Cayuga 6/21

[hermit]

What a fantastic morning, light to no wind, warm, and the lake to myself for hours!  Didn't see another boat until 7:30.  So I got to Taughannock around 4:30 and caught myself a few sawbellies, tough pickings today they may be starting to move out, or else it was me scaring them in the dead calm water.  Anyway got two to run on the slip bobber.  Nothing doing with this all morning.  Launched at 5, fishing by 5:30.

 

Did a bit of exploring some favorite spots, it's starting to pick up but not a bonanza yet.  Some bait in shallow (50-90) and a few packs of fish but no carpet.  I did have seven lakers on the screen in one spot though!   Fished both west and east side north of the park, looked in 50-150 fow and caught fish from 55-100 fow.  They were not too aggressive and I dropped a good handful most likely due to being barely hooked.  Sizes ranged from ~3 lbs up to ~9 lbs.  That 9 was suspended at 40' over 100', I hoped it was a brown or something else at first, but nope, just a fat feeding lake trout!  I saw it on the screen and dropped a jig on its head, boom, instant response.  Makes up for the other fifty times you do that and nothing happens.

 

Jigged until 9:45.  Lakers were most active between 7 and 8:30 with a few before, none after.  Picked up and ran back to a good spot near the park to try for some browns or salmon, stuck the bobber back out and cast lures from 10:30-11:30.  (Also spent some time checking out some stuff on the way back south.)  No hits but I was seeing fish from 20-50 down over 50-80.

[Sk8man]

Nice going Hermit and great report....felt as though I was right there .....lets hope the brown action heats up soon on these Finger Lakes....

Edited June 21, 2013 by Sk8man

[jusgrinnin]

Thanks for the report see ya on the water soon!!!

BARRY

[lakerchaser]

Hermit!  Just wondering - do you get the sawbellys from shore with a cast net or small bait. Thanks.

[hermit]

lakerchaser- I have a length of line attached to a stiff saltwater rod I found.  I strung it up with 10 tiny little aberdeen hooks using a "knotless knot" (used a lot in carp fishing) on the vertical part of the shank so they stick straight out and a 1/2 oz weight at the bottom.  When times are good they'll bite the bare hooks.  Last few times I've been snagging them though.   I've also used a dip net but stupidly gave it away when I stopped chasing the smelt.   

 

What is legal though I'm unsure of- they sell cast nets all over the state but according to the table half way down this page http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/47282.html the only legal place to use a cast net is the Hudson River, and the only legal way to collect your own alewives is with a gill net or minnow trap.  I have no idea if the snagging line or dip net is okay- neither are mentioned.

 

Barry- have a great vacation and good luck!  Not sure if I'll be back out tomorrow morning or Sunday but we'll catch up sometime when you're here.

 

Yeah sk8man it was a great morning... nice to catch more than 1 laker for a change world of difference from Memorial Day weekend in terms of pleasantness!

Edited June 21, 2013 by hermit

[ERABBIT]

Nice report Alec !!!! 

[lakerchaser]

Thanks a lot for answering my question. When i was a kid we used to fish at night in a boat with a latern over the side. The sawbellys would come up to the light and we would dip net them then put one on a english rig and send it down just under the school. Caught some nice lakers in those days. Today i mostly just jig and mayby run a couple lines for salmon Jigged a couple wild lakers yesterday across from the plant on opposite side. One was clean and the other had a lamp mark.Also caught a nice clean stocky.I pretty much use a 1.5 oz tube jig with a white ice tube. Good luck jigging. 

[Adk1]

My inlaws live in Trumansburg. I know Taughannac Park pretty well. I dont think that  Ican get under that walking bridge with my 221 Islander though can I?

[rustyrat]

Nope u won't fit for sure. Either treman or deans cove are your choices on the west side.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[hermit]

lakerchaser, yeah not many guys out with lanterns these days... see a few come derby time but that's about it!   Does make me wonder what we'll all be doing in another 25-50 years.

[lakerchaser]

I am 72 now so i have a pretty good idea where i will be in 25 years. Until then i will jig every chance i get.Keep the reports coming. Thanks

[Sk8man]

In 50 years I'll let my son drive the boat and jig from the wheelchair....cause I'm only 68

[hermit]

Spent some time last night reading the environmental section of the state code for any more info on collecting sawbellies-  didn't find anything.  So snatching of any sort (except for a few limited instances not near here) is illegal, and neither apparently is the dip net.  Using a minnow trap or gill net is the only legal way to collect your own sawbellies.  I'll have to rethink my methods but just wanted to get the right info out there, don't want to be suggesting anyone do anything illegal.