Canadaiugua Trout Help

[tannero]

Just starting my first year of trolling in Canadaigua. Been trying various Sutton's, NK's with and without flahsers. Mostly in the north end. Mostly on the West side, not really marking on the East side. Marking fish - not a bite though.

Any suggestions? Different bait suggestions maybe?

Running a Seth Green - so covering area with 5 lures - one ever 20'. Moved the downrigger around - was marking around 60' down in around 130' of water and then some right on the bottom.

Is the South end or other area's better?

Thanks in advanced for any help. Been out 4 times and nothing - getting frustrated.

[excavr]

tannero,

I don't mean to hijack your thread, but this has been my experience so far...

Last year was my first season. I started trolling in August and I was only skunked 3 or 4 times thru mid November. This season I added 2 wire rods for dipseys and a Fishhawk X4 assuming I could only improve my catch rate. I have made it out twice this year putting in a total of 12 hours and I was skunked each time.

This year I fished the north half each time and hit both sides of the lake. My first trip out the water high and merky and thought the recent storms turned the fish off. The water conditions this past Saturday were much better than earlier in the month.

I threw everything I had at them both trips and couldn't get anything to bite. I tried spoons with and without flashers on the riggers, with and without sliders. Also had 2 wire rods with flashers and flies. Everything I set out has produced fish for me late last summer and fall. I marked fish high and low and adjusted my depths several times to see if I could get anything to work. I tried various down speeds from 1.5 to 2.25 mph as well.

One variable that I am unfamiliar with is water temperature. If I remember correctly the surface temp this past Saturday was in the mid to upper 50's with a break somewhere around 25-30' where it was around 43-44 degrees and at 75' the temp was 42-43 degrees. According to the chart Fishhawk has in their manual, LT's optimum water temp is 46-52 with a lower limit of 42 degrees and RT's optimum water temp is 54 with a lower limit of 44 degrees.

As I made my way back to the launch, the kids fishing from shore told me they caught 3 trout on worms...should have saved the fuel.

Does anyone have any suggestions for us?

[Gill-T]

Sometimes when the fish are high.....you will not mark them on the fishfinder and therefore fish below them. If you are not marking anything, temps are good, bait around.....try running some short leadcore segments off the boards. If you don't have leadcore you could run a lure with a keel weight, rubber core sinker or split shot for high lines on the outside (longer leads), and pinch-on pad style heavier weights with shorter leads on the inside lines. The greater the variety of types of spreads you have in your arsenal, the greater chance you have of "figuring it out". A lot of trollers also keep closer to the shore......try right down the middle of the lake. Always seems to be a good idea on the fingers to have a couple of baits for lakers in the 80'-90' down region....so riggers that deep and dipsys on wire or braid out 250-300'.

[Hookedup]

I haven't got over to Canandaigua yet, but from what you say your water temps are the fish should be turning on. The west side on the South end should be good as well as the South East corner. Your most active fish wont show on the graph they sould be in the top 30 FOW. I would run one rigger with a flasher and fly at 80 with a spoon 10ft above it. Then every thing else would be in the top 40 FOW small cores, and short coppers of off church boards. If you have wire diver riggs you could fish them deep with flashers and flys. Id bet you money that if you run a 4 color and 5 color core off one side with boards and a 100 and 200 copper off the other you will put fish in the boat. Just PM me if you need any info on spoons or rigging core or copper. Good luck

[cdgn troller]

Right now I would try fishing your big board fairly close to shore with rapala's. this lake drops off so fast you can have boards in close and still be able to run set green rigs. I run in about 90-100 fow using dipseys or riggers and the boards on shore. just be careful of the bottom about 1/4 mile south of German brothers, comes up fast, keep your eyes on the graph. usual the end of may and first couple weeks of June are good on the north end. also another good spot is from Pelican Point Marina south past Camp Letournea down to the high banks. Again there is a big hump in front of the camp so keep keys on graph.

[excavr]

Thanks for the advise. I hope to put it to use this weekend.

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[Sk8man]

If you are set on fishing Canandaigua I would suggest trying the south end on the east side and head northwest on an angle. Start from the white rock area on the east iideand go toward Bristol Harbor condos pulling rigs. Try one rig real deep and the other running up towards the top until you hit something. Keep adjusting your rigs up and down a little along the way. Try SMALL sutton lures on at least one of the rigs. Mix them on the other. Keep varying your trolling speed from 1.9 to 2.7 or 2.8. When you reach the Notre dame retreat house (can see cross on it from lake) turn around and head back toward south east and hgead for the Christian camp on the east side (just south of Pelican Point Marina). This should put you into fish at some point. Canandaigua Lake is somewhat tougher to fish ion the early spring and late Fall for some reason. This has been true for me for over 40 years and I live here :>) Te alternative: fish Seneca instead it is much more active right now.

[tannero]

Hey Everyone, thank you very much for all the advice!!!! Going to get the boat ready for tomorrow and give it a shot early in the AM. I think I will try the south end, haven't done that yet and then I launch at the north so I can hit that on the way back if no luck..

Again, thanks a bunch for the help - I'm going to try the advice and I'll let you know how I make out.

I might try Seneca too- it's probably not that much farther of a haul from hitting Canandaigua if it's more active. Anyone have a suggestion on which launch to use? I'm pulling a 24' pontoon with a quad cab, so I'm a fairly long rig a and need a little room to park. Never have been to Seneca and wanted to know if anyone had insight as to which north end launch is better for a long rig like me.

Thanks again guys - can't wait to get out tomorrow AM and give it hell!!!!!!!