9/22 Fairport canal

[Tg8]

Tough bite only liked micro flukes lifted then paused 4 ever? Had to slowDown and beat up the spots, found structure(sunkin tree branch or bridge abutment) held jig still.Bunch of crappie, three eyes, 2 14's, 1 18"

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[panfisher]

Tough bite....2 little guys and a keeper....if kept. Been down to see if Honeoye has cleared from the blue-green algae yet? Now is the time the eyes should be coming easier there now and for the next month or more....if it's not too cold. Especially from dusk on.

[zackblain]

panfisher, I fished honeoye saturday night and it was still a mess. 69degree water temp, tons of floating weeds and very dirty water still.

[Tg8]

I sent them all back, the clarity in the canal after precipitation seems to be a key. Plus, last night the pressure was increasing and getting ready for this prolonged weather change.

I was wondering if anyone has noticed a difference in the short hit feels between species. Yesterday, was such a pause based jig bite that I had tons of taster hits, some you could feel the tail shake, while others would be a solid thunk. The eyes I caught, one was sucked in that had less of strike like feel, more of a slow increase of pressure. The two other eyes had a single heavy thumps. I had many hits where I felt my lift pulled it out of their mouth, where they had the tail gripped. Those instances had a medium level single thump. I felt the bite was so finicky I didn't put a small stinger on as they were tasting nonstop.

One of my favorite tricks that I am sure many employ, is to borrow some of the slime coating from any fish I catch and I rub the bait I'm using with it before I send it back and coat my line with any slime I get on my fingers as well. Seems to help for the first cast or two, but maybe that's why they kept tasting, as the powerbait micro fluke gets beatup it looks like someone took sandpaper to it so it seems as though roughed up powerbaits hold scent better.

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[BSmaster]

I know the feeling of trying to determine when the hook set should come.  I have waited over 5 minutes before while the eye just swam around in the hole with a minnow in its mouth.  Set the hook and nobody is home.  Bait comes back shreaded from just behind the head or just the head.  You can put stingers on but they have draw backs too.  Part of walleye fishing.  Sad part is that if you are fishing an area with juveniles, they will fast bite and therefore you end up with late hook sets and injure the next generation.  It can be frustrating for sure.  They should p/u soon.  Good luck.

Joe

[justtracytrolling]

Its picked up and they are feeding over here! Enough so that we are casting f18s not trolling. Weeds are tough, but its not holding us back.

[panfisher]

zackblain.....boy.. it's crazy about how so much phosphorous compounds from fertilizers leaching into eutrophic (shallower generally) lakes from some sources has affected the plant growth (cyanobateria) in lakes like Honeoye and Erie and others. The fish are still there though. Like fleas, it makes for some weird fishing scenarios. I'm wondering if there may be a couple of especially knowledgeable folks  out there on Honeoye catching plenty of eyes with no competition....and are mum about it. I do not believe there are any fish die offs there....just fishing die offs. Which may just be good for the populations.......Tg8.....ever try Gulp Alive! small baits with your rigs? I know fish really love eating on that stuff. I mean just some soft baits. But maybe the scents as well....? That might trigger some more serious bites......

[Tg8]

Tx pan, I'll give it a rip, I have a few scents I spray from time to time, but I'll give alive a try.

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[zackblain]

still plenty of eyes in there panfisher, actually I feel the population is better than it has been in the past 5-6 years. Just very frustrating fishing with all the floating weeds right now. 

 

Did some weedwacking for these 3 the other night. 

[justtracytrolling]

Nice job! I agree with you on the weeds! Ive hauled out so much in 1 spot I hope Im getting a trough opened up. We had a good blow 2 nights ago and that helped but its still tough.

[panfisher]

zackblain.....Just now seeing your pics.....Nnniiiiiicce! They are in there. And can be caught. Messy though, but maybe worth it if you can overcome the sloppiness. Possible to get a report on where when and how U were able to cut through the crap and be successful....?

