Meet Michelle Barber!  When Michelle isn't behind the desk at Five Star Bank, odds are likely that you can find her on the waters of Cayuga Lake.  She and her husband Rob Barber are fishing enthusiasts, and if you need an inside scoop on the fishing scene in Cayuga County, then this match is perfectly paired!  

Meet the Fisherwoman - Michelle Barber with husband Rob in their boat

To start off this series, Michelle has a suggested list of Do's and Don'ts for fishing the waters of Cayuga County.  

Guest Blogger Michelle Barber having some bass fishing fun

Fishing “Dos”:

  • Do fish in areas that are known to be productive areas but are not already being fished by others at the time you are there.

  • Do have a plan of where you’re going to fish and what bait you’re going to use.

  • Do know where to go in case of a storm or an emergency.

  • Do use lures that are appropriate for that time of year and the type of fish you are fishing for.

  • Do keep a topo map of the lake in your boat in case you get lost. (Eventually, you will get lost.) You can also download navionics on your phone!

  • Do know the weather forecast, winds are the biggest indicator if it’s safe to fish.

  • Do make sure your fire extinguisher is fully charged and flares are not expired.

  • Do fish with a degree of stealth. This will increase your chances of catching fish.

  • Do fish an area well before you move on.

  • Do check your boat before you leave home, including: fuel, oil, life vests, batteries charged, water, fishing licenses, boat tag, emergency equipment, your medications, etc.

  • Do keep your kill switch attached to you when running the big motor. If you don’t know what a kill switch is, you need to stay home.

  • Do take your kids.


Things Not To Do:

  • Don’t be rude to other fishermen by running your boat upon them or trying to fish the same area at the same time if they were there first.

  • Don’t throw your old fishing line or your plastic baits in the lake.

  • Don’t throw trash in the lake -- especially glass items and Styrofoam products.

  • Don’t “hit and run.” This means don’t run from one area to another, making just a couple of casts and then running hard again.

  • Don’t keep fish you are not going to eat.

  • Don’t hot rod your boat so that you endanger water skiers, swimmers, kayaks & water bikes or make them feel uncomfortable by your antics.

  • Don’t disregard “no wake” buoys just because no one is watching.

  • Don’t drink alcohol on the lake.

  • Don’t run your big motor without a life vest on that is fastened. Draping it over your shoulder will do no good.

  • Don’t fillet your fish in the lake to avoid the limit laws. Keep what you are going to eat and know that you can’t eat more than the legal limit, check the DEC website for limits for species and lakes.

  • Don’t litter private waters you are allowed to fish on; leave them cleaner than when you found them.