Honeoye, Keuka, Conesus
It is the 20th of August and over the weekend, Honeye has changed from clear to green with an algae bloom. Fishing is still excellent and clients, Mike, Sara and Peter did well on Monday. Darker colored worms worked early, and when the sun was high we switched to a green worm with flecks mixed into it. My advice is to fish slow and move the bait in small increments. Water temperatures are creeping higher, clarity is reduced and the bass are spread out over a wide area. When you find the bass, slow down and fish the location thoroughly.
Keuka Lake was typical on my last visit. Some fish were active and other areas seemed void of any bass. Both largemouth and smallmouth bit, but it was a slow day. A variety of baits worked, with Zoom trick worms taking top honors. As we head into fall in the next few weeks, the activity should pick up.
Conesus Lake is producing some great weights for tournaments. During the Tuesday night contests, it will take between 12 and 14 pounds for a three fish limit to place. Weekend tournaments with a five fish limit of bass are producing 20-25 pound sacks. Bass are located from one end of the lake to the other and along both sides. Fish slow and thoroughly once you locate them. Jigs and Zoom trick worms have been a very good choice of baits. Change colors with the water clarity, but right now Conesus is very clear.
I had a father and two teen age boys out on the 25th, and they have been having problems catching bass. I worked with them on the speed at which they were moving their baits. I spent a considerable amount of time working with the dad, and he still was working the bait too fast, so I purposely distracted him and he let the bait sit still. I then told him to twitch the worm a couple of small movements, and he had a strike that resulted in a nice bass. This was an eye opener for him and the boys. Their bites increased along with the number of bass caught.
If you are having trouble catching fish, slow your retrieve and then slow down more.
Frank