Cayuga Lake Salmon and Lake Trout

[fishingjason]

The Salmon and Lakers are now taking well! We have been getting them on Countdown Rapalas and Silver Hammered Crocodiles. We have been starting at Long Point and making our way North. It seems as if everyone focuses the Cayuga attention to the South end of the lake. Does anyone else fish out of Long Point this time of year? I have only ran into two other boaters so far in the last four times we have gone.

[SNAGGER]

How big are the landlocks you getting. Grew up on Cayuga and like you said never fished north of Sheldrake for trout or salmon. Finally somebody started a cayuga lake thread. Find out where those guys leave there truck and trailers and leave a note tell them to get on myfishfinder! ha ha!

[SNAGGER]

Come on you guys down there, late march used to be great at milaken station(aes) for landlocks & browns. And giant northerns closer to where you park!

[Hooked]

Well, I've been meaning to get on here and try to get some talk going on Cayuga (Ice-t on shanty).  I fished Milliken last week mid-week and out of 10 of us out there, there were 4 short LL taken and 1 keeper rainbow, no browns, full morning of fishing.  The curve of the outflow seems to effect who comes in close -- cause lots o' browns were caught the previous days with a totally different break to the outflow, several browns on nightcrawlers right in the outflow.  I wonder if concentrations are building in south end with all the flow coming in from Fall cr and Inlet?   

I'm headed out in canoe on Sunday on south end and see what I find.  At T-point, browns have been taken over the last month on perch minnows.  I'll try and get some of the guys I talk to to get on here.  There's a fair bit of info on Sander's guide thread.  I've only been fishing the area since last fall, so it's ALL new to me, and I'm dyin to learn this lake, appreciate Snagger's tips over on Shanty, and lookin forward to being out there in the little time I do have to fish.

[SNAGGER]

What's up Ice-T, wondering when you would show up. Late march in Ithaca, was always kind of a drag. Waiting for the south end of the lake to warm to the mid to upper 40's and the creeks aren't open yet. Atleast in the old days we had smelt everywhere! I just talked to one of the former small tackle shop owners( Wildman's) from the 90's, told him about myfishfinder. He's a very knowledgable fisherman, hopefully he'll get on here and share some stories! He used to be trolling maniac! If you want to know about some great lake run "BOWS" spots for the first, give me a shout!

[Hooked]

Too choppy on south end for my canoe this afternoon.  Was one boat trolling by the lighthouses.  So I went up to Milliken and fished the 2 hours I had, no luck.  4 others out there with me, and same deal.  We tried worms, cranks, spoons, nothin took.  2 guys I talked to caught a few browns there last week, but were under sized.  All salmon caught lately there seem to be under size...  I hear what you're saying about late March, especially not having a boat and having to stick on shore or close to it in canoe.  I was surprise how few trollers I saw, though. 

Hopefully some rain later in week will shake up the south end and get fish moving that way.  Part of me was thinking try naples for opening week, the other says stick with the inlet.  Hope some more Cayuga folk jump in here -- gotta keep Snagger in this post! 

[fishingjason]

Today we started out at my buddies house on Lake Rd by Long Point and made it to Aurora Inn area with little action. Got one Rainbow about 22" towards the mouth of Paine's Creek. Around Wells Dock a Northern followed to the boat then turned(yeah I know there O.O.S. and don't bother keeping them anyhow) and got a rock bass in front of the Inn. Then we hit the Cayuga Count Ontario tribs for the afternoon.

[SNAGGER]

Today we started out at my buddies house on Lake Rd by Long Point and made it to Aurora Inn area with little action. Got one Rainbow about 22" towards the mouth of Paine's Creek. Around Wells Dock a Northern followed to the boat then turned(yeah I know there O.O.S. and don't bother keeping them anyhow) and got a rock bass in front of the Inn. Then we hit the Cayuga Count Ontario tribs for the afternoon.

