Chautauqua Lake is Hot!

[Ivan]

Haha. Touche' Capt. Actually, I would be there regardless. Last weekend was the first chance I've had to get up there this year. Im always there from July to Nov. Chautauqua Lake is always "hot" in my opinion... Love that place.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[mostlymuskies]

The cutters really messed up the spot You & Dr Dave kept crossing paths last weekend,so many floating weeds it was nearly untrollable!

[mostlymuskies]

The deeper water produced 3 muskies today to 38"!

[mostlymuskies]

I will return to Chautauqua Lake for a few days from Friday through Tuesday of next week.I report each day how well my clients did.Should be an interesting weekend with Three Rivers Muskies Inc.Tourney going on as well, good luck to everyone fishing the tourney!

[mostlymuskies]

Anyone from the Three Rivers Tourney camping at Camp Pendergast? I plan on tent camping there as long as the rain doesn't get to heavy.

Edited July 16, 2014 by mostlymuskies

[User_155648]

While power trolling multiple lines at a good clip has been hot for some,  how about the casting bite?

 

 

Is casting action picking up ?

 

Recently,  I heard it was, after a slow start.  Personally,  I have cast a fare amount with out any landed via casting, so far.  I have landed a couple row trolling a double ender,  including a very nice, heavy one………which was very up close, personal,fun in such a boat. 

 

Thanks 

Edited July 16, 2014 by Heron 1961

[mostlymuskies]

I hope to see a few of my friends from Three Rivers Chapter this weekend.

Edited July 17, 2014 by mostlymuskies

[mostlymuskies]

5 muskies yesterday to 42" and 3 muskies today to 40 3/4", weeds were not bad at all! I seen a lot of nets hit the water both days from boats fishing the Three Rivers Tourney, no info on size,numbers or winners.

[mostlymuskies]

40 3/4",40 1/2" & 32" muskies on Sunday.Today my client reeled in a very fat 49 1/2" muskie and 20 minutes later a 44"er.Pix are on my camera, I will load them to my computer when I return home on Thursday and the post the pix here.

Edited July 22, 2014 by mostlymuskies

[mostlymuskies]

The last 4 days at Chautauqua Lake were very good fishing,I'm now back to the Niagara River for the rest of 2014!

[old man]

Looking good! What's that gauge in the back of your boat?

[mostlymuskies]

The gauge is an Osprey trolling speed indicator, it has its own paddle wheel generator and gives steady accurate surface speed.I take that speed and add it to gps speed over ground and divide by 2= Lure Speed.When going into or with the wind, slow down or speed up so when you divide by 2 the Lure Speed is the same and lure action will always be the same.

[old man]

Thanks

[muskiedreams]

Both those fish have some big old battle scars. They must be strong survuvors.

[Ivan]

We've found it pretty hard to catch a decent fish at Chautauqua that doesn't have some type of healed over red spot sores or something.  Might just be the picture, but looks like the bigger one has a blind eye also. Did you notice if it was blind in one eye Larry?  That's not that uncommon either.

[mostlymuskies]

Ivan, yes the fish had one yellow blind eye.I also noticed that most muskies caught at Chautauqua Lake 40 inches and over have scars,10% have red spot disease that is raw as well.I may only get back to Chautauqua Lake a couple times with Dr Dave this year, the remainder of the year will be on the Niagara River.The small stretch that I spent on Chautauqua Lake these last few days the trolling bite was very good for me and others I seen dip a net! Good luck to those who continue to fish Chautauqua!

[brent fingar]

Fished today from 6 till 1230 boated 4 lost one all in the mid 30s last night my buddy caught a nice 39 his first of the year I call that a successful trip 1st time out on the lake without mike speery guiding us on his boat also got a buddy back from marines training his 1st muskie awsome trip stopped into mikes shop bought some new lures and chatted with him for a bit

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Edited July 24, 2014 by brent fingar

[panfisher]

Ivan, yes the fish had one yellow blind eye.I also noticed that most muskies caught at Chautauqua Lake 40 inches and over have scars,10% have red spot disease that is raw as well.I may only get back to Chautauqua Lake a couple times with Dr Dave this year, the remainder of the year will be on the Niagara River.The small stretch that I spent on Chautauqua Lake these last few days the trolling bite was very good for me and others I seen dip a net! Good luck to those who continue to fish Chautauqua!

Mostlymuskies......or anyone who might know....Never targeted muskies but have seen a HUGE one slowly swim directly under our boat in about 10-12fow close to shore while smallie fishing in Chautauqua. This big old bruiser seemed like he owned the lake and was out for a morning cruise around his lake. The water was clear and wind calm. I stuck my 61/2 ft ultralite bass outfit down into the water in an attempt to possibly touch this massive fish (he had to be at least 50" and the color of Ivan's dad's fish). It did not even flinch and bisected the boat (we were facing perpendicular to the east shore near Dewittville) and easily kept cruising to the south. Like a submarine. We did notice plenty of scars from fishing encounters around the head and mouth area.....and was wondering....   These big old fish probably run into hooks a lot and I'll bet the blinded eyes are fairly common. I'm imagining some fish may completely lose their eyesight.....from fishing incidents. Maybe that is a mortal injury for those big ones as far as feeding itself is concerned. I know they have the lateral lines, as all fish do. But it seems it would be very hard to keep itself fed regularly if completely blinded. Any thought or knowledge of that?      

[Ivan]

Great job Brent...especially for your first year on your own. Congrats on putting your friends on some fish.

