The fishing continued to be fantastic over the weekend in Wilson.  On Saturday we had a steady pick all day and ended up with a great box of fish.  The big Kings were up higher today than they've been lately and our riggers 40-60' down over 120-180 FOW pulling DW SuperSlim Die Hard, Glow Frog, and Da' Shiznit spoons were the best producers for us.  Best down speed was 2.1-2.3mph.  Later in the day we got our Deeper Divers to go pretty consistently too.  They were loaded with both Spin Dr and Pro-Chip paddles pulling a variety of Sigg's Rigs flys....Glow Ghost, UV Wonderbread, and Stainless Steel were the best colors for us today.





On Sunday I took my wife & kids out for a couple of hours and everyone got to play with a few fish.  William caught the biggest King of his life on a DW SuperSlim Green Eye Glow Ghost fished 130' down:




Benjamin caught the first King of his life on a Superslim Purple Clown fished off of a rigger down 50':



And Shelley caught her first wire line King on a Deeper Diver that was pulling a White Double Crush Glow Spinny/Sigg's Rigs Glow Ghost fly that we had parked deep at 350' on a .5 setting:


We didn't fish on Monday but it sounded like things slowed down a bit.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

Today we were joined by Jeff Davison and Dave Duffin from Johnson Outdoors.  Dave is the National Sales Manager for Cannon Downriggers, and Jeff is the Sr. Brand Manager for Humminbird electronics.  They brought along some of their distributors (Matt, Chris, and Pete) so that we could show them our Cannon & Humminbird equipment in action on the water.  We got a bit of a late start, and didn't find the green, warm water we wanted when we first went out, but after a few small fish and some searching, we finally found the water that we were looking for.  Jeff spent a few minutes showing me how to fine tune the 1157C and I sure am impressed with the unit.  We were easily able to see the kinds of detail that I was able to see on my Furuno 585...INCREDIBLE!  Check out this screen shot from our 1157C from today:



After we finally found the fish we started a slow pick and took a few nice fish out of that area before we had to pick up and head in so that the guys could catch their planes out of town.  While we didn't wrench on the fish like we had the few days prior, we did manage a nice box of fish and we put Dave on the biggest fish of our week at just slightly over 24 lbs.  The fish took a Wonderbread Spinny/Sigg's UV Wonderbread fly combo fished off of our Cannon rigger down 140' over 150 FOW.



Right after Dave hooked up with this pig, Jeff was up and he landed a nice king that took a DW SuperSlim Die Hard fished off out our 50' rigger:

 

If you happen to run into Jeff at a tournament or fishing show, be sure to ask him how he got his nickname "Net Man"  No, it's NOT because he's on the cover of the June GLA magazine netting a King!  LOL!

We had a great time with these guys and we're so glad to be working with them.  Our 1157C is a fabulous fish finder, our Mag 20 DT/TS riggers are smokin' fast, and Jay tells me all the time that the new Cannon adjustable rod holders that we added are the best addition to the boat in several years.

Today's program was a carbon-copy of our King of the Lake program...Walker Deeper Divers out 350-425' on a .5, high divers out 300-325 on a 2.5, riggers stuffed down 110-150 ft deer pulling Spinnys/Siggs flys & some NK & DW spoons.  In short, we've been fishing an East-end deep program all week and it's been working beautifully for us.

We have a few more trips later this week, so stay tuned for more reports!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

What a week of fishing in Wilson!  We arrived Thursday the 7th and settled into our house with the rest of our tournament team.  On Friday May 8th Dad, Jay, Gump and I headed out to pre-fish the Scotty King of the Lake tournament and man did we find fish!  We only fished for 6 hours or so but we pulled 25 big Kings out of the lake and we were psyched to get back out there for Day 1 of the tournament.  I'll tell you more about what we were running later, but here's a picture that pretty much sums up the day on Friday...the guys hooked up with another big King!



We weighed a King in for Big Fish Friday and ended up with the 6th biggest fish of the day at just over 20 lbs.  We had a deep water program figured out and we ended up fishing that for the rest of the week.



Here's a few shots of the Shotgun Start on Saturday morning:





On Saturday (first day of the tournament) we went back out to our waypoints from the day before and set up and settled into a steady pick of decent sized fish.  Matt Siggeman from Sigg's Rigs joined us for the tournament and he got to see first-hand just how well his flies work on Lake Ontario Kings. We didn't have them going as fast and furious as we did on Friday, but we still managed to round out a very nice box of fish (we took 8 in the last 45 minutes we were fishing) and we headed to the scales feeling like we probably had a top 10 box. 



Here's a couple of shots of the guys working the back of the boat.  Notice the Sissy belt that we bought for Jay.  I guess these big Kings are just too much for him!  LOL!!  I'm gonna paint the thing pink before he puts that back on again!







The Scotty is different from the Pro-Am's in that you only weigh in your 5 biggest fish.  We had a couple of high-teens Kings mixed in with some 14-15 lb Kings so we felt like we were at least in it for Day 2.  As we watched each boat weigh in, we began to see that we had a pretty good box and when the weigh in was all over with we were sitting in first place with an 80 lb box of fish!  WOW!  What a great feeling to be leading 66 other boats.  The forecast was for Gale Force winds overnight and we were hoping that the forecast would hold true and give us the win.  Talk about a sleepless Saturday night.  I was up almost all night long listening to that wind just hoping that it was blowing hard enough that the tournament committee would cancel Sunday and we could sneak out of there with the big check!

When we woke up Sunday morning it was blowing but not as hard as we had all hoped; it looked to me like we were going to have to fish again and try to hold onto our lead.  After the tournament committee went out to look at the lake they decided that it was time to fish, so out we went in some nasty wind & waves. 





We gave it our best shot in some pretty tough conditions and managed another respectable box of fish, but we just didn't have the 20lb fish mixed in there like we did on Saturday.  Time to hope the other boats didn't find them either!





We were the last boat to weigh in on Sunday.  They weigh in reverse order from Saturday's results so the tension was building all throughout Sunday's weigh-in!  We knew we had a good box of fish, but we also knew that there were a few other boats with even bigger boxes than we had on Saturday, so by the time we got to the stage we pretty much knew the lead was slipping away from us.



When it was all said and done our 68 lb box landed us in 4th place.  Congratulations to Joe Toomey and his Irish Thunder team for taking the win.  I should also mention that my friends on Cold Steel came in with a huge 92 lb box on Sunday that put them in 2nd place overall.  Way to go guys!  Here's the final results.



Our program was primarily a Spin Dr./Sigg's Rigs fly set-up.  Wire divers out 375' and 425' on a .5 setting pulling White Spinnys/Sigg's Glow Ghost flies and Wonderbread Spinnys/Sigg's UV Wonderbread flies were the best set-ups we had in the water.  Higher divers set on a 2.5 out 300' and 325' pulling Dalmatian Spinnys/Siggs Blue Dolphin flies and White Spinnys/Siggs Green Hypnotist flies also did their fair share of the work.  We had a deep rigger parked at 150' all weekend pulling another Wonderbread combo, and our higher rigger set at 110' was pulling a variety of NK & DW spoons.  500 and 600 coppers also got bit multiple times pulling Green Double Crush Glow Spinnys/Sigg's Green Hypnotist Flies.  Best down speed for us all weekend was 2.1-2.2 mph and we caught most of our bigger fish away from the pack.

We had a great time together and I'm glad that the fish cooperated for us all weekend long.  More reports from the rest of our week in Wilson to come.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

Today we fished out of Wilson and boated a nice mixed bag of Lakers, Kings, and Cohos.  We started out a bit West of port in 50 FOW and boated a few nice Lakers that came on a DW SS Die Hard fished off of our riggers parked at 30 & 40 feet:



After several hours of  messing around in the skinny water we finally decided at about 10:30am to slide out to some deeper water and we were rewarded with several nice spring Kings.  The Kings wanted our spoons run off of the riggers anywhere from 25-50' down over 80-110 FOW.  The Northern King Sea Sick Waddler, DW SS Green Dolphin, and DW SS Green Goby were our best King spoons today, and we had a great King take a Green Double Crush Glow Spinny/Sigg's Rigs 42nd Pulse fly combo on a wire Deeper Diver set at 120' on a #2 setting:







I wish I could tell you what our best down speed was today but we didn't have the probe up and working.  Best SOG on the GPS was 2.5-2.8 for us today.  We'll have our probe back in the water tomorrow.

The fishing is just starting to heat up out of Wilson and we still have a few dates available.   Don't miss out on your chance to get in on this incredible fishery!  Call us today at (607)592-9012 to book your Lake Ontario charter today!

We'll be back out tomorrow and I'll do my best to get a report up before I catch an early morning flight to WI on Monday.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill











 

More Laker action for us today. Jay, Dad and I got a late start and headed West towards the river at about 7am. We ran out to about 50 FOW just a tad East of 4 Mile and set up with a big SW wind at our backs. We had lots of marks on the screen in 80-90 FOW (probably Lakers) but we just couldn't get them going with any sort of consistency.  In the two hours we were out there we got bit on our SS Die Hard on a rigger parked at 70' and we took a really good shot on our diver pulling a green Spinny/Sigg's Green Hypnotist fly out 90' on a #2 setting. That diver shot was a real good fish and it peeled a bunch of line off before throwing the hook. I'd bet that was our first West-end King bite! Here's Jay with one of the biggest Lakers he's ever caught:





I'll be the first to admit that today was more about exploring the area than it was about actually fishing, so when the wind picked up even more we all decided that it was time to head back to the dock. There were a couple of other boats a bit East of us in the same water depths we were in and on the way in we saw a couple more working the skinny inside water, but I have no idea how any of them did.  I really wanted to get out there and give it an honest effort today, but Mother Nature had other ideas and we had plenty to do back at the dock so we decided to call it an early day and head back in and get to work on the boat. 

