Fishing on Conesus Lake

[scramp]

Anyone doing anything on Conesus? Looking to do some Bass and/or Pike fishing this weekend? What's biting and where? Anything going topwater yet?

[kaziemierz]

Hello all! I wanted to chime in with my first-hand experience of the fishing on Conesus Lake. I was there shortly after ice-out, on April 19th and 20th. I was in the market for perch and panfish. I spent a total of 14 hours on the lake during those 2 days and I did not get a single bite. It wasn't until the second eve's dinner-time reading that I was looking over the DEC Fishing Regs Handbook that I can across the article about Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS).

Excerpt are as follows:

VHS is a disease that originated in Europe, and somehow was carried across the Atlantic and introduced into the Great Lakes (probably as early as 2003), with the first outbreak being documented in 2005. By 2006 and 2007 (the booklet states) VHS had infected “...Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and CONESUS LAKE.â€

[GAMBLER]

Kaziemierz,

Conesus is still a great fishery. VHS is present but the fishing is still great. This lake can be tough at certain times of the year (ask the bass fisherman about the period after the spawn about this lake). The panfish fishing on Conesus is poor for Perch but there are tons of gills. The gills run a little on the small side. Pike, walleye, and bass fishing can be the best around at times. Put in some time, and you will find the fish.

[billyp]

I was on conesus July 12th-18th. We did well at night after 10.00 p.m. with topwater baits. One night was exceptional with 2 large mouths at 7lbs and 2 smallies at 5lbs with many more fish taken including a 10 lb pike at 1.00 am. This was the best night ever for big quility bass that ive ever had on any of the finger lakes.

[gjv76]

Hello all! I wanted to chime in with my first-hand experience of the fishing on Conesus Lake. I was there shortly after ice-out, on April 19th and 20th. I was in the market for perch and panfish. I spent a total of 14 hours on the lake during those 2 days and I did not get a single bite. It wasn't until the second eve's dinner-time reading that I was looking over the DEC Fishing Regs Handbook that I can across the article about Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS).

Excerpt are as follows:

VHS is a disease that originated in Europe, and somehow was carried across the Atlantic and introduced into the Great Lakes (probably as early as 2003), with the first outbreak being documented in 2005. By 2006 and 2007 (the booklet states) VHS had infected “...Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and CONESUS LAKE.â€

[salmonite]

REALLY???????????? there is vhs in the great lakes and in the fingerlakes????????? i don't believe it!!!!!!

If ya can't hear my sarcasim i am laying it on pretty thick. Ask sharkbait how the walleye bite was this year.. I think he would disagree with you. they are all great fisheries but its fishin it aint catching. try something else don't blame your poor performance on vhs.

[HOLY DIVER]

I did not see any sign of VHS this year on the Finger Lakes (i.e. Conesus, silver, Hemlock) last year I caught one walleye that looked like it was near death so I took it home and cut it open and sure enough it had brown spots all over the fillets I assume that was VHS but I’m not an expert ………… I don’t think this virus has effected the population as much as first predicted……

Although sometimes it seems like every fish in the lake is dead when they get lockjaw ……….and the next day you can get your limit in an hour

Here is some proof this female was tagged in 2003 while spawning in the Conesus inlet I caught the fish in late June 2008 off cottonwood alive and healthy

[kaziemierz]

I didn't bother to mention in my posting that I was from the Eastern Finger Lakes area (Cortland was the closest "city". I'd moved to southern PA in 1996. Since then, the only lake I've visited/fished in NY has been Lake George.

When I travelled to NY in early April to fish the Western Lakes (which I'd never visited before) I'd never heard of VHS. It's not exactly something one reads about in the papers down here. It wasn't until I'd spent 2 days/14 hours on Conesus without a bite that I read the NYSDEC Fishing handbook that I learned of this disease.

And I'm not about to get into a verbal battle here, but if the perch and sunfish were there, I guarantee I'd not have gone all that time without a bite.

And as for Honeoye, the bottom littered with dead fish told me all I needed to know. I do blame VHS for not catching anything.

Dead fish don't bite.

quote="salmonite"]REALLY???????????? there is vhs in the great lakes and in the fingerlakes????????? i don't believe it!!!!!!

If ya can't hear my sarcasim i am laying it on pretty thick. Ask sharkbait how the walleye bite was this year.. I think he would disagree with you. they are all great fisheries but its fishin it aint catching. try something else don't blame your poor performance on vhs.

[kaziemierz]

You fished at the wrong time and the wrong lake for panfish. Dont blame anything else.

Okay. I'm a humble man and I know I don't know it all (espicially when it comes to fishing). As I've replied, I wasn't aware of VHS and so spending all that time on the lakes and catching nothing, all I could do was conclude that the disease had wiped out all the fish.

I'm a grateful learner. Could you tell me the right lakes and right time for panfish/perch?

Thanks for the information,

Kaz

[GAMBLER]

Kaz,

Meet me on the North end of Conesus in late January and I will drop my under water camera in every hole in the North end of that lake and show you tons of bluegills, and some crappies.

[John M]

I believe the results speak for themselves. In addition to the above results I know the Rochester Bassmasters held a tournament that took almost 22 pounds to win. Not quiote the dead sea.

