Seneca May 3rd Report out of Lodi

[adesalvo]

Launch & Conditions

 

• Launch site: Lodi

• Left home 3:30 AM, arrived just before 5:00 AM

• Too much debris to launch safely in the dark

• East wind ~5 mph until 10:30 AM, then increasing

• Full moon

• Cold from went through overnight

• Bluebird skies by 8:00 AM

 

 

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Bite Overview

 

Early Action

 

• First fish: Solid brown trout

• Lure: Brett’s custom UV glow Dirty White Boy with a silver cup

• Depth: Browns in ~30 ft, with best overall depth 25–45 ft

• Downriggers:• 25 ft down, 30 ft back

• Productive from first light through the entire day

 

• Flat lines & weighted steel:• Flat lines, 1‑color, 2‑color, and your 80‑ft weighted steel (your “3‑color”) all produced early

 

 

 

Lure Pattern Progression

 

• Before 9 AM (low light):• Pink, white‑glow, and UV patterns were hot

• Scott’s pink spoons especially

 

• After 9 AM (high sun, no clouds):• UV yellow and UV blue patterns dominated

• Best rods: 80‑ft weighted steel, 4‑color, 5‑color

• Hawk’s Blue Dolphin and Alien Eye both produced

 

 

 

General Lure Observation

 

• Silver‑back spoons out‑performed gold and bronze throughout the day

 

 

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Species Breakdown

 

• Atlantics: Shallow, right in front of the creek, just south of launch

• Rainbows: Spread out, hitting smaller spoons

• Browns: Concentrated in 25–45 ft, taking 25‑ft down riggers

 

 

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Trolling Details

 

• Speed: 2.5–2.7 mph at the ball

• Weighted steel & leadcore:• 80‑ft weighted steel produced all day

• 4‑color and 5‑color lit up after 9 AM

 

• Location:• The point held fish consistently

• Atlantics tight to the creek mouth

• Rainbows roaming wider

 

 

 

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Challenges & Lessons Learned

 

• Rod rotation on every turn:

Needed to switch rods constantly to keep shallow inside rods tight to shore.

• Tangles from crossing rods:

Moving rods over each other caused multiple tangles.

Fix for next time: Pull the inside boards closer to the boat before setting the outside boards.

• Limited spread due to tight water:

Only ran 8 rods because of how tight the program had to be.

Hindsight: Would have liked another Chinook diver or an additional 3‑color/weighted steel onboard.

 

 

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Good Decisions

 

• Staying on the point:

Decided not to leave the fish, even when other boats pulled off.

This has been the right call for the last three tournaments — the point continues to hold fish consistently and reward patience.

 

 

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Key Takeaways

 

• Best depth: 25–45 ft

• Pink / white‑glow / UV early → UV yellow + UV blue after 9 AM

• Downriggers were productive from first light onward

• 80‑ft weighted steel was a top rod all day

• Silver‑back spoons beat gold and bronze

• Staying on the point was the right strategic call

• Clear operational improvements identified for next trip
 

 

 

[Followed The Waves]

Well done sir---congratulations and great report!  I fished north of you Friday morning and picked up a few lakers, a decent brown, and a few small salmon and rainbows.  I hope the wind over the past few days cleaned things up but there was a lot of debris in the water---some of it big enough to take out a lower unit---logs, wooden planks, and everything else. I'm heading back up Friday with my nephew but the weather is still looking unsettled at this point. I'll post a few highlights of the clunkers I was working around.  If the lake is flat, you can see the floaters but with a little chop, everything disappears…

 

 

[Sk8man]

 Very nice detailed report Anthony. You have really picked up your game since we first met was it ten or so years ago? at the south end of Canandaigua with your family and previous boat....good memory of our chat Best of luck if you do decide to fish the Seneca derby. Les

[adesalvo]

On 5/7/2026 at 12:24 PM, Sk8man said:

 Very nice detailed report Anthony. You have really picked up your game since we first met was it ten or so years ago? at the south end of Canandaigua with your family and previous boat....good memory of our chat Best of luck if you do decide to fish the Seneca derby. Les

Thanks Les for the kind words!  Me and my recent college graduate will be fishing the south end of Canandaigua this Sunday.