Jump to content

Laker orgy on Keuka

Pygmy

By Pygmy,
in Fishing

 Share

Recommended Posts

Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

Posted
Posted

One of my good hunting and fishing buddies ( another old fat guy) and I  decided to fish Keuka this morning for lake trout.

 

The lake is frozen except for the southern end..It's still open water from Hammondsport up to Two Mile Point.

 

We launched my buddy's 16 foot Tracker at the Motel in Hammondsport and started checking  spots on the depth finder that had produced fish in the past.

 

After about an hour of searching, we hit the mother lode...Fish stacked up near bottom in about 135 feet of water  near the east side.

 

We started vertical jigging , using 1 ounce diamond jigs and light spinning gear. The fish climbed all over them...

 

From 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, we boated 45 legal size lakers, the biggest being around 5 pounds...It was almost nonstop action.  We kept our legal limit of 10 fish, and quit simply because our arms got tired from jigging and playing fish... Awesome morning...

  • Like 11
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Lawdwaz....We were the only boat on the lake...

 

I filet them just as I  do nearly all of my fish.

 

Shawn...I used the same leader all day, 10 lb. test flourocarbon ...Probably got lucky that the knot did not fatigue, but that flourocarbon is pretty tough stuff.. For jigging I use about 20 feet of it  with 15 lb. Fireline braid as a main line... Open face spinning reel and a 6 foot medium light action graphite rod.. Most of my buddies use light duty baitcasters for jigging, but I prefer the open face. With that light gear , braided line and a 1 ounce jig, I can feel a fish BREATHE of the lure 100 feet down.

 

I do have a camera..Just too dumb to put pictures on the computer from it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
shawnhu Newbie

shawnhu

Posted
Posted
Lawdwaz....We were the only boat on the lake...

I filet them just as I do nearly all of my fish.

Shawn...I used the same leader all day, 10 lb. test flourocarbon ...Probably got lucky that the knot did not fatigue, but that flourocarbon is pretty tough stuff.. For jigging I use about 20 feet of it with 15 lb. Fireline braid as a main line... Open face spinning reel and a 6 foot medium light action graphite rod.. Most of my buddies use light duty baitcasters for jigging, but I prefer the open face. With that light gear , braided line and a 1 ounce jig, I can feel a fish BREATHE of the lure 100 feet down.

I do have a camera..Just too dumb to put pictures on the computer from it.

Sounds like a sweet jigging setup! Lead core is my preferred method these days.

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

   Sounds like a great, fun day!  Always wanted to do that this time of yr. but just a hell of a drive from this end of the state. (Buffalo)  Have heard its good fishing in early spring doing the same thing.  Sure would like to see pics.!

 

 

Vertical jigging is effective year round for lakers, but January through April are the best months to get large numbers of fish..

 

The reason...Winter lake trout ( at least on Keuka)  are very bottom oriented during the cold weather months.  Nearly all the trout are within 20 feet of the bottom, which narrows  your area of lure presentation, compared to say, June , July or August, when bait schools and trout can be at nearly any depth in the 150 foot water column.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Merlot Collaborator

Merlot

Posted
Posted

One of my good hunting and fishing buddies ( another old fat guy) and I  decided to fish Keuka this morning for lake trout.

 

The lake is frozen except for the southern end..It's still open water from Hammondsport up to Two Mile Point.

 

We launched my buddy's 16 foot Tracker at the Motel in Hammondsport and started checking  spots on the depth finder that had produced fish in the past.

 

After about an hour of searching, we hit the mother lode...Fish stacked up near bottom in about 135 feet of water  near the east side.

 

We started vertical jigging , using 1 ounce diamond jigs and light spinning gear. The fish climbed all over them...

 

From 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, we boated 45 legal size lakers, the biggest being around 5 pounds...It was almost nonstop action.  We kept our legal limit of 10 fish, and quit simply because our arms got tired from jigging and playing fish... Awesome morning...

great to hear...sure beats watching cars running around in a circle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
shawnhu Newbie

shawnhu

Posted
Posted
Vertical jigging is effective year round for lakers, but January through April are the best months to get large numbers of fish..

The reason...Winter lake trout ( at least on Keuka) are very bottom oriented during the cold weather months. Nearly all the trout are within 20 feet of the bottom, which narrows your area of lure presentation, compared to say, June , July or August, when bait schools and trout can be at nearly any depth in the 150 foot water column.

Total opposite here in Westchester. Trout are all over the top once ice out and dig deeper for cooler waters during the late spring and summer months. Caught my 7lb laker 150' down that way.

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Total opposite here in Westchester. Trout are all over the top once ice out and dig deeper for cooler waters during the late spring and summer months. Caught my 7lb laker 150' down that way.

X-Calibur Lighting Systems

http://facebook.com/XCaliburLightingSystems

 

I just finished a big meal of fresh lake trout filets...<<BELCH>>.....< 'scuse me>....

 

I am not sure what causes this phenomenon in such lakes as Keuka and Seneca...Perhaps it involves thermoclines or other temperature issues.

 

However, I do know from many years of fishing, that in January through April, if you want to catch lakers you better be bumping bottom, and in June and July it is not unusual to catch them 20 feet down over deeper water, or anyplace else in the water column, surface to bottom.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Well, the deeper Finger lakes do "turn over" and develop a thermocline.  I must plead ignorance as to why the lake trout tend to hug bottom  in 50-150 feet of water  in the winter. I do know from many years of fishing and reading depthfinders that it occurs.

 

It is not so with rainbows, landlocks and browns. They can be caught near the surface all year long.

 

I've caught lots of lakers in the summer suspended 20-50 feet down over deep water in the summer...Very seldom have I caught them  that high up in the water column in winter.

 

Perhaps it is because their primary forage, sawbellies( alewives)  tend to stay deeper in winter. The trout we cleaned yesterday were stuffed full  of them.

 

 

Edited by Pygmy
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

We're planning to hit the lake again tomorrow morning.

 

I'm considering putting a couple filets aside and trying PICKLING them, similar to pickled herring (YUM)..

 

From what I have read, lake trout pickles well.. I'll keep ya posted..

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lawdwaz Grand Master

Lawdwaz

Posted
Posted

We're planning to hit the lake again tomorrow morning.

 

I'm considering putting a couple filets aside and trying PICKLING them, similar to pickled herring (YUM)..

 

From what I have read, lake trout pickles well.. I'll keep ya posted..

 

Ahhhh, awesome!

 

Good luck and take more pics this time.  :bye:

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
oldkevin Newbie

oldkevin

Posted
Posted

Pygmy I fish the branchport end of the lake for lakers starting in mid april but this year it might be later lol. I have never fished the hamondsport end but have always wanted too. nice catch would love to get into jigging for them but son and our friend don't have the patients for it so we troll.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pygmy Experienced

Pygmy

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Kevin...They are hammering the lakers right now on the Branchport end jigging through the ice, using the same lures that I use fishing open water.

 

Nothing wrong with trolling..I did it for years. However once I discovered jigging I hardly ever troll anymore...It's just so much more fun catching the lakers on light tackle ( I use a medium light 6' spinning rod) and it is VERY effective..

 

All you need is a good fishfinder and an electric motor to hold the boat in the wind so that you can jig STRAIGHT down..

 

Trolling, in my opinion , is a lot more work than jigging  and while it is very effective, I never caught so many fish trolling as I have in the last 6 or 8 years since I have been jigging.

 

Give me a holler sometime when you start fishing and we'll go out and jig up a few..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...