By Mike Crawford
The average upstate New York angler that explores the small lakes and streams has had to deal with high water and turbid conditions for the last few months… Record breaking high water.
The big boats on Lake Ontario, running heavy gear, deep, have found the high water to be of no consequence. But I don’t consider the specialized trolling of the Great Lakes to be a pursuit that the “average” Upstate New York angler does much.
A lake I guide on quite often is Skaneateles Lake. It is one of the Eastern Finger Lakes that is quite unique. The water is, in a “normal” summer season (most of the year even) to be found gin clear. Skaneateles is a deep, crystal clear, and cold lake.
With heavy rain, flooding, and even landslides occurring on its shores and watershed over the Fourth of July weekend, the lake was as turbid as I have ever seen it in 30 years of fishing.
Switching to larger profile baits, and employing rattles, helped to catch fish in these abnormal conditions.
Bass have begun to set-up in a summer pattern on Skaneateles, and the thermocline is struggling but is beginning to set-up strong as of this writing (7/14).
When the trout thermocline they are very susceptible to the trolling outfit. Some guides (Charter Boats) know how a fine tuned trolling rig can be deadly on these trout that are constrained to a certain depth due to oxygen and temperature level.
Catching and releasing downrigged trout unharmed and healthy during the summer months on Skaneateles Lake, any lake, takes skill, extra effort, and special attention.
Killing limits every time out, and hanging a bag of dead trout on a board for the tourists to have their picture taken with, does not.
Peace, Mike