thank you !! 

• Launch site: Lodi

• Left home 3:30 AM, arrived just before 5:00 AM

• Too much debris to launch safely in the dark

• East wind ~5 mph until 10:30 AM, then increasing

• Full moon

• Cold from went through overnight

• Bluebird skies by 8:00 AM

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Bite Overview

Early Action

• First fish: Solid brown trout

• Lure: Brett’s custom UV glow Dirty White Boy with a silver cup

• Depth: Browns in ~30 ft, with best overall depth 25–45 ft

• Downriggers:• 25 ft down, 30 ft back

• Productive from first light through the entire day

• Flat lines & weighted steel:• Flat lines, 1‑color, 2‑color, and your 80‑ft weighted steel (your “3‑color”) all produced early

Lure Pattern Progression

• Before 9 AM (low light):• Pink, white‑glow, and UV patterns were hot

• Scott’s pink spoons especially

• After 9 AM (high sun, no clouds):• UV yellow and UV blue patterns dominated

• Best rods: 80‑ft weighted steel, 4‑color, 5‑color

• Hawk’s Blue Dolphin and Alien Eye both produced

General Lure Observation

• Silver‑back spoons out‑performed gold and bronze throughout the day

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Species Breakdown

• Atlantics: Shallow, right in front of the creek, just south of launch

• Rainbows: Spread out, hitting smaller spoons

• Browns: Concentrated in 25–45 ft, taking 25‑ft down riggers

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Trolling Details

• Speed: 2.5–2.7 mph at the ball

• Weighted steel & leadcore:• 80‑ft weighted steel produced all day

• 4‑color and 5‑color lit up after 9 AM

• Location:• The point held fish consistently

• Atlantics tight to the creek mouth

• Rainbows roaming wider

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Challenges & Lessons Learned

• Rod rotation on every turn:

Needed to switch rods constantly to keep shallow inside rods tight to shore.

• Tangles from crossing rods:

Moving rods over each other caused multiple tangles.

Fix for next time: Pull the inside boards closer to the boat before setting the outside boards.

• Limited spread due to tight water:

Only ran 8 rods because of how tight the program had to be.

Hindsight: Would have liked another Chinook diver or an additional 3‑color/weighted steel onboard.

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Good Decisions

• Staying on the point:

Decided not to leave the fish, even when other boats pulled off.

This has been the right call for the last three tournaments — the point continues to hold fish consistently and reward patience.

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Key Takeaways

• Best depth: 25–45 ft

• Pink / white‑glow / UV early → UV yellow + UV blue after 9 AM

• Downriggers were productive from first light onward

• 80‑ft weighted steel was a top rod all day

• Silver‑back spoons beat gold and bronze

• Staying on the point was the right strategic call

• Clear operational improvements identified for next trip
 

Ted

Perch Registration April 25 2026.docx.pdf Perch Rules Spring 2026.docx (1).pdf

All Venmo entries must be in by noon Wednesday. Cash entrees and paperwork accepted 6-10pm at Captain Jack's Goodtime Tavern Thursday Night. 

The real question is…which Port on the South Shore hosts the best fishermen and this years King of the Spring 👑

Thanks

Bear's Fishing Flyer Spring Derby 2026 Master.pdf

in addition I saw 3 pike 1 on top of the dam and talked to some people who said there were a good amount pike a few weeks before the brief freeze came through so I am guessing this year isn't going to be a good spawn year.

I found it weird there were several groups of bluegill alive at the inlet and also noticed even more logs at the top of the dam and was wondering if anyone has seen the pike jump back down over the dam after they are done spawning?
 

When i launched I actually pushed a wall of mud/leaves and made a dam and couldn't get the boat off the trailer.

It went the second try.

One needs to trim the lower unit until they get out of the lagoon. 

And it caused my water intake to clog. i had to raise the motor and clear the screen.

To add insult to injury, my fishfinder wasn't working so we came back in after 2 hours. 

I thought the transducer might have been damaged when i launched.

After reloading the boat, I figured it out....my transducer cable had come loose from the back of the head unit.

Back out we went, but fishing was poor today.

One of those days.....

Also, I recently bought a pair of Amish Outfitter Planer Boards. Used them for the first time today.  They pull too hard for my liking.  I am going back to my Otter Boats.  I will post them in classified soon. Boards, shock cords, and 2 spools of 500lb planer tow line, 200’ each spool.  I paid $294 for the package with shipping and tax.  I’ll give somebody a great deal if interested. Just like new, once in the water.

Lastly,  I have been unable to find out if the launch (next to the Coast Guard Station) at Sodus is ice free.  Anybody know?

Thanks

Thanks 

These days, I prefer bait fishing, or  jigging for panfish, SMB, Walleyes, maybe a Pike or Pickerel on occassion etc....   I have read many times of the good fishing in the Seneca River, but  in the area around Montezuma, when I stop, I see guys mainly fishing for carp, cats etc.. I fished there years ago in some backwater sloughs filled with downed trees for Crappies.. We caught some, but most were sub legal.. I don't know the river at all, and a few starting points would be appreciated... Is the area  between Seneca and Cayuga Lakes productive, or does one need to fish closer to Cross Lake?.... Not looking for anyone's hot spots, just some general info as to where to launch,  lures that have worked in the past etc... any help is appreciated... bob

trolled south along the east shoreline. Best water was 150fow. Surface temperature 41deg, down 100 was 39.5deg. Picked up about a dozen lakers, most in the 2-3lb range with one around 6lbs.  One LL off the boards (10”)  Lost one brown. Lakers came on boards (deep divers) and riggers.  Orange was the color for us today.  
absolutely gorgeous day on the water today, sunny all day, calm wind, few weeds, only ice chunks were down near the south end.

