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This article was in todays Binghamton Press..... Invasive fish found in Cayuga Lake Round Goby taking over spawning sites, harming native fish By Andrew Casler [email protected] ITHACA — Fish in Cayuga Lake have a new competitor, and that could mean a tougher time for anglers looking to catch sport fish. The round goby (pronounced Go-bee), an invasive fish species from Eurasia, has been found near Taughannock Falls State Park, according to DEC spokeswoman Lori Severino. The fish have also been found in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario and many of their tributaries; the St. Lawrence River; the western section of the barge canal; the Seneca and Oswego rivers; and Onondaga Lake. They’re suspected, but not yet confirmed, in Oneida Lake, Severino said. Gobies may prey on eggs of lake trout, sculpin and darters, according to www.nyis.info. The fish are also well-developed for feeding in murky waters, which may provide a competitive advantage over native species in Cayuga Lake. The gobies take over prime, nearshore spawning sites and aggressively prevent use by native species. They are prolific breeders, too, reproducing every 20 days during the spawning season. Long-term impacts of the fish are expected to include declines in native species populations, according to www.nyis.info. Severino said it’s not yet clear how many gobies are in the lake, but one recreational diver estimated that he saw two to four gobies per square meter in an area near Taughannock Falls State Park. “The source is believed to be reliable, and if this is correct, then a substantial population has established throughout the lake,†she said via e-mail. Randy Jackson, senior research associate at the Cornell University Biological Field Station, said the fish have natural predators in the United States, such as bass, walleye and double crested cormorants. Still, he said the predators have not done an effective job of controlling the goby. Jackson added that goby prey on invasive zebra and quagga mussels. Birds and fish that eat gobies can also get bioaccumulation of toxins because gobies feed on zebra mussels, which can carry toxins, according to www.nyis.info. Gobies grow to be about 6 to 8 inches, and the bottom-dwelling fish aren’t typically eaten by fishermen. “They are likely to be edible, but we are not aware of them being utilized for food,†Severino said. Gobies are an immediate problem for anglers. The fish are proficient bait thieves, and they’re considered a nuisance because they bite on bait typically used for panfish. “The biggest concern for anglers is that when gobies get to high density, the prey fish will have plenty of food to eat, and it might be harder to catch fish,†Jackson said. The round goby, a native of freshwater and marine waters of Eurasia — particularly the Black and Caspian seas and the Sea of Azov — was first seen in the Great Lakes Basin in 1990. They likely entered the Great Lakes through the ballast water discharged from trans-Atlantic cargo ships, Severino said. “They have been expanding their range ever since,†she said. The fish have moved eastward through the barge canal, and they likely came into Cayuga Lake from the Seneca River, Severino said. In July 2012, underwater cameraman David Brown told The Ithaca Journal that he had filmed goby in the Cayuga-Seneca Canal while working with the Finger Lakes Institute at Hobart and William Smith colleges. The round goby’s spread to all waters connected to the Great Lakes is likely, Severino said. She added that the use and possession of gobies as bait is prohibited, and the DEC asks anglers to follow state baitfish regulations. “There is no known way to control goby populations at this time,†Severino said.

Thanks Sean for the tip. Ordered some Friday from Amazon and got yesterday. Will give it try this weekend. If it works as good as you say I'll have about 2,000 yds of 20lb Flea Flicker left on a bulk spool taking up space on the shelf.

Manuals will be fine if you only fish a couple times a year otherwise get one electric for now and a dipsy' or two. You can add another electric next year.

It was more exciting with the 2 line rule. At least the DEC officer would stop and check me out several times a year. Sunday he just slowed down about 50 yds away, waved and left. Didn't even say, " good to see you again this year".

Fished the Long Point-north area Sat and was disappointed in what I produced. Caught lakers, salmon & 1 rainbow. Low numbers and no quality. Kept one small laker. Bow was just legal and still swimming. The salmon were the 16-17" ers. Like you the core was a waist of time. Finished my bag of cookies and went home.

Slim pickings for me also . Most that I'm getting are 80' to 110' down over 90' to 150' bottom. Spoons & flies depending on what they are in the mood for .

I used a plastic wire tie to snub it up. Works good,...no rattle

...and a Happy Easter to you & yours Capt. Vince.

I have a merc. 9.9 and the thumb screws that clamp the engine to the mount has holes for a lock to go threw. I used one of these master locks on it but also threw bolted the engine on the mount to slow the theft down. The thumb screws are some sort of cast material and a hammer could break them pretty easy. http://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-1523D-Set-Your-Own-Combination/dp/B0009V1WMU

Ditto what Lineman says.

No beating Matt. We all have our limits and can justify just about anything. Our wifes can attest to that . Spoon asked about the 585 so that's the info he is getting. Not sure whats happening with the Lowrance units. I use the 620 because of space limits. It's a good unit, and so are a lot of others out there.

Spoondraggin The new Furuno technology is now in the model 587. Same unit but on steroids and the price is the same if you do a little shopping. Go to Furuno's web site and check it out. http://www.furuno.com/special/en/fcv627/index.html

I see you launch from Long Point on Cayuga Lake. Well this past year the fleas were so bad that the 30lb Big Game was useless up there and some guys were talking about going to 50LB. I use the 20lb Flea Flicker and even had a bit of trouble with it but at least it was manageable. My recommendation is to use the 20lb Flea Flicker when the fleas start showing up. Leaders for spoons and direct to a swivel for spinies. I have two reels for each of my main rods so that each rod has one plain 12 lb mono reel and one 20lb flea flick setup. I use the plain mono as long as the fleas are minimal and then switch to the FF when it gets bad and back to the mono in the fall when those little buggers are gone which didn’t happen till late October this year.

Congradulations. Seems like the next generation fisherman can't wait to get started. My son also was 2 1/2 months premature. Spent one month in ICU and I called him my little buddy. Well, he hit 6'3 by 18 years old but I still call him that and my boat bears his nick name.

I replaced my radio last summer with this because of size and it also has DSC. I thought that the DSC feature would be good to have especially during the off season when few if any boats are on the lake. http://www.thegpsstore.com/Standard-Hor ... P2583.aspx

I have the Furono FCV-620 and am happy with it. Since I bought mine a few years ago Furono cam out with the FCV-627 (& larger FCV-587) which has inhanced bottom display feature. They seem to be the same price as the older model so I would buy the newer model if I were in the market today. Generally these units do not come with a transducer so you'll have to add the cost of one. http://www.furuno.com/special/en/fcv627/index.html

When someone is intent on causing harm a gun isn't needed. As skipper said," need more MENTAL DETECTORS". This happened yesterday also, http://www.courant.com/sns-rt-us-china- ... 2318.story

...and now everyone will know their name, where they live and have pictures to ID them.