I've never seen so many boats at the Penn Yan launch. Our club, a club from up near Buffalo, and an open tourney were all launching at pretty much the same time. The canal leading out to the lake looked like Times Square! Luckily our group blasted off first. It was a cool morning so there wasn't the usual array of jet skis and pleasure boaters on the water as is custom for this lake in summer. It was sunny with a strong northwest wind which made navigating the trolling motor quite a chore. That plus not having a working depth finder made locating fish nearly impossible. My partner and I worked a point just north of Keuka College where I nearly always find fish on the locator. No luck there, so down in front of the college we went. We caught a few short fish around here and started to put something together with pontoon boats and shade. We shot across to the east side where the shadows were still on the water but couldn't scare up a keeper.

Along about 10 am I set the hook into a 3.5lb. smallmouth that ate my Fission Lures Max React 8 that I was digging into the chunk rock in front of some docks on a point. I gotta say that felt really good!! I started getting a fair amount of action doing this but they were all short fish. I wish I could have stayed on that spot longer but navigating in the wind was really difficult. So my partner, Pat, and I just kept moving.

I probably spent too much time in the coves between the points. I should have ran around more. I did manage to put another fish in the livewell that gave me a 2-fish total of 5.1 lbs. for the tournament and an 8th place finish. At least I put some points in the basket toward the angler of the year title. I'm already ahead of last year.

Your post has brought back quite a few memories for me.   The names of the places that you are telling about I have not heard for about six years now.  I lived in New York (Watkins Glen) for a year working for the company that I still currently work for.  I have been to all of the Finger Lakes and used to work in areas that surrounded them.  I miss living there because it seemed like there was always something to see or do.   Thank you for the happy flashback of this beautiful place. 8-)

Blaine,