CHENANGO - OTSEGO

The good news is the bullheads are biting in Chenango Lake, Hunt’s Pond and most of the ponds and lakes in our area. Mayhood’s Sporting Goods of Norwich, NY has an ample supply of worms, green or otherwise, and other good catfish baits, which are working well this spring. The bad news is the creeks and rivers are sure taking their time returning to fishable levels. This hasn’t made them unfishable - because Mike Martin of Guilford has been taking nice walleyes out of the Chenango River. He suggests using hair jigs tipped with live minnows, and fish them deep and slow in fast water areas.

The fishing in Otsego Lake in Cooperstown has been good with nice catches of landlocked salmon and the occasional brown trout being taken. I’ve made two day trips there and limited out both days. The landlocks are running 23 – 26 inches caught on Challenger Jr. minnows and are quite good baked at 350 degrees in the oven with fresh parsley, lemon juice and butter. Canadarago Lake is yielding a few limits of walleyes but the perch are running big and are active in the south end of the lake.  I heard Jim Williams of Norwich took a nice tom turkey on his annual spring hunt. The bad news – Buster Oh Buster where art thou! How can such a large tom avoid two such wiley hunters.

The boys at J & J Yamaha are having quite the sale on 400 cc two wheel drive ATVs. They have both automatic and standard models available. The price seems right, so snooze and you lose, because with the good weather they’ll go in a hurry. Keep a tight line, a clean weapon and have a safe adventure.