Cayuga 6/23

[Frisco]

Great day to be fishing! Worked just south of Long Point, the action was steady all morning. The best action that I had was in 200' to 325' just south of the point. The spoon bite was on until 10:00 then echips and flys took over. For me there wasn't one particuliar color than worked better than others. I was alone so counting and measuring was difficult but I boated well over 25 fish and many wannabe legal LLs, several browns and lakers, one LL about 4 lbs had the biggest lamphrey that I ever saw about 14". He's now into two parts.

Traded notes all morning with 58 Johnson & Reel Hard, both seem to know their stuff. Great guys to be around.

Just installed a Fish Hawk X4. I've heard stories about the upper currents differing from the underwater currents and now I know why. At 70' the temp was 50 degrees and I'm convinced knowing the speed at that depth does make a difference so at this time I can say there is value in having a probe.

Anyway guys I enjoyed your company.

[143447]

Niiice Good news!! , I'll be out there Friday am outta Deans. Thanks for the report. I will start out deeper after your report, our best fish last sunday came 70 feet down over 180's..good marks all over,wish I started deeper.

Hey are the bigger LL's suspended out over the deeper water? We could not keep the little guys off our spoons early from 60-100 fow.Be nice to take home a few over 20inches

Here is our laker from Sunday, my son Brian, 28inches right at 10.5 lbs..love Cayuga it seems to fish fairly well right through the morning.

[Hookedup]

Sounds like you had a great day I will be out on Cayuga Sat and Sun if any of you guys are out. Sean

[Mower]

Sean are you running paying clients or having some fun? I'll be out both days aswell and hopefully some time on Friday eve. I need to make a quick repair on the motor on my boat to combat the ethanol. You can catch on 68 or PM me and I'll pass along the cell number. The last few weeks we've been doing well.

[58Johnson]

Frisco..it was nice crossing paths with you today. Appreciate your advice on the deeper water on the east side.

I got spoons to work today. Got two big lakers and a ton of salmon. I switched over to spinny/fly and got nothing at all later in the morning.

I packed up and headed over to the west side and got more salmon and then got haunted by a big fish on with a breakoff. This year has been bad with breakoffs on big fish.

I am using 15 ft Seagar Fluoro 15 lb leaders with palomar knots to a mini swivel to braid main line. Big fish will break off sometimes even when I'm careful. Its frustrating cause I used strictly braid last year with fewer fish on but NO breakoffs. The fluoro leader is a blessing and a curse.

Again it was nice talking today. It was a beautiful day out there!

[Frisco]

I lost 2 ECHIPS due to breakage between the flasher & dipsey. I'm checking with Stinger on which fireline he's using. I need to change or go broke !!E The larger salmon came off echips down 70' I removed the cheaters to keep the smaller ones off. I didn't keep any fish didn't want to screw up a perfect day by cleaning fish, acxtually we don't eat many.

[chowder]

You guys want to be using 30lb Seaguar floro from your diver to the flasher. The constant twisting is very tough on line. On my rigger spoon rods I use 30lb Ande to a 10-20' stretch of 15-20lb Seaguar floro. On my flasher spoon rods I tie the 30lb Ande right to the flasher. Junctions between main and leader; on every thing except for core & copper I have gone to the Spro micro swivels. Knots are key, use the Palomar. For my steath rigs (slide diver, core,copper- I like to go w/ long (60-100') stretchs of 20lb Seaguar Floro (on long coppers for pulling big flashers I use 30lb Seaguar). Since I started using these leaders two years ago, I've never lost a fish to a break off on the FLX (lots of 13lb+ lakers, 10lb+ browns, & 8lb+ bows & Salmon. I use the same rigs on Lake O and although I've had a few 'freight trains' snap off, those fish were probably 30lb+ Kings and you just are not going to have to deal w/ them on Cayuga.

A couple other thoughts; Keep socks on your rods when not in use, I think a lot of leaders and main line abrasions occur when not fishing, especially in trailer boats. Always, always check your leaders by trying to break the line and or knot (don't just feel along the line w/ your fingers-this does not tell you what you need to know). Just my 2 cents! -Andy

[rustyrat]

Yup what andy said but I use 10lb flouro and use a double surgeons knot for my spoon rods.

RR

[Big Dave]

With the braid with no strech you might want a rod that has a little more flex. We use 50# between the dipsie and the flasher with a snubber. Those head shakes at the back of the boat are where you run in to trouble.

