Keuka reports

[jk1]

Just reread my post of July 09 1:09 am. I mentioned going north from the bluffs----THAT IS ON WEST branch. Sort of confusing. That section on the east from the bluff to Eggleston point (lots of small cottages and trailers) has been good to us....jk

[ERABBIT]

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

Sometimes in the winter they put them on sale , I bought a three year one the last time. 

[jk1]

Sounds good to me, thank...jk

[guff]

Big boy was13,83 pounds I believe. Got to say we were shocked it placed that high. Looks like we will be going back next year. Ha ha. Yes will look for your boat too. I will be 72 soon but heck plan on lot more fishing years. Ha ha

[jk1]

Well welcome to Adulthood then!!!! Lots of kids out there to take our place and they are learning quick.....jk

[hermit]

Oops forgot about the pic, here it is.   I tie a loop in 50 lb. PowerPro about 4" long, thread it through the hook (usually a Gamakatsu Octopus 2, though I have bent/broken them, some may prefer a stouter hook), and over so it's a loop connection, then the same thing around the jig post.  Then I thread it through the plastic body once or twice on the way to the tail.    Do it on the top so the line and hook don't interfere wit the tail action, actually I'd prefer the one in the pic to be 1/4"-3/8" longer so the hooks trails the tail a little further.  

 

You can easily change the plastic or add or remove the stinger with this system.  The only drawback I've found is that the loop connection at the post will occasionally come off when handling a fish.  It doesn't happen when fishing or fighting a fish but the thrashing in the net will once in a while open that loop up and it may come off and slide up the line a little.  Just something to look for after unhooking the fish.

 

It's never cost me a fish, when they're on there the tension means it never comes loose.  And I like the easy on-off aspect.   Anyway, it's how I do it, I'm sure there are plenty of other ways.   I also tie up a bunch beforehand so they're ready to go.  To me the hardest part is getting the length right, but you can also adjust the length of the plastic too.

 

 

Al, overall how's the fishing been?  I haven't seen any reports of those big days we used to have over there.   

Edited July 30, 2016 by hermit

[guff]

Hi Alec - Thanks for the trailer hook info. I tried it out last time but I got the hook too close to the paddletail so it stopped the tail action . Tied another one in the boat(what a pain) with hook further back and that helped but I need some size 2 hooks which of course I do not have in my tackle box with 150 items in it. For some reason the Keuka lakers no longer seem to want the tube arrangement i used when you and I cleaned their clock at the bluff. They like a green paddletail however.

Jigging results seem to have slowed down the last couple of years for a variety of reasons. Our (you and I) 65 fish day in late October at the bluff is still the best day in my boat ever.

Seems like jigging for lakers on Keuka has changed some. Think the sawbelly population is down but think lakers are eating other bait which results in nice salmon colored flesh which is very tasty. Finding perch minnows in them. May need to find smaller size jigs or some other solution. Who knows.

Looks like jk1 is still doing well however. 

Going to hit Seneca next. Usually a good time of year there. 

From all the LOU reports it sounds like Cayuga was (is) on fire this year.

Head to Quebec on our annual walleye trip at the end of the August. Look forward to that. 

[hermit]

Those orange fish are definitely better than the pale ones, at least something is better.   Too bad the fishing is down.   Good numbers was the main reason to make the trip from here. That was a day to remember!  Great fun, I'll never forget that trip, thanks.  

 

Good thing on the walleye trip!  That'll be fun, enjoy it, I haven't been out on Cayuga much as I've been learning walleye the last few years.  A few trips here and there.  Going out this week someday, have to dodge the rain for a change.   

[bulletbob]

  Guff.. You mentioned "perch minnows"... Are you talking about generic small minnows the size that would be used for perch fishing , or actual baby perch?...

 

 I have been having awful fishing for about the past 2 years on Keuka, and really don't know what the problem is.. Years ago, if I caught 3 or 4 I was ashamed to report because everyone else was catching 20 or more... I had a few 30 fish days there  in the past.. Now I get skunked regularly.. Last time there in May I never even had a hit.. I couldn't even feel that bad, because I talked to several other boats and no one had more than one...  Something bad has happened in that lake in the past several years, or I simply  don't know how to fish it anymore.. I used to hammer lakers in the fall there.. Might try again in October/November before I write it off.. Like Hermit I spend more time fishing for Walleyes these days, but still love Keuka laker fishing, and hope it  comes back strong. bob

[Gator]

Two years in a row of the fish being hammered by anyone who can walk onto the ice? I saw pictures of dozens and dozens of huts (if not more) off the State Park in 2014 and 2015, and reports of lots of fish taken. Over a month, that adds up...maybe it's not the whole answer, but it can't help.

