FLXTroutman

Al does not have down speed unit, but we were running 2.5-3.0 mph GPS speed.  I run a Sub Troll on my boat run 2.5 - 2.875, even lake trout will hit at that speed for me.

I fished Sunday with my friend Al who keeps his boat at Sutters.  He had rerigged his rod holders and downriggers on track and wanted to get out and use his new equipment.  We set up around 1:00 PM inthe mid lake area out from German Bros.  We marked lots of fish for a mile or so 40-90 feet down.  We ran 2 riggers at 51' and 56' with spoons.  Wire divers with spin drs and flies out 180' and 202'.  And 200' copper and 300' copper with spoons.  The 300' copper took shot with DW SS DWB but nobody home near Long Point  on the east side.  Al wanted to get over to Onanda Park area where he had marked lots of fish Saturday on boat ride.  We had to contend with a  sailboat race that was on from the north end to the south end.  At which point we waited for 3 sailboats barely making headway in the light breeze to troll west to Onanda.  We hooked up on that turn on the 200' copper.  Nice 3 lb bow off a chicken wing.  Then as we get into 140' of water and turn north in front of Onanda we hook up on wire diver with a green dot spinnie and atomik green glow fly.  At that point I told Al if we keep that bow another 4 lber we would have to release any bigger ones we get to the net.  He said my wife loves to eat the rainbows so we boxed him just as Al noticed a boater waving to us as if they needed something.  We trolled up next to them realized they were dead in water. We met a  Mom, Dad, two little kids and grandma  and grandpa.  Well I hauled the gear in and Al circled back so we could give them a tow.  Al had a great two rope which made the hookup easy but our fishing day was done.  We towed them back at around 7 mph to the north end launch.  It took about 1 1/2 hours from Onanda Park area. 

We did find the channel markers have been moved tighter together due to shallow water from the entry at the lake to the opening at Sucker Brook.  The Sucker Brook and the channel at times were 2.0 ft on the graph.  Be careful in there.  We were in Al's boat a 25' Sea Ray Amberjack

Great report and a great catch for Canandaigua.  Kudos for releasing that beast, prime brood stock for sure.  They say the lake trout don't naturally reproduce in Canandaigua but I don't believe the DEC.  This is the the first year I have caught any clipped fish in 10 years of fishing on Canandaigua.  And I did not get out that many times this year.

This is a very informative thread I am glad I read it thanks to all who posted.

nice job Pete, I have been meaning to call you, I gotta get at least one more time,  where does the time go

lake trout over 25" 1 meal per month

My friend Quinten and I had one more chance to go fishing together on Monday afternoon at 2:00.  We met at their cottage on Seneca Point and we headed back out on that east troll over the deep water.  We got all the way to the east side in 180 fow when we trolled north.  Lots of marks from 60'-110'.  We ran 2 riggers and 2 wires.   With thunder and lightning over the south end I decided to bring in a wire that was out 268'.  Just in case we needed to pick up and run.  Well a rigger fires and starts pulling line.  I pass the rigger rod to Q and he starts trying to bring him in.   Well we weren't getting anywhere with the fish.  So I brought in the other wire leaving the probe rigger down running at 2.5 mph with a flasher fly.  We took turns and finally boated a nice 12 lb lake trout.  Another one hour trip dock to dock.  

I picked up my friend's son at their cottage at 8:00 am this morning on Seneca Point.  It was just Quinten and I so I was hoping we could swing it with no boat driver.   Well I didn't need a driver or six rods, we puttered out to where it dropped from their dock and I sent the green dot spin dr and a atomik mirage fly down on the wire diver.   Explaining to Q what the diver does and how the flasher and fly attract the fish I sent the starboard diver rod down with a white chrome glow echip and Iron Duke fly.  I let the divers settle in at 234' and 268'.  At 8:09 we we were hooked up on the 268' with the green dot and mirage.  I let Q try to bring him in a little using the fighting belt which helped him some but I reeled him up the rest of the way close to the boat then Q got him to the back of the boat so I could net him.  One lake trout on ice, reset and then the 234' with the Iron Duke fly starts pounding.  I think it was around 8:20 now, we bring this nice 6 lb lake trout to the net the same kind of  way.  Sharing reeling the rods, we had a perfect breeze and quick downspeed at 2.5 mph so no driver was needed.  Reset, I grabbed an old bib ( good use for old baby bibs dads)  to wipe my face because it was hot and humid out there, and bam hooked up again, now on the green dot spin dr on the diver.  We only had three rods in the water, one rigger rod with an orange spoon at 57' at 2.5 mph and the two diver rods.  I never had a chance to put another rigger  rod down and bam now we are doubled up on the wire rods.  Q has the green dot now I grabbed the Iron Duke and make sure the fish is hooked and set it back in the holder to help Q.  We traded reeling and get his fish in the net.  Now we have to bring in the fourth fish, it is around 8:40 and we get that lake trout in the net.  Quinten can't believe it and I am stunned we caught 4 fish in 45 minutes,  2 of which were a double.  We trolled back to the west side now around Black Point and reeled them in calling it day back at his dock by 9:15.  We had a blast.  We topped it off by grilling fish for dinner with Ring of Fire tonight and fireworks at our friends cottage and my son Liam had his first fireworks experience, he was amazed asking for more.  Happy Labor Day everyone. 

