Cayuga Lake Salmon and Lake Trout

[Jimmy]

I know I had a GREAT day casting spoons to Rainbows last April from Taghannick Falls State Park.. 

There was still ice on the shoreline, but open water where the river was pouring out into the main lake...

With an ultralight and some 10lb PowerPro I could BOMB the spoons all the way out onto the ice.  Then I dragged it over the lip, let it sink, and as soon as started the retrieve an 18" 'bow would hammer it.

It was great fun, though the guys near me with bigger gear were going fishless because of their limited casting range.  It was amazing that day.  But then I trailered my boat out there two weeks later when the ice was gone and got skunked...  Go figure.

Cayuga is a tough nut to crack sometimes, but I have seen enough MONSTER pike and lakers come out of there to know that it holds some real trophies...  Good luck out there, go get 'em!

[Hooked]

I used to fish every morning( never missed a morning) in april thru last week of june somewhere, even when working steady!( Unless had massive hangover once in a while!) I graduated high school in 87 from Ithaca used to keep my rods in my lockers until I was old enough to drive, then my van! I used to keep a 22 cal. rifle in my locker for hunting, can you imagine that now a days!

Nice,you did it right, Ihaven't met a high school kid on the lake yet, but I'll bet there's still a few getting out there.  I'm gonna dig for some 80s weather records, I know a few people at Cornell in Nat. Resources, might have some detailed records.  Great to see a few others getting in on this post!

[Hooked]

I know I had a GREAT day casting spoons to Rainbows last April from Taghannick Falls State Park.. 

There was still ice on the shoreline, but open water where the river was pouring out into the main lake...

With an ultralight and some 10lb PowerPro I could BOMB the spoons all the way out onto the ice.  Then I dragged it over the lip, let it sink, and as soon as started the retrieve an 18" 'bow would hammer it.

It was great fun, though the guys near me with bigger gear were going fishless because of their limited casting range.  It was amazing that day.  But then I trailered my boat out there two weeks later when the ice was gone and got skunked...  Go figure.

Cayuga is a tough nut to crack sometimes, but I have seen enough MONSTER pike and lakers come out of there to know that it holds some real trophies...  Good luck out there, go get 'em!


Sweet day, Jimmy.  Sometimes doing things different than everyone else gets it done.  Seems a lot of guys at T-Park fish the same way every time, but they know if they put their time in, they'll catch fish!

[SNAGGER]

You'll need a zerox machine when June comes about T-Park! That was my Second home in June for 2 decades!

[SNAGGER]

LOL   I graduated from big red a few years ago (05).   Our frat loved to hunt and kept all our guns insde the house, but we definitly missed out on some of the fine fishing around, looking back its a regret, but I got more time now.  Might get out the next few weeks, thanks for the reports guys.  When I make it there I will have to share some insight, its been a few years since mostly targeting lakers on this lake.

Which frat house, I used to be a photographer for my uncle, he ran a small bus. called Campus Photo. Go to all of your events and ripp out ten rolls of film and then get plastered. This was in the late 80's, what a blast! If you like lakers, late april, wade off meyers in front of the creek mouth throw either a live sawbellie or smelt with a slip rig and walk back to the gravel and put rod in a sandspike or y-stick. Used to be fast action at first light! Oh forgot, leave bail open and put a pebble on your line. then small piece of tin foil at the rod tip on the line. When the fish runs with the bait, you'll see the foil from a long ways away leaving!

[buckclub]

Which frat house, I used to be a photographer for my uncle, he ran a small bus. called Campus Photo. Go to all of your events and ripp out ten rolls of film and then get plastered. This was in the late 80's, what a blast! If you like lakers, late april, wade off meyers in front of the creek mouth throw either a live sawbellie or smelt with a slip rig and walk back to the gravel and put rod in a sandspike or y-stick. Used to be fast action at first light! Oh forgot, leave bail open and put a pebble on your line. then small piece of tin foil at the rod tip on the line. When the fish runs with the bait, you'll see the foil from a long ways away leaving!

AGR (alpha gamma rho) LOL good story.  I am familiar with the point, I have yet to try to fish there, but I do venture that way occasionally. I could try that sometime, I like the bail open live bait rigs, I've tryed rubber bands on windy days as well.  I usually english hook a double hook through the back on open water while jigging lead heads at the same time. 

We had a bus too, but it was more like a parking lot ornament for the neighboring frat for a few months.  haha

[Jimmy]

I've been in that AGR house more than a few times... 

My sister went to Cornell's Ag/Animal Science School and most of those AGR guys were in the same major(s)...

Good times in there, no doubt...  I disitnctly recall riding in a Land Rover one night that looked great on the outside but smelled like a Pig Farm on the inside.  As it turns out, the vehicle's owner was the son of a Pig Farmer...  Go figure...  Lots of Ag students in that frat, huh?

I went to school at Cortland State down the road- and I must admit- those Ithaca schools sure don't party like the Cortland did!!  Then again, I wouldn't begin to put C-State on the same level as Cornell academically...

But Ithaca College is a whole 'nother story all together.  The "Cortica Jug" football game was an annual event.

Those silly IC kids would be chanting "State School" from their side of the stands...

Us Cortland State kids just drank our beer and yelled back "You pay too much!"