With this warm weather we've had recently the Kings will be arriving in Wilson any day now.  The next month is going to be fantastic fishing and we still have some availability for fishing in Wilson.  May 11, 13, 24, and 31 are still open and I'll even pair up anglers to make a full crew.  I'll need four guys at $125 each to cover the cost of the trip, so if that's something that interests you, let me know!

If you haven't done so already, you can subscribe to this blog by entering your email address in the Subscribe box at the top left of the page and hitting the Subscribe button.  That way all of our reports will land in your email inbox automatically every time we make an entry.  There's going to be lots to report over the next month, so stay tuned here for the latest on what we're up to!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

On Friday, April 24th Jay and I ran the boat West to Wilson.  What a relief to finally be there!  It took us about 5 hours to get there but the boat ran great and we didn't encounter much floating debris at all.  The new autopilot worked great and was a big help with keeping us on course.  Jay and I met my Dad down there and got the boat settled into it's new home for the next 5 weeks:







After a quick bite to eat at the marina, we went out for a quick evening troll.  We set up in 40 FOW straight out front and trolled out to 225FOW then pulled lines and headed back in. We picked up a Laker on a SS Green Goby spoon down 80' over 120FOW and that was it for any action. So we've already caught as many Lakers as we caught all of last season!  We started to mark some fish 100-150' down out over 200-225FOW but it was getting dark so we decided to pull lines and come in. Inside 200FOW the screen was pretty blank.




We're not much for Lake Trout fishing, but it was good to see a rod fire and to get some fish slime on the deck!  I'm sure we'll be catching our share of them in the coming weeks since the Bar is probably to best place on the Lake to find them.  Lake Trout or not, it sure feels good to have the boat moved and ready for the season to start.  We'll be out for something like 15 days in May, so keep an eye out for our reports.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

I fished with my buddies Gump and Eric on their boat today.  We headed East out of the chute in Fair Haven and found the lake to be in near-perfect condition for brown trout.  There was a 1-2 foot chop, it was overcast, the water was that brownish green that we like so much , and the water temps were about 47 degrees...awesome!  We ran a combo of riggers and flat lines off of the big boards and we took a ton of browns, a coho and a steelie today.  There were a couple of red-hot lures for us today.   The first was a new Goby pattern from Rapala that Gump picked up at a local big-box sporting goods store.  That lure was on fire for the first half of the trip....we just couldn't keep it in the water.  I didn't think to take a picture of it, but Gump tells me its called the Rapala Goby.  I'm going to have to see if I can find a few of them.  We fished it in a size 7 and it was sizzlin!  The second star of the day was a new spoon from Dreamweaver that I put on a rigger mid-way through the morning.  It  took 6 or 7 fish today and was by far the hottest lure for the second half of the trip.  Here's a picture of that spoon.  It's called the Super Slim VQ Green Goby and I think it's destined to be an awesome pattern for us:



We never left 9-10 FOW, and the fish seemed to want a faster troll today....2.4-2.8 on Gump's new Fish Hawk.  I lost track of how many fish we boated today, but it was a lot and I was really happy to see the brown trout fishery rebound from last year.  The browns are definitely feeding on the Gobies, and the few that we kept all had 2-3" Gobies in their bellies.  Here's a shot of me with the biggest fish of the day:



Here's a short video of some of the day's action:


What an awesome way to kick off the 2009 season!  Thanks for making room for me today guys.  I had a great time and I can't wait till my boat is ready to go and we can get out on the Niagara Bar together!

If you're looking for some springtime browns, Fair Haven would be a great bet...get on up here and join in the fun!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

We'll be moving the boat West just as soon as we get  the new auto pilot installed and then it's o-fish-ally time for spring Kings!  If you haven't booked your date with us down in Wilson, what are you waiting for?  A few Kings have been showing up all over the lake in the past few days and the mother-lode of Kings will be descending on the famed Niagara Bar in just a couple of weeks.  We'll be there right in the middle of it all and we'd love to have you join us for a day or two.  Almost unbelievably, we still have a couple of May dates left open for what is sure to be an incredible month of fishing.  Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this!  Don't delay, call today!  You can reach me at (607)592-9012 or email me at capt.bill@billyvsportfishing.com.  If fish like these don't get your heart pumping and make you wish that you were out there with us, then I don't know what to tell you.....maybe you ought to take up knitting ??

 



I hope to get out this weekend after a few more Fair Haven browns, and if I do I'll be sure to post a report here.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

Just a quick report for tonight.  I'm dead tired and need to get some sleep!  I spent a large portion of the day getting things wrapped up on the boat and at about 5:30PM my buddy Andy Bliss came over and we took the boat out for the 2009 shakedown.  Everything went well...the boat ran great, the new electronics worked perfectly, and we got some fish slime on the deck of the boat.  So it was a pretty successful night!

Here's a shot of the new electronics in action:



Just wait till you see the new Navionics Platinum cartography on the 1157C.  It's incredible.  I didn't think to get a picture of it, so you'll just have to stop by the boat to have a look. 

And here's the first fish of the 2009 season.  It took a new DW Super Slim Die hard fished off of our new Cannon Mag 20 downriggers:



There's a big mud line out to about 15 FOW and once the Lake settles down a little bit, the fishing for browns should be incredible.  Guys have been hammering the fish when the conditions are right, so come on up and have at 'em!

Gotta run...sleepy time!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

We dropped the boat in the water this past  Friday and after replacing the starboard side impeller, she's just about ready to go!  I have a few more project to finish up, but she's essentially rigged & ready.  I spent most of the day on Saturday, April 4th getting her cleaned up and ready to roll.  I had hoped to take her out for a shakedown run but Mother Nature had other ideas.  Sustained winds of 30-40 mph meant 10-12 ft. waves out on the Big Lake so I kept her tied up to the dock and got as much done there as I could.  She's running great and after quite a bit of cleaning to get the winter's worth of dust & dirt off of her she looks great!




If Mother Nature gives us a break with the weather, we hope to move her West into her new slip at Lake Breeze Marina in Oak Orchard soon.  Give us a call today at (607) 592-9012 to reserve your date on the Lake with us.  It's O-fish-ally time!


Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

Today Dad and I spent a good portion of the day working on the boat.  Thanks for you help today Dad.  As always it was fun spending the day with you.  We installed some new speakers for the hard-top:



Put some boat decals on for our sponsors Humminbird and Cannon:



And installed the new Humminbird 1157C that we've told you about (that's a HUGE 10.4" screen with 8,000 watts peak-to-peak power!):



The transducer and hi-speed fairing block will be going on the boat in the next few days and we also expect our new Raymarine Autopilot to be installed prior to April 1st. 

As you can see, we've been busy upgrading the boat again this year.  We're committed to keeping the very latest technology and equipment on the boat for your fishing enjoyment.  Now its your turn to give us a call and book your charter for the 2009 season.  We're looking forward to fishing with you this year!  You can reach us via email at capt.bill@billyvsportfishing.com or phone at (607) 592-9012.  Don't delay, call today!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

I needed to get in an update clinic to maintain my PSIA certification, and after having a couple of other options canceled due to low registration numbers, I finally settled on a weekeknd clinic at our neighboring ski area, Labrador.  I have to admit that I wasn't very excited about skiing for two days at Lab after it had poured rain and was nearly 60 degrees on Friday and then dropped to a frigid 10 degrees on Friday night; that's typically a recipe for icy conditions.  Yuck!  But thanks to some great grooming by the folks at Lab we actually had pretty darn good conditions all weekend. 

I managed to get into a group that was primarily made up of Greek Peak instructors and former instructors, although we did have a few guys from other areas in our group too.  We skied with Ellen Garrett, who is a PSIA Examiner from Lab, and she skied us hard,  helped us with our skiing and kept us laughing the entire weekend.  She did a great job and I took a few things out of the clinic that I'm going to work on in my personal skiing and a few other things that I'll use as I teach others.  Thanks for a great clinic Ellen.  I really enjoyed myself and I look forward to the next time that we can ski together.  And to the guys in my group, I had a great time skiing with you!  It was a lot of fun to make some new friends from other ski areas, and I also enjoyed getting to know my Greek Peak buddies even better. 

Here's a shot of Ellen and the crew from Greek Peak:



Here are some more shots from the weekend:










There are sevaral more weeks of ski season left and as you can see, there's still a ton of snow left on the hill.  Get yourself over to Greek Peak for another day or two of skiing before we wrap the season up!  We'll be fishing soon enough, but until then come ski!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

30 people attended our seminar on Friday night February 27th, 2009 at the Johnson City Gander Mountain store.  We covered a lot of ground about the Walker Deeper Diver and deep water Salmon fishing and had a lot of fun in the process.  I'd like to personally thank those in attendance for taking time out of your busy lives to spend two hours with us on a Friday night.  We certainly enjoyed talking with you and I hope you enjoyed the seminar as much as we did.  A special "Thank You" needs to go out to Matt Siggeman at Sigg's Rigs and Shane Ruboyianes at Dreamweaver Lures for the seminar goodies.  Thanks so much for all that you guys do to help promote this great fishery....it is MUCH APPRECIATED!

