Switch the rigger to a different plug on the other side of the boat and see if the problem still exists. Sometimes the plugs go bad and this can happen.
Speed all depends on the lures you are running and less than the time of year. Colder the water, usually you will want to troll slower. If that is the case, make sure you are running lures that will work properly at those speeds.
An easy way to keep them from dying is bring them up slower. The slower you bring them up, the less chance they have of blowing up. I also burp them and send them back head first. We have very few floaters a season and those floaters are given away to a neighbor that loves them.
Conesus is tough unless you have it figured out. Night bite is where its at for May and June. A summer daytime pattern in July August and September and then a night bite again in the fall.
With the warm water temps all winter, there was more than likely a big hatch like 2017. More availability? That size alewife were sucked in our intake all winter. Usually once Mid January arrives, we do not see any alewife until March.
24" - 28" in the standard. Shorter works but somedays they are not in the mood and will not come in that tight. I have tried longer but 28" seems to be the best length. Longer leads didn't produce anymore bites for me.
Cuomo changed it today and all marinas and launches are open for private use as long as social distance rules are followed. Charters are still on the back burner.
One mans trash is another mans treasure! Over the past 5 years, the lake trout image has gotten better. A couple seasons of these stocking cuts, the closet lake trout fishermen will be fishing them with regularity. It has happened before.