Cayuga Lake out of Taughannock State Park 12/3 + 4

12/3:  Guided a full day trip with Ron starting just after 8 am.  Needless to say, it was very cold out.  My boat cover was frozen onto my boat this morning and it took a good 12 minutes to get it off!  A little warm water helped with that.

The day did warm up eventually but it took awhile.  We had good fishing on Cayuga Lake with decent nearshore lake trout action.  Fish ran around 25" to 28" if I remember right.  We had one stretch where the fishing was hot and heavy, but for the most part we had a slow but steady pick today. Ron managed to nab a beautiful brown that was 24" long and hefty.  Probably over 6lbs.   Ron also managed to break off a very hard fighting salmon that ran towards the boat, jumped 3X and then ran away from the boat and snapped the line.  We wound up with 4 lakers and the brown.  We kept one mortally wounded laker.  The lakers all appear to be post spawn and have vivid coloration.

12/4:  Guided Mark today this AM starting again around 8:15 - 8:30.  The park was busy this morning with dog walkers and shore anglers.  A lot of people have been out fishing Cayuga Lake from shore over the past couple days.  Fishing is good.   We set up to fly-fish pike but didn't have any action.  Switching out to gear allowed Mark to cover water more quickly.   Pike fishing has been fair thus far for us on Cayuga Lake.  We've had better action on Owasco and Seneca Lakes thus far this year, though Cayuga is harboring some nice fish.  Mark nabbed a 34"er on a spoon as well as a shallow laker on a spoon this AM.

We had solid fishing again today with the pike and 4 nice lakers.  The shallow laker bite was fair to good for us today.  Water temps are around 46 degrees.  Friends did catch some browns and salmon today as well as some deeper lakers.  You just never know where a salmon, brown, rainbow or laker will turn up on Cayuga Lake these days.  With salmonids eating everything from alewives to gobies and gizzard shad, fish can be just about anywhere.  It's really a matter of how you want to catch them.  If you want to use bass gear and fish shallow you can have a lot of fun.  You might enjoy yourself more out deep if you just want to kick back and relax.  On any given day you might catch more fish out deep or vice-versa.  Maybe you'll catch a brown or salmon while laker fishing, maybe you'll catch a big laker while casting in shallow. In the "Angling Zone" you can have it your way, just like the Whopper....  ;-)

My schedule remains wide open for winter fishing.  Owasco and Seneca Lakes are the best options for pike but wind is a major consideration on Seneca.  You can target pickerel with shots at bonus pike on Cayuga Lake out of Long Point.  Lake trout fishing can be fantastic out of there throughout the winter with occasional bonus salmon and browns.  Landlocked salmon fishing is fair on Cayuga Lake and very good on Seneca Lake (for generally smaller fish, but better fly-fishing.)  If the State Launch remains open at Skaneateles Lake we SHOULD see good salmon fishing there, but that remains to be seen.  Take your pick!