Fish New York’s Finger Lakes

For anglers who prefer largemouth, target the shallow, weedy sections of Cayuga, Otisco and Consensus lakes.

Perhaps the most popular aspect of this region is the more than 70 wineries located along the shores of the Finger Lakes. The bigger bodies of water have their own wine trail (Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka and Canandaigua). More intoxicating to anglers, though, is the fishing on these picturesque destinations.

For anglers who prefer largemouth, target the shallow, weedy sections of Cayuga, Otisco and Consensus lakes. This month (July), a hollow frog will be tough to beat. As the water cools, soft jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits will provoke enough bites to make your arms ache.

If you are addicted to smallmouth, launch in Seneca, Keuka or Otisco and focus on deeper structure. The typical brown bass arsenal will work here, including a killer jerkbait bite when the fish move shallow to spawn. After a day of fishing here, you’ll need a glass of wine to celebrate.

For more information, visit iloveny.com.