wheelingmike

I run mostly flasher/fly rigs for kings in the fall. Been using 20 lb. big game for many years but have been recently viewing seaguar invizx and other fluorocarbon mainlines. I've had problems with twisting and would like to know if Ontario Salmon fisherman recommend using the fluorocarbon mainlines or what best to run for downrigging fall kings.

Lots of trolling spoons, stickbaits,tackleboxes filled, downrigger weights, rods & reels, older outboard boat motors, decoys, black powder, pellet, archery, etc.

Friday and Saturday 9:00 AM each day 7-18 & 7-19

Located at 932 State Route 326, Union Springs, 13160

Txt Keith at 315-515-85 six five for specifics if need be.

I like running the duolock snap swivels off the rear of my flashers for fast & easy fly swaps. Wanting to know what size most people run for fishing Kings on Ontario?

Thanks!

I really believe the lampreys are in schools out there. The fish can't stand a chance at this rate. The eels must be killing just about every fish around with the numbers that are being reported. Has anyone else besides me reported this issue to the DEC & or fisheries?

Here is the follow up I received after contacting several authorities: I suggest taking along a bait or butterfly net to help catch & kill what you can.

Hi ,

Thank you for letting us know what you are seeing out there, and for including the fishing forum link on your other message. We are indeed aware that there are many parasitic phase lamprey in Cayuga Lake at this time. We have also heard several reports similar to yours of lampreys attaching to fishing gear as well as many lampreys attached to single fish.

The sea lamprey which you have observed, are very different, in food habits, and biology, from the American eels, which you and several other people also refer to, in some cases not distinguishing between them. Sea lamprey are short lived fish parasites, with a cartilaginous skeleton, teeth on their tongue and in their disk shaped mouth, and which spawn in gravelly streams. Their young incubate in organic sediments of streams for about three years filter feeding algae and other detritus, before they transform into parasites and migrate out to Cayuga Lake, where they feed on fish for about a year before returning to the streams to spawn and die. They are obligate fish parasites, and while they may attach to other things, they will not attach and feed on warm blooded humans, and obviously won't get any nutrition from a downrigger ball.

American eels are a long lived species which eat small fish and other small prey, have a bony skeleton, a regular hinged jaw with rows of teeth like many other fishes, and which migrate long distances to spawn in the ocean. They can only eat very small trout, do not spawn in the Finger Lakes, and are quite rare owing to the large number of dams they must get through to get here. American eels spend up to twenty years in our larger lakes and rivers before they make the return migration to spawn and die in the ocean.

In most years, the sea lamprey population in Cayuga Lake is limited by poor availability of spawning and rearing habitat, and a barrier on the best stream (Cayuga Inlet), where we trap the adult lampreys attempting to spawn and remove them. In years when the barrier is swamped by high water (2007 and 2011), these efforts are not as effective. Given the good shape of the salmonid fisheries in Cayuga Lake, the relatively small number of surviving lamprey larvae in the Inlet compared to previous flood years, and the expense of conducting a lamprey treatment, the decision was made to ride out this year class (which is peaking in parasitism at this moment), and evaluate the 2011 year class independently. We are currently undertaking a comprehensive survey of the 2011 year class, and starting the planning for a lampricide treatment to remove these lamprey before they transform to parasitic phase in approximately 2014-2015. We are also making extra efforts to track sea lamprey wounding rates on salmonids this fall, and will compare that data with previous years.

Lampricide treatments have been conducted twice on the Cayuga Inlet, and we have learned a lot in the last thirty years about how to safely conduct a lampricide treatment. We are very careful in how we apply pesticides, being careful to monitor application rates, and stream water chemistries, to be sure that we avoid mortality of non-target organisms. By being careful about which concentrations we use, water temperatures and times of year, we can avoid mortality of lake sturgeon and salmonids, as well as the other fish species in the area. We are fortunate that the lampricide TFM is so specific to lamprey larvae, and breaks down within a few days in the environment (it only takes about 9 hours at the proper concentration to kill sea lamprey larvae). Unfortunately we have no method to control sea lamprey once they reach the parasitic phase. What you and many others are doing in killing the lamprey you do see is the best we can ask for, and the most likely to be effective at this point.

Again, thank you for your email, and your concern, but please be assured that this is a short term problem that will not return next summer, and that we are aware of the problem and are working on preventing future occurrences. Part of my job is to listen to anglers concerns, the other part of my job is to go out and do something about it. I am one of about 27 DEC Fisheries employees certified to apply pesticides, trained, and experienced in conducting sea lamprey treatments in the Finger Lakes and Lake Champlain. We are not tasked with this duty full time, but we are ready to take on the challenge when the need arises.

Happy Fishing!

So may I ask, "who to hell do we contact to report this to"???

I called the Game Warden for my area and he said he had not heard of it. Suppose to forward it on to the fishery. Told me they do not "poison" the streams & inlets on the fingerlakes like the do the great lakes. If this is not acted upon soon fishing on Cayuga lake will suffer for several years.

Terrible problem with lamprey eels this year on cayuga. No problems launching from Frontinac launch. Water fleas have not been a problem as of rescent. Trout fishing not so good. Need to move more south down the lake. 8-12 lb. test is plenty. Good luck.

Late last week I was downrigger trolling on Cayuga Lake between the Great Gully & Aurora on the East side of the lake trolling between 80 & 120 feet down mostly. Almost every time we pulled a downrigger weight up there would be at least 1 lamprey eel attached to the weight. We would hook up w/ a fish and by the time we got it to the boat it would have lampreys on it. Not old ones with marks, but freshly grabbed. I thought I was marking bait fish pods but believe now they were schools of lampreys. They also would hit our spin doctor & e-chip flashers as we were trolling. In a few hours time we seen like 30 eels and god knows how many let go before reaching the boat and surface.

Anyone know besides DEC officers who should be contacted about this? Anyone else coming across this problem? Fished my entire life on Cayuga & Ontario and have never seen such a thing.

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

Thanks a bunch guys, Mike