Really nice fishing on skaneateles..

[bulletbob]

Really nice fishing on skaneateles..

 No NOT trout or salmon.. Unlike the vast majority here, I don't troll once trout go deep.. Flat line in spring or fall/winter, and  some laker jigging is all.. My favorite fishing is very simple,, Panfish/bass mixed bag in  shallow to moderate depth, with bait, small jigs.. Last few trips to Skinny have been really nice for good size perch,  really big rock bass, some nice SMB, a Pumpkinseed the size of a small pizza, even a Bullhead..
 

   Got all the nice size panfish and a few keeper size SMB last 2 trips.. This is not wipe out killer drop and reel fishing,, You have to search out productive areas and find the right presentation.. I did  best with a very active worm on a single hook and a split shot above it, just big enough to get it down 25 feet or so.. jigs were hit, and took some fish, but they wanted meat.. Drop shot presentations, even a  worm with a 1/4 sinker and a 2 foot leader were not as effective as the split shot, and lively worm.. No need for minnows, as far as I am concerned.. I caught all the fat   panfish and bass i could possible use on plain old earth worms.. THIS is how i remember  Cayuga and Seneca panfishing to be 20 years ago.. These fish were all of a  very desirable  size, not many dinks, fought like mad in the 20-30 ft depths I caught them at, and are the cleanest tasting. firmest, and whitest fish I have caught since moving here  to the FL region 26 years ago. ..
 

 I have about abandoned  my summer jigging for lakers  this year.. I am really enjoying this VERY good summertime fishery, thats under used, and seemingly under reported..
 had a piece of the bullhead tonight along with some of the other fish, and it was just as sweet as the perch.. I generally find summertime bullheads muddy and weedy, and generally nasty, and  seldom target them... However, any I catch at skinny go home... I have fished both north and south ends launching at 2 different  ramps.. I found more fish at the north end, with larger bass, smaller panfish..
 I found  somewhat slower fishing at the south end,  but the average size was MUCH better.. Nothing wrong with 11-12 inch perch and 11 inch rock bass..  I might quit  the other  lakes for a while, and keep  learning this one.. Tried some jigging deep, but the lakers have eluded me here thus far.. I got disgusted, and searched for productive bootom that held fish.. Smaller, yes, but still full of fight, and a blast on light tackle.. I plan on going  here a LOT more... bob

[UglyStik]

thx for report bullet...

state launch is always full, i gotta get out there on a weekday. been really wanting to go there, only went twice so far, but it was like you said good panfish action. Especially near dark. Bugs were thick at sunset though.  South end was slow for us too, bout a month ago.

[bulletbob]

 South end had bigger fish, but   a little harder to find, and not quite as numerous, but really well worth it if you really like good size panfish like i do.. BIG rock bass near the cliffs at the south end/east side in about 25 feet.. Great action on a light rod, they fought hard.. Nice big perch, west  side, across the lake from the cliffs, 20-25 FOW. Both  this trip and last week all  action got slower as the sun got higher..
 I would not even attempt a weekend trip this time of year.. mid week only.. Even the scott town ramp got pretty crowded and that was on a wednesday.

 the water is REALLY shallow in the creek and for   good 1/3 mile into the lake,, we are talking less than 3 feet.. Any lower, and i would have been hitting bottom with my prop... When the jet skis and the tubers/ skiers/canoers/kayakers/mid lake marathon swimmers/ hot rodders came out to play, I left... bob

[Pequod1]

Sounds like a lot of fun. I too spend all my time panfishing after a lengthy (too lengthy) charter career. I have not tried the worms yet but I have all the luck I need on plastics.  Skinny frustrates me though. I have only fished the north end and the fish tend to be small and look rather thin. Catch plenty of them, just not the right size. A 12" perch there has a lot less meat on it than a 12" perch anywhere else I have fished. I guess I will try the worm fishing on the south end. Thanks. 

[bulletbob]

 Pequod.. we met up once jigging for Lakers at sampson years ago...

 I have to disagree with the size.. i caught a lot of nice fat, full perch on skinny.. yes there some dinks, but I kept a bunch of nice ones as well.. The average rocky was really nice too... Sunfish at the north end tended to be a little small, although the other day I caught a massive one at the south end, that fought like hell.. Thought i had a good SMB.. I catch on plastics as well, but what  difference when you tip it with a piece of bait,, If you don't have worms, take a small sunny or perch, and cut it up,, add tiny slivers of  meat to the jig hook,, Your catch rate goes way up, and the size gets bigger, and you'll nail a bass now and then... If you ever want to hook up there on skinny, PM me, I would be happy to show you my ""hotspots""... bob

[Pequod1]

I actually remember that meeting years ago. Small world. I agree on the extra meet on the plastic. It made a difference on Honeoye earlier this year. As far as perch size goes. I'll agree to disagree 

[Sk8man]

I think Jim is used to catching the real hogs on the other Fingers that have been feeding on sawbellies among other things and the bait supply on Skinny is very different and when you directly compare a couple of the bigger ones side by side the difference will be noted in terms of the availablle meat. The lakers on Skinny  for the most part (occasional larger older lakers caught) are plentiful but without the large bellies seen on lakers from some of the other Fingers and they often appear "slim".

Edited August 12, 2017 by Sk8man

[Pequod1]

Shuush- don't tell anyone - I catch the biggest hogs when I wear my 2X readers.  Too bad they suffer ground shrinkage when I take them off 

[Sk8man]

modesty will get you nowhere Jim

[Lively1]

BulletBob - Thanks for this post. My fly rod was failing me this past weekend on Keuka, so I went 'old school' and got some worms and crayfish.. Had a blast catching rockies, sunfish, bass, & perch.

[jk1]

Hay we fish Keyuka every week too.  We start out for the skinny lakers(taste good) then when the sun gets up and usually the lakers stop biting we go for the pan fish.  We usually get several bull heads, 5 or 6.  The last time out the lakers started to bite late in the morning (like 8am) at the bluffs and we did not fish for pan fish.   But the pan fish are fun and good to eat too.  Lively1 were you one of the boats at the bluffs, that was the most boats we have seen in a long while......jk