Captain Tony Buffa

Fishing Report #15

06/13/07

Hello my fish'in frenz:

Time for another walleye update from Oneida lake. Walleyes seem to be playing the ole hide and seek game. It has been challenging to put two successful outings back to back. The deep fishery remains attractive yet inconsistent. The heavy schooling trend has not yet begun at the usual 30 feet locations: buoy 121, 119, 113, 109. outer Lakeport Bar, the 28 feet flats south of 119, etc. All these locations have produced good to excellent catches of walleyes for me but not on a day to day basis. Walleyes seem to be on the move rather than stationary.

This is merely speculation but it is my impression that there is a lack of forage out deep and as a consequence walleyes are on the move rather than fat and happy where they are. When we do find them usually a 5/8 to 3/4 oz. bucktail jig perch pattern dressed with a night crawler or a blade bait (sonars in firetiger or perch size 431) enhanced with Mustad's Activate will provoke the bottom hugging walleyes to respond. On the winding days, bottom bouncer rigs with nightcrawlers attached to floating jig heads have also accounted for a fair share of the catch.

Shallow eyes have recently fallen into the same here one day gone the next scenario. So lest you think it has been easy pick'ins, in reality it has been a challenge and a chase. Walleyes in the skinny water (12-6 feet) are taking 1/4 oz. jigs tipped with crawlers the occasional spinner worm rig and a cast and retrieve sonar presentation.

Here are some of the most recent successful catches.

Last week, the administrative core from Bryant & Stratton College, Syracuse, NY including the president Mike Sattler, admissions dean Andy Cunningham, and plant operations dean Jim Evans along with residential contractor Mark Wilson from Chittenango/Henderson Harbor had their way with the walleyes. This was "sonar city" from the get go. We worked the 30 feet pancakes off of Black Point and stayed the course for the entire outing. Their catch of 13 keeper eyes, several shorts and a half dozen perch kept them busy throughout the morning.

Last Friday, Joe Lombardo and his crew: Al, John, Rich, Walter & Leo all from Long Island witnessed the power of the bucktail jig/nightcrawler combo. Their catch of seventeen keeper walleyes, 4 shorts, and several yellow perch came at Messenger Shoals (buoy 113). This time we used the 3/4 oz. jigs in the emerald shiner pattern. You can see them in the foreground of the photo. I might add that by 9:00 A.M. we only had 1 walleye so this was a second half effort. Just to point out the inconsistency from day to day. This very same group on the following day returned with me to our site of conquest only to be denied. We had to return to the shallows (6-13 feet) to salvage the outing with 5 walleyes.

On Thursday afternoon, busy local award winning landscaper Jim Sollecito indulged in hydrotherapy (walleye fishing on Oneida lake) and landed this 21 inch walleye on a jig/worm combo fishing in 33 feet just north of the Hogsback at the outer Lakeport Bar. A pair of walleye limits and a few perch kept the afternoon charter moving along. Smiles like his can be yours. With Dad's day coming up this Sunday, a gift certificate for a charter either on Oneida or Lake Ontario would make a great Father's day presentation.

On Sunday, family fishing as with the Kingsleys, Dave, dad Ron, Dan and Mike of West Monroe is always quality time spent in search of ole marble eyes. These boys and day can fish! Again this was the jig/worm combo. Perch pattern 3/4 oz. jigs finessed fished on the bottom secured this catch of 14 walleyes. We actually boated 17 and couldn't coax one more for the complete limit which included mine. Again the Hogsback at the outer Lakeport Bar provided the action.

So in summary...one day it's the sonar the next it's the jig and on some days it's neither. Location changes, presentation changes, wind changes, change changes so must you!

Fishfully yours,

cap'n tony