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Cross lake


FishingTheFL

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I fish Cross Lake several times a year by boat and it always surprises me how few fisherman are on it. Maybe I just pick good days?. Not sure where you would access it from other than Cross lake Marina or the campgrounds. I am not sure if either are plowed???
I'll try to give them a call. I mean I don't mind a drag to the ice. Have to do it at oneida when we go there. Just tired of small fish at sodus and pickerel at cayuga. I walked 4 miles in two days and couldn't find any perch or gills on cayuga. Started holes in 3fow all the way out to 12fow. Worst part is the 3fow to 8fow had the most weeds.

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100 views is not much and I’d guess that of those hundred, not many more than the 1 who replied has ever fished it. It’s been on my radar ever since I read an article boasting the amazing fishing both there and on the Seneca River. But I’ve never seen a solid report out of there...ever. JohnnyWalleye pounded the crap out of it a bunch of times with little to show for it if I recall. I don’t think it’s anyone’s honey hole so much as there are so may better options within reasonable proximity with Oneida being the best.

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Oneida is the clear winner for Walleye hands down. The "Ditch" off of the Seneca River is in fact a good walleye spot but I do not even bother to fish the Lake for walleye. I use it mostly for the days that the wind is blowing hard but I want to get out. Fish the lake for Pike , Perch, White Perch, Catfish and the occasional Musky. Sometimes run up the river and cast the banks. Ya never know what might strike. 

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You could always try the ice on Otisco Lake too. Two near world record Tigers pulled from there already this year about two weeks apart. The eyes are there but the perch are not brutes ... 10-12 inch max. There is a new Boat launch on the southwest corner by the causeway for parking, but I would suggest fishing the north side of the causeway. A buddy of mine that lives up on the hill says there are guys out there all the time so the ice must be good. Just be careful near the channel through the causeway.

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Otisco is closer if you are traveling from the west or south west

 

Otisco.thumb.PNG.4ed5c365baedaf3a77e937af77cb6b21.PNG

I'm out of Interlaken. I heard the lake has a lot of pressure right now. I'm not to interested in catching musky. I had plenty of pickerel out on cayuga.

 

All I really wanted to know is if the ice is safe and where to get on. I can figure out the fishing from there. Never got a chance to call the Inn today. Been on the phone all morning trying to get through to the irs and delivering firewood. Might plan on Wednesday but all depends on how much snow we get

 

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Mike I don't know how much ice is on Cayuga and I figure you wee fishing by the buoys at the north end/ If you can get to the north edge near Canoga where it drops to about 17 ft you are usually likely to find the perch between there and 20 ft or so about now.

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Shove ice is about half mile to the double bouys might. Froze way down to canoga but no one has gone that far and idk if I would want to walk the shove ice. I know there is perch probably further north based on reports and where I walked already. Just tired of miles of walking and not getting on them. Sodus all I caught was tiny perch. Just looking to try somewhere new where less likely to get surrounded by 4 wheelers after walking miles just because they see one decent pickerel on the ice...

 

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I hear ya Mike. Been there done that too many times there:lol: Back in the 70's and early 80's I has permission from a cottage owner there at Canoga so I could park there and walk to the spot but walking from the road near the north end is brutal. A few years ago my son and I were just starting out walking from there and in about 5 ft of water when I noticed a pressure ridge had some moving water in it and we stopped dead in our tracks and all of a sudden a great big ice floe broke off and stranded a bunch of snowmobiles and 4 wheelers out there and they had to travel all the way back to the north end to get off the ice

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I hear ya Mike. Been there done that too many times there[emoji38] Back in the 70's and early 80's I has permission from a cottage owner there at Canoga so I could park there and walk to the spot but walking from the road near the north end is brutal. A few years ago my son and I were just starting out walking from there and in about 5 ft of water when I noticed a pressure ridge had some moving water in it and we stopped dead in our tracks and all of a sudden a great big ice floe broke off and stranded a bunch of snowmobiles and 4 wheelers out there and they had to travel all the way back to the north end to get off the ice
Cayuga one my favorite places to fish but the weeds are dead out deep and the fish seem to be non existent in usual areas. Perch population seems to stay South for sure. I would love to figure out the crappie on cayuga. The two I caught 3 years ago where nice and was the first time I had crappie. Can't seem to find a lake to catch them in decent numbers or they just not big enough to meet the legal size. I heard they increased the size requirement too.

I don't want to fish musky because everyone complains when you keep them... Plus I hate getting the y bone out. I'm not very good at it. I'll admit I eat the tail area and cook the rib cage for the cats. Nothing goes to waste is all I can say

