Sk8man

The Fall fishing can be real good too. In closer for the perch, jigging for the trout and I forgot to mention that in the other post...jigging for the lakers in the winter as well. There is usually some open water winter fishing in the Branchport arm (when it doesn't freeze over) from the boat launch at the State park too and good jigging right in that area. You might want to check things out BEFORE winter snow etc. to get a feel of things.

Jimmyi - On the real good side of things...you have access to the lake and parking (I am assuming and I'm envious) . Also on the plus side...it is real good perch fishing in that area through the ice. On the potential downside the lake is irratic in how it freezes from year to year and sometimes the ice down that far isn't real safe and ice fishing is pretty much from the Penn Yan end to about a mile or so south of the water treatment plant. You'll notice I said SAFE ice.... a couple years ago my son and I witnessed a paraplegic in a wheel chair out on 3 inches of ice in a 4 wheeler with an ambulatory guy helping him.....never should have been out there with any kind of vehicle or such weight. The wind came up briskly and blew all his equipment across the ice so my son and I had to run to rescue it because the guys were going to go after it on the 4 wheeler the ice was less than 3 inches and marginal for one person actually....unreal! All around the area toward and out from the college is pretty good....sometimes they are found in about 30 ft. or so too but most of the time 20 or less.Minnows are usually the ticket while jigging and rubber as well as spikes on 4 lb test line and sometimes a 4 lb fluoro leader. Sometimes you'll get into the big smallies too and it's fun. If you are lucky you'll run into some of the jumbo perch that rival those on Seneca. Jigging seems more productive there > Tip-ups usually call in the pickerel and bass in the shallower depths. If you are after lake trout they are also out towards the middle and usually hugging bottom in the winter An effective way to get them is with cowbells (flashers to us old timers ) with a peanut or Sutton spoon behind it and often with a "cheater" leader with spoon about 6 ft. above the cowbells> It can be done a number of ways. If you need any more specifics on the openwater trout stuff feel free to PM me . I know you were mostly askjng about open water fishing but I figured I'd include the ice stuff for others as well while at it. Les

Ed you have a PM ( I tried to send it to Kinger but he didn't reply) Les

Thx Marty.

Kinger makes all the spoon selections anyway ....that's why he always has that smile on his face He just gets Ed to pay for them...

I've always stuck with just the pics...put the money into more tackle and "upgrades"

WTG Marty. This sure is the time of year for great pics. Les

Thanks Ed and Justin (and all the rest out there that share info and especially all the Finger Lakes dudes :>)...I always look forward to your reports and learn from them too. We each kinda have our "specialties "that dial into our target species and it really is helpful to share that info instead of past practices of people keeping things to themselves. and "guarding" the info ...I can see it with the charter guys and guides to a degree...but most of them are also very open these days as well and that says a lot for them as well as the sport itself.

Hey Mike hopefully the bow fishing will hold up for your tournament....they sure are active right now. I forgot to mention that one of the 4 pounders streaked right up from 72 ft. and grabbed tht 50 ft. downrigger lure....it was a "classic" kinda like watching perch on the Vexilar flasher zoom come up to the jig and then hit it while ice fishing. Better get out here while they are active Sean....work can always wait It just dawned on me while writing this how great it is being able to share our experiences and "good days" with each other ....folks who actually understand our sport and get "into" the details....this may contrast sharply with the experience of coming home and telling our spouses who may respond with "That's nice dear" or kids that may say " Sweet....can I borrow the car keys" and we're left scratching our head. Thank heaven for the LOU website Les

Thanks guys. ..... and in the interest off honesty I don't think I'd be quite as generous giving one of Justin's walleyes away

Thanks Kev. You've gotta get your butt out there soon bud....probably up late nights on the piers...and then there is work ....but there are some big bows with your name on them out there Les

Nice work Ed. Hey Joe i think Kinger just presses the (auto) buttons on the left and the reels automatically come in see how he is eyeing them....he's trying to get Ed into the hang of it too but it's tough

Thanks Joe...I'm hoping to keep after them until about the 1st week or 2nd week in November. Tx Lineman....I hear you on the perch we went yesterday but couldn't find the jumbos here on Canandaigua....settled for about 25 keepers (10-11 inches or so) and threw back 4 or 5 times that many dinks mostly on minnows , a few on crabs and about 1/3 on rubber. Beautiful day. Thanks Nautitroller....it does seem to be a good combo right now (O/G)

