Summer weather is heating up and so is the trolling action off the Oak Orchard, Point Breeze waters in Orleans County! The area has been getting its fair share of thunderstorms lately, but careful boaters are getting out there before and after the storms. Some noteworthy fish have been reported including good numbers of browns, a few more steelhead and still the consistent King action. Oh yeah, and many trollers are reporting some Atlantic salmon in the mix too! The less then 200 fow water action seems to still be there among lots of reported bait and there is brown trout action to be had on the "ledge" for guys who want to target those fish. More boaters are heading farther off shore too finding some action spread out there now.
Here's some of what anglers hailing out of the Oak have hooked up lately...
Mike D. from Wexford, PA spent a few days out of the Orleans County Marine Park with robust catches of Kings each day. He and his crew ran riggers and outside wire rigs while boating a 27 pound King that came on a livewire spin doctor and meat rig. Good enough to place high in the Summer LOC - if only if derby tics had been purchased! Oh well there's next time and no crew takes as much pride in caring for all their prime salmon fillets.
Pictured below, Edwin S. from Montgomery, PA found a big spawn weary steelhead to place in the LOC derby. It came at 11AM after a 40 min battle! The Search and Destroy boat driven by nephew Scott B. also had a nice box of teenage Kings and couple matures. The big steelie was taken on a 400 cooper and Dreamweaver paddle meat rig.
Captain John Oravec or CJO aka "Troutman" says mature Kings are strong on the 90 foot ledge and a good school of Kings is 4 - 6 miles out. Along with his big King action like in the accompanying pic, CJO has targeted that brown trout action too at times. One of his clients, Big Lou from Ravenna, OH boated the 2nd place Summer LOC brown trout aboard the Troutman2.
Like the most recent up and down summer weather, the water conditions are up and down too. Rain and thunderstorms coming and going along with some winds. The winds though are not long lasting or too stiff so according to Captain B. Songin it's been just enough to sometime move cool water in and warm water out or you might find the cooler water out and the warmer water in. And most action is in 100 - 200 fow. For the most part though the weather hasn't kept trollers off the water for any long periods and good fishing continues. Mid week is looking like clear skies and then chance of rain or storms returning end of week.
Captain L. Borrelli fishing out of Bald Eagle Creek found plenty of teenage Kings this past weekend and his best water was 100 - 150 fow and fishing 70 - 90 ft down. He found some of that cool in shore water for the end of the weekend and then the action was best 50 - 60 ft down. At trolling depth the currents have been tricky, probably because of the water moving and mixing so experiment with your trolling direction for best action. For Captain L. Borrelli it was a spoon bite and he says the "fishing continues to be good with summer in full swing."
The rec husband and wife team of Phil and Jenny S. recently dialed in on some big Kings. They hail from Lake Erie walleye action and found the Kings pulled a little harder and burned just a little more drag then walleyes! They were liking it and their excitement showed. One hundred ten - 130 fow water was best with meat on riggers and spoons on dipseys and flasher/flies on a 400 copper all working. They ran their spread anywhere from 50 - 90 ft down. I'm guessing they'll be back for more big King action!
No results yet from the latest 2nd round of KOTO so when those come in we'll get those out.
For the waters off the Oak at Point Breeze there's been a good stretch of agreeable conditions and the charters and rec anglers are all getting out there. For the past weekend most all anglers got into some fish including good numbers of Kings, some steelhead, and now a few browns showing up in the mix too. The action has been close at hand - generally within 200 fow. Some boaters may be running farther out or going more east or west, but for the frugal minded troller there's been plenty of near port action! After a hot and humid mid week period, the forecast is a bit more unsettled thru the end of week or into the weekend with chance of rain or showers.
Mark L. fishing out of the Orleans County Marine Park had good weekend action in the 125 - 185 fow range. He ran rigs as deep as 100 ft down and caught Kings up to 20 lbs. With Teresa K. working the rods they went 3 for 4 Friday and 4 for 4 Saturday on short trips. Flasher/flies were working in white/green and a carbon 14 rasberry spoon. Mark says there's "a great class of hungry fish at the Oak."
Captain Oravec, aka Troutman, has been hovering on a "major raft of salmon staging in 150 - 200 fow off the Oak" and getting his clients into multiple fish days with Kings, Lakers and brown trout. "Spoon presentation 59 - 89 ft down and flasher/flies are working. One forty - 190 ft diver set ups too." A touch of NE winds turned on some brown trout action on the ledge and that's hopefully a good sign for those fish that pulled a slight Houdini this past later spring.
Kings, steelhead, lakers, brown trout! And some Atlantics lately too. A nice mix of fish for the summer time troller!
Happy Independence Day! Along with BBQ, family and good ole USA fun, anglers are out on the water enjoying excellent summer trolling here "at the Oak" in Orleans County! Summer weather may be settling in for now. Just lately there's been some rain and thunderstorms. No prolonged blows though, and boaters have been able to get out before and after the wet weather. For this mid-week period it looks like the forecast is for hot and humid but dry conditions with a chance of rain or showers coming back for the end of week or weekend. Anglers are reporting everyone's favorite sea fleas are coming on, so look to clean those lines and rigs as needed. Check the wind forecast online and for up to date weather info check out the Oak Orchard weather buoy. What a great asset right here for Point Breeze.
This week's fishing info comes mostly from rec boats. Charter guys are no doubt getting into their busiest season and are plugging away with long days. You can reach out directly to them if you want to book a trip while some days might still open. All and all it sounds like most boats rec or pros are doing pretty good on Kings with a good steelhead mix too in that typical King water. You'd have to think that those steelhead will be moving farther off shore to more typical haunts eventually.
The happy do-it-themselves laker couple Paige and Scott below are frequent visitors to the Oak for long weekends. On their most recent day when they weighed in the laker they also boated 4 Kings with 2 matures but had twice as many hits. They go with a simple spread finding it more fun and less headache and plenty productive. A copper rod down the chute and one rigger each outside with maybe a cheater line. They went with flashers and meat rigs out to 120 ft deep and fishing 50 - 70 feet down. Flasher favs are green and mirage when the sun comes up. An east/west or west/east troll worked and they did work that copper line right along the bottom at times.
Just before the rains of the past few days, Chris and John from just outside of Philly, PA had their action on spoons working 75 - 100 fow. On their first day fishing they caught some small kings and then dialed in the next day for the bigger ones pictured. Looks like they have salmon fever now and they'll be back for more big fish action no doubt!
