Reel Doc

Here's Andy and my son Spencer with Saturday's catch less Monster Al. If you guys are cooking up fish and want an easy bake that can taste like fried try this: Preheat oven to bake at 550. It'll take longer to reach temp than the fish prep time. Soak fillets in milk with Sea Salt added for a couple minutes, drain and pat in your favorite bread crumbs or crushed crackers, and for a little heat add Old Bay seasoning to the crumbs. Melt 1 to 1 & 1/2 Tablespoons butter per fillet and pour over the fillets. Put in the upper third of the oven for 5 minutes, then shut off the oven and check till browned the way you like, 3-5 more minutes depending on fillet thickness and prefered amount of crunch. I picked this up out of a Salt Water mag a few years ago, and it was named Spencer's Fish, so sure enough, we cooked his catch of the other day that way. It works great on any white fish fillets and judging by how the kids eat it, is good on the medium Lakers as well. Oh, and Andy, I'll pair it with a Corona in the summer and Talisker in the winter, but around here many would say a local Dry Reisling is the ticket. Greg

No problem Andy, I've got to be careful bleeding with young eyes watching. With the weather as it was, kind of hard not to enjoy the water yesterday. The only downer is Spencer really wanted a photo of you and that MONSTER alewife you landed. Greg

That Willis looks easy enough. Playing with the core in the store it seems once it has any kind of kink it will snap pretty easy. Thanks for the input, we may give it a try for a different look. Greg

Was looking at some Lead Core line over the weekend and wondered what is the best way to tie to leaders and backing. Greg

Thanks, we'll give it a go and let you know.

Can I ask you what you're putting on the copper, flasher fly or spoon? I have a setup to run down the chute next time out. Thanks, Greg

Nice fish. That second one has a funky twist for sure. Can fish swim with a limp? Greg

Thanks for the tips. We're trying to clear the book for a morning run this week...crossing the fingers for no emergencies. If not, an afternoon can work in this great weather. The gang does a good job of chumming with crackers, bread, and grapes; we have the no bananna rule for the boat, but the pee thing is a new one. My boys will be up for it, but convincing my wife and 7 year old daughter might be a challenge unless we're on the water before first light. Greg

Great job for a Sunday afternoon. We found earlier this summer that Sunday PM can be slow...I attribute it to all the pleasure boat traffic of the weekend. What depths were you working? Our August has been high and dry with other events and the Weather Gods against us, but maybe we'll get to test the water this week. Greg

You forgot to add can tow anything. Mine's a '99 with 165 K and still loves to tow. Greg

Nice Brown, I agree

Great report Sean. You sure do know how to dial them in Greg

Congatulations Captain Kade

Sounds like you had a nice afternoon on the water

Thanks Sean. Knowing the importance of down temp and speed I have started a piggy bank on my kitchen counter labelled "Depth Raider Fund" Greg

Thanks for the report Sean. From our house on the hill I could see the wind building whitecaps early yesterday so you had your work cut out for you. What depth is showing a temp break right now? Last year about this time everyone talked about a thermocline at 80 to 100 down. Is it not as distinct a break this year? Greg

That is a nice rainbow....and unusual diamond pattern imprinted on the back...perhaps a new Cayuga lake strain?

Hey Vic, I thought Eskimo Joe only ventured out when it was below 50 degrees. Congratulations on what looked to be a great day for all of you. I'll be sure to have my kids view the photos so maybe next year Cayuga Lake can trump Darien Lake. Greg

Glen, It's all about the MONEY. People cheat in everything because of the money involved. Being involved in livestock for years, you would be amazed at the animal abuse parents will lay on their child's 4-H market animal in order to win a ribbon and some money. The higher the pot goes, the more prevalent the cheating. Being a veterinarian, more than once I was approached to supply steroids, (yes the same ones the Home Run Hitters use), for parents to roid up a market steer, pig, or lamb to make a lean and mean winner. What's laughable about that is the livestock shows were testing and banning exhibitors long before baseball even admitted there was a problem. If we're true Sportsmen, fishing for the joy of being on the water should be where it starts and ends. My trophy is a grilled fillet and a cold pop at the end of a good day. Greg

Congratulations on your first of many Cayuga lake fish! The backdrop of your photo confirms you need a bigger net for sure as yours reminds me of what we used on the Connecticut coast to scoop blue crabs as a kid. I just went with a telescoping Frabill after asking the question in the Tackle section of the site on 6/24. If you check if outt, there are several links on my replies to sites with nets. Best of luck and to you and all military people on or associated with this site, "Thank you for being on that wall every day and every night." Greg

First you guys gripe about the Bassers, now you're sending an innocent guy after the perchmen. Carp fishers BEWARE....You're Next.

If Chowder offers to go for a ride, take it. He took me last year....I still need to return the favor to you, Andy....some day when you don't feel like towing the rig over we'll have to go "Tame the Lake" Greg

Welcome to the LOU I was in your shoes last year, and with the help of this gang, manage to get fish pretty much every time out, though sometimes time of day works against us as my crew likes afternoon trips over the preferred crack of dawn on the water. We have only fished Cayuga lake, but if you follow the posts, techniques are similar for both lakes. The Seneca fisherman can confirm where the thermocline is currently with their Depth Raider readings. Get yourself 2 wire Dipsey rigs and run at depths of anywhere from 80-110 FOW with flasher-fly setups. Then fill in the blanks where the fish are with downriggers carrying spoons. For Cayuga recently we've been finding them on riggers at 75-100 down and cover a little higher with sliding cheaters. Scroll down the Fingerlakes section for recent reports, or go back to July/August of last year and look for posts by me and you'll get most of your answers through the replies I was given. Good Luck, Greg

FYI to all of you Dean's Cove launchers. The woman at check in told me next weekend is a BIG bass tournament based at Cayuga State Park, but every year she gets plenty of your bass buddies launching at Dean's. Would love to join the fray this year, (is there a Rookie of the Year Award?), but the kids were invited to a Darien Lake trip. Good Luck to All. Greg

Did a combo trip yesterday with swim/picnic and a little fishing on board. The fish finder was on fire but legal fish were not. Plenty of dink rainbows, salmon, and even a tiny laker and we were targeting 80 to 110 down. It sure looks like the thermocline is setting up well at this point. Would have liked to see what would happen the last hour of daylight but had to turrn in by 7:30. Greg