mostlymuskies

FishinNY, That is great you educated him on proper release! Hopefully it hit home, so many older guys are just doing what they always have done because no one has told them different on handling fish.Look how far we have come in the last 10 to 15 years when muskie killing was done way more then releasing back then!Still a lot of education needed, still clueless fishermen out there! I will not make it back to Chautauqua Lake until this coming weekend, I have walleye trips on Lake Erie the middle of this week.

Pike are hardier then muskies and they can be out of the water a little longer.Muskies on the other hand stress quicker and can only sustain a very short period of out of water time.Northern pike will usually swim right off when lowered back into the water, where muskies you may spend a lot of time helping the muskie stay up right until it regains enough strength to swim off on its own.

Small muskies on my boat now don't even get taken out of the water,measure in the water and just quickly release.

Today we covered all of the north basin and caught a 25 " little muskie off Irwin Bay, passing through the middle section near Tom's Point we caught a 32"er.We made one pass around the south end and caught nothing there.I seen no other nets hit the water, but heard some others did well today all over the lake.

Prendergast Hatchery has 6 tanks with 1 to 1 1/4" little match stick muskies being fed brine shrimp to start.

Joe Esox, The NYSDEC Prendergast Hatchery Supervisor Larry King has said they do not need help with extra minnows anymore.They now get minnows early and raise them in a couple ponds where they multiply, so they have all they need.Money from the Chautauqua Tournament that is not paid out will be used to put Know The Difference / Catch & Release Info Signs at Inland Lakes & Waters ,I believe that is what was voted on at a meeting.The Chautauqua Tourney Info should be listed in the NY Muskies Chapter 69 link at the top of the threads.I have not had anything to do with the Chautauqua Tourney since they took it over.

Yes, I know about Conesus and Waneta lakes Angler Diary Program.They wanted Chautauqua Lake to at the time but I was in the middle of busy fishing charter time and could not find free time to help with it then.

Ivan, I was asked by NYSDEC Region 9 back a couple years ago if we could get Fin Clipping information from Anglers.This information would give them survival status of different year classes.Then it can be determined if any of the changing in feeding, time in ponds or water temperature when stocking took place made that larger number of same fin clipped year class survive better.The Angler Duary Program would have to be run by NY Muskies Chapter 69 for individual diaries to be sent to individual fishermen.I will send an email off to Chris Legard who is the biologist for muskies in Region 9 and see if they still are looking for this information.I am not aware of NYSDEC having online survey data collection, only comments when changes are being made.

If I were to get Angler Diary Log Books from NYSDEC Region 9 to record Angler Hours Fished, Size of Fish, Fin Clipping Position etc.how many of you that think the NYSDEC does not look at this website would participate and fill them out.They would be mailed directly to the NYSDEC at the end of the season, I would not be able to see any other fishermens Diary and either would any other fishermen unless you personally showed them yourself.All the info would be recorded and the Angler Diary would be returned to you.All information would be combined from all the Diaries to show catch numbers, size numbers & Fin clips to determine stocked year classes and if any conditions, feed at hatchery etc. made for better stocking where the Diaries show large numbers of same size and same clipped fin.If we have enough interested I will set it up!

Yes, most of the time the windows are short and hot, on and off with Long hours in between.The hardest thing for most fishermen during these slow periods is to stay with the program that normally works for you.To easy to get caught into going through every lure and color in the box trying to find something to get a hit, but usually you take yourself right out of the game when they do turn on.I have stayed on spots the size of half a football field going over it for 8 to 12 hours knowing it's a food shelf and if your there when they come to feed your going to hook up and most days it works!

Joe Esox, Today's weather was so nice compared to Saturday thru Tuesday! Wish I could have fished the afternoon.

Today we only fished from 8:30 am till 1:00 pm, was very slow on the North Basin.We managed a little 25" dink from near Tom's Point in the middle section.I will go home for a couple days and return on Saturday.Look at the saddle back look of this small muskie!

The fishing rod combo with Tuff Shad that I snagged Monday has been claimed and will be returned to the owner! It is great how the website can help find the owner of lost equipment so fast!

Today's 45"er from 38 ft of water off Bell Tower!4 colors of leadcore, Wiley 5 1/2" Jtd in Golden Brown Perch at 3.7 mph!Another 34" muskie and called it the day at 5:30 pm.I hate East winds and cold fronts, probably lucky to have caught the two we did.Cell phone always puts pix upside down when up loaded.

Adam, I will never mention your name again or anyone else's name who does not want there name mentioned.But I have an obligation of being on the Fishery Advisory Board to promote tourism as well as make 10 meetings a month to report fishing issues to Erie & Chautauqua Federations of Sportsmen's Club's, NYSDEC .Like it or not all fishing management in NY State is based on dollars & cents, economic income generated thru use & tourism.No return on investment less money spent or no money spent.We as musky fishermen need to be more out in the open to be seen and heard if we want our fisheries to continue to thrive!

Thun, Thanks! I just wish everyone that fishes muskies would realize that the State of New York wants to see a return on the investment into a fishery.We can make the fishery better through fishermen helping the stocking programs etc.But the bottom line is dollars & cents spent by those that use the fishery, to include those that travel from other states that make even a bigger impact.The NSDEC is also looking at these boards to see if the season change was a good thing or not.If they see no fish caught or no tourism effect from the change, any further changes of possibly starting the season on May 1st will be that much harder to accomplish.I will continue to report all fish I see caught including mine, but I will not say who or spot on spot from here out!

Today was a little tough fishing for me in the cold front, only a couple little muskies under 30".But I did snag a fishing rod & reel combo with a lure attached, if anyone who lost it can describe the rod name, reel name & lure, I would be more then happy to return it to you. I seen a couple other muskies netted, NOT SURE WHO THEY WERE or WHERE THE BOATS CAME FROM!

Oldman, The New Early Musky Season is turning out to be very good.But the weather is not being nice, was a cold wet day.Just ran my truck for a hour with Heater on high to dry out, have not looked in the tent yet to see if my sleeping bag is dry!

Zach, That is an Assume looking Tiger!

Managed to get one more 40"er near the bridge On the way toward the launch.Mostly dinks, but I can live with a 5 fish day!

Looks like I'm the only boat left in the south basin at 3:40 pm.I got a late start at noon, started out with dinks,25",27 1/2",30 1/4" then finally caught a 42 1/2"er.I seen a lot of other boats put their nets to use today as well.Trolling toward Bemis Launch back out tomorrow.

Talked to a few more people at Prendergast Campground this morning, a lot of other boats yesterday caught 2 muskies on average. Andresky's caught 7 muskies.After last night's heavy rain and thunder I'm having a nice breakfast this morning before heading out on the water.