The April showers remind me of the next great fishery here in Oswego County that is about to kick off, the nearshore brown trout bite. As soon as the ice clears the ramps, brave souls launch their boats in search of the first open water trolling on Lake Ontario in over six months. They are typically greeted by aggressive, hungry brown trout searching for the warmest water around. The water along the shoreline warms the quickest. Whenever the water along the shoreline is stained or cloudy, it warms more quickly under the sun’s bright rays. On a typical day chasing early trout, you find a mix of year classes. Most of your bigger fish will be “post spawn” fish. You will be able to tell by how skinny they are, along with being more colorful. While many that you catch are on the smaller side, they are the best eating! A typical day trolling the shore will include running multiple lines of planer boards, in-line or fixed mast style, shallow down-riggers or even just flatlines.
With Captain Andy Bliss