Looking for recommendations on lures

[JMpendo599]

Hi everyone,

 

for background: I normally troll for trout in the Finger Lakes due to boat size.  I recently had a few conversations and was just looking for some more opinions.  I have a variety and sizes of spoons, inline spinners, some stickbaits/plugs and some Flashers+flies.

 

I mostly try to stick to standard or slightly smaller sizes since I'm not out in Lake Ontario.  Don't think I have anything magnum.

 

I recently had a conversation with someone who I consider to be knowledgeable and they told me that flashers and flies would not be a good option for the Finger Lakes.  Their reasoning is that its more a presentation for open water.  This contradicts other information other people who I've talked to who said that Flasher and fly would be a good lake trout lure.

 

I also was asking this person about the Yakima Spinfish (Spin n fish?) which I've seen a few times and I think it's a really cool concept, and was told that "no one around here uses that, that's a west coast lure"

 

I am curious as to what others use and have had luck with in smaller lakes.  I didnt have the best luck towards the end of last year, so just curious if I need to downsize lures, look into new stuff, or just keep with it and the luck will come.  Hope to get a big boat eventually so i can join in all the fun on the big lakes!

 

Thanks in advance for any responses!!

[AnglingAddict]

Back when I had a trailerable boat we fished the finger lakes a lot (I grew up fishing Canandaigua).  Flasher/fly on 8" spindoc or echip with a fly is absolutely a great presentation for lake trout in the finger lakes.  White double crush glow attractor with an Ultra White Glow A-Tom-Mik fly took an insane number of lakers for me deep and on overcast days.  For me they were best fished off wire divers - June/July timeframe was best.  Chrome/Green attractors with A-Tom-Mik Hypnotist flies were another great option on bright days.

 

As far as fishing smaller lures - the fish in the finger lakes feed on alewives and while those alewives may be just a tad smaller than the big adults you find on Lake Ontario - I wouldn't hesitate to run regular size Dreamweaver spoons, superslims, regular size stingers or Stingrays by MIchigan Stinger......

[mick62]

I have never caught a single fish using flashers, or dodgers anywhere, and have tried them everywhere, must be me?  But I do have pretty okay luck trolling spoons that are 2.25" - 4.5". We get them on every color in the box some days, and none of them on other days. When I get out there, I run a spread of everything, and let the fish tell me what they want, hopefully.                 Mostly fish Cayuga, but also visit some ADK lakes when we feel like camping. Go with what usually works for you and have fun.