Bass ripped off the beds

Kevin J Legg · June 11, 2018

I notice a continued problem with anglers coming to the Thousand Islands region before the bass season and taking fish off the beds. I see it every year and they are often out of state boats.. When confronted they say they are releasing the fish which is likely true but still illegal. I try to educate them on the fact that gobies are gobbling up eggs as a result. Wise there were more of a DEC presence protecting these fish.

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guffins fisherman · June 11, 2018

Kevin,

I have a place on Guffin Bay along Pillar point. Obviously a hot spot for bass. We see people clearly targeting bass all of May and early June. It really sets me off. I am not a huge bass guy, but still am weary of what this behavior does to the fishery. I spoke up to a guy that was close enough to shore. He intimated the rule for Jefferson County was changed last year. I have not had the chance to look it up, but that is beside the point. There is clear reasoning for waiting until after the spawning season for these fish, but these "fisherman" don't seem to care. Best part is, they will be the ones complaining about how the fishery is collapsing. Rant over. I too wish there was a greater presence of law enforcement.

Kevin J Legg · June 11, 2018

Kevin,

I have a place on Guffin Bay along Pillar point. Obviously a hot spot for bass. We see people clearly targeting bass all of May and early June. It really sets me off. I am not a huge bass guy, but still am weary of what this behavior does to the fishery. I spoke up to a guy that was close enough to shore. He intimated the rule for Jefferson County was changed last year. I have not had the chance to look it up, but that is beside the point. There is clear reasoning for waiting until after the spawning season for these fish, but these "fisherman" don't seem to care. Best part is, they will be the ones complaining about how the fishery is collapsing. Rant over. I too wish there was a greater presence of law enforcement.

No change in law that I'm aware of for Jefferson County.

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Xxx · June 11, 2018

I thought a couple years back I questioned this as I’m a walleye guy but my second choice is smallies, I was told on here buy a well known person that shut my doors about speaking up about such activities, his words were that the state passed a catch & release program for bass cause there’s literally an abundance maybe not on LakeO but elsewhere?? I can personally tell you that I come up with my buddy who is a semi pro and he’s even bytching that the bass fishing is down in numbers big time!! This practice that folks are doing is creating big time effect on the bass, due to the above posters reasons. I’m with ya on this one Kevin, I sure hope what I was told isn’t so??

Chas0218 · June 11, 2018

Yup they have been at it for the last 2 weeks over on my side of the bay. I think DEC needs to get out there and start ticketing, yelled out to a guy fishing in front of my dock bass fishing before the season is illegal in jefferson county all I got was a finger. Of course I returned the favor with what I really thought of them. I guess I could get a ticket for harassing a fisherman but worth it in the end.

Chas0218 · June 11, 2018

1 hour ago, Kevin J Legg said:

No change in law that I'm aware of for Jefferson County.

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Nope still illegal.

My father in law tells me all the time that they used to be able to go out and catch 100+ bass on a good day now you're lucky to catch 5 or 6. These were all catch and release but still they would crush them. We went out 2 years ago and setup on them did well but those days are maybe once a season kind of thing. Usually late July is when they start to heat up but the fishing isn't what it used to be by any means.

Edited June 11, 2018 by Chas0218

Wish’n I was Fish’n · June 11, 2018

Catch and release is legal on bass year long. I too used to frown on it but so many guys are out there early fishing em kinda have to join em to stand a chance. I’ve read many articles on bedding bass and it’s split right down the middle between it hurts the fishing or they just go right back to the beds. What I can’t stand is number of bass tournaments starting to pop up before the season even begins . Another problem is the amount of pressure these fish are seeing. Seems everybody and their brother has a bass boat these days

dgio67 · June 11, 2018

Question, Why does Erie not have the same issue with the Gobies eating bass eggs that Ontario has. I am not saying that Gobies do not eat eggs as i am not a Marine Biologist, but I have fished Erie for years and their population seems to be stable. Does the shallow water basin play into it? Do the bass there spawn in areas with less Gobies? I know the day of Hedges and 30 fish days are gone, but i have heard the West end of the lake has picked up. Anyone have any thoughts?

