Keuka reports

[burkhartm]

Has anyone have any tips for Keuka Lake?  Never been to any of the finger lakes and will be there for a week after Independence Day.  We want to try for the trout/salmon so the riggers are getting ready, but also any info on perch or crappies would be awesome.  I haven't seen anything current for Keuka on the reel.

 

[Imheathbars]

Where on the lake will you be staying?  This time of year, the small mouth bass fishing really takes off.  30' of water with crayfish.  You will also find some nice perch that way.  For trolling with a down rigger, you can use various flutter spoons or smaller NKs.  I havent trolled Keuka in a number of years, I focus on bass and jigging for lakers.  A fun way to troll for bass is with woodchucks.  They are a topwater fly that can be hard to find but if you have some, trolling points in ~ 30' of water will pull some large bass.  Flat line them quite a distance behind the boat.  The smallies will come off the bottom and smack them.  If there are any floating weeds, its hard to keep the lines clean.  Not a lot of action that way but the bass will be big.

[jk1]

We go there most every other week because my buddy likes that lake.  Up until two season ago we did good, real good with mid sized lakers u to a max of 32 inches but heavy and a lot of fish.  BUT the alewives died off (why???) and the fish are smaller and much thinner.  We get a limit most every time but now 24 inchers are the monsters there and they are thin.  If you are going there the bluffs (where the two forks meet) is the most common spot  It seems to us the east fork, the futhur up you go the smaller the fish.  The west fork half way to the state park has the biggest fish.  We used to always fish the south end.  I prefer Cayuga for size but my main buddy likes Keyuka......jk   oh we are jiggers not trollers

[Dragonrider]

I haven't thought of jigging for Lakers. Are you using spoons?

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[jk1]

It seems to us that as summer goes on the use of spoons gets better.  But basically we use a standard one ounce jig with a white tube, the thin tubes get down the fastest what we look for.   With a good depth finder look for bait or fish and with the electric motor hold over them and drop.  Now most people fish in the 60 to 90 range but we end up in over 100 a lot of times.  Watch your lure on the depthfinder and see how the fish react.   A lot of times you can not reel in fast enough.You will get bumpies, just hitting the lure with their head to disorientate the bait fish and other times an express train going east = hold on...

[hermit]

I've found that by rigging a trailer hook (I use #2 Gamakatsu octopus hooks) on the jig so that it trails fully behind the plastic you will increase catch rates on Keuka dramatically. A lot of times they're just grabbing the tail or just nipping at it and those smaller fish have smaller mouths, the trailer works great.

I have a picture of it rigged on my old computer, I'll try to find it later today. I started off preferring spoons on Keuka but since running trailers I mostly stay with the jigs. But that trailer hook has to be all the way behind the plastic or it interferes with the movement, I tie it on and thread it lightly twice through the plastic so the hook stays at the rear.

Edited June 29, 2016 by hermit

[Dragonrider]

Thanks guys. Sounds simple enough. Something to try.

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[jk1]

Nothing simple.  Lots of little things to do to be successful, just like anything you do.  One of our regular spots there is an 80ish foot deep flat from the tip of the bluffs to the west It goes 1 /4 way across the lake there at that depth.  Sort of an old reliable 1/4 mile square hunk of water.  You gotta see fish first then fish.  Once you  have several old reliable spots you can try to blind fish for them, but at first see them till you have the experience down and faith in the system......jk

[burkhartm]

That sounds good.  I can pick up a few white tubes to try.  I have some paddle tail minnow bodies... might try those as well.  Can't hurt to try.

[jk1]

Hermit instead of a trailer hook we have been tearing the tenticles in half to make the bait shorter and that seems to work better for us. When  the bait is near the surface we do a lot of casting, hoping for the browns and have had the trailer fowl up on the leader.  We don't get many brows but we try.....jk  never got a brown on Keyuka

[bowhuntken]

got a limit of nice eater lakers this morning by the bluff , on uv rotten veggies spoon , by hybrid lures , 5 color lead core over 120-150 ft of water 2.4 mph

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[jk1]

If you get any much bigger than that let us know.  We go every week but they are that size, small and thin.  We have seen some schools of bait but not like in the previous years.  Thanks for posting, the place is not dead but........jk 

[guff]

Found a good number of lakers halfway from the old power plant to Eggleston Point (between east shore and the bluff) last Friday (109-117 fow) but could not get them to hit the jig. On a good note the ones we got in that area a couple of weeks ago had salmon colored meat that was extremely tasty. Maybe the change in diet from sawbellies to something else will result in very tasty fish. I found 14 two inch perch minnows in some I caught in that area last year. 

