bulletbob

Nothing fancy or expensive... Looking for a small 12 foot or so aluminum row boat that can be thrown in back of a pickup by me and my 11 YO grandson for quick calm water trips.. Jon boat or v front is fine.. Not looking to spend a whole lot as it won't get used much maybe a few times a season.. Hoping someone has something laying in the yard unused that they have no use for and can let go reasonably.. I sold a really nice 12 foot Jon boat myself a few years ago in great shape for almost nothing, should have kept it as life circumstances have changed, and now thats what I need..... PM if you have anything... thanks,,,,, bob

Live bait is food, and fish seem to know that instinctively.. They will try and eat it, because its food and not dancing up and down on bottom or racing through the water in an unnatural straight line... Lures are great when fish are active and aggressive, sometimes better than bait... However over the years I have found that fish will hit bait bait in cold water, where at some point they will just not hit any lure at all...bob

Ok thanks.. It would seem that they prefer rocks more than sand/mud, maybe thats why they aren't as thick in some areas,, As far as keeping bait off bottom, i get it, but i catch them even when the bait or panfish jig is drifting with the wind at a good pace with a hook 2 feet off bottom... anyway, thanks for the replies!.... bob

I no longer fish the south end of cayuga for perch and other panfish these days, due to the Goby infestation there,, Even when using small baitless plastic tails, its just one goby after the other.. They seem to have taken oven, and now I just fish at other lakes, where Gobies don't exist... I was told a few years ago that there are no gobies at the north end of the lake, where much of the spring Perch fishing takes place, in the 7- 8 foot flats mid lake and around the channel that runs north/south.. Now I know for a fact they are in near shore areas up there, as I have caught them around docks by the bushel in the north part of the lake.... So without asking for any specific spots to fish, is it true that there are no, or few gobies mid lake at the north end of cayuga lake?... Its been several years since I have fished that far north at Cayuga from a boat, generally staying south of Taughannock... However, the extra 20 minute ride north would be well worth it, if I can see[and catch] a lot fewer of those miserable little parasites.... bob

I'll have to get out there and check it out one day. Area was swampy looking, tons of deadfall in the water, no sign of "civilization", and those guys were catching some BIG LMB, and as we know, usually where there are big bass to be caught, a LOT of guys know about it. Not worried about that really, more interested in access to the south end of the lake itself... If I find the place where they put in, fine, as it would be great for a quick "car topper" trip, where i just pull a little tin boat off the pickup bed , run out early to fish the morning, then just throw the boat onto the truck and take off, all on the cheap... Just good to know the marina does have a drop box so I can get in very early, and off early as well. Thanks to all responders for the information... bob

Not doing much winter fishing from a boat these days, not set up for that sort of thing.. It would be more of an April into November time frame... bob

ok, thats great...That way, I can take one of my other boats- a 14 foot side console, or my 17 foot center console, both very sturdy and durable 70's Grummans that can take some rough water for their size, and are both better suited for fishing a good size lake than a jon boat is ... as long as I can get out at the crack of daybreak I'm fine with it... We are discussing South Shore Marina in Moravia correct?..... bob

I have seen some videos of guys putting kayaks in a swampy looking area of owasco probably in the inlet south end.. No ramp, they took them off their trucks and dumped them in.. i would like to do the same with a small 12 foot aluminum with a 2 or 4 HP, just me and my grandson for some close to the shoreline panfishing for sunnies, perch, maybe an occassional bass.. No problem using the private launch at the south end, don't mind paying at all. Problem is they don't open till 7am, and in summer I like being on the water at 5 am, and on the way home by 11.. Any idea where these guys might have put those kayaks in??.. It was a dirt lot, no gravel or blacktop in sight... bob

OK, thanks... I was hoping to find a lake with some decent White Perch fishing more than anything else... Crappies are tough.. They are hit hard and seem stunted in most places, and I like sunnies and perch just as much anyway.. No one fishes much for white perch, but I like them.. If Otisco is being blasted that hard for every eating size panfish it contains, the last thing I want to do is make matters worse... Not many people fish Skaneatles for panfish, as everyone there has Rainbows on the brain.. Between there and Keuka I'll be fine... Might try Whiney Point this year as well, but from what I have heard the crappie fishery there is collapsed or close to it due to an abundance of small walleyes, as well as the intense fishing pressure it has always gotten on its population of crappies.. I guess I don't understand why Crappies take such a pounding in NY state, and get fished into oblivion, or at the least, the population is all small fish because they are taken and eaten as soon as they can be stretched to 9 -10 inches, or whatever the regulation is these days... bob

