Canandaigua fish kill

[Bigfoot]

The Ithaca Journal is reporting a severe fish kill on Canandaigua. Preliminary testing by DEC/Cornell indicate the fish are infected with a bacterial infection called columnaris.

[Sk8man]

I figured it was something like a virus....many fish and mostly warm water species (perch, bass, rock bass, suckers etc.) noted last two times out .They were floating in lines out near the middle of the lake with other suspended smaller debris particles and weeds. Quite a smell in some places too.  Pretty unfortunate and makes you question the general health of the lake itself these days. It is a very different picture out there than even five to ten years ago.

[BarringtonTrapper]

I was born and rased in the finger lakes and large die offs are common when the lake flips. It happens every year, now its got a name,

[Bigfoot]

This is not your average die off. Some are saying that it's the worst they've ever scene.

The people from the watershed group say there is nothing wrong with the water quality, but I agree, it really does make you wonder.

Also, there was a large die off last year also. So the lake has been hammered two years in a row.

[Sk8man]

And when you look around in the shallows for the most part it is pretty much devoid of fish.  A few years ago we scouted the perch schools by sight from the boat  ...not any more ...nothing out there to see but an occasional dink or sunny and not marked in the traditional spots on the depth finder so it isn't a mater of them being out deeper because of the Zebras either.

[Hookedup]

All that flood water wash off and millions of gallons of liquid cow crap dumped into the lakes I'm sure didn't help bacteria levels. I've seen small lakes with the bacteria so high from goose crap that they won't let anyone in the water.

[Sk8man]

Good point Sean....the changes have to come from somewhere and I think that is a real possibility. The steepness of the banks on Canandaigua may help accelerate things too as well as the many of thousands of geese wintering here at the north end

[blueghost1]

Seneca wasnt much better yesterday. Bullhead mostly, perch and bass as well. floating all over. One perch had to be 15-16" shame.

[chuck527]

Talked to the guys from FLCC at the dock on thursday and they said its a combination of several factors. The bacteria itself is naturally occurring but coupled with the heavy storms over a week ago and all the silt making it difficult for the fish to breath causes severe stress and the fish cant recover from the bacteria. This die off is nothing compared to last year. They are also looking into bait populations. Not just alewives but shiners etc..Les, when you noted the floating fish first the following 3 days seemed to be the peak. I was out last night and this morning and what a difference from last week. We hammered the lakers jigging Sunday night with 2 around ten pounds and the rest over 5. This morning the lakers weren't so agreeable so we ran a rainbow spread and hooked 5 releasing 3 in just over an hour. Looks like the lake is setting up on a summer pattern fast now as I marked a ton of bait up high over deep water with lots of big hooks in the 80-120 fow over 200. The water we were fishing in is still murky and no where near the usual color and clarity. Weed mats were pretty heavy center of the lake. I wonder what impact the winter had freezing the lake over? We are still catching lakers in 30 FOW and many of them have had a large fat build up in the belly cavity like a deer in late muzzleloader.

[Sk8man]

Thanks Chuck great report.  A lot of good points to think about too.  I think next time out it will be rig fishing for me. It is still my favorite Finger Lakes fishing method and most of the time I can avoid the laker crowd by setting high with small spoons for the rainbows and browns and trolling faster. I may mess with jigging too though as it is also a lot of fun.  Those were good lakers you got so you sure dialed them in... Thanks also for the heads up on the weed mats they can be hard to avoid with the rigs