walnut109

I have not been out yet this year and I typically do not start fishing Skan until late June due to focusing on warmwater species elsewhere. Skan landlocks have been tough for me the last 2 years. Much the same trolling for rainbows but I catch at least one each time out. Lakers are relatively easy to catch. Small spoons at 1.8 to 2.6 mph has worked best for me in the past and pretty much the whole lake holds fish. I would start riggers 25 to 30 down if going out now and see what the electronics tells you. I would also run a flat line on planers early or mini-dipseys. Lakers prefer a bit deeper water and slower speeds and usually are schooled. Getting the lure away from the boat is also important due to the clear water.. Good luck.

Owasco Lake has a small surface area/volume compared to watershed size. Therefore, more water turnover and more chance for aerial pollution compared to the other Finger Lakes. My guess is any long lived fish such as walleye or lake trout will collect mercury over time. Smallmouth are eating machines and that may explain elevated levels in them. Although fish eating advisories should be of concern, common sense regarding the warning should also be observed. A few years ago I inquired about the details of testing results on a body of water I had fished for many years in the Adirondack Park. The biologist told me a total sample of three fish were taken, the entire fish was processed for sample and only one fish, which was the largest, exceeded the guidelines for the warning. That body of water still has an advisory, and has probably never been sampled again. Use caution and common sense. Some NY waterbodies have seen significant industrial pollution and those are the ones I would eat no fish from. That being said, fillet all fish and remove all red fatty tissue, skin and lateral line. Grilling and poaching also helps remove any remaining fat.

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Looking for a flutter style Sutton #42 and #47. Condition is not important as long as the number and Sutton stamp are legible.

Big fish was 10.76. Lots of nice fish caught. Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/pg/naplestroutderby/posts/?ref=page_internal

Drove past Skaneateles today. One dock is in and there were 5 trailers at the parking area.

Lets face it. Things have changed in most our lakes since I started fishing fifty years ago. Milfoil has probably had one of the largest impacts, especially on the smaller lakes. But fishing is still pretty good and worth the time invested. We should all be excited about the upcoming open water season. Coldwater/warmwater fisheries can and do co-exist successfully in New York and all across the northern states. Tupper is an example. Walleye did co-exist with trout in Owasco prior to the alewife invasion, which decimated the walleye population. Catch rates for browns and rainbows in Owasco did decline in the data collected by DEC from diary reports during the walleye stocking. However, many other factors were at play at the time. Most significantly a large surplus of lake trout were stocked by DEC at the same time. Not all DEC decisions are correct and personally, I feel the walleye-trout issue relationship on Owasco is more emotion than science. Also, one lake's results should not dictate policy for all lakes. Owasco and Skan are different watersheds and biomass. Skan is much different than it was 50 years ago too. Biomass related issues are complex, interwoven and hard to predict. I fish for walleye, pike, trout, salmon, perch, bluegills, crappies, bullhead and even carp off the dock. All fish are equal in my eyes at the end of a line, but not in table fare. I summer troll for Skan bows and the last two summers I have had less success. But this past fall was great for me and I caught and released quite a few undersize bows. There seems to be a good class of 14-inch fish out there. DEC has documented bow catch rates had declined, but average sizes are way up. Probably the same total weight is being harvested. Same results for smallmouth. More pickerel in the lake too. More guys are warmwater fishing than coldwater fishing as well. Very few fall and summer trout trollers on the lake lately. Skan has changed. I am not of the opinion that outlaw fisherman bucket stocked walleye in Skan and were successful. Self-sustaining walleye fisheries are not easily established. Ask DEC. They have literally failed on a hundred of lakes across the state, but that is a different topic. My guess is walleye have always existed in Skan as a very tiny population and lake conditions have finally reached a point where they are able to increase their population. Walleye are native to the Seneca-Oswego River watersheds, which Skan is a part of. Rainbows are an introduced western fish, but that doesn't matter to me. Skan bows are gems. So are Skan perch. So should be Skan eyes. DEC is correct that illegal stocking is not in our fisheries best interest, but the genie is out of the bottle. At least walleye is a native fish that is great angling and table fare. Netting of the walleye to remove them would be fruitless and I would assume kill many other fish as well. I think we all need to take a deep breath and enjoy the time on the water.

