Seneca lamprey

[lakebound88]

Yesterday's charter, had numerous adult lamprey attached to my downrigger balls. Not one on a fish, but the balls were coming up with large, 15to18" vampires. Anyone else see this? Very heavy over near keuka outlet. Coming out of temp in 63 degree water.

Plus side, got a big small mouth there too. Fish the marks!

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[Sk8man]

It is probably no accident that you spotted them near the Keuka Outlet as that is a major spawning area in addition to Catherines and they nail the browns something fierce there too. In the past I have had them actually attach to the transom of my little Whaler in the late Fall and winter. They were probably grabbing the first large object they saw for the least energy expenditure. I hope that the large size means the young ones are on the decline from the previous treatments Nick .

Edited September 25, 2016 by Sk8man

[Great Lakes Lure Maker]

Yes ditto Les. I've plucked them off the transom before. Hopefully, like he said, the lampricide is working to put them at bay...

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[lakebound88]

Honestly, I was told dresden was not spawning grounds for these vampires by a higher power to be. I was also told that lamprey only spawn I catherine, I know this is not true but the higher power to be would probably get mad at me. I'm stating this so maybe it is seen that these vampires are not just south end spawners.

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[Sk8man]

I'm pretty sure in the past they have treated both places (i.e. Catherines and the outlet).

Edited September 25, 2016 by Sk8man

[ERABBIT]

!

 

 

Edited September 30, 2016 by ERABBIT

[ifishy]

they have definatly treated the outlet before I have gone down there to fish in the early summer and they had it posted as just treated and shouldnt wade in it.

[Hop]

I pulled one in last week that was longer than the little trout he was attached to.  (East side) 

[fisherdude]

I pulled one in last week that was longer than the little trout he was attached to.  (East side) 

i am sure the lamprey you pulled in is shorter now than the  trout 

Edited September 26, 2016 by fisherdude

[Hop]

Hehehe. That stinker slithered down into the bilge, couldn't get him out. Came back 4 days later, had to tape a barbeque fork to a broom. Got him finally, but used half a bottle of dawn to clean things out...

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[mjones 59]

Last week on the north end I brought

the ball up and had 3 lampreys on it !!

And they were like you described, 15"-18"

and a grayish color.

[BSmaster]

Well if they don't spawn in Dresden then maybe they are getting married there and the Honeymoon is in Catherine. 

[ontherise]

[emoji23][emoji106]

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[samajm]

I used to watch them on  I  -  creek  spawn below arch bridge in the spring . D.E.C needs to start  putting in the lampricide in more often again . Also bring back Deet ......Back in the 50s  60s and 70s the bug count was less than now and people were happy outdoors

[jerktroller]

I'll sell you some deet. Or you can as much as you want from Walmart.

I saw keuka outlet get lampricide about 10 years ago. Not sure if it has been treated since then though.

[vogel451]

That is not good to hear at all.  Cayuga was the same way in 2013 and the next year was horrible.  Cayuga wasn't right for 3 years.   Gotta wait till spring for the treatment I believe.   

Edited September 30, 2016 by vogel451

[uglyokuma]

I am on Keuka outlet a lot for work and it gets loaded every year with lampreys. Some days u can't cross the creek w/o seeing 2 or 3.

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[uglyokuma]

I am on Keuka outlet a lot for work and it gets loaded every year with lampreys. Some days u can't cross the creek w/o seeing 2 or 3.

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[uglyokuma]

Fall Creek was loaded this spring too.

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[Sk8man]

That brings up something I have always thought about ....what about some of the smaller tribs that have some water through out the year (most don't but there are a few in normal years anyway) is there significant spawning of them in them? I remember even a long time ago when I used to get smelt in Kashong and Wilson Creeks a few would be mixed in with the smelt and also a little later when the suckers spawned there.

[EsoxAC3]

Uggg. Nasty devils. I didn't know lampreys were such a problem here. Will they latch on to swimmers? Have they just recently become so prolific?

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[uglyokuma]

We have always had them and they come in cycles. Usually we have them bad for a year or two then we have 3 years of less. All depends on when they apply the lampreyacide and how high or low the water level is when the do it. That's my 2 cents at least. I know one year the water level was so high that the fish ladder wasn't a barrier at all. Many of them just blew on by and did there thing.

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[Sk8man]

I believe the lampricide affects the lamprey primarily while in the ammocete stage (larval stage that resides for a long time in the mud bottom of stream before venturing forth into the lake as a lamprey).The lampricide is complicated to administer at the right time, with stream conditions just so (e.g water flow, wind direction and magnitude and  et..) and in amounts that only kill the ammocetes and not the other inhabitants in the surrounding area (fish, minnows and other organisms). The adult lampreys live for quite a long time so the larger ones you see out there have been around awhile and may have survived during previous stream flooding or periods when treatments weren't conducted.

Edited October 10, 2016 by Sk8man