Sk8man

Cool...thanks.

Nice going Mottman! Once again persistence paid off! With that many lakers it would seem that the thermocline was running up a bit from that 60 ft mark Sometimes it shifts to a narrower band and it is tough to stay with it especially in closer like that. Good work on getting some results. As in the above response.... what setups were you using (esp for the rainbows)?

Tom at Tuna's Troubles reel repair recommends mono backing on wire reels. I figured he knows what he is talking about. I'd go with Rick's recommendation too.

May be more (or at least AS ) important to fish the marks right now through the Fall. They can be all over the place when they start homing in on their intended spawning place.

Gambler is dead right if you are planning to use them for derby stuff. I was just thinking about getting by with normal fishing for the rest of the season without spending the $100 or so.

It was on my buddy's boat with a 124 mm Deeper Diver and a lot of side current but it is the honest to God truth and we were going 2 mph.

That sounds like some good "inside" info . Thanks Dick.

I use roller tip rods so there is quite a bit of "clearance". If it were me I'd probably splice in a #8 (50 b test) Spro power swivel and they are small enough to go through the tip and eyes of my downrigger rods as well. Look up the wire knot to use on Youtube.

I've hit bottom at 127 ft.with a deeper diver on 30 lb 7 strand with less than 200 ft. and set at 2 out so it is possible regardless what the charts are saying....a commonly used one was based on mono so there is a lot to be said for experimenting if you are using wire.

It is actually spelled Chidsey Point. It is on the Branchport arm of the lake southwest on a diagonal across the lake from Keuka Lake State Park.

That might be just the ticket Jitterbug....

Frogger is right... Seneca would be my first choice because it seems to be the most active lake fishing wise around here this season. With anything out of the N, NW, or W it is fishable below 20 mph winds from those directions along the west side with some protection. The only time you don't want to be launching or fishing at the north end otherwise is with a stiff S, SE, or SW wind (irrelevant because you'd probably still be able to be fishing Lake O in that case) or a severe east wind (which seldom happens at this time of year on Seneca). Best of luck on the kings!

Go get em tiger !

Ed's setup is the nuts for Seneca and it certainly is worth a try on Keuka and I will myself next time there. The last two times on Keuka were only good for a few small lakers and I don't think we marked more than five or six fish in both trips combined. The picture is radically different than Seneca...given that was a few weeks ago but I haven't heard anyone doing well on Keuka for trout other than jigging for lakers for quite awhile. The lake seems quite different than a few years ago too fish-wise but it always has been very different in terms of the bottom structure and bottom composition, and in fact is something like three different lakes all in one with each branch having a very different profile. For years it was the primary domain of still fishermen, night fishing, and copper jerkers for that reason and usually early AM and evening into night time for the trout other than fishing for lakers out deep in the 'hole" out from the State Park, the bluffs area, and out from Marlena Point . Day time has usually been the main providence of bassers and perch fishermen for many years. I like trying different stuff now days and screwing around with setups and different tackle etc. but if I had to depend on catching browns, rainbows, or landlocks for dinner I think I'd return to the old methods of the past which weren't nearly as much fun but worked to put those fellas in the boat. Keuka is a very different "animal" than either Seneca, Cayuga, or Owasco from a consistency of fishing standpoint and in my view it is a harder lake to successfully fish for those trout species other than lakers; especially trolling.

As far as the night fishing goes I was trying to suggest the easiest method to use but we used to have specific rigs something like mini-thermocline rigs with 3 short leaders (say 6 ft.) on them spaced on bead chains about 15 ft apart with a sinker at the bottom and drift with it...but you had to choose your night carefully for it (very calm still nights). Nothing like falling asleep while anchored hearing the drag going out with a big rainbow or brown on the other end....really got the heart thumping As far as hooking the live bait. We did them through the skin (carefully not deep or near the spine) near the head side of the dorsal with the double hooks pointed away from the head. With lakers in usual still fishing you wait for them to turn the bait around in their mouth normally (which is why you don't pull on them during the initial run), but with browns, rainbows and landlocks they usually really slam it right from the start at the head area mostly so they have the hook already in their mouth right from the start. As far as lures go: stickbaits maybe blue or black jointed J-9 Rapala (but bass like blue ones too) Renegade, or possibly a Yozuri. I'd stay away from the perch finish stuff as the Pickerel love them if you are in close. Spoons - Small Stingers or HoneyBees, Small to medium Suttons (44, 22, 5, 8,11, 31, 41) the small version Evil Eyes in black or silver with orange stripe, I'd stay away from the larger spoons for them there (e.g. NK28's or Mags etc.) and use faster trolling speeds this time of year 2.5-3.0. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Pretty much the same picture here too Ed. Think I'll spend sometime organizing stuff and making up some new leaders etc. Good luck if it calms down and you decide to go. Les

Guppy is right about the lakers taking over out there and a couple things come to mind in terms of catching browns landlocks and rainbows; 1. The Hammondsport end and the Branchport arm used to be very good night fishing places for browns and rainbows if you are trolling you might want to try very early in the AM in those areas such as just before daylight. 2. Live bait (if you can get sawbellies) try the night fishing on a calm night either slowly drifting or anchored with the sawbellies on a set up like that used in still fishing in 70-100ft of water with a lantern or light hung over the side to call bugs and the bait will come up for them with the fish often following them to the spot. Try in closer if no takers or the lakers are there. 3. Big browns, landlocks and rainbows can compete with the large lakers in close (where small ones might be eaten) so in the very early AM around daylight and shortly thereafter they can sometimes be found near docks and other structure in the shallows well out of their preferred temperature range. Trolling planer boards near shore along the shorelines similar to what is done in the Spring can be productive (although you may get into the bass as well depending on your lure selection etc. Also trying the near shore areas out from the motel at Hammondsport or towards the end of the Branchport arm in late evening or early morning might do something. The lakers for the most part will be in deeper water this time of the year while browns especially can tolerate much warmer water temps so you can fish them shallower. You might also be able to take advantage of the lakers love for the bottom by having your lines up off there where the roaming browns and rainbows will get a better chance. Good luck!