As a professional fishing guide I travel throughout Upstate New York, bringing guests to fish on the inland lakes, bays and rivers of Upstate New York. The weather, and the fish, do not always cooperate. The Spring of 2017 was the wettest I have ever seen and presented challenges for safe boating and affected the fishing in some water bodies. An example of this was the St. Lawrence River. Colder than normal temperatures and record high water levels made the Spring pike fishing challenging.
Large rattle trap type baits like the Strike King Red Eye Shad in 3/4 and the larger “Rippin’ Raps” seemed to produce the best pike bite for me on a recent outing on Chippewa Bay. The loud and erratic baits seemed to be easier for the pike to locate and therefore drew strikes in the high and murky water.
The later part of June means bass. The Canadian Shield lakes of New York’s Adirondack’s and North Country, the Eastern Finger Lakes, Oneida Lake, and The St. Lawrence River regions offer some of the best smallmouth fishing in the eastern US.
Summer season finds my light tackle lake fishing to be focused on suspended and deep-water smallmouth fishing. Drop-shot fishing, and other “finesse” light tackle techniques prove their worth when summer doldrums set in.
To learn more about the tackle and techniques I use for summer smallmouth fishing please check out my Field Notes page @ www.upstateguideservice.com Tight Lines and Be safe!