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Let's try to keep this world record in perspective.  That record isn't even close to the state record which isn't close to the real world record.  The state record dwarfs this fish at 35lbs.  The real world record is 51 lbs so stop this nonsense.  There aren't that many lakes that freeze with tigers in states where it is legal to fish for them in the winter.  People flock to catch a record and keep every single one because they think this size fish is a rare beast.   This size is not rare at all and needs to be released if you want to catch a really big tiger.  The articles on these fish leave the reader thinking it's an amazing catch when there have been 8 caught and killed just this winter.  If you put your time in you will see that while they are great catches they aren't records by real standards.  It's like going crazy over a 6lb smallmouth.   I know a kid who has caught 3 with me and isn't old enough to drive.  Im not here to say what a person should do with their legal fish, but don't think I have to keep this fish because it's nearly a world record.  These fish have to be released by other conservation minded individuals several times to get big.  The fact that the current record holder kept a 40 the same day gator caught the 47 is absurd.  They are keeping them because they think everyone would....well most actually don't.  Again, keep the fish if you want but know mid-forties fish aren't huge at all.  If a record is important, and this one definitely isn't, you will never catch a record if you kill fish before they reach record size.  I know of 3 I believe were close to or would have broken the state record and all were released, and I know of 5 50s that have been released.  So let's not glorify killing anymore near records.  I don't get upset with them being caught and kept I get upset when everyone thinks it's the norm!  The only thing normal about what is happening on Otisco is the size of these bs record fish....they are normal and caught all the time every single open water season by lots of people.  Now you figure out how to catch the walleye consistently especially thru the ice and that's not normal.  If you fish for perch, crappie, bass, walleye, bluegills or any other species besides tigers in Otisco you will eventually catch this size tiger without even trying so how can this be considered some miraculous newsworthy rare beast that you have to kill.  I know more regular Otisco anglers who have caught one than haven't.   Heck eat em if that's your thing but if size matters to you then this size must go back.  More important than anything though is know this world record equates to catching less than the biggest one caught on any given year in a 6 mile long lake....that doesn't sound so record like to me.  Wanna see a really big one do some research and you will see this isn't that.... This fish isn't even close!   

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The whole it's only a matter of time till a 30 in lber comes out of Otisco is ridiculous if these ones are kept and I have seen 30lbers come out and go back already....what's the big deal it's already happened...alot!!!  Just what we need is more over dramatized one sided news that everyone believes without any understanding of the truth.

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Not for nothing I agree with most of what u have to say.
But most people don't have a boat or caught a fish around 15lbs, so if there is a place u can get on the ice to fish for a fish of a lifetime " not just the record . I plan on fishing there before the year is over.


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Maybe you should read... Your basically the reason I won't go fish ostic... People pay for their license and if they decide to keep it... To each their own... They are stocked fish and as someone said before it only takes about 10 years for the fish to get that big.


This is a Cross Lake thread... Quit hi jacking my thread.

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4 hours ago, justtracytrolling said:

Let's try to keep this world record in perspective.  That record isn't even close to the state record which isn't close to the real world record.  The state record dwarfs this fish at 35lbs.  The real world record is 51 lbs so stop this nonsense.  There aren't that many lakes that freeze with tigers in states where it is legal to fish for them in the winter.  People flock to catch a record and keep every single one because they think this size fish is a rare beast.   This size is not rare at all and needs to be released if you want to catch a really big tiger.  The articles on these fish leave the reader thinking it's an amazing catch when there have been 8 caught and killed just this winter.  If you put your time in you will see that while they are great catches they aren't records by real standards.  It's like going crazy over a 6lb smallmouth.   I know a kid who has caught 3 with me and isn't old enough to drive.  Im not here to say what a person should do with their legal fish, but don't think I have to keep this fish because it's nearly a world record.  These fish have to be released by other conservation minded individuals several times to get big.  The fact that the current record holder kept a 40 the same day gator caught the 47 is absurd.  They are keeping them because they think everyone would....well most actually don't.  Again, keep the fish if you want but know mid-forties fish aren't huge at all.  If a record is important, and this one definitely isn't, you will never catch a record if you kill fish before they reach record size.  I know of 3 I believe were close to or would have broken the state record and all were released, and I know of 5 50s that have been released.  So let's not glorify killing anymore near records.  I don't get upset with them being caught and kept I get upset when everyone thinks it's the norm!  The only thing normal about what is happening on Otisco is the size of these bs record fish....they are normal and caught all the time every single open water season by lots of people.  Now you figure out how to catch the walleye consistently especially thru the ice and that's not normal.  If you fish for perch, crappie, bass, walleye, bluegills or any other species besides tigers in Otisco you will eventually catch this size tiger without even trying so how can this be considered some miraculous newsworthy rare beast that you have to kill.  I know more regular Otisco anglers who have caught one than haven't.   Heck eat em if that's your thing but if size matters to you then this size must go back.  More important than anything though is know this world record equates to catching less than the biggest one caught on any given year in a 6 mile long lake....that doesn't sound so record like to me.  Wanna see a really big one do some research and you will see this isn't that.... This fish isn't even close!   

I am guessing you do charters for Musky out of Otisco so I understand your concern. The only reason I mentioned Otisco is the guy was looking for some hardwater fishing closer than Oneida and he said he had had 100 views with no comments about Cross Lake. The Tiger comments were because I thought it might interest HIM because he was the guy that would be traveling and hauling his gear. I fish Otisco often and have also dropped every Tiger I have caught back in but i could care less about who keeps the fish or what they do with them after they catch them. Mount 'em, eat 'em or release them...their choice.

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The Cross Lake Inn & Marina parking area has not been plowed out recently, the road has for the cottages. I had to put my truck in 4wd to get turned around in the parking area. They also have removed the little white shack that had the $ box on it for boat launch payment. Appears someone is living at the restaurant as one vehicle was parked up tight to the building with a 2 wide plow width driveway to the corner of it. No parking that I could see unless you have a 4wd and permission to park. I will PM you with an alternative.

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