July 22, 2008

Working Man Tournaments

Conesus Lake

Place Team Caught / Alive Penalty Lunker Total

1 Shutt/Barnhardt 5/5 - 6.29 24.18

2 D'Auria/Graham 5/5 - 4.66 13.43

3 Weber/Weber 5/5 - - 12.68

4 Cole/Cole 4/4 - 4.28 12.14

5 Kellman/Cacia 4/4 - 4.98 12.06

6 Allen/Albano 5/5 - - 11.94

7 Jerome/Damon 5/5 - - 11.57

8 Daly/Noni 5/5 - 3.48 11.49

9 Baliva/Fogerty 4/4 - 4.12 11.11

10 Powell/Wise 3/3 - - 10.83

11 Ball/Ball 3/3 - 5.74 10.74

12 McMullen/Kolody 5/5 - - 10.45

13 Donato/Donato 4/4 - - 9.73

14 West/Ilardo 4/4 -

Southerntier Bassmasters open tournament

Team # Caught # Alive Weight Penalty Final Weight Lunker Winnings

Vince Brock 5 5 21.96 0.00 21.96 5.07 $ 684.00

Gregg Seal / Zack Seal 5 5 20.87 0.00 20.87 5.77 $ 418.00

Lou Rizzotti / Sharon Rizzotti 5 5 19.44 0.00 19.44 5.55 $ 247.00

William McKelvey / Andy Marino 5 5 15.36 0.00 15.36 $ 171.00

Joe Abt / John Carey 5 5 15.13 0.00 15.13

Daniel Hann / Daniel Hann II 5 5 15.04 0.00 15.04

Jim Fleming / Steve Domercdzki 5 4 14.51 0.25 14.26

Alex Kalody / Kirk McMullen 5 5 14.12 0.00 14.12

Scott Scroger / Michael Marien 5 5 14.12 0.00 14.12

Charles Mackintosh / Bill Melick 5 5 13.81 0.00 13.81

Ron Hill / Lisa Morgan 5 5 13.56 0.00 13.56

Tom Booth / Dan Warczok 5 5 13.48 0.00 13.48

August Cavalletti / Phillip Cavaletti 5 5 13.06 0.00 13.06

Harry Stringfellow / Ernie Brabon 5 5 12.98 0.00 12.98

Jim Saamp / Bill Lortz 5 5 12.78 0.00 12.78

Marc Santino / Mark Schanbl 5 5 12.40 0.00 12.40

Kevin Kuhn / Nick Kuhn 5 5 12.34 0.00 12.34 4.88

Ron Manhart / Larry Foulk 5 5 12.05 0.00 12.05

Brian Weber / Dave Cameron 5 5 11.93 0.00 11.93

Scott Bliss / Kerry Rice 5 5 10.45 0.00 10.45

Scott Kahabka / Geoff Smith 5 5 10.39 0.00 10.39

Bill Bogardus / Matt Rider 3 3 9.79 0.00 9.79 5.88 $ 190.00

Mark Bonk / Kirk Wilburg 5 5 9.74 0.00 9.74

Ted Barth / Don Hallock 5 5 9.49 0.00 9.49

Mike Kozell / Tim Creighton 5 5 8.75 0.00 8.75

Don McCarver / Patty McCarver 5 5 8.73 0.00 8.73

Casey Smith / Corey Smith 5 5 8.58 0.00 8.58

Dale Rathburn / Barb Booth 5 5 8.39 0.00 8.39

Emory Seefeldt 4 4 7.03 0.00 7.03

Mark Lundergan / Mary Lundergan 2 2 4.70 0.00 4.70

Timothy Seefedt / Brian Birch 2 2 4.53 0.00 4.53

Charles Prince / Becky Prince 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00

Tom Spencer / Brad True 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00

Tom Booth / Dan Warczok 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00

Joseph Bennett / Michelle Dickinson 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00

Ken Golub / Vince Lawyer 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00

John Tomb / John Orchowski 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00

Brian Harvey / Ryan Lane 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00

Bill Rogers / Will Rogers 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00

==== ==== ==== ==== ==== =======

TOTALS 146 145 379.51 0.25 379.26 $1,710.00

Tx. Lunker - 5.88

Avg. per fish= 2.60

Live Release= 99%

[Bloomfields finest]

I fished the river that goes into Conesus lake on north side of lake in late july. I was just catching small sunnies and gills but then out of the weeds i seen a bigger redish fish go for my worm. I didnt know what it was at first but had been hearing about carp being caught in conesus so i quickly reeled in my line. Since then ive asked my grandfather whos lives down the road from vitale park and fishes there very often and he didnt know what fish i was describing to him. Does anyone know what it could of been? I looked online but that didnt help.

[HOLY DIVER]

This fish you seen I believe is a red Rudd I see thousands of them while bow fishing in the spring. The river you refer to is actually the outlet also known as Conesus Creek

[Bloomfields finest]

yeah sorry the outlet not creek. i really thought it looked more like a red drum but really dont think its possible and i cant find nothing online bout red rudd but if some1 can find a pic it would b appreciated.

[fireplug]

yeah sorry the outlet not creek. i really thought it looked more like a red drum but really dont think its possible and i cant find nothing online bout red rudd but if some1 can find a pic it would b appreciated.

[Bloomfields finest]

thnx fireplug thats what i found online. if thats what red rudd r thats not what i saw in the outlet. its whole body was red and it was about 15 inches long came out of weeds for my worm. if nobody knows dont hurt yourself trying 2 find out. maybe some1 else will see it while they fish conesus.

[GAMBLER]

There are some big goldfish in Conesus. I have seen them in the summer and under the ice on the camera. The rudd look red in the water.

[Bloomfields finest]

its funny cause i emailed my dad overseas and he said it was probaly a big goldfish too. My dad usually knows what hes talking about when its fishing and if some1 on here thinks it is too im convinced. thnx every1 for help.