Any Luck In Upstate Ny?

[clayton86]

I've been having a lot of luck in the river still both the oak and johnsons creek for smallies. Lake Alice meh not so much seeing a lot of bass cruising and chasing gills but that's about it.

[TheBug]

Went to Lake Alice last Thursday evening after work.  Caught a few, nothing of any size.  Best part was just before sunset when we went upriver to where it was shallow and there is a large weed bed that has developed.  The bass were chasing minnows in the weeds.  We would wait till we saw a group of minnows spook out of the water nearby and then casted weightless grass pigs and flukes to the spot.  Caught a couple doing that but it only lasted about 30-45mins.

[J Francho]

We would wait till we saw a group of minnows spook out of the water nearby and then casted weightless grass pigs and flukes to the spot.

 

Killer post spawn technique.  Right after spawn, fishing sucks.  Find weeds, throw flukes.  Rescue the day.

[ww2farmer]

No clue, it's backwards from what the book says they should do before a cold front. Maybe they don't read?

It's also been backwards the last two days on Silver....post front, north winds, etc....should equal bad fishing right? Well, you never know unless you go. Both yesterday and today were pretty good. No hogs either days, but plenty of numbers of both green and brown fish, with a couple upper 3lbers of each kind both days to keep things fun.

[ww2farmer]

  Right after spawn, fishing sucks.

For some.............but the last 4-5 years I have found that post spawn is very good if you get off the banks and/or obvious stuff, and get the power fishing mindset out of your head that's been productive for the last 4-6 weeks. The one exception to that is once the bluegills start making their spawning colonies. They are natural bass locators, you might go 4 hours between bites when fishing around gill spawning beds, but when you do get one, it's worth the wait. A lot of the larger, early spawning females never get to far away from the bluegills.

In larger than pond size bodies of water, there never is really a true "post spawn" period either, as fish will move up in waves until at least July. I find the bulk of the big ones are the early spawners, say late April-mid may. The middle waves, from mid may to early june, seem to be all "average" sized fish, with a random big one, and for some reason the later waves are either on the small size or hogs with no middle ground. I am talking LMB......smallies here seem to be one and done for the most part with random stragglers till mid june.

[nosdog2]

You guys are a wealth of knowledge!

[ww2farmer]

And then there was today...............clear bluebird skies, post post front LOL, and it was by the book.............IT sucked LOL. Thank god for a few straggler late bedding smallies, caught two 3.5lbers, and looked at A TON of water for more but I didn't find any locked, and just a few more idiots that spooked off never to be seen again. Plus I caught a handful of spawned out 2.5lb largemouth hanging around bluegill beds. Deep and finessey didn't fly, and not much of anything else worked either. I called it a day mid afternoon and took a nap.

[Subaqua Adinterim]

Went to one of the smaller finger lakes yesterday. I fish out of a light weight 12' canoe so even though I bring a lot of different stuff, it's not easy to switch and try too many things. I had great luck hooking into 11 and landing 8 all largemouths except one rock bass. 3 were over 4#s and the rest were probably 2#s or so except for one that was less than a foot long and of course the rock bass. I don't have a scale so the weights are just guesses, but the big ones were really nice size.

I was using a 6'10 Veritas rod and spinning reel with 10# mono and a barrel swivel with two feet of 6# floro with an Owner 4/0 ultra head 1/4 oz. shaky with the built in twist lock keeper and the Gary Y 3&3/4" craw dad in watermelon red&black flakes. It was a fun day and I'm not sure if something else may have worked better, but I got lucky with the shaky head and craw set up. I lost two of the shaky heads - one got bit off (pickerel?) and one got caught on a log; so I will need to get some more as I have just two left.

Also saw a deer swim across the lake which was amazing. Two others started behind it but they turned around after about two hundred yards and went back. I was on the shore a short distance away in a small cove eating lunch and it's possible they saw me and that made them turn around or maybe they figured it was too much work to go across. The one that made it across moved at a good pace and made the half mile or so in less than 15 minutes.

[stratos122]

Hi guys I have not fished silver in a couple years I'm thinking of giving It a try Sunday. Is there any size to the to the rockbass?

[TheBug]

Hi guys I have not fished silver in a couple years I'm thinking of giving It a try Sunday. Is there any size to the to the rockbass?

 

I fished Silver last night for about 3 hrs after work and although I wasn't targeting rock bass I did catch a few.  I'd say, with my limited experience, that they were average to a little bit to the small side.  That was the ones that I caught.  I was getting a lot of bites with nothing home that I am sure was just small rock bass.

 

Ended up with 6 largemouth and one smallmouth.  Nothing huge, but a couple decent ones and probably only one I would call a dink.  Caught them all shallow and fishing slow.  Didn't get one (other than rock bass) on anything moving.

 

Silver lake is definitely better than last year for me, might have to give the Thursday night tournaments a crack.  At least so far this year it seems I might have a chance to catch one.

[clayton86]

I've been in a heck of a slump this week fishing the oak and johnsons not a single fish since Tuesday not even seeing any other then carp. All beds are abandoned nothing it's like a ghost town. The kids have a youth fishing derby tomorrow at the Alabama swamps I probably won't be back out chasing till Monday since my weekend is booked with plans with the family the derby and fantasy island.

As long as it's not windy I'll be on the kayak Monday morning think I got a good idea where to look for some large mouth even though I've only caught two LM all season.

[wnybassman]

I might take the cover off my boat this weekend for the first time in nearly four weeks.   Then again, I might not.  The luck part is whether or not the cat has dragged any dead critters up in there or not.  lol

[ww2farmer]

I fished Silver last night for about 3 hrs after work and although I wasn't targeting rock bass I did catch a few.  I'd say, with my limited experience, that they were average to a little bit to the small side.  That was the ones that I caught.  I was getting a lot of bites with nothing home that I am sure was just small rock bass.

