Oneida Lake, NY

[Shellback]

Fished Oneida Lake, NY yesterday for the first time, and got skunked. Had some info on the hot spots, but nothing panned out for me. Water temps were between 50 and 54 degrees. It was the first decent day we've had it a week or more, very light breeze and temps in the low 60's after an overnite low in the mid 20's. Warming up even more in the next few days but Sat and Sun they are calling for up to 17 MPH winds gusting to 28MPH. I HATE WIND. Anyhow, back to Oneida, it seems most folks were in the same boat as me, no fish or one or two. I just can't seem to put together a good trip, the weather this year is killing me. Just can't settle down for more than a day at a time. I've been using the Teezur tube jigs with minnows without any luck and just got an order of the Fish&Spin tube jigs to try. Next try is the DuPont sinker! That's a stick of dynamite for those not familiar with the term. Any northern crappie fishermen have any advise for me? Man, when I retire in 5 years, I'm gonna get a nice camper on or near a good crappie lake in the south. Fishing season is too short in the north, but I do enjoy the cooler summers up here in the mountains of N.E. PA.

[Gobblehunter]

Fished Oneida Lake, NY yesterday for the first time, and got skunked. Had some info on the hot spots, but nothing panned out for me. Water temps were between 50 and 54 degrees. It was the first decent day we've had it a week or more, very light breeze and temps in the low 60's after an overnite low in the mid 20's. Warming up even more in the next few days but Sat and Sun they are calling for up to 17 MPH winds gusting to 28MPH. I HATE WIND. Anyhow, back to Oneida, it seems most folks were in the same boat as me, no fish or one or two. I just can't seem to put together a good trip, the weather this year is killing me. Just can't settle down for more than a day at a time. I've been using the Teezur tube jigs with minnows without any luck and just got an order of the Fish&Spin tube jigs to try. Next try is the DuPont sinker! That's a stick of dynamite for those not familiar with the term. Any northern crappie fishermen have any advise for me? Man, when I retire in 5 years, I'm gonna get a nice camper on or near a good crappie lake in the south. Fishing season is too short in the north, but I do enjoy the cooler summers up here in the mountains of N.E. PA.

I live and fish all over Oneida Lake and just use your head and think like a crappie, this is the best part of the season to be on them. I catch them in some of the most unlikely places, one thing to keep in mind is if you are a serious crappie fishermen you will catch them when no one else is and it fustrates the crap out everyone. Just today at marion manor I caught my 50 sunfish and 25 crappies when other people were only getting a very few or nothing at all. one thing I will tell you is to go micro for our lake, it gets a lot of pressure and all it takes is just smaller lures and bait. Let me know when you plan on coming up again and I will try to lead you in the right direction.

[Shellback]

Thanks for the reply. I'm just getting into crappie fishing myself, and fish mainly with my wife. We don't know all the in's and out's yet, and probably never will. The wife does love to fish, and she keeps me pretty busy helping her out as she has MS. So sometimes it's tough for me to practice all the tips and tricks to crappie fishing that I hear about. I'm trying to wean her of the worm and bobber fishing she is used to. I guess you would say we are opportunist type fishing people, kind of happy to just get anything, but do enjoy a good meal of crappie. We were fishing the west end of the lake around the channels on the north side, seemed the warmest water we found. We might try Oneida again when walleye season opens. Ron

[kunes]

I've seen you post before and know you fish NYS some. I used to live in Rochester and had a cottage on Keuka Lake. Fished that lake and Canandaigua for 12 years. Never did anything with crappie, but I can help you on trout. In the next few weeks and up 'til memorial day when the water gets up to 48-52 degrees every fish in the lake will be in the top 6' of water. I used to troll j-7 Rapalas in Firetiger 6' down on the downriggers and topline the same lures. This is when you get the big fish. We also used to drift with smelt or sawbellies (alewives) 4' down under a bobber on a fairly clam day. From the dock we caught huge perch (takes a big perch to eat a 6" sawbelly), bullheads, trout and 4-6lb smallmouth (put 'em back--season's closed). Used to plan a week vacation just for fishin' around Mother's Day. The full moon in May is usually when the 'bellies run into shore to spawn and the close in fishin' is really good. Now I'm livin" in South Carolina and I'm gettin' the hang of crappie fishin'. Got some nice biguns down here. If you ever come this way give me a hollar.

[S10CHEVY]

I live and fish all over Oneida Lake and just use your head and think like a crappie, this is the best part of the season to be on them. I catch them in some of the most unlikely places, one thing to keep in mind is if you are a serious crappie fishermen you will catch them when no one else is and it fustrates the crap out everyone. Just today at marion manor I caught my 50 sunfish and 25 crappies when other people were only getting a very few or nothing at all. one thing I will tell you is to go micro for our lake, it gets a lot of pressure and all it takes is just smaller lures and bait. Let me know when you plan on coming up again and I will try to lead you in the right direction.

You are right on that gobblehunter. I read in a fishing magazine, a few years back, that just because it is iceout, that ice-fishing lures can work just as good as any thing else for crappie. Also using more than one hook on the same line, about a foot apart, with different offerings helps. Try something smaller and bigger on the same line. If you don't use a bobber, and throw and reel in, then you want the bigger offering above the smaller one. Don't forget to try different colors, and live grubs, versus worms or minnows. We don't like eating the same thing day in and day out, and neither do they.