way to go Pete, nice jigging trip

Nice bow tannero

On board today I had fireplug and Christopher, a young man visiting Todd with the Fresh Air Fund group, we started early in the north end around 5:45 am.  Worked the drop off south past German Bros. good screen but didn't move a rod.  We circled back north and turned east before the drop off heading toward the dragon wall.  Decided to move south.  Last rod pulled was a wire diver and fish hit it on the pull.  Christopher dropped that one but it was his first time on wire rod.  We moved to just north of Long Point on east side.  Dropped our 3 riggers in and 2 wire divers, 200' copper and 7 color core.   We went a couple miles before sliding out west across the lake towards the condos and bam.  Finally get a hooked up on the diver rod with a mtn dew spin dr and mirage fly.  Ran many color combos before finding that one trick pony for us.  Christopher brought in the two fish we managed to boat on that wire diver combo out 210'.   We did take shots on the live wire spin dr and gator fly but dropped them 2 times.  Also had a rigger fire with 42 second spin dr and reel hooked up fly but had a drop again.  Nice morning out there some sun, some clouds, then more sun.  Then lots of boats.  Pulled lines around 11:45.  I think the lake is setting up now, had 51* down 50 feet in north end, and 56* down 55 feet in middle of lake out from condos.

Some  fleas showing up on wire diver rods on Canandaigua today.

Took a couple of dad's out in search of some action off west side at 5:00 am, we started near Danny's old house, the big white one south of Tichenor Point.   Good screen over 70-110 FOW,  set up 3 riggers, 2 wires,  and 7 color leadcore and 200' copper on inline boards.   Made it past Menteth Point and saw them stacked up at the point but no takers.  I turned back to head north past the point again without a touch so moved out to deeper water.  Trolling northeast towards Thendara got a good screen again out in the middle of the lake.  Switched colors often and still couldn't get any action.  Heading north in the mid lake area between German Bros. and the pump house we finally picked up a small bow on the the 7 color with a Rapala J11 black and white and tossed him back.   Trolled south again and picked up a eater size lake trout off rigger at 58' with a DW SS black, purple, green out from German Bros.  Picked up before the rain fell and got back to the dock at 10:30.  Still waiting for the switch to turn on out there.  Seems every opportunity I have lately to head out the weather seems to be a factor.  As I write this it is 10:25 am Monday, sunny and beautiful and probably a good morning to be out there. 

@ Conesusguy Wow you must be doing something right getting real heavies like those, congratulations and what did you catch them on?? You can PM me if you prefer not to share in the open forum.

We were met at the dock by lightning and a downpour from 5:00 am to 6:00 am so we waited it out then got rigged and hit the water. We shot down the west side to just north of Menteth Point. We set up over the fish running spoons on leadcores off boards, wire divers with spin drs flies and riggers with spoons. Weather gave rain, clouds more rain then eventually sun. We switched lures often ran coppers short and long but only managed one 2 1/2 lb rainbow off 200' copper with glow spin dr with big weenie blue bubble fly. The Canandaigua Lake Trout Derby was on so somebody won some money but we didn't. We did eat a Danny's Favorite, some Cuban Sandwiches with smoked pork that 33canuck cooked up, had venison pepperoni from 33canuck and enjoyed some fine ales. Good thing we were prepared to eat well because the fishing was well....terrible.

You should remove the rear bimini hardware, and mount track on stanchions.  The track would create an "L" in port and starboard corners.  You would lose the "box" on each rear corner of the stern but could retain the center box.  The "L" would give you room for 2 riggers on starboard side, an out and down and rear rigger.   However with the kicker you may end up with on out an down rigger on port side.  I run 3 that way

Way to go Pete!

