salmoseine

I believe you are quite mistaken... the DEC Region 8 forage assessment (year 2019) for Hemlock Lake indicated that alewives were by far the most abundant forage available: https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/tb8hemlocklake18.pdf

Just saw a FB post by a member of the FLTA (Finger Lakes Troller Assoc) that he caught an 8lb10oz walleye in Keuka a couple weeks back. As Sk8man outlined, for gobies to be present in Canandaigua it would require their "introduction" to the lake similar to the "introduction" of alewives to Conesus Lake. And we all know how that affected the fishery. It's always aggravating to know there are fishing "sportsmen" who believe they are wiser than the DEC fisheries management professionals.

In the most recent DEC assessment of Canandaigua Lake forage that I've seen (2019), alewives made up 93% of the catch. To the best of my knowledge, gobies are currently not present in Canandaigua. https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/tb8canandaigualk18f.pdf

Walleyes that have a significant alewife component to their diet have a much different flavor profile than walleyes feeding on a more traditional diet of yellow perch, etc....

So you would prefer the rainbow fishery in Skaneateles be destroyed in favor of illegally introduced walleyes... I seem to recall many comments by you on LOU regarding how the Finger Lakes have changed for the worse, fish/fishing that used to be available in numbers no longer present. So, I guess you feel it would be fine if Skaneateles joined that status. https://www.syracuse.com/outdoors/2021/04/its-been-four-years-and-dec-still-does-not-have-a-plan-to-get-walleye-out-of-skaneateles-lake.html

Very interesting! There was a population of walleyes in Canandaigua Lake from at least the 1940s (remember my uncle talking of catching "yellow bellies") through the early 1970s. Many Louis A Wehle/Genessee Beer fishing contest winners came from Canandaigua (brother inlaw caught a 13.5 lbs monthly winner). The DEC attributed the decline of the population to: 1- Loss of spawning habitat in the lake and the West River 2- Polution, West River 3- The introduction of alwives to the lake in the 1950s (feed on walleye fry). Walleyes were most often incidental catches while trout fishing. I caught my last Canandaigua walleye in 1971, 9.5 lbs... suspended mid-lake off Menteth Pt, early August. Walleyes would suspend over deep water mid-July through August feeding on alwives, much the same as smallmouth bass do in Canandaigua/other Finger Lakes. Up to this catch, the last walleye I remember hearing caught was June 1973 (weighed in at Clarke's). Sk8man may be on to something... perhaps a wallye(s) illegally introduced to the lake. The DEC is currently "fighting" a reproducing population of wallyes illegally introduced to Skaneateles Lake perhaps 10 yrs ago (based on year classes found by gill netting surveys). Walleye are known to prey heavily on young trout when available.

Below is a screen shot of the Seneca Lake stocking data for 2022: LT, BT and LLS. Catherine Creek is also included (RT). Data source: https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/actualstocking.pdf Actual DEC stocking data (all NYS waters) for years 2011 - 2022 can be found at: https://data.ny.gov/Recreation/Fish-Stocking-Lists-Actual-Beginning-2011/e52k-ymww

Bacteria identified as causation for Seneca L alwife die-off in June... https://www.fingerlakes1.com/2023/07/13/dec-bacteria-to-blame-for-significant-die-off-of-fish-in-seneca-lake/

I remember a discussion with Ned Holmes and Bill Abrams (sp) of Region 8 NYS DEC in the early '70s. I expressed my concrern with the decision to stock BT in Canandaigua Lake... would they enter Naples Creek, and perhaps alter/have a significant negative impact on RT recruitment. They assured me it would be monitored very closely as they would never risk any damage to a "free" $1,000,000 RT hatchery ('70s $$$s). As part of that discussion they advised that the majority of bows only "run" the creek one time during their life span, with a significant number remaining in the lake, never entering the creek. The stress of the run and spawn does limit the life span. I think Frogger's estimate of ~10-11 yrs is reasonable and the size may be an indication of a single or perhaps no spawn run into Naples creek.

Wow... Gambler sure knows his LT. He nailed the age of the big laker 2 yrs ago when caught!

I recall a ~19 lb rainbow caught in Seneca Lake in the late 1950's, early '60s. It won the Louis A Whele Genesee Beer fishing contest for the year, and is the largest bow that I know of from a Finger Lake (I've since misplaced /lost the documentation), and can't recall the exact year. That contest ran yearly for nearly 50 years, including both warm and cold water fish catagories. The Naples Creek 10+ Club still lists the 15 lb 5 oz as the largest from the creek, with a 14 lb 15 oz bow second, but certainly a larger bow is possible.

It certainly is a very special fish and a great story/details of the catch. To the best of my memory and information I have, it's the 2nd largest Canandaigua bow ever and the largest taken from the lake... the record Canandaigua bow dates to 1962, taken from Naples creek (see article below). I believe it to be the largest/record bow taken from the lake. The previous largest bow from the lake (again to my info/memory) was caught in 1973, weighing 14 lbs 4 oz. Congratualations on a great achievement!!!

And to think the 2021 Grand Prize derby winner was a Canandaigua Lake all time record LT... 29.25 lbs. The previous lake record was 26 lbs 6 oz, ~60 years earlier.

Some quite impressive trout for a small, 2 day derby. Largest LT: 14.15 lbs. Largest RT: 15.15 lbs, Grand Prize winner, a Bow!! Largest BT: 11.30 lbs.

Exactly... that's why I used the terminology "data/prediction". Experience and judgement are ALWAYS the final decision makers.

Example of data from the site for Sunday morning, 6/4, in the Olcott area, LO:

Another good source for wind/wave forecast... click on the section of Lake Ontario you're interested in and data/prediction of conditions is provided: scroll down for full data, both table and graphical format https://www.weather.gov/greatlakes/#

Final standings...

Salotti takes home $13,000 for winning the National Lake Trout Derby https://www.fltimes.com/news/outdoors-salotti-takes-home-13-000-for-winning-the-national-lake-trout-derby/article_7d6f24aa-feec-11ed-ab69-1b8dbf3106da.html