Niagara Falls

[MuskieBait]

(07-30-2013 03:29 PM)alex_fish Wrote:  

(07-30-2013 02:35 PM)fishfight Wrote:  It gets very deceiving to witness fish surfacing, my moto is when you can spot the fish, chances are you will not be able to get them.

This is the first time I've heard of this. What do you believe is the reasoning?
Like I mentioned. I have never seen so much surface activity. I am not sure what fish was producing it. But there was constant relatively light splashing at the surface all morning. It slowed down afterwards but was still there. From time to time a visibly large fish would jump as well.

What fishfight said really depends.

If the bait school is suspended, predators may simply chase a single bait fish to the surface and what you see is a splash on the surface of one fish chasing one bait. In that case, it will be difficult fishing the surface activity because the predators are focused on the suspended bait.

I'm not sure if you have seen bait schools at the Niagara. Literally a school of thousands of gizzard shad or emerald shiners is not uncommon. When there is that much bait, trying to get a predator to single out your lure is difficult...unless you fish the outskirt of the bait school and NOT within the bait school.

But then, (at the right time of year) I've experienced incredible fishing when fish were crashing bait on the surface. Bait was being assaulted from the top by birds and from the bottom by fish. Once, we found the right condition and caught 8 brown trout within a couple of hours, losing a few more to break offs and popped hook, using lures that imitate the bait. Look at the size of the bait, the colour and shape...and imitate (hint, hint). If the fish are chasing pinhead Emerald Shiners and you are using a 4" husky jerk, forget it. Of course, you have to find the perfect storm situation. You can't cast a little crankbait too far...so fish and birds has to be pushing bait against the shore...but if you are willing to put in the work and with a little bit of luck, you can experience fishing like that.