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Chris... I seldom use a trolling motor and I catch fish jigging... Just stay fairly close to bait with "marks" around it.. Even if you don't see "marks" around the bait, its likely there are fish close by or on bottom... I always do better when I stay vertical, but windless days are rare on any of the Fingers... As stated, casting into the wind helps a lot, and these days I catch more fish "racing" the lure up anyway... Its only a theory, but I feel the fish are getting wise to the typical yo yo action many jig fishermen use.. Once a laker has been hooked a few times that way, they probably wise up.. Just a theory,but I have found I catch less fish using a standard jigging motion than I do on a fast retrieve from the bottom.. For that one reason alone, I seem to do ok when not being "vertical"...You will too... Keep at it, and one day soon you will be jigging in an area with active "chasing" fish, and you will forget about trolling......... maybe......... bob

I have a Merc 9.8 on my 14 foot boat, but its underpowered.. I am looking for a motor [any brand]of at LEAST 15 HP, but can use the max rated 25 as well, or anything in between.. Heres my problem,.. This is NOT a tiller boat.. It has a side console and uses a short shaft remote steer motor.. I am looking for a short shaft WITH controls.. I can adapt a Merc tiller motor to the controls that are on the boat at this time, but will consider any motor with controls.. I will also consider a long shaft motor with controls if thats all I can get, and built my transom up about 5 inches. Year NOT important, as long as its a good runner.... Please respond via email.. bob [email protected]

I am going to go with dipsy divers.. It makes the most sense for what I am going to do.. Once the fish are much deeper than 40 or 50 feet, and the fleas get bad, I won't troll anyway... bob

problem with that is conditions.. Many days my 14 footer would be great, and I would prefer to fish from that.. Its light and easy to handle myself.. However, If it was a windy day I might want to put the riggers on my 15 foot glass boat which is a stable, dry tri hull, thats very wide and open.. I would rather not have a dedicated "trolling boat"... I don't relish the idea of a boat bristling with rods and 8 lines out.. I don't want to get that involved with deep trolling.. Just want something else to try when jigging isn't working.. Also I would like a shot at a silver fish once in a while, instead of lakers every trip... bob

Interested.. please email me .. [email protected]

First off, let me say I am not a troller.. Don't much care for it.. I like it a bit better when the fish are near the surface, and can be caught flat lining in the spring or fall.. I usually just run 2 rods out the back with REALLY long lines, and over the years have caught some really nice trout and salmon.. I do not keep the boat moving when flat lining.. Fish on, I kill the motor, and fight the fish as if I were casting, from a drifting boat.. I do realize however that I am really limited once the fish go deeper in May/June.. I am thinking of putting on 2 small cheap portable riggers to get the lures into the zone.. If the silver fish are deeper than say 70 feet, I won't bother, but I know that browns and salmon are often ony 25 to 50 feet down, depending on conditions... I plan on doing the same thing I do when I flatline... Simply cutting the motor, and fighting the fish on fairly light tackle from a drifting boat, after the release pops.. I need portable because they will have to be able to go on any of 3 boats I have... They would be used to get me in the zone, when other options aren't feasable.. Which are the "best" portables.. i don't need fancy, just functionality.. I would need what?.. 2 riggers, 2 weights[6 lbs??] and 2 releases, correct??.. any thing else??.. I don't want sliders, cheaters, stackers, whatever.. just 2 lures dragged behind the boat at the depth I am reading suspended fish at.. Over the years I have noticed that if I see 1 fish at 35 feet, typically I see a lot more marks around the same depth not too far away.. Thats would be my initial approach.. Start trolling where I see marks.. Very simplistic, I understand, but I just want to better my chances without becoming a "real" dedicated troller.. I just want other options than jigging lake trout.. Any advice on what to get would be appreciated... bob

alec.. I never had much luck, "hiding" from the wind behind Sheldrake.. It always finds you there.. The point at taughannock is better, but sometimes the fish aren't around there.. The wind at cayuga sucks, and seneca is worse.. Thats why so many guys are buying those super expensive "smart" trolling motors. Less headaches with the wind... bob

I know Nicks.. His prices were absolutely insane on anything used.. he wanted double normall retail price on used boats, and triple what you would pay used from an owner.. ther was never anyone in that place.. Had to be a reason... Hopefully the auctions will be realistic.. thanks for the information.. bob

