Seneca perch

[2lbperch]

Get it done and let us know Sk8. I will vote the perch line in that election.

[rolmops]

It is websites like this one and magazines like the In-Fisherman that sing the glory of a good lake. Once that is done ,the crowds are not far behind.

The best way to save our fish is to be tight lipped or spread stories about how the fishing collapsed.

So please friends,if you want to save your lake,make sure to write about getting skunked repeatedly and how you think about selling your boat and taking up gardening instead.

[Gator]

I'm guessing that your comment is tongue-in-cheek...nobody wants to purposely give out bad information. But I agree that all of the "hero" shots and the skewed tendency of anglers to share their triumphs but not their failures can provide the uninitiated with false hope.

 

Merry X-mas everyone!

[FishingTheFL]

Don't have to lie about it... Fishing on Seneca has sucked this year... I don't know how many skunks stunk up the boat this year... a bunch lol. Maybe something in the lake changed... maybe one these old salt mines is leaking something in the lake... Out in California they have a natural gas leak pumping 110,000lbs of natural gas into the air.... yet it's not on the news. You could compare it to the Gulf of Mexico but from the sounds of it... this is worse....

[Skidplate]

Idk why the lake was off this because I did good in the derby then after that it was slow and the wineries do more bad for the lake then the lgp will ever do

[FishingTheFL]

Idk why the lake was off this because I did good in the derby then after that it was slow and the wineries do more bad for the lake then the lgp will ever do

Heard a lot people did terrible this year. How do the wineries do damage out curiosity? If one those mines leak into the lake... that would be devastating. Human and animals a like. Since the water ways are connected by the canal system, it could affect both lakes.

I'm friends with Gas Free Seneca on Facebook. Always getting updates from the area and around the country.

[Skidplate]

All the run off from the spray and not to say anything about the land fill and they are saying that leaking into Cayuga on the news and yes it would be bad if there was a gas leak but all these people are worried about some thing that's has been going on for years with no problems but won't look at the stuff that's right in front of them because hippies like wine and don't tell me that a bunch of seasonal jobs that to pay that good are good for the local economy end of rent hopefully the lake gets better

[Sk8man]

The problem of runoff is more complicated than just the wineries. When you look at the blue green algae problem from last summer (e.g.satellite images) it appears that farm and lawn fertilizer and possibly raw sewage runoff as well as these other contaminants are involved creating enhanced water conditions for these nasty things to thrive. In all probability the current problems with Seneca and a number of the Finger Lakes relate to them becoming too nutrient rich and bottom structure being chocked off by the invasives while straining out the phytoplankton and zooplankton that the food chain depends on.

Edited December 25, 2015 by Sk8man

[Ray4852]

I blame mother nature for poor fishing this year. Lake temps were different through out the lake. Wind was very changeable. More than normal cold fronts. I think it will be better next year. I have a gut feeling now, the trout fishing is pretty good if you know where to look for them. Most of the fisherman want perch. Those fish can be hard to find. Perch fishing is not declining on Seneca. Fisherman don’t know how to fish for them. You ever study Seneca perch fisherman how they fish this lake. They ride around looking for a lone fisherman fishing by himself. He reels up a fish. 5 minutes later hes got 20 boats on top of him all fishing the same spot. What a bunch. I'm old school. Give your fellow man some room to fish. This lake is loaded with perch.  

[Ray4852]

I don’t think our wineries are causing the problem. They are using better less toxic pesticides today compared to what they used 40 years ago. I blame the hog farms for the agriculture run off. The lake that concerns me the most is canandaigua .   

[FishingTheFL]

I heard Ithaca is dumping sewage into Cayuga lake... Not sure where the girl friend found the article but it was local news...

They also spread fertilizer this year by plane... the next day it rained.... I mean it rained... water levels were what a foot or two higher then normal... couple days later the lake looked like it was St Patty's day. First Cayuga then Seneca. Sure didn't turn the fish off on Cayuga.

I think Ray is right too. Technique on Seneca compared to Cayuga is much different. After watching a guy for 6 hours in the rain, I caught on that only one technique out of the 10 or so people fishing was working. Next day I tried it out and caught a few.

Some one said something about "tight lips". I see why with how people trash the fishery...take a walk along the lake now while the water is down near any public fishing while you will find beer bottles, nails, screws, trash with in the first few feet of the old water line... Surpised it's not a "zipper tight with a lock on it and key thrown away" fishery. Which I appreciate the info that has been given to me. I always got a trash bag with me to clean up... you always know there is going to be trash floating around on shore.