Just a reminder that our next seminar is scheduled for Sunday March 8th at 3:30pm at the Auburn Bass Pro Shops store.  We'll again be covering the Walker Deeper Diver and deep water salmon trolling tactics.  Here are a few shots from Friday nights' seminar:







We still have May 11th and 13th open for Salmon charters out of Wilson.  If you're looking for a mid-week date to fish, those would be two great options.  We also have a fair number of afternoon dates free in May, so if the early morning wake-up call isn't your thing you should think about joining us for an afternoon trip after we've already run a morning trip and found the fish.  Additionally we still have plenty of availability in June, July, and August for fishing out of Oak Orchard.  Give me a call at (607) 592-9012 or email me at capt.bill@billyvsportfishing.com if you'd like to set up a date to fish.

Just a reminder that our Gander Mountain seminar is this coming Friday, February 27th from 7-9pm at the Johnson City store.  The topic of this clinic will be deep water Salmon trolling featuring the new Walker Deeper Diver.  We'll also have free product from Dreamweaver and Sigg's Rigs for every attendee. The seminar is free and open to the public.

I'll also be speaking at the Bass Pro Shops Spring Fishing Classic on Sunday, March 8th at 2pm in front of the big fish tank. This will be a 20-30 minute seminar on the Walker Deeper Diver.  This is also a free seminar and is part of a series of seminars that will be going on at the store throughout the Classic.  I hope to see you at one of the seminars! 

We're still taking reservations for fishing charters for this spring and summer, so don't hesitate to give us a call at (607)592-9012 or email us at capt.bill@billyvsportfishing.com to make your reservation and get in on the fun!







There's no reason that you can't be in one of these photos this summer!  Give us a call today and get in on the FUN!!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

Matt Siggeman from Sigg's Rigs has had another busy winter.  He's come up with some new fly colors that I think are going to be some of our best producers this year:

    Stainless Steel                                                                    Wonderbread Glow

  Brushed Stainless Steel                                                 42 Second

He's also partnered with Pro-Troll and will be offering nearly 30 different Custom Pro-Chip Flashers.  Here are just a few of my favorites:

        Green Wiggler               PK Special                      Nuclear Green              Blue Bikini Dot              Bull Frog

You can check out the full selection of custom Pro-Troll Flashers here:  Sigg's Custom Flashers

Matt will be fishing on our team at the Scotty tournament in Wilson this May.  Be sure to drop by the boat and say Hi to him!

We still have a few dates left to fish in Wilson this May, and we're beginning to take more reservations every day for the remainder of the season out of the Oak.  If you're considering a day of fishing with us, give us a call today to ensure the best availability.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

I just received this notice from Dave Chilson at the Derby and thought that you might be interested in it:

Empire State Lake Ontario Promotion

Newsletter Derby News Release Date: 1/22/2009

585-544-2563 www.loc.org		Only 98 days until the Spring LOC! Lake Ontario Spring Action Kicks Off With LOC Derby.     The grand daddy of all spring fishing derbies will help to kick off the Lake Ontario fishing season this May 1st through the 10th when the Lake Ontario Counties Spring Trout and Salmon Derby explodes with some ferocious angling action in this popular great lake. The derby, run by Empire State Lake Ontario Promotions, will be offering over $30,000 in cash prizes, including a $10,000 check for the largest fish caught overall in the 10-day event.     "After several excellent years of spring fishing along the lake, we're excited by what the prospects are for 2009," says Dave Chilson, president of ESLO Promotions. There are four divisions' salmon, lake trout, brown trout and rainbow/steelhead trout. In addition, a $100 cash prize is awarded to the big fish each day in each specie category for the first nine days of the derby. Of course, all the fish must be caught from Lake Ontario.     Weigh in stations run along the coast from the Niaga... continued The full article can be viewed web link below. http://www.loc.org/newsevents/viewderbynews.asp?ID=143&dbtl=1 Registration options You can register online at loc.org. We are getting new registration cards and the first mailing will be in March, so don't be concerned if your card doesn't arrive until then. If you want a mail in application go to the web site, click on register now on the left hand side of the main page. On the page that appears on the right hand side there is a button to download an application in the pdf format.

Of course my crew and I will be registered for the Derby and we still have some availability for these dates, so if this is something that interests you give us a call right away to reserve your spot!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

  

If you're looking for something to do on a mid-winter's Friday night, how about coming to the Johnson City Gander Mountain store and joining us for seminar on Deep Water Trolling for Kings featuring Walker Deeper Divers?  The seminar is set for Friday night, February 27th from 7-9pm, and we expect to have give-aways from several of our sponsors for those of you who are in attendance.  We'll talk about Walker's new Deeper Diver and how we've worked them into our program and how they have helped us reach deep water Kings on a consistent basis.  We'll also talk about a few other deep water tactics including downriggers and copper line.  We've had good attendance at our seminars in the past and I hope that you've found them to be informative and entertaining.  I look forward to seeing you there on the 27th!





For more information/directions, etc., you can call the Johnson City Gander Mountain store at (607) 798-8400, or email me at capt.bill@billyvsportfishing.com.

I hope to see you there on Feb, 27th!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

I can tell that the Holidays are over and people are back to thinking about fishing.  The phone has been ringing every day and my inbox has been full.  If I close my eyes I can just about  feel the sun beating down on me and I can almost smell that unmistakable Lake Ontario air...I'm ready for some fishing, aren't you?  It's time to book your 2009 charter!  We still have some availability for April brown trout trips out of Oak Orchard, so if you're looking for the ultimate cure to cabin fever, give us a call and book a date in April when the browns are close to shore and the action is hot-n-heavy. 
 


In May we'll be fishing out of Wilson in search of springtime Kings.  Our calendar is just about full for the month, so if you're considering a trip to the famous Niagara Bar with us this year, you really ought to give us a call right away.  As of the date of this post, the only dates we have left in May are: May 2nd, 11th, 12th, 13th, 31st.  We do have a few dates available for afternoon/evening charters on days that we already have morning trips booked; you'll have to call us for availability.  If you're after lots of big springtime Kings, give us a call or send me an email right away to reserve your date.

   
We will be back at Oak Orchard in early June, and there are still a fair number of open dates left for the remainder of the season.  We're very excited about fishing out of the Oak.  It has a tremendous reputation for season-long consistency, and my personal experiences down there have echoed that sentiment.  You can expect fabulous catches of salmon, trout, and steelhead out of the Oak, so don't hesitate to book a date with us in June, July, August, or September.  Here's a shot from a trip I was on with some friends out of the Oak one July a few years ago:

Even though the snow has been flying and I still have a lot of skiing to do, my mind has been focused on fishing and the coming season.  If Mother Nature would cooperate, I'd be ready to start fishing today!  Unfortunately we still have a few more months before we can put the boat in, so you still have some time to make your plans.  All that you need to do to reserve your 2009 date is to get in touch with us and let us know when you'd like to come.  Once we decide on a date, all that's required to hold your date is a small deposit.  Don't miss out on your preferred date....Call us today at (607) 592-9012 or email us at capt.bill@billyvsportfishing.com.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

My Dad and I went on a float trip on the Salmon River today with Andy Bliss from Chasin' Tails Adventures.  It was 5 below zero when we met Andy at Fat Nancy's, so we decided to give the sun a little bit of time to warm the air & water up a few degrees before we got started.  After launching the boat at Altmar, we loaded up and started our float down river.  It had warded to a "balmy" 0 degrees but luckily the sun was out and there wasn't any wind.  Oh, and the fact that Andy had a small propane heater on the boat didn't hurt much either!  Check out the pics of the steam coming up off the water first thing in the morning:



It was our first time float fishing, but Dad and I took to it pretty quickly and it wasn't long before we were on fish.  I hooked up down in the Trestle Hole shortly into our trip and lost that first fish, then a few minutes later I hooked up again and the fight was on.  I've caught a lot of steelhead over the years, but this one was bigger than any steelhead I've had on before.  I got him next to the boat at least three times only to have him strip a ton of line off and head down river again.  After that last run I managed to get him into some slack water next to the boat and Andy dipped the net under the biggest steelhead I've ever landed.  Talk about exciting!  We we all high-fiving each other and trying to get a look at the fish as it sat safely in the net.  We didn't want to take the fish out of the water, but it was big enough that we just had to snap a quick picture of it.  We took a couple of pictures and then I gently released the biggest steelhead of my life back into the Salmon River for someone else to enjoy as much as I did.  We didn't weigh the fish as we were concerned for the health of the fish given the cold temps and didn't want to take it out of the water again, but we estimated it to weigh 16-17 lbs.  Here I am with the best Steelhead of my life:


Although I would've rather seen Dad land this particular fish, I was still glad that he was there to share in the moment with me.  He's done a lot of steelhead fishing over the years and I think he really appreciated just how excited I was to have caught & released that fish.  Thanks for coming along today Dad!

After that we played with another 13 or 14 fish, but we were unalble to land any more.  I had a couple fish break my leader and several more just threw the hook after a short fight.  Dad got a great fish right next to the boat and before Andy could net it, the fish threw the hook.  Frustrating for sure, but that's what makes steelhead fishing so much fun and so challenging.  The Steelhead definitely whooped us today, but we still had a fantastic time together and it was great to see Dad fighting a few chromers again:


I'm going to try to get back up there to fish with Andy again real soon.  If any of you want to go on a guided float trip with a real Pro, give Andy Bliss of Chasin' Tail Adventures a call at (315) 591-4578 and be sure to tell him that we sent you.  It's a great way to cure that cabin fever that's probably beginning to set in, and it'll get you back in the mood to get out on the boat with us again next spring!

