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PIKE
Apr 22, 2007 18:44:19 GMT -5
Post by issiah on Apr 22, 2007 18:44:19 GMT -5
Almost time for the big Boys!!! Lets keep each other posted on that Walleye/Northern bite! Tiger's & Pickerel too.
P.S. Channel Cats can get very hot in May! If anyone knows of a hot bite & doesn't mind sharing the advice with other's please do so!
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PIKE
May 5, 2007 6:34:57 GMT -5
Post by issiah on May 5, 2007 6:34:57 GMT -5
Heading out in a couple hours to set up for Northerns. Worried about water temperature. Hopin' they are at least a couple weeks past spawning. It sure was a cold spring this year. We are going to use live/Dead minnows so we may catch other varieties of fish too. Should be a nice day. My folks have been comin' along for the past few years and it's kind of an annual event now. I'll be sure to post Pics of any decent fish & give water temperature. We will be fishing the Mohawk river/Barge Canal system.
Good Luck to anyone else out there chasin' the Big uns!!
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Post by Itrapny on May 5, 2007 6:42:00 GMT -5
Hey, stay out of my backyard, LOL ;D
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PIKE
May 5, 2007 19:04:50 GMT -5
Post by issiah on May 5, 2007 19:04:50 GMT -5
Don't worry Wayne; I wont catch all the fish out behind the house. I'll make sure to leave you a few ;D We didn't get any big Northerns or Tiger Muskies but we did get a couple Pickerel, A Walleye & a Small Largemouth Bass. My Dad caught the Walleye, It was 15.5" long. He took it on a 4" sucker with a steel leader. Water In the Canal where the Mohawk was pouring in was 52 degrees at 10:30 & 57 degrees at 4:00. Anyone see or here of anyone getting any Northern Pike?? Here's Dad's fish...
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PIKE
May 5, 2007 19:17:19 GMT -5
Post by Itrapny on May 5, 2007 19:17:19 GMT -5
Hey I know that spot!! Glad to hear you had a good day. How many others were fishing there today? Do you fish the canal, the river or both? I've fished that exact spot (canal) but never have tried in the river.
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PIKE
May 6, 2007 8:50:06 GMT -5
Post by issiah on May 6, 2007 8:50:06 GMT -5
There were a few people that trickled in throughout the day. Maybe 10....We didn't fish the river part up above yesterday. That part is mostly known for trout. Some big ones are taken; I think the DEC stocks it very generously up above where it flows by the hatchery. Below the falls is a great spot! Attracts Baitfish which attracts Predators plus the Oxygen. Doesn't seem to produce like it did a few years ago before they fixed the area up.
I often just call the Canal part the Mohawk, because the two come together there.
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PIKE
May 7, 2007 15:11:18 GMT -5
Post by issiah on May 7, 2007 15:11:18 GMT -5
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PIKE
May 7, 2007 15:53:18 GMT -5
Post by Itrapny on May 7, 2007 15:53:18 GMT -5
NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going out tonight behind the house for a bit after dinner
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PIKE
May 7, 2007 19:06:09 GMT -5
Post by Itrapny on May 7, 2007 19:06:09 GMT -5
Well I forgot the camera, but I picked up 2 nice smallies, about 16" @ and another small one about 8", a tiny rock bass and real nice chain pickeral that went somewhere between 2-4 lbs. All caught on a perch pattern Rapala twitched on the surface.
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PIKE
May 7, 2007 20:14:28 GMT -5
Post by issiah on May 7, 2007 20:14:28 GMT -5
Sounds like thats a nice little spot there behind the house
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PIKE
May 7, 2007 20:33:02 GMT -5
Post by fingerlakesfur on May 7, 2007 20:33:02 GMT -5
Beautiful northern Rookie!
Did you weigh it?
Looks about 18-20 pounds
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PIKE
May 7, 2007 22:09:43 GMT -5
Post by issiah on May 7, 2007 22:09:43 GMT -5
No, I quickly let it go...But I would guess about the same. It was a beauty but was real sick! If you look closely you can see it has that red rashy thing goin on. I've never seen it so bad?? WOndering if it could've been this VHS they are so worried about!
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PIKE
May 8, 2007 13:28:40 GMT -5
Post by Spikehorn11 on May 8, 2007 13:28:40 GMT -5
Man thats a good fish. You could call teh state about the possible VHS but from what I heard it can't be stooped.
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PIKE
May 8, 2007 20:53:38 GMT -5
Post by issiah on May 8, 2007 20:53:38 GMT -5
Fished Delta Lake (Reservoir) Today...The Pickerel bite was very good! Not much weed growth yet. Water temp in the 57-60 degree range. Saw one nice Northern laying in the shallow reeds among a school of minnows. Caught another about 30" long; no picture though! She squirmed out of my hands before my buddy could get a picture!! Landed in the Lake and took off! A few smallmouths made some vicious attacks on our lures. One followed my lure to the boat (I was unaware that it did) and jumped out of the water, and bit on to my lure while I stood there pondering my next cast!!!! Needless to say it scared the hell out of me!! The fight was over before it even begun, the fish shook free! The Bass wasn't much bigger than the lure I was using!
