Cayuga Lake out of Long Point 11/21
Guided Michael and his dad Bruce for a full day. We got underway around 8:30 am. I’m impressed to still see Cayuga Lake’s water level up. I can never figure out what the deal is regarding why some years the lake is drawn down early and moreso than on other years. Either way, I’m happy to see the lake where it should be and some easy launching to be had.
We combined some lake trout jigging with some casting for pickerel. The weather pattern looked good for both and sure enough it was. For whatever the reason, Bruce really did a number on the lakers. He landed 4 and lost one. Fish ran from 17″ to 27″. We kept the three biggest fish – a 21″, 22″ and the 27″ (wild.) They should be all over the place from shallow to deep, but we caught ours from around 90′ to 110′ FOW.
The guys both had a lot of fun with the pickerel. Despite the churned up murky conditions and some good wind, the guys landed 8 or 9 fish up to 24″. We kept around 6 for the sautee’ pan and some fish cakes. Mike dropped what appeared to be a very solid fish – either a big pickerel, pike or perhaps a bass. Most likely one of the former.
Stomach checks revealed the pickerel having quite the fondness for gobies! A big bluegill was also in one of the pickerel stomachs. The lakers were in average condition, no doubt still recovering from the spawn. Water temps were 50 in the lake’s middle portions and around 48/49 up north. This mild late-fall weather is really slowing down the lake’s cooldown.
I have a few more bookings on the calendar for the remainder of the year; most dates remain open for trips. I don’t do any sub-freezing guided trips, but anytime there are highs in the upper 30s or 40s (or higher) and the winds aren’t outrageous, I am willing to guide. I can usually do a trip on short notice.