By Mike Crawford
These days find me running and gunning for fish on lakes all over Upstate New York. In the last ten days I have launched on the Saranacs, The Indian River Lakes, and Otsego Lake!
I often focus on panfish besides smallies this time of year. Fishing, on the lakes slows down in August. September is a repeat of August, with high water temps and solid thermocline.
Shortening days and cooler nights move the fish toward transition. But slowly. It takes a long time for the lakes to warm up, and even longer for them to cool down.
At this time the fry, or newly-hatched fish, have moved into suspension over the basins of the lakes, or gone pelagic, as fishery people say.
The sonar is invaluable on all lakes throughout the year, perhaps more so in mid-summer than any other time however.
Summer fishing for the lake angler is a game of cat and mouse…hunting the open basins for roaming schools of bait and fish.
Mid summer and late summer fishing can sometimes be frustrating, but the view from my floating office is always nice.
