58Johnson

Cayuga Salmon and Rainbows have soft mouths compared to the Lakers and Browns that you will catch. If you horse them in at all you may be enlarging the hole that the hook makes. These often smaller fish need to be finessed in more gently than you may be used to. Gentle, but keep pressure. I have learned to pull a rod and check it for shakers if I go for an extended time without a fish. Sorting through the smaller fish is part of the routine on Cayuga. Also keeping a constant watch of your rod tips and dipsy drags lightly set are part of the Finger Lakes routine. Your experience is fairly typical for our lake. Most of the trollers/jiggers down here are pretty friendly. We are almost all recreational fishers.

Final Results

Day 1 Results

Nice fish! Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

That is one healthy Cayuga Bow. Great job Kade! Nothing like a screamer on a rigger rod to get your heart pumping Congrats!

http://www.lakeontariounited.com/fishing-hunting/topic/59493-full-stock-including-new-soft-plastics/?hl=jigs#entry427358 These are the best quality jig heads you will find. Local to Cayuga area.

It took line violently right off the bat. I reeled it in a little and loosened the drag to avoid a breakoff. It leapt out of the water like a whale, making a huge splash. A great look at a BIG fish. A few more short runs to the left and right with an under/over on the mono dipsey on the right and I was able to get it to the boat. The comedy show occurred when I tried to net it from the front/side/back with the 18 inch net. It dove twice but came back up along the same side of the boat and allowed me to ineptly try to net it. It was cleanly, well hooked so the unhooking and picture happened quickly. I got it back in the water in the net, but it was too big to drag the net through the water for long to help revive it. I stopped the boat and let the fish out of the net where thankfully it swam. I followed it for several minutes until it swam down and stayed down.

Fish went back....It did the surface shark swim (Dorsal fin showing) for several minutes. I followed it until it swam down and seemed to stay down. The track on my fishfinder was a crazy squiggle track afterwards.

30 inch plus Cayuga Bow!

I would guess it was 5-6 lbs. It was a torpedo rather than a football. I usually release them behind the boat without taking them out of the water. This one was hooked too good to get the treble out. I had to net it. The picture takes a lot of time out of the water but it is a quicker documentation of the fish than handling the fish to measure and weigh it.

Fished north of Boy Scout Camp in the morning with a few short Salmon and one mini stocker Brown. Was forced inside by another boat and picked up a nice Salmon on a blue flasher fly combo off the rigger. The net in the picture is a 18" net. Fish was aprox 24-26". Released. Picked up and ran to Yacht Club and caught some short browns. It was perfect day to fish. Action was not hot, but getting one quality Salmon made up for it ten times over.

Other factors: The moon phase...full moon lets fish feed at night...often creates a good 10am-2pm bite as the fish begin to feed again. Cold fronts and high pressure...can shut down and turn on fish. Lure color needs to match the sun/cloud cover and angle. The factors go on and on. I often don't have much luck in the mid afternoon. I often fish the top 35ft out deep for Bows and Salmon during the afternoon lull. Most would fish first light and evening bite for the greatest chance of a bite. The more "prime times" you can have lines in the water the more chance you have to be in the right place at the right time for when the bite turns on.

My experience visiting the Sutton store in Naples has been hit or miss. I occasionally can pass through there on my way to business meetings in Buffalo area. If you have the chance to go, you should. The store is like a trip back in time. From the pressed tin ceiling to the man, Jim Stafford, himself, there is nothing like it. By no means does visiting the store equate to being sold hard to find Sutton spoon sizes. On some days I have been sent on my way with a "don't have any". Other days Jim has found his way into some unlabeled, unrecognizable wooden drawer and put me onto a top performer that I had never used before. My by far best day was when I bought the components for a Seth Green rig. He lit up as much as Jim ever does and worked with me for a good amount of time and introduced me to many of the spoons that mimic the 44's. Some do, some don't. Jim seems to know the difference. It is a unique experience. (I have NEVER been able to get a Sutton #44 there in many years of visits) Here is an old Sutton #26 with a box swivel marked: S.R. SUTTON

I would like 2 - 13 lb torpedoes Pm sent

Fished north of Meyers - east side - to AES this morning. Had a similar experience. Early bite was good. Three LL, two shorts and one legal. Bite died by 9:30. Had a nice boat ride after that. Fish came all on a funky Matzuo Kinchou Minnow in perch. 25 down over 40-60 ft.

I spoke to Bear and I am semi sure he said May 21-22.

Ahab....Atlantic Salmon/Landlocked Salmon need to be 18" on Cayuga to be legal

SwedishFish, you have a PM (Personal Message -Look at the top of the page for the envelope icon)