Gill-T

I think a big contributor to upper end predator sizes (walleye on Erie, salmon and steelhead) is the demise of Emerald Shiner populations. This small baitfish used to be everywhere in the upper water column and would serve to jump start growth in those species until they were big enough to target alewives. Fish are starting from behind the eight ball now and have to play catch up. Steelhead are having to hunt deeper and deeper to find food. Steelhead are used to feeding up.

3/9/25- report. Nobody was drifting around the fort. Youngstown launch is free of ice and usable. The fort launches are not open (sign says closed). The water is super low at the fort launches and only small boats are going to be able to get out. Olcott launch is free of ice and usable. The shoreline is not ready yet. Lots of loose chunk and skim ice along shore. You probably could fish from 20’ fow or deeper. Lake Erie ice is fading FAST!

Great post Longline! 👍

Please use your influence to convince them to stock the smaller sized rogue. Use Jedi-mind trick if you have to.

As egregious as NYS spending 3.4 Billion dollars on asylum seeker support in 2024, that amounts to $170 per year per NY resident. Nowhere near the over $100,000 per person we are in over our heads with the national debt. The problem is much bigger than illegals in NY. Many of the projects getting slashed help generate money and jobs. Alewife surveys drive stocking recommendations that drive fishing quality that drives revenue around Lake Ontario. Cutting needs to be stepwise and well thought out. Instead, we have a drugged-out blindfolded kid in office swinging wildly at a Piñata. What we are doing to Ukraine is disgraceful. Reagan is rolling over in his grave.

Lots of open water on West end. Modis satellite shot of Erie today.

Looks AI generated

Launches in Huron River Ohio are open.

Ice is fading fast.

A trip down the Niagara gorge as planned was put on hold due to the wind this morning so I decided to take a drive. -Keg Creek still has some ice but things are flowing. The mouth is probably not open. -Olcott Harbor has open water to the inner harbor wall so piers are fishable albeit dangerous. -Wilson has open water between the piers up to the start of the harbor -4 mile creek is fishable but stained -Fort Niagara launch and Youngstown Launches are not open but water conditions look great for casting from shore -the ice boom is holding, the Niagara water is green and pretty much ice free. Last visible image from Modis over Lake Erie shows open water on the West end. When I flew over the lake Sunday, the East end of Lake Erie looked pretty well locked up. My forecast is a nice lower river drifting season ahead for the Niagara. You can only launch at Lewiston at this time. Olcott Harbor might be open mid-month if warm trends continue.

Better get your copper order in with A-Tom-Mik. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yxv0yj40ko.amp

Eh, I look at all of em from time to time.

Please America, stop thinking Fox is a news agency. Fox is an opinion piece with news sprinkled in. Bring back your independent minds. I think it was Mark Twain that wrote “generalizations are false, including this one” (might have been Aristotle-who cares) https://www.forbes.com/sites/rrapier/2024/09/01/what-the-numbers-say-about-presidents-and-oil-drilling/

Ha. No problem

Fine. https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-votes-against-condemning-russia-ukraine-war-trump-admin-chases-peace-deal

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/02/24/politics/us-joins-russia-ukraine-un-vote

https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/sea-lamprey#:~:text=Increased Economic Benefits,in the Lake Champlain area. looks like treatments may only need to be completed every 4 years. Depending on when last treatments were rendered, we may be okay for the time being.

Glen, just trying to figure it out. With Lampricide application and alewife surveys, timing is crucial. If grant money doesn’t flow it might mean a year without (or maybe four years without). Nothing wrong with asking questions about what’s next.

Do we know if government agencies are able to accept private funds for something like Lampricide? Perhaps we will be living in a world where organizations such as LOTSA or ELOTSA need to have benefit tournaments or private donation options to fund these critical programs?

The Outdoor News plug is because they do a good job of covering all things outdoors that is facing legislative challenges.

Two year subscription is $61 for the Outdoor News. The cost of one meat rig combo.

https://www.outdoornews.com another alternative

I knew it would be a great challenge to get people to try not to turn this thread into a political fight (myself included in that statement). Before this thread gets locked again, let’s redirect our intentions into providing information on outdoor projects at risk and make sure are doing our part to advocate with our representatives. It is the only way we are going to make a difference (maybe).