Conesus Lake May 11 - 14

[BlueEye]

Hi LOU-skies,

Had a fantastic birthday weekend with the family the last couple days as we rented a cottage on Conesus for family esox fun Special thanks to the wife for setting that all up. The fishing and weather cooperated nicely and made for a very memorable 30th!

Started the trip with water temps at 52.5 (slightly warmer on the north and south basins) and ended the trip with water temps at 58! Had a nice bite going every day we were there with lots of smaller pike mixed in with some smallmouths, largemouths and even the occasional walleye. Took me a day or two to figure out that wanted a smaller (5" or smaller with spoons working good) presentation. My big lures got the attention of the fish (many follows) but nothing willing to bite. After my father pulled out the old trusty Evil Eye heavy caster, we started to put a good pattern together. Best lures on the trip were Evil Eye Heavycasters, Mepps Cyclopes, Lunge Lumber 6" (white & perch) and Phantom glide baits.

We ended the trip with several pike over 35" and a Tiger musky at 35". We had a couple more tigers but they were all smaller guys mixed in with the smaller pike. Here some pics!

(yeah.... I was working the bait SLOW ENOUGH for BULLHEAD to hit it!!!)

This photo doesn't capture how LOUD my wife was screaming when she hooked the fish and got in the boat. A very proud moment for her! She lost another good fish earlier as well that I would have loved to have at least seen before it went deep and screamed off a bunch of line and threw the hook...

Pike & Tiger population is in good shape for this lake's future!

Bait fish size (look close - it's pretty small). Schools of these baits would boil on the surface in the mornings and you would see tigers/pike crashing through it - pretty cool to watch!

I'd expect over the next week or two as the water temps crack that 60 degree mark on the lake for the fish to start responding to larger baits. We fished all over the lake from south to the middle bays to the north end flats and had had fish everywhere. Great time - biggest pike of the trip was 38" and biggest tiger was 35". Hope to get out there and do it all over again soon!

Cheers ,

Chad

[BlueEye]

By the way Tom (tcon) - I have the exact same 24v Minn Kota ipilot trolling motor and charged it once before we left on the trip Friday and ran it HARD for 4 days straights and it still showed 50% by the end of the trip - very impressive! You will love that trolling motor..... makes a huge difference. I use auto pilot and spot lock religiously out there to keep us right on the good water.

[JOE ESOX]

Nice B-day Thanks for the report... have thurs off and planning to spend the day out there. have yet to get a pike in the boat this year

[mostlymuskies]

Wow! I'm fishing for walleye,what's wrong with me! I'll be in PA Thursday fishing purebred muskies,looking at your great weekends pictures has me jumping to go now. Congrads on a great birthday weekend of fish handling!

[tcon]

Awesome report Chad, I am really happy with the motor...usually you kind of set yourself up for some sort of likes and dislikes..atleast I do and man I can't say enough good about it. It is going to make trolling in the wind and boat control effort less now all I have to do is add another day on the week so I have some free time. You suppose we could get that passed like the 3 rod rule hmmm Sat. Sun. Mon. Fishday Teus.........

Tom

[solgrande]

Great wknd... now that my boats ready i`ll be making a few trips down soon,maybe even this saturday.We did`nt do that good at blk lake last wknd but really nice to be out again.

sol

[BSmaster]

Congrats! Very nice report. I Like conesus. Beautiful lake to fish.

[RUNNIN REBEL]

Chad AWESOME REPORT & PICTURES.

Glad you had a great time. That has to be over 100 fish you & Smokin Joe & MORE SMOKEM Larry caught in last 2 weekends ! Call when Joe is up again & you have time to run some "practice assaults" with us again.

Unkel Jerry

RUNNIN REBEL

[panfisher]

Beauteous 30th, man! Wonderful mixed bag!!!!

[BlueEye]

Thanks for the kind words everyone! Had a great time and we released all fish we caught....... the weekend is looking really nice and my guess is that the water temps will break 60 there soon enough. So get out there!!!

[kingslamon22]

great fishing and great camera skillz!!

[solgrande]

I`m gonna give sat am a shot-shake off some rust

[BlueEye]

Awesome Bob - let us know how you do. I'm still trying to decide where I'm going.... weather is going to be nice NOT to fish!

[33canuck]

Awesome job man, great pics!

[JOE ESOX]

Was out for a bit yesterday- water temp is 60-62 already. fishin was tough but got a smaller tiger bout 25 inches and a couple pig largemouths. nice day to be on the water