Pete Collin

From what I understand, copper will give you a bit more depth for the same length of line. Mike Wenz' copper rig sees a lot of action.

Mike, I love how you go fishing, weather be damned! Nice slipping in a trip before the hurricane. Pete

DtD, Yes, the wind did lie down some later on. It got to be pretty stiff around the time you checked the launch - I wouldn't have wanted to motor 6 miles into it. But the fish actually bit the best when the wind was hardest. Any pix of the 9 pounder?

Hello All, The last time I fished with Guff, we totally got skunked. It was blowing hard and cold rain oozed into our goretex. What made it worse is that it was my suggestion. It was calm and rain free from where I called Al and talked him into trying Seneca. He was skeptical, but we went anyway, and fishlessly shivered for several hours. That was back in May. Yesterday was the antithesis of that trip: Sunny, warm, gorgeous day, and the fishing was on fire. He and hermit set a high yardstick two days before with their 60-something fish catch. Nothing will kill a trip faster than expectations. But everything worked out. We didn't even get an early start - arriving at the bluff around 9:00 AM. Never mind that i woke up at 2:30 AM and couldn't get back to sleep. It just felt much more relaxed than setting a ridiculously early alarm to have all your lines in the water at first light. We had great sport with the sonar graph. The trick of cranking up on fish you see chasing on the screen worked wonders. That anticipation of a strike is the jigger's analogy to a bird hunter walking up to a pointing spaniel. We'd watch suspended blips turn into lines streaking sharply up towards our falling jigs. When the two got close, we'd start on a fast crank - toes curled, leaning forward, arms cocked, eyes glued to the converging lines on the screen, muttering,"Come on, baby. Take it. Take it. Come on....HAH! THERE HE IS!!!" If the first fish missed the strike, there was often a second or even third banana that would bitye right after the shakeoff (don't get me started on bananas). So we stayed out the whole day. There was no reason to leave. The feed had few lulls, and aboard Al's boat we neither sweated nor shivered. The lakers averaged much bigger than my previous trips. Plenty of 24 and 25 inchers, Al got one that went 26. I carried my little counter/clicker, so we celebrated the passing of the 20 fish mark, the 30 fish mark. Poking our way along the shore on our ride back to the launch, we brought the count up to 47 - My second greatest two-man catch on the Fingers. It's hard to write a unique story about jigging the Bluff, because there is a certain amount of sameness to trips that you make there. The high fish count, the smallish fish size, the great natural beauty. But fall on Keuka is just one of those things that make you glad you live in New York. Pete Collin www.pcforestry.com

Hi Mike, I'll lead the charge. Took my buddy paul jigging on Keuka yesterday at the bluff. We got 20 fish up to 25 inches. it was slow- steady througout the day. the fall colors are absolute peak and it was an awesome day to be out. Met some bass fishermen who were saying the smallies are biting like hell too. Will have to file that away for future reference! My brother Phil is coming this weekend, and i am taking him jigging on the Bluff so i won't be available to join you Sunday. I thought of you when my wife and i were walking our dogs on the trails in letchworth Park that get groomed for XC skiing in winter. We'll have to have you over then! Pete

biglaker, Man, they act like park pigeons for you! I missed another great photo opportunity last week. I was driving to work and passed a herd of deer that included a piebald. they were fairly close to the road and i would have gotten a great shot. Pete

Biglaker, I learned about slow digital cameras when i was trying to photograph steelhead jumping over a weir dam. None of the pix came out like I wanted.

Biglaker, You're making me sorry I didn't get the camera out fast enough! It's so cool that eagles are making a comeback. I was trying to think of when I saw my first eagle..... can't quite remember, but it must have been when I was into adulthood. there is a nest within a couple miles of where I live now! The one I mention in this story was on Canandaigua. there have been eaqgles nesting on the south end for a few years now. They tell me they stay throughout the winter. You often see them right from the launch.

