Canandaigua Canandaigua LAKE

[Trouthunter]

I think we should start a protest so that we can get a increase out on the lake to three rainbows a day
as this is alot more fairly as we have alot invested in our boats. This decrease from five rainbows to one has had a very bad effect on people who charter on the lakes as many people love catching rainbows.

[Sk8man]

Here is the person to contact:

Webster Pearsall

Region 8 Fisheries Manager

[email protected]

585-226-5339

I feel the same way but for other reasons. Have a look at my earlier post last month. Some of the difficulty we face is this: Canandaigua seems to have a healthier (from a numbers? standpoint) population of native rainbows while Seneca and Cayuga seem to be having problems with the rainbow population at least according to some of the guys on the forum. Much of their concern seems to center around tributary fishing results and they may have a point there. I've had good luck with the rainbows right through this year on Seneca and Canandaigua....but I specifically target them much of the year (along with browns and on the lakes only) and may be fishing a little differently than many fishermen do with more general strategies. Again, Canandaigua seems to be a bit different in that regard, and DEC is probably trying to keep that part at least consistent on the Finger lakes in general. I still think that the rule should be THREE rainbows to be in line with the rule on Landlocks and it would allow for more leeway in catch and release of potentially injured fish. Right now as it stands if you have already kept one whether to eat or because they went belly up and didn't "make it" you have to leave any additional rainbow that doesn't make it for the sea gulls (and most are way too big for them).

[FLXTroutman]

I don't have the old rule book in front of me but if memory serves.. I believe that a five fish limit was in a combination. For instance 3 lake trout and 2 rainbows or 3 rainbows and 2 lake trout or 3 rainbows and 1 brown trout and 1 lake trout. If you are concerned about how much you have invested in your boat and can't keep more than one rainbow trout per angler perhaps you should consider fishing Lake Ontario. The catch ratio on the Lake O compared to the FLX is staggering. Even for a guy like me who fishes Lake O maybe once a year in my own boat. Plus the king salmon will put your gear and your angling ability to the test.

Good luck getting a rule change if that is your mission. Consider this, I have fished Canandaigua Lake exclusively for the last 9 years (since I moved to Cdga) and I can't tell you how many times I was the only fishing boat I saw out there. So the fishing pressure in my opinion is very light. I kept a diary last year and this year for the DEC and my rate of rainbow catches has skewed their numbers in my humble opinion. I don't keep many of them unless they are 5 lbs or more or go belly up. However not every angler is keeping a dairy for the DEC on Miss Canandaigua so maybe they take that into consideration. Tomorrow I am going hit Onanda Park and crush rainbows and browns with my Lil' Cleos until my arm is sore.

[Sk8man]

Good qualification regarding the combination rule FLX. You have a valid point regarding the decreased fishing pressure on trout in Caandaigua as well. Many of us used to fish Canandaigua at night at the south end in particular back in the 60's 70's and 80's and caught a large amount of big rainbows and browns. I don't know of anyone that does that anymore. There are many differences among these Finger Lakes, and the ups and downs in population cycles of trout as well as the other species of fish. I kept the DEC diaries for over 15 years for Seneca, Keuka and Canandaigua and much has really changed over the years since that point and not necessarily in a good way. There has been considerable degradation of the habitat both in the lakes and their tributaries (e.g. Zebras, Quaggas, Fleas etc., pollution sources, and natural events such as high water "washouts" creating spawning problems for rainbows and to a lesser extent browns in the Fall with low water conditions. There has for many years also been a siltation problem in Seneca and problems with the major spawning of Rainbows in Catherines Creek so fishing pressure in and of itself is only a (still unknown degree) part of the problem. The lampreys on Cayuga are also a significant probelm for all the trout ad Landlocks there. I believe that the absence of much of the phytoplankton species base in these lakes is also raising havoc with everything above it in the food chain including trout and this is directly a result of the introduction of non-native organisms such as the Zebras etc. The rainbow smelt that once inhabited Seneca and Canandaigua are virtually gone and the humongous sawbelly populations reaching for a quarter of a mile in length and for 80 ft in the water column that I used to see are in large part history now for the same reason. The one rainbow limit may make a difference at some point in Seneca and Cayuga but I for one am not convinced that it will impact the Canandaigua fishery in any meaningful way in lieu of these other things going on that I have mentioned.