Well, that's about it for today.  I hope you had a great New Year's celebration and we're looking forward to fishing with you again in the the New Year.  We're booking trips for next spring & summer every day now, so don't wait to call to book your 2009 charter; I don't want you to miss out on your preferred date!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

There was a big box sitting on my front porch the other day and the new Cannon downrigger mounted rod holders were in it.  Merry Christmas to me!!  These holders are so new that they're not on the Cannon website yet, but I'm told that they'll be readily available at most Cannon dealers soon after New Years. 

I finally had an opportunity to snap a few pictures of them to share with you today.  My first impression of the holders is that they're built like a tank and are very easily adjusted to just about any position you could ever want.  They're good looking and will match your Cannon downriggers prefectly; I can't wait to mount them on the boat.  These holders are very impressive to say the least!
The ratchet looks like it's going to work extremely well; I definitely like that Cannon designed the tip of the ratchet to be replaceable should it ever wear out.  The holder adjusts to 6 different positions with just a squeeze of the ratchet:



The holder also pivots into 20 different positions by simply depressing the lever on the bottom of the holder and twisting the holder into the position that you want:

I think Cannon has a real winner on their hands with this addition to the downrigger accessory line.  Once I get them mounted on the boat I'll post some more pictures so you can see how they look under the riggers, and you can always stop by the boat sometime next spring to see them in person.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and that you have a safe and prosperous New Year.  We're looking forward to 2009 with a lot of anticipation and we hope that you'll make plans to join us for a day or two out on the lake.  As always, you can reach us at (607)592-9012 or via email at capt.bill@billyvsportfishing.com to make your reservations.

That's about it for now.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!

~Capt. Bill

Over the years many of you have asked where you could buy the Billy V Sportfishing tee shirts that the crew and I wear, and up until now they weren't available.  I just didn't have an affordable way to get them to you.  But things change.   We recently opened our new online store and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how many items we now have available with the Billy V Sportfishing logo on them.  You can link directly to the store here: Billy V's Online Store.
You'll also notice an "Online Store" tab on our main website; it will also take you directly to our new store.

We have a ton of men's and women's tee-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, children's clothing, and other items available for sale.  Here are just a few samples:

      


Check it out and order your Billy V gear today.  I'm not sure, but I think we might still be able to get your gear to you in time for Christmas!

Also, don't forget to book your 2009 charter soon.  We're looking forward to another busy season on the lake and we hope that you'll make plans to join us for a day or two.  Just give me a call or drop me an email to check availability.

Until Next Time,
I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

~Capt. Bill

              

Daiwa proudly introduces the new Saltist Levelwind A series of reels.  Now you can have proven Saltist reel performance with the added convenience and efficiency of a levelwind. Plenty of cranking power, a super-smooth multi-disc drag, four corrosion-resistant CRBB bearings and choice of standard or high speed gear ratios, make these reels ideal for a wide variety of applications such as leadcore or downrigger fishing.  You gotta check out the gear ratios on these new reels.  The standard levelwind is fast at 4.9:1, and the new Ultra High Speed's 6.4:1 gear ratio will make quick work of that 10 color leadcore.   The new reels feature:
It really is a great time to be a Great Lakes angler.  There are so many fantastic products out there for us to choose from.  Now if we can just get Daiwa to add a linecounter to this reel and make it big enough to hold 600' of copper, then we'll really be in Heaven.  And yes, I've already mentioned that to them several times!  Be sure to check out the Daiwa Saltist at your local tackle shop.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

                                          Shark Cannonballs is once again leading the way in downrigger weight technology.  Shark has teamed up with the following Captains & Industry leaders to finance & build a prototype 20 Lb. Mega Shark:

Jimmy Samia - Ace Charters
Tom Allen - A-TOM-MIK
Tom Burke - Cold Steel
Pat Thayer - Redline
Rick Hajecki - Crazy Yankee Sportfishing
Bill Ruth - Billy V Sportfishing
Woody's Tackle & Gifts
FISH 307
Fat Nancy's
Pete Alex - Vision Quest
Mark Desantis - High Voltage
Dave Begins - Dream Chasers

The new molds will produce blank Sharks without facets.  The team of craftsmen at Shark  will hand hammer each one with exactly the same facet pattern as their original Sharks.  The Mega Shark will enable us to reach depths of 300 feet or more under control.

The Mega Shark is a special order item from Shark Cannonballs; contact them at shark@sharkcannonballs.com to ensure you will get your Mega Sharks in time for the spring.

Until Next Time,

Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

A Message From Santa Claus

If it were in my powers,
I would bring peace and love,
To this world of ours,
But I don't have magic enough,
I can cross the sky,
and pass by the stars,
But I can't seem to stop,
Any of hatred's wars,
I see children on the street,
With no hope left,
in the eyes.
So many homeless people
with no where to sleep.

And my heart cries.
I can't give the things they need,
Oh But God I would try.
I'm only a fantasy,
that once took wings to fly,
Some are deceived,
by the gifts that money can buy,
But those who truly believe,
see the gift with the heart,
not with the eye,
I sometime stop and go to my knees,
and pause,
and I too always pray,
That we will find an end to wars,
and live in peace one day.
For all those who believe in me,
I will continue my cause,
Across the stars,
over the wars,
On Christmas Eve,
For the hearts that still believe,
In Santa Claus

©Judy Arline Puckett


Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

We've just ordered a new Raymarine ST6002 S1 autopilot to replace the old Raytheon autopilot that died on us last season.  The autopilot will free up my crew and I to help in the back of the boat and really does make life a lot easier for us.  It will also allow me to enjoy your company more since I won't have to be glued to the wheel while we're trolling.  While it might not seem like the most exciting addition to the boat, I can tell you that after running all of last season without one, I'm very excited to be putting a new autopilot on the boat! 

The ST6002 unit that we'll be installing is a complete SmartPilot system package designed for medium sized inboard powerboats with hydraulic steering and comes with the following: ST 6002 control head, S1 corepack with course computer, rudder reference, fluxgate compass, and hydraulic drive.
                                               

We'll be putting the new AP on the boat over the winter and it'll be ready to go as soon as we get the boat in the water in the spring.  Speaking of spring, we're really looking forward to fishing the Niagara Bar from the port of Wilson this year.  We'll have the boat slipped at the Wilson Boatyard Marina for the entire month of May.  The marina is one of the nicest on the entire lake, and I'm sure that you'll enjoy it almost as much as you're going to enjoy the fishing at that time of the year.

                                               

Once we get through the month of May, we'll be moving the boat to Lake Breeze Marina in Point Breeze (Oak Orchard), and we're sure that you're going to love fishing there too.   Don't wait too long to book your 2009 charter; I don't mean to sound like a broken record (you do remember records, don't you?!?!?), but we expect to be completely full again next year, and with the incredible fishing and facilities that we'll have at our fingertips I'm sure you won't want to miss out!  To book your 2009 charter, just drop me an email at capt.bill@billyvsportfishing.com or give me a call at (607)592-9012.  Once we agree on a date, all that's required to hold your spot is a smal deposit.  I look forward to talking to you soon. 

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

Just released today, here are the new 2009 spoons and Spin Doctors from Dreamweaver.  I don't think they're even up on the DW website yet.  Thanks to Shane at DW for getting this preview in our hands.  I can't wait to get some of these babies in the water!


Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

                                                               If you've fished the Great Lakes for any length of time, you've no doubt incorporated divers into your program.  They're easily one of our top producers for Salmon, and when run in conjunction with wire line and a flasher/fly combo they're simply deadly.  Like most of you, we started using the original Luhr-Jensen Dipsy Diver and we really thought that we had them dialed in.  There were a few things we didn't like about them, but they were the only option out there so we learned to deal with them.  But one day a couple of years ago we needed another diver in a pinch and the only thing we could find was a new diver from Walker called a Deeper Diver.  We needed another diver right away for a tournament, so I reluctantly bought it and immediately put it in the water.  I have to admit that I was worried that it might run differently than our Dipsy's and cause a big tangled mess.  I was relieved to find that the Deeper Diver ran the same as the Dipsy, and I've come to realize that Walker has really made a better mousetrap with their Deeper Diver.  First off, we really disliked the ring that comes with the Dipsy.  We always ran it to achieve maximum depth, but the rings would inevitably break or get lost and that would render that diver useless to us.  Walker solved that problem by elimitaing the ring; they just made the diver the size that we needed it to be without the need for a ring.  Brilliant!  Next, Walker improved on the directional weight on the bottom of the diver.  Their Deeper Diver has a positive weight adjustment system that clicks and holds at each position that you want.  Now we don't have to worry about our divers changing settings on us while we fight a fish.  We just set it and forget it with the Deeper Diver.  Finally, Walker improved the release mechanism.  Their advanced release system allows us to ahcieve a more consistent release tension than we could ever get with our old divers, and that alone is worth the price of admission!  Like I said earlier, we really feel that Walker has made a better mousetrap with their new diver.  You can find the Walker Deeper Diver at most tacke shops.

Feel free to stop by the boat sometime and we'll show you the Deeper Diver.  They're the only diver that we run and we'll be happy to show you why.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!

~Capt. Bill

As most of you know, we're big fans of our Cannon downriggers.  About the only thing we've ever wanted to see improved on them was the rod holders.  They worked OK for us, but we've always wanted more adjustability from them.  Well, leave it to guys at Cannon to take care of that for us!  New for 2009, Cannon will be introducing a set of highly adjustable aluminum rod holders that fit under the downrigger base.  We're really excited about them and we'll be running them under our Mag 10 HS riggers next year.  According to Dan Bennett, Cannon Product Manager, the pistol grip on the front of the holder is squeezed to adjust the holder up and down. It also has the ability to ratchet into the up position.  Cannon has also refined the ratcheting feature so it is not metal on metal, which will end up binding over time.  They've added a composite tip to the ratchet, which gives a smooth action when ratcheting and is replaceable if it ever wears out.  The holder mounts between the swivel base and the downrigger mounting base.  We think they're really cool and can't wait to get them on the boat.  You'll find them at your favorite Cannon dealer this off-season.