Perch Fall Oct 18 2025 Results - Google Sheets.pdf

Thanks

Bear's Fishing Flyer Fall Derby 2025 Master.pdf

You may have not asked for it but here is the annual 2025 Keuka Lake Fishing Report. 

This is my 40th year visiting Keuka Lake for our family vacation staying on the east side 1 mile from the bluff. This is also my 3rd year bringing my New to Me fishing boat and 6th consecutive year trolling the lake in august.  I do fish the lake 2 more times a year for the FLTA tournaments. 

This is my first year with an autopilot which has been a game changer for us this year.  

This year my son Jeremy and I fished 3 mornings, one evening with my mom and dad and one solo day. We had 2 guests this year join us, @Bo Hunterwho has been fishing this lake possibly longer than me and our dear friends 12 year old daughter Echo Vega .  

If you read last year’s post it  can be summarize as no bait and emaciated lakers.  

This year we marked lots of small patches of bait both suspended and where the thermocline hit the floor. We also marked a few pretty large balls on the east bluff side down about a mile.  The lakers, while still small didn’t seem so sickly or skinny this year but were still small.  

I really should have checked out some stomachs but didn’t.   I am going to regret that decision.

The hammondsport  basin seemed to have the most bait marked with @Bo Hunter but we also marked a good amount of bait between eggelston point and the old power plant on the east side.  We saw seagulls there all week as well feeding on bait in about 100 to 80 fow

52 degree water was down 50 feet and the thermocline was tight as it was 65 degrees down 15 feet right to 45 feet.  Surface temp was 78 all week.   

Saturday morning we fished eggelston point to the bluff in a circle hitting the bluff side and the power plant side and found that the lakers were stacked up from eggelston to the old power plant. We marked a lot of small bait pods and trolled through the seagulls.  We fished 530am to 8:30 am and boated about 12 lakers. 2 riggers set at 50, divers at 135 and 250, 220 copper all took fish.  

Sunday I slept in because we went to a wedding the night before and had guests coming up for the day

Monday we left the dock at 5am to pick up @bohunter at the hammondsport docks.  For the first hour we struggled to get 3 rods in the water as fish hit before we put on the boards.  Smaller spoons with purple seemed to do well, but stinger sized spoons did great on the riggers.  We boated about 24 lakers in 3 hours and that was about 1 fish every 9 minutes.  250, 220 weighted steel did good, 9 color was the MVP (thanks Scott),  7 color rods also did well,  divers at 135 and riggers at 50 all took fish.   The fish were concentrated on the west side from the public docs past snugg harbor, no rainbows were caught.  We marked lots of bait but screens went quiet the farther north we went on the east side.  Highlight of the morning was a bald eagle swooping down 10 feet from the boat and picking up a laker for breakfast we let go.  What an amazing experience..  

Tuesday we slept in because it was vacation and we stayed up late watching the meteor shower and had more friends coming down to enjoy the nice weather. 

Wednesday we left the dock at 5:30 and fished north up to the bluff with our friend’s daughter echo and then back to eggelston point and found the fish in the same places boating 16 lakers.  Riggers at 50,  divers at 135, 220 and 250 weighted steel all caught fish.    

Thursday I switched up things a bit and tried to target perch, bass, pike or pickerel.  

My program was 2 flat lines with stick baits, 2 color and 1 color with spoons and a 3 color on a down rigger.   I had all 4 shallow lines on the inside boards and followed the 50 fow contour line.  I had the boards way out with the sticks in about 15 fow and the 3 color on the rigger down 30 feet fishing about 45 feet down.

The boards were quiet all trip but the 3 color SWR on the rigger popped every time we went through bait that was on the floor at 50 feet down.  I am super glad I switched things up as I marked a ton of bait on the floor where I wasn’t expecting it in that 50 fow of water. This discovery will that help me catch fish later that evening with my mom, dad and son Lucas 

Thursday evening my mom, dad and son Lucas went on a quick loop from the cottage to the power plant, to eggelston point back to the east bluff side and back to the cottage . I only ran 2 riggers at 50, 2 divers at 135 and a 250 copper down the chute.  Eggelston point was loaded as we  doubled up on the 250 and the rigger.  As we cut across to the east bluff side just south of the sheriff camp we marked the biggest bait ball to date in 72 fow and cleared the riggers and 250 copper to end the night 

I am a little disappointed that no rainbows were caught but the fishing was fast and furious.  It was good to see lots of bait this year, it will be interesting to see if I mark any in a month when I am back for the FLTA

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNdxfvPOnoQ/?igsh=MWxrcWNmNWRkOWMxMQ==
 

9th Barney Baldwin Fishing Flyer Master.pdf

Same rules, $60 per team, up to 3 per team and one team per boat, 5 perch for total weight, hours 7am - 3pm, weigh in by 3:30.  We'll be setting up online registration in the next few weeks.

Hope to see everyone there.

Ted