Billy V Cayuga report May 20, 2012

[Billy V]

Our clients ran late on Sunday so we didn't get to leave the dock till 6:00am. Once we finally got going we headed up the east side and set up just north of Ross Point in 40FOW and pointed it towards the plant. We immediately began taking fish - we started our day off with a beautiful 4 lb Atlantic and then we settled into a steady pick of Lakers. Our clients were specifically after silver fish so we had the speed bumped up a bit but we still managed to keep rods poppin' at a regular rate for the first hour of our trip. We had plenty of fish to play with but most all of them were 3 lbs-ish and we only took the one silver from that troll. The screen was great in there - lots of fish and some bait, but it was mostly lakers so we decided that a move elsewhere was in order. We trolled across the lake and set up just south of Rocky Dock and pointed it south. We worked 30-100 FOW on that side and managed a beautiful rainbow and dropped another 'bow just north of the Scout camp but that was it for the entire troll back down to Taughannock. The screen was far better over on the east side so we trolled back across the lake to Ross Point and headed north again - this time I slowed us down to laker speed so that we could get rods moving for the last hour of the trip and we weren't disappointed. Those lakers were still there and we ended with a nice flurry of action. While we didn't manage to take anywhere near the number of silvers that we were after we did fill the box with fish and had a great time doing so. Best producers for us today were a Green Dot Spin Dr pulling a Sigg's Rigs Billy V Glow Ghost and a White Spin Dr pulling a Sigg's Rigs Gangster, both fished off Walker Deeper Divers out anywhere from 50-120' depending on what depths we were in. The hot spoons were a DW Superslim Salmon Slapper and a Superslim Dr. Death fished off of our Cannon DT10's down anywhere from 15-50'. At the very end of the trip as we were pulling rods I slid us out into 150-180FOW and there were suspended marks there too - we whacked two lakers while we were tearing down.

We tried to get our charter group into the B&B derby this weekend but they weren't interested - not that we had anything big enough to weigh, but it would have been nice to at least give it the old college try. If you want to move rods and don't mind lakers, there are a bunch on the east side. Pull out your best laker presentations and come have some fun with them!

[EarlyRiser]

Thanks for the report. May try that out one evening this week. With the warmer water it may be time to start including some laker presentations...

[final flight]

thanks for holding "YOUR" line and pushing me into 9 fow water. boat will turn to avoid a scum line but won't turn to give a little room to a smaller boat!!

[Billy V]

A. We were not turning to avoid a scum line but rather turned around and headed south to keep from getting too close to you on your northerly troll. We were trolling faster than you and did not want to interfere with your troll. Believe me, I wanted to continue on that northerly troll because we were beating up the fish but I deferred to you and turned around to go back down our line. Common courtesy.

B. 20 minutes after we turned and headed south to give you room you pulled your gear and ran up from behind us and set up a quarter mile in front of us and pointed your boat directly at us. You knew that I had a full boat with a large spread in the water and had been on that troll just outside those mooring balls for nearly a mile before you ran past us and sat down directly in front of us.

C. We tried for several minutes to get your attention - blasts on the horn, waving and yelling at you etc - to ask you to turn out but you had your back to the direction your boat was traveling until you finally heard the horn.

D. When you finally turned around and looked where you were headed you decided to try to squeeze between my planer boards and shore. That was your decision. You had plenty of time to turn out to deeper water but you chose to turn in. At no point did I force you into shallow water. Truth be told when it became clear that you either had no idea what was in front of you or had no intention of giving way I turned my boat out to deeper water to keep you from destroying all of my gear. Why in the world you felt that turning into shallow water was a good idea or even remotely considerate was beyond me.

Common sense and courtesy clearly dictate that when you run past a boat on a troll and set down in their line of travel and point your boat directly at them that you give way to deeper water when they are trolling within yards of shore. You actions were not only inconsiderate but they were unsafe.

If you would like to discuss this in person you know where my boat is docked.

[LakerTaker85]

hey billy you fishing seneca this weekend???

[Billy V]

Nope. I'll be hanging out with my family on Cayuga all weekend. Good luck if you go!

[mschott]

great report thanks Bill !