A southwest breeze ripples the water and provides cooling relief from the warm summer sun. A charter boat trolls in the predetermined course searching the blue-green waters for a variety of gamefish. Overhead the gulls circle and search for bait fish as if they were miniature para-sailers. The only sounds are the raucous call of the gulls, the creak of the downrigger cables, and the animated conversation of the passengers as they anticipate fishing action.
Suddenly there is the excited call of “fish on!” and one of the passengers grabs the rod from its holder while others await orders from the captain as to what they should do next. After a battle with a powerful fish, the quarry is brought to the boat, netted and brought aboard to the excited calls of congratulations and admiration for the fish.
Welcome to the world of Lake Ontario fishing. World class fishing for bass, trout and salmon exists a mere hour or two away. And if you don’t have a big sea-worthy boat equipped for Lake Ontario fishing, there are many professional charters that can give you the experience and excitement. One such locally owned charter is “Family Style Fishing Charters” that operates out of Fair Haven, just west of Oswego.
I was reminded of this great fishing adventure recently as I read the fishing reports sent weekly from my friends Bill Hilts of Niagara County or Mike Waterhouse of Orleans County. Recently the Lake Ontario anglers have been taking a variety of trout and salmon in the top 50 feet of the water column over depths of 150–200 feet. Spoons have been the top lure but a variety of techniques including downriggers, dipsy divers, planer boards or lead line have all produced fish.
There are a lot of skilled charter captains on Lake Ontario who will help you catch fish and show you a good time. I have fished with many of them from Henderson Harbor to the Niagara River. There are also skilled local residents who maintain their boats and operate charters on Lake Ontario.
One such charter is “Family Style Fishing Charters” operated by the Lucason family from Camden. They run their new Baha 277 GLE fishing boat out of Fair Haven and can easily access the areas that fish are found at different times of the season. The boat is well equipped with the latest electronics and fishing gear such as downriggers for catching everything from brown trout to Chinook salmon.
Captain Phil Lucason has always had a passion for fishing and wanted to share it with others. His family shares this same enthusiasm and is involved in the charters, thus one reason for the name. The boat is named Morgan-E after his two daughters Morgan and Elizabeth, who often act as first mates. I can personally attest that they are very nice young ladies and extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable anglers.
Another key part of the concept of “family style” charters comes from Captain Phil’s approach. His calm, friendly approach makes fishermen and women of all ages and skill levels feel welcome. Anglers can help out as much or as little as they want.
Some charter captains do not want their clients to set the hook, or net the fish, etc. because their main goal is to put as many fish in the box (cooler) as possible and they don’t want to take a chance on someone losing a fish at the boat. By contrast, the Lucasons believe that fishing should be a learning and fun-filled experience. So for whatever role you feel comfortable with, Captain Phil will instruct and guide you and let you enjoy the whole experience.
The Morgan-E is large enough to accommodate four people comfortably but can handle up to six people, especially families with children. Deep gunnels keep you inside the boat safely and the stand-up head is convenient.
Even the pricing is family friendly with reasonable rates. There are a variety of trip lengths ranging from four-hour evening trips to the standard six or eight hour trips, and the custom 10 hours of fishing with several options, including a split outing.
If you are looking for a good time for the entire group and a great fishing experience for the entire family, think about Lake Ontario this summer. Whether you are novices, or serious experienced anglers you should seriously consider Family Style Fishing Charters. Call Captain Phil Lucason at 315-709-9958 or goodtrolling@aol.com. Check the website at www.familystylefishingcharters.com. World class fishing is practically at your doorstep.
SHORT CASTS
Staycations: With many families today the issue of both spouses getting the same vacation time is a big problem. Even if they do manage to get time for a family vacation there is still a lot of summer that cries out to be enjoyed.
For day trips consider the many state parks like Verona Beach, Delta Lake, Chittenango Falls or Green Lakes. Hiking trails the beach, and swimming offer a day’s fun for the youngsters. Check out the sandy beach at Sylvan Beach and enjoy the beautiful sunset.
Toss in the canoe or boat at small area waters like Lebanon Reservoir, Eatonbrook Reservoir, Lelands Pond or Stony Pond. Fishing and paddling can also be enjoyed at places like Prospect Pond or Redfield Reservoir.
Enjoy a family outing in nature at locations like Great Swamp Conservancy near Canastota or the Rome Fish Hatchery. A little further away but still an easy day trip are locations like Highland Forest, Beaver Lake Nature Center, Salmon River Falls and Montezuma Wildlife Refuge.
If you are taking the kids fishing make sure it is some place where they have a chance for action and success as well as be secure. Consider the aforementioned ponds or the deep water docks and fishing access for Oneida Lake at Cleveland or some small stream like Oriskany Creek.
There are lots of places for a parent to take the kids or even whole families enjoy an afternoon together. The important thing is to get out and take advantage of the resources in Central New York instead of sitting around home and spending your time in wishful thinking.
Fishing Line Hazards: Regular readers of this column know that discarded fishing line is one of my pet peeves. It is hazardous to wildlife, dangerous for humans and harmful to boats. Break-offs and tangles are going to happen but there is a lot we can do to minimize this. Certainly avoiding fishing in places like launch sites and picking up discarded line are easy things that everyone can do.
DEC reports that approximately 12 eagles or their chicks die every year because of being entangled in line, often with a fish attached. Countless other wildlife perishes because of the tangles of monofilament left in or around the waters.
Many of these snags are caused by using sinkers in combination with bobbers. In most cases you might need one or the other, not both. When snags do occur you can usually break the line at the knot by the hook, the weakest part of the line. You don’t want to pull on the line since monofilament can cut into your skin. But simply wrapping your hand with a fishing towel, or in the case of stronger monofilament just wrap it around your body by taking a couple turns and stepping back will break the line close to the snag. This way you will not leave a long length of monofilament to entangle wildlife or canoeists who might be wading in the area.
Golden Park Program: If you are a NYS resident 62 or older on any weekday (except holidays) you can obtain free vehicle access to state parks and arboreteums. Simply present your current valid NYS Driver’s License. This policy applies both to Office of Parks and Recreation and DEC facilities.
Chef’s Choice Knife Sharpener: With the arrival of summer we will be using our knives a lot more. Whether it is fish fillet knives or knives for our backyard steak cookout, we want them to be sharp. A great aid for the outdoorsman or homeowner is the Chef’s Choice Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener 445. It is a professional manual sharpener for all types of knives that uses diamond abrasives to give incredibly sharp, long-lasting edges. There are two stages or slots for sharpening and then honing the edge. It is easy to use with either right or left hand and slip-resistant rubber feet to hold fast to the work surface. You won’t have any more excuses for dull knives at your home. www.chefschoice.com