To put it very bluntly, most of them are dead.. I posted about this subject perhaps 6 years ago, and was hammered as a know nothing doom and gloomer. Cayuga experienced a massive die off in mid spring in 2008 I believe it was, and I was a witness, several times and places around the lake as a matter of fact.. Much of the lake was absolutely COVERED in dead fish.. Thousands upon thousands of SMB, Rock Bass, Pike, Suckers, Bullheads, Sunfish, lesser numbers of,various "herring like" species. Also a few carp, pickerel , even one Walleye etc... Did not see many LMB for whatever reason. The feeder creeks were also covered with floaters.. They had to bring in a bucket loader to Taughannock Park to take the huge piles of rotting fish off the swimming beach.. I remember it very well.. I brought a friend one day to walk the shoreline and witness what I had seen.. We were in shock.. I called the DEC, and they said it was "thermal conditions, and "spawning stress".. I smelled BS, and told them so..The bottom was also littered with thousands of dead crayfish. No trout seemed to be affected, mostly warm water stuff and bottom dwellers..There WAS a story in the Syracuse paper about it, but they basically said the "DEC was investigating".. Any follow up I did revealed nothing but a lot of stone walling..used to catch SMB by the dozen just standing on shore on the south end of Cayuga.. Stupid fishing really. We would catch big 12 inch rockies, massive bluegills and pumpkinseeds and perch up to 14 inches just using worms and bobbers/... I mean buckets full if you wanted them.. Those fish are simply no longer there.. I have stopped fishing the south end shoreline, because there is just nothing left to catch.. I have a good friend that lives on the lake near the Lake Source Coolng plant.. He witnessed what I did, and has told me stories about how for decades he would fish off his dock and be able to catch big pike and bass at will.. All the big panfish anyone could imagine.. Now its sterile. He no longer sees dozens of spawning bass, rockies , and sunnies off his dock,, There is nothing to see except bare sterile lake bottom.. I have gone from catching a dozen or so SMB every time I went to the lake to catching 1 or 2 a year.. None at all this year in about 6 attempts... I now mostly just jig for lakers.. Something hit that lake VERY hard several years ago, and it still has not recovered for some species.. The DEC knew it then, and does now, but they won't talk.. Personally I think it was VHS, but they said no.. They say it was a "thermal event and spawning stress"... I dunno.. I called BS then and still do today.. All i can say is this.. Try very hard some day to catch a few nice rock bass out of Cayuga to fry up. They were there by the millions, you simply couldn't get away from them.. Past 6 years I haven't even caught ONE of keeping size.. Something happened, I wish I knew what.. Yes you can call me a gloom and doomer, but I have good reason.. So did the friend I brought as a witness, and my other friend that lives on the lake... I would imagine the dozer operator too,.. If he fishes the lake... I hope the SMB recover, but have my doubts...bob

Chris.. I dunno man, bright crystal clear skies, awash in brilliant sunlight.. Not the best day for walleyes!.. I was catching some decent walleyes and BIG smallmouths in the river on days with a bit of cloud cover.. I go on a bright clear afternoon, and don't get a touch... Try again when its not so bright.... bob

I never was much into fishing the tribs during the spawn.. I like to let the fish to reproduce in peace.. Just wondering why more guys aren't trying these days. Trollers still catch bows on the lake, so there must be some left to spawn.. It makes me sad actually.. Used to be quite a sight.. Cars from Pa, NJ, and guys all over rt 13, some dragging big tails on the way back to the car.. Haven't seen that in a long time... bob

I am very close to Fall Creek from the falls to the inlet each and every day during work, as well as cayuga Inlet from the lake up to Newfield.. Since 4/1 I have seen a grand total of maybe 3 guys fishing.. I know the runs are not what they used to be and the big crowds are gone, but this is by far the lowest participation I have witnessed in 22 years here.. Conditions weren't bad until tuesday 4/8... Just wondering whats going on??.. Is the Cayuga trib rainbow fishery really that bad here now that no one at all fishes for them ?.. I saw a grand total of 1 guy below the falls at fall creek across from the high school , and 1 guy at the black iron bridge.. That is since the 1st.... Anyone try Cayuga tribs yet this year? Lost cause??... bob