NIAGARA FALLS — Lake Ontario is the No. 1 destination for anglers in the Empire State. It’s also the No. 1 destination for non-resident fishermen coming into the state. In 2009, total fishing effort in the lake was nearly 78,000 boat trips based on the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Open Lake Fishing Boat Survey. Of that total, 62,599 boat trips pursued salmon and trout on this Great Lake. Tops on the list are the Chinook salmon — the king of zing. Nothing creates as much excitement as having a king salmon peel out yards and yards of fishing line in the span of a few seconds.

Based on a 2009 Lake Ontario Stakeholder Survey conducted at the State of Lake Ontario meetings last March, Chinook salmon is still the king. In 2003, over 42 percent of respondents marked the king salmon as the No. 1 specie targeted. In 2009, that figure jumped to 57.5 percent. When you factor in the second and third most targeted specie in the lake, Chinook salmon was on the list of almost 80 percent of all surveys taken. Second place was steelhead showing up 16.7 percent of the time as the No. 1 fish to target, showing up in the top three 64 percent of the time. Third was a tie between smallmouth bass and brown trout, at 9.2 percent of first-place respondents. However, browns showed up in the top three 57 percent of the time with bass only 24 percent of the time.

As far as a headline act, the Chinook salmon is the big draw that brings anglers from near and far. It’s the No. 1 selling tool for charter captains as they serve as ambassadors for this fantastic resource. Capt. Vince Pierleoni thinks it should be given its just due.

“Sometimes I feel like the king salmon is the Rodney Dangerfield of Lake Ontario, deserving of more respect,” he said at the recent State of Lake Ontario meeting in Lockport.

Based on the state’s creel census for the lake, Chinook salmon was tops on the list for catching with more than 100,000 fish caught in the open lake last year. And when you figure in the catch per unit effort by the lake’s charter fleet, the last six years have been the best years for salmon, which should be a huge selling point.

However, there’s another factor that should be considered. Numbers of fish caught and frequency of that catch should not be confused with the numbers of fish available in the lake — density of the different species available to anglers in the lake.

Capt. Bob Cinelli pointed out, as we mentioned in an earlier column, that they’ve gotten better as anglers from the standpoint of state-of-the-art equipment and a sophisticated communications network that allows them to be on the fish day after day. “We’re much more efficient as anglers and somehow that should be taken into consideration.”

As we move into a new fishing season, some of that missing information will be supplied through the tagging trailer purchased through the Occidental Chemical settlement funds earmarked for Lake Ontario projects. In the past, only fin clips were used for king salmon stockings, with the adipose clip used for identification. Last year the salmon from the Credit River in Canada and the Salmon River in New York received coded wire tags. This year, all salmon held in the pens and direct stocked at each of the corresponding ports will also receive coded wire tags in addition to the Salmon and Credit river fish. The information will allow fish managers to determine the survival rates and homing capabilities of those fish. But there’s still one huge question that comes up and could be taken care of this year due to a problem with fish stocking numbers.

The Niagara River runs of salmon have been suffering for years. No one knows why. Staging salmon off the river and off other tributaries here are also dropping off. Anglers charge that not having the Caledonia fish hatchery on line is one reason for the poor returns. Another argument is the reduced numbers of salmon being stocked by the Canadians at this end of the lake since the early 1990s. A third reason could be the fact that Lake Erie water comes down from more waterways than just the Niagara River.

The announcement that the Province of Ontario will be stocking 100,000 king salmon into the Niagara River to help make up for a shortfall in the lake this year could provide the perfect opportunity to conduct an important experiment. Put the coded wire tags in those fish being stocked — the first time the Canadians have stocked salmon or trout in the Niagara River, by the way — and try to duplicate that feat for three years. See if stocking from a West Basin hatchery facility makes a difference in return rates in the Niagara River. That idea came from Cinelli at a Lake Ontario Sportfishing Stakeholders Coalition meeting and it's a great one.

These next few years could be an exciting time as we learn more about what’s happening in Lake Ontario. It’s important to make sure that we pay homage to the king of the lake and it appears that we are doing just that for the most part. Let’s look at the entire picture and make sure we try to correct a problem in the Niagara River.

In addition to what’s happening with the state, some help is needed from the angling community. The Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association will once again be conducting a fishing survey through the Town of Newfane marina in Olcott to identify fishing information, as well as important fin clip data of the salmon and trout being caught out in the lake. This will become more and more critical as they work to assess the success of their pen project in Olcott, as well as what’s happening with the state’s stocking efforts. Cooperation of the angling fraternity is important. We should be proud of what we have and help it along in any way we can. To find out more information about LOTSA or to keep track of survey results, check out www.lotsa.org. If you’d like to volunteer to assist with the pen project effort in Olcott, call Curt Meddaugh at 491-7771.

CF steelhead challenge set

Cystic Fibrosis of WNY has announced that they will be hosting the Lower Niagara Steelhead Challenge April 28 and 29 in Lewiston. Sponsored by Waste Technology Services of Lewiston, this event is part of the Redbone Tournament Series. Anglers will compete in teams by fishing for steelhead and other trout species, as well as for salmon in Lake Ontario. Competitors will be fishing for a cure for CF. Last year the event raised more than $70,000 for the organization as they work to find a cure for this horrible disease. If you need more information, contact Anne or Yvonne at WTS on Lower River Road or give CF a buzz.

 If you don’t want to fish, there are plenty of other ways that you can help out. First up on the list is the Gift Giving Party set up from 6 to 9 p.m. April 9 at the Quality Hotel and Suites Ballroom ocated at 240 Rainbow Blvd. in Niagara Falls. The admission price is a themed basket or item of value that they can use for the Steelhead Challenge. This admission ticket will translate into an evening of fun, food and music for all who attend. Mark it on the calendar.

The next thing you can do to assist in the effort is to attend the King of the Cast Reception for the Steelhead Challenge on April 28. It will be held at the Barton Hill Hotel and Spa in Lewiston and it promises to be an exciting affair. Tickets are $75 and there will be plenty of auction items up for grabs. If you need more information on either, give Annie a call at 807-9407. Help support a great cause.

Bill Hilts Jr. is the outdoor sports specialist with the Niagara Tourism and Convention Corporation. Contact him at bhiltsjr69@cs.com.