Kevin J Legg · June 11, 2018

http://www.eregulations.com/newyork/fishing/jefferson-county/
Jefferson County allows no catch and release bass fishing during closed season. Fisheries biologist tell me bass numbers are down.

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St.Lawrence77 · June 11, 2018

This is a sore subject for me as well. And I'm mainly a musky and pike guy. See it every year. Wonder if or why a DEC officer can't do a ride along with the C.G. They have a strong presence on the river especially around A bay. This way they can be "observed" first. Over the last 8 years I've only seen DEC boat on the River twice.

Lucky13 · June 11, 2018

1 hour ago, Wish’n I was Fish’n said:

Catch and release is legal on bass year long. I too used to frown on it but so many guys are out there early fishing em kinda have to join em to stand a chance. I’ve read many articles on bedding bass and it’s split right down the middle between it hurts the fishing or they just go right back to the beds. What I can’t stand is number of bass tournaments starting to pop up before the season even begins . Another problem is the amount of pressure these fish are seeing. Seems everybody and their brother has a bass boat these days

I know that reading is becoming a lost skill, but please check your regulations guide. While C+R is legal in some counties, this is not the case in the Islands, and part of the 'daks. It is clearly stated: "Fishing for black bass (including catch & release) is prohibited outside of the open season."

http://www.eregulations.com/newyork/fishing/st-lawrence-county/

http://www.eregulations.com/newyork/fishing/jefferson-county/

http://www.eregulations.com/newyork/fishing/franklin-county/

http://www.eregulations.com/newyork/fishing/hamilton-county/

Lets see now, that "stand a chance" "logic" can be used to justify salmon snagging and lining, baiting waterfowl, jacking deer, etc, etc, etc......

Another problem I see here is expecting DEC to catch these morons without assistance. The St Lawrence is a big place for a couple of ECO's in a small boat. Drop a dime to the local officer's and there is a better chance of them getting there and catching them. None has mentioned trying that.

guffins fisherman · June 11, 2018

You beat me to it, Kevin. Page 34 of the full guide. Jefferson County, NY has a Special Regulation on it for Black Bass(smallmouth bass).

I should print a bunch off and take them out in my kayak. I heard there was website one could input boat registration numbers into as a way to report "fisherman" fishing illegally. Has anyone seen or used such a thing?

Lucky13 · June 11, 2018

https://www.dec.ny.gov/about/698.html Region 5 roster

https://www.dec.ny.gov/about/696.html Region 6 roster

IF no one picks up, https://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/67751.html or call Albany:

Call the DEC Division of Law Enforcement hotline at 1-844-DEC-ECOS (1-844-332-3267). Never put yourself at risk - gather what information you can without trespassing or exposing yourself to harmful materials or situations.

BC FD · June 11, 2018

Your laws need to be changed inline with Ontario laws. If it’s out of season it is out of season.
My parents just sold their place on a lake up here in Ontario.
Every year the pinheads are up fishing ‘walleye’ .
Throwing buzzbaits underneath the dock and our boat. Never seen a walleye under the dock or the boat.
Called the Gamewarden 1 day. I told him meet me here , don’t bring your boat , I’ll drive you around.
Too busy.
I don’t understand why any place let’s you fish when the fish are spawning. It’s not just the gobies.
It’s everything that swims.
Pretty sore point with me too.
Have a great day boys.
Mitch.

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nysrx01 · June 11, 2018

I was on Lake Champlain this past weekend and every launch site on the NY side was full of bass fisherman as they had huge tournaments going on each day. It doesn't seem right that they can have these huge tournaments out of season. Then they take up all the room in the state launches. It's very difficult to get your boat in the water if you can even find a parking spot. I know they pay taxes too. But to have these bass fishing orginizations set up at the launches and take over for the weekend isn't fair to other fisherman and pleasure cruisers. Worst yet when they move in and take over smaller lakes that only have one launch. I don't know what the answer is but something needs to be done. Maybe hold their tournaments and weigh ins at private marinas. Limit how many at each launch. All I know it can be frustrating to show up at a launch to see it over taken by some bass organization for a tournament and there is no room left. Thanks for letting me vent.LOL

Wish’n I was Fish’n · June 11, 2018

40 minutes ago, Lucky13 said:

