Canandaigua Canandaigua Lake Crappie

[Northeast Fisherman]

Is anyone having any luck catching crappie or any other pan fish on canandaigua. I am going to try for some this afternoon/evening and am trying to see how people have been doing.

[bulletbob]

 said it before.. On this board, guys will tell you boat speed, lure type and color,depth the fish are holding , water temp and  depth,  lake or river in question, time of day, and exact spot when discussing Trout/salmon trolling... When the discussion is about Crappie and Perch [to a lesser extent,some guys will share perch info] you don't hear much.. good Crappie fishing is tough to come by and  with the new 10 inch minimum its even tougher, most guys that are in the know tend to clam up.

[Dave1515]

caught a few keepers first week of May in the outlet, north end of lake. Fished by the lock nearly right behind Wegmans. Have not been able to get out for them since.  I think it may be late for catching them there, I might get out this weekend and I will let you know if I find any.  They should be in post spawn pattern.

 

 

[Sk8man]

I have no idea what folks are thinking when they give out small spots than can be fished out in a hour or so if the fish happen to be there. I like giving out useful info as the  next guy but the Internet is a double edged sword and can be very destructive of small limited fishing spots. In these cases people need to get off their butts and physically explore areas for potential spots . This type of fishing is not anything like lake trolling etc. and places can easily be ruined by too much fishing pressure on them sometimes in a single day.

[sandwick50]

Amen to that!

[bulletbob]

2 hours ago, Sk8man said:

I have no idea what folks are thinking when they give out small spots than can be fished out in a hour or so if the fish happen to be there. I like giving out useful info as the  next guy but the Internet is a double edged sword and can be very destructive of small limited fishing spots. In these cases people need to get off their butts and physically explore areas for potential spots . This type of fishing is not anything like lake trolling etc. and places can easily be ruined by too much fishing pressure on them sometimes in a single day.

 yeah, but not if  only the guys "in the know"  fish it right??.. Even if there are 50 guys "in the know"...

[glh456]

Well said Les.

[Sk8man]

Bob the spot mentioned is not even 50 feet from one side to the other, right out in the open directly next to a main highway within clear sight of anyone passing in cars. It already has way too much pressure on it. We didn't even fish it this year for that reason. Crappies like perch are very vulnerable in the Spring and there aren't all that many in there anyway anymore. The ones we have caught there in the past have been released for that reason.

Edited June 9, 2022 by Sk8man

[JJBat150]

32 minutes ago, Sk8man said:

Crappies like perch are very vulnerable in the Spring and there aren't all that many in there anyway anymore. The ones we have caught there in the past have been released for that reason.

 

But won't the new size / daily limit requirements prevent any future damage to the population ?     <<Stirring the pot>>

[bulletbob]

54 minutes ago, Sk8man said:

Bob the spot mentioned is not even 50 feet from one side to the other, right out in the open directly next to a main highway within clear sight of anyone passing in cars. It already has way too much pressure on it. We didn't even fish it this year for that reason. Crappies like perch are very vulnerable in the Spring and there aren't all that many in there anyway anymore. The ones we have caught there in the past have been released for that reason.

 Understood.. I was just being a Richard head... NY just isn't a great state for crappies, outside of a few large productive  lakes, and the finger lakes  are not really all that well suited for them.. they exist, yes, but are in isolated pockets, and  the  times when they are catchable are fleeting.. Never really understood all the mania over Crappies  anyway... Perch are as good or better eating, easier to find and catch, and there are a LOT more of them... Same thing with big Sunnies... easy to find and catch, lots of them and one of the best fish to eat, yet  no one much fishes for them... I do... Yes I would love a lake full of big Crappies not too far from home, but not sure one exists.. the lakes i know that have Crappies  are hit HARD and it was almost impossible to catch a keeper when the size limit was 9 inches,  Now at 10 inches it IS impossible... I understand where you are coming from... bob

[Sk8man]

JJ I have seen folks at that spot keep ones under 9 inches and out on the pier they keep stuff that I wouldn't even put in a fishbowl....I don't know if they feed their cats or what not enough meat to even fillet

[Dave1515]

It’s not like that spot is a secret or anything. Besides, the fish are not there now, a month ago, yes, caught a couple 14” there; they’re in post spawn now.  No harm no foul. 

[land locked]

On 6/9/2022 at 9:20 PM, Dave1515 said:

It’s not like that spot is a secret or anything. Besides, the fish are not there now, a month ago, yes, caught a couple 14” there; they’re in post spawn now.  No harm no foul. 

 I didn't know see you next May!