Bass Season Opener Next Weekend

Next Saturday, June 20, marks the opener of bass season and from the St. Lawrence River to the Hudson River anglers will be out in force after either smallmouth or largemouth bass. Opening day has lost some of the drama since many areas of the state now allow catch and release fishing for bass before the season opens. However, the counties on the eastern end of Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and some of the Adirondacks do not allow any bass fishing until the season opener to protect spawning bass or those fish guarding the nests.

Locally Oneida Lake is one of the top spots for smallmouth bass and with the changing ecology and weed growth the largemouth population has also become a major attraction for anglers.

Some of the veteran bass fishermen suggest dragging green pumpkin tube jigs over rockpiles adjacent to the shallow spawning areas. If they are chasing schools of baitfish your best bet might be using a drop shot rig. Try using Berkley Gulp minnows in three inch size in smelt, emerald shiner, or black shad

patterns for your drop shot rig.

You might also try drifting the rocky dropoffs or deeper points with live shiners. Don’t buy crayfish since they won’t be a significant part of the bass menu until July. Bass are feeding on minnows at this time of year. Anglers who prefer smaller waters have no shortage in central New York.

Some of the popular waters in central New York include Deruyter Reservoir, Cazenovia Lake, Eatonbrook Reservoir, Redfield Reservoir, Lake Delta, Canadarago Lake, or Whitney Point Reservoir. Those who prefer stream or river fishing for smallmouths should consider lower Chenango River, Mohawk River, lower Fish Creek, Oswego River, Black River, or the estuary of the Salmon River.

One of the most popular spots for bass fishermen will be the St. Lawrence River. Even though the shallow weedy bays provide good fishing for largemouths, it is the smallmouth bass that will attract the most attention. Anglers come from all over the state and even other states for the great fishing that the St. Lawrence has to offer. In recent years predation by round gobies has cut down on the population but those fish that survived have grown larger.

Normally by opening weekend the bass will have spawned but still be in shallow water. However this year with the cold weather the waters of the St. Lawrence River and eastern Lake Ontario are still cold so bass in many of these areas will still be spawning. Some anglers plan to avoid fishing for them, especially if they are spawning or are guarding the nests.

If bass have spawned, they will probably be near their traditional spawning habitat but in slightly deeper water. Small floating stickbaits, crankbaits, or Mepps spinners usually work well in these areas. Since post spawn smallmouths are not actively moving about, some guides like to drift parallel to rocky shorelines using live minnows.

The St. Lawrence River near Ogdensburg doesn’t have the structure of the Thousand Islands but the current is stronger. For much of the season my friend Mike Seymour fishes with live bait for smallmouth. Mike explained that it is important to use enough weight to get the minnow down near the bottom and take the slack out of your line so you could feel the bass hit in the strong current.

In the Adirondacks the water is colder and in many waters the bass will have not yet spawned. You probably will do well to search for them in areas adjacent to the shallow spawning areas.

Some of the top Adirondack bass waters include the Fulton Chain with largemouths in First and Second Lakes, and smallmouths in Third, Fourth, Seventh, and Eighth Lake. Indian Lake, Long Lake, Tupper, and Saranac Chain all provide excellent smallmouth fishing. Largemouths are found in Lows Lake, Durant, Abanakee, Oseetah Lakes, and Raquette and Simon Ponds. Blue Mountain Lake and its connecting lakes of Eagle and Utowanah have both smallmouth and largemouth.

Those anglers targeting largemouth bass will typically fish the shallow waters, especially the edges of weed cover. Plastic worms, spinner baits, jigs, or crankbaits worked along cover usually produces action.

Wherever you fish my advice would be to start in the northwest corner of the lake since that is where bass usually spawn due to warmer water. Work the shallow areas and gradually fish deeper until you find fish. You might start looking for aggressive fish with spinners or small crankbaits but if the action is slow try a slower approach with jigs and curly tails or plastic worms. Plastic lizards often work well since bass hate them as nest raiders.

If you are fishing big waters you might want to drift and cover more territory while casting or using live minnows. In small ponds look for areas where two types of cover converge (e.g. weeds and tree tops). If the grass or weed growth is significant try Senko worms rigged wacky style.

But even if the fish don’t cooperate this weekend, remember that it is a long season and we have more places to go than we can possibly fish in one season.

SHORT CASTS

Oneida Lake update Fishing continues to be very good on Oneida Lake according to several local anglers. Walleye fishing has been especially good at the eastern end of the lake while anglers fishing the western end near Constantia have had to work harder to pick up a few “keeper sized” fish. Typically the evenings have been the most productive time to fish.

Ticks Reminder

We are entering the height of the season for deer ticks and Lyme Disease. Remember to follow precautions like avoiding tall grass, leaves, or stonewalls. Wear light-colored clothing, long pants, socks, etc. Check yourself after each outing. Give yourself short term protection by spraying exposed body areas as well as shoes, socks, or pants legs with an insect repellent containing DEET. Camping Chaos Camping plans and regulations for this coming summer are politely described as confusion, at best. There have been contradictory dates, policies, and rules coming out every two days. The latest policy seems to be that reservations are being taken for 2020 but sites cannot be occupied until June 22. I will not attempt to detail the rules since they apparently change also.

One action that has really angered many people is that people with reservations for this year were told that they could have any spot in 2021, in any campground or date. Normally these are reservable 90 days in advance.

However the general public, or even those people who had reservations for 2020 but did not inquire or complain were not told until practically all the spots for 2021 were filled! Thus many people are shut out of camping for the next two summers!

Social Distancing and Summer Fun

The Corona Virus and COVID pandemic have not gone away! New York is one of the few places where the numbers are going down, thanks to the regulations and the fact that most people have been good in voluntarily following the rules. In other areas where yahoos, sociopaths, and other imbeciles defy the rules and common sense, the numbers of infections are increasing rapidly. Despite what some imbeciles and sociopaths believe, you do not have the “right” or freedom to infect others or infringe on their enjoyment of the outdoors.

You certainly have the opportunity to enjoy summer and outdoor recreation with some restrictions. Remember that wearing a mask protects other people and is a sign of courtesy and respect for others. Protect yourself and your family by keeping distance, whether it is camping, hiking, fishing, boating, or just enjoying the scenery or a sunset. Avoid areas of high contact such as railings or other structures at boat launches, etc. Have fun and enjoy summer safely.