A bald eagle snatched a fish I just released right behind the boat. He must have been following me... it happened so quick there wasn't time for me to turn the camera on. Caught some fish, too. But I already told you about the coolest part of my trip! Pete Collin http://www.pcforestry.com

Mike, Yes, I ran a couple of SG rigs. Had a leadcore out for a while but it got no strikes and was kind of in my way. I ate at the Sawmill. It was great...sat with a gas stove at my back which warmed and dried me. The owner said she was wondering whether to bother opening up. Glad she did. Want to try it tomorrow, weatehr permitting.

Hello All, I always believed that the best fishing makes you suffer a little. Hit canandaigua's southern end and trolled my way north, bouncing bottom the whole way. They were in the mood to bite. Got thirteen fish up to 28 inches. The morning was so good, I went out again after lunch, but got only 3 small ones the whole time. Finger lakes fishing is definitely a morning game, no matter how you try to force things! The lakers were still being sluggish fighters, saving their energy to thwart my attempt to unhook them. Pretty, though. Colorful. There was another boat of guys who launched at the same time I did. they said it was their best rainbow day ever, with 3 in the cooler from 5 to 7 pounds. They were in the middle portion of the lake. Gotta love fall fishing. Pete Collin

Kurt, I am toasting my screen with the banana I am currently eating!

Mike, How well did they fight?

SwingingFlies, Was that Canandaigua lake you were jigging them in? Also, if you didn't have a graph, how did you know the depth you were catching them in? Pete

Hello All, I have been so sick of not catching much on bright sunny days that i was eager to get out yesterday and troll during some overcast. Motoring out of the south end in the dark, I discovered that my graphs were not working. This wrecked my whole plan because in the fall when the lakers stage along a contour on the bottom, they are vulnerable to bottom bouncing rigs. Without a graph, you just can't attempt it. So in the low light I set up downriggers to target rainbows in the open water. First strike came in 10 minutes. A nice 21 incher that jumped a bunch! I figured I would stick with the bows until there was enough daylight to tackle the wiring that was surely my problem with the fishfinders. When I approached what was the big hotspot last year, my graph was functioning again. i came in to 100 FOW to see what the lakers were doing, and found my screen looking like a tuba players sheet music! Decided to pass the point, then bring everything in and motor upwind to try it again with Seth Greens for the lakers that were down there. That is when one rigger got a big rip from a wonderful round bellied rainbow that also jumped and jumped. 23 inches. I should have a whole photo portfolio of the nice rainbows I got in Canandaigua all year. But it is tough taking them when you are alone, and somehow they are so precious, being wild fish and all, that I don't want to kill them if it isn't necessary. So a quick measure and back in the water they go. Below is one gotten a week ago that I couldn't revive, and the tackle I used to get it. i was suprised because it was hooked on just one lip, but it just wouldn't wake up. After the third attempt at CPR, I thought of the big cookout I was attending the following day and decided to donate it to that cause. The spiced and grilled fillets went over very well with the guests. So anyway, here I am trolling right through a massive, continuous group of lakers without a take. I was braced for a strike at any second. Nothing. so i followed that contour continuing north, with the wind. Some nice concentrations, some blank spots, but plenty of fish to play with. Nothing. By the time i reached Onondaga park i had enough and decided to go back to a rainbow program. this is when i discovered that each rig had an 18 inch laker attached. What???? I use clip bells on my seth green rods, and even dinks usually let me know when i have a strike. Lord knows how long i dragged either fish. On my last trip, the lakers were behaving the same way, getting hooked without so much as a throb in protest. What a deal. All summer the lakers were so deep you didn't want to bother with them. now that they are within reach, they don't want to fight once hooked. To hell with that. The Seth Green rods were stowed, and within a half hour I got another big rip off the rigger which came off. Then came the call that ended my trip - a landowner who was at his deer camp near my home and would like to know if i can come by to look at his timber. The last month lakers have really been living up to their reputation as fighting like driftwood. Sure hope things perk up once the lake cools some more. I have gotten accustomed to fast action in the fall! Pete Collin http://www.pcforestry.com

I was baffled by the whole business with the bananas. I told Mike, I have tossed my lunch plenty of times, but never had my lunch tossed! I made a pretty fair trade, though. that smoked trout and cream cheese sandwich was awesome! Pete

