Hardwater report !!

[bondouley]

Brian and I were just talking about this. Any time you have a fantastic bite like we did on lakers two years in a row with triple-digit days, you know something's out-of-whack with the ecosystem. Healthy populations of fish aren't that easy to catch. Look at the walleye on Conesus. This lake simply had too many fish for its carrying capacity and we're seeing exaggerated effects because of the alewife fragility.

Exactly!

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[Sk8man]

If you take the above video into account with the bottom littered with mussel shells well into deep water (where the Quaggas excel) my hunch is that the filtering out of zooplankton that the smelt and alewives feed on and totally depend on especially the younger ones it helps explain the situation....the baitfish population has been starved off even into the deep water now so it has become like a "moonscape" in there. We caught a couple lakers again in shallow yesterday while fishing for perch  that were feeding on the small dink perch and  anything else they could get ahold of. My hunch is that things will get much worse before getting better (if that is even possible) as the available smaller fish of various species are targeted by the overabundance of lakers and become decimated by them. The small perch don't have nearly the nutritive value (oils etc.) as the alewives so the lakers will probably be starved off in time as well. In short, the ecosystem is a mess...and totally out of balance.The rainbows and salmon werre the first to go because they aren't as adaptive as the lakers in terms of having a varied diet and feediing as near bottom while foraging.

[longspurs]

On conesus north end running flags today. 10inches of ice. 1 for 1 so far.

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[Lucky13]

This pop bottle (?) is covered with dense quagga's (and I agree that at 100 ft, Quaggas likely dominate now, although Zebras would do the same thing, they just don't thrive to the depths at which quaggas can go).  Hard substrates in Lake Ontario are covered with quaggas at this density, but there are still alewife and a small residual smelt population, even if both suffered in the two bad winters.   The mussels in the video were much less dense than these, if they are zebras it could be that they are attached to bits of hard detritus like sticks imbedded in the silty bottom, otherwise, they are quaggas at lower density.  According to the literature, (USGS) "Quaggas are prodigious water filterers, removing substantial amounts of phytoplankton and suspended particulate from the water. As such, their impacts are similar to those of the zebra mussel. By removing the phytoplankton, quaggas in turn decrease the food source for zooplankton, therefore altering the food web. Impacts associated with the filtration of water include increases in water transparency, decreases in mean chlorophyll a concentrations, and accumulation of pseudofeces (Claxton et al. 1998). Water clarity increases light penetration causing a proliferation of aquatic plants that can change species dominance and alter the entire ecosystem. The pseudofeces that is produced from filtering the water accumulates and creates a foul environment. As the waste particles decompose, oxygen is used up, and the pH becomes very acidic and toxic byproducts are produced. In addition, quagga mussels accumulate organic pollutants within their tissues to levels more than 300,000 times greater than concentrations in the environment and these pollutants are found in their pseudofeces, which can be passed up the food chain, therefore increasing wildlife exposure to organic pollutants (Snyder et al. 1997). Macksasitorn et al. (2015) found that mussel tissue polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentration was positively related to sediment PCB levels, suggesting that quagga (and zebra) mussels might provide an entry point for PCBs into near-shore benthic trophic webs."

 

https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?speciesid=95

 

Edited February 7, 2018 by Lucky13

[Sk8man]

longspurs I have to hand it to you ....you're hardcore I thought about going today but then thought about how much effort is involved in dragging the hut through the snow and even just the sled approach didn't seem appealing today.... good luck out there....you deserve it

[Gator]

I'd love to be out there today, but I'm stuck at home finishing fellowship reviews for NIH. It's wonderful to know that the hard work I'm doing to train and support our next generation of scientists is a complete waste of time because there will be no money for science in the near future. I should just go ice fishing.

 

Rant over.

[Sk8man]

Don't get too discouraged Keith....historically this lapse in support for the sciences (as well as the arts) has been somewhat cyclical although admittedly the current situation is certainly a low point. A great thing about America is that we don't easily give up....you are a good example and set a good example with your excellent research efforts for these younger folks to follow. If they are serious dedicated students they will prevail and science will prevail over these idiots we mistakenly call "decision makers" in Washington and Albany.

Edited February 7, 2018 by Sk8man

[longspurs]

Went back to conesus got it handed to me today no pike just typical gills. Dragon gear out and back was a pain. DEC in the parking lot good to see them around wish they would walk out on the ice tho.

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[Lucky13]

What would they see out on the ice?

[longspurs]

Alot of stuff happens out there u never know.