[jk1]

. Guff you beat us there, 3 years ago our highest number was 57 and some were real nice27-28 inchers. But our second highest number is 44. We never got a 30 incher there but we told a friend where to launch and were to go and gave him a lot of our tackle to use and he got one that was 32. The decline in the bait fish population seemed to occur at the time of the flood-coincidence? We fished the bluffs ice fishing many time in those two years, only once did we see someone else there. He was a local from Pen Yan town at the end of the east arm at the outlet. One heck of a good walk, used the same rig,-white tube and that is what we used last time up last week. I lost one on a paddle tail, but only one. Bullet bob those minnows are officially called troutperch. They must digest them fast because we don't see semidigested parts of them spit out near the boat like they did with alewives. The bait we saw the last time up I am sure was alewives according to the depthfinder and we use our depthfinder constantly, we fish when we see 3 fish or 2 fish and a school of bait. I call it the pig theory, you can't fatten a single pig. but if there is another one around they will fight each other for food even if they are not hungery. God post everyone. Hope to go up Monday somewhere Cayuga at Deans cove maybe.....jk

[jk1]

Oops God should be Good. My mistake....jk

[guff]

Bullet bob - I'll bet jk1 is right on the "perch minnows". They look sort of like a real perch but not exactly. Also they are so small they dissolve rapidly and you just see a black mush mostly.This will be the first time, but think my fishing buddy and i will try out of Dean's Cove Wednesday. Never been there. Did not realize it was about the same travel distance for us as going to Sampson. jk1, did you get there today? any luck? Not giving up on Keuka but trying some new territory might be fun.

[J withey]

Oops forgot about the pic, here it is. I tie a loop in 50 lb. PowerPro about 4" long, thread it through the hook (usually a Gamakatsu Octopus 2, though I have bent/broken them, some may prefer a stouter hook), and over so it's a loop connection, then the same thing around the jig post. Then I thread it through the plastic body once or twice on the way to the tail. Do it on the top so the line and hook don't interfere wit the tail action, actually I'd prefer the one in the pic to be 1/4"-3/8" longer so the hooks trails the tail a little further.

You can easily change the plastic or add or remove the stinger with this system. The only drawback I've found is that the loop connection at the post will occasionally come off when handling a fish. It doesn't happen when fishing or fighting a fish but the thrashing in the net will once in a while open that loop up and it may come off and slide up the line a little. Just something to look for after unhooking the fish.

It's never cost me a fish, when they're on there the tension means it never comes loose. And I like the easy on-off aspect. Anyway, it's how I do it, I'm sure there are plenty of other ways. I also tie up a bunch beforehand so they're ready to go. To me the hardest part is getting the length right, but you can also adjust the length of the plastic too.

jigstinger.jpg

Al, overall how's the fishing been? I haven't seen any reports of those big days we used to have over there.

Thank you for this picture. I am new to the jiging ( for lakers ) game. I was told by a friend of the trailer hook, but he bait needles the line. The hook is IN the plastic. I didn't have a needle and used your threading the line and letting the hook trail freely trick. Im glad as a rookie im thinking in right direction. This weekend will be the first try. I think we will go out of long point. From there Im not sure? Look for bait and set up I guess.

[jk1]

Mr Guff take me with you to Deans, I want to fishing for real fish (just joking) . We went to Keyuka, got the first fish in 35 feet of water, saw los of action on the TV(my word for the depth finder). There were over 5 boats out there all morning. Why? It certainly is not because of the size of the fish. Got a pickerel jigging in the deep water, crazy place

[guff]

Hi jk1 - Sorry to hear about not too good results at the bluff. Decided on Dean's cove for tomorrow when I  saw John Gaulke Saturday report. Holy cow, he jigged 2/3 of Seneca all day and got zilch. Man, if the super expert can not get them there there is no hope for me.

Turns out we will have a full boat tomorrow. Taking no chances. Taking the second ranking jigging expert Hermit (Alec) with us. Ha Ha. Will let you know how we do. - Al 

[jk1]

Good luck, looks e Friday It will be Keyuka again.....jk

[hermit]

Very kind of you Al but probably not true!  We'll find some fish... bites, well that's up to them.

 

J withey, first spot I'd look is north of the park in front of Aurora, if that doesn't work you can try over near Dean's, fish the northern shelf drop-off anywhere you see bait, or start heading south

[hermit]

oops!

Edited August 2, 2016 by hermit

[jk1]

Oops again made a mistake a math mistake, my motor is only 40, and a young forty at that. It runs good now that we put new fuel line all through the engine and use the two stabiles, blue and red. Hay it is only money, might as well splurge.....jk

[guff]

Wednesday's trip to Dean Cove was kind of a flop fish numbers wise. Hermit , Doug, and I ended up with only one nice eater size laker. But the main reason was the wind was howling out of the south. Cut the trip short as a result. Unfortunately Hermit got wet a few times when a wave came over the bow. (sorry Alec) .

Ran into a couple of charter captains back at the launch and they had an off day also.

Was the first time out of Deans for me and it will not be the last. Hermit gave us some good pointers on where to fish (thanks Alec) and the trip for us will actually be shorter than when we go to Sampson. And the road into Deans is not speed bump city as the Sampson park road is. 

[jk1]

There is a slight chance for me to go to Dean's on Monday. Maybe.....jk

[Tg8]

I'm headin to Keuka from 6th-13th. I'm ready to downsize, stinger hook it, and try a small flasher a few feet above the jig. I'll be on penn yan side. I might make some runs south of the bluff as I haven't spent any time down there. I'll keep u all posted.

[jk1]

I will be interested in seeing how you do. I have never been very far up that arm of the lake. If you plan to move let me know and I will give you some ideas. what size boat and speed?.....jk

[Tg8]

I have 617vs multi species ranger 125hp, great for jigging, and drifting as that's what I do. I brought a single downrigger, I'm going to drag the ball on any quicker drifts to see if I can stir up any action. I'll be moving all around I do well in the deepest part of the arm and I will be moving depending on where I find them.