Pike Lakes

[FSHNJON]

Can anyone recomend the best pkie fishing lake in southern Ny?

[joejv4]

How "southern"? you talking "downstate" or southern tier?

[FSHNJON]

Not really wanting to go farther north than finger lakes.

[joejv4]

Finger Lakes would be where I would point you... but there are a couple smaller lakes called Lamoka and Waneta between Keuka and Seneca (south ends). They used to get some huge northerns out of those. lots of weedy areas for pike.

Also, over in Madison county, there is Lake Moraine (Madison Reservoir). There are both Northerns and chain pickerel in there.

[FSHNJON]

Thanks for the help ,i will check those places out .

[googly]

Fishjon;
Having had a cottage on Lamoka lake for many years, over 25, I have never seen a pike caught on these two lakes. They do however have so many pickerel they are considered a nuisance. I mean you would have no problem catching a lot of pickerel. There are some very large musky in these lakes and that may be what JoeV was thinking of. Although never having fished for them there, I have heard Seneca Lake has some huge pike. I would assume the rest of the finger lakes would follow suit.

[joejv4]

you are correct sir... I was thinking Muskie. It's been somewheres in the neighborhood of 25 years since I worked at Camp Gorton up on Waneta (even more since I was there as a camper). Back then we called 'em Muskie Pike. I remember seeing one take a duckling once.

I've got a secret "honey hole" for Northerns, but it's further North than the Finger lakes.

For Tiger Muskies, DEC website says they stocked them in Duck lake in '05, so they should be good sized by now.

[FSHNJON]

After reading about the lakes that seems right .Pickeral are good too ,are they eating size ?.Also do these lake have a horsepower lmit ?
Last year we went to Black lake ,farther north and never caught a pike .We did catch a bunch of readears which made the trip a lot of fun ,but we had bought a lot of gear for pike and would like to put it to use .

Thanks

[joejv4]

Not sure about HP limits on Waneta or Lamoca - googly may be able to help out there. As for eating-size pickerel anything big enough to legally keep (15") should be pretty good eating. Caught a ton of Pickerel at Lake Moraine late last summer - all around 18-20".

Seneca, Cayuga, Keuka, or any of the other finger lakes, as well as Lake Moraine don't have HP limits ... zoom-zoom!

My wife got a nice 34" Northern last summer at Silver Lake lut near Batavia.
It's at the taxidermists right now, turning into a nice wall mount.

Good luck, and watch out for those "Y" bones when you're eating them!

[googly]

FishJon;
To my knowledge there are no hp limits. Yes the pickerel can be very large there. The average will run right around that keeper size. As i said you should have no trouble catching pickerel here.
JoeJv4;
You are right on the money. In the spring huge muskies used to come up shallow by the camp. I had a buddy who had a cottage two doors from the camp. 25 years ago is about the right time frame when we fished the most there. great crappies along those floats around the camp too or just to the north of it.
As for duck yes them tigers are bigger as I have lost quite a few lures to them, lol.