Sk8man

After looking at what i wrote previously I should add an additional qualifier. I was talking mainly about BIG browns as they aren't caught as frequently trolling. The ones that are just stocked are real stupid and end often end up as Gull, Cormorant, or Blue Heron bait and they will hit about anything thrown in the water as they are used to pellet feeding. As they age they become more selective in their habits and most of the ones caught trolling in the Fingers are small to medium size. The ones over 10 lbs didn't get to that size by being stupid and they can be highly selective and as I mentioned develop different feeding habits and routines that present them as "elusive" targets.

thanks for the nice words. Nick is always great about sharing info and he is the "go to guy" for chartering on Seneca especially.

Nick makes a great point regarding temps. that range is especially potent near the drop-offs and if trolling along them you may want to slow your speed slightly as the current will often increase at the edge of the drop

Consistent fishing for browns on the Finger Lakes can be quite different than on Lake O; and especially so trolling for them. Finger lakes browns appear to be quite nocturnal and "night feeders" that inhabit the shallows during darkness feeding on whatever they can find alive or dead and they have a varied diet so artificial lures aren't always high on their menu. They also seem to retreat to the deeper water (usually less than 100 ft) as the light becomes more intense (e.g. during daylight) near bottom or suspended close to it, and frequently near bait if available and near drop-offs. Unlike rainbows or Atlantics they don't roam around as much so they are less prone to be caught while doing 'general" trolling out deep or in the extreme shallows during the day. Again, understanding their habits is crucial to targeting them and not fishing specifically for them may be responsible for the results. Browns also seem to be "home bodies" in the Fingers and are even often caught near where they were originally stocked. In the Fall they may be found spawning in or near marinas or places where they were initially stocked. There are ways of fishing for them with live or dead bait that can be highly successful and these methods seem to be better producers than artificials used trolling for them although they are caught sometimes on them. Browns also don't seem to like motor noise or boat turbulence which is suspected to be a reason for running lines way back away from it. It is often difficult fishing drop-offs consistently or effectively on some of the Fingers because of the extreme underwater terrain (e.g. with riggers etc.) and this is where they frequently hang out so perhaps when you combine their other habits with this it presents them as less of a target trolling too. I know a lot of this resembles "circumstantial evidence" but it is based on previous night fishing experience (which most folks don't do anymore) and many years of specific fishing for browns on Seneca, Cayuga, Canandaigua,and Keuka. Hopefully the info gives you something to mull over in your quest

HB2 I took a look at that Luhr Jensen model and it is basically what I used way back when but it is updated and the scale appears to be a better rendition and it should work fine. You may have to play around with the location on the gunwale so that the weight stays in the water consistently but they are a lot better than just eyeballing n your rods etc.

I don't remember what that one in particular looks like but I used to use a manual one years ago that had a weight dangled over the gunwhale attached to a wire and a gauge that you positioned on the gunwhale that had a colored scale on it that went from green (slow end of troll) orange then red (fast troll). You looked at it in conjunction with the angle of lines and rod tips. When you had a hit you looked at the exact spot on the scale so you could return to it. I used to keep very small thin strips of tape nearby and would apply a piece to the spot when I had a hit.