Question on tackle/tactics for Keuka Newbie

[Muireadach]

I fish the Chesapeake out of North Beach, MD. Have booked a place near Penn Yan for July. Can I boat lakers without installing downriggers? I'm used to trolling with in-line weights for stripers or clarkspoons & planers http://www.seastriker.com/downloads/clark.pdf for Spanish Mackeral. I get that I may have to get down 100 ft. with spoons. And, I love Jigging too. Any advice on my conversion from salt water would be greatly appreciated. Also, any where/way to get saw bellies for live lining? I want lakers.

[LongLine]

Welcome to the site.

Please do some research on those clarkspoons. There are regulations about hooks on Lake Ontario. Hooks, attaced to lures, except on flies & jigs, have to be free-swinging. I'm not sure how or if it applies on the Finger Lakes though.

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[Muireadach]

thanks, I plan to pick up some Sutton 22's and 44's as a result of my lurking here.

[Robert Benner]

Hello: keuka Lake has a ton of small to medium Lakers in her as well as some nice sized smallies and an occ. Brown, Salmon and Rainbow(these are native now). You can get to the Lakers and such by way of 15 lb. test lead core line trolled at a slow speed down between 4-8 colors in the Summa to get you to and below the Thermocline. Use spoons or Yozuri plugs and or Lucky Craft(my favorite) and troll in zig zags and stop and start some times also. Fish between 6-11 am. and 4-8 pm. Have fun. You could also jig or still fish sawbellies or just get a small on board downrigger, it is worth the coin.

Rob

[Muireadach]

I've since found some manual (hand-crank) downriggers at Cabelas for a c-note. I may pick one or two up - they work in the bay as well. Thanks for responding. I probably phrased my earlier post crappy (no pun). I just need some advice on tactics. I have some good okuma casting rods that I can deploy at dawn and dusk. Any success with fly rods on the lake?

[qkalaker]

Muireadach, I hope you have a great trip. What part of July? Very early in July you might catch the last of the shallow water smallmouth bite. After sunset and before dawn in July fishing small poppers on the surface for bass can be productive. The east branch has the best largemouth action. Throw it out, let it sit, twitch, and experiment from there. Smallies will be in deeper water at points an drop offs for the most part. Jigging for lakers at the tip of the bluff is fun too, there is another generally early morning thing.

[Muireadach]

I'm coming in July 18 with a 17-foot Proline Center Console tidal fishing craft, and I'm staying on the east branch 5 miles from PennYan. From the responses, sounds like alot of my tackle will transfer. I'll checkin in at the Park Tackle Shop anyhow, because now matter how much tackle I have, I must buy more. Thanks for all responses.

[Copperliner]

Muireadach, I hope you enjoy Keuka, it's a beautiful lake. I would highly recommend booking a (jigging) trip with Capt. John Gaulke one day that week if you're targeting lake trout, and flyfishing for several species is another forte of his too. John really knows his stuff - you won't be disappointed! His website is http://www.fingerlakesanglingzone.com

Good luck!

[Muireadach]

Thanks, I e-mailed John at finger lakes angling zone.

[skyn60]

my name is bob kelly i'm not a charter but fish keuka so much my eyes spin if interested in trading trip i have a 14 son id like to take to bay i jig for lakers give me a call 570 575 9372

[skyn60]

just a couple pics if nothing else good luck to you