The 2010 Fishing Season is underway and so far two things seem certain. The fish are big and given favorable conditions they will bite, and I do mean bite! Our first couple of outings produced plenty of browns with several fish over 10 pounds and the largest critter weighing in at 14+ pounds. Here are a few of the fish weights (approx) entered in a recent lake wide fishing derby. 

   These fish were caught in early May. Imagine what the fish will weigh after a summer of feeding on chubby alewives and other resident baitfish. One can conclude that the next few angling months will be very rewarding. Basically, for many years, Lake Ontario has produced the largest average size salmon caught in all of the Great Lakes. How about that! Lake O’s big fish dominance will surely continue.
   Trout and salmon are cold water fish. They do not like warm water and seek out preferred temperatures lower than 60 to 65 degrees. When the spring fishing season begins, the lake surface temperature is generally in the low forties. Thus at this time of year we look to fish in the warmest water we can find. Even a temperature increase of a couple of degrees can turn a slow bite into a fishing bonanza. That is why we fish near shore and close to tributary flows as this is where warm water will be. Spring and summer brown trout fishing in the Eastern Basin is spectacular.
    As the season progresses and the lake continues to warm, we move to deeper water to target our quarry. Finally, the lake stratifies into layers of warm to colder water and we search for fish in their preferred temperature ranges. Salmon like 40 to high 50s, browns and steelhead can be found in the 50 to 65 range, while lake trout prefer the coldest water and can usually be caught on the bottom in 39 to low 40 degree water. Of course these guidelines are merely just that, guidelines. Sometimes a particular fish will be just where you thought it would never be. Now that what makes it interesting. As the season progresses and the mighty salmon migrate to the well stocked eastern tributaries that include the Salmon River, expect awesome fishing action. It happens that way every year on the eastern end.
    As I have often said, Lake Ontario fishing is like solving a puzzle. The pieces seem to morph themselves into patterns necessitating the altering of techniques as the right angling solution changes by the day. That is what makes trolling for trout and salmon so much fun.
   The start of the 2010 season seems to indicate that big fish should be the norm. Bait is plentiful so the fish should have their fill of pepperoni pizza, Big Macs and 5 dollar foot longs, all of which are destined to put on the pounds.

Come fish with us and enjoy the fishing wonderland that is Lake Ontario. It’s a big lake full of big fish.