Gotta say that hogs, chicken, and dairy farms probably produce more run off but the spray becomes air born and they have proven that it cause a fungus that is killing honey bees so their is national efforts to ban it. But it will just be a slight chemical change and they can get past the ban.

[Skidplate]

Six in one half a dozen in the other.just wish it was like it was 20 year ago fishing Cayuga when I was 10 or so it was nothing to get a 8# laker

[Ray4852]

I keep honey bees. Mites kill bee hives. I haven’t lost a hive in 3 years. Mites are terrorist. If you cant control them. They will kill every hive.

[FishingTheFL]

True. Fishing was so much better... even the St Lawrence has suffered... seems like there are few large bass anymore... you know the ones that fill the live well with one fish...

Merry Christmas guys. Off to grind the hull of my boat out while we got this dry weather.

[tiogafishaddict]

Maybe things are running a bit late. Seems like fishing here where I live was off this season. I fish lake o and tribs a lot as well. Things were definatly off up there. I understand sampson gets over fished.... its one of the only place I know of I can fish from shore. Believe me if there were other shore spots I'd be there. Its only about an hour for me.... and I've never fished any other finger lakes....

[BP Swing]

Gator,

 

You hit the nail on the head. I too figured it would finally end with all the big breeding slobs kept over the last few years. It takes awhile for these beautiful fish to reach that size (years) and doesn't happen overnight. There is no doubt in my mind that overharvest has something to do with it plus Perch are notorious for big swings in breeding cycles. A good hatch one year and bad the next. I think the fish are especially vulnerable when the marina freezes. I for one, hope there is no ice this year to give the fish a break not only at Seneca but all over where many ice fisherman don't know the meaning of catch and release. Unfortunately when it comes to Walleyes and Perch, there is no such thing as catch and release it seems. Doesn't anyone fish for just trophys and the sport of it anymore instead of being just meat hunters? Too bad, hopefully it will recover.

[jighead]

Two weeks ago I was at Roy's Marina  talking with someone that told me perch fishing had been great. He mentioned bring in 400 perch so far. Not sure if that was with friends or his personal take but he mentioned that the perch were out there. This fall I had to look around quite a bit to find them but I was able to pull in ten jumbos each time I tried. They changed depths and location but they seemed to be out there. I don't anchor so I only fish while making a drift over a school. I would bet the weather this year has changed the habits of the perch to a large extent. I think working new areas and various depths will put one onto a school, but it does take some looking, the lake is big!!

[tiogafishaddict]

Is a huge lake... how is that roys marina? I've seen it but never launched.

[FishingTheFL]

400 fish... that's more then one fish a day for a meal... does he sell them? This why they want stop the sale of them.... mercury poison if you eat that much fish..

[tiogafishaddict]

Still blows me away that fish can be sold anywhere except for maybe the great lakes. That's where the gluttons make things tuff.

[GAMBLER]

400 fish... that's more then one fish a day for a meal... does he sell them? This why they want stop the sale of them.... mercury poison if you eat that much fish..

Mercury levels in the finger lakes and Lake Ontario are low now.  I just had my blood and urine tested and my levels are WAY below the average and I eat a lot of fish from Lake Ontario. 

[jighead]

I have used Roy's before and had no problems.This time when I was there the water level was low and it looked shaky at best. I would have needed to back into very loose gravel and wasn't sure how deep I would need to back in to launch so I chose to bail and head to Canandaigua Lake instead. As far as the perch take goes, I would also like to see something done about the numbers of perch that are allowed to be taken or at the very least someone to explain how it is that harvesting these amounts of fish don't hurt the fishery in any significant manor. Also, I am glad to hear you say the mercury levels are now low. Would be nice to know my tax dollars are moving some things in the correct direction......

[lakebound88]

Marked a few schools today in the kayak. Had a few bites but no hookups. Lots of them in the clear waters but I found what bites I had in stained water 13-17 foot.

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[FishingTheFL]

Most likely by the amount of eggs they lay. They have ALOT of eggs. Pretty sure I read alewifes eat their fry tho. Seneca had a huge population of alewifes in the north in May.

Good to know merc levels are down.

Edited December 27, 2015 by FishingTheFL

[MeatHunter737]

My buddy and a friend of his went to a finger lake yesterday... he would take me today, but I don't feel like getting soaked. It's been a long deer season, and I just want to hang by the wood stove instead. If it's not bad next Sunday hell take me. For today it's helping him fillet, and doing some indoor farm chores.

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