Seneca perch

[justtracytrolling]

if your new to seneca perch and you dont have the time to fish regularly my advice is go to sodus i only get out on weekends and have spent many many hours of my life chasing perch and have at least the basics down. even though the last couple years i have concentrated on trolling trout.  that being said i have never done well for perch on seneca and have come to the conclusion that seneca just has to big of a learning curve for perch for the limited time i have. i have gotten them on canandaguia as well as I-bay sodus portbay in lake O and cayuga.  seneca is the only place i have never had a good perch day.  I know there there i just dont have enough days to dedicate to that lake.  if and when my scedual changes and i can fish a couple times a week i will definatly try the challange again but as i said at the begining best advice for perch on seneca drive north till you hit sodus

On some lakes its so tough for a given species that its really a "locals" lake because unless you are on the lake 4 days a week its pure poke and hope.  In most cases I believe 10 % of fisherman catch 90% of the fish, and on a tough lake for a tough to catch fish like walleye or a tough to find fish like jumbo perch its more like 5% of fisherman catch 95% of the fish.  I will say if you can learn a hard lake it gives you the confidence to catch fish anywhere. 

justin

[DJ 17]

You got it Justin when you said JUMBO PERCH.  Its fairly easy to go and catch small perch most places, but to dial in on the Jumbos is a different deal altogether. 

 

Sometimes I think its alot like bowhunting.  Many places in Upstate NY you can go and shoot  a young buck pretty easily, but to try and nail down an older mature buck is a whole different endeavor.

[ifishy]

the challange is always fun and jumbo perch are a prize worth finding but part of the process is knowing what it take and what you have available and to find jumbos on seneca takes time and practice and I just dont have the time i've fished lake O bays since i was old enough to walk and so can usually find action i've only lived in teh finger lakes about 7 years so just dont have the time in on seneca. like  justtracytrolling said some lake / species combos are tougher than others seneca perch is one of them there size is why its worth the work if you have the time to put in. if you dont than you gotta maximize what time you do have and that means change water or species i started trolling trout because seneca is close and convenient and that species in that lake has a better learning curve for the time i have

[apb]

Don't get hung up on Seneca Perch....Try Keuka. They are just as tasty and much more eager to jump in your live well ! A much safer and friendlier lake in mid winter to say the least.

[rbonnell]

I would try keuka but its a good drive from me and know nothing about that lake I live at the north end of Seneca

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[Jimmyi]

 

Don't get hung up on Seneca Perch....Try Keuka. They are just as tasty and much more eager to jump in your live well ! A much safer and friendlier lake in mid winter to say the least.

 

My sister and her husband bought a cottage on Keuka Lake this past August. They are on the West side down from the college. Does this lake freeze solid or is there open water in the winter? I have an older 14 foot aluminum Mirror Craft that I would like to use this winter if the lake doesn't freeze. I heard that this lake has a good population of lake trout. I fished there once about fifteen years ago and that was in the summer.

[john1947]

Just stop or call roy, s marina for good info, no bull

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[Sk8man]

Jimmyi - On the real good side of things...you have access to the lake and parking  (I am assuming and I'm envious) . Also on the plus side...it is real good perch fishing in that area through the ice. On the potential downside the lake is irratic in how it freezes from year to year and sometimes the ice down that far isn't real safe and ice fishing is pretty much from the Penn Yan end to about a mile or so south of the water treatment plant. You'll notice I said SAFE ice.... a couple years ago my son and I witnessed a paraplegic in a wheel chair out on 3 inches of ice in a 4 wheeler with an ambulatory guy helping him.....never should have been out there with any kind of vehicle or such weight. The wind came up briskly and blew all his equipment across the ice so my son and I had to run to rescue it because the guys were going to go after it on the 4 wheeler the ice was less than 3 inches and marginal for one person actually....unreal! All around the area toward and out from the college is pretty good....sometimes they are found in about 30 ft. or so too but most of the time 20 or less.Minnows are usually the ticket while jigging and rubber as well as spikes on 4 lb test line and sometimes a 4 lb fluoro leader. Sometimes you'll get into the big smallies too and it's fun. If you are lucky you'll run into some of the jumbo perch that rival those on Seneca. Jigging seems more productive there > Tip-ups usually call in the pickerel and bass in the shallower depths. If you are after lake trout they are also out towards the middle and usually hugging bottom in the winter An effective way to get them is with cowbells (flashers to us old timers ) with a peanut or Sutton spoon behind it and often with a "cheater" leader with spoon about 6 ft. above the cowbells> It can be done a number of ways. If you need any more specifics on the openwater trout stuff feel free to PM me . I know you were mostly askjng about open water fishing but I figured I'd include the ice stuff for others as well while at it. Les

