lyk2fish

Finally got out to chase some eyes on the big lake. Was joined by my oldest son and his buddy for a night of good memories and hopeful hook ups. Lake like glass made things a bit slow along with cool water temps but when we found pods of fish that wanted to play, the hits were aggressive. Browns and bass mixed in made the slow time more exiting, but I think the best is yet to come. 47 was a good temp for us at a crawl of .08, fun night for sure. Black and silver along with goby patterns did best. Tight lines.

Got out for my splash down trip, have been dodging weather and waiting for a good day....Monday and Tuesday it was. For those that know my posts, you know where I fish. Great day on the water, temps still cold, warmest water I found was 42 monday, 45 on Tuesday, Wednesday will certainly warm things up better. A little slow to start so l stopped over a few schools of stripes and caught a few. Changed my troll speed and lifted the gear and rods started to respond. As I have said before this class of browns are getting good size and are vicious when they hit. Usual spots for spring fishing apply, mud lines really held fish but also held debris and required a lot of line maintenance. A lot of work in debris but can really pay off if your willing to commit to the maintenance. Greens and natural colored sticks were best. Fish on.

Great catch, this year class of browns have finally got to that double digit size. Some appear football looking like the seeforellen strain sk8man referenced. And some are that longer looking German brown style. Regardless, you have been blessed by putting in your time, looks like you made a great memory on Saturday, they are a pretty fish for sure. Congratulations on your catch and release, appreciate you sharing.

Great job, looked great yesterday as I drove by, but I woke up this morning and of course the wind is rippin........glad your still after em. I’ll be out a few more times myself before I wrap up. Good luck and be safe.

Got to the lake Saturday afternoon and got out to explore where the fish were in the column. Temp on top was 67 but around 50ft down was still good temp, wind had currents all over.After an hour in rigger fired and had a laker on.while fighting the laker both coppers start screaming.....found em.....coppers held bows.....a little hard to circle in the wind but managed to pick up, motor back and reset, small browns, smallmouth, Lakers and bows in the bait. Sunday, went out after breakfast and the shifting wind made it tough, especially direct west, but caught a break in my spot and the rods started to fire again with 2 doubles in the mix. Highlight was another big screaming laker, not as long as the 34 but just plain heavy, she went back after some pics. First fish of the day was a great colored up brown but I got over zealous with the net and lost it. Colors were hot pink and purple, speed on top was 2.3, and the 50 ft rigger outfished the coppers, and it was great to still be at it. Fish are still chewing. Tight lines.

Yeah joe, that’s why I didn’t fish long, got a late start after breakfast at Dugan’s and the few I hooked short hit and came of the minute they jumped....Saturday was just one of those epic days. the last spot I saw you when you cut back in from your north troll has been hot, just keep that in mind for the next time your out. The fish moved to that area about 2 weeks ago after that high water, that’s the place to focus on as the lower points have slowed down a bit.

Got outl late morning on Saturday and it was on fire for silvers. For at least the first 2 hours I couldn't set 3 rods. My wife finally saw how much work trolling can be. I ran a rigger and 2 coppers with cores on stand by. The wind was a good blow out of the south and the bows were active across the points. Copper colored spoons in the sun worked for me and speed was close to 2.6 as I could get it. Temp good at 50 and that's were the rigger was parked. No bass or eyes, but a few small browns and good bows. Highlight was first bow. Hit a copper and made some fantastic runs, never jumped but was one of the fattest bows I have taken, it was a football of a fish, loaded with alewife. Great day on the water. Ran out this morning for a couple, small bows, wouldn't stay glued, looked like the trollers had an event and saw some nets working, some real nice boats out there for sure, I couldn't top the Saturday bite so I called it after a couple before the weather came in. Tight lines.

Lumber John, I was over 120-150 zig zagging. Haven’t made it that far up yet, but what few eyes I had in the area are gone, at least in the zone I’m fishing. Been staying deep as many of the rec boaters hug the shore. Mako, your the first guy I thought of when I landed that beast, not as pretty of a fish as your skaneateles beauty! I never had a fish scream so much drag on that lake as that fish did, was quite a surprise for sure. trouthunter, thanks , a lot of trial and error and a lot of hours spent on that water, like I’ve said to so many, if you calculate my catch per unit effort, it probably isn’t that great, but I love to decompress on that water and figure it out. That lake like many an be humbling, but in an instant it can turn on with quality fish for sure.

Well had some vacation this week going into labor day but the weather and projects kept me off the lake until friday afternoon. Like with any day, I had to find them and I trolled till almost dark when I stumbled on some concentrated bait that was gonna set me up for Saturday morning. Saturday through today it produced big time with many silvers including a big brown which topped my largest of the year so far.....they are getting big, and when they bite you know it. Total program worked this weekend, Saturday was all riggers, couldn't fire a copper till the afternoon, Sunday copper and core rules. Today was a mix.......white spoons were my go to this weekend. Temp tight at 50, speed was 2.4. Highlight was the last fish of the day for me today. Morning bite was good but the rain and wind shifts made it a slow afternoon. Rec boats started to come out and as I crossed my last point the rigger went screaming I mean like I caught it in the prop again kinda screaming.....had to put the boat in neutral, got control, thought I had a big silver but was suprised with a 34 inch laker! Never had a laker run so much, definitely capped the weekend. Tight lines.

Yeah Sully they must have been in here. Jack at southshore used to have them as a category on his tournament board . Maybe a monster still exists.

Was an awesome salmon! Way to go alex.

Yeah, there were some free floating boats down by me!

That would be fun Whaler, justin and I fish during the off season.....but once eye season starts he’s doing his thing and I’m up by you chasing eyes in between the finger lakes chase. I used to live in Rochester back in the day and fished all over including up by you.......seeing your boys picture with that beauty rainbow a while back brought back a lot of memories of chasing bows and browns in all those streams as a young man. Let’s make it happen.

