Sk8man

The search for "Seneca Gold" is sort of like prospecting for real gold and the locations of the "mines" are hard to come by from veteran local fishermen. This time of year and given where you are launching from I'd say try right in Glass Factory Bay just to the north of Roy's (near where the Geneva Country Club is) and start out in 15 -20 ft of water and drift around looking for them. Go deeper if you can't locate them in shallow. They can be anywhere this time of year. Softshell crabs (expensive if you can even find them use half at a time) or small grass crabs, left over spikes or fat head minnows usually work either on small jigs or just with usual double hook and line set ups with sinker at bottom. depending on wind/wave conditions can either drift for them or try to locate and then anchor away from them and cast back into them. They spook easily in the clear water and shallow and electric trolling motors can help. Good luck.

Yeah and don't be anywhere near the water on weekends at night because there are a lot of drunks running at full speed without lights (seriously)

Lake Superior has the greatest average depth

They are productive spoons with very durable and creative paint jobs and both sizes work well on Lake O.You might want to get some of both sizes. If you are looking for greater selection or variety in spoon action and shape as well as good durable paint consider also Great lakes Lures which have been highly effective for me in both the Finger Lakes and Lake O. They are both high quality spoons by local guys and they deserve our support.

I think there are some previous threads on here that discuss some of the points you mention in detail. There are a number of fishermen that think there is too much bait in Lake O right now. Chinook salmon are pretty much the apex predator in Lake O right now and they are real good at getting enough to eat . The life span for lakers may be 30 plus years from what I've heard. They are a native cold water species whereas the chinook are much more of a warmer water species in their native habitat. In general colder water species usually have a slower growth rate and longer life spans than warm water species with higher growth rates although there are exceptions to that (e.g. sharks etc.). The situation of the Atlantics is a much more complicated puzzle than food sources and even the fisheries departments on both sides of the pond don't fully understand it although they have some ideas about what might be going on (e.g. spawning problems, stream access, competition factors etc. etc.). In any case it may not be just one thing but a whole complex of issues. Just my take on it others may have other views and points. As far as the fishing goes it is always off and on and June is traditionally a tough month for fishing before and while the temps are setting up. Depending on where you fish there have been some good salmon and steelie fishing results (and lakers) again "off and on" and locating the fish is nearly always at the heart of it. The next few weeks may tell more of the story when the thermocline and water temperatures fully set up.

I still fish solo a lot and in days past I used to even winter fish on Seneca Lake with a snowmobile suit and heavy boots in the middle of snow storms (much younger and more foolish) without a life jacket. Then during the mid to late eighties one of my buddies who was a charter captain went out solo there during the summer and I was the last guy to talk with him at the launch ramp. His empty boat was found washed up near shore hours later. We searched for him for many hours unsuccessfully that day and he was found in 8 ft of water the next day by divers and reportedly his zipper was down. It was a real lesson for me and something that haunts me to this day. The way i look at it now is even if something happens out there you have a "chance" and at least if things went really bad they would find you so that your family would have some closure.....The not knowing would be horrible for family.

Wow at least mine (Fishawk) had a depth indicator and a spool winder on it All i remembered in seeing one of those Lowrance units years ago is the slide was on the front and I think the probe line was real light colored and somehow wound around the center? I tried anyway

Sounds as though one is for "zeroing" and one for up and one for down. Probably all you need is a known (and reliable) temp source to compare with.

If so, you can roughly calibrate it doing as I suggested above turning the slot screw till it matches the thermometer reading or comparing with a known accurate temperature device and doing so.

Haven't seen one in years but I don't remember there being anything to adjust that was visible on it at least to be able to actually change anything. I used to test my old manual Fishawk by getting a mercury thermometer and a plastic pail of water in the sink and then putting both the probe and the thermometer in and gradually adding some warm water and then colder water and compared and they were within a degree or so..worst case is that if you can determine the amount it is off (if constant) you can mentally make the adjustment out on thewater.

Nice going Nick....have to take advantage of the weather window while you can.