Cayuga color advice

[sstout]

Hey guys, I know this topic has been covered but I have to ask. I was fishing this morning early. I wasnt planning on keeping anything but I had a 5 pound laker tangle with my downrigger cable at the surface. He wasnt going to make it, so I kept him. This was up my sheldrake. The lake is still a greenish color, but I got him right on bottom in 80ft of water. Do you think he's safe to eat? I dont want to waste it. I was going to freeze it first, then either smoke it, or grill it.

 

What's everyone's thoughts on the color and eating fish? There was nothing floating on the surface as far as algae.

 

Thanks in advance

[Reel Doc]

23 hours ago, sstout said:

Hey guys, I know this topic has been covered but I have to ask. I was fishing this morning early. I wasnt planning on keeping anything but I had a 5 pound laker tangle with my downrigger cable at the surface. He wasnt going to make it, so I kept him. This was up my sheldrake. The lake is still a greenish color, but I got him right on bottom in 80ft of water. Do you think he's safe to eat? I dont want to waste it. I was going to freeze it first, then either smoke it, or grill it.

 

What's everyone's thoughts on the color and eating fish? There was nothing floating on the surface as far as algae.

 

Thanks in advance

So you didn't catch the fish it just caught on your rigger?  Was it already dead?  If so, I would not be in a hurry to consume that fish.

Live caught are fine to eat, in moderation, DEC website gives guidelines on how much to eat per week/month for fish caught in certain lakes.

Personally I like to cook or smoke fish if possible before freezing to better preserve the flavor but that's personal preference

[sstout]

No, sorry I should have been more clear. I did catch it. I brought the fish next to the boat, was fishing solo, and tried to net it. Then it swam between the boat and the rigger before I knew what happened. It was the first time for that. 

 

I've decided to eat it. It's currently in the freezer. Although I usually dont keep lake trout, it was a nice healthy fish. 

[Reel Doc]

👍. Good to go for a nice dinner.

[Lucky13]

https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/77118.html

https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/83310.html

https://nysdec.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=ae91142c812a4ab997ba739ed9723e6e

 

Questions that  are pertinent include.  Was the green color general and transparent or was it opaque, like a paint spill on the surface?  Did the green color adhere to the fish?  Are there advisories issued for the lake that indicate the levels of microcystins or other toxins being produced by the bloom?  Is the Bloom(s) localized or lake wide?

 

A lot of non-harmful algae, which are present in all bodies of water, can impart a green color to water, but they tend to stay suspended and scattered throughout the water column, so the water still looks clear but with a green tint.  Cyanobacteria produce gas when they bloom, which float the cells to the surface where they accumulate in a "Tennis Court paint" or " pea soup" like scum (some related species can produce red blooms, looks like fire engine paint spilled on top, but I've only encountered one of these in a few years of chasing blue greens around Monroe County), which can then discolor to varying shades of green and brown as the bloom progresses.  If  the bloom is active and toxin producing, prudence says avoid fish, and Dr. Joseph Makarewicz at SUNY Brockport found bioaccumulation of BG Toxins in fish he analyzed from some bloom areas.  Because all this action is manifesting on top, and lake trout are at the bottom, you might think you are safe but the algae are collecting at the surface, but could be producing toxins deeper in the Water Column before they rise to the top.  So I would check the advisories page and if I was in area with an advisory, I would NOT eat the fish. However, DEC does say that recreational use of water in areas of a large waterbody with localized blooms is OK as long as you are not in the bloom area.

 

Looking at the Cayuga map, the only blooms reported in the last two weeks are at the far north end of the lake.  But there was been quite a bit of activity down there this summer, especially in early July.  But the most recent report near to the laker waters is nearly a month old, so that would say the blooms down there are over..

 

"Know it, Avoid it, Report it

Some HABs can produce toxins, some do not. However, exposure to any HABs can cause health effects in people and animals when water with blooms is touched, swallowed, or when airborne droplets are inhaled. Exposure to high levels of HABs and their toxins can cause diarrhea, nausea or vomiting; skin, eye or throat irritation; and allergic reactions or breathing difficulties. For more information please visit NYS Department of Health's HAB page.   " 

Edited August 15, 2019 by Lucky13

[Sk8man]

Last weekend there was a significant NW wind and the lake was rough. I would imagine this may have broken up any pooling of algae as you move south on the lake dispersing it within the lake and thereby diluting it.

[sstout]

Great info. I will have to check out those links. There was no algae floating on the surface or anything. The water was translucent and almost clear. No paint spill marks or anything like that.

[Lucky13]

Then based on everything I could find, you're good to go.  But the links provide you with all kinds of information  that could come in handy later, and the map has photos of the blooms linked to it so you can see what all the words really add up to. 

 

The greatest danger with these blooms is to dogs who swim in them, get the cells and associated toxins concentrated in their fur, and then ingest the toxins while licking themselves clean. Many dogs have died from this, up around Champlain, and I think a couple in Fulton by Neatawanta, which has one of the longest running problems in the state (damn shame, it was a great crappie lake)  If you are in an area with a bloom, you avoid contact, but keep your dog leashed so he or she CANNOT get to the water to swim or drink.

[Lucky13]

I should probably qualify the above by saying I don't know of any people who lick themselves clean after swimming, but in this day and age, I suppose anything is possible, so those folks, if there are any out there, are in greater  danger, too!

[Sk8man]

A few years back a dog died in Honeoye for the blue/green algae and that same year my son and I were about to launch at the south end with my (white fiberglass) boat and I always take a preliminary look from the dock before launching anywhere and there was a huge pool of pea green stuff covering that end of the lake and it look just like someone spilled a few thousand gallons of oil based paint on the water. needless to say I didn't launch there.