CREEK ROAD BAIT and TACKLE WILL BE CLOSED JULY 31st THRU AUGUST 6th.
The summer LOC Derby is into its final weekend of action, ending July 25 at 1 p.m. The current Grand Prize leader is Michael Paddock of Albion with a 31-pound, 7-ounce king salmon he caught out of Point Breeze. John Gordon of Rochester is currently the top brown trout angler with a 19-pound, 15-ounce brown to hold the lead. Top lake trout is still Hope Starling of St. Pete’s, Florida, weighing a fish that pulled the scale 23 pounds, 11 ounces. First place walleye is still from the Niagara River, a 10-pound 10-ounce ‘eye reeled in by Burt Lickers of Niagara Falls. It is still not too late to enter. Check out www.loc.org for a complete leaderboard and details.
Fishing has been difficult the past week. Kyle Hovak of North Tonawanda and his Mean Machine shared some information from last Friday’s win in the Curt Meddaugh Memorial contest held by the Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association. He fished the river water on the Niagara Bar and used a north-south troll in 200-250 feet of water at the drop. A-Tom-Mik meat rigs fished deep on his riggers did the damage. He only had one hit on a diver that broke off. It was a relatively slow bite, averaging 1 hit with each south troll pass. Temperature break was about 80 feet down. It was tough fishing for everyone when a massive amount of warm water moved into this section of the lake. Hovak also won the LOTSA 3-2-3 contest for the best 3 fish over 2 days of fishing, weighing in his best 3 fish on Friday with a 61.53-pound total. Meanwhile, Matt Dunn of Newfane and his Streaker team won the Big Fish LOTSA tourney with a 25.75-pound king salmon on Sunday after the Saturday contest was postponed. He, too, was fishing the Niagara Bar in 130 to 220 feet of water and almost all his salmon came on a 300-foot copper line outfitted with a white spin doctor and a meat rig with N & D cut bait. He ended up with 57.58 pounds for his best 3 fish. Out of Olcott, Karen Evarts at The Boat Doctors reports that the water is still messed up with some cold water inside. Some trollers found 42-degree water from the top down 120 feet. Look for the bait. Fishing is slowly starting to get better.
Fishing has been a bit tough the past week but Lisa Drabczyk with Creek Road Bait and Tackle in Lewiston reports that anglers are hooking up with some smallmouth bass on crayfish and minnows from boats and off the NYPA fishing platform. Some walleyes, too, using jigs and spinners from shore. From the boat, try using a worm harness or a sparkle jig. Some of the walleyes have been taken at night. Casting from the sanddocks with Fin-S Fish plastics is taking a few ‘eyes, too. Bass down river are coming on Ned rigs and swim baits in addition to the live bait options.
There are still some openings for the youth fishing contest for ages 12 and under at the NRAA nature preserve in Porter on August 14. Call Paul Jackson at 998-8910 to reserve a spot.
