Protecting SLR walleyes

[Stillwater]

Thanks for sharing this. Learning a lot of great things about them. Roaming must be in their DNA?

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[Kevin J Legg]

Good information

[Prof T]

Too bad someone can't give us some tags and instruction. It would give me an excuse to fish more  .​ It would be cool to see just where the "flamers" travel.

[EsoxAC3]

[emoji23][emoji23]. I hear you prof T.... Muskies are tagged by select anglers. Perhaps the biologists can tag a large enough sample of eyes they don't need the assistance of anglers? Still it would be fun to assist in their efforts. Its also nice to know that there is data being collected.

Edited August 2, 2016 by EsoxAC3

[big johnson]

Too bad someone can't give us some tags and instruction. It would give me an excuse to fish more .​ It would be cool to see just where the "flamers" travel.

I heard in small close knit groups lol

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[EsoxAC3]

Miami beach and Fire Island off the top of my head. Its quite a migration from the SLR.

Edited August 2, 2016 by EsoxAC3

[Kevin J Legg]

Just got off the phone with Steve LaPan from Cape Vincent Fisheries Research. There have been some tagged and radio telemetry studies of walleyes and as big johnson said they appear to be wanderers. Some fish tagged in Cape Vincent in the fall were found in BOQ in the winter. As far as spawning goes they may be spawning on river shoals and certainly are spawning in some of the tribs. throughout river. He also said it was difficult to track them with transmitters since they are often in deep water and returns on tagged fish were minimal so there isn't a huge amount of data. Fortunately walleye populations in the river are presently quite good while bass, pike, Muskie, and perch numbers are low. He also said releasing the larger fish should help but the really large ones (12-14 lbs) may produce less viable eggs. He said to contact your political representatives if you have issues as it takes legislative action to make changes.

[EsoxAC3]

Kevin, Steve is a great guy. Did he provide Any indication as to why the other species of fish were experiencing relatively low population densities?

[Kevin J Legg]

Gobies eating bass eggs, pike have lost spawning habitat, perch? Perhaps gobies or over harvest. Muskies VHS and loss of spawning habitat. I did some graduate studies through Potsdam State right before Steve started his research.

[big johnson]

Gobies eating bass eggs, pike have lost spawning habitat, perch? Perhaps gobies or over harvest. Muskies VHS and loss of spawning habitat. I did some graduate studies through Potsdam State right before Steve started his research.

I saw something online that they can raise the waterlevel to create more pike spawning habitat but that it would flood some cottages on the river? Have you heard anything similar to that?

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[Kevin J Legg]

There is something in the works on changing the way water levels are controlled in the future.

[Kevin J Legg]

International Joint Commission has purposes plans 2114 regarding water level regulation which would likely help pike spawning.

[wishinfishin]

Thanks for the positive information, Kevin

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[reeleyz]

Gobies eating bass eggs, pike have lost spawning habitat, perch? Perhaps gobies or over harvest. Muskies VHS and loss of spawning habitat. I did some graduate studies through Potsdam State right before Steve started his research.

I would bet that gobies caused the big drop in sunfish numbers. From those graphs it looked like the bass were doing okay. The perch numbers were down too but that might be because the walleye numbers went up and they might eat more perch?

Good info for sure.

[Kevin J Legg]

Regardless of the graph bass are not doing well. Just talk to local guides. Steve also confirmed this. Walleyes do eat perch but most I catch are feeding on gobies.

[EsoxAC3]

To kevins point, I know several guides as well....Excellent bass fishermen. They are having a difficult time catching a one person limit most days......

This is in no way a reflection of ability...... The fishery is suffering....

Also, I cant remember the last time I cleaned a walleye with anything in its gut but a gobi on the SLR.

Edited August 4, 2016 by EsoxAC3

[Stlawrencesnake]

Well when the guides go out with a boat load of people and kill everything that comes over the rail in the same handful of spots day after day, year after year do they not expect their #s to go down? I know plenty of guides, they do nothing to help the situation. All they do is whine and cry about how good it once was. Well imo it's nobody's fault more than their own.

[justtracytrolling]

There is blame to go around, but most of the guides I know are very conservation minded and I take offense to your statement as a guide. Let's blame the successful anglers...the state makes the rules and we follow them. Furthermore, it's the customers decision on whether to keep the fish not the guides. What's done is done and pointing fingers at other sportsman after the fact isn't going to help. Let's not blame each other....

[BSmaster]

 

• The fish have not adapted or recovered as fast as our technology to get them has advanced. 

 

 

Reiterate...

[wishinfishin]

Thats Mr. BS

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[wishinfishin]

Thats deep ! Mr. BS

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[Prof T]

You beat me to it, Justin. Nobody has more at stake than professional fishermen, and a vibrant fishery is first priority.

 

A buddy is a local who has had guides as friends for 60 years. Asked one of them why he ended his career, he responded because he just couldn't in good conscience take peoples money when there weren't fish caught.

 

In my uneducated opinion, habitat loss from development and the carpet of zebra mussels changed everything more than pressure

[Kevin J Legg]

I also think guides are concerned with sustaining the fisheries. After all it's their livelihood. I also know many try to get customers to release their catch. I don't believe they are to blame for the changes in fish populations as most of the issues are the direct result of the seaway and invasive species that have drastically changed the ecosystem although over harvesting may contribute to the problem.

[EsoxAC3]

The Several guides I know are activists in the conservation community. They volunteer their time, expertise, and resources to better our fisheries. We all are in this together.

Edited August 5, 2016 by EsoxAC3

[St.Lawrence77]

Guides aren't the ones I see fishing bass beds the first couple weeks of June.

I think D.E.C should have a little more presence on the river. At least that time of year. If you've ever gone to Rossie to see the walleye spawn you'll know what I mean.

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