Otsego Lake, Cooperstown, NY

[dabu556]

Just saying hello to future friends. I've been hangin' around reading posts for a couple years... thought I would become a participant.

[kowboyup]

Welcome aboard dabu. Yes 3 mile is open and it was full, got out about 9ish and i didnty see anybody parked or fishing at 5 mile all day as i left at 4pm

[ceoutdoors]

Can I get some info where the nearest bait shops are to Otsego - I saw "Tom's" mentioned but couldn't find it listed in near Cooperstown?  Thanks, Chris

[bigredonice]

Said it looked like a Wal- Mart parking lot. Said there were cars parked up on St Rt 80. He said there were quite a few at 5 Mile also.

Its like I can see into the future or something

Quote from: Neversink Jimmy on Dec 21, 2011, 04:47 PM

    Some ponds just don't deserve to be tossed under the proverbial bus...

    I think more then a few of us 518ers have learned that lesson in the past few years 

unfortunately there's gonna be more that have to learn that lesson the hard way.   Sucks for the rest of us.

Quote from: afwrestler1986 on Dec 22, 2011, 08:47 AM

    That is too bad. No body wants to bother with the small ponds and small lakes until they see someone catching good fish from it.

Even medium sized lakes can take a bad hit.  Canadarago is a great example of that.  Its neighbor Otsego seems to be next

.

[TimK]

You are so wise lance, like a miniture buddah, covered in hair.

[bigredonice]

You are so wise lance, like a miniture buddah, covered in hair.

Listen to you mister Im-too-good-to-live-in-NY,  go back to your ELK and gorgeous Rainbow Trout you infidel LOL



but seriously, it is a tough lesson most of us get to learn the hard way when we find crowds where there previously weren't.

[ChenBassHead]

No doubt about it Lance. As much as I enjoy this site, its definitely responsible for the downfall of some local hot spots. A local spot out that I know you're familiar with is a good example (think “V). People all over that place... panfish are getting increasingly tougher to come by. I like to think that Otsego, with its size and one fish limit, will be immune but I just don't know. Everything I catch there is C&R, unless its injured or a walleye...

-Zach

[captin bill]

Trust me its happend already, only thing to do now is can the hard water fishing like years ago. Listen to big red and heed those posts, Otsego deserves our quite respect

[RTF]

I drove by the south end on Sunday afternoon in the village of Cooperstown and for the first time I seen several guys out on the ice just out from the state boat launch. I don't have a clue how they got on because it of the bubblers by the docks and launch. Not to mention that these guys were sandwiched between two huge pressure cracks with one of them spilling water.

[mohawkmonsters]

Actually the open water fisherman hurt the fish more than ice fisherman because they bring fish up from 150 ft of water into warmer shallow water on surface lake trout can't tolerate that drastic temp and pressure change

[kowboyup]

Anybody make it out today or yesterday? hope the ice makes it thru the rain, dont think it will hurt but only help after it gets cold again, what do you think

[BIGJim223]

Actually the open water fisherman hurt the fish more than ice fisherman because they bring fish up from 150 ft of water into warmer shallow water on surface lake trout can't tolerate that drastic temp and pressure change

Mohawk:  I disagree on part of your statement.
They handle the pressure change just fine. They are one of the few fish which will "burp" air from their air bladder as the pressure changes. This is one reason not to winch the fish up fast from the depths, fight the fish and they will release the excess air. I have never had a lake trout bloat up due to the pressure change, I always let them burp it out. Walleyes on the other hand do bloat very severely when I have caught them even as deep as 45-50', as well as Otsego Bass. It's pretty much a given that they will not make it back down.
    I do agree with you on the drastic temperature change though. I try to release as many as I can without removing them from the water, if possible. This also protects their slime layer.
  The best thing any Otsego fisherman can do is release the bigger lake trout. The smaller ones eat way better anyway. I personally think that a slot limit would be a better means of letting a fisherman keep an occasional meal, and still protect the breeding size fish.

BIGJim223

[pikeman]

i was out today ice was melting pretty good as they day went on..good half inch of water on top of ice where i was when i left. Be careful of pressure ridges..i drilled by a few to find maby 2 inches of soft ice. didnt trust the ice going back at all so i was wondering all over the place trying to avoid a few of them.hopefully it will freeze back up good this weekend tmrw might put a damper on things for a day or 2

[TheSystem]

Spot on BigJim, I don't know anyone who would argue that a 16" lake trout would taste a whole lot better than a 25"LT, and those littler fish aren't breeding anyways, so no long term loss.  Speaking of which, I'm starting to feel illness coming on, I can probably tough out a couple more days, but by the end of the week I don't know if i'll be able to make it to work. .

[BIGJim223]

Yea, I hear Jager61 and Butch are coming down with a flu or something...... Must be going around! Hope you DON'T feel better!

BIGJim223

[BIGJim223]

Oh yeah, System, don't forget the hot dogs! Nothing makes a sick guy feel better than a couple dogs on the ice!

BIGJim223

[mohawkmonsters]

Slot limit would be good I agree

[TheSystem]

I'm not gonna be the lunch bi***h this time!!  I'm gonna run with the Trout Dream Team

[o2rmk800]

hope the warm rain doesn't ruin the shoreline for you guys on friday

[JAGER61]

Think I'm coming down with a case of the White Pimples! 

[eduard]

How's the ice lookin now is it bad

[ChenBassHead]

Thinking I might ho chase Lakers up north somewhere this weekend. Not quite sure where yet but I don't feel like Otsego will be safe all over. Not sure where I want to go yet, but like Jager said, I've got a terrible case of the white pimples. Anyone want to take a trip up north somewhere?

-Zach

[MBrown4]

Me and my buddy were planning on otsego for lakers this weekend but it all depends on the ice.we might head north aswell chenbasshead if you would like some partners

[wec]

Goddam, wish I could get sick Mike.  Good luck this weekend.

[SchrnLker]

Think I'm coming down with a case of the White Pimples! 

LOL

[eduard]

i think that the water on the ice will frezze so it might be sturdy enough

[TheSystem]

I'm sick tomorrow, already told the boss.  BigJIm and Jager I'm gonna give you about an hour or two head start on me to give you fair chance to catch some fish before I hook em all up.

[JAGER61]

Throwing up White all over the place right now!

[o2rmk800]

whatever you guys do, don't post the pics of what you catch on here! some on here consider it "spot burning". good luck tomorrow guys hope you hammer them.

Steve

[bigredonice]

now now RMK, no need for negativity.    We are all happy people here, right    Lets see the pics of the white pimple brigade and the slaugherfest!    Should be a big party out there, like an iceshanty getogether!