Status of Seneca Lake Perch

[Lowe-rida]

I know us perch fishermen can be pretty tight lipped and I'm not looking for any real specifics, but does anyone want to comment on the current fishing success (or lack thereof) on Seneca Lake. Mainly from Watkins north to say the Caywood point. Last year was terrible and I haven't had the chance to go yet this year. .. but I'd like to if it's worthwhile before I close the boat up for the winter.

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[Sk8man]

The perch fishing has been very different this year from the past for most folks on Seneca and not in a good way....I think that anyone getting into them will be VERY tight lipped (for good reason) so your best bet may be to experiment for yourself at the southeast corner of the lake especially. The Seneca gold is not given up easily and is a very precious commodity these days

Edited November 16, 2016 by Sk8man

[Lowe-rida]

I leave out of my cottage in Hector. In previous years I've had a lot of success at several locations at my end but the Seneca Gold seem to have either changed their patterns or their numbers have dropped substantially.

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[Sk8man]

Yes something is VERY wrong there. I have fished there for them for over50 or more years and despite the comments of some folks  to the contrary it is my strong impression that the perch are not there in the numbers that they have been in the past. I know that some guys on here who use cameras etc. say they are still there and that basically my thinking is all wet but although I admit there are still some perch out there they are not nearly as plentiful as in the past  and many of my close buddies who are expert perch guys say the same. We are mainly north end of Seneca perch guys so that should be taken into consideration..... By the way here is what I'm having for supper right now (but not from Seneca)

Edited November 16, 2016 by Sk8man

[rdebadts]

Seneca is the most fickle lake there is- all feast or famine. My fishing buddies and I know how to perch fish, and it seems like we either catch 50+ or absolutely none at all. It has been a bit harder recently though


The Fishin' Physician Assistant

[Frogger]

Damn, those look great Les!


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[Sk8man]

Thanks Mike... they were very tasty. Luckily my supply should last as the freezer is full of them right now Mark and I are now fishing the big gills and they are great eating as well. Before you kow it we'll be getting our trout derby stuff together and winter will be a thing of the past.....oh was I dreaming?

[Lund SSS]

Don't have 50 years like Les but after 15 years I'll say this ......The school that used to live near/around Sampson State Park is now in freezers across the state. Many will say it can't happen. Do the math 3 guys, 50 each times 50 boats for 7 days 52,500 fish and that school was there for well over a month.
Wonder why people think about spot burning if you share anything ???
I've brought many people and been there when 2lber's come over the side with nothing but smiles but when you spend hours and get nothing well that's just Seneca being the fickle lady she's always been.
They are still there ( yes I run a camera) no I can't tell you where.... You'll have to just trust me

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[justtracytrolling]

Seems like that Sampson school got decimated....Not just boats but even more so thru the ice! I've heard many guys say you can't impact a lake that size with anglers, but even if you can't you can certainly wipe out the population in a given area.

Justin Okrepki
NYSDEC licensed guide #7324
http://www.otiscolakeguideservice.com/
(607)-349-1750

[DJ 17]

The pictures they have at the park registration desk of ice fisherman in the marina are insane. I really couldn't believe how many people were packed in there.

[FishingTheFL]

Funny when the guys that took multiple limits per day come down and brag about it then complain how the fishing sucks... Thanks for ruining it for everyone... [emoji122]

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[Sk8man]

I agree with Steve about the possibility of decimation of schools in localities especially like the Sampson area and marina and they are a particularly vulnerable species because of their schooling behavior and tendency to school in same sexed and same sized groupings at certain times of the season..  There are still schools of nice perch and "jumbos" in the lake. It is a big lake and certainly every place holding schools of perch has not been hammered (yet) but fishing presssure has increased greatly over the past few years especially and so have the technical advancements in equipment for locating them and informational knowledge about fishing methods being used and the Internet has massively increased the focus on perch fishing on Seneca as well as other Finger Lakes.  Back in the sixtries and seventies we used to catch garbage bags full of large perch (before the limits were imposed) right in the marina but there were only a very few guys that even knew about it then. Contrast that with the ice fishing fiasco out there a couple years ago and it becomes pretty obvious there is a problem.