Tennity's Guide Service & Fishing Charters

Conesus has been frustrating to say the least.  Last Tuesday, my partner and I had a decent three fish limit of bass in ten minutes, which left us with two hours and fifty more minutes to upgrade with some  bigger fish. It didn’t happen. The weights were much smaller this week and several anglers had problems even getting bit.  Some folks managed one bigger fish and then only a couple of small ones to fill their bag. Conditions had changed and we anglers just didn’t pick up on what had taken place. This is part of the challenge and what makes fishing so much fun; entering their environment and using artificial lures to trigger a feeding response. When you feel that little tick, see your line jump, or feel a slight pressure when you start to pick up the bait, setting the hook on a good fish makes all the hard work fun.

A mix of baits worked, including wacky rigs, jig’n pig and brush hogs. Depending on the fishing method and the catch rate, we fished depths ranging from 5-15 feet, with weed edges and thicker weeds producing the most fish.

The recent reports of an algae bloom on Honeoye are correct, and the media hype is not good. All waters are fragile and subject to human transgressions, so it is our duty to protect the environment.  That being said, the fishing is still top notch, and it just takes some adjustment to help those bass find our bait. I have switched to darker baits and shake the bait to create a vibration, so the bass can locate my offering. When shaking the bait, be careful not to move it, just shake the bait in place.

Greenpumpkin, black, and redbug have been the top producers recently. The algae bloom has also let frogs and toads (artificial), work quite well in creating a disturbance as a topwater bait, and the bass are hitting this offering.

The lake level had dropped as a result from the break in the rain, but is up a few inches this week from recent showers. These depth changes can relocate bass, so watch your depth finder. You may also want to look for cleaner water where the algae is not as bad. That way, the bass can use sight feeding to help your catch rate.

The weather just can’t stay nice for more than a day or two, and the bass have been thoroughly confused. The cold nights and cool days dropped the water temperature several degrees, and the bass have moved out deeper. If we have even a small amount of sun to increase the temperature a couple of degrees, the fish move shallower, so move you should movein and out until you find them. We have done better out deep in the morning with the activity level picking up in the afternoon and evening.

Saturday, the bass were slow in the morning, and when they did take the bait, it was a light bite. A client caught the biggest bass, an honest 4 lber. An evening trip, after the day had cleared, produced around 30 bass with most being in the 12-14 inch class.

Sunday was a decent day for mowing yards, so evening seemed to be a good time to scout for active fish. We fished the north end of Honeoye for just under 3 hrs. and boated at least 50 bass. Bait color did not seem to matter. Standard colors have been working: watermelon seed, green pumpkin and junebug. Change colors and weights until you hit the right combo that works.

Good fishing, wear your life vest,
Frank Tennity