Zyoung

^{It's always a good time to go fishing}

Nice color on those lakers.  Are they wild or is that just a wintertime coloration?   Emeryg - Is the small fish in the livewell a Rainbow?

I've seen the different colored meats on Owasco.  My understanding is that comes from eating Mysis shrimp.  Cool that you caught one with something other then Alewife in it, I haven't.  I did once pull 2 rubber worms out of one.

As larva they bury in the substrate, kinda anchor with their tails, stick their heads up, and filter feed.  So that's when and how they can be killed, the "treatment" is put in the streams end to end.  As it flows downstream, they filter it out.  Their mouth is totally different during this time, and you'd think they were baby eels.  Their adult form is the parasitic version we are familiar with. 

Bass run large, but tend to go offshore chasing mooneyes especially in the summer.  I have caught some big ones, but rarely on purpose.  The spring is the only time they act like bass.  Good luck if you go, let us know how you make out.

Thanks guys.  I've been fishing Owasco for about 5 years and that's the first non-laker trout I've caught.  So I guess the fish gods thought I was due.

They are less then 2 bucks at Dicks.  May not qualify as local though.

^{Bigfoot is real!.....accurate with his knowledge.  Do some research on Otsego Lake and you'll see what DEC prevented from happening on Owasco.  They learned a lesson about how Walleye and Non-Laker Trout get along down in Cooperstown.} 

Thanks for the response.  I have marked horizontal bait very infrequently on Owasco, and when I have seen it they are deep and not as vast as the blobs (Alewife).  Always on the Southend too.

So good luck finding a creek with access, on the right night, to catch the relic population still in there.

I've heard that smelt mark horizontally on the graph.  Compared to the blobs alewife show up as.  Anyone know if there is truth to that?

Sorry to say I don't know what size they are, but get the smallest size available.  When you mark a bait ball just drop into it.  One thing of note is that you do have to give a little hookset, they don't just hook themselves.

Sabiki Rigs are less then 2 bucks at Dicks.  They actually work!

I placed an order at Finger Lakes Tackle for my brothers Christmas present.  A week before the holiday it had not arrived, so I called the number on the website, to check in.  I spoke to someone who was extremely nice, told me he had a minor issue, and the order had already shipped.  Before I even called he had placed nearly 50% extra spoons in the order and it had already shipped, showed up the next day.

Even though you've all probably already ordered from them. I couldn't let that go without giving Finger Lakes Tackle a thank you.

Damn

Guff - Very cool idea with the buoy.  Are you using a lighter jig then me perhaps?  I'm at 1oz.

_{I probably get about 90% on the retrieve.  I got one once that ate it on the drop.  Seen fish chase down, then I reel up and have got them like that.  I'm not a great jigger, but I get the basic idea.  (Drop to bottom, bounce, bounce, bounce, reel in)}

_{I'm looking for tips/techniques/lures for suspended fish.  I tried a jigging rap at one point this weekend, and had a fish on but lost it, that was suspended at 40' (Brown/Bow/Bass maybe).  Again I thought I might be on to something, but I wasn't able to repeat.}

_{Owasco is the lake in question.  I was using a Lowrance gen 7, so I'm good there.}

I was marking a lot of lake trout suspended this past weekend, which is normal for any time of year.  I did get one to bite and it turned out to be a beauty (31").  I've heard it's the larger ones that tend to suspend, and this fish was suspended at 80' over like 110'.  I used a much more aggressive/snappy action then I ever do (I had tried everything else).  That same action later did not work on any other fish. 

So is this just one of the mysteries of the universe, does anyone have a favorite lure or jigging action for this type of fish?  Are these fish simply meant to be trolled?

Thanks.

We did alittle bit of everything this weekend on Owasco.  Laker jigging was ok with 3 landed.  Jigging spoon was better Saturday, and then they were short striking it on Sunday so plastics were better.  Mid-lake and North was best, 60-70 was the better looking screen.

Tried some casting the outside edges of the weeds and even did some after-dark fishing (walleyes?) which produced nothing.  Mooneyes were still spawning on Long Point.  After all that I hooked and handed off a 17" smallie from the dock with a bobber trout magnet/garden worm combo on a spiderman pole with like 20# test, while fishing with the kids.

One interesting note:  I tried a "sabiki" rig this weekend, and they really work!  It was as easy as finding the bait, you do have to set the hook though which surprised me.  Anyone fishing with mooneyes should have one of these.  For $1.50 at Dicks it will pay for itself pretty quick.

Thanks for the detailed description of results.  I fish the lake with limited success and was looking forward to seeing what kind of show you guys would put on! 

Owasco has been tough for us so far this year.  Like you said West side has been better, but being better then 0 is easy.

Very nice.  Bow looks kinda skinny, post spawner?  I think statistically I'm bound to catch one eventually......right?  I don't troll much though so that hurts me.

I fished Sunday night and Monday morning.  Monday morning was better with 3 hits and one in the boat.  I'm just hoping with the hard winter things are a bit behind shedule, cause the past two weekends have each produced one 22" laker.  I'm starting to fear the ice fisherman might have taken a toll on the lakers. 

Bows and Browns - I've seen one caught in 3 years fishing the lake.

Anyone hearing anything about Browns or Rainbows?  The bait is back hopefully the Lakers and Walleye (not looking to start anything)have switched off the fingerling diet since the bait has returned in good numbers. 

I've been an avid reader but this is my first report.  I plan on participating more this year, and thanks to all for some great info. 

Fish on Owasco still seemed to be in a winter pattern, landed 3 average lakers on leadcore with spoons over 150ft.  Best looking screen was anything over 150 and south of Long Point.  Landed another laker jigging on the drop (saw him chasing down on the graph).  All fish that were biters were down between 30'-50' over 150-170'.  Water was 38-42.

There was 2 or 3 other boats out.  I'd be glad to hear from anyone who fishes the lake.  My family has a place there and I get out as much as I can.