South End Cayuga question...

[bulletbob]

 Just wondering if anyone did well this spring down there?..I met an old friend that lives on the Lake in Ithaca today, and asked him how it was.. He is a long time fisherman, and said it was very poor.. At least for him.. He said he only caught 3 fish there this spring and one of those was a Pike..

 

 I went twice, had one on briefly in the two trips and that was it, and never saw many fish caught... Water was really cold early, then when it started getting into the 40's and beyond, we had a ton of rain, lake was brown and loaded with garbage, and now its 90 degrees every day... So NOT asking where or how, just seeing if the fishing was good to anyone this spring at the south end of Cayuga Lake... My son wants to try down there, but I am thinking its about done there by this time.... bob

[land locked]

Probably about done I would think.

[bulletbob]

Yeah I figured that... more interested in if the fishing was typical for April/May for most guys, or was it  slower this spring?

[GreenLaker75]

The weather went from zero to 60 pretty quick in the last couple of months, I do think the window of opportunity closed extremely fast. Water was crystal clear early on, then we had big winds and rain, then the Temps shot up....I would definitely say it was slow going this spring down there. 

[Sk8man]

Might have to try fishing a bit north as many fish migrate northerly at this time of year and out deeper as the bait moves to deeper water in many of the Fingers. They may still be in the upper portions of the water column but just out over deeper water and more scattered and harder to spot on fish finders as well.

[bandrus1]

By South end I'm guessing you mean the flat before the ledge? In that case yea it was an abnormality slow year but as was stated it went from ice to warm quickly and right at prime time there was that heavy rain that turned it to mud

 

Our trips recently in the Myers and t falls area have been ok but fish are all over the water .

 

I caught a lake trout on a stick bait over 220 fow yesterday and in 80 fow marked a fish on bottom and 2 seconds later the 78 rigger popped so figured well that's a laker and it was a 23 inch salmon wtf

 

 

 

[thork9]

Salmon go deep, sunlight

[Nautitroller]

It was good for us but you had to search a bit for them. Imo the fish are getting much bigger ( browns, salmon) and a bit smarter there, also lots of bait. Typically an early am bite then boogie north.. still worth a early morning pass or two.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[bandrus1]

3 hours ago, Nautitroller said:

It was good for us but you had to search a bit for them. Imo the fish are getting much bigger ( browns, salmon) and a bit smarter there, also lots of bait. Typically an early am bite then boogie north.. still worth a early morning pass or two.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Lake Ontario United mobile app
 

im slightly concerned with the lack of 10-13 inch salmon

 

normally catch 5-10 a trip

[thork9]

They are not stocking like they report, I fish a lake , I can tell when they been stocked over the years, lake is small. I would catch 9-10 inch LL. Move to a different area catch bigger ones. Been going on for years except for the last five. Fish caught are bigger ,can’t find the little ones. BUT they report 800 LL, 400 RB oh never saw any rainbows. It’s propaganda. The mAn above states fish are smarter as they get older. Fish feed, follow the food, stay comfortable (depth of water sun). It’s all about conditions .they have a pea brain

Edited May 24, 2021 by thork9

[WildLaker607]

I’ve been seeing large schools of small Salmon and browns in near shore areas around Long point and also west side of lake south of taughannock, I caught a few schoolies on small jigs and none were fin clipped. Over the winter most of the large salmon I caught were without finclips. Make of that what you will

Edited May 24, 2021 by WildLaker607

[cinnamon fish]

3 hours ago, WildLaker607 said:

I’ve been seeing large schools of small Salmon and browns in near shore areas around Long point and also west side of lake south of taughannock, I caught a few schoolies on small jigs and none were fin clipped. Over the winter most of the large salmon I caught were without finclips. Make of that what you will

 

Do they clip fins on stocked salmon?  Or is that only on lake trout?

[WildLaker607]

2 hours ago, cinnamon fish said:

 

Do they clip fins on stocked salmon?  Or is that only on lake trout?

I think so, some of the salmon have what looks like clips when I catch them

[cinnamon fish]

4 minutes ago, WildLaker607 said:

I think so, some of the salmon have what looks like clips when I catch them

 

Hmm, should be all of them then.  Atlantic salmon don't breed in the finger lakes as far as I know.

[WildLaker607]

I’m not a scientist or biologist but my hypothesis is that with the goby influx in Cayuga a few years ago and some of the salmon and browns having the goby in their diet are not ingesting as much Thiaminase, which is allowing some of their eggs to hatch. There is ample spawning activity in tribs and even many marinas around the lake, I believe some are successful