Jtelarkin08 Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 Hey guys I'm leaving on my yearly trip to new York next week and was wondering if you guys would help me some. The lake I fish is canandegua. I have the largemouth semi figured out but would like to catch some smallies on my swimbaits. This lake is weird in the fact that it is a glacier lake and super deep. Sometime you can be 20 yards off the bank and be in 100 ft of water. Also it has lots of big grass flats on the end that is simi shallow. Should I be focusing on these flats or would I be better off trying to fid some deep stuff in like 40 ft of water? Im gonna be throwing a rising son and wake jr alot. Also 6 inch trout. Look forward to any help you guys can give me. Hey Colby I know your from Oregon or something but catch alot of smallies. So you chime in too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDBEAD Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 If the weeds are not up to the top, you should be money over those flats. Gonna be very dependent on water temp and shade this time of year in my experience. That big fish I caught last weekend was up shallow under cover, but was only about 10yds from a 20ft dropoff. If those weed flats bump up against any significant drops, I would focus there. Your smallmouths are gonna typically be deeper than the largies this time of year (around here anyway). Also not a bad thing to find some current in the lake, feeder streams or springs running in. Both species, early and later would be a good starting point on unfamiliar water. You're typically going to find them more shallow and less spread out. I know all this is kinda general, but that's about all I can offer you on somewhere I've never been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectrum Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 I did manage to get at my old graph/gps. I have about a dozen waypoints for you on Canandaigua. Also, talked to a friend of mine who knows the finger lakes really well. One thing that might help people give you advice here, the lake is loaded with alewives and the smallmouth will school up and chase bait in open water like a blueback herring lake in the south. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jtelarkin08 Posted July 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 Awesome mike!! Thanks alot. That will sure help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnbassbuster002 Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 Around here i focus on the rocks/gravel points, islands, and humps. should be finding them schooled up (depending on water temp), but by now the should be bunched up so where you find one there should be more. I would say ur selection of baits will work just fine. i get smallies to follow up muskie lures all the time, but the fs trout is perfect smallmouth size. i have had better luck getting them to hit with a little more erratic retrieve. It seems like you get them to follow all the way to the boat if ur just keep it steady. Who knows though a few times have had them come un-glued on a super slow retrieve. Good luck man hope u stick a few big ones. just don't stick yourself with another hook! Jeremy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalliebigs Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 Finding the typical drops next to weed beds, points, or rockpiles (or all three together!) should be the key. Although sometimes they would just invade a flat where fan casting would work, these were the most reliable for me and the best flats had at least one of these very close by anyways. The lakes I used to fish, the smallies would really be tuned into 1" long perch in early july. These perch were so young they had very little yellow or bars in their coloration yet, but there were huge schools of them. They'd chase them up onto the surface. Size didn't matter, the bigger smallies would still crush 5-6 inch swimbaits but they definitely had a preference for white-ish baits. Seemed to be an evening thing, but that could have just been the time I most often went fishing. Same bite might not exist on the lakes you are going to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolley Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 Hey JT, Like Wayne said, water temp is going to be a huge factor. And unfortunately, the water got warm up here very early, and has stayed very warm. Up in Maine were I've been fishing the water surface temp has been 78+ degrees for almost a month! We had a very mild winter, with not a lot of snow, one reason for the rapid warmup... So if I were targeting smallies on the swimbait in the northeast in the next two weeks or so I'd be night fishing! Despite what anyone might think smallie fishing at night is actually very productive in the summer up here. Unless you have swimbaits that can reach 40-50 feet, where a lot of these bass school up during the days heavy heat I'd be looking to the night. Focus on shallow rocky flats adjacent to deep water, smallmouth come up from these deep areas to haunt the rocky flats under the cover of darkness. It's actually a very predictable pattern. I can almost garrentee anyone fishing with me a smallmouth night fishing these areas on my lake which sounds a lot like the one your fishing. Top water! I'd be fishing wake jrs, baby wakes, 7" slammers, fs shads, and that 6" trout you said you were going to bring with you. Calm nights, I'd go with the freestyles, choppy water I'd go wake baits. Sounds like the grassy weedy area you mentioned would be a good largemouth area. Up in the northeast I've never caught a smallie in the weeds. Ok maybe it's happened...but it's rare. If there are shallow rocky areas adjacent to deep water that's where they are gong to be. Good luck lets us know how you do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinner Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 night fishing is going to be your best bet and will give you those adrenaline filled top water strikes. I have done well at night with any of the freestyles, baby wake, wake jr, the punker is a fun bait as well. In July/August we try and find suspended bait that is coned up or balled up on the graph (sometimes over 60+ft) and then target the smallies under them. if you want to stick with swimbaits you cast out 68s, hyper herrings, FS shad and let them sink.. we are marking the smallies under the bait around the 25 to 30ft range I saw one of the bassmasters where they would cast out and keep the bail open and drive the boat letting out a ton of line so they can get the bait down deep.. that technique might work. Its a little colder at the finger lakes then here and we usually don't see them out suspending until later in the month into August but due to this early warm trend they might be out there.. Good luck... DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucas Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 If the weeds are not up to the top, you should be money over those flats. Gonna be very dependent on water temp and shade this time of year in my experience. That big fish I caught last weekend was up shallow under cover, but was only about 10yds from a 20ft dropoff. If those weed flats bump up against any significant drops, I would focus there. Your smallmouths are gonna typically be deeper than the largies this time of year (around here anyway). Also not a bad thing to find some current in the lake, feeder streams or springs running in. Both species, early and later would be a good starting point on unfamiliar water. You're typically going to find them more shallow and less spread out. I know all this is kinda general, but that's about all I can offer you on somewhere I've never been. Speed just saved me a lot of typing. During the summer heat, chances are they'll suspend out over deeper water (ie thermocline) but low light conditions, whether it's dawn, dusk, night, or cloudy days, they'll move up on that flat to feed. Find the edge of the flat where it drops off fastest and you may be able to catch them coming and going. If they're suspending, a big topwater will call 'em up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jtelarkin08 Posted July 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 I have two spots there that have like gravel points/Jeddies that go from 3-4 foot strait down to like 40 ft then out to like 100 ft. I have caught a few little smallies all around here but haven't really night fished it much. Would these be good places to try night fishing? Also when night fishing Rock flats or points at night would you anchor up and spend a good while fishing it with topwater and other baits kinda waiting on the fish or would you hit and run it?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucas Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 Also when night fishing Rock flats or points at night would you anchor up and spend a good while fishing it with topwater and other baits kinda waiting on the fish or would you hit and run it?? I hit it and quit it. I'm too impatient to anchor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triv Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 Im going to hit a smallmouth lake on Tuesday night, and my plan is to hit the shallower flats with floating FS shad, wake jr., and the PB rat. It'll be my first time there. Report to follow.....I really want a 6lb smallie!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucas Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 Im going to hit a smallmouth lake on Tuesday night... What time should I meet you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triv Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 Im going to hit a smallmouth lake on Tuesday night... What time should I meet you? Stop bullshittin and lets go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucas Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 Im going to hit a smallmouth lake on Tuesday night... What time should I meet you? Stop bullshittin and lets go! I got clearance from the warden. Give me a time and location and I'm there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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