Reports

Guided Ron and his son Matt for a 1/2 day starting at around 11:30 am. It never got much above 35 or 36 degrees today, but with light winds it didn’t feel bad out. The region got pounded with rain on Friday night and large expanses of the lake were muddy/murky with less than 2′ of visibility. Fortunately I’d done my homework over the past two weeks and had some good areas in mind that were unscathed by the weather. We wound up having a very solid day with 8 lakers landed including one over 30″ and another around 28/29″. Most ran 22″ to 25″. A variety of lures took fish including tube jigs in green pumpkin (basically goby) and alewife, a large stickbait, bladebaits and lastly regular old swimbaits on heavier heads like we use during most of the year.

We saw one brown trout jump. Lake level remains good – it probably came up a little. Launching is possible at Myers but expect the lake to drop rapidly. Taughannock is still the best bet. Lake temps around creek mouths are at 40. The rest of the lake is around 41-42.

Air temperatures in the 30s and below play havoc with monofilament lines. I make sure I have 6 to 10 outfits on board due to potential tackle issues. Lines are also sprayed with line conditioners like “Braid Aid,” “Reel Magic” or the KVD stuff. My schedule remains open throughout the winter. If you are a hearty soul (to an extent) angling with air temps in the 30s shouldn’t pose much of a problem. Take care of the head, hands and feet and the rest is usually pretty easy. I like full raingear or a one-piece suit when it’s windy out. That extra protection from the wind really helps make a big difference in my comfort level. Wind is the key. We want some to help the bite, but too much with air temps in the low 30s makes for a potentially miserable or at the very least trying day.

cayuga lake