I know that reading is becoming a lost skill, but please check your regulations guide. While C+R is legal in some counties, this is not the case in the Islands, and part of the 'daks. It is clearly stated: "Fishing for black bass (including catch & release) is prohibited outside of the open season."

http://www.eregulations.com/newyork/fishing/st-lawrence-county/

http://www.eregulations.com/newyork/fishing/jefferson-county/

http://www.eregulations.com/newyork/fishing/franklin-county/

http://www.eregulations.com/newyork/fishing/hamilton-county/

Lets see now, that "stand a chance" "logic" can be used to justify salmon snagging and lining, baiting waterfowl, jacking deer, etc, etc, etc......

Another problem I see here is expecting DEC to catch these morons without assistance. The St Lawrence is a big place for a couple of ECO's in a small boat. Drop a dime to the local officer's and there is a better chance of them getting there and catching them. None has mentioned trying that.

I should have rephrased “legal on most bodies of water” I fully understand not all regions

Wish’n I was Fish’n · June 11, 2018

5 minutes ago, nysrx01 said:

I was on Lake Champlain this past weekend and every launch site on the NY side was full of bass fisherman as they had huge tournaments going on each day. It doesn't seem right that they can have these huge tournaments out of season. Then they take up all the room in the state launches. It's very difficult to get your boat in the water if you can even find a parking spot. I know they pay taxes too. But to have these bass fishing orginizations set up at the launches and take over for the weekend isn't fair to other fisherman and pleasure cruisers. Worst yet when they move in and take over smaller lakes that only have one launch. I don't know what the answer is but something needs to be done. Maybe hold their tournaments and weigh ins at private marinas. Limit how many at each launch. All I know it can be frustrating to show up at a launch to see it over taken by some bass organization for a tournament and there is no room left. Thanks for letting me vent.LOL

I hear yah but these bass fisherman and organizations do a great deal for conservation and such not to mention local economy. I totally agree they shouldn’t support big tournaments out of season catch and release program or not

Lucky13 · June 11, 2018

1 hour ago, BC FD said:

Your laws need to be changed inline with Ontario laws. If it’s out of season it is out of season.
My parents just sold their place on a lake up here in Ontario.
Every year the pinheads are up fishing ‘walleye’ .
Throwing buzzbaits underneath the dock and our boat. Never seen a walleye under the dock or the boat.
Called the Gamewarden 1 day. I told him meet me here , don’t bring your boat , I’ll drive you around.
Too busy.
I don’t understand why any place let’s you fish when the fish are spawning. It’s not just the gobies.
It’s everything that swims.
Pretty sore point with me too.
Have a great day boys.
Mitch.

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And how is all that going to fix the problem here? Sounds like you have the same problem in Ontario, but at least you called your ENCON. We have the same thing in NYS, No fishing for out of season fish, but C+R bass fishing was legalized in many parts of the state. Just not the part where all this is happening.

As to the Tournaments, call your regional DEC office and complain, and make sure the tournament organizers even bothered to register with NYSDEC and get permitted for the tournament. I have to wonder about the kayak circuit, they start early, run all summer, and I wonder if NYSDEC even knows they are doing it.

BC FD · June 11, 2018

Get rid of catch and release .
I don’t want to start a pissing match but most of the anglers that were causing the problem were out of province anglers.
As I said out of season here means out of season.
CO’s are busy this time of year but in 40 years on our lake I only got checked for a licence once. We need more COs but that is unlikely to happen.
I try to get to Florida a couple of times a year and there are c&r there in salt water. I don’t fish for those fish as I don’t believe in catch and release out of season.
I know there are going to be incidental catches. That will always happen but in my opinion C&R does way more harm than good.
By the way I know that if I take my opinion and $2 to the coffee shop, they will give me a $2 coffee.

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BC FD · June 11, 2018

I know there is huge money in bass fishing but when the fish is sitting on a nest and will hammer anything in site, where’s the sport?

