Sodus Bay/Canadaigua Lake/Honeoye Lake
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