Anyone finding kings, any interesting stomach contents?

[schreckstoff]

I’m jonesing for some fish gossip...anyone find anything cool in stomachs this year? Someone must be catching something interesting....?

 

Every Cayuga LT and LLS I’ve caught this yr has been eating ...Alewife...go figure. Yearlings that are kind of smallish...which is maybe expected.

 

Team West end anything cool in stomachs? Anything eating lots of smallish smelt? Any more gizz?

 

Rebel - Thanks for the state updates, LOU always delivers,

 

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

B,  We will be doing some recreational fishing and after a few shakedowns will concentrate on Kings. As for now I've heard of about 4 Kings caught. I know of one cleaned and it was full of emerald shiners.

It's too bad you guys won't be trawling, but I think you would have missed many of them from the bottom haunts as the movements have started and some alewives never went deep.

[schreckstoff]

Emeralds Interesting, thanks Vp, Keep those observations and ideas coming! 

 

I hear ya on the easy winter/early spring possibly altering bait behavior. Our mid-March shakedown was a record for getting out early, hopefully that can be the norm in the future.  We were also geared up to run acoustics during the spring survey this year to measure any off-bottom fish. Hopefully we can keep that up too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lucky13]

Is there some kind of official announcement that has escaped many of us on suspension of the trawls?  I know it was announced that charter fishing is verboten yesterday, but I've seen nothing on the science end.

[GAMBLER]

42 minutes ago, schreckstoff said:

Emeralds Interesting, thanks Vp, Keep those observations and ideas coming! 

 

I hear ya on the easy winter/early spring possibly altering bait behavior. Our mid-March shakedown was a record for getting out early, hopefully that can be the norm in the future.  We were also geared up to run acoustics during the spring survey this year to measure any off-bottom fish. Hopefully we can keep that up too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were getting alewife of all sizes in the intake all winter which is not the norm.  Our intake temp is running about 3-4 degrees warmer than the past two winters. 

[Yankee Troller]

This weekend I'm planning on heading offshore to use my electronics and find the bait you guys trawl this time of year. How about some data as to what depths I should start looking? If I see some marks on the bait I'll drop down a few rigs.

[Gill-T]

Rick, can send you some photos of the Kaho’s fish finder marking. Depth on fishfinder is in meters. 

[Gill-T]

With mild winter and preponderance of N winds lately, you may not need to go far offshore. This my graph shot two weekends ago

[schreckstoff]

From the report on 2017 yr data that came out in 2018. (https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/lorpt17.pdf).

 

We can get high catches of Alewife anywhere from 165 to 500 feet, but high catches are most common around 330feet.

 

[Gill-T]

Above and beyond the alewife catch rate at depth, I was watching the graph when on the Kaho and I agree that the bottom was fuzzy with bait from the 300-400’ depth band. 

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

7 hours ago, Gill-T said:

Above and beyond the alewife catch rate at depth, I was watching the graph when on the Kaho and I agree that the bottom was fuzzy with bait from the 300-400’ depth band. 

I recall that as well on my trips with them.

[jimski2]

Emerald shiner bait sales are inconsistent. The regular bait dealers are used to supplying golden shiners that are delivered to their stores. Without emerald shiner deliveries from local catches, they like to keep the price of bait high, we are stuck with these old men who sell the bait but do not catch their own anymore. The biologist I spoke with said the lakes emerald shiner levels are doing well. If you dip some minnows it is best you salt and freeze some for use later this year. The perch catches on Lake Erie are fine this spring from the Cattaraugus Creek ramp. No docks in yet but hip boots help launching there. Small boat access is again lacking again even with the lack of ice this spring. It is a sin boaters have to drive 30 miles to enjoy the lake now.