[justtracytrolling]

Pan,

I scout during the day and test fish my spots so I have some options at night. I make a bunch of waypoints that give me an area to cast into that is more fishable. The best example of this is plotting the inside and outside weedlines on your gps then make paralell casts. If you anchor crosswise sometimes you can fish one side of the weeds on 1 end of the boat and the other side from the other end. You'd be surprised how nasty the weeds are in spots where im fishing with 3 trebles. I find bomber long a's run very shallow and when I feel a weed I nod the rod and float up over. This is tougher with f18s but I do it...I think the key is a very bouyant stick, thin braid, and a sensitive fast action rod. If the weeds are more of a floating nature fish heavy blows that crash the shore you are fishing, and if you cast into the wind your stickbait will go right over weeds that are submerged as they will be bent over with wave action toward you.

[Tg8]

Justin, I'm surprised soft plastic flukes texposed with a swivel a few feet above wouldn't produce in heavy weeds at night. Has that been a presentation you have spent time with at night?

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[justtracytrolling]

I felt EXACTLY the same way till I couldnt catch a walleye...only bass. I have tried numerous gulp, flukes, paddle tails, etc and never caught 1 eye in shallow...8 fow or less on Otisco. Ive caught em deeper on those baits, but I cant seem to fish them high enough in the column AND slow enough to get eyes in tight. The last resort might be a hollow belly paddletail weightless. My son was so frustrated one night this spring with the weeds he only fished plastics 1 whole night. He caught a boat full of bass, but no eyes...I limited! Walleyes usually will trigger on a floater rising on the pause or a suspender on the pause or a slow roll just under the surface...those presentations are tough to duplicate with long casts in shallow water with plastics. In the southern tier rivers you can bounce those same plastics on the bottom in any depth and they work if you locate fish. Floaters work poorly in the river compared to suspenders or jigs. Different fisheries = very different fishing. The alewives fluttering on the surface all spring into the summer have the walleyes trained to feed that way whenever possible in shallow water is my opinion for whatever thats worth.

[panfisher]

Great discussion. Getting out there while keeping eyes (not 'eyes.....) open then putting it together are keys. And noting the what, when and how of any "stumbled upon" successes and putting them to use again can reap great benefits as far as catching is concerned. I don't believe in "fluke" or accidental catches. Fish respond with the feeding or attacking mode for very real reasons. When it's easy pickings, it is a breeze. But when the going gets tough.....and barring some real awful environmental changes (major industrial spillages or something that just flat out kills fish), one has to dig deep and try new things and tactics. Those wacky or "fluke" encounters need to be detailed and enabled to "crack the codes" to catching hard to get fish.....For shallow 'eyes after dark lightweight floating sticks can be worked slow and easy even in weed cover. I like original floating Rapalas in small sizes. They are a pain to get out there because they are so light, but that is why they work well. My second might be Flatraps, because they cast easily. We're casting close to shore now.....

[justtracytrolling]

The secret to casting anything is getting it to fly like a bullet INTO the wind. Im using 18s mostly so getting them to fly with flipping not only makes a longer effortless cast it keeps the hooks from fouling. Also you cant cast big lures well with a medium or medium light. I am using a denali noirwood medium heavy now for 18S and 2 different mediums in the spring for 14s and long a's. All fast actions for a quick hookset. Spend time in the surf and you will learn to cast for distance. The flat raps run shallower too and are effective.

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[BSmaster]

Good tip Justin.  I am having issues with fouling (10-25%).  I am using a 7 ft medium 6-8lb.  I don't use 18s but I thought I was alright using 11s and 13s.  I always thought it was my poor casting that was the culprit.  I use lighter line for the distance.  I might have to start changing it up.

 

I noticed you guys complaining about the weeds and I get that but in a few weeks it will be the leaves.  haha, That's fishing...

 

Joe

[justtracytrolling]

Joe,

I gently brake every cast I make also in order to ensure the lure is flying away from the line in much the same way you cast a baitcaster. When my lure hits the water my line is nearly tight. Then I lift the tip till I feel the lure before I reel. This will keep that light line from getting loops in the spool. I still think practicing all of this in the light is the answer. I really cant begin to tell you how many night fishing issues I see with the many people I take out at night. All of these things are avoidable if you have a good technique that you can do blindfolded. Obviously the better you can cast the less need there is for braking. I also tie a short piece of flouro leader, not line, to my mainline and tie direct to the lure with no swivel or crosslock snap. I find it easy to teach women as they listen...most guys already know what they are doing...but they dont!!!!!!!!!!!!!!