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Lucky13 · June 11, 2018

29 minutes ago, BC FD said:

Get rid of catch and release .
I don’t want to start a pissing match but most of the anglers that were causing the problem were out of province anglers.
As I said out of season here means out of season.
CO’s are busy this time of year but in 40 years on our lake I only got checked for a licence once. We need more COs but that is unlikely to happen.
I try to get to Florida a couple of times a year and there are c&r there in salt water. I don’t fish for those fish as I don’t believe in catch and release out of season.
I know there are going to be incidental catches. That will always happen but in my opinion C&R does way more harm than good.
By the way I know that if I take my opinion and $2 to the coffee shop, they will give me a $2 coffee.

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We have these guys who work for ENCON, they are called biologists, and they generally set the seasons, and apparently did not see any harm in C+R for Black Bass in most of the State. When a Regulation gets changed, there is also a public comment period, so I would guess that most of the public that commented favored the C+R rule. So it is not just a question of "get rid of C+R", maybe it is that simple on your side of the pond, but I think that except in the four counties where C+R is not allowed, the "majority" favored the C+R season, a sort of Yankee way to do things, vote and all. Also, the original poster did say " ...a continued problem with anglers coming to the Thousand Islands region before the bass season and taking fish off the beds. I see it every year and they are often out of state boats..", no different than your out of province poachers. But I emphasize that the ECO's are happy to do their part if they are made aware of the problem. As an example, here in Rochester, they recently saw a Facebook post of smallmouths kept in the Genesee River, and made a little trip to the river a day or so later, and caught the poster with a Northern Pike the day before the season opened, and a 6 lb smallmouth that would have been perfectly legal to catch, but was not supposed to be in the guy's bucket. And someone called them to let them know about the original Facebook post.

The DEC Website link I put above takes you to a page where you can fill out a report with boat numbers, pictures, all the rest, to assist in "discouraging" this kind of behavior.

BC FD · June 11, 2018

I don’t remember ever having C&R for closed season fish. We have a 1-800 number for MNR.
Like usual the loudest normally gets listened to the most.
I can’t see how pulling numerous fish off their nests can be good for the fishery.

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justtracytrolling · June 12, 2018

Lake Champlain opens a week sooner as it borders Vermont water. Yes there were 25 bass tournaments on Champlain over the weekend but all legal. Gotta read the rules...

mhtrapper · June 13, 2018

Its everywhere in Jefferson county even the inland lakes. My mother-in-law has a camp on moon lake they have been doing the same thing for about 3 weeks.

Chas0218 · June 13, 2018

On 6/11/2018 at 6:41 PM, BC FD said:

I don’t remember ever having C&R for closed season fish. We have a 1-800 number for MNR.
Like usual the loudest normally gets listened to the most.
I can’t see how pulling numerous fish off their nests can be good for the fishery.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I can remember as a kid talking to my father about fishing for bass and his words have stuck with me all the years later. At that point it was illegal to target any species out of season. This C&R crap came about when bass tournaments started getting big. It doesn't help the fishery whatsoever, but I see all these guys even a friend of mine that loves to bass fish do C&R before the season (where it is legal). If you have that kind of passion for something, why try and jeopardize its future?

On 6/11/2018 at 3:42 PM, Wish’n I was Fish’n said:

I hear yah but these bass fisherman and organizations do a great deal for conservation and such not to mention local economy. I totally agree they shouldn’t support big tournaments out of season catch and release program or not

Not really they just donate money I have never actually saw them do anything that helps. They just donate money to conservation where it lines someones pocket it doesn't ever make it back to the fishery.

On 6/11/2018 at 2:58 PM, guffins fisherman said:

You beat me to it, Kevin. Page 34 of the full guide. Jefferson County, NY has a Special Regulation on it for Black Bass(smallmouth bass).

I should print a bunch off and take them out in my kayak. I heard there was website one could input boat registration numbers into as a way to report "fisherman" fishing illegally. Has anyone seen or used such a thing?

Maybe see if the state parks will "remind" people that come to launch and fish.

With the introduction of invasive species like the gobies and similar all bass fishing on Lake ontario and its tributaries should be closed to C&R along with any other lakes where the goby is present. These little bastards will eat up a nest of eggs faster than anything else out there. I have had a big female at the end of my dock for years (no telling it is the same fish) and have watched these A$$hats throw all sorts of artificial lures trying to get bass. I'm happy they don't get close enough to my dock to pull her off the bed.

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