Tennity's Guide Service & Fishing Charters

We have sold our cottage on Honeoye Lake and now spend our summers in an RV park on Conesus Lake. This now requires travel to deliver guide trips to you. My available waters have changed as I put my USCG License into Continuity which means it is no longer active. I am doing inland lakes only and Seneca is no longer available. Please call the contact numbers or email mudtennity@aol.com.

Melody and I returned from Florida on the 16th of this month to a significant snowfall. Normally our return would be at the latter part of April, but health problems brought us back early. While her problems are very serious, they are treatable. That being said, between health on our end and the VIRIS, at this time we should all practice a safe distance between us. The boat does not allow for a minimum of 6 foot so as of now guiding will not be an option. 

Do not let this keep you home as there are several areas to fish from shore and enjoy the outdoors. Also, on May 1st the Spring turkey season will open. If all goes well possibly by late May or June we might be back in business. Until this virus comes under control, be safe, practice good hygiene, wear your life jacket, and we will look forward to spending time with you later on in the year.

Wow, where has the time gone this Spring? Cold, rain and cold again has put the bass in a delay on all their normal patterns. Even the panfish are confused. When the rockies don’t bother you, it’s a strange feeling. For a long period, I was concerned because I was not catching any smaller bass, which Honeoye Lake has been famous for producing,  but that has changed and we are getting a good mix of all sizes except large 4 to 5 pounders.

The water gets dirty from heavy boat traffic, high winds or a combination of the two forces and will make your baits harder for the fish to see. Add worm rattles or use baits that create vibration or noise and your strike count will increase.

Normal Zoom baits have been working with the baby brush hog and the green pumpkin trick worm performing the best. We have also used some crank baits (Timber Tiger) and topwater (Chug Bug) to fool some nice bass. The late afternoon to evening bite has been the most productive.

Be especially careful this week as the summer is in full swing and it is fourth of July week. Increased boat activity and operator inattention can be hazardous.

Be safe, wear your life vest and maintain a proper lookout.

Frank

Many of you folks read ads from different guides claiming thousands of bass over 10 lbs. In some areas and with some guides, double digit bass happen. Usually folks who do not fish all the time have a hard time controlling a six to seven pound bass on the end of their line. Fortunately, Florida is a land of opportunity and she produces several great bass each season. January, February, and March are the prime times to catch a giant bass. This is when they will be at their egg laden heaviest and located shallow where the spawning takes place. If you happen to be blessed with one of these trophy fish, take good photos and measure the length and girth. Release the bass and have a replica made to hang on the wall.
A big challenge for me in Florida is the changes that take place during my six months while up in the Finger Lakes region of New York. In October when I return to Florida, the areas I fished in April, are either choked with weeds or are devoid of cover for the bass. This will cause the bass to relocate, and I have to start a learning process for that body of water to determine where the bass have gone and what they are feeding on now. Although it can be frustrating, the rewards are worth the effort when you hook up and boat a nice fish.
We are in a cold snap right now which should cool the water and help get the crappie bite get going.
As always, be safe, wear your life vest and maintain a proper lookout. See you on the water.
Frank

What a busy time of the year. We are winding down the guide business and getting ready to make the treck to our winter home in Florida. I fished a tournament on Sodus Bay September, 15th and lost five bass during the day. Normal areas were not producing, but I did catch a small limit. The following day during a guide trip on Canandaigua Lake, a similar situation occurred when the bass were not in their normal areas. The clients caught some nice bass but not the numbers that I had anticipated. During the day I thought maybe the bass were starting their Fall patterns and were on the move. Both bodies of water were quite clear so the bass should have been able to see the bait. I did catch some bass on a chatter bait and one on a buzz bait while fishing Sodus Bay. This was an overlooked clue straight from the bass.

Monday I was on Honeoye with two clients and the lake was quite choppy. Between the algae bloom and suspended dirt from rough water, the bass were having a tough time seeing the bait. The clients put a dozen bass in the boat and missed several, but I decided we had to make some adjustments. Tuesday, with the same clients, I switched to spinnerbaits and crank baits. Bang, the bite was on and I realized that this old man was just a little slow picking up on bass going into their Fall patterns. Noticing that most of the bass were hooked on the back hook of the crank bait, I instructed the clients to change their presentation and soon the bass were taking the whole bait into their mouth. The water temperature would drop overnight and then rise during the day. Bass were scattered at all depths with some shallow and others deeper. While the temperatures cool the bass bite is heating up. Enjoy some great Fall fishing before freeze up.

