tmag

How bad are the eels?

Look to the saltwater guys. The high-end spinning rods & reels along with pendulum casts would be the way to go. 

While it may be true that environments will continue to change, when the changes are brought about through human activities which includes invasive species the problem is that the changes happen so quickly that the environment can't respond fast enough.

With zebra & quagga mussels, they cleared the water. This led to a much deeper weed line. This favored some warm water species. Interestingly, walleyes, which tend to lay their eggs along rocky shoals, have apparently benefited from zebra mussels in that some of the eggs get down in between the mussels. Go figure. Similarly, more weeds & clearer water was advantageous for pike which whose eggs have a natural adhesive that cling to the weeds.

The mussels out-competed smelt which have disappeared. But the smelt were introduced anyway albeit delicious and a great prey source for the trout fishery. I believe that alewife were introduced as well.

Rainbow trout, brown trout, and salmon are all introduced species. 

Personally, I think alligator gar, Argentine golden dorado, goliath tiger fish, wels catfish, and payara would all be fabulous introductions 

As I started to look at this thread, I thought: this guy must be a pretty good fisherman... then I realized it was *that* Chad (lol) 

I will respond separately to the muskies of the St. Lawrence also mentioned above:

https://www.newyorkupstate.com/outdoors/2021/09/alarming-muskie-decline-in-the-st-lawrence-river-invasive-fish-species-could-be-contributing.html

https://www.outdoorlife.com/fishing/st-lawrence-muskies-in-trouble/

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/st-lawrence-musky-population-threatened-by-invasive-gobies

some good news:

https://www.nny360.com/news/jeffersoncounty/battling-muskie-decline-researchers-release-tens-of-thousands-of-young-fish-into-st-lawrence-river/article_f7becb63-3419-5c86-8646-6ba890ec1de7.html

https://www.savetheriver.org/latest-news/a-win-for-st-lawrence-river-muskie-spawning-habitat/

Nonetheless, invasive species have put tremendous pressure on NY / Great Lakes fisheries.

Some years back, I know there was a fungus affecting the smallmouth in the Susquehanna. Further upstream on the Chemung and Tioga, the DEC told me that there were a lot of fish but few of any size. They weren't sure why.

Meanwhile, in the late 80s / early 90s, PA stock millions of walleye fry in the reservoir(s) near the PA border. They did not take. So, PA stopped stocking. 

Some local fishermen began to blame the muskies: "They're eatin' everything!" The reality is, many of these guys, fishing small rivers, would repeatedly limit out; even bragging how they had bagged over a hundred walleye in a season.

Nonetheless, PA told me that after PA stocked stocking fry and fingerlings, fishermen downstream would probably notice this. 

Back/earlier issues affecting the Susqy and note the reference to climate change, too:

https://pfbc.pa.gov/images/reports/2013bio/gsSusqR_smb_2010.pdf

https://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2013/06/the_susquehanna_river_-_too_big_to_ail_editorial.html

https://www.usgs.gov/programs/environmental-health-program/science/new-virus-identified-melanistic-skin-lesions

https://www.ydr.com/in-depth/news/2021/02/03/3-iconic-susquehanna-river-aquatic-species-struggle-survive/5853999002/

https://apnews.com/general-news-b58ca60d6e1f41c49cbbb7a1a4172dd9

https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fsh.10491

 

just wow

that largemouth is a beast, too

As someone that also finds themselves fishing alone a lot, another thing that can help is a tripod and a remote shutter control. The remote controls for a digital camera are aftermarket products but not too expensive at all. Then, you can take a nice picture of yourself holding the fish. I even have a tripod now along with a time control app on my smartphone.

bump boards like these help prevent the slime from getting rubbed off on carpet & boat floors:

https://www.muskiebumper.com/

https://muskychasers.com/product/60-muskie-bumper-musky-bump-board/

https://muskyfool.com/collections/bump-boards-measurement

There are also floating measuring sticks.

 

On 10/27/2023 at 12:13 PM, Big fat pike said:

Do you have recommendations for measuring girth i know to invest in a fish board & weigh the net  if you have someone else to take a picture do you guys have any recommendations for calming them down while holding them I tried covering their eyes without touching them but it didn’t work ?

Get a soft tailor tape for measuring girth. 

As for calming the fish, if they are brought into the net a bit too green, so to speak, they will remain feisty. Play them enough such that they are docile. I have a bump board for measuring; one hand gently near the shoulders and the other back towards the tail.

Hope that helps 

Yeah, if they see a fish in distress, sometimes they will attack.

You see it in saltwater more.

Congrats! And thanks for puttin' 'er back.

what does "culling the small pike" mean when they've been out of the water and laying in snow?

@muskiedreams

@NPike, I've had that happen! I use lanyards on all of my tools. Either a carabiner that I attach to a lanyard like those that Cuda makes. 

If you carry jaw spreaders and bolt cutters, the hooks can be cut out. One might be surprised. I've released some very deeply hooked fish. Need a good net, some long pliers and Knipex cutters are the best - spring-loaded.

Nice fish, though.

Tight Lines

Still a good fish, tho. I've never caught one anywhere near that size. Congrats - good fish!

On 3/20/2022 at 5:16 AM, spinfly said:

SLR = St. Lawrence River

Got ya... then, for sure, those fish are certainly small for that body of water but. I believe, the St. Lawrence pike fishery has declined significantly since the Seaway was built as pike would historically lay eggs in areas that had great flooding / higher water which is now controlled.

1 hour ago, whaler1 said:

?  Some people still enjoy eating what they catch. Those are perfect eaters. 
SMH 

Not sure where on the Seneca River these were caught but for Seneca Lake proper, the fishery, and especially the pike fishery, of Seneca has suffered a great deal in recent years.

Meanwhile, I don't believe anyone on here is criticizing anyone personally for taking legal fish. It's more about NYS regulations that are not really favorable in spite of many waters that would & could support trophy fish if there was a proper slot limit such as those in the Upper Midwest and Canada.

12 hours ago, muskiedreams said:

Those are really just dinks compared to what the size potential is for them, especially in the SLR. But unfortunately it is the new norm.

so true...

Water clarity / turbidity would also factor in.

Yeah, that must-ve been a good tussle. Whatta beauty.

4+ lb.  - LOL - bigger than most bass guys catch...

congrats

Hey All,

There is a lot of chatter on the boards regarding catch & release, etc. Please find the attached compilation of articles. Some of the material may be considered dated but it is worth noting how long ago some of this information became available. Likewise, the magazine articles could be reorganized and new material added. Nonetheless, it's material written by authors & scientists across two continents, multiple countries, and numerous states / provinces.

Enjoy!

Regards,

-- Todd Cook

WhatDoMuskiesReallyEat.pdf Q&A and Info from DEC.pdf Magazine & Book Snippets.pdf FishingFacts - So You've Released.pdf FishingFacts - Catch & Release.pdf

Most excellent!