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PIKE
May 9, 2007 18:25:15 GMT -5
Post by coonhunter92 on May 9, 2007 18:25:15 GMT -5
That northern is flat out ginormisss.. I trie and trie but havent got one yet??? Anything special to use slip bobbber minnow?? lure? I used a #5 mepp and caought bout a 15in pike at thousand islands
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PIKE
May 9, 2007 20:08:01 GMT -5
Post by issiah on May 9, 2007 20:08:01 GMT -5
It's been tough so far Coonhunter! The fish haven't seemed to have totaly shifted to feeding mode yet. Keep asking around and finding out where people are catching Northerns. Try minnows on Bobbers (Yes Slip bobbers are excellent) & Sinkers. I like to put big minnows on three way rigs and let them sit in a proven spot (1oz sinkers). Spinnerbaits & Spoons (Jig them) are good lures. Big mepps work Good! I know what it's like to want to catch something & it taking awhile! But when you finally do all the waiting makes it even better. You'll get one just keep tryin' I tried most of this past trapping season to catch a coyote or a fox without success; but I know when I do get one it's gonna be an awsome expirience!!! P.S. 1000 Islands is an excellent place to go for Northerns Ask around; read BOOKS & MAPS
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PIKE
May 10, 2007 14:46:12 GMT -5
Post by coonhunter92 on May 10, 2007 14:46:12 GMT -5
Yup thanks for thhe advice! I go the the 1000 islands with my friend. Its fun. I also fish the Chategay narrows.. Hear theres some lunkers in there
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PIKE
May 15, 2007 15:03:52 GMT -5
Post by issiah on May 15, 2007 15:03:52 GMT -5
Fished the Mohawk River system again. Water temps still in the 55-60 degree range. The Northern bite still seems a little slow. Seems like once the weeds first start to show up things pick up. Could've been off in tactic,Location,timing though....Anyone else hear of Northerns being caught?? Did manage to pick up one little Northern & a few nice Pickerel though; along with a good size largemouth...
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PIKE
May 21, 2007 5:48:08 GMT -5
Post by coonhunter92 on May 21, 2007 5:48:08 GMT -5
Do you have any special brand names that work good? Going to make a trip to gander befor i go up thursday
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PIKE
May 21, 2007 13:36:59 GMT -5
Post by issiah on May 21, 2007 13:36:59 GMT -5
Try Large DOCTOR SPOON for pike...Jig it up then let it flutter down then reel it in a little bit and repeat. Any spinnerbait is good! Best bet is still probably to use a good size minnow with a bobber and let it swim around! Good Luck Coonhunter; Don't forget the camera
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PIKE
May 21, 2007 20:06:59 GMT -5
Post by coonhunter92 on May 21, 2007 20:06:59 GMT -5
I wont! You have been a huge help rookie
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PIKE
May 23, 2007 19:57:18 GMT -5
Post by issiah on May 23, 2007 19:57:18 GMT -5
Fished Mohawk River system today (Barge Canal) in the Rome,NY area. Water Temps were from 63-68 degrees. The water below the falls at Belhamy Park was 58-60 degrees. Alot of follows today but the aggression didn't seem to be there. Probably would've made out better using live bait. Fish were everywhere in the shallows! Saw lots of Bass both Large & Small Mouth, Pickerel, Freshwater Drum, Carp, Bullheads, Perch, Sunfish, Northern Pike, Rock Bass & Minnows!!
Witnessed something I've never seen before...A huge mass of Bullheads (Literally Hundreds of them) all bunched together at the surface??? Don't know if they were spawning or what was going on??
We also saw some very Large Northern Pike that were laying up in the shallows in a very negative state...
Weed growth is sparse but starting & anywhere we found new weedgrowth we found fish.
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PIKE
Jun 3, 2007 14:39:03 GMT -5
Post by issiah on Jun 3, 2007 14:39:03 GMT -5
I've Been Monkeyin' around with this girl for a couple a weeks now. She was holding to one specific area!!! Today I literally bounced a minnow off of her snout that was rigged to a slip bobber & BAM!! She engulfed it! Super fight at least 10min of pulling her into the boat and having her bulldog back on out! Fish was released but not measured; I'm guessin about 10-13lbs
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PIKE
Jun 3, 2007 19:16:21 GMT -5
Post by jdpaint on Jun 3, 2007 19:16:21 GMT -5
Nice fish and all , you fish that canal from the bank up their in mohawk?
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PIKE
Jun 4, 2007 11:58:57 GMT -5
Post by issiah on Jun 4, 2007 11:58:57 GMT -5
I fish from both the Bank and from a boat. In my experience anywhere where the mohawk flows into or out of the Canal (Look for waterfalls) is a great spot for northerns. But any Body of water that holds northerns should produce good size fish until water temps reach about 65 degrees. Once this happens the bigger fish are harder to come by but the small and average size fish are still very aggressive. Tiger Muskies will continue to bite also. The Muskie half of the fish has a higer preferred temperature range. In the Boat I search areas that are near the Waterfall areas on the canal. Especially this time of year any emerging weed growth can produce. Often you catch a big fish in a specific area an it will produce again and again. Like when water temperature starts to climb up out of the 65 degree range you can often find areas with springs where the water is a little colder. Find one of these springs (Sometimes underwater springs) that has weeds,boulders, or wood (Logs) and chances are you'll hit the jackpot. Remeber in deeper water where temperature stratifies fish will suspend and can be caught deep; alot of guys troll for these fish.
When I fish from shore I sit below the falls with large minnows. Water from mohawk is often cooler than water in canal. Falls always attract baitfish; think about how you see the minnows tryin' to swim up the sides of waterfalls. Good Bass spot too! I like to rig a drop shot rig and fish it right in the falls (Where it hits water) The Bass will sit there and pick off minnows that swarm around in the white water; the drop shot rig will hold right in one place and you can just dance it around!
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