Cartier State Park on the River Road two
miles south of the Village of Morristown.
5. A concrete ramp accommodating 15
cars and trailers is located on NYS Route
37 at Coles Creek State Park located between Waddington and Massena.
6. A concrete ramp accommodating 50
cars and trailers is located on Route 37 between Louisville and Massena.
Note: The City of Ogdensburg maintains two boat launches on the St. Lawrence River and a boat ramp is also located in the Village of Morristown.
St. Regis River
A beach launch to accommodate five
cars is located off County Route 53 in
Town of Brasher.
Sucker Lake
A beach launch accommodating five
cars and trailers (electric motors only)
is located off the Briggs Switch Road in
Town of Fine.
Sylvia Lake
1. A beach launch accommodating
five cars and trailers is located off Route
812 between hamlets of Fowler and Balmat.
Yellow Lake
1. A hand launch accommodating five
cars is located in town of McComb off
the Hall Road.
Cranberry Lake
1. A hard ramp surface accommodating 55 cars and trailers is located off
Route 3 in Village of Cranberry Lake.
Grass Lake
1. A beach launch accommodating
five cars is located in Town of Rossie off
Butler Roach.
Grasse River
1. A hard surface ramp accommodating 14 cars and trailers (small motor
boats) is located on Route 68 three miles
northwest of Village of Canton.
Higley Flow
1. A concrete ramp accommodating
10 cars and trailers is located at Higley
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Page 8 - Northern New York Newspapers
Anglers’ Guide
May, 2015
Once Ice Leaves, Yellow Perch Gold Rush Begins
BY MIKE SEYMOUR
Yellow perch thrive in many area waters,
and ice out brings fantastic fishing for what
is arguably the best tasting of all freshwater
fishes. In fact, the delicious taste of perch
has earned this species the nickname “yellow gold.”
Spawning
After ice-out in April when water temperatures move into the upper forties,
yellow perch migrate to shallow bays
and tributaries to spawn. Under the cover of darkness, perch seek out marshy
areas and flats with vegetation where females deposit gelatinous strands of eggs
on cattails, reeds, brush, or weeds.
Perch, unlike smallmouth and
largemouth bass, do not protect their
nests, but for the most part, these fish
remain in the general vicinity of their
spawning through the month of May.
From the angler’s perspective, this behavior translates to large numbers of fish
concentrated in relatively small, nearshore areas, making yellow perch accessible to both shore and boat anglers for a
period of six weeks or so.
Locating Spring Perch
Like other times of the year, spring finds
yellow perch travelling in schools. This
time of the year, however, offers advantages for the angler as schools are large and
close to shore. When attempting to locate
perch, fishers should think weedy bays and
any nearby structures or edges.
Usually, the best spot in a spawning bay
is the drop off at the edge of weedy flat. If
that doesn’t produce, anglers should check
out both the shallow water and the deep
water adjacent to the drop off.
Boat
From T7
Flow State Park two miles west of Route
56 on Cold Brook Drive in South Colton.
Indian River
1. Hand launch accommodating 10
cars is located off Route 3 in Town of
Rossie near Hall Road.
Lake Ozonia
1. A hand launch accommodating
30 cars (10 HP limit) is located off Lake
Ozonia Road 8 miles south of Route 72 in
Hopkinton.
Raquette River
1. A concrete ramp accommodating
10 cars and trailers is located in South
Colton near Higley Flow State Park two
miles west of Route 56.
Star Lake
1. A hand launch for non-motorized
boats is located on Route 3 in Village of
Star Lake.
A good starting point for deciding where
to pursue spring perch is to visit a local bait
shop because such shops are in daily contact with anglers.
Once on the water, clusters of boats
clearly give away the location of fish. When
approaching a group of boats, do two
things. One is to respect the space of other
anglers and to fish a reasonable distance
from them, and the other is to determine
if they are catching fish on a drop off, weed
line, etc., and then set up accordingly.
Clusters of shore anglers also signal
good perch spots. Again, avoid “crowding” such fishers. Even though shore anglers are limited in their mobility, they, too,
should move as much as their situation allows.
If moving around is not an option, the
good news is that perch are roamers that
routinely move in and out of areas so patience can have its rewards.
Since perch are roamers, though, anglers should not always expect to catch fish
where they were biting yesterday or even
an hour ago. Certainly such spots must be
checked, but continually stay on the move
to locate an active school.
Basic Technique
Yellow perch are bottom-oriented so
anglers need to present their offerings
close to bottom. Too, perch generally
prefer smaller offerings over larger ones.
Since perch are not finicky feeders, they
will hit both artificial offerings and live
baits. If the fish do show a preference, it is
usually just a mild one.
The most popular artificial offering is a
tube jig or a twister-tipped jig. Productive
colors include white, yellow, green, and
chartreuse.
Jigs tipped with maggots or piece of
crawler see increased strikes because
these tippings add both scent and texture,
and even though perch are not fussy eaters, they will quickly expel an unappealing offering. Lively minnows and fresh
crawler-pieces are the top choices of bait
anglers.
