friday june 17 seneca

[ac holmes]

Been fishing a little this week mostly to get everything working on my new charter boat. I will post some pictures soon and also announce the charter business named "Blue Sky Charters" which will do fishing and touring trips on Seneca. It has been quite a challenge to get the concept together but have everything in place finally, including captain's papers, drug and medical tests passed and also have proper commercial insurance, etc., etc.

It is hard to catch a fish on the South end of Seneca these days, but I did get a nice clean laker 5 lbs or so today at 80 feet over 400 feet of water on a silver and chartreuse spoon. I had the probe on that rigger and the water was 42 degrees. The water is still cold down 20 feet or so and no thermocline setup yet. Lots of bait...maybe still spawning.

Tough fishing right now. I had a couple from Canada come to my boat today (in front of the new hotel where they are staying) and wanted to book a trip this weekend, but I told them is was a hard time to fish, so they booked for next October.

Any advice or ideas about what is going on with Seneca? I see folks are doing well on Cayuga and they are really hammering big fish on Lake Ontario also.

[pschauf]

Yes it has been alittle slow - hook a nice 10lb brown last week for a customer but not a lot of fish being caught - you really have to work for them - try 50 ft down - temp is too cold but they are there.

Captain Paul

senecacharters.

[Hookedup]

Go North the fish have moved out of South end. The T-Cline is setting up at 40ft then will drop down a little every week from now to August. We had a good day North yesterday, if I would of been fishng the South end I would be in the same situation as you. It sucks making a long run but you got to run with the fish. That South end can look great but not give up the fish, You will get them figured out Sean

[ac holmes]

Thanks for the info guys,

As mentioned earlier, I am getting my boat sorted out and practicing how to deploy and retrieve rigs and tackle, without too much trouble. I did manage to put a Big Weenie hook into my leg and had to push it through and cut it off...better than coffee for getting your mind focused. It is certainly true that my self training has not been interrupted by many fish striking. I have some sophisticated electronics and know how to use them, and am convinced that it is true (as Sean suggests) that the "fish" have moved out of the South end of Seneca, for the summer at least. Lots and lots of bait today, and the water is 52-55 degrees at 40-50 feet (it was 42 degrees yesterday) but very few fish, that I was able to see in 5 miles of South end water, both sides.

The good news is the way my new 27 footer trolls. It is a full inboard with a 5.7 Mercruser with a 9.9 Honda kicker mounted on the swim platform, remotely controlled from the helm. The RayMarine X-5 sport controls the big barn door rudder and with the 9.9 locked dead ahead I am able to use the autohelm very well down to 2 mph on the kicker. Of course the autohelm works especially well when on the big engine because the prop wash is right on the rudder. Dead idle on the big engine gives 2.8 mph in dead calm conditions (a little too fast) , but is very good for trolling into a strong head wind.

here is a shot of the 27 before I got her ready for fishing...it is a great boat and I am very happy to be able to have such a nice piece of equipment...