Canals

[rcbear]

How is the fishing in the Cayuga-Seneca canal this time of year?

Where can you launch a boat in the canal?

Have a safe and happy holiday.

RC BEAR

[Broadhorizons]

I don't know if this is the canal you're interested in but we were hunting at Montezuma north of the Thruway the other day and using boats for transportation. I pulled in a loggy backwater to drop off a driver and there were probably a hundred northerns laying just under the surface everywhere. The were literally scooting and swirling all around as I eased in among the downed trees. We were above the lock. I have also seen them laying under the surface of the main canal just below the lock in past years. Some were very large.

If this is where you're interested, I can describe were we hand launch at three locations there for fishing purposes only...

Addition:

I just looked up the map of Montezuma, the portion I'm referring to is the NYS Barge Canal west of the junction of the NYS Barge and the Seneca Cayuga Barge Canal.

http://www.fws.gov/r5mnwr/refuge_map.html

[rcbear]

Yes this is the area. The only launch I know of is the one just south of route 5&20.

I see the Mays Point fishing access just east of route 89. Is this one of the hand launches?

Thanks for any info you can share.

[Broadhorizons]

We handlaunch at three locations for hunting. If you look at the map, you see the right turn off of 89 by Mays Point Pool between the binoculars and the fish, go down that road and cross the bridge. Turn right on the first road after the bridge and we launch on the right by the bait shop or continue down the road into the woods and launch on the left (watch out for the DEEP mud hole on the left of the roadway in the clearing). Launching on the right puts you in a creek/backwater, launching on the left puts you in the barge canal. The other spot is on the left side of 89 opposite the turn for the road that leads to the other spots. This is a pull-off of 89. This launches you into a backwater and you can get to the barge canal by turning before the island (too shallow right now) or traveling the length of the island and going to the canal.

Where I saw all the fish on Tuesday was the backwater by the "New" of New York State Barge Canal above Tschache Pool. I would suggest checking with Montezuma staff about the regulations regarding fishing and launching from Montezuma property since all I am accustomed to is the deer hunting regs. For deer hunting, we have to sign in and out daily and have a parking permit displayed in the vehicle while parked on Refuge property.

If you're jigging by the island along Tschache Pool and snag a 10 hp Johnson/Evinrude, give me a call. That's a story for another day...

Good luck and let me know how you do. I hear in the Spring they crush the walleye just below the lock also.

[rcbear]

thanks for the info. I will keep you posted.

Ron