Tennity's Guide Service & Fishing Charters

Honeoye has been its typical self in late summer/pre fall fishing arena. Bass are already starting their transition and can be on the bite one day and turned off the next. I have had the best results in the 6-8 foot depth range. Move in and out until you find their desired depth on a particular day. Some days, that depth will change quickly as the water warms up after a cool night. Water temperatures are dropping quickly and with the daytime temperatures low, bass instinctively know that winter is approaching. This is a good time to use lipless crank baits, jerk baits and spinnerbaits. A buzz bait over weed beds can trigger some awesome bites. As the water cools more, flip the thicker weeds or downsize and throw 4 inch worms or french fries.

A trip to Keuka was slower than normal. A bright, sunny, calm day, made it nice to be on the water, but I prefer a small chop and a little cloud cover. The fishing always seems to be better on the ultra clear lakes when you have some help from Mother Nature to deflect light through waves and clouds. We caught some smallmouths and largemouths, but none up to my standards.

Sodus Bay was a test last week. I always enjoy a trip to Sodus as the largemouth fishing is great. At home Friday, when I went to my boat to get things ready, I found several reel handles had been chewed by squirrels. When I arrived at the ramp on Saturday, my boat would not start, thanks to the squirrels chewing the ignition wires. Needless to say, I spent the day fishing close-by weedbeds using my trolling motor. I caught two LM on a buzz bait, and then started flipping a brush hog. Total catch for the day was in the neighborhood of 15 bass and one pike bite off. The weather was marginal at best with wind, rain and very cool temperatures. I did not get any big bites, as I could not travel to my priority areas, but had a fun day, nonetheless.

SEVERAL WEEKS AGO THE D&C IN ROCHESTER PUBLISHED AN EDITORIAL CONCERNING THE SPREAD OF INVASIVE SPECIES IN THE FINGER LAKES: THIS WAS MY RESPONSE.

Finger Lakes Bass Fishing

 What started as a sprinkle of rain on July 27th, it turned to a downpour by July 28th. Several of the western Finger Lakes experienced massive amounts of water, raising their levels, bringing huge amounts of flotsam and making the water quite roiled with sediment. A trip to Conesus the next day found the water very stained/muddy and the bass turned off. Meanwhile, Honeoye was closed to boating for several days because the water was flooding the hamlet. As lake residents, we were fortunate when the water level reached our docks that there was very little wind during the following week. This minimized damage to boats, docks, hoists and shorelines. Canandaigua Lake was  issued an advisory for boating, so a trip to the south end at Woodville proved to be a challenge. The normally clear water was turbid and the bass were in a negative mood. Keuka Lake is still recovering from the earlier flooding this year. Water that is usually very clear is slightly colored and there is an algae bloom. When traveling to these lakes, you can put the chance of catching fish in your favor by making  some basic adjustments. Look for the cleanest water, use lures or baits that create vibration or noise, and work your bait slower to give fish a chance to locate your presented offering. The next step is to fish slow and then slow down more. When the clarity of the water is reduced, fish have restricted ability to see your bait. Sight feeding only happens when you put the bait within a couple of feet or inches from them.

Honeoye Lake

 Honeoye Lake has been a test this year. The bass are biting and they change from aggressive to turned off in the blink of an eye. We have not experienced the big bite that normally has taken place each year. With amount of fishing and guiding that I do on Honeoye it bothers me that I am not seeing more big fish. I have several opinions on why this decline has happened but no hard facts to back them up. I can not stress the importance of catch and release of big fish. These are older bass with the genetics you want passed on to the future.

 The weeds have changed dramatically from last year. Winter did a number on the weed beds and some are just stating to grow. Many areas look like a desert and when you find weeds there are plenty of bass in them. The weeds have a coating of dirt on them from the heavy rains and when waves or heavy boat traffic stirs up the water, things get dirty. Bass in Honeoye have a hard time sight feeding under the current conditions. Use baits that make some vibration or noise and your catch rate should increase.