Finally got out for a trip with 33canuck, we shot straight to Tichenor Pt and set up 3 color and 200 copper while Kurt deployed 7 color he asked me to put a board on as he was steering too and whammo. Nice hit right away fish on, we kept working south and Kurt gets the first rainbow of the season for the Brown How'nd. Good sized 7 lb fish, hooked with a chicken wing. We couldn't get another bite after that perhaps it was the full moon or we may have gotten a little late start. We had some laughs when discussing lead lengths and planer boards and no one was steering as we discovered Wanda's Shoal is only 23' deep, yikes close one. Great day to be on the water!

Perhaps you should have tried to experiment more with riggers and dipsy program together before bailing on the riggers altogether.  I like to run lots of different presentations because certain days wires may out produce riggers and other days copper and leadcore take more fish.  If you are running Cannons which I see in your avatar did you ever unplug them?  Sounds weird but I tried it and caught a fish right away.  Doesn't work all the time but it is weird.   Also I know a couple guys who got rid of their cannons and switched to big jons and caught more fish on riggers. 

If you are running flasher flies on dipsies put flasher flies on riggers with short leads like 5'-10'.  Some times spoons you may be using are less speed tolerant than wire dipsies with flashers flies.

Also you should add copper to your presentations like a 200' or 300' set up will produce regularly in the FLX.  You can run 200' and 300' copper on Church in line planer boards to get them away from boat and leave the chute free to fight fish.  Give it a try because a 6 wire rod dipsy set up may be tough especially if you ever want to turn.  I remember seeing a boat name several years ago called "Turn, turn, turn".    Spring is coming, soon I think..

The rig is used to deploy and retrieve copper line for "pulling copper". A technique used to catch bottom oriented lake trout.

I drove by the launch today.  Looks like they pounded some seawall in to divert the water's edge while they work on the ramp.  Somewhat large pile of dirt from some excavation.  Not sure if this is preliminary to dredging or not.  Time will tell.  There were two shanties straight out from the parking lot about 100 yards out.  I don't think I would walk out there.  The ice ended 30 feet north of the ramp project.

I heard DEC sent a crew to Woodville today to replace launch.

I don't have the old rule book in front of me but if memory serves.. I believe that a five fish limit was in a combination. For instance 3 lake trout and 2 rainbows or 3 rainbows and 2 lake trout or 3 rainbows and 1 brown trout and 1 lake trout. If you are concerned about how much you have invested in your boat and can't keep more than one rainbow trout per angler perhaps you should consider fishing Lake Ontario. The catch ratio on the Lake O compared to the FLX is staggering. Even for a guy like me who fishes Lake O maybe once a year in my own boat. Plus the king salmon will put your gear and your angling ability to the test.

Good luck getting a rule change if that is your mission. Consider this, I have fished Canandaigua Lake exclusively for the last 9 years (since I moved to Cdga) and I can't tell you how many times I was the only fishing boat I saw out there. So the fishing pressure in my opinion is very light. I kept a diary last year and this year for the DEC and my rate of rainbow catches has skewed their numbers in my humble opinion. I don't keep many of them unless they are 5 lbs or more or go belly up. However not every angler is keeping a dairy for the DEC on Miss Canandaigua so maybe they take that into consideration. Tomorrow I am going hit Onanda Park and crush rainbows and browns with my Lil' Cleos until my arm is sore.

Sometimes guys ask me what would you get next? And I always say more leadcore and copper. As stated the "chute rod" can get in the way when other rods get fish on them. I have run 600' copper down the chute only because I don't have in inline board big enough to haul it.

Sunday morning I went out on Alan's boat. He wanted some help with his electric downrigger set up and rigging his copper reel. We set out from the marina after getting fuel around 9:30, we started setting lines at the drop off. We saw a few other boats out and picked up our first fish around 10:30 out from Tichenor Point. The Scotty downrigger was pulling an 8" white chrome/ crush glow pro troll echip flasher with the Iron Duke Fly at 35' down. We ran 1 braided dipsy, 2 riggers, 7 color core and 300' copper. The Iron Duke fly had the second hit around 12:00 this time down 55'. We had some snow squalls, sunshine, and overcast skies. Tried spoons on the riggers at first then I switched up to my new favorite fly THE IRON DUKE. Hate to say it but my boat will come out this week, and Alan invited me out on Nov. 18 so I still have one more shot at Miss Canandaigua. It has been a good season.