Mike, I went out this afternoon. Tried our spot from last week on the east side, and found all those fish and bait had moved north of Pelican Point. Hooked 6 rainbows, landed 5. Wanted to try across the lake where we had all those missed hits but ran out of daylight. Pete

Al, You were very kind to not mention how you fished circles around me and Paul! I don't know how Al did it. He told us how he was presenting it, then he gave us his tube bodies, then he gave us his jigheads. We just couldn't connect. Meanwhile every half hour Al would play another porpoise to the boat. I haven't had that big an incidence of getting my ass handed to me in quite some time! Paul and I did get a few fish in the early hours, then it shut right down. I am glad Al was there to demonstrate that there might always be a way to get them. Pete

Here is a shot of Mike 47 minutes into his fight with the big one he lost on the copper line. He managed to bring it within a mere quarter mile of the boat before it shook off. Thanks again, Mike for another fun trip. I'll make a few bigger versions of the Skippervisor for you! http://www.pcforestry.com

Hello All, I warned my wife that, after a long hot summer, this fall I am going to want to fish, fish, fish. This weekend kicked off what I hope will be a long series of trips. The full moon is a real wild card. It can either kill the bite, or move it to an unexpected time of day. One of my best days last season was during a full moon, so you figure just go and see what the day brings you. Saturday, I found the fish at Belhurst where I left them two weeks before. Conditions were what I associate with a slow day - bright and calm. The fish were at first hard to see on the graph because they were laying so close to the bottom. They didn't chase too much. After a few lost fish, I figured out that a slow crank was what they wanted. I managed 4 fish this way, and lost several others. Two were nice and big - 29 and 28 inches. But that day the lakers really lived up to their reputation as being poor fighters. You'd get the strike, a couple headshakes, and after that I might as well have been pulling in the drift sock. Ddin't even need the net for the big ones. They laid there until i could scoop them under the belly and bring them aboard. Upon trying to work the hook loose, THAT is when the fight began. Nothing like having a head full of sharp teeth spring to life when your fingers are probing around inside its mouth. At least they revive quickly upon being released. My fingers will take a little longer to recover. Around 9:30 when it was clear that the fish weren't going to hit another jig, I took to trolling. I just mounted a second downrigger and was eager to play with it. It is an old Riviera that I paid 25 bucks for. Something about boating brings out the thrifty yankee in me. it worked really smoothly, but the scary thing is that, when the weight is being deployed, the device is in free spool. Your hand on the crank is what controls its descent. So an unexpected distraction could cause a big expensive mess. Will have to be careful. I set up the rigger with a rod that I inherited from a friend who passed away. This was the first time i used it. Well, with the setup in the water for 10 minutes, i got a big strike. CAN'T BELIEVE MY LUCK!! THANKS TIM!! The ball was only 60 feet down. The lakers came from 120 feet of water or so. So I was eager to see if it was a big rainbow or a big salmon I had. Would you believe.....another laker? That full moon.....you just never know. I'll post later with a report with FLX in Canandaigua. Have to go to work! Pete

Hi Mike, In the past my emails didnt' always get through to you. I got your message about fishing this weekend, and am into it. Call me at 468-2714. Thanks for the invite! Pete