                                 
Cannon has also come out with a series of track mounted holders that can be hard mounted to your gunwale or it can be mounted in their new track.  The holders are also compatible with Bert's and Traxstech track.  These holders operate in the same fashion as the downrigger holders I've mentioned above.

It looks to us like Cannon has really done their homework with these additions.  Feel free to stop by the boat sometime next season and we'll happily show you our new Cannon downrigger mounted holders.

Stay tuned here for more new stuff for 2009.  We'll report it just as soon as we get the info and some pics from the manufacturers.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

I spent today up at the boat working on a few maintenance projects.  First off, I got the teak put back on the boat and man does it look great!  Here's a couple of before shots and a couple of after shots:




Whaddya think?  Looks great, right??  As I said in an earlier entry, I used Sikkens to finish the teak.  I think it came out great and I couldn't be happier with how it looks on the boat.  I owe a lot of thanks to the folks on LOU and GLA for recommending it to me.

After I got the teak re-installed I got to work on getting rid of that ugly water line that the boat gets after a full season in a slip.  Simple Green toilet bowl cleaner takes those marks off in just about 60 seconds.  Put it on, let it sit until the stains are gone, rinse with water and you're good to go...no more ugly stains at the water line! 

When I finished that I got to work buffing and waxing the hull.  I figured since it was such a warm day that I might as well get that done so I don't have to worry about it in the spring.  That's one nice thing about storing the boat indoors all winter long....since it's not exposed to the sun it won't oxidize so we should be all set come April.  All we have left to do is to buff & wax the topsides and touch up the bottom paint and we'll be good to go.

We've received a ton of feedback regarding our move out West next year, and almost all of it has been extremely positive.  There have been a couple of people however who felt that I was unfair to Fair Haven in my announcement of our plans to move.  Let me set the record straight here once and for all.  I meant absolutely no dis-respect to Fair Haven or anyone who makes their living in the area when I made that announcement.  I struggled mightily with the decision to leave Fair Haven and I still think that it's a fabulous place to fish and to bring your family for vacation.  We've loved our time there and we're going to miss the town and the fishing there immensely.  To think that I intended any ill will to any of the people or businesses there is just silliness.  For the record, I wish the people there nothing but the best and I hope that the fishing is off the charts for them next year. 

OK, that about wraps it up for today.  Time for me to get the kids in their jammies and off to bed!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

With the 2008 season behind us, our focus has shifted to the 2009 season and I'd like to tell you about a major change in plans for us for next season.  It's always been my goal to put you on as many fish as I can, but this year was a very difficult one for the entire Eastern end of the lake.  Given the poor fishing in 2008 and my desire to put more fish in the boat on an every-day basis, we've decided to move our operation to the Western basin of the Lake in 2009.  

In mid-April, we'll launch the boat in Fair Haven (we're storing it there this winter) and run it all the way down the lake to the Niagara Bar so that we can get in on the fabulous Salmon fishing that happens there for the month of May.  We'll fish out of Wilson for the entire month of May, then we'll move the boat to Oak Orchard for the remainder of the season.  If you've never fished the Niagara Bar area in the month of May, I'd encourage you to join us for a day or two in Wilson this year.  Those of you who fish with us in Wilson at that time of year will be treated to what is perhaps the very best salmon fishing on the entire lake all season long.  I've fished the area several times and all I can say is "WOW!".  If lots of salmon bites are what you're after, then you'll want to join us in Wilson.  If you're thinking that Salmon season isn't until August & Sept., think again!  The Salmon fishing starts early on the West end and May is the pinnacle of the season down there.  We're VERY excited about fishing Wilson in May; we'll be there on weekends and also for a full week from May 9-16th.  Please consider joining us for a trip there this year.  You won't be disappointed.  Here's a couple of pictures with typical May Kings from a trip I was on with some friends out that way a couple of years ago:





Once we get through the month of May in Wilson, we'll be moving the boat 30 miles back to the East to what will be our main port going forward, Oak Orchard.  Oak Orchard is located about 30 miles West of Rochester.  I've fished the Oak several times over the years and I've always been very impressed with the quality and quantity of fish that they catch there on a regular basis.  We'll be operating from the Oak on weekends from the first of June till the end of September.  If I was going to recommend a time of year for those of you wanting to fish the Oak with us, I'd recommend July or August.  You can expect outstanding Salmon and Steelhead fishing out of the Oak at that time of year with larger catches than we're typically used to on the Eastern end.

I expect that our May dates will be full in short order as that is an incredible time to fish, so don't wait to book your 2009 charter with us!  Oh, and be sure to check out our updated website here: Billy V Sportfishing.

We're very excited to announce that we're going to be where the fish are in 2009.  I sincerely hope that you'll join us.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!

Capt. Bill

I was just looking back at the last entry that I made here, and it's been over a month.  Time sure does fly!  Sorry for being such a slacker lately.  September and October have just gotten away from me this year.  Here's a quick update on what we've been up to since mid-September:

We got the boat pulled out of the water and into the storage barn back in late September.  I pulled the teak trim off of the hard top and took it home for a good cleaning/brightening/refinishing.  It had gotten pretty nasty looking so it was time for some TLC.  Here are a few shots of the trim before it came off the boat:



Teak is really pretty easy to clean up; it's just time consuming.  I used Star Brite Teak Cleaner to get the mildew off of it, then used Star Brite Teak Brightener to bring it back to it's natural color, then applied three coats of Sikkens Cetol for it's final finish.  Here's a shot of the teak before I did any work to it, after cleaning/brightening, and then after it's first coat of Sikkens:

It looks even better after three coats of Sikkens, so I'm excited to see it back on the boat.  I'm planning to try and get up to the boat to put the trim back on the hardtop sometime soon.  I'll post pictures of it after I have it back on so you can see the difference. 

On another note, back in the spring I took a picture of a King that we had caught with a prototype Dreamweaver Area 51 spoon and posted it here and on a few of the fishing message boards that I frequent.  It turns out that as a result  DW was getting quite a few calls asking about where the spoon could be bought, so they decided to add it to their product lineup.  It's now available at several retail stores and ended up being one of our very best spoons of the season.  Back in the summer I got an email from Capt. Scott who run GL Outdoors and he asked if they could use that picture on their website.  Of course I agreed, and they've had this shot on their home page for a few months now:

The next time any of you need a Dreamweaver product, you should log onto their site and check them out.  They carry the largest selection of DW spoons and Spin Doctors that I've seen anywhere before.  I don't know for certain, but it sure looks to me like they carry every DW pattern available.  To top it off, they're really great guys.  Give 'em a look sometime at www.gloutdoorstore.com. 

I was in Florida all of last week on business, and I plan to be in Oregon for most of next week for more of the same, so travel has dominated my schedule lately.  Once I get back from OR, I'll have some time for bowhunting in November, then I'll jump into ski season right around Thanksgiving.  It'll be a busy fall for me, but I'll do my best to keep the fishing info coming. 

Be sure to stay tuned...there's change in the air and we'll be telling you more about it here very soon!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!

~Capt. Bill

We got out at the crack of noon today and fished till 5:30pm or so. We found an awful lot of bait and some occasional hooks east of the chute in 120-140FOW. Temp was down 70' and we had bites on our 500' copper, our 65' rigger, and our 80' rigger, all flasher/fly set-ups. White/blue seemed to be the bait of choice as we got bit on both a white double crush glow Spin. Dr. and an E-chip pulling either a Sigg's Bule Dolphin or Powder Hypnotist. We also got our favorite green double crush glow Spin Dr./Sigg's Green Hypnotist to fire today. The fish seemed to want it fairly slow again today...1.8-2.0mph on our Depth Raider.





All in all another fairly slow afternoon, but I suspect that the guys that were able to stay out till dark might have gotten a few more bites as we were beginning to see some more hooks around that bait as we were pulling lines.

This might be the last report for the season. I'm not sure we'll get out again before we have to pull the boat, but if we do I'll post it here as always.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!

~Capt. Bill

Today we were joined by Walt, Dan, and Bruce for another day of King Salmon action on Lake Ontario.  We ran quite a ways East and set up in 90 FOW and within a few minutes had our first rip, but after a brief battle, the fish and our fly parted ways.   That fish took a White Double Crush Glow Spin Dr/Sigg's White Crinkle Fly fished 80' down on our downrigger.  After another dropped fish in the waters we were working, we talked to a friend of ours at about 9am who was another 5 miles or so down the lake from us.  He was lighting the fish up and given our relatively blank screen we pulled lines and ran down to his waypoints.  Within a minute or two of setting up we hooked up and landed a nice King:



That fish took a Green Double Crush Glow Spin Dr./Sigg's Green Hypnotist fly down 82' on our Cannon's.  A few more minutes later and we were hooked up again and from then on we just made loops in that one area and we had double digit hookups in there in a two hour period.  For a while there it was almost fast and furious....let's call it entertaingly steady.  I sure wish we had gotten there about three hours eariler!  Today's best color was definitely either a white Spinny or E-Chip pulling a Sigg's White Crinkle or Sigg's Glow Ghost Fly, and the fish seemd to want those presentations trolled SLOWLY....1.6-2.0mph down speeds on our Depth Raider were our best speeds.  It took me a few minutes after we got set up to figure that out but as I was almost springting by a couple of boats that were hooked up it hit me....slow down Bill!  Once we did we got em to go pretty regularly.  We also tooks a few shots on the above mentioned Green set-up and a Chartreuse E-Chip/Sigg's Mtn. Dew fly, but White was mostly what they wanted today.  Best depths were 80-110 FOW for us and we were a long ways East of Fair Haven....OK, so we were a few miles east of Oswego too...like I said above, we ran quite a ways East.

