Good Ole Boys Bass Club

of

Central New York

Skaneateles Lake

Sunday, September 19th 2004

This is the second of our "test your merit" tournaments that we are holding this year.  Skaneateles Lake is one beautiful lake. The homes around the lake are pre-mo, and although the lake is known as a trout lake, there are many smallmouth bass to be caught. Because the lake is cold, the size of the bass is smaller that most other lakes in Central New York, but everyone should enjoy fishing this lake at least once in there life.

The day broke cold and windy. A north wind was blowing down the lake at 15mph, and with the temperature of 45 degrees, the wind chill made for a cool day on the water.

Some of the boats headed up to the north end of the lake. This keep them out of the wind, but the fishing on that end of the lake was slow. Those boats that headed down the lake and braved the wind and waves caught more fish and even culled some fish.

Tom Hudson and Eric Wilsey in the chop.

(note the line to the drift bag to slow down the drift)

Jack Loughrey and Randy Green taking a brake out of the wind.

Ryan Smith joins them just before noon.

We started at 6:30 am because the sun is coming up later, so everyone returned to the state boat launch at 12:30 pm, and the weigh in started.

Don Crofoot gets his fish out of the live well.

Tom Hudson has his fish weighed.

Jack Loughrey takes 5th place. 

        Don Crofoot takes 4th place.

Tom Hudson takes 3rd place.

       Connell Raate takes 2nd place.

Ryan Smith takes first place.

             And big bass, a 3 pounder, large for this lake. 

Now how Ryan did it.

 Because the lake was very choppy, Ryan started out working a sliver and black "prop" surface lure over 11 feet of water on the east side of the lake and caught most of his fish on the lure including the big bass of the day. This worked until around 9 am, and then he switched to a "jerk" bait., but only boated two more fish after that.

Good work Ryan.

The club member standings have now been sorted by points after dropping two tournaments. Although the top fishermen must fall on their face at the classic, (highly unlikely) it is mathematically possible for the 12 top members to capture "angler of the year". Good luck everyone.