[Second Chance 22]

The rainbow fishery on Canandaigua Lake is a shadow of what it use to be or what it could be. Consider the number of bows reported by angler cooperators:

Year 1973: 389

Year 1978: 335

Year 1985: 283

Year 2007: 19

Year 2008: 20

Year 2009: 35

Year 2010: 50

Year 2011: 80

Clearly, the lake is producing more bows than it did a few short years ago, however it's only at roughly 25% of it's glory years. Given the sparse returns in 2007 and 2008, DEC was justified in changing the regs (it takes several years). This was done after several public comment periods- as I recall very few people spoke up opposing the reduced bag limits.

We haven't even had the chance to see if the new regs will rebuild the rainbow population, please give them a chance.

[Nessmuk]

The rainbow fishery on Canandaigua Lake is a shadow of what it use to be or what it could be. Consider the number of bows reported by angler cooperators:

Year 1973: 389

Year 1978: 335

Year 1985: 283

Year 2007: 19

Year 2008: 20

Year 2009: 35

Year 2010: 50

Year 2011: 80

Clearly, the lake is producing more bows than it did a few short years ago, however it's only at roughly 25% of it's glory years. Given the sparse returns in 2007 and 2008, DEC was justified in changing the regs (it takes several years). This was done after several public comment periods- as I recall very few people spoke up opposing the reduced bag limits.

We haven't even had the chance to see if the new regs will rebuild the rainbow population, please give them a chance.

I wonder why the decline in rainbows and if it is due to more than we might think. Browns and rainbows are non-native and different than native lake trout. Like the non-native salmon in Ontario I wonder if they are creating problems? I'm not keen on non-native species being introduced though browns and rainbows are beautiful fish to catch and here to stay.

The bag limit doesn't bother me as long as it is three fish. Other than the occassional meal or if I ever caught a trophy size wall hanger catch and release will be the name of the game.

[Sk8man]

Before anynone gets too carried away by the numbers above it should be noted that the actual number of diary cooperators was drastically different (much larger number) back in the "hayday" noted above so the total number of fish reflects that situation. (In fact, DEC is pretty "hard up" for diary keepers on Canandaigua nowadays) so if you are to do any data comparison this needs to be taken into consideration or the data is virtually meaningless when looking at "totals". The diaries also calculate hours it takes to catch a legal sized fish and although this data is usually "estimated" by fishermen it can be constructive to factor this into the equation because when the numbers of fish are way down the hours it takes to catch one usually goes up significantly and from my standpoint this does not seem to be happening on Canandaigua. I guess I'm not going to "beat a dead horse" any longer...I've tried to indicate my concerns here on the forum(mainly aimed at catch and release issues) and to the DEC and that is sufficient....I'll abide by the regulations in any case and be supportive of the wishes and judgment of my fellow fishermen and the DEC. I have no intention of "fighting" the issue just wanted to make my views known.

[ERABBIT]

IMHO there is a bit of mis-understood info posted ( by me ) on what it was or even is now.

First I think this one is easy to clear up if your fishing Cayuga better not keep more than 3 laketrout in your limit.

If your fishing Cayuga NOW , today next year you can keep more than one (1) rainbow.

Owasco Lake, Cayuga Lake, Otisco Lake, Skaneateles Lake, Honeoye

Brown trout, rainbow trout, lake trout, Landlocked salmon

All year

15" Except 12" for Brown Trout in Otisco Lake, and 18" for Landlocked salmon in Cayuga Lake

5 in combination. Catch shall include no more than 3 lake trout or 3 Landlocked salmon

Now I think that is the same way it read for Seneca and "Miss" Canandaigua LAKE before the new regs. went in.

Lets look at the new regs.

All Finger Lakes except Cayuga Lake, Otisco Lake, Owasco Lake and Skaneateles Lake

Brown trout, rainbow trout, lake trout, Landlocked salmon

All year

15"

5 in combination. Catch shall include no more than 1 rainbow trout or 3 landlocked salmon

Now lots of us read that we can take 5 laketrout , so if you could take 5 laketrout wouldn't that hold true for browns ?