Here are a couple of the other fish we boated today:





We lost more fish than we boated today, but that's the way it goes sometimes.  Even still, we managed to take home a respectable cooler full of Kings & a Coho and we definitely had a great time!

Thanks for a great day out there guys.  We had a riot with you today and we look forward to fishing with you guys again next season!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

This afternoon Chris and his wife Donna brought their son Hunter and Chris's parents Lee and Joe out for a crack at a big Lake Ontario King.  We headed back to the spots out West of port that we had hooked up in earlier in the day and set up our full spread of baits.  Of course, the bait and hooks that we had out there just a few hours earlier weren't there when we got back out there, so we went into search mode again.  Man I hope the fish show up soon!  So we're in search mode and we're having a nice smooth boat ride and we finally find a nice hook on the screen and just a minute or so after it goes off the screen our 500' copper pulling a blue double crush glow spinny/Sigg's Maui fly starts screaming.  This fish took a lot of line off that copper reel and Chris was on it like a pro.  After a 15 minute battle Chris lands a fat 24 lb King.  Looks like the family is having salmon for dinner!



We finally got a good hook set into a fish and this one wasn't coming unbuttoned.  Check out how deep both the treble and the stinger hook were into this guy:



After we boated that fish we set back up and started working the area that we hooked up in, but as we were watching the radar screen we could see a nasty cell of weather coming up behind us and we knew that our time on the water was going to be cut short.  We had another bite just before we had to pull lines on a green double crush glow spinny/Sigg's Green Hypnotist fly set down 90' on our rigger but lost it.  After that fish the storm moved in quickly and we had to go before the lightning & rain got any closer.  I wish we could've stayed out for the last couple of hours of daylight because I had a feeling that the fish were going to cooperate for us, but it wasn't meant to be.

Even though we only got out for a few hours, we really enjoyed having Chris and his family on board.  We look forward to next year when they come back again to give this salmon fishing thing another shot!

It's been a very trying week for us.  Few fish in the area has made for some very tough conditions, but we've given it our all every trip and managed to boat some fish each time out.  Some days we were able to put a limit on the boat; some days it was all we could do just to avoid the skunk.  When we've found fish we've been able to catch our fair share of them, but most days it's been a struggle to find even a few hooks.  There are some fish here, but just not with the consistency that we'd all like. 

The challenging conditions have thoroughly tested my patience this season, and I've written far more reports about tough fishing conditions than I ever hope to in a single season again.  But I'm committed to sharing the straight scoop with you so that you know what's going on out on the lake.  There's no BS or embellishment here....I tell it like it is regardless of the results.  I wish we were having the kind of season that we've had the past several years, I really do.  Limit catches are a lot more fun for us than the days when we have to grind it out for a fish or two.  One thing about fishing though...you never know how it's gonna be unless you go.  So we'll continue to go.  And we'll continue to report how we do.  I hope you'll stay tuned.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

Tony, Rich, and Mark joined us again today for another shot at some Lake Ontario Kings.  After the smack-down that Mother Nature put on us yesterday we were hoping for a little bit of redemption today.  We left the dock even earlier today in the hopes that we could find all of those fish that we had marked yesterday morning in a receptive mood.  We got out to our spot and we were set up and fishing at 5:30am.  The fish that we had on the screen the morning before were back again and we knew that we had a shot at them until the sun came up.  Once the sun came up yesterday they just disappeared and today was no different.  We took our first shot of the morning on a green double crush glow spinny/Sigg's Green Mist fly that was down 115' in 38 degree water.  After a brief battle we boated this nice King:



After that fish the screen went blank on us again.  We continued to work that area for a bit but had just the one fish to show for it.  Around 9:00am we got a call from a friend of ours who was several miles West of us and he had boated three fish out deep in front of Port Bay.  After two full days of frustration and blank screens East of port, we decided to pull lines and make the 20 minute run down there.  Once we hit the 250 FOW mark we finally found one small bait pod with two hooks around it and I started circling it for all I was worth.  The temp was a lot deeper out there so we had moved all of our rigs down below the break at 90'.  We hooked up with a major on our second pass and played it for 15 minutes or so before it came unbuttoned.  That fish took a chartreuse e-chip/Sigg's Mtn. Dew Pulse fly fished off of a wire diver out 300' on a #2 setting.  On about our fifth pass through this one little spot we hooked up again on that same rig and the fish threw the hook again.  Jeez, what do we have to do to keep a fish stuck?!?!?  Sharp hooks?  Check.  Stinger hooks on the flies?  Check.  Drags set right?  Check.  Sometimes these fish just manage to find ways to throw even the sharpest of hooks.

We really didn't see much of anything at all on the screen again today.  If you decide to come up and give it a try I'd suggest putting your "A" game lures down and leave them down while you cover lots of water.  If you find a little something on the screen that has some bait and hooks in it, stay on that water and work it for a while.  You're going to have to put in your time to get the fish to go.  It's definitely not like it's been the past few years where we could count on full boxes of fish on most trips out, but there are still some fish around and there are some real big ones out there.

Even though the catching wasn't fantastic, we still managed to have a good time today, and we look forward to fishing with the guys again next season.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

Today we were joined by Tony, Rich, and Mark as we fished the Fair Haven Challenge together.  We headed out of the chute and ran East towards Oswego.  I set the boat down in 80 FOW off of West Nine Mile Point and the screen was just loaded with fish.  With high hopes of a finally having the banner day that we've all been so sorely missing on the East end of Lake Ontario this season we set up our go-to program.  But by the time we got set up and made the return troll back to our waypoints, those fish that we had on the screen had all but disappeared.  Where did they go??  As luck would have it, our first bite of the day came at 6:10 am and it was a huge fish.  The fish took a simple white double crush glow spinny/Sigg's white crinkle fly fished 70' down on our Cannon downrigger.  I had the rod in my hands and I can assure you that it was one of the biggest fish I've ever felt.  It stayed down deep the entire time we had it on, made several LONG runs, and took us out over 400', and that's on a mono rod fished off of a downrigger.  While we were hooked up with that fish we doubled up on one of our diver rods.  That bite came on a green double crush glow spinny/Sigg's Monster pulse fly fished off of a diver out 210' on a #2 setting.  Maybe today IS going to be the day!  We lost that second fish after a brief battle but then turned our full attention to the big boy that we still had on.  We played it for almost 40 minutes, got it right behind the boat, were just about to slide the net under it and then watched in utter despair as the fish we've been looking for all season long threw the hook and swam off into the murky depths.  To say that we were disappointed is a monumental understatement.  We were crushed, but we knew that we needed to get set back up right away and get after some more fish.

After that initial flurry of action we worked that area hard and managed another good hookup with another nice fish only to lose it to a broken leader.  We kept at it, worked in temp, out of temp, shallow, deep, slow, fast, and finally managed to boat a respectable King that took our blue double crush glow spinny/Sigg's Maui fly that Jay had just put down 90' into the 38 degree ice water we had out over 150FOW:



We headed to the weigh-in for the Fair Haven Challenge with just the one fish in our cooler, but we still managed to place 22nd out of the 74 boat field.  Had we been able to hang onto the bites that we had, we'd be telling a different story, but that's why they call it fishing and not catching.  Mother Nature certainly has been un-cooperative this year and she won yet again today.  All told, there were only three boats that came in with the 5 fish limit for the Challenge, and those boats fished out of either Oswego or Mexico.  Talk about a tough, frustrating day on the lake. 

That's about it for today's report.  We'll be back out and after it again tomorrow.  Let's hope things improve overnight. 

Until Next Time,
Fish On!

~Capt. Bill

 

Today we were joined by Jason, Roland, Ed, and Carl for their annual trip to the big pond.  We had an E wind that shifted to S overnight an when we got out to our spot West of port we found that the temp had come way up in the water column and our fish had disappeared.  We took a shot on our 80' rigger pulling a White Spinny/Sigg's White Crinkle fly but lost this fish after a quick head-shake.  After that we went into search mode.  Big time.  We trolled and trolled and trolled and trolled and finally made our way out near West Nine Mile point.  Once we got there we finally began to see a few marks and some bait and after what seemed to be an eternity we finally hooked up with a nice King that took that same White Spinny/ Sigg's White Crinkle fly down 80' on our rigger. 



One word sums up today's fishing...TOUGH.  We worked really hard today for the bites that we got and it sounded to me like most boats struggled in the morning with a boat here or there picking up two or three fish at best.  Let's hope that things shape up better for tomorrow's Fair Haven Challenge.

Thanks for a fun day guys and thanks for hanging in there on such a touch day.

