RUNNIN REBEL

Ok, I sat back to read everyone's interpretation of State of Lake meeting and personal observations and beliefs, BEFORE I would comment.. I can only say people need to go to the state of lake meetings (more than one if you can) OR we had SAME meeting with Steve Lapan for "one on one" questions last fall at Genesee charter association meeting. This week ONLY 57 people in attendance at this year's state of Lake meeting in Rochester.......MOST were stream fisherman, newcomers(including environmentalist who confronted me out personally after meeting about my lifetime Lake experiences VS. her Washington DC political meeting). SMALLEST REPRESENTATION EVER at any meeting by trout/salmon fishery interest groups in the last 35+ years..........This was ALL about trout/salmon fishery this year. NO bass stats or any cisco update. People's attendance have meaning===represent votes & $$$$$ impact and plain interest or accountability in what state is doing. Slide show at meeting of Canadien creel census info, show they count vehicles at fishing spots count number of people per vehicle then identify origins/country etc. of people... THAT HAS VALUE. Why would NY state spend money on this when they can put $900 MILLION DOLLARS into state parks. (just a few years ago NYS wanted to close state parks to save money) What a turn around, ANYTHING is possible. They currently close the Lake Ontario State Parkway at Oak Orchard west to save $$$$ on winter maintenance. Meeting observations As mentioned, Baitfish bottom trawls and SONAR ACUSTICS (used to detect HIGHER colum baitfish on those shorter/warmer winters)begin in April and end early May. Done in same locations/time frames to help keep stats equal. So seeing more baitfish than ever before last couple years AFTER May and after inshore spawning run , higher in the water Colum argument is suspect to DEC (YES we see the bait after the trawls ). The colder and longer the winters then the longer and deeper/more concentrated the bait is during bottom trawl time frames. Lake Ontario Alewifes are down 2/3 the total amount of what they were on AVERAGE from the 1980's---early1990's. That's when this lake produced #40 ++++ salmon yearly on the USA side. And the lake's capability to produce lower food web/chain was excellent. NOW this lake has on AVAREGE has 1/3 the alewives it had. The Great lakes clean water act and government regulations on farmers & lawn care fertilizing co. & shoreline/marina owners regulations etc. AGAINST anything going into lake's nutrient supply. THEN Zebra mussels cleaning out shallower water nutrient & Quagga mussels cleaning out the deeper depths of the lake, Has caused this lakes current and probable future ability to produce a lower end food chain to sustain even current levels of bait is not probable. Kings will hunt/eat nothing but alewifes(smelt numbers will not suffice) Example:Michigan king stomach content research for many years. ....Now add %48 kings in the lake are wild production(we have no control over this yearly number-good years & bad years) add to our current stocking numbers. All these kings are only hunting POOR quality (fat content/nutrient value) Alewives this year. Thus not even a couple true #40 salmon have not been seen in years on the USA side....(Best quality salmon stock Lake Ontario has for past years is Canadien stock kings.) Check any canadien LOCAL tournament weights VS. a USA lake wide spring & summer & even our fall lakewide derby sizes get beat handily. So saying we/the lake only have 1 hatchery is absolutely wrong. This lake has MANY Canadien hatcheries all ready approved and currently stocking Lake Ontario, with the BEST QUALITY KING PRODUCT out there..(Old school staging kings off every Canadien port they were stocked in--------early fall tournaments won by fishing 12' to 40' of 60 degree +water ALL DAY, catching nothing but "GENETIC ARMY ALL MALES" (very few if any hens in yet) All the GREAT tournaments on this lake DEC shows up at to take fish info does not go toward creel census numbers...they count somewhere else. Imagine our per catch ratio with all tournaments info collected... ADD 300 thousand +++++ lake trout into this eco system . You now have a true predator that will eat ANY THING that swims in ANY size and in ANY Quantity.... ANYWHERE on this lake (5' of water in spring to 200' depths and deeper on bottom anytime and top water out deep and up rivers). They will roll rocks on bottom to forage sculpin/gobies even zebra mussels. They maintain virtual lakewide distribution almost all year. They rarely if ever void an area or even a whole county or two for days/weeks and even months during open water trolling season. Their loyalty is to survival and growth, NOT to hunt Alewife only. They will feed ALL DAY and all year (Frequent Ice fishing targets) And as mentioned live forever !!!!!!!! Lake trout also have financial backing from the Federal government to be stocked and Fed $$$ to protect lake trout from lamprey. As for NY State money... They were able to purchase 2 new trucks this year for stocking... BUT had to take off and re-use the older equipment on the existing trucks. Our upgrade to Hatchery included a new roof. Did I mention NY State was spending $900 million on state park Beatification. TO BE CONTINUED.......... Better yet PLEASE GO TO THE STATE MEETINGS.... If not I would be happy to set up another meeting this fall With NY state/dec personel again. While the current fishing season/experience is fresh. Jerry

Speaking of adding lousy humor ..............................Rob is the same as Larry on board .....................................Just add copper .................. Jerry

PLEASE LARRY.... Don't let your posts on here be practice into what it is going to be like on the RUNNIN REBEL this year.......I have been working on my lousy humor also..................................... Jerry

You know your in Las Vegas when you loose .25 cents in the tampon machine. I was going to read the book "POWER OF POSATIVE THINKING" but figured what good would it do me..... It's unlucky to be superstitious.... I used to be indecisive.. but now I am not sure...... Jerry

In any business "GOOD PEOPLE make GOOD COMPANIES" and Tom-Steph and crew prove that. Always cordial talking with them anywhere and anytime. Online or 4 counties away, Jerry

That is bad luck, BUT it could always be worse... PLEASE SEND PICTURE OF HIT GARAGE DOOR !!!!!!!!!!!! Jerry

Last year had the unusual Phenom. of the Lake itself warmed up faster and before the Niagara River did (because of heavy ice cover and constant supply of COLD Lake Erie water coming down for extended period last winter) This limits the Niagara rivers normaly attractive spring quality on bait fish.. When this happens the "Rochester Basin area has BY FAR the most natural supply of lake shoreline warming capability. With numerous bays (Irondequoite & Braddocks) --Genesee River-adds tremendous "water color/cover) and endless SHALLOW ponds in between, along with many feeder creeks. This shallow water shoreline produces the warmer water "areas" and water color needed and sought after by baitfish, (most important- ideal spring spawning conditions for ALEWIFES). Spring kings will hunt/search this entire lake over and over to find/feed on Alewifes OR they will stress while searching-thus skinny king conditions. 2014 Rochester had it's most consistant king fishery EVER starting in spring and lasted MONTHS. Next couple of weeks weather patterns will determine the ice cover/temps for this year. As a side note-living on the lake shore I have only had 1 lake diver duck "rest" in my yard this year. last year I had over 30 birds in yard or on pave street. Jerry

Chad, Lake Ontario currently has more ice coverage than it had last year, and the overall average temp. of Lake Ontario is colder than last year also. Jerry