Might give it a shot, only because it has more variety than Skaneateles or Keuka... Years ago before the Zebra mussels and Gobies took over, I -enjoyed spectacular panfishing right from shore on Cayuga all by myself year after year.... sunnies 8-9 inches+, perch 11-13 inches, foot long rock bass, every trip, plus dozens of massive SMB that were instantly returned, Bullheads here and there, a Sucker or big carp on occassion.. Never took a Crappie or White Perch in Cayuga.. I don't think many of those make it as far south as Ithaca.. Kind of annoying having to drive 50 miles each way to catch a few sunnies with a worm and bobber.... bob

If available, try putting a live minnow or nightcrawler, on a hair or marabou jig... Bass, both largemouth and smallmouth LOVE live bait, and will hit live natural bait better in real cold water than they hit artificials... bob

Just wondering about this lake.. Getting to the point in my life that I am no longer enjoying running and gunning for larger gamefish, be they trout/bass/Pike.. etc.. These past few years I have been doing more panfishing than anything else, and I actually prefer it.. I have been fishing Keuka, and skaneateles more than other lakes such as cayuga which is only 20 minutes away, because of the Gobies driving me crazy... I have reading about Otisco, and its no further than skaneteles, and it seems to have better variety, than just perch/sunnies/rock bass, with Crappies and White Perch which I really like.. My question is this.. Are these fish in Otisco in good fishable numbers, or more of an "incidental" catch like they now are in other Finger Lakes... I know a few lakes that are loaded with Crappies, but they are hit VERY hard, and its rare to catch one over 7 or so inches.. They all get taken out as soon as they reach legal size, unlike say Perch... I would love to find a lake that has a fishable population of Crappies and White Perch that aren't stunted, or grossly overfished.. No spots or techniques needed, just opinions on the panfish potential of Otisco.. The information I have gotten thus far, is that there are a LOT of various panfish in Otisco, but decent eating size panfish are getting tough to find, ,, any info would be a great help... bob

Could just be that the water is getting too cold imagine.. SMB will hit in cold water- 40 degrees or so, but they are not really "ice water" fish like lakers and simply become a lot less active and less aggresive the colder the water gets.. Why not try some of your November 'hot spots",working out somewhat deeper and a lot slower.. I would try jig heads with various plastic body styles and colors working slow around rocky bottom,, This time of year, SMB are more likely to be grubbing slowly around the rocks looking for sculpins or crayfish, than wasting energy racing after mid water bait fish, small perch etc... I caught SMB this year until about the 3rd week of Nov, but they shut down very quickly after that, but thats in the river not lakes... SMB hit all year in Finger lakes, but lets face it, that water is cold and not every day is going to have a hot bite.. Slow down, and go deeper is the only advice I have....

Carpcatcher.. great seeing someone that has an idea of whats going on.. the guys on this forum are very knowledgeable of course, but not too many of the members here fish this river from what I gather, and might not have much insight as to how things were at one time, and how they are now... I have my doubts about over harvest totally destroying the Walleye fishery.. Not saying its not a factor, but in most cases in ANY fresh water fishery, the first thing thats apparent when there is over harvest ,is a lot more small fish, and few big ones... I would agree 100% with you if thats what we were seeing... We see NO small fish anymore, where they were once there by the thousands, everywhere on the river... Could be a combo deal..Overharvest in some areas along with more predation by Cormorants in other areas, the over proliferation of large fish eating catfish[flatheads].. Not sure, but in my mind, the better the fishing for flatheads got in the Susquehanna, the worse the Walleye fishing got.. But hey flatheads will also eat bass, carp, suckers, chubs, sunnies, rock bass, perch, crappies, other catfish, ducks, frogs, or anything else that might get too close, yet there are plenty of those fish around. depending on the section of river... In any case, I really hope NY and Pa get their heads together on this, and work on restoring a once great fishery...... bob

Yes, some monumental flooding... However, that really doesn't explain the fact that its only one species thats missing... Other species are ok... Floods or no floods, there should still be some young fish to be seen each year, and they are totally absent for the most part... Went from catching dozens of small fish every single time i threw a line into the river, to seeing one or two sub 10 inch fish a year.. something is drastically wrong....

In the case of the susquehanna, i don't think its pressure.. Only around Binghamton in a few spots is there any appreciable fishing pressure, and even then only in a few easily accessed spots.. much of the NY section is actually underfished -there just aren't that many easily fishable areas.. The SM bass are still around in great abundance, Cats are everywhere, and huge, , I don't fish for them but I hear pure strain muskies are doing well etc... The thing thats most alarming is the total absence of young fish.. They used to absolutely cover the bottom everywhere in the river any time of year... Then they were gone, and now walleyes of any size are just about absent, at least in the areas I have fished for the past 32 years... In all honesty, I used to hook hundreds every spring and fall, releasing the vast majority, taking a few keeper size fish a year to eat... This year, one fish in dozens of trips. Last year I think I caught one also, might have been the year before... I just don't understand the total lack of understanding by the NYS DEC as to what has happened in this river, as well as the apparent total lack of concern on their part.... bob

