Big fat pike

I went to the inlet last Thursday after no luck fishing at the outlet and saw a bunch of dead what looked like big bluegills and rock bass but there were several dead fish. in addition I saw 3 pike 1 on top of the dam and talked to some people who said there were a good amount pike a few weeks before the brief freeze came through so I am guessing this year isn't going to be a good spawn year. I found it weird there were several groups of bluegill alive at the inlet and also noticed even more logs at the top of the dam and was wondering if anyone has seen the pike jump back down over the dam after they are done spawning?

I don't know a lot about Lake Ontario's Salmon but just have couple about why possibly our King salmon are getting smaller with one from a friend and the other one I just thought off. It's possible the DEC switched stocking strains at some point for a smaller strain that has a higher survival rate and they picked numbers over size, I know someone that believes this but haven't found any proof. One of my theory though most likely untrue is there are only 2 or 3 fish depending on how you look at it that would eat a King Salmon and that would be a northern pike or a muskie or a tiger muskie if you want to count that as a third. There are big pike and muskies in the lake but not a lot they are really struggling especially the muskies which I would think would be the main fish to eat a lot of the smaller salmon reducing the competition on the Salmon and leaving the stronger ones to survive but since they are declining they aren't eating and eliminating the smaller weaker ones. I have doubts too on this one but something that came to my mind. . Another thought was high thiaminase levels from the alewives. I was thinking its possible that the severe Vitamin B1 Deficiency causes the older fish to not succeed at spawning and so its caused the younger ones to spread the generics where they succeeded when spawning younger, as well as causing poor growth. My solution for this would be to get more of them to adapt and start eating the gobies as I think I heard people are starting to find gobies in their stomach and the Lake trout have no problem eating them and they prefer colder water temperatures then the Kings so I don't see why they couldn't start.. I know in another post I couldn't find the topic for from last year about the King Salmon I mentioned with the DEC grinding up the gobies and mixing in the hatchery food to get them to eat more of them and mix up their diet a little bit more. I know somebody said that in another post it would be expensive to catch them but if the DEC keep all the ones they catch from their surveys that might solve that problem and someone mentioned botulism from the gobies so I guess it would be a trade off of risk.

I remember when I was younger once I got to go to Chippewa Bay (Had family that lived closer to the bridge) and it was July but I know the fish were spawning later and I briefly saw 2 muskies spawning Catching a 1 in a trillion wild tiger muskie would be awesome as well. (I have caught 2 stockers)

Thank you I managed to get a 28" with a nightcrawler on an improvised Carolina rig with a nightcrawler at the 20-80 ft drop off ( not 100% sure of the exact depths as i don't have a map)but had no idea what to do targeting them what about muskies i could easily see trolling walleye sized Crankbaits to be productive for pike but would want to know what to do for sure because fish are regional

So every September me and a group of friends stay up at Round Island for a couple nights and this year I intend on bringing a buddy who while knowing how to troll hasn't fished the 1000 islands and would like to get some info for getting pike, muskies and some walleyes in that area.

They stamped mine on my drivers license and when i renewed it this year the one they sent me had both stamped on it

My guess is because of how low the water has been the past several springs that being said i have noticed around everywhere in general the past 2 years the bite hasn't been as good.