Funny stuff, really...  But that was a long time ago...

[festus]

Hey ICE-T Can you get weather records for the 1980's, some of my 1980's diaries are in pretty bad shape!when I kept my records I lived down in the city, so add about 4-5 degrees to the game farm road in varna or the airport! My 4 best springs at stewart park were 86, 87, 90, 93. And still had decent ones in May from 97-2003...

Snagger,

There's some good climatological data available here - http://cdiac.ornl.gov/epubs/ndp/ushcn/newushcn.html.  You can get historical monthly and daily readings for NY stations here - http://cdiac.ornl.gov/epubs/ndp/ushcn/state_NY.html.  If you click on a station, you can get graphical plots or a CSV file of the data for the years in which you are interested. Unfortunately, only monthly is available for Ithaca.  The closest station with daily information is probably Cortland.  Still, you might find it interesting.

[avhnt9365]

New on here but was on shanty and my hunting forum. Posted a few times. Got on here tonight to see what people were fishing cause I want to go out real bad this weekend but needed something to fish for. I'm from Cortland so I was wondering where to go. Might have to try Cayuga. Talking about bringing rods and guns to school, thats a trip. I just graduated two years ago and everyday in october through december I had either my bow or shotgun in the truck and camo in my gym locker. Had a teacher senior year who hunted and I ended up having his class the last period of the day. So I would tell him I had a dentist appt. and he knew what I was doing so he would let me take off. Would change in the locker room before everybody came in and was to my truck without anybody seeing me. Used to keep my fishing stick in my locker also so I could go out right after school. Then I bought an Ugly Stick and it's one piece so I had to leave it at home. Anyways thanks for all the info about Cayuga, anyplace else around here this time of the year thats decent just to get a line wet? Little York is like my home water. Gramps has a house up there. I love the bass fishing up there and giant carp.

[Jimmy]

Once trout season opens up next week you've got access to decent trout water right in Cortland.

The Tioghnioga ain't pretty, but I caught several browns over 16" during my days at C-State.  Park right in the McDonalds parking lot near I-81 and fish right there.  As crazy as it sounds, the fishing by the bend at the Wendy's can be good too- if you don't mind overhearing everyone's drive-thru orders as you fish 

Plus, you've got a great stretch right by the beach area underneath the Interstate.

Fall Creek on Route 90 out of Homer is good too.  The farther you walk from the DEC parking area the more likely you are to find good fish.  Nice brookies, some browns, and even a few smallmouth in there.

I only WISH that I could have made a few casts to those MONSTER trout at the Cortland "Water Works" near campus.  My dorm was right behind that place, and there were more than a few late nights when it took all I had in me not to jump that wrought iron fence and bomb a streamer in there 

[SNAGGER]

 That's funny Jimmy, when I lived in Ithaca, I would party on  friday over in Cortland on Main street and hit all the bars! On Saturday hit downtown Ithaca and party with the I.C. girls and go to collegetown on thursdays with the locals and Cornell boys! GOOD TIMES!  Hey FESTUS thanks for the info! Hey AVHNT9365 tons of places to fish, most of which heat up in april, just check on here once in a while! Where is this frat house your talking about located, up by the ag. school? Or done on the hill?  Snagger!

[avhnt9365]

Thanks Jimmy for the info. I fished next to McDonalds last year but it gets crowded once they stock it. All the dirtbags come out and destroy it, and keep anything longer than a minnow. I never thought about the Wendys side of the bridge, might have to try it, nobody is over there. I also tried over behind Yaman Beach but I didnt have any luck. Up on Albany street in Homer was a good spot for me last year but it died out. Fall creek is that the one between Summerhill and Locke? Doesnt look like its deep enough for little cleos or any luers. Friday i am going out and buying my first fly rod. My neighbor has one and he outfished me last year big time everytime we went out. Snagger what you know about Otisco at the causeway? Fished last year for eyes up there but froze I disagree off doing it in October.

[avhnt9365]

The water works has huge ones in it. They used to have like a fishing derby for youngsters with the fish from there. It was when they had the waterfest or whatever its called. They would take out the monsters from in there and put them in a makeshift pond out back which was like 10'x10' and you could take a pole down and "catch" one fish and they let you keep it. They would bite on anything you threw in there so it wasnt a challange it was just a chance for kids to catch something of decent size. I used to ride my bike by there cause my mom lives over by Tomkins street and my dad lives by the hospital so I would ride by there and just watch them monsters swim around. Dont wanna get caught fishing in there though.

[buckclub]

It's located on Highland ave, just north of thurston on the north west side of campus (north of fall creek).  Dunbars was our second home LOL, and the fall creek house for happpy hour.  Going out on the north end of cayuga for perch saturday.  Should be interesting I hope!

[SNAGGER]

 No what I ment AV,( can't remember your handle, it's long) Is the fishing heats up in april, then it's non stop fishing right til ice up! I'm on another post asking about Otisco, never fished that one! You ever try lake Cuomo at the head waters of Fall creek, my cousin used to have a inn on that lake. Great largie/panfish lake! It's not far from you! Salmon creek in ludlowville is an awesome lake run trout stream from the falls down to the high bridge (rt. 34b) in mid april!