NY opener

[eyedoktr]

I'm just wondering where all you New Yorkers are going to be for the opening on May 4th. I personally will be on Honeoye Lake at midnite. I've opened the season there for all but 2 of the last 20+ years and generally have good luck (notice I said luck). There are lots of fish once you find them and they usually respond to a jig or casted crankbait.

[OnceBitten]

No question, I'll be on Honeoye as well. Fished there yesterday afternoon for a few hours. The perch and crappie were hitting pretty well, the eye's were pretty active as well. Boy, when the fog rolled in around 6:30pm, you couldn't see 25 yards. I was a fun run back to the launch.

This year I'm going to spend alot more time on Conesus as well as Honeoye. I'm also going to start using live bait to tip my lures. I had my best year ever on Honeoye last year, mostly because I was night fishing more, but I suspect live bait will help as well.

Good fishing,

Fred

[Sluggo / NY]

Hi Pete/Fred...If the water level's right, which it look like it will be, I normally stay right here and hit the Susquehanna for post-spawn fish. But..this opener, my partner and I are going to a tourney on Chautauqua to beat Gilligan out of some prize money! We're also planning on hitting conesus soon after that! They need to make the season's longer...there are just too many places to hit! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

[eyedoktr]

Chris, let me know when you plan on Coneseus, it's the closest walleye lake for me to get to. I was at the south end of Coneseus a week ago and the big 'eyes were back in the DEC made spawing channels. You could almost walk across the backs of fish that I guesstimate to be up to 15#. Literally hundreds of them. What a sight.

[rich]

sluggo come down to chautauqua,if it will be anything like last year look out,11 guys in two nights over 100 keepers,3lbs to 7lbs. good luck and good fishing rich

[Ralph]

I've got a wedding Saturday so ... Oswego at Midnight, actually right after work for browns, Walleyes later.

Get a few hours sleep, go to the wedding. Then Oneida Sunday, maybe Black River Bay.

I fished Honeoye last summer for the first time. There was a lot of boat traffic but the fishing was good.

Conesus is incredible though. I hope to be out there later in the month and into early June.

Good luck to all.

Ralph

[Gilligan]

Hi Pete..As Sluggo said we will be fishing a weekend opening tournament on Chautauqua which is where I usualy open the season anyhow.

Just maybe if Sluggo and Bobber are real nice to me I will show them some of my early season honey holes and if they get real lucky they may place ahead of us.

[Jersey John]

Ralph,
See you in Oswego at midnight! Don't be late. JJ

[water_wolf]

I have yet to decide...I usually fish Saturday AM with a group of friends for slimers, but I'm trying to weasel out without pi$$ing them off. I've kicked around the idea of either Honeoye or Point Breeze at night. I will have to make up my mind soon. Oh what to do...LOL anyone have a coin.


Rich Ferguson

[Marty]

Pete, I was at the south end of Conesus last week and didn't see a thing, but I don't know if I was looking in the right places. I looked from that bridge over the creek on the first east-west road after the end of the lake, then went a little further south to that little parking lot overlooking a marsh and walked down the hill, then walked to the end of that wooden footbridge.

[Cliff]

Gilligan/Sluggo/Rich,
I`m thinking of going to Chautauqua lake sometime
this spring,what and where are the best places to fish.
Are there any good places to stay.
Any info will be helpful.
Thanks, Cliff

[Gilligan]

http://onthehook1.homestead.com/ChautauquaLake.html

This is a fish report I submitted to this website that should help.

For places to stay..contact Redwood Ranch in Bemus Pt. Motel, docking, bait and tackle, fish cleaning station. They are at mid point on the lake just above the I86 bridge on the east shore. The # is: 716-386-4275

[TONY ON ICE]

It'll be hard to go somewhere other than Onieda Lake when you can walk out the door and fish. If you've been to the hatchery in Constantia on Rt.49, and witnessed these fish, you'll make Oneida your choice for the opener. All of those sub legal walleyes that were 17 3/4 inches last spring are now in the 20 inch range due to the mild winter and longer growing season, plus if you've been told by anyone that Oneida is lacking in adult walleyes, disregard it and come and see for yourself. The lake has never had the quality of fish that it does right now as far as size / weight and the quantity is well above average.
Last year was excellent and this year looks to be even better.

Sluggo & Once Bitten...whenever you guys are ready, let me know and I'll put you on some fat Oneida lake walleyes.

Tony B.

[OnceBitten]

Tony,

Good to hear from you! I'd love to take you up on your offer this summer. I've never fished Onieda before, can you believe it? This year I'm doing opener on Honeoye as always, the second weekend I'll be in Henderson Harbor/Black River, then back to Honeoye and/or Conesus for the third and fourth weekends. After that, I'm the walking embodiment of "have boat, will travel". I'd love to get together with you, Sluggo and GangGreen for a day on Onieda this summer. Just name the day. I only require about 2 hours notice.

Been on Seneca lately? Sluggo's down there today chasing the perch around.

Later,

Fred

[BGunn]

Tony,
What are you and Da Hoser doing for the opener?
I'm still wondering which lake to hit. On my way to Honeoye Lake for some more of the Crappie action now.

Bill

[Ralph]

15 Pounds? Have you been to the eye doctor?

No, there are some hawgs in there. Let us know what's going on. I typically don't get out there until the end of the month. We didn't do as well there last year. For the past few years though, the action was really good. I hope this season is as good as those.

[eyedoktr]

Like I said, it was a guesstimate. I've been fortunate enough to catch numerous 10+# 'eyes (on the scale) and the biggest is 13#7oz. The day I got that one my buddy got a 16#er,and the ones at Conesus were close to being as big.Maybe all the rain we had pushed them back towards the lake. I've never had good luck in Conesus after about 3 weeks into the season. The trollers do o.k. but I don't like to troll. We all ought to get together at Honeoye or Conesus sometime this spring. It would be fun to actually meet everyone. I've been fortunate enough to meet Gilligan, Sluggo and a couple of other regulars on this board and look forward to meeting more.