Go back to last year.......if what I and some other think is right ........before the regs changed we could take 5 rainbows !!!! If not then we better not figure on 5 laketrout this year.................

Ok what do you think !!!!!

[Hookedup]

You could take 5 browns last year and 5 Bows still can take 5 Browns this year and 5 Bows on Cayuga. Just can't have more than 5 in combination for your limit. The new regs don't include Cayuga Just Seneca and west to Canandaigua. So if you want to limit out on five browns in Seneca or five Lakers you can. I still have a one bow per person limit on my boat on Cayuga and Owasco for the last couple years if we are not in a tournament.

[ Post made via Android ]

[Sk8man]

I do stand corrected on the earlier mention of Cayuga I had meant to say Keuka but didn't catch it sorry about that! :>)

[Trouthunter]

We have to remember that in years past there were more cooperaters fishing the lake so this is not a good judge of the rainbows in the lake. If the goal is to increase the

rainbows then the job is to stop the rainbows from being taken in the tribs. so it would be best if it were one rainbow in the trib there by allowing them to spawn.

[ERABBIT]

All tributaries to Canadice Lake, Canandaigua Lake, Hemlock Lake, Keuka Lake, and Seneca Lake upstream to the first barrier impassable by fish

Lake trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, landlocked salmon

April 1 - December 31

15"

3 in combination catch shall include no more than 1 rainbow trout

You got it !!!!

[Sk8man]

I think it is instructive that we had this conversation about the daily limit issues etc. so that we are all on the same page. Sometimes the wording on the DEC syllabus leaves a bit to be desired in the way of "detail' :>) I remember back a while when that wording allowed folks to run 15 lures with single hooks per rod on the seth green rigs :>)

Les

[Hookedup]

The diary cooperators may be way down but all you need to do is take a walk along a spring tributary from February to April 1st to see the number of spawning rainbows is nothing like it was even in the mid to late 90s. I'm sure habitat destruction, pollution, and poaching all played a part. One thing I have noticed the last two years is an increase in the number of small bows. I will say we do catch more bows per trip on Canandaigua and believe the lake gets much less pressure than Seneca and Cayuga. Seneca gets fished year round and takes a beating some months. I'm excited to see what happens over the next few years with the new limits in place. I also see how the poor guy who has to fish solo could be discouraged when he has to let a bow float when he has one in the box. Anyone with three or more guys in the boat has nothing to complain about how many do you need to keep. I have never had a client complain when he or she was told why we have a one bow limit on the boat. Lets see what the next four few years bring hopefully not grass carp and more hydrilla. Sean

[ Post made via Android ]

[Sk8man]

Amen Sean :>)

[Trouthunter]

I don't have the old rule book in front of me but if memory serves.. I believe that a five fish limit was in a combination. For instance 3 lake trout and 2 rainbows or 3 rainbows and 2 lake trout or 3 rainbows and 1 brown trout and 1 lake trout. If you are concerned about how much you have invested in your boat and can't keep more than one rainbow trout per angler perhaps you should consider fishing Lake Ontario. The catch ratio on the Lake O compared to the FLX is staggering. Even for a guy like me who fishes Lake O maybe once a year in my own boat. Plus the king salmon will put your gear and your angling ability to the test.

Good luck getting a rule change if that is your mission. Consider this, I have fished Canandaigua Lake exclusively for the last 9 years (since I moved to Cdga) and I can't tell you how many times I was the only fishing boat I saw out there. So the fishing pressure in my opinion is very light. I kept a diary last year and this year for the DEC and my rate of rainbow catches has skewed their numbers in my humble opinion. I don't keep many of them unless they are 5 lbs or more or go belly up. However not every angler is keeping a dairy for the DEC on Miss Canandaigua so maybe they take that into consideration. Tomorrow I am going hit Onanda Park and crush rainbows and browns with my Lil' Cleos until my arm is sore.

FLXTroutman

I have fished the big O since the 80s . I like the FINGER lakes alot more