justtracytrolling

That's exactly what happens when you start catching pretty good...all the nightly harassment starts to make the finicky....though I never faithfully used the smelly jelly in those circumstances.... I've trolled using it day after day, but I'll try it for that...thanks...hiding the boat more and making casts that don't keep landing "on" the fish also helps this Sent from my XT1080 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Nice work Pete! Hope all is well with your family!

The pause is often the key even with suspenders. I havent seen a difference in catch rate with attractants,though im sure they have their place. The flatter the water and brighter the night the harder it is to get eyes to commit with a floater assuming pressure is similar. The distance you can expect a walleye to move up to strike can vary dramatically depending on pressure....I work the column from top to bottom till i get on em and even then sometimes they get finicky after you catch a few and you have to adjust. Dont be afraid to try bigger sticks too...This type of fishing is especially good during the alewive spawn in may/june/july in lakes with alewives and walleye. 7+ pounders on top water in only a foot or 2 of water is as good a fight you can get with a walleye unless there's stong current!

Absolutely no light and noise doesnt help either. I use floaters, suspenders, and sinking sticks and by slow rolling with and without pauses one of them will work. Boat position is the last big variable...sometimes being on the wrong side of the fish is the problem. Think about shadows and the best ambush for the fish....finding eyes at night with a light is far easier than catching them.

Ivan I sent you a pm about adding a trip from Otisco Lake Guide Service. Sent from my XT1080 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

I use big baits exclusively every fall casting for eyes from f18's to magnum bombers and catch eyes tiger trolling very regularly. Last year in the tiger tourney I believe a couple eyes were caught on big baits. I think faster trolling speeds with bigger than average sized baits can often can trigger big fish that normally wouldn't budge... Sent from my XT1080 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Dont know why they aren't floated but none are unless it was after production.

Makes sense...otisco has an unreal alewive population and probably the worst perch fishing of the eastern 5 finger lakes....

The barrel still isn't floated and the stock still has no comb and no iron sights. Not sure why any gun with no iron sights doesn't have a comb suitable to line your eye with at least medium rise rings. Put a nice scope with a big objective lens on a vanguard and you will have trouble getting comfortable behind the scope...well priced entry level firearm is what I'd call it even with the s2 upgrades.

Mine was guaranteed too....after spending $100's on different ammo that weatherby recommended it still was almost 2 moa till i bedded and floated it....the action is junk compared to the action of their good rifles and a mod 70 or 700. I got it to shoot but it isnt the gun i wanted. The new ones might be better but im not a might be kinda gun buyer....7mm 08 is a fine caliber for whitetails but not in my top 10 for yotes or a multi purpose but i do like the short action and it certainly isnt gonna wear a barrel.

Connor, I agree, but it excites me to be able to find little guys! Im an optimist i guess. I realize unexplained fish are inevitable...a fellow camper caught a 28" rainbow and im sure the state didnt intentionally stock it. Jeff, The tigers are every year. Ron. From 09 thru 13 about 50000 of the 50 day fingerlings were stocked annually. Currently we get them every other year. Prior to 09 they stocked bigger fingerlings but lost half the fish when the diets were converted from pellets to minnows after 50 days.

Went back to the spot i got the little guys last week and they were gone but i found a similar school or the same one about two miles down lake in an identical spot and caught 1 little one again first pass and then left em alone. Caught a 17" eye too in another spot too. Im seeing FAR less big fish than ever but FAR more little guys. Prior to the 5yr experimental stocking program that ended in 2013 there was a 2-3 year stretch with no stocking and those are the fish we are missing. The big fish that are left from years before that stocking gap are nearly gone. Ron, I think we are on the same page or at least the same chapter! Old Man, The baby tigers have done better by far this year and they are a bit bigger than past years. They are now down in the weeds for the most part and the weeds are ridiculous!

A guy i know was frog fishing for bass on Cayuga and they got bored started drinking and drifted out to deep water from the north end and left a few feet of line out and caught a 10lb laker on a frog....opportunists!