Edited October 12, 2013 by Sk8man

[Jimmyi]

Sk8man,

Thanks for all of your help. I didn't realize all the different species in there. I haven't been down there yet but my mom said the place is gorgeous. It's a good sized cottage right on the water. I don't think they are going to be using it for the winter time cause she said they will be closing it up. It's a drive for me coming from Brockport but after reading everything you said, I can't wait to get down there. Now I'm wondering when I do go there, do I try for perch, go deep for lake trout, cast for bass or troll for trout with lead core, dipsies and riggers. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

[Sk8man]

The Fall fishing can be real good too. In closer for the perch, jigging for the trout and I forgot to mention that in the other post...jigging for the lakers in the winter as well. There is usually some open water winter  fishing in the Branchport arm (when it doesn't freeze over) from the boat launch at the State park too and good jigging right in that area.  You might want to check things out BEFORE winter snow etc. to get a feel of things.

[Jimmyi]

 

The Fall fishing can be real good too. In closer for the perch, jigging for the trout and I forgot to mention that in the other post...jigging for the lakers in the winter as well. There is usually some open water winter  fishing in the Branchport arm (when it doesn't freeze over) from the boat launch at the State park too and good jigging right in that area.  You might want to check things out BEFORE winter snow etc. to get a feel of things.

 

That's a good idea. My wife has been wanting to check out the fall leaves and I might take a ride down there this Saturday. I should try to get a topo map of the lake. Where is the state boat launch located?

[Sk8man]

Just outside Branchport (east off of 54A) Sign for Keuka State Park follow the road past the beach area a few hundred yards. Lot of great wineries on/near Keuka too

Edited October 14, 2013 by Sk8man

[JJBat150]

Google Keuka State Park... it's on Pepper Road, just off 54A between Branchport & Penn Yann; closer to Branchport,

 

On the weekend they'll be charging admission; I think $7 unless you have an Empire Pass.

 

Here's a screen scrape from Navitronics; I've noticed the lines aren't exactly accurate on my Humingbird, but this should be enough to get you oriented on what the bottom looks like there.

 

I'm been down there quite a bit the past few weeks with the kayak, and have had pretty good luck harassing the lakers with white tubes on hermit's shad jigging spoons in 80-100 Ft of water.

 

Took the wife yaking there Friday night on date night, and had such a good time, we trailer the boat down Saturday and the family spent the afternoon enjoying the weather, scenery, and smell of grapes in the air.... Gotta love the Finger Lakes this time of year.

 

 

Edited October 14, 2013 by JJBat150

[Jimmyi]

Thanks for your help guys.

[panfisher]

For the jumbos in Seneca, it might be best to think of going after them (when not the spring spawn time.....lots of smaller ones then) as more like fishing for game fish like trout or smallmouths. Stumbling on big perch while trying for those other species is what happens......The jumbos are bigger and badder than the smaller ones and they live like they know it.

[BP Swing]

My 2 cents. Been fishing avidly over 50 years and about 30 years on Seneca mostly in spring. I have told others that Seneca Perch fishing is the toughest fishing I do all year and that includes Musky fishing into December. Those Perch are a breed of their own, so wary and so spooky. I dont know of any other fish anywhere as spooky. Ive had my 100+ fish days and also got skunked many times. It really is hit or miss no matter who you are. I dont use anything over 2 lb test now since the water is so clear, long anchor ropes help too. Ultra quiet is a must and yes I have had other boats ruin my spots several times coming closer than a cast. It makes fishing Ibay like fishing in a swimming pool. Totally different breed, much easier. It kills me to hear of guys abusing the fishery by filling coolers up. The DEC is trying to ban the market fishing concept but was getting resistance from the North Country poachers so they caved. No surprise there. I go as far as releasing the little ones and dont keep anything under 10 inches or so. Long live Seneca.