[Gill-T]

Diver to flasher....#30 mono, you don't need fluorocarbon ahead of the flasher!!!!! Then #30 fluorocarbon leader from flasher to fly. The large size barrel swivels on the flashers and dipsys will not hold a knot like an improved cinch unless it is at least 20# test. You could use loop knots and lighter line I suppose, but you owe it to your quarry to use the strongest knot, line combo possible.

[Frisco]

Thanks all....Big Dave the head shakes did my tackle in!

[stinger]

At 70' the temp was 50 degrees and I'm convinced knowing the speed at that depth does make a difference so at this time I can say there is value in having a probe.

Just out of curiosity Frisco, what was your speed difference between surface and 70'.....

[rustyrat]

Mike I was running 3.0 at the surface on sat and my 50 rigger was at 2.3.

I use nothing but 50lb seguar floro for my fly leaders.

RR

[Frisco]

I was surprised how it varied! There was times it was right on to occasionally 6 MPH difference, I think alot had to do with what direction I was going. I need to play with it more. I calibrated the unit with my GPS near the surface.

RR..was I correct in doing that? The fish hawk has a wheel for the surface but it varies from my GPS I think this has to do with the flow under the boat!

BTW....I have a toy that you don't have. Tag your it!

[Frisco]

That's .6

[chowder]

Frisco, wait till you get 2 different down speeds at different depths! Especially on LO but on the FLX as well you will encounter several different currents at different depths which will cause the same lure to run very differently at 40' down than at 80' down. It's this situation which causes the "I catch fish only when I'm trolling going this way today" statement. There's a good article about it in this months GLA. I've been running 2 depth raiders since I 'inherited' my 2cd one last year. Mostly I use them to bracket temps but I've also noticed the 2 different down speeds at times as well. There's no such thing as too many gadgets (especially if somebody gives them to you!). -Andy

[Frisco]

I'm in the learning mode and not only does the current change as does the temp. I chose 50 degrees and I had to keep adjusting my weights to find this particular temperature. What temp do you guys usually look for? I usually palce my riggers at different depths to cover more water now I'm rethinking that.

[chowder]

Different species have their own temp niches, and different species also go 'out of temp' under different conditions & situations. The temp ranges that different species seem to utilize on LO are not the same on Cayuga, and there seems to some significant differences between different Finger Lakes as well. Although I will admit to being fascinated by down temps/speeds I must say that I don't feel married to any particular 'bible' about temps & speeds. I just think the whole ecosystem of bait/phytoplankton/predator fish,etc is too dynamic and fluid (or I'm just too stupid!) to lend itself to hard & fast rules. Having said this I know of a couple guys who use hard & fast temp rules and they seem to catch a lot more fish than I do.

Here's some 'accepted' guide lines for summer fishing;

Browns 55-65

Bows (if you can figure this one out YOU ARE A GENIUS) 48-60+

Lakers 44-48

Kings 42-46

[stinger]

Different species have their own temp niches, and different species also go 'out of temp' under different conditions & situations. The temp ranges that different species seem to utilize on LO are not the same on Cayuga, and there seems to some significant differences between different Finger Lakes as well . Although I will admit to being fascinated by down temps/speeds I must say that I don't feel married to any particular 'bible' about temps & speeds. I just think the whole ecosystem of bait/phytoplankton/predator fish,etc is too dynamic and fluid (or I'm just too stupid!) to lend itself to hard & fast rules. Having said this I know of a couple guys who use hard & fast temp rules and they seem to catch a lot more fish than I do.

Here's some 'accepted' guide lines for summer fishing;

Browns 55-65

Bows (if you can figure this one out YOU ARE A GENIUS) 48-60+

Lakers 44-48

Kings 42-46

......

....think I'll just go fishin' `till you guys figure this out.......

[Frisco]

LOL

[Reel Doc]

Agree with Stinger, but if anyone has a depth raider to give away, please PM me.

Greg

[stoutner]

You can argue you want all day about temps.... But it really helps to know the down speed of your lures. In Lake O and the Fingerlakes, there are currents that can be 1+ mph slower or faster than your speed over ground. If you are running 1.7 mph but going with a 1 mph current, your lures are probably not even working. You might be able to catch Lake Trout for example as fast as 2.3-2.5 mph but I doubt you would do very well at 3.5 mph.

Ask DButts how much he misses his Sub Troll now that he has been without for a few weeks.

[rustyrat]

I added a depth raider 3 years ago, cant live with out it! Speed is the key!

RR

I should be out tomorrow if anyone cares.

[stinger]

I added a depth raider 3 years ago, cant live with out it! Speed is the key!

RR

I should be out tomorrow if anyone cares.

Not knowing my speed I'll be a little slower than you,....so that means I'll see you guys Sunday.

[stinger]