Reports

Got out on my own today starting around 1:30 pm.  I wanted to give the smallmouth bass fishing a shot, as well as check on northern pike/pickerel action. Foliage is looking great.  We are getting close to peak season here in the Finger Lakes.  Another one to two weeks should do it but either way, things look spectacular outside.

I didn’t have a whole lot of time today, so I picked one shoreline and worked it as thoroughly as I could for smallmouths.  I threw jerkbaits, swimbaits and tubes and didn’t have much action at all.  I had one hit on a Rapala Shadow Rap deep runner.  It was a massive bronzeback, so I guess if I was only going to land one it might as well be the one I got which weighed around 5lbs 2 oz and was close to 21″ long.

Needless to say I was sure hoping I could get more bass, but that was it.  When I get some time, I’ll get out and give the “bronzos” another go.

The pike fishing was very good.  It’s encouraging to see good pike fishing on Cayuga Lake.  Back in the late 1990s through the early 2010s it was pretty darn good, but since then it’s been spotty.  That being said, last year was very promising. I landed 5 solid pike up to 32″ casting gear in around 2 hours and change.  Conditions were good and that’s important.  In that mix was a 25″, a couple 26″ to 27″s and a 29″ as well.   Fly-fishing should be very good for pike now.  I also had two pickerel – a 20″er and another one just like it that I dropped by the boat.

Sooner or later I’ll ditch my flip-phone and take some better pics!  Pike showed some signs of being a little beat up or scarred.  Not sure from what…but they weren’t all super clean.  One was a beauty color-wise.  Overall though they were nice fish.

Here’s a shot of the east shore foliage.