My Time Out

Thanks for the replies. So it appears that the water temp went from about 74 to 64 in 3 days. is that an indication that the lake is turning over? This was at 6' deep. from the USGS platform near Geneva. same time frame at 97 feet. Here is the link to the USGS Website. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ny/nwis/uv/?site_no=425027076564401&PARAmeter_cd=00400,00095,00010,90860,00300,63680,62361,99137

Ok this may be a dumb question, but I have to ask. What is meant by the lake turning over? I have heard this phrase several times in reference to Seneca but I assume it applies to other Finger Lakes as well. Any help on what it means and what the impact to the fishing is would be appreciated. Thanks

I took a drive by Sampson yesterday and the ramp appeared to be open. At least no signs saying otherwise. However you have to enter around by the old snack shop as the main entrance to the marina is blocked. They continue to work on the new camp sites and the new concession building.

Its hard to say if it was the same vessel but a very similar boat was tied up in the new Sampson Marina back when it first opened this year. It went up and down Seneca lake for several days. I did not get a close look but it was towing something and appeared to be mapping the lake bottom.

Gill-T, Not trying to be a jerk, but batteries can go dead in a cell phone also and most don’t float. The Radio I carry is portable that floats and automatically activates a distress call with GPS coordinates, Boat name and emergency contacts with a single press of a button. My real question was do others in the Finger Lakes use VHF Marine Radios and do they monitor them when on the water? Also do the local CG, Sheriff, State Police also monitor the VHF marine frequencies? And Yes I also always have my cell and will be adding the CG number to my contacts. Always good to have backup. Jim K.

Flairs seem to be a big issue because of the expiration date and getting a tickets. But prior to moving to the Finger Lakes I fished mostly the Hudson River, Long Island sound and a little off shore around Montauk. I was always told the 2nd most important piece of safety equipment was the VHF Radio, right after life jackets. Most of the time I am on the water in the Finger Lakes I have my VHF radio on, scanning the frequencies but seldom hear any chatter. Do others have radios and do people keep them on? Are they monitored for distress calls? Just wondering what others are doing. Thanks. Jim K.

I am amazed on the amount of comments on this thread and I have been trying to hold my tongue. I don’t mind law enforcement being on the water and doing checks, we all have to follow the laws whether in a boat, car, motorcycle, snowmobile or whatever. If you are out of compliance be it for flairs, registration, speeding, etc. well, you pay the price. What bothers me is they are never around when the jet skis are running 10 feet off my dock at 50 MPH. Or after the fireworks, or other events on the lake, when boats are running WOT down the lake at night, where are they then? I think it’s great that law enforcement is taking an active role on the water in the Finger Lakes. I just hope they do it in a way that will provide the most impact for our overall safety with the least amount of disruption to our time. Note: I have almost 20 hours on Seneca lake this season and have not been stopped, so I have to ask, is this a case of 10% of the people making 90% of the noise. Jim K.

Stopped by Sampson today. The entrance to the marina from the lake is open. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

So to be clear I don’t think NYS sold the marina to anyone. The state still owns the land but has leased the operation of the marina. At least that is what I understand. By the way. Happy Easter. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

I stopped by Sampson yesterday. Looks like they are working on the ramp and finished setting the pilings for the docks. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Sorry, Did not make it up last weekend. Planning on heading up this weekend will let you know.

I got a call from the governor’s office, in reply to a letter I sent them about Sampson Park Marina. I guess the only new news is that they have recently secured all the final approvals and funding to complete the entire project. So, the expectation is, barring bad weather, that the ramps should be open in time for Memorial Day. At least that is the plan they are all driving to. I was told that there will be a formal announcement in the next few weeks with more details on the project. I asked about access, ramp fees, and some other stuff, but many the details are still being worked out. I will be up that way next week and will post more pictures if there is any noticeable progress. Jim K.

Any word on when it might be done? I sent a letter to the NYS parks commission but no response. Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

The picks are from Saturday the 29th, and the pumps were running at the time.

Some photos from last week. Saturday the 29th Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

Big fan of BB did my first tasting in their kitchen. Kees, if you don't mind will look you up next time in. As long as its not harvest time.

Found this on https://www.facebook.com/SenecaLakeGuardian "We were on the phone this morning with Region 8 DEC Department of Fisheries. They have already been here taking samples of dead fish, once about 3 weeks ago and the second time on Wednesday the 5th. According to the gentleman we spoke to, the alewife die off on Seneca Lake is being caused by a protozoan (parasite) called Chilodonella. It affects the gills causing them to oversecrete mucous and essentially the fish suffocates. A quick internet search shows that this species can be found in ponds and aquariums. Apparently it will spread more rapidly when there are dense concentrations of fish, as in the alewives congregating near shore to spawn. What concerns us is that this is an enormous lake and the die off is happening over the entire lake. The DEC biologist said that a larger than normal baitfish population will aggravate the problem and cause a die off and that may be the case this year. He said that would also explain the difficullty anglers are having lately. The only instance he could point to that was similar to this was back in the '60's when there were larger than normal baitfish populations and die off's occurred on an annual basis. We would welcome any feedback from any of you "old timers" that could shed some light on this." This past week there were a number of fish washed up on my shore. We had many alewife ( more then i can count ) 2 large carp, one rainbow, one small perch, and a catfish.