4/22/07 Keuka jigging

[Gator]

The water up at the PennYan end is still too cold to have brought any bait in, so we ended up jigging deep. To our suprise, not a single laker, and we fished hard, from 6am to 6pm. Actually checked inside of 30' to outside 90' and trolled the surface with in-lines for an hour, too. Jigs, Deadly Dicks, we threw it all at them. "Them" being the fish that we never marked on the screen, of course. I guess it's all about finding the fish.

The only salmonid we caught, though, made up for it: saw the fish breaking on bait, cast an X-Rap, no take...but wait, the fish followed...so, even though the motor is running , I swing a figure eight with the lure and HOOKED UP. One landlock, nothin' but net.

We stupid'd into a large school of perch down from the Bluff Marina, but they weren't anything to write home about. Couple of them were over a pound. Casting oak leaf grubs for the perch, we also caught three smallmouths--promptly released, of course. One of them was 5.7 lbs. Nice fish.

Gator

[ERABBIT]

Nice report, next out hope you get into them. How big was the LL ?

[kayakshoe]

The LL was on the surface? I fished hard on Sunday and didn't have any luck. The water is still cold. There was actually a thin section of ice on the lake wed or thurs morning.

[Gator]

The LL was around 3 1/2 lbs, not too big. Because it took right next to the boat, first jump and he never hit the water...Bill had the net underneath him.

Next time out may not be until mid-May. We'll be at the Niagara with the Nothin' but Net for the spring LOC. Hope it improves for the lakers. Several other reports by phone from friends who fished mirrored our results.

Gator

[Gator]

Laketrout 6,

I guess it's all where you find them. We worked the bottom hard with 1 oz diamond jigs throughout the day on Sunday, tap, tap, tap, even dragging them over the bottom with a little flutter...easy to maintain contact with no wind, superline/fluoro leader, and the slim profile of the lures...just no luck. First trip with a skunk on board. Some days you get the bear, and some days...

Glad to hear that you got into them, though. Any particular depth?

Gator

[Gator]

Well, that explains why we didn't get a single hit...I don't think that we ever got that deep. The PennYan arm bottoms out around 90-100 feet until you're a couple of miles past the college, and we didn't think that it would be worthwhile to drift aimlessly around in the middle of the lake without at least seeing some marks for encouragement.

Should have kept going south and hit up the deeper water off the points. Live and learn. Thanks for the info, and good luck if you get out again.

Gator

[Tank]

Gator. Cool report, have caught some landlocks throwing also. Awesome on the big smallie. What was the temp? Were the smallies caught fairly deep? Will be there soon to catch those pigs!! Thanks in advance. Tank

[Gator]

Hey Tank,

Up an off to Honeoye this am to see if the crappie are in.

The water temp at Keuka was a fridgid 38F; might explain the lack of bait.

The smallies were off a rock slide in about 15-20 ft of water and hit an oak leaf grub combo meant for perch. As for the big momma, she didn't fight very well with the cold water. S'okay, though, it let me get a quick snapshot and weight and still release her alive and kicking (I'd be kicking, too, if you released me in 38F water...)

Gator

[Tank]

WOW!! That's cold! Thanks for the info. Tank