Fishing Lake Ontario

[ssb73q]

Hi, during an internet failure from a wind storm, I was looking through old photos on my computer. I came across a photo of an ~30lb King salmon I caught five years ago on Lake Ontario:

Since then I sold the boat and haven't looked back on the extensive maintenance required to keep a boat going. Lake Ontario fishing is great, but you need to work your ass off keeping the gear in shape and there's little time for shooting.

Yeah, this isn't a post on BP, but then there is very little other posting, so why not.

Regards,
Richard

[Miguel Loco]

Nice fish....

[mike116]

Nice photo Richard.    I sold my boat quite a few years ago also.   Like you, I found it a lot of work and expense for little use.   In Colorado there are drought years where by mid July boat ramps are inaccessible.   

[Len]

Nice fish....

said Gollum
(not BP, but a post)

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hey Richard,

I bet that was fun.

AntiqueSledMan

[ssb73q]

Hi, when I had the boat my neighbor and I would go fishing at least once a week on Lake Ontario during the summer. We always caught fish, Kings, Silvers, Lakers, and Steelhead (lake rainbow trout), at least three good sized fish an outing. We used satellite thermal imaging posted to the internet every night to select the correct temperature area of the lake to fish the next day.

Lake Ontario would be a world class salmon fishing location if it wasn't for the PCBs and mercury in the fish. Adults are recommended that they limit their fish intake from Lake Ontario to only one a month. The way the EPA measures the pollutants in fish is to grind up the whole fish and then do the testing. However, 99.9% of all pollutants are in the skin and fat. Trim those off and I have no issue eating all the fish we catch. Catch and release of salmonids doesn't make much sense in that the fish only live a little over three years. We were so effective catching these large fish that we break off the barbs on the spoon hooks just to make the fishing more interesting. Once you get a 30lb salmon on the line, you never forget that experience. If I was a bit younger and had the money to have a marina keep and maintain the boat, I would probably still be fishing Lake Ontario.

Regards,
Richard 

[Captainkirk]

Thanks for sharing that, Richard...BP or not.
Consider yourself fortunate to have owned the boat and you are all the richer for the experience!

[ssb73q]

That is great Richard!!!!! I have never owned a boat, but always wanted to. It won't happen now this late in life for sure.

I was never a good fisherman, but did spend some time at it. I caught a lot of kings while working on Alaska. Now all I do is small mountain stream Brook Trout fishing for an evening meal.

Hi scooby, the neighbor I fished with did salmon fishing in Alaska. When ever I caught anywhere near a 30lb salmon, I would have to hear his stories of 40lb+ salmon caught in Alaska and how small my fish. 
One year I had so many spoons, that other the the lights, they were the only decoration on our family Christmas tree.

I started fishing many years ago while working at Speedway Indiana. While the reservoirs in the area are small and I fished from the bank, I discovered fishing relaxed me after a stressful day at work. As stress relieving as shooting. I didn't need to catch anything but just being outside drained my stress. I fished almost every day after work when the weather allowed.

A few years ago my son-in-law was having heart palpitations where a medical reason couldn't be found. His work is very stressful where I suggested he try fishing. I gave him most of my light weight fishing gear. He has become a more rabid fisherman monster than I ever was and his palpitations are now gone.

I kept a couple of ultralight rods to fish some of the creeks in my area. Fishing always makes me smile, a lot like shooting.

Regards,
Richard

[valforgettaboutit]

Great looking fish Richard! Between you and Scoob I'm gonna have to step up my outdoors activities. Now you'll have to come up with a suitable fishing story to match the photo; I assume it the boat was rocking from the biggest storm you've ever seen, and you were using your last hook or you'd starve? That's a good go to starter line.

[Miguel Loco]

This is definitely not in the same class as Richard's, but I caught this little guy in Portland, OR over Thanksgiving last year. It was only 42", my son snagged a 54" and we had multiples in the 40" range that day. They'll cut your hands to ribbons too.....should have worn worn gloves for sure! Best part about it is there's no boat needed to catch these things in the 6' to 7' range. Can't wait for my next trip up north to see the grand kids.

[ssb73q]

Hi Miquel, is that a sturgeon? Nice fish. When I lived north of New York City I often though of fishing for sturgeon in the Hudson river. Do they fight and what do you use for a lure/bait?

The sturgeon is a throwback to a prehistoric fish, but I understand they produce some of the best caviar.

In many ways, it's not about the fish, but rather to spend a stress free day outdoors.

Thanks for posting your photo.

Regards,
Richard

[Miguel Loco]

Richard, I couldn't agree more....some of my best days fishing, I caught nothing. Surrounded by friends and family is total enjoyment.

That is a White Sturgeon. They are quite bizarre looking for sure and hell yes they fight! Many even do leaps out of the water. That's kind of a shocker when it happens. The play with the baited hook, picking it up and spitting it out so when you see action on the rod tip you pull like your life depended on it to set the hook. Then the party starts. It took close to 15 minutes of hard fighting to land this little guy.....when they make a run, you just have to let them go. My son's 54" was a good 30 minutes. It's a thrill. It amazes me that this kind of fishing is right in the middle of a major city.

We were using surf casting rods with big lead weights, a hook the size of your hand with smelt wrapped to the hook. It's necessary to cast a very long distance which is always a challenge with a big lead weight and hook at the terminal end.

If you ever get a chance to go..... do it! The big ones are like hooking the back bumper of a VW Bug. ....and remember to bring a good pair of leather gloves.

[mazo kid]

Great pictures and stories! While I do like to fish, my wife is a much better fisher-person. She has caught keeper Muskys, something I have not been able to do. And that reminds me, I have 2 new rods and reels that need to be baptized! And I need someone to tutor me in the use of my fly rod.

[Powder Burn]

I know this is quite an old post but I found delight in reading over the posts and the pictures are fantastic. Like some of you, my wife and I had 4 different boats of one kind or another and of course, I can relate to the gentleman who said his wife was a better fisher person then he was. We no longer have any boats either as we found the upkeep for all you use them and the room they take up wasn't quite worth it for us any longer. For about 7 years, we had to stay home and take care of my Wife's mother who was staying with us . Unless we were able to get a baby sitter to come in to help, we had to stay home. No more hour and a half trips to my wife's favorite Musky lakes to which she seemed to be a master at catching. It was quite a sight seeing a skinny , 5 foot female fighting a 40 inch Musky. I remember one time she caught two, back to back while trolling the flats. Wow, talk about one wore out girl with a big smile on her face while watching her release them back into the water to be caught another day.