 

Ended up with 6 largemouth and one smallmouth.  Nothing huge, but a couple decent ones and probably only one I would call a dink.  Caught them all shallow and fishing slow.  Didn't get one (other than rock bass) on anything moving.

 

Silver lake is definitely better than last year for me, might have to give the Thursday night tournaments a crack.  At least so far this year it seems I might have a chance to catch one.

I was there last night too....I think I saw you on the east side by the water tower.

 

Not a bad evening for me....2 largemouth over 4lbs, another couple over three, and then a bunch of small keepers.

[Scorchx1245]

Tried canandaigua on Thursday and got skunked, caught a couple of perch sunfish and a rock bass on jerk baits.....water gin glear, 61 degree water temps, I think all the fish kills have ruined canandaigua.

[EvanT123]

I'm the rock bass king. Had a decent night on the Mohawk a week ago but it's been tough.

[stratos122]

I went to lake Alice today it was very slow almost got skunked.

[TheBug]

I was there last night too....I think I saw you on the east side by the water tower.

 

Not a bad evening for me....2 largemouth over 4lbs, another couple over three, and then a bunch of small keepers.

Yeah, I spent most of the time on the east side.  It's been the better side for me so far this year.

 

Hit Silver again on Saturday for a few hours in the morning till a about 1pm and did ok.  Got a couple nice ones of the docks swimming a jig in the morning and then it kinda slowed down.  Fishing partner was getting some small ones using a jerkbait on the inside weededge to keep use from getting bored( I picked up a couple with a squarebill and a lipless).  But around noon they started setting up back on the docks again and we got a few pitching beavers including the nice one below.  Been having fun on Silver this year and learning more everyday I get out there.

 

[clayton86]

My buddy and I launched the kayaks at marsh creek off of point breeze. First we headed north up the oak towards point breeze I got a large mouth quick on the frog in some Lilly pads then went dry for a few hours. Got another nice bass but lost it due to cotton wood jamming my level wind and couldn't reel as it ran towards me.

After the oak we went up marsh creek messed with a bunch of northerns....actually they messed with us. I had a 24"ish pike on jumping going crazy got it next to the yak and I went to grab it and it broke my line costing me my last white booyah spinner bait. I started cussing like a sailer then I noticed my spinner on the bottom so I attempted to hook it with my pole but just covered it in mud so I paddled away to let it settle. Then my buddy goes over and sees my spinner so he try's to hook it and in the process a different northern picks my spinnerbait off the bottom and swims off!!! I was still tying a new lure on when this happens nd he's laughing and telling me to come over he followed the pike. Sure enough this little 12" pike has my spinnerbait hanging out of its mouth in some cat tails. So I'm like I'll whack this thing with my paddle and get my lure back. So I jab at this baby pike it takes off and stops a few feet away and I paddle over and it swims a few feet away again this went on for a good minute or two till I started cussing like a sailer and gave up the whole time my buddy is behind me laughing hysterically.

So after that whole mess we went south on the oak towards lake Alice and found a little cove loaded with bass in 2fow hammering top water.

Now my legs are lobster red and I'm beat did lots of paddling today.

[rmcguirk]

After several weeks of nice outings on Conesus, yesterday and today were tough. Yesterday, I thought I had a good chance of getting skunked. The day started out slow--with the temperature drop and high winds, it was tough fishing. Not surprisingly, the bass had abandoned the shallows. Once I figured out the right depth, 7-9 feet, I did ok. Not great, but better than I expected. All fish came on moving baits, and primarily a swim jig. Given the 15+mph winds, that's all the really had any chance.

Today, for bass, I did get skunked. First time this year. I did get three pike, the first of which destroyed my last swim jig (or at least freeing him did). The first was pretty modest but really choked done the jig, but the second two, both on a 5XD were studs and put up great fights. Both came off the bottom in 15 feet. I never weigh pike--just want to get them out of the boat without getting bit--but each had to go 8+ pounds.

Hope the weather settles down or at least the wind, and we can get into a traditional summer-type bite soon.

[TheBug]

.....we can get into a traditional summer-type bite soon.

 

This is just my 3rd year bass fishing and although I do ok in the spring I really have struggled so far in the summer the previous years.   I have read in books/magazines about the summer season but I would be interested in hearing from somebody in this area that fishes a lake I struggle on in the summer (Conesus) describe what they think is a traditional summer type bite.  Don't have to go into great detail, but a general description would be greatly appreciated.  Just something to point me in the right direction.

 

Dodged my first skunk of the year the weekend before last at Conesus, was able to get one bass to keep my streak intact.  But it definitely got tough there for me.  I'm afraid with summer approaching that skunk is inevitable.

[J Francho]

Summer - find weeds.

[TheBug]

Summer - find weeds.

 

 

Hehe, there's the problem.  There's tons of weeds!   And it seems the one I check never have any bass in them. 

[J Francho]

Ok, you found the weeds. Fine tune it: find the good weeds.

[TheBug]

One of my goals this year is to definitely fine tune that pattern.  I'm hoping to spend enough time doing it to have something click.  Bass just aren't generous with the clues.

[clayton86]

One of my goals this year is to definitely fine tune that pattern. I'm hoping to spend enough time doing it to have something click. Bass just aren't generous with the clues.

I know ya said conesus but on Alice right along the road at the launch in that weed bed is always good to me and across from the launch to the right of the bridge that small cove with pads always has bass.