Keep the reports flowing Jason, The finger lakes warm the slowest of all the lakes in New York state. If you got A temp probe on your boat it will help you find alot more fish in April/May! I've never fished your end of the lake for trout/salmon, it will be interesting to listen to your reports this spring. So keep them flowing, great stuff man! What we used to wait for in Ithaca was 2-3 days in the 70's & 80's in late April til mid May, then the cold front would roll thru and stack all that warmer water at the south end with a north wind. We'd have a 2 day blitz until the water dispersed! Hey Ice-t did you here what I said, troll from where the Cornell crew puts there boats in at Stewart park as far up as the walk bridge and then all the way out to the end of the light house. Take a thermometer with you if the Cayuga inlet side of lighthouse is warmer then go up that side and into the CASS PARK MARINA. That's where Me and Travis (my old fishing buddy who's dead now) always got giant 8-12lb. browns back in the day, during late April and May. 48 degrees(water temp) is what we were always looking for, fishing would stay good until it stayed above 62 degrees to long. Remember water can stratify during heat spells, 80degrees on top and still 54 degrees 8 feet down, like behind the CARETAKERS at Stewart Park in early May.My favorite late April-early May spot. Used to fish every morning there! Right off the floating plastic docks! Needed waders to get to those docks during the flood of "93", but what a April 20th thru May 15th that year!

[SNAGGER]

 Where you at ICE-T!

[Hooked]

Workin too much.  Thanks for that last post, Snagger, I'm takin notes, believe me:  I've actually collected a few of your posts together, cut and paste, to get me started on Cayuga.  I know exactly where you mean down on the south end.  You must have lived it up down here, back then.  Everyone talks about what was on Cayuga back 10 years ago, wish I'd been in on that, smelt too.  But theres still loads of fish out there, prob more die of old age than are caught.  I'll be checking water temps and post em up here.  I'm gonna live on south end when the water temp gets up, that is when wife, work and a 15 month old cut me loose.  there's always 4 am!

[Hooked]

Snagger:  just checked some Ithaca weather records and you're dead on with April 17 -24 the general range for those upper 70s to 80s couple of days, then colder after.  Check it out:

http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/climate/ithaca/

http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/climate/ithaca/

don't know if this has barometer, but I saw your barometer posts on shanty -- if you linked up your fishing records with barom records, who knows.

[SNAGGER]

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, 89, 90, 93. And still had decent ones in May from 97-2003. Salmon only come into Stewart park for about a week to 10 days, when the temp first reaches 48 degrees, then they leave. But browns stay in Stewart & Cass  park til end of May! I used to use frozen sawbellies from year before, but shiny bass shiners hooked just below the dorsal fin will work too. In the morning you can cast little cleo's or rapala's( The new extreme action slashbait x-rap #8 in black/silver)  Used to get landlocks,browns, and bows in the green water( 2 days after a rain) under the black iron bridge(fall creek) and all the way up to the old p&c( fall creek pictures) hole on fresh egg sac's and floats the whole month of April! In the early 80's this area was unreal ( better than the salmon river). After 2003 took up walleye fishing in May! 2004 is when it crashed! Hopefully it will comeback and you'll have a jumpstart on it. It was crowded back then, sometimes shoulder to shoulder & boats everywhere. It wasn't all fun and games for some. I like arguing, so I didn't care!

[thechief]

Snagger:  just checked some Ithaca weather records and you're dead on with April 17 -24 the general range for those upper 70s to 80s couple of days, then colder after.  Check it out:

http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/climate/ithaca/

http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/climate/ithaca/

don't know if this has barometer, but I saw your barometer posts on shanty -- if you linked up your fishing records with barom records, who knows.

Right on smagger

[SNAGGER]

Workin too much.  Thanks for that last post, Snagger, I'm takin notes, believe me:  I've actually collected a few of your posts together, cut and paste, to get me started on Cayuga.  I know exactly where you mean down on the south end.  You must have lived it up down here, back then.  Everyone talks about what was on Cayuga back 10 years ago, wish I'd been in on that, smelt too.  But theres still loads of fish out there, prob more die of old age than are caught.  I'll be checking water temps and post em up here.  I'm gonna live on south end when the water temp gets up, that is when wife, work and a 15 month old cut me loose.  there's always 4 am!

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!

[buckclub]

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!

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.