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[Lucky13]

I took a guy down to Canadice one year, on the way down I went through Honeoye, and asked him if he was 100% street legal, because I could stop at the hardware store if maybe he needed something like duct tape and a sharpie to label his tip ups, or maybe he could get an Auger Blade at the bait store if his was dull.  He replied that everything was fine.  When I got to the top of the hill and didn't make the turn onto Canadice Lake Road, he asked where I was going, and I said to the water plant at Hemlock for permits, and he told me it was a waste of time, we'd never get checked back that far from a main drag.  When we got out on the ice, I cut a hole in about 18 feet, not far off shore, and liked the thickness so I headed out deep and cut a couple of holes for dead bait rigging on the bottom, and then cut three more (Tip-up limit was still 5 then) closer in for under the ice rigs for whatever, and then another one in about 40 ft for jigging (he had set up a rod in the original hole I'd cut).  While I was "warming up" my augur, he cut one hole, then told me his augur was too dull, and he'd hurt his ribs at work and couldn't cut anymore, would I mind cutting his holes, too.  I cut him a couple more, and he said that was enough he'd just fish with three tip-ups and jig the other hole.  About 1/2 an hour later a NYS Police car drove by, and about 10 minutes after that returned from the south and stopped.  Momentarily, the Stetson started heading out on the ice, and the officer asked us both for licenses and reservoir permits.  We had our permits REAL handy, but neither one of us could find the license, so the officer told us to keep looking while he took a walk.   My buddy said, why do you think he is checking the tip-ups, I replied likely for the labels, which I had specifically asked him about on the ride down.  When he returned, we both had our licenses and he looked at mine, congratulated me for a good set that was in street legal shape, wished me luck, and told me I could leave.  He asked my friend about only using three tip ups, and why none were labelled.  My buddy thought I should drive him to Springwater the next week to meet the JP with him, but I reminded him that I told him about the labels and offered to stop to get materials, and  he didn't split the 20" brown he got out of the first hole I drilled (and the trooper didn't confiscate).  He also ran out to one of my deep set flags and pulled it, missing the fish, before I could tell him to leave it alone and let the laker eat the bait. I been ice fishing solo since then!

 

But if something is not legit, why not mention it to the ECO's, the poachers are only going to possibly ruin the fishing in future years and give the honest sportsmen a bad name, potentially impacting access in the future?  

[longspurs]

Everything was good !!! I didn't need to say anything. I even told him what a lazy way to check today A !!

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[longspurs]

Back at conesus today. 3 flags, all drops. Guy next to me got a good 1 .

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[camper4lyfe]

That's insane!

[Lucky13]

I'd have to consider making the wife upset by putting that one on the wall, or he's holding it way out!!  WOW!

[Gator]

There's a little bit of a Florida push going on there, but it's still a very nice fish...14, 15 lbs?

[longspurs]

Nope lol probably 11 !! Good pic, nice fish tho.
Hit conesus again and didn't get a flag bummer. What a zoo out there today !! Couldn't even move if u wanted to.

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[Gator]

Lol. The push is always good for three pounds, at least. 

[longspurs]

Got out to long pond today with the wife, bondouley sheila , nick r and danielle . Had it packed with tip ups and tip downs slow day but consistent action . Jigging was slow.

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Edited February 12, 2018 by longspurs

[longspurs]

Hit Honeoye this morning Trident. Boat launch wasn't to bad for a truck breaking thru , still got out ok. Docks at Trident have water around them again so be careful next week or so. Main ice was great. Some water on the ice . Did ok on gills and finally got a keeper perch out of her. 1 of the sunnys had to be pushing a pound. Lots of 9in crappies not worth a ticket tossed them back.

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[Lucky13]

I remember fishing the north end when they were all that size!  NICE!!

[longspurs]

Hit 1 of my spots today not much biting but got what I as looking for and 1 perch. 8in hole was 14in round when I left. Lot of water running in them .

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[longspurs]

Fished conesus today . Slow day for the most part. I did 1 small pike . Our group went 5 for 9. All small fish. Tomorrow's another day!!

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[longspurs]

Slow day for our group on conesus ! 2 for 2 on flags. 2 snakes 22 , 24. Fun time grilling and hanging out !

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[Gator]

While you guys were pike fishing, we hit Honeoye on Sunday, just North of Burns Point. No pictures, but we filled pails with jumbo bluegill and 9.01 inch crappie. More of the former than the later. Mainly bluegill too, not sunfish or punkinseed, which was a surprise as the 'oye has seen a change in its panfish make-up over the past few years. For example, the past three trips jigging deep water have produced a grand total of one keeper perch. Viva la difference from three years ago.

 

Let's keep this updated as the ice heads south. Maybe we'll get less rain than predicted and it won't get as warm as they say and pigs will fly.