More reports to come, so stay tuned!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

We went out for an afternoon troll today with Chris and Eric.  After we wrapped up our AM trip we decided to give the waters East of the chute a try.  We headed down towards West Nine Mile Point and set up in 150 FOW.  We had a major take a big rip on our 500' copper and break off 498 feet of it, then we had another major break off the leader on our 600' copper.  We lost yet another 500' copper shot after we re-spooled and we finally got a good hook set into Eric's first-ever king:



This afternoon's hot items were any Green Double Crush Glow Spinny/ Sigg's Green Hypnotist fly that we put in the water, especially if it was on copper!  Unfortunately we couldn't hold onto any of our bites tonight so we had to settle for just the one fish, but we did get to see an amazing sunset on our way into the chute:



Thanks for a fun evening guys, and congrats to you Eric on your first-ever King.  Next year we'll see if we can get one of those big ones that got away into the net!

until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

This morning we were joined by Mike, Jason, Joe, and John for a try at some Lake Ontario Kings.  We headed West out of the chute towards our waypoints from the last time out and set up in 120 FOW.  We weren't out more than 30 minutes and our 375' dipsy pulling a chartreuse Pro-Chip/Sigg's Mtn. Dew  Pulse fly fired and we boated a small King.  We worked that 120-150 FOW area for most of the day and we hooked up several times and boated a few fish, the highlight of which was a smokin' hot 25 Lb King that took a Green Spinny/Sigg's Green Hypnotist fly fished off of a dipsy out 400' on a #2 setting:



Most of the hooks and bait that we found in those waters the day before were gone, so we were working over a lot less productive waters today and try as we might we just couldn't locate the biomass that we were looking for.

All in all a good day spent with a bunch of great guys and we're already looking forward to fishing with them again next year!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

Today we were joined by Alex and Marcus for their second trip of the year on Lake Ontario.  You might remember that Alex and Marcus joined us for a day filled with brown trout back in May, but today they were after the mighty King Salmon and Lake Ontario delivered them a limit catch that I'm sure they'll remember for a long, long time.  Here's the view I had from the Captain's chair for most of the day although I did get into the action at the back of the boat for at little bit:

We worked and area West of the chute from 100-230FOW that held both bait and active fish and we found that our Dreamweaver 42nd spoon fished off of our 140' rigger and a Chartreuse Pro-Chip/Sigg's Rigs Mountain Dew Pulse fly fished off of a diver set out 375' on a #2 did most of the damage.  Our best down speed was 2.2-2.4mph on our  Depth Raider and direction of troll didn't seem to matter.





We didn't find the huge LOC Derby-winning King we were after, but we did manage to find our limit of nice 18-20 Lb. Kings and we even took a bonus steelhead to round out our box.  We had a fantastic day and we were glad to finally be fishing on calm seas.  Thank you Mother Nature!!

We have a double tomorrow but I'll do my best to get a report from each trip up and posted before I hit the pillow tomorrow night.

Thanks for a fabulous day Alex and Marcus.  You truly had a day for Kings and we were glad to share it with you!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

This afternoon we were joined by John and Sarah for an afternoon trip that I had donated to the United Way.  We left the dock at 2:00pm and ran about 4 miles West of port and set up out in 200FOW.  Within 5 minutes of setting the last rod, our 120' rigger pulling a Green Spinny/Sigg's Green Hypnotist fly fired and Sarah was on the rod.  She did an awesome job playing the fish and after a 20 minute battle she had the biggest King of the year for us in the boat.  Check out the video:

What a great way to start the trip!  The fish tipped the scales back at Anchor at just under 28 Lbs.  After that we got set back up and went back through our waypoints and as soon as we got back to the spot where we hooked Sarah's King we hooked up again and John did a great job landing his first King of the trip.  After that fish Sarah was back on deck and after we made another loop through our waypoints we hooked up again and Sarah landed another big King!  After that, John got his hands on a long & skinny Steelie that took a Chartreuse E-Chip/ Sigg's Mtn Dew Pulse fly fished off of our diver set out 350' on a #2 setting:



We ended up hooking up several more times over the remainder of the trip and the highlight was our first-ever Walleye!  We've caught them out of Henderson Harbor and on Oneida Lake before, but this was our first out of Fair Haven and it came out over 220 FOW.  The Walleye fought like a wet dish rag when it hit our Watermelon NK 28 set as a free-slider on our 80' rigger, but we were all super pumped to see a 6.5 lb 'Eye on the deck of the boat:



We only got to spend about 3 hours out there trolling tonight because we had some sea-sickness on board, but we were really happy with the box of fish that we brought back to the dock:



Thanks for a great trip gang.  Next time take your Dramamine Sarah!! 

Looks like a blow off day on Tuesday, but if we can get out I'll be sure to report.  There were lots and lots of hooks on the Furuno and I can't wait to get back out there again!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

Wilson, Wilson, Wilson...San Diego instead of fishing for Kings??  Oh man.  I'm not sure you'll ever live this one down!!

Today Joe and Butch (Wilson was MIA) joined us in really rough seas for a shot at a Lake Ontario freight train or two.  First up was Butch when our Green Spinny/Sigg's Green Hypnotist fly fished 110' down over 130 FOW fired hard.  Butch got the fish to the back of the boat but just as Jay was about to grab the net the fish spit the hook.  Bummer Butch.  Wish we could've boated that big King for you, but that's fishing.  Sometimes the fish win.



Not 5 minutes after Butch's fish came un-buttoned our low diver pulling a Green e-Chip/Sigg's Green apple fly fires hard and it's Joe's turn at bat.  Not to be outdone by his fellow King who just spit the hook at us, this big boy decides to break our leader and take our flasher/fly with us.  Ugh, that's frustrating!

So now it would have been Wilson's turn....if only he was here.  We worked and worked for our next bite and when we finally hooked up, the fight was on!  That same 110' rigger pulling that same Green Spinny/ Sigg's Green Hypnotist fly fired hard and Joe stepped in to pinch hit for Wilson.  Joe did a great job subbing for his West-Coast bound buddy and brought a really nice King right to the back of the boat.  Just as I was about to net the fish it saw the boat and headed for our Starboard side diver.  After some quick shuffling we got the fish out of that mess and back to the middle of the boat but the fish wasn't done and it headed for the Port side diver!  So some more mayhem ensues and we get the fish back to the middle of the boat...again.  But this king wasn't going to have any of us, so it heads for that Starboard side diver...AGAIN!  Joe and I somehow managed to avert disaster once again and we FINALLY got the fish to the middle of the boat and I dipped the net under a beautiful 25 Lb King.



Oh Wilson, what could have been!  Wish you were here buddy!!!

We had a few more bites over the course of the day and had we been able to make 'em stick we would've had a pretty decent box full of matures.  But today most of the fish won the fight as they spit hooks, broke leaders, ran through divers and generally wreaked havoc on us today.  Even with the 5-7' seas  (and no Wilson) we still managed to have a great day.  Jay and I look forward to fishing with you guys again next spring!  Hope you had a great day down on Cayuga on Sunday!!



More reports to follow this week...lots of nice hooks on the screen today...it looks like things are really shaping u s for us in Fair Haven!

Until Next Time,
Fish On Wilson!!

~Capt. Bill

Today we were joined by Chris, Alan, Eric, and Rick for a day of chasing the big Kings that are finally beginning to show  up in the Fair Haven area.  We left the dock at 6am and ran out to 75 FOW to take a peek at the Furuno only to find nothing on the screen.  We powered back up and ran out to 120 FOW and set up even though we didn't have much on the screen.  We began working our way out to deeper water and we finally found good temp down 100'.  After an hour or so of trolling we hit our first fish of the day, a small brown that took our Dalmatian Spinny/Sigg's Blue Dolphin fly down 100 on the rigger.  After bouncing around for a while longer and not seeing much we got a call from our friends on the Cold Steel boat down east of Oswego.  They were having a good morning King fishing and we decided to troll that way to see if we could get in on that action.  After a long troll towards Oswego, we finally hooked up with a nice King in 120 FOW that took that same Dalmatian Spinny/Sigg's Blue Dolphin fly down 100'.  As we fought that fish we doubled up on another King that took a Green Holo Spinny/Sigg's Green Hypnotist fly fished off of a diver out 300' on a #2.5.  We landed both Kings and snapped a few pics:





After we landed the Kings the wind began to build and we looped around and made a few more passes through our waypoints but we couldn't turn another fish.  We got bumped around pretty good in 3-4 ft seas and after we worked our way back towards the barn we managed to boat a really pretty steelhead that took a Northern King NK28 Watermelon spoon that we had free-sliding on our 60' rigger.  Once we boated that fish we pulled up and slowly worked our way back in.  So much for NOAA's forecast of waves less than 2ft....they were all of 3-4ft with an occasional 5 footer thrown in there!

Check out the Traxstech Rod Holders in action in the gnarly waters we were fishing today:



We had a great day despite the bumpy water and I'm encouraged by the number of big Kings that we saw back at the dock this morning.  There were a couple of them weighed that were nearly 30 lbs! 



Thanks for a great day guys.  We look forward to fishing with you again next year!!

Stay tuned as we're out every day for the next 9 days and I'll try to post a report each and every day.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

Today we were joined by Ted, Harry, Dave, and Brian for another trip out on beautiful Lake Ontario.

We went out on Saturday morning and found a few marks and some bait NW of port in front of the silos in 325-500FOW.  We worked really hard for what little we managed to scrape outta there.  The majors that we're all looking for just aren't there in any sort of numbers yet, but the word on the street is that there were a few 30+ Lb Kings taken off of Oswego on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, so hopefully they're starting to show up!

