Skaneateles Lake 10/16 PM
Got out here on my own for around 4 hours this afternoon. The weather forecast looked pretty iffy with winds out of the north from 10 to 15 mph and drizzle/showers expected for most of the day. I did get the wind, but the rain kept to the south, east and west. I never had to put on my raingear. My rig was the only one at the state launch when I launched and when I came back in. I never saw another recreational boat out on the lake today.
I was hoping to nab a walleye or two, but it didn’t happen. Conditions were good for them as far as I could tell. Unfortunately, there’s only so much I can do in 4 hours on the lake. The trip started well with a follow from what appeared to be a solid rainbow on my 3rd or 4th cast. I did land a couple of nice 13″ yellow perch, plenty of rock bass, a few nice smallmouths and even a 26″ chain pickerel! Spring and fall fishing on this lake can produce some pretty cool mixed-bags of fish. I pretty much stuck to a tube-jig today, although I did throw a jerkbait for a bit. I did not try to target smallmouths at all today – really just shot for walleyes.
Fall foliage is near peak here. Surface temperatures on the lake are 61/62. Lake level is good and thankfully the docks are still in.