I know very few guys on this forum fish the southern tier area, but i wanted to get a few thoughts on this topic.. Some might disagree and say the fishery is fine, but that would greatly surprise me after talking directly with the DEC last fall about the serious lack of fish in their survey of the river last year... I posted this a few days ago on the NJFishing forum, and some guys do fish in the susquehanna in pa. on that forum... Just would like thoughts, or disagreements... bob bulletbob NJFishing.com Old Salt Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 2,079 collapsed walleye fishery... I understand this is a NJ forum, but I also know some NJ guys here do fish NY and Pa waters as well for various species... Since moving away from my very beloved salt water fishing in 1991, I adapted by learning how to fish for what was available locally... First and foremost on that list was Walleye, and I had a good fishery for several years in the susquehanna river.. They were there in cool water months mostly.. Oct through ice in, and then for a few weeks in May early June after the closed season for their spawn, which closes in March and opens in May...It was always there for me, and I always caught fish.. Then about 2008-2010, I noticed I caught less of them every year... Went from say 4 to 8 fish on a good November 3 hours late afternoon to evening session, to 1 or 2 fish every 2 sessions.. Then one fish every 5 casting sessions.. Then 2 or 3 an entire season, until now when I caught 1 walleye all last year, and 1 all of this year... No one has answers why these fish just vanished... SMB are still here, as are Cats, Muskies, Carp etc... NY DEC doesn't seem very interested at all.. After me bugging them for years they finally did a survey on the abundance of fish in the river in fall of 2022.. They said "yep" we didn't see many Walleyes in the river.. very few in fact, but hey the few we did see were good sized.. I guess that was supposed to make me feel better.. They won't do anything anywhere, unless its trout or salmon related, and ONLY in tourist zones[Great Lakes/Fingers/Catskills streams].... The Flathead catfish which eat everything have now made it into the NY section of the river, so I'm sure that isn't helping, but these fish have been in a steep decline for 15 years, long before Flatheads were even close to NY.... It has really affected my fishing life not having my main species, especially since the only FW fish I eat besides Perch and Sunnies is Walleye.... I really thought the NYS DEC would have at least a few theories on how a once thriving fishery could totally collapse, but not a peep, and when asked said , "yeah theres just not many in there".. I was hoping they could do better, but I guess not... anyway, maybe some guys here would like to speculate, or have seen something similar in other fresh water fisheries... Breaks my heart, but not much I can do really- other than discuss it..... bob

Fixed this problem MONTHS ago!.. I used a grommet from a pump kit[had to buy and entire 2nd kit just for the 1 grommet, its ok, bought it cheap online].. The upper end [power head side] of the water tube grommet is the same, it fit fine.. Only thing is the lower end[water pump end] grommet has 2 little nibs one on each side that fit into the pump housing to hold it secure.. Not sure the upper grommet is supposed to have the nibs,, In any case, I used the grommet as is, nibs and all, and it put it on the water tube with just a bit of lube, and it went into the power head water outlet hole just fine, and stayed there while I installed the lower unit etc.. water is pumping just fine, had the motor out a few times, no water pump issues.. However, the motor was already pretty tired even before the meltdown, and there was some evidence of aluminum melting in the combustion chambers.. The engine only starts cold with a bit of starting fluid, runs ok at speed, but barely idles anymore.. Really really tired now, and needs the cyls honed and new rings... 2 strokes aren't like 4 strokes.. Once compression gets lower, they are tough to start, and don't idle well, cough a lot etc.. I think I had about 90 PSI each cyl, which is enough for the motor to run, but not enough for it to run and start as it should.. Deciding now if I should tear it down and re ring/hone,, or just find a known good powerhead.. Parts these days are insanely overpriced, and getting harder to find.. bob

Water pump failed horribly at Cayuga.. melted the housing into a blob, blew the head gasket.. Replaced the gasket, thankfully motor starts and seems to run ok... When I pulled the pump and copper outlet tube, I noticed the upper grommet was burnt to a crisp from the heat.It seemed to just flake apart.The tube fell out on the ground, and they usually stay inside the lower unit housing.. I was told the grommet at the power head side is the same as the one in the pump housing.. It would seem then all I have to do is stick the new grommet on the copper outlet tube, get it secured and then install everything else normally.. Its really tough to see all the way up in the motor through the shaft housing, but I don't see any damage, and I'm hoping I don't have to pull the power head assembly to replace a little rubber grommet.. anyone have any insight into this?? Replaced a LOT of impellers over the years, never had an issue where I had to replace this upper grommet. Hoping someone has done this before and can help me out with some info... bob

I am just not a "tourney" kind of guy,, never was... No problem with those that like them, except during a spawn, or any time fish are easy pickings say in salt water during seasonal migrations when the fish are closely bunched and vulnerable.. as Frank Woolner, a great outdoor writer once wrote decades ago- "Fishing should be a contemplative sport, not a competitive one" Those words struck me many years ago, and I always remembered them...