 As an example, Saturday evening I rigged three lines with baby brush hogs and all customers started catching bass. As we drifted north from our starting point, the bite slowed so we changed locations. Going to an area that I knew held good fish produced nothing, so we moved to another area that has been quite good, but it was too rough from the east wind. We motored over to the other side of the lake where conditions would allow my clients to feel the bite. NADA, so I told them that we may be fishing below the bass. I picked up a wacky rigged trick worm and on the first cast caught a decent fish. Immediately, I switched all rods to a wacky rigged trick worm and everyone caught bass for the next hour and a half until quitting time.  This is just an example of how quick things change and how you have to adapt to those changes. Give baits and presentations time to work, but if you don’t catch fish, change color, presentations and last locations. Remember, just because you caught fish here last month, they will not wait for you to come back and catch them again. Some areas have structure that will always hold fish. As fish are taken from the area, more will move in and replenish the location.

 Once again as a guide for catching bass, in clear water, go with your green colors and if you are fishing stained or dirty water use darker colors like green pumpkin, black, or junebug. Be safe, wear your life vest, maintain a proper lookout and use a speed reasonable for the conditions.

Frank

Finger Lakes

It has been a busy and challenging week in the Finger Lakes area. Monday, heavy rains hit Livingston, Ontario, and Yates counties, causing much damage to property. Honeoye Lake has been off limits to motor boats with an advisory on Canandaigua, Conesus. Keuka suffered the lowest damage this time. Be careful and remember that you are responsible for any damage that your boat wake may do. NYS law has a 100 foot no wake zone and many communities that surround the lakes have passed laws making the no wake zone 200 feet from shore. The region is experiencing unusually high water levels so please act accordingly. Be a responsible boater and if a bass angler, project a good image.

Honeoye has been off limits. The water rose to the bottom of my docks, and with it came sticks, logs and a plethora of other junk. Water conditions are bad at best, and the water is very colored from the silt washing into the lake. The fish will have a hard time sight feeding, so use a bait that creates noise, vibration, or both.

Conesus had a large amount of flotsam and was turbid at the south end. Fishing was off on Tuesday morning, but should pick up as the water clears. The water was much cleaner toward the mid lake area.

Keuka had some color and the wind was a slight  problem for my younger clients in feeling the bite. When the lake calmed, a drift on the east side, north of the state park, produced several smallmouth bass, rockies, pickerel and largemouth bass.

The tournament on Canandaigua, Saturday, was a test. This is another lake with very clear water, but the recent rains created additional color. As boat traffic increased, so did the turbidity. Baits had to be put right in front of the bass and the bite was slow and very light. Only two of my fish bit hard, with the rest of the bites just a different feel to the bait. If you didn’t set the hook, the fish was gone. Tubes, baby brush hogs, and drop shot all produced fish.

Once again, be aware of the high water conditions, wear your life vest, and maintain a proper lookout.

Frank

  PLEASE READ FOR YOUR SAFETY.

  Most people do not have any idea how important hiring a properly licensed guide and an inspected vessel is to their overall safety. Each guide must take a written exam, pass a physical, take an approved water safety course and be certified in First Aid and CPR. Once these items are completed, you are then issued a photo ID and badge from the DEC.

Well done, but not completely. The next step is to take the test for a Joint Pilot and Engineers License and have your vessel inspected by the NYS Parks Dept.  July 2, 2014 the NYS Parks Department arrived at my home for the annual boat inspection. The inspection is very thorough and any deficiencies found must be corrected before the vessel is used to take customers fishing.

These rules cover people guiding on inland lakes. What is considered an inland lake? Honeoye, Conesus, Keuka, Canandaigua are examples of inland lakes, where you launch a boat and can not navigate to the ocean. Lakes such as Cayuga and Seneca have canals which eventually connect them to the ocean, so they fall under a different set of rules. A guide on these waters must possess a USCG Captain’s License and must be enrolled in a random drug testing program. These rules also apply to the Great Lakes and Inland Rivers, such as Lake Ontario and Oneida Lake. The St. Lawrence River and Hudson River also require a USCG license.

Where does this leave YOU, the customer? Instead of the usual first question, which is how much a guide service charges, you should ask if they are properly licensed and inspected for the waters you want to fish. Your safety should be the most important item on the “to do list” when booking a fishing trip. When things go wrong on the water, they can be both swift and fatal.

Take the time to check your guide’s credentials and make sure they are in full compliance, so you can expect a safe trip. If you book a trip on an inland lake, look for the letters PV located at the bow area next to the registration numbers. This PV indicates that it is a “public vessel” used for hire.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and have a safe trip.

