Lone Star

Short version-You might lose gear trolling near one of these. They're for a DEC study. Everyone else probably knows this but I didn't find any posts. First time out on Saturday and noticed a buoy out in front of the Bluff and thought "Someone is using hotspot buoys here?" Thought I steered clear of it but lost a spoon while passing by, too far away to read the small print message that I later found out included the word "away." The Association put out this helpful warning about orange buoys in February, but the DEC must have decided on using yellow as well- https://www.keukalakeassociation.org/Orange_Buoys_on_Keuka_Lake.pdf "Anglers, please be aware that if you are fishing within 150 feet of these buoys, it is possible that fishing gear may get entangled in equipment used to anchor the buoys to the bottom." Orange_Buoys_on_Keuka_Lake.pdf

I hadn't ever heard of a Sutton spoon until I tried to find out about these. Obviously Keuka trying to send me a message.

Here's what a Naples-made Sutton 44 & 71 spoon looks like after getting hooked on my jig Saturday. Falling-apart brittle. Couldn't tell if the mono they were attached to was ever part of the copper wrapped around the whole mess. At least I got to learn that people love these 44 spoons.

No round gobies, but 8 pickerel helped take the sting out of boating no lakers on Saturday. Only went around the Bluff. Are they all down in Hammondsport now?

Nice!

Glad you got them to open up.

Went back out Saturday. Jigging with a white tube jig from the Bluff up to Branchport in everything from 50 to 160. No hits whatsoever. One small pickerel on a spoon right before I gave up after five hours. Free worms? "No thanks", say the fish. Several boats launching out of the State Park. No problem with the water levels now. Lots of trolling going on, but I didn't see anyone bothered by trout. Bass guys hitting every dock on the lake. Branchport was rough & windy while the Buff point was calm. Watch out for a debris plume as you approach the State Park & Branchport. Tree branches, weeds, dock parts, and lumber scraps have all collected in this area. Worst hazard was a mostly sunken log. Hit a large tree branch on the way south, caught up in the prop, leading to one of those "What the Hell?" moments before discovering the problem. I did get the motor tuned up, which was the actual purpose for going out.

The water is very low at that launch right now, my prop can verify. And I'll second your thoughts on the great neighbors who very much appreciate quiet, clean, respectful boaters.

Here' s the info on the Hammondsport launch http://www.townofurbana.com/boatlaunch.htm

Town launch in the village is "Residents Only" and equipped with parking lot gates opened by an electronic key fob. The motel next to the launch http://www.keukalakesideinn.com/ has its own launch, but I don't know what they're charging. I thought they were closed for the season.

That was the intended target area, but the motor wasn't giving me that feeling of reliability. What were you using?

Yes, "contacts" as in sonar contacts on the 1990s era LCD screen. None "contacted" my jig in any way.

Went out on Saturday to the point of the Bluff from 10 ft out to 150 ft. (Actually 150 back to 10, a few times) No luck. Vertical jigging with a 1 oz white and a bit of Dipsy Diver with a silver spoon down to 75 or so. No consistency on contacts. Some at 35, some at 75, some at 138 in 140 ft. Got pretty rough as the warm wind picked up. Just happy I could hit the lake in February. Time to tune that outboard.