Hello All, I have an interesting problem to sort out and decide. Thought I'd bounce it off you all. I have a friend and client who owns a large Penn Yan boat - maybe a 21 or 22 footer. He and I used to fly fish together all the time, but his boat generally stays idle. He is a wealthy man, and has a lot of toys. These days he mostly golfs when he isn't working. A few years ago he made a few remarks about giving me the use of his boat, on the premise that I would tell him where and when they were biting, and take him on a few trips a year. It seems like an incredible arrangement, but when given thought, it isn't clear if it is a wise idea for me. I read all the posts of Lake Ontario and Erie fishermen, and would love to get out for some reel screamers, or to fill a cooler with delicious walleye. I have launched my 16 footer in Ontario a few times, and just don't like to do it. Just not enough boat under my behind for those vast waters. But you see, the nearest Great lakes launches from me are an hour and a half away - probably more if I am towing. And while I always drive pickup trucks, they are 6 cylinder. I drive way too much for work to want a gas hog. A big 22 footer behind my 1500 silverado would be quite a bit of strain on the engine, wouldn't it? As it is, I sometimes complain that I don't live close enough to the fingers. An hour to Canandaigua. A trip in my little boat comes to about $50 to $60 in gas per trip, depending on where I launch and how much time I spend up on plane. In a big boat, each trip would come to over $100, wouldn't it? I could get friends to come along and help foot the bill, but the problem is I have a hard time getting people to come with me now. Mostly it is because my decision to fish is almost always last minute. Between the variables of work and weather, it's always the night before or even the morning of a trip that I decide to go. Most folks have their time planned out way before that! Before I take my first trip in this borrowed boat, I have to get its lisence, registration and inspection current. I'm no mechanic, but I know that boat motors don't like to sit unused, so there will likely be issues I have to address to get it running well. Don't think there are any rod holders, and no downriggers, so money will have to be spent to deck it out as a troller. The fishfinder is likely an outdated one, but maybe it's fine. All this outlay of cash for a boat that doesn't belong to me. I love the image of myself at the wheel of this fine looking rig, lines out and trolling, with a huge great lake full of huge fish to plunder laid out before me. But jeepers, there is a lot of involvement to get to that point, and expense. Can some of you large boat owners chime in? Should I jump at this chance? Is there something I haven't considered? Should I be happy in my humble but functional craft catching Finger Lakes fish? Discuss. Pete Collin http://www.pcforestry.com

I think it all boils down to the fact that , in the finger lakes, there are plenty of fish for everybody. Last weekend while I was hosing them, there were 2 or three other boats sharing the whole huge hotspot. We had no problem staying out of everybody's way. It took me a while getting used to telling other guys what I know about the fingers, because I was a stream fisherman long before i bought a boat. Loose lips will atom bomb shops when it comes to fishing you can walk to! Pete

Hello All, Seems like every boat fishing trip has its minor disaster. It was still a little dark when I pulled into the Geneva city launch, weaving between all the tents, trailers, and traffic control sawhorses. "Looks like there's some kind of festival going on. I'd better launch quickly before the crowds get here." After dumping the boat, I couldn't find a place to park. After detaching the trailer so i could jam myself in a corner, I returned to the dock. By then there was just enough daylight to read the sign saying the launch was closed. GRRRR! Why didn't they just put a couple of those sawhorses in front of the ramp, sparing goofs like me this kind of aggrivation? I was tying to decide whether to fish Canandaigua or Sampson, then remembered that there is a state park right nearby with its own ramp. So I didn't lose too much early morning fooling around. I had the specter of canandaigua troller's 15 pound laker in my head, this being the very spot where it bit. Belhurst quickly latched me onto another one of her monsters. I could feel its headshakes all the way up to my shoulders, and it peeled drag for the bottom each time I made any progress cranking it up. This is where I remembered that I didn't tie on a fresh leader. It was probably first knotted on last year, and had spent many hours being sizzled by UV rays as it sat unused in the rod holder while I trolled away on Canandaigua Lake throughout the summer. Using all the telepathy I could muster, I willed those fluorocarbon fibers to maintain their tired, feeble molecular grip on each other for just one more fish. My psychic dabblings were answered by a breakoff that was sudden and final. That's the problem with boat fishing. There is so much to tend. Keeping the licensure current, the motors purring, the trailer lights glowing, the batteries charged, the oil and gas mixed, the wiring connected, and a million other things. And your entire purpose can be defeated by 5 cents' worth of fresh leader material you failed to take the 90 seconds to tie on. None of this bears any resemblance to going fishing as a kid, where I'd grab my pole and tackle box, hop on my bike, and be on my way. Of course, as a kid, I didn't catch a dozen lake trout between 23 and 28 inches in a single morning, either! Pete Collin http://www.pcforestry.com

Brett, That's an awesome fish. I have made several trips to Canandaigua this year and see why you have ditched that lake for seneca. I get one quality rainbow trout per trip, and a few dinks and that's it. The lake trout act like they are on vacation! Pete