I got a real late start today 9:30 AM and then BS'd with friends at the launch and then trolled south from the pump station with 2 TX 44 boards and dipseys one at 180 the other at 200 out and a wire rig with dipsey and white flasher and green fly out 225 on 2 1/2 ...only caught one dink rainbow in the AM. but the afternoon was pure rainbow heaven...Instead of the west side I trolled the middle of the lake (200 plus ft) towards the south on a diagonal toward the east and in 205 ft. I had my first decent bow on at 50 ft down on the rigger with a gold/orange Rebel....slider with Sutton untouched...fought hard and jumped repeatedly 4 lb rainbow...released after pic in water. Trolled on....another release on 52ft rigger same lure 4- 5 lb. bow. got into the wire rig and then hooks got tangled in the net..(only way I could control him.... fishing alone..). It took awhile getting the hook out of him and the net so I knew he wouldn't make it so I boxed him. Continued on....a few minutes later the wire rig with a black mag dipsey and purplish red/silver flasher and one of my "old time" rubber "skirts" rigged like a fly that I just wanted to see if anything would hit the rig started screaming out taking line like a king. The wind was starting to come up out of the north and I was going against it trying to steer the boat while dealing with the fish which was jumping then next heading for the bottom taking line each time...I knew it was areal good one and when I got him closer to the boat I got a good look and I've seen enough of these guys to know when I have a10 pounder plus and well over 30 inches long..beautiful fish and had some nice reddish color down the mid line I tried to get a pic but when I was opening the camera case (velcroed) with one hand and the other with the rod he flipped over it spit the hook and headed for the bottom and all I could say was "f" but I was going to release it anyway so she saved me the trouble. Trolled on and the 52 downrigger went again another bow about 3-4 lbs...released unharmed. A few yards after that fish was released the other rigger popped and another one taking line like there was no tomorrow...boat got turned around in the wind but I held on and went with it and got him in another 4-5 lb rainbow...released. It was 4 Pm so I decided to call it quits....beautiful day on the pond. All bows came over 190 -210 ft of water by the way. I asked a couple of folks at the ramp if they wanted the rainbow and they said "no thanks" so I drove out to the pier where I had seen people fishing and asked a guy and his girlfriend who didn't have any fish if they 'd like a rainbow. They were jumping for joy....I had them take my pic with it and then gave it to them. We were all "happy campers" I included a pic for any "leaf peepers" out there (taken before the wind came up) Les P.S. Here is what the big one and one of the others hit

Sweet! WTG

Nice going! That is a substantial bass no matter where you are fishing

I haven't fished Lake Erie for perch so I can't comment on the habits or environmental conditions giving rise to good perch fishing there but experience on Seneca is a different matter.... the vital importance of temperature may not be so vital there. Seneca perch are not always bottom oriented - they can be suspended up 20 ft off bottom in 60 ft of water too or hugging the weeds in 6 ft. I have seen them packed in so tight under the ice in 34 degree water that they could barely move and you could not see between them...by the thousands (not hundreds) and not biting because they were absolutely stuffed with fresh water shrimp. They were in that particular spot because the fresh water shrimp were there regardless of water temperature. Many of the best perch fishermen I have known in the past (old timers) didn't even own depth finders let alone colored ones or a GPS - they used their anchor ropes (with markings) to find general depths and their landmarks to "triangulate" and in the days before the 50 fish limit they came back in with a couple 5 gallon pails filled with huge perch. Perch do spook easily in shallow water (and the fairly recent changes in water conditions and clarity because of invasive species has amplified this) and you can't just go cruising in under power and throw your anchor in the water and expect to "slaughter" them. With that said....my point is that although the technology may help (when you know how to effectively use it) it alone will not guarantee (or even lead to) success on Seneca, Perch like most fish will often be found out of their preferred water temperature mainly to feed on the different things available (they have a varied diet and it changes according to many factors including seasonal changes and availability). Perch will be found where their preferred food is and often where they feel safe from predators (in the weeds , suspended off drop-offs etc.). When they are "schooled up" they move often while finding food but usually short distances/depths from the day before. If you are able to "follow" them frequently and understand their "habits" and patterns of migration (from depth to shallows and back) for males and females (usually the bigger ones) you will "score". This info is pretty much intended as "perch 101 for "newbies" on Seneca and I haven't given away any "secrets" or "spots" so hopefully nobody will be offended It should also be noted that it doesn't take anything away from Jimski's post either which has good info in it as well.