Panfisher: I may have made those blind eyes sound more common than they are. I might get a couple fish per year in my boat that have a single blind eye out of a couple hundred plus muskies, so it might be 1%. Never seen one with both eyes blinded, that I can remember.

Not sure how much muskies rely on sight to feed. The ones with one blind eye don't seem to have any problems. Larry's fish was not having any trouble feeding. It may depend some on the body of water and what the water clarity is typically like. We get plenty of muskies each spring in some OH lakes we fish. Some of these lakes can have close to zero visibility, muddy water in the spring. I would say their lateral line plays a bigger role than sight for feeding.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[old man]

Fished today from 6 till 1230 boated 4 lost one all in the mid 30s last night my buddy caught a nice 39 his first of the year I call that a successful trip 1st time out on the lake without mike speery guiding us on his boat also got a buddy back from marines training his 1st muskie awsome trip stopped into mikes shop bought some new lures and chatted with him for a bit ImageUploadedByLake Ontario United1406164362.269578.jpgImageUploadedByLake Ontario United1406164373.102736.jpgImageUploadedByLake Ontario United1406164382.968864.jpgImageUploadedByLake Ontario United1406164398.116794.jpg

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[old man]

Fished today from 6 till 1230 boated 4 lost one all in the mid 30s last night my buddy caught a nice 39 his first of the year I call that a successful trip 1st time out on the lake without mike speery guiding us on his boat also got a buddy back from marines training his 1st muskie awsome trip stopped into mikes shop bought some new lures and chatted with him for a bit ImageUploadedByLake Ontario United1406164362.269578.jpgImageUploadedByLake Ontario United1406164373.102736.jpgImageUploadedByLake Ontario United1406164382.968864.jpgImageUploadedByLake Ontario United1406164398.116794.jpg

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

that's a fine half day of fishing right there! Nice job.

[BlueEye]

Great job Brent! Good looking fish there.

Sent from Lake Ontario United mobile app

[mostlymuskies]

Brent fingar,Congrats on a great day of muskie fishing.Please thank your Marine friend for his service! Mike Sperry has become one of the best muskie guides on Chautauqua Lake and is off to another great season! I will miss being on Chautauqua Lake, but look forward to getting back to night fishing on the Niagara River.

[User_155648]

Mostlymuskies......or anyone who might know....Never targeted muskies but have seen a HUGE one slowly swim directly under our boat in about 10-12fow close to shore while smallie fishing in Chautauqua. This big old bruiser seemed like he owned the lake and was out for a morning cruise around his lake. The water was clear and wind calm. I stuck my 61/2 ft ultralite bass outfit down into the water in an attempt to possibly touch this massive fish (he had to be at least 50" and the color of Ivan's dad's fish). It did not even flinch and bisected the boat (we were facing perpendicular to the east shore near Dewittville) and easily kept cruising to the south. Like a submarine. We did notice plenty of scars from fishing encounters around the head and mouth area.....and was wondering....   These big old fish probably run into hooks a lot and I'll bet the blinded eyes are fairly common. I'm imagining some fish may completely lose their eyesight.....from fishing incidents. Maybe that is a mortal injury for those big ones as far as feeding itself is concerned. I know they have the lateral lines, as all fish do. But it seems it would be very hard to keep itself fed regularly if completely blinded. Any thought or knowledge of that?      

most recent studies show lateral have very little to know effect on musky feeding. L lines are used only in the last few inches of a strike with sight. They are sight feeders. Blind muskys die. Plugs with gangs of hooks cause scaring, blindness, caught multiple times and released over years. From the strike, fight to the net entanglement of, followed by thrashing , first scoop of net. Ditto scaring around mouth from plus hooks cut.

its the ugly truth of musky conservation, catch and release and this is before issued removing from water for hero shot pictures of modest fish, measurements ,etc that could have been shaped while I'm water.

bar less single hook baits (jigs,spoons,spinnerbaits, fly's) are the best. Large plugs with gangs of trebles the worst.

this is nothing new. The concern from experience written back to when large plugs with "gangs of hooks " were first introduced first simply decoys with trebles added

this is why many musky waters are single hook only catch and release.

speed trolling big plugs with trebles, drags set tight, then netting (with any net include pen) where hooks get caught at entry is amongst the worst for

of concern for as I do row troll plugs cranks lately I have been pulling single hook spinner bait (with no single stinger)

as an angler yourself your observations in regards to are " spot on " sometimes the obvious is easier for the non specific to see and the specific users don't want to see the obvious.

hopefully over time on behalf of musky conservation we will find ways to improve this while still being able to catch and release enough musky to fill the soul

good catch - observation

poked from my smart phone , no edit

[User_155648]

Panfisher

I will add - most recent scientific studys also show " fish experience little to no pain ".

the visual external hook scars, though no doubt an ugly sign of man which certainly can and should be minimized, to the less visual internal jaw scars - don't inflict pain as we know it and are typically not affecting survival rate (exception - loss of eye sight) , natural reproduction, etc.

over playing the fish especially in warm temps, removal from water, disease from fin damage via net,protective slime coat,etc,etc all have substantially more potential mortality than external and internal hook scars are the mouth of a musky (exception eyes) though ugly and could-should be reduced.

of similar note - bass are quite hardy. Techniques used along with the physical structure of bass themselves - don't lend to scaring. Yet, similar could be noted about the handling of bass for catch and release easily and by "pros" themselves. I know I have raised an eyebrow more than once watching the "pros" in regards to. Their luck bass are so hardy and adaptable . Unlike Trout,Musky,etc

please excuse - poke from my smartphone while multi tasking

Edited July 24, 2014 by Heron 1961