There were some small hooks up around 90-110' and we threw everything at them including the proverbial kitchen sink.  The only set-up that we could really get to go was a simple white spinny/white crinkle Sigg's fly fished off of our 110' rigger.  That set-up took 80% of our hits for the day.  The other set-up that got bit was a chartreuse pro-chip/Sigg's Mountain Dew Pulse fly that we had down 135' on another rigger.  We didn't have a single spoon bite all day long, and we didn't have a touch on any of our 4 wire divers.  We moved 'em up out of temp, down into the middle of the temp, and down in the ice water and we couldn't trigger a bite.  We sped up, slowed down, messed with colors, lead lengths, direction of troll, you name it.  It just wasn't gonna be our day no matter what we did.  We managed a few bites and had a still managed to have a great day despite the slow fishing.  Here's the shots of what action we did manage to find:









The good news is that I talked to Andy Bliss from Cold Steel several times over the course of the morning on Saturday and they continue to light up the browns east of Oswego in 100-115FOW.  His best spoons were the same ones he's been using all week:  Stinger Frogs, Tuxedo's and the Mongoose.  Andy said that they had consistent bait and hooks in there and they've been getting some fat browns up to 12 lbs or so.  I ventured in to 100-120FOW east of Fair Haven and we definitely don't have the same screen that they do East of Oswego for the browns.  In just over an hour's time in there I saw exactly one bait pod and one fish.  Needless to say we couldn't get it to go in there either.

I didn't fish on Sunday but I did talk to a few guys that went out of FH and it sounded like more of the same...lots of two and three fish boxes, with a few intermittent majors reported.  Shade Tree dropped three or four majors this morning so he's at least feeling like maybe they're starting to show up here and there.  I sure hope he's right...we'll be fishing every day from the 16th-25th and I could use a good dose of BIG Kings to get me out of the fish funk I'm in.

Thanks to Ted, Harry, Dave, and Brian for making today's trip enjoyable even though the fish didn't cooperate as well as we would have liked.  I hope to see you guys again back up here on the Big "O".

We'll be out every day from the 16th-25th of August LOC Derby fishing.  I'll do my best to post reports daily here, so keep checking back for the very latest on the fishing scene out of Fair Haven.  BTW, we still have the morning of Monday, August 18th open for a charter.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

Another cancellation means another opportunity for you to get in on the fun!  We'll be at the lake and fishing the Fall LOC Derby every day from August 16th-25th.  All of our mornings are booked that week except for Monday, August 18th.  If you'd like to Derby fish during what has historically been our hottest time of the year for King Salmon, give me a call right away at (607)592-9012 or email me at capt.bill@billyvsportfishing.com and we'll get you all set for a great day out on beautiful Lake Ontario!  Hurry, this date won't last long!!



Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

Due to a cancellation, we now have this coming Saturday, August 9th open and available for a morning charter.  If you've been considering a trip with us this season, this may be your date.  Give me a call at (607)592-9012 or shoot me an email at capt.bill@billyvsportfishing.com if you're interested in fishing with us this coming Saturday!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

Today we were joined by Matt, Eric, and Nick for a day out on Lake Ontario.  The excitement level was high the night before as the guys came down to the boat to say hello and to swap fishing stories.  After a good night's rest, we met at the boat at 5:00am on Saturday.   Just as we were about to push away from the dock....ZAP...we lost power to most everything on the boat.  Not exactly what we had planned.  Jay and I scrambled around as best we could in the pre-dawn darkness and we couldn't find the source of the problem.  Not much of a surprise there; it's dark enough down in the bilge and under the dash during the height of the day let alone an hour before the sun rises.  The good news was that we had both engines running and charging our batteries and we also had our Sonar & GPS so we were pretty sure we just had a blown fuse somewhere.  The bad news was that we were going to have to fish without our Depth Raider speed & temp probe, which we rely on very heavily to help find the temps we're looking for and to maintain the correct down speed for our presentation.  We also didn't have any of our instrumentation on the dash.

Feeling blind without all of our instrumentation, we headed out and set up in 90 FOW just a touch East of the chute.  We had tons of bait in 90-100 FOW and even a few hooks in the mix, so we set up a brown trout program and got down to fishing.  We worked that water for an hour or so without so much as a touch.  One of our friends slid in next to us and ran his temp probe down and said that he had 70 degree water on the bottom in 85 FOW.  OK, time for plan B, that's just too warm.  We turned the boat out towards deeper and hopefully colder waters and just as we hit 200 FOW our low diver fires and we're hooked up.  After a brief battle we boated a small 2 lb. King and the guys decided to send him back into the lake so he could grow up and make someone else's day in a couple more years.  That diver was out 210' on a .5 setting and was pulling a Green Double Crush Glow Spin Dr./ Sigg's Rigs Green Hypnotist fly.





After that fish we kept working our way out towards deeper water and we found a few suspended bait pods and a few small hooks in between 220-240 FOW, so we decided to work that area for a bit.  We kept trying different speeds in an effort to make up for the loss of our probe, but nothing seemed to work.  We just couldn't get the rods to fire.  Looking back on it I wish I had rigged up a thumper rod and ran it down the chute to give us at least some indication of down speed but I was determined that we could figure it out with a little help from our friends on other boats with probes and by watching the angle on our rigger cables.  Hindsight is 20/20.  Man did I feel blind out there.

We worked our way out to 300+ and just as the thunderstorms rolled in we had our 600' copper pulling a Chrome Frog Spin Dr./Sigg's Rigs Super Lime Glow Pulse fly fire.  As we were hooked up we could see two or three water spouts starting to form in the surrounding clouds.  I was at the wheel  and had us headed into the wind so I didn't snap any pics, but it sure was an ominous looking sky and it was a lot bumper than the below pic makes it look.  We worked as quickly as we could to boat the fish as there were some pretty nasty thunderstorm cells in the area. 



As soon as the fish hit the deck the heaviest of the cells moved in and we just skirted it to the North.  What is it with us being hooked up on 600' of copper when there's lightning in the sky?  That's the second time that's happened this year and I hope it's the last!



We stayed out for a while longer in an effort to put one or two more fish in the box, but to no avail.  We gave it our best shot under difficult circumstances, but the few fish we marked didn't seem to want to cooperate today. 

After we got back to the dock we starting trying to troubleshoot our power outage.  Chris Drogi from Anchor Resort stopped by to help us out and he ultimately found that a simple 30 amp fuse that was located away from all the other fuse blocks down behind one of the engines had blown.  I'm not sure why that fuse is located where it is, but it sure did handcuff us today.  I'm headed to the auto parts store right now to pick up a few extras to have on hand.  Thanks for all your help today Chris.  I really do appreciate it.

All in all, we really did have a lot of fun out with our crew today even though the catching was less than we all hoped for.  We're looking forward to fishing with you guys again next year.  Thanks for a fun day guys!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

The months of August & September are PRIME TIME for big King Salmon in Fair Haven.  Who wants to go chase big Kings like those pictured below with us this summer?







If you would like to fish in August, we have time for afternoon/evening charters on Aug 2, 16, 17, 19, 21, and 23.  We're already booked on those mornings, but we can definitely get you out there from 2pm till dark.   September is still fairly open, so call for availability.  If you'd like to battle big Kings like these pictured above, NOW is the time to call or email to set your date.  Don't let another summer slip by without getting in on the fun!  I hope to hear from you soon.

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill

The awards ceremony for the 2008 Summer LOC Derby was  held in conjunction with the Wayne County Pro-Am last weekend in Sodus Point.  For me, the highlight of the ceremony was seeing 12 year old Ryan Bobzin tell the story about his 28.08 lb King salmon that ended up winning the youth division and placed third in the Salmon division.  You should've seen this kid's eyes light up when Bill Hilts asked him if he was gonna come back to Lake Ontario fishing again!  His eyes got as big as pie plates and his entire face lit up as he nodded his head and said and emphatic "Yes!".  Awesome job on the big fish Ryan!  The Grand Prize winner was a 31.14 lb King that was taken by Carrie Choate of Gasport.  I saw the King at the ceremony and it was a real pig.  Congratulations Carrie.  Job well done!

We had a pretty good derby ourselves and ended up placing two fish on the final 2008 Summer LOC Derby leader board.  Rich Peaslee from Lowman, NY took the 20th place brown on board our boat on June  21st right out in front of Fair Haven in about 30 FOW.  The big brown took a Dreamweaver Super Slim Area 51 spoon fished off of  our Cannon downriggers.  When we weighed the fish in, it sat in 4th place and we all anxiously watched the fish move down the leader board during the final week of the derby.  Rich did a great job of battling the big brown and we were all very happy to see the fish hold on to that final spot on the leader board.  Congratulations on a great fish Rich!  I'm happy I was out there with you when you caught it.   Here's a pic of Rich and his 20th place brown:



The following weekend we were out fishing in the Mustad Challenge and our good friend Rick Hajecki from Rochester, NY landed a big 25.12 lb King on our boat that ended up placing 17th in the final 2008 Summer LOC Derby standings.  The fish also won big fish honors at the Mustad Challenge as well as the Shane Zimmerman Memorial Big Fish Award.  Rick had his fish take a Sigg's Rigs Green Hypnotist fly that was trailing a Green Double Crush Glow Smart Fish on a 600' copper rod out in 130 FOW just East of Fair Haven.  We had a severe lightning storm bearing down on us as Rick fought this beauty, so while Rick was hooked up the rest of us were frantically tearing down rods and getting the boat ready to run into the bay to take shelter from the storm.  The second the fish hit the deck we powered up and we made it to the dock just a minute or two before the storm hit.  Needless to say, we were all pretty excited with Rick's catch.  Congratulations on a beautiful fish Rick!  Here's Rick and his 17th place King:



Way to go fellas. You guys certainly made June a month to remember for us.  I'm happy for both of you and I look forward to the next time we can get out on the water together in search of BIG fish!

Until Next Time,
Fish On!!

~Capt. Bill