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The Upper and Lower Niagara River is home to some big musky populations, and as colder months arrive, larger fish tend to move into the deeper, slower-moving sections of the river. They conserve energy that way and stay on a steady, constant feeding diet, especially when a cold front is moving in. That happens a lot in Western New York. That means the likelihood of landing a trophy-sized musky is good if your boat is ready. That’s the tricky part: put the boat in a heated garage or re-winterize it several times before the final stowage for the season. Ah, to think we had good ice forming in Ashville Bay based on the recent Mike Sperry report, a renowned local angler and musky expert, at Chautauqua Reel Outdoors and Guide Shop. Sperry usually has a year-end sale on musky baits and gift cards. Great holiday gifts. |
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The inland lake musky season ended Nov. 30 on Chautauqua Lake and other inland lakes, but the musky season for the New York portions of the Great Lakes continues through Dec. 15, when the season closes until next spring. Of course, the inland musky season opens on June 1, while the Great Lakes musky season opens on June 15, so the number of fishing days for each area is the same. In all, including the inland and Great Lakes waters, 13 lakes and 19 rivers have musky populations in New York state. NYSDEC has done a good job managing the musky as a trophy fishery. While the Great Lakes grow larger fish with a minimum size of 54 inches, the minimum size on inland lakes is 40 inches. Most anglers catch, photo, and release their musky. Most anglers want to see the fishery continue to grow — the fish get bigger every growing season. |
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