During the spring, perch may feed
throughout the day, but as a general rule
the best activity occurs in early morning
and early evening as it does during other
times of the year. No matter when you decide to head to the water for some spring
perch fishing, though, be sure to take a
young angler along.
Perch Regulations
The statewide regulations for yellow
perch allow for year-round angling, and
the daily limit is 50 fish of any size. For
the waters in Jefferson County, however,
special regulations call for no daily limit
on yellow perch so anglers are permitted
to keep any number they desire. Likewise,
the regulations for the Great Lakes and its
tributaries allow anglers to keep any number of perch in Jefferson County.
U.D. TROPHIES AND AWARDS
932 Elizabeth Street
Ogdensburg, NY 13669
(315) 393-7145
www.udtrophiesandawards.com
We sell the finest awards
at an affordable price
St. Lawrence River Walleye Association
2015-16 Tournaments
JUNE฀13,฀2015฀•฀SLRWA฀Member฀Only฀Tournament฀&
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AUGUST฀8,฀2015฀•฀WALLEYE฀CHALLENGE,฀Massena฀Intake
FEBRUARY฀20,฀2016฀•฀NORTHERN฀PIKE฀CHALLENGE,฀Waddington
PRESERVING OUR NATURAL RESOURCES AND
FRESH WATER FISHERIES
FOR INFORMATION 315-384-3450
WWW.STLAWRENCERIVERWALLEYEASSOCIATION.COM
JOIN SLRWA NOW AND QUALIFY FOR THE
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Ope
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Northern New York Newspapers
Anglers’ Guide
May, 2015 - Page 9
Page 10 - Northern New York Newspapers
Anglers’ Guide
th
May, 2015
nd
July 30 - August 2 , 2015
Gates Open at 11:00 am & Close at 11:00 pm
Northern New York Newspapers
Anglers’ Guide
May, 2015 - Page 11
Walleye Association
Tourney Schedule Set
WADDINGTON - The St. Lawrence
River Walleye Association, an organization that is making strides to preserve the
walleye fishery of the St. Lawrence River
and protect it from modern influences
for our future generations, will be holding
several tournaments as fundraisers.
The 2015 tournaments are as follows:
June 13 - 1st annual Members Only
Tournament; July 18 – SLRWA Fishing
with Sponsors Event; Aug. 8-14 - annual
Walleye Challenge – Massena.
For more information about the SLRWA, contact the organization at 315-3843450, write to them at St. Lawrence River
Walleye Association, 8835 State Route 56,
Massena, NY 13662 or email them at [email protected].
NNY Bassmasters Slate
Gets Underway June 13
The Northern New York Bassmasters,
formed in 2003, has set its 2015 season
schedule. It is as follows:
- Lake Champlain - Chazy Launch June 13;
- Black Lake – State Launch – June 28;
- Lake Ontario – Chaumont Bay - July
11;
- St. Lawrence River, Massena – July 25;
- Cranberry Lake, State Launch – Aug. 8;
- St. Lawrence River, Paterson Street
Launch, Ogdensburg – Aug. 22;
- Lake Ontario – Chaumont Bay – Sept.
5;
- Club Championship will be held on
two days from Sept. 19-20 on the St. Lawrence River, Waddington.
Applications to join the club can be
downloaded at the club’s website at www.
nnybassmasters.com.
Visit NNY Newspapers Websites:
www.ogd.com & www.mpcourier.com
5th Annual
A Seaway Festival Event
Hosted by the Ogdensburg
Parks and Recreation
Department
Sandbar Classic
Fishing
Derby
July 19th
Adult & Youth
Divisions
CASH PRIZES
to Winners of Bass,
Pike, Walleye & Perch
Divisions
Sponsored by:
For more information, contact the Parks and Recreation Department 315-393-1980
or check out the department’s Facebook page at “Ogdensburg City Recreation.”
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No Weekly Charge
(next to Pizza Hut)
315-393-7660
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Open Monday-Friday 8am-5pm; Saturday 8am-2pm
10 YEARS IN BUSINESS - Lyndsey Cutway is celebrating two things: It’s
been over 10 years in business since she started it up in 2004 in Brier Hill.
She continues to increase her business each year and has been able to invest
in the new Car Port (the 2nd reason of celebrating) that you see in the above
photo. Standing with her is her brother and assistant, William Ekman.
Lyndsey took over her mother’s, Susan Ekman’s, canvas repair services
called Susan’s Custom Sewing that was located in Morristown. Her repair
services include Camper & Bimini Tops and Mooring Covers. Her business
is located at 2707 State Hwy 37, Brier Hill, and the phone number to make
appointments is 315-323-1154.
Page 12 - Northern New York Newspapers
Anglers’ Guide
May, 2015
2015 CHEVROLET!
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Canton Road 393-5899
OGDENSBURG
Complete Inventory on our website
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