Here we are on September 27th writing this blog after pulling the docks and hoist from the lake. It is always a sad time knowing that another season on Honeoye Lake is coming to an end. The Ranger has a few more items to take care before she is put to rest for the winter. She also has a couple of things that need to be addressed in the Spring before we put her to back to work, but she has performed well for an older rig.

Keep us in mind if you are coming to Florida this winter. Be safe, wear your life vest, maintain a proper lookout, and we will see you on the water in the Spring of 2019.

Frank

Conesus has been good for tournaments but tough for guiding. I have to locate fish that novices can catch and they are difficult to locate this year. Places that normally hold good bass are not producing. The catch ratio is much lower than past years and Conesus is a much better lake than she has shown. I have noticed that the lake seems to be very busy with both local traffic and the boat ramp being full.

Honeoye Lake has been on a downturn for the past three weeks. Just when things seem to be picking up, either boat traffic or wind will dirty the water and the fishing suffers. Many of the bass are quite thin and I attribute that to their inability to see the forage. The algae bloom this year has not been as bad as the past couple of years, however we still have a bloom. Soon the water will start to cool and we should be into the Fall patterns. Do not be afraid to go shallow, much like the Spring time and fish close to shore.

With the water close to cooling, be safe, wear your life vest and maintain a proper lookout.

Keep a proper lookout and wear your life jacket.

Frank

Honeoye has been fishing good all season, but recently the catch rates and bites have slowed. The water has colored and many of the bass are on the thin side. Wacky, drop shot and Texas rigs have been working if fished slow. The bass transitioned to slightly deeper water and you will just have to move in and out until you locate them. Don’t be afraid to throw spinnerbaits, crank baits and other style baits that will be noisy or give off vibration so the bass can locate your offering. Fish your baits slow.

Conesus Lake has been a challenge for me this year. It has been fishing good for tournaments, but I have to locate bass that novice anglers can catch. Pitching, flipping and drop shooting are not for the novice angler to master during a five hour trip. During a recent trip we had our licenses checked by the DEC and they were surprised that we had been catching some nice fish. Although for me, we were having a slow day, the officers told us that other anglers they checked were catching no fish.

Canandaigua Lake has been on fire this year. Usually I am able to find some active bass, this year has been exceptional and the catch rates reflect the same.We have managed anywhere from 11 to 25 bass on a five hour trip. Color of bait has made a big difference in the catch rate. As light conditions or wave activity changes, often the bait section will have to change along with the color selection. Good fishing, wear your life vest and maintain a proper lookout.

Frank

It has been very busy the past two weeks on local Finger Lakes. I spent five days on Canandaigua Lake and it was quite good for largemouth bass. Most were caught on wacky rigged Zoom baits with colors being changed throughout the day.  Trick and finesse worms worked well and when conditions changed we used some salty centipedes AKA French Fries. Bass were anywhere from right on shore to almost twenty feet deep.

Conesus was a test and then we either figured out the right location, the right bait, or they just decided to eat. The quality of the bass was very good. We did best at the South end in six to fifteen feet of water.

Honeoye has been about the same as normal for this time of year. The water has some color and most bass are on the thin side. We have not caught many large fish, and it appears that the large amount of fisherman and the ice fishing may have reduced the overall bass population. Many areas that held quality sized fish for years now yield one or two bass and those are on the small side. Studies have shown that for a bass to reach 4-6 lbs., it would be 7-9 years old. These are also the genetics for continuing the production of larger bass. When a majority of these bigger fish are harvested, you are basically killing the lakes ability to produce a new resource. There is nothing wrong with a fish fry, but take only what you can consume fresh. Do not waste this precious resource. Next time you keep a good breeder to eat, think about the future bass you have just filleted.

Be safe, wear your life vest and maintain a proper lookout.

Some years strange things happen and 2018 is proving to be a zinger. April was cold and then May came through with some extra hot weather. Things were setting up for a big spring of catch and release when May 31 started a downward spiral of the water temperature. In a weeks time the water went from the mid seventies to sixty degrees. Even the northern bass are affected by such a large drop. As the water cooled the bass changed locations and the bite slowed. As the temperature started up ,the activity level increased in the afternoon and we managed to catch more bass in the afternoon and evenings.

Watermelonseed and watermelon/red Zoom trick worms were the preferred bait, but when the water cooled we broke black grape worms in half and slowed the presentation to almost dead sticking. If you are not getting bit, slow down and then slow down more.

Good fishing, be safe wear your life vest and maintain a proper lookout.

Frank