[ERABBIT]

Found a good number of lakers halfway from the old power plant to Eggleston Point (between east shore and the bluff) last Friday (109-117 fow) but could not get them to hit the jig. On a good note the ones we got in that area a couple of weeks ago had salmon colored meat that was extremely tasty. Maybe the change in diet from sawbellies to something else will result in very tasty fish. I found 14 two inch perch minnows in some I caught in that area last year. 

Usually when you get the orange color meat they are darker and the tips of the fins have a bright orange color , if I'm keeping some to eat that's the ones  !!!!!!!

[jk1]

Guff this time year We seem to get smaller fish going up the east arm of the lake.  But do good halfway out from the power plant in the middle.  At that point that you mentioned, we get a lot of fish when go up there  but that is not  to often.  And going north from the bluffs the first mile or so seems not to produce for us.  We fish from a  small boat and usually fish the south end, goldseal to the restaurant being our best location........jk

[jk1]

Was up today.  I wanted to go to Cayuga but my buddy does not like the bigger water.  Saw more bait than we have seen in two years.  That is a good sign.  We got several fish but none over 22 inches, we were one of five boats at the bluff......jk

[guff]

Jk 1 - think we were one of those boats. Red Lund. Did not do as good as you. Did have several short hits but only 1 got into boat. Tried hermits trailer hook design but need to perfect it. Have tried tube with treble hooks up inside skirt but got more hits on green paddletails. Good news is lot of fish at end of bluff as usual. Nice tasty orange meat on the one we got. Found one inch perch minnow inside him. Think their diet has changed. Stopped at the Switzerland inn for a cold drink before we packed it up. Got hot out there in afternoon

[jk1]

Well heck we talked to you then!  I do remember seeing a red lund, and we did talk to someone out there, I think it was the red lund boat.  We were in the junkie old beat up Grumman with the 15hp Johnson(it's 50th aniversity of putting around the finger lakes).  we have a friend with a big trolling boat but prefer to jig.  For us the lake is 1 3/4 hours away.  5 hours is max, 4 is preferred, always stop on way home at one of the local resturants for our pick-me-up lunch......jk  Ps E-mail me

[guff]

Wow jk 1. That is a long commute for you. We pulled right up to the docks at the Switzerland inn and ordered a bloody Mary at the bar. Very refreshing. Think will hit north end of Seneca next trip. Jigging has been good there in the past this time of the year.

[jk1]

1 3/4 is not long for us, we used to go to Otisco every week we launched right next to the inn at the public launch.  You are the boat we talked to, aren't you?  I forget, but we did talk to someone on the water.  For many years we have gone someplace in NY every week.  Sometimes with a boat and with ice fishing gear too and several times we have had to go home due too much ice to boat and not enough to ice fish.  Otisco is full hours from here.  Made that trip a lot!!!!

[jk1]

My buddy is not fond of bigger water.  I have fished Seneca and Cayuga but not much with him in my boat.  North end of Seneca do you mean Samson or the very end launch?  Have done well  Samson bu there often, usually on someone elses recommendation with specific locations.  The south end has been good to us but have not been there this year.  Deans cove on Cayuga has got many of our $7 launch fees.....jk

[guff]

Guess it was someone else you talked to but do remember your boat being close by. We are full time jiggers. Do love feeling the strike when the bad boys hit. Is a lot of fun. We fish Belhurst area. Some mighty big Lakers there. My fishing buddy got the $2000 biggest lake trout there during the derby this year.not bragging. Just stating facts. But Lakers there can be mighty finicky when they want to be. 20 hours of jigging during derby and only 2 trout. But did get the right one

[jk1]

WOW GREAT how big was that fish? I like big, but that buddy likes more action. When we fish the local waters he fishes for the pan fish(good eating) and I cast for either walleye or muskie. Will be on the lookout for your boat......jk

[ERABBIT]

My buddy is not fond of bigger water.  I have fished Seneca and Cayuga but not much with him in my boat.  North end of Seneca do you mean Samson or the very end launch?  Have done well  Samson bu there often, usually on someone elses recommendation with specific locations.  The south end has been good to us but have not been there this year.  Deans cove on Cayuga has got many of our $7 launch fees.....jk

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[jk1]

Thank you for that info, at 74 I am not interested in the life time one but will look into it. Thanks......jk