4/23: Guided Jack, his brother Toby and friend Dave for a 1/2-day trip starting at 8:30 am. Lake levels are still pretty much right at a low flood stage, but it isn't as apparent around Long Point (mid-lake areas.) There is still a bit of small debris around. The launch ramp is slippery due to algae, so beware when winching up boats! If it stays like that, a lot of pleasure boaters will be going for inadvertent swims this boating season.
With the respectable numbers of lake trout I marked the day before yesterday, I felt pretty confident that we'd have a good day today with the warm front coming through, and we did. Fishing never got hot and heavy, but everybody on board caught three fish. I told them as we got underway that a nine fish half-day trip for three people would be a good day, and lo and behold, that's what they landed. I should have said fifteen fish would be a good day....
The fish we caught were mostly around 26" to 29", although Jack had one that was smaller. The fish are starting to feed a lot more and made a mess of my boat deck with their crap. Most fish were in very good condition. We had one fish with an old lamprey scar, but that was it. The others were clean.
Jack reports taking some lakers yesterday jigging on Seneca Lake. Water levels there are still very high. Perch guys fish around Jack's cottage quite a bit and they are all gone. I was surprised this year not to see perch anglers around Watkins Glen for more than a few days. Jack's place is around a mid-lake area. Perch fishing was reportedly good in March and early-April. I think they spawned after the first warm rains.
