Another day on the water

[Tony Scime]

Another day on the water

Woke up a bit later this morning. Around 5:10am. Arrived at the Sheridan Launch close to 6. After doing the  CanPass thing I ran up to Thompson’s hole and figured I’d do a couple of downstream drifts to the International Bridge using same black tube I used last time (first time) out. This time I rigged a small treble at the top-front of the tube. Second drift I see my line go slack, I set the hook, fish on! Crank crank crank all the way to the boat. Net this fish. Hooks come out in the net, but at least I boated a tube fish. About 35 inches. 

A few more drifts without anything more but a couple of snags. Decide to check out the area now known as “Seaworld”, previously known as the Thompson’s Hole eddy. Muskies galore, as advertised.  All different sizes. First cast I swear 5 muskies follow. Then they get bored. Just sitting around. One larger lady, I’d say the largest of the group (maybe 45+), likes to follow my black tube. Slow lazy follows. She’d stay about 10 feet behind the lure. At the boat I’d figure eight or drop and jig and rip. She’d sit and stare and then turn away. Six or seven times we played this game. Entertaining each other, I guess. Then she got bored and didn’t come back. My luck with the ladies, I guess.  So we parted ways. Her to parts unknown, me down river to the triangle. Nothing there.

Up to the Frenchman’s drift.  Early in the drift I’m thinking about the weather. Most any day you can catch a muskie, but windless days are the toughest, I think. And there is no wind. Partly sunny with …. the tell-tale tap. I don’t know how I can distinguish this tap from any other bottom bouncing tap, but I know it’s different and I know it’s a fish. So I set the hook. Fish on! Crank crank crank POP. Fish gone. Damn. Don’t think it was too big, cause can’t really crank the bigger ones in (like the heavier one I hooked and lost the other day – I had to reel down and lift, reel down and lift). But now I’m 1 for 4 on my black tube. Maybe I should change colors. At least I know I can catch a musky on this calm/light easterly wind day.

Well maybe there’s another one around, so I try a couple more drifts. But nothing happens.

It’s almost 11 and I want to try the east river troll before I quit. Almost always hit a fish. So I run up to the Black Rock Lock and set up a couple trolling rigs. Decide to use a Mr. Toothy on each. If Mr. Toothy’s are good enough for Scott Kitchen they’re good enough for me. And I caught a muskie on one last time out (this is only my second time out).

Do my usual troll with slight variations (always switch it around a bit). When I reach the Grand Island Bridge it’s really becoming sweltering. No Wind. Only high clouds to provide any relief from the heat. When I’m done with this troll I’m quitting. It’s almost 1pm. I pass the electric lines and near the end of this troll. I start putting things away as I’ll be quitting soon. Leave the rods out til the very last because…ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ a rod goes off!

I grab the rod. Strong headshakes. Not too sure how big. But strong, slow, jerking headshakes. I fight the fish to the boat. It’s nice. A horse. Very thick. I debate netting it (sometimes I screw that up with bigger fish). Nice fish keeps going through my head. Big head, thick body. Much thicker than anything I’ve seen down here. I decide to try to take a picture sans net. Get my phone-camera. Fish decides to headshake at boatside. And she’s gone.  No picture. No measurement. But I don’t really care. I’m elated. To hook a fish just before I was about to shut things down. And on this flat, calm, sultry afternoon.  I love this sport.

I’m eyeballing her at 45”, calling her 43”(don’t trust my eyeballs), but my heart says bigger. Largest I’ve caught from the Niagara in quite some time.  I marked the spot. 25 feet deep. Possibly off of one of the FASs – Ferry Landing. I’ll have to compare my GPS location mark to the FAS maps.

Any fish I get to boatside I call a catch, especially when I don’t plan to net her and I’m dickering around with the camera. Caught on the Mr. Toothy Silver Flash (my favorite color). Always glad when they unhook themselves boatside -easy hook-out that way – no harm to me or the fish. Glad I was able to experience her without any real damage.

I love this sport. Good two days on the water, lost fish and all. Have to get out more often.

Surface water temps started at 70.5, ended at almost 73.

[Josh Ketry]

Man I really enjoyed reading your last two reports.  Thanks for sharing!   Makes me want to fish!

[Scott McKee]

You are backing yourself into a corner with the epic fishing reports, Tony. I love them, but where do you go from here?

[Tony Scime]

They'll get boring after a while. Especially when I can't find a bite.

[Scott Kitchen]

Mr. Toothy bring me a dream

make it the biggest musky I 've ever seen....