Frank

Some folks having fun on Honeoye and Conesus Lakes

Honeoye has been good as we head into summer. Many bass are still in the 6 – 7 foot depths and will bite with the correct presentation. Wacky rigged trick worms and stikos will constantly put fish in the boat. If the bite slows or stops, switch to a Texas rigged worm or baby brush hog. An algae bloom is in progress and is moving around the lake, pushed by the current wind. Look for cleaner water and use baits that have a green hue, and when you get to water with abundant algae, use something with a darker color. Shaking the bait helps the bass locate your offering, so shake it, but don’t move the bait.

Conesus Lake is giving up some nice bass in the Tuesday night tournaments. I, along with my clients, have been able to boat some quality largemouths. Choose your location and fish slow. The weeds at the south end of the lake are much cleaner than those at the north end of the lake. This makes it much easier to fish, because you don’t have to clean the slime off  your bait every cast. Try to fish during the week if possible as Conesus is very busy on the weekend.

Frank (more…)

Moved a trip today because of weather, but it is not too bad yet. Thunder and rain at six, then sunshine, now clouding up. Lots of other jobs waiting to be done so I will keep busy.
Bass fishing has been great. Some mornings have been good and some evenings. Everything is weather related. My newest fishing buddy was Marina @ three years old. She loved reeling in the bass and driving the bass boat. She gave every bass a little sugar (kiss) and released them
A mix of baits have been working, but the wacky rig has been the best. Color of the bait has been important to our catch rate. The bass are becoming conditioned to baits from all of the pressure and I noticed several folks keeping fish. This will also influence your number of strikes, so make sure to keep your fishing rod in position to administer a hook set.
Wear your life vest and maintain a proper lookout.
Frank

Memorial weekend, Melody and I headed for Fulton County. An expensive stop at Bass Pro Shops was necessary as we had to drive right past their doors, so three hundred and fifty dollars later the Thruway beckoned and soon Pecks Lake was before us. A small private lake in the foothills of the Adirondack Park, these camps are like stepping back in time to my grandfathers cottage. We were part of the NYS Outdoor Writer’s group, visiting Peck’s Lake Enterprises for our spring safari to hunt and fish.

Friday morning we met our guides and went to Sacandaga Lake. We trolled for walleye pike and managed to boat four shorts, two large jack perch, and one smallmouth bass. We then proceeded to the Wildlife Sports and Educational Museum located at 3747 State Highway 30 in Amsterdam N.Y.  The museum contains a plethora of utensils used in the mountains. From old outboard motors, to trapping gear, common guns from the past to old fishing tackle. There are also reproductions of the largest whitetail deer ever taken. If you are visiting the area, plan to spend two to three hours learning how people survived and lived in the North Country. A short drive from the museum is Frank’s Gun and Tackle Shop, a great shop to supply your needs while in the area. Our group then had the opportunity to tour a company named Taylor Made. This is an American company that manufactures marine products from boat covers and Bimini tops to boat fenders,  mooring buoys, dock edging and a host of other items used by boaters.

Saturday we were up early and fished with Albe Peck. Fog and cool air hung over the water as he guided the party boat to our first cove. Several pickerel and a largemouth put smiles on our faces. The sun broke through low hanging clouds and as the day warmed, the fish became more active. Now the smallmouth bass and rock bass kept us busy. A fun morning with good friends. We went to the Pine Tree Rifle Club for lunch and then had the opportunity to shoot some crossbows.

Consider spending time in this area for a laid back, fishing vacation.

The wonderful folks of Fulton County deserve a special thanks from all of us attending the Safari.

June 2, 2014 started rather slow in the morning, and as the day warmed, the activity of the bass picked up and the bite was on. By early evening, the bass were very active. Wacky rigs and tubes worked the best. The weather stayed warm overnight and on Tuesday June 3, 2014, the conditions were perfect and the bass were active early. We caught some nice pickerel, a nice walleye and loads of willing bass. A mix of baits, tubes, wacky rigs, spinnerbaits and baby brush hogs worked. Once in a while, Texas rigged trick worms fooled a fish or two.

Wednesday the activity level of the bass was in what I call mid range. They bit steady and we had a good catch rate, but not as good as Tuesday. Once again the water had cooled, and it put the bass a little deeper and not quite as active as the previous day. I would estimate my clients caught 40+ bass in the morning. Same baits as before.