My summer trolling catch rate has dropped off the last two years, but I attribute that to the large numbers of juvenile perch two years ago and the fact DEC is stocking two different strains now. I need to change my summer tactics a bit. This fall was good early for me but dropped off in mid-November, probably due to the extreme cold temps so quickly. Fish ranged all sizes, which is good. Tried 2 weeks ago and landed two small keepers, but the bite was exceptionally light. My guess is the fish are still available now with the moderately warm weather we have had.

Great topic. I really enjoyed reading these posts. My first experience with Finger Lakes trout fishing began at Lodi in the early 70's. An old guy (who was probably actually younger than I am now) would go out every morning from the campground and bring back 2 or 3 lakers and rainbows. To a 10 year old, the size was massive compared to the stream trout we cut our teeth on. He was a wire puller, and not the most friendly guy, he but offered suggestion on purchasing a Seth Green Rig in town. For the next 15 years trolling the Finger Lakes was how we spent the weekends. We fished from Keuka to Otisco but mainly focused on Skaneateles and Owasco. I spent many days hunkered down in the bow of our 14-foot Starcraft waiting for the rods to bounce. I returned to focus on warmwater species for the next 20 years but recently got the itch to go after the trout/salmon again after a friend donated a couple of riggers to my son for his boat. I really enjoy trolling the Finger Lakes. The setting is so unique and we are blessed to have this in our backyard. I never really got the itch for the browns or kings on Lake O., but we have been going out of Fair Haven the last two years. Lake O. is great fishery, but it has a different feel than the Finger Lakes. Of course each Finger has it own unique feel too, along with the history associated with the fishery. I have our old Miller's, Pine Valley's, Quick Strikes and Sutton's. In my opinion, there never a sweeter looking lure than a new Sutton pulled from its wrapper in the 70's. I am trying to fill out my collection of flutter style Sutton's which is not easy, as some of the early ones were hand cut and very limited in number. I am almost there (32 out of 35 I think, there may be more). I purchased an old Seth Green rig this summer and plan to use it at least once while turning off the electronics. The fish will still be in their old haunts, let old Seth find them. Sometimes, simpler is better for the mind and soul.

Based upon past years, it usually depends upon snowfall. I have launched as late as mid-December. Both docks were still in as of last Thursday, although there was not a single trailer in the parking lot.. I would anticipate mid-November unless lack of boat inspection budget has an impact.

My friends have fished out of Mud Bay for years. Mostly for warmwater species. I would think the trout/salmon would be a long run. Chaumont Hardware should be a good source of up to date information. You definitely should bring the planers if trolling for eyes. Good luck.

Significant debris and pollution at Lodi Point. The State boat ramp is barely visible. A very sad situation for those impacted. Here is a link to some more aerials. https://twitter.com/FLXJosh/status/1029415478433857536/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^1029415478433857536&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffingerlakes1.com%2F2018%2F08%2F14%2Fupdate-mandatory-evacuations-lodi-state-of-emergency%2F

Got out this AM from 6 to 10. Kept 3 LT and 1 RT. Released 2 small LT. Bite was good early, but died by 7:30. Caught fish down 40 to 60. One LT and the RT were 21". Did observe some algae in spots, but not nearly as bad as last summer. A few other guys out fishing, mostly near shore. Been almost 2 years since we caught a LLS. Anybody connect with any LLS lately?

I have graphed extremely large marks in the fall near the State launch. I presumed the were big lakers setting up prior to the spawn. My guess is the old fish live very deep most of the time and may be night feeders as well. Jigging or trolling large spoons down 150 or deeper would be my pattern to try an catch one. Unfortunately, it may take years to hook one.

My cousin's biggest laker was caught in Dec. 2011. It weighed only 20.5 pounds due to being a post-spawn female. It contained a 16" laker in its stomach. The big lakers cannibal their smaller brothers and grow to extreme sizes. Not many in there, but enough to make it very interesting.