Sully was before my time there but a neighbor of mine that has since passed used to run a bait shop on the lake Back in the day and used to fish it heavy. He told me of a batch of LL that got put in way back. He said they were good size. In fact he told me the year they put them in fisherman were getting them through the ice on the south end......I kept asking was he sure they were LL’s, he was absolutely sure of it, this man was a fisherman, and knew his stuff. Figured they long died out but wouldn’t it be cool to catch some old big hooked jawed male that just beat the survival odds. Don’t know if it’s fact but just an old story that got me wishing.

Stillwater and longtime, you guys are doing great, keep at it, your dialing them in! ryanrobb, I didn’t measure that pike but I can tell you with the girth that that had, I know it was over 10. Bigger than any I took through the ice on the south end that’s for sure. Truly cool that they are under bait too, you never know what your gonna catch.......I’m still waiting for one of those surviving breeder landlocks that were stocked years ago to surprise me one day, I’m sure there s still a few swimming around and I bet they’re huge.

Smat64: I covered a lot of water, spread stayed the same but I adjusted every half hour where the lures were in the column. Based on where the temp was, I try to lift up and out of it just a bit to target silver fish, but this time of year when the alewife move off shore and school back up it seems every fish that feeds on hem can be under them, that was only the second pike I’ve caught under bait in years. Camo joe: I saw ya today but stayed south due to having to get back and getting a late start, the lower points were producing for me today, I wish I got out at daybreak but was wiped from the all day Saturday event. Fishing Saturday wasn’t fast either but you had to cover water and adjust speeds to get hits. Without a down probe on the pontoon, it’s hard to know down speeds, that’s what I zig zag and turn sharpe.....if I get hit, I pay attention if it’s the fast side or slow side and adjust......this weekend was slow side, so I reduced and rods fired. It’s a puzzle every weekend but fun when you can figure it out a bit. I ended up quoting at 10:30 cause the points were getting blown up with rec boats and my bite died.

Well this weekend was a grind but the weather felt so nice. Saturday I had a friend join me and we started of with some great bites, on of which was a nice brown that cleared the water twice! But the early fish we couldn't keep glued, they just were short hitting. After the rain I made some adjustments and we had some great flurries, good bows, lakers and the walleyes and bass have shown up out deep under the bait. But just like with any front, I slowed it down a touch and extended the leads which meant more chaos on the tangles but at least we increased the bite ratio. No pattern at all but we would hit fish and stay on them until they stopped. Stayed at it from dawn till dusk. Sunday I only fished from 8-10:30......all copper and the surprise of the weekend was a large pike that hit me over 130ft of water, thought I had a big silver but was suprised when I saw the big gator. Speed slowed to 2.0, temp tight between 50-60 for riggers, spoon colors were blue and green. Cores were quiet this weekend copper was back on top. Tight lines all.

Heck ya bro, you been busy for sure!!!!

Justin, great to hear from you, know your busy......your right we'll get together on the river this winter......I will give you a report on the rod, but I haven't set it up yet, it's still in the package........its looks too nice to abuse, ha ha ha. Lumberjohn.......omg, where have you been all these years? Last time I spoke with you, you were casting for surfacing eyes off your dock. Hope all is well.

You bet, I'll be on the pontoon, south of your honey hole......but I did get a good bow up there tonight!!!!!!! Will be good to see ya alex.

Thank you whaler, not as good as up on the big lake that’s for sure, truly appreciate your support.

It was hot, fished Saturday and Sunday thork. All day Saturday from dawn till dark and half day Sunday. A lot of hours for sure, wasnt fast by any means, just ok bite wise. Camo joe, that slick in the center was good but full of debris......I'd get one and have to clear all my lines, reset and get another. Was work for sure, but fun.....my poor fishing boat hasn't been outta the driveway since beginning of june.

Busy weekend on the lake with it so hot. Temp changed yet again this week but got her dialed in after some trial and error. Bows in good amt, with some good quality fish mixed in. Lakers still all over the column. Had a double going Saturday that ended up in disaster, got the first fish landed, a nice bow.....then went to the second.....got hit by waves from both sides from the rec waves, knocked my net into the water, dropped the rod to get the net.......didnt get it, all the sudden I hear drag screaming......looking around no rods or boards going........the rod with the fish got caught in the prop......total s#@t show. Turned motor off, pulled what seemed 100yds of floro off my prop, and re- gathered myself. And still got the fish, another nice bow. Anyways, not super fast fishing, good mixed bag minus those browns, covered water, circled when I could. Core was on fire fir me.....copper was not good or rigger, just couldn't get dialed in. Speed I dropped to 2.3, fished mainly over deep due to the rec traffic coming tight to the points. Spoon color, purple and red.water color still prime, fleas a pain but manageable.tight lines.

Saturday was beautiful with hardly any wind, got on the grounds and found the temp break high at 35ft. Set the coppers and a rigger picked up speed to 2.8 and rods started to fire......lakers everywhere, couldn't shake them even on a 2 color core I put out when I was done dealing with fleas. Trolled for a bit and found a good pod of bows, mostly eaters but full of it. Shout out to camo joe again, as I passed him copper rod goes with a nice bow on. Grinded out the rest of the day, had to go to bass pro to get more copper as I had a fish break me off about 100ft, must of had a week spot. Evening got better with more bows and a nice eye. Sunday morning was short due to storms but was able to box out and get a quality bow to boot. Speed 2.8, copper was king, rigger or core did ok. Color was purple for me this weekend. Temp break tight at 35ft. Lakers everywhere. Tight lines.