Thursday was a very steady day, almost a carbon copy of Wednesday. Same baits.

Friday the bite was very good. We managed 57 bass on a half day trip. Most were caught on a modified Zoom baby brush hog. Wacky rigged Zoom trick worms fooled some nice bass.

Saturday the water had cooled back down to 64 degrees and the bass activity had slowed. Tom and Tommy, my two clients, did well for the conditions.

Monday June 9, 2014, the water had warmed back up to 71 degrees and bass were active, but scattered.

The majority of the bass caught were between 1 and 6.5 feet of water. When the water was warm last week, several fish moved quite shallow, but the majority were in 6 to 6.5 feet of water. The best presentation was to fish slow and then slow down more.

Good Fishing

Frank

Rate of fall

Rate of fall can be determined by hook size, bait size, line diameter, wind, current, weed density and sinker weight. These all have to be considered. The fish will usually determine which combination is correct for conditions.

Hook size: The larger, heavier hook will add to the rate of fall. A lighter, smaller hook will make the rate slower for the more non-agressive fish.

Bait size: A slender bait like a zoom worm will descend faster than a bulky bait such as a Zoom lizard or a Lake Fork creature bait. Add a slippery spray  or treatment to mask scent on a bulkier bait, and that will allow the bait to slide through many of the thicker weeds.

Line diameter: The larger the diameter of the line, the slower the fall, but lighter line will have trouble pulling a bass out of heavier weeds – and fish live in the weeds. This form of structure is called their home.

Wind: Wind creates current. It also puts a bow in your line, which keeps a lighter weighted bait from descending in the water column. Therefore, you’d have to add weight to help the bait descend.

Current: If you are fishing a river system, you may want your bait to end up on an underwater point, but if you cast straight to the point, the current would actually take the bait downstream away from the target sight. For such a situation, you’d have to cast upstream quite a ways. Or you could experiment with additional weight to reach your objective goal.

Weed density: If the weeds are dense and you have a light weight and a bulkier bait, the bait may never get past the first few feet of the water column. By the time your bait hooks up on the weeds, the weight of the sinker may not be enough to take the bait any farther down.

Sinker weight: Shape and weight of the sinker is the major influence on rate of fall. Elongated, narrow, heavier weights fall faster than a lighter, wider, smaller weight.

Why the rate of fall is important:

There are times when bass will eat anything passing by and other times when they will bury-up their noses in a weed clump. Bass are opportunistic feeders, so when they are on the bite, they will eat anything passing by their noses. This is called a reaction bite. During this ultra feeding period, usually before a storm front, a heavier bait/sinker will work very well to get your bait down to where the fish might be, whether on the bottom or suspended in the weeds. When the sun is high and there is no wind , target deeper weeds and weed lines. When it’s windy and cloudy, cover water by throwing spinnerbaits and crankbaits.

It has been a busy week for us on Honeoye Lake. On Friday, May 9th, with our neighbors help, our docks and hoist were installed. This is a big step toward opening for a busy season of guiding. Mounting the drive motor for the hoist and installing power came next. The cold weather and water led me to have customers wait to book trips until June. Today, May 16th, this has proven to be a wise decision.

Yesterday, with gale force winds, my neighbor and I secured a party barge that had come loose and was drifting north on Honeoye. A short time later, a PWC, was adrift and smashing into his dock. We managed to put the PWC onto the neighbors hoist. Rain on and off was gradually raising the lake level and with the overnight deluge, the lake has risen to the highest level in my 20 years as a cottage owner.

Outdoor writer, Will Elliott and I, spent the better part of Tuesday fishing on Honeoye. Our main quarry was panfish. The bite was slow. but we managed about 100 fish, with a few bass and pickerel mixed into the total. We kept 20 – 25 of the larger panfish. Most were caught on small jig spinners, similar to the Beetle Spin. I make up my own version and use a variety of trailers until the fish determine which one they prefer. The key to triggering a bite was to retrieve the bait very, very slow.

USE CAUTION WHEN BOATING. HIGH WATER LEVELS EXIST ON HONEOYE LAKE AND I AM SURE OTHER FINGER LAKES ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME CONDITIONS. IF YOU VENTURE OUT UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE CAUSED BY YOUR BOAT WAKE.

Be careful, be courteous, watch for flotsam, and wear your life vest.

Frank