This is the beginning of a new document: Continuation of Journal 13 11-08-23.
Thurs. 5/19/11
Field Observations
Niagara River. Foot of Ferry.
8:00 pm. – dark
White perch being caught.
Sheepshead.
The fishermen are optimistic, telling of catches of walleye, steelhead, browns, white perch and white bass. I saw only white perch and sheepshead.
Sun. 5/22/11
Field obs.
Dann Lake
5:30-8:00 pm.
Yellow warbler
Green Heron
Many mid-size green frogs
Bull Frogs
Incredible hatches of small fish. Numbering in the thousands.
Large crayfish tunnels in the bank.
Cottonwood seeds blowing.
Large turtle heads rising. Fist size.
The algae and seaweed bloom has begun.
Crosspoint Ponds
Goslings hatching- all fuzzy.
Carp rooting. Large carp.
Field Observations for July 6 2011 ACAC meeting
I spent Memorial Day weekend down in the Catskills near Margarettville with my sister and her husband. They have a pleasant country home there. She had a bear come by the day before we got there.
We fished at night in a nearby pond and caught and released two large largemouth.
I spent an afternoon wading in the East branch of the Delaware, and caught and released twelve fish of different species. Fallfish, dace, chubs, a small smallmouth, and a small brown trout.
However my foot became inflamed and I could hardly get around. My plans to explore the East branch were put on hold.
We found a farm pond and got some beautiful 12-13 inch bullheads.
I was lame for about a week. In bed, on crutches, until the dilemma passed.
Then I started regular forays down to the Upper Niagara River both to fish and to observe. The harvest from the foot of Ferry has been remarkable.
White perch
Yellow perch
Rock Bass
Striped Bass
Crappies
Carp
Sheephead in number
Catfish
There’s a lot of subsistence fishing going on there. I have seen many parties with buckets of huge fish. Intended for human consumption. Natural baits have been most productive. With good success on worms, minnows and crayfish.
The minnows are schooling by the millions, along the walls. Many are used for bait, and many are used as food.
I’ve learned a lot about sheepshead. They have begun to feed on the invasive zebra mussels. With a limitless forage base, their size and numbers are exploding.
The sheepshead have a grinding tube in their esophagus. Thus are perfectly suited to feed on the mussels. My guiding these last two months was to take my sister out for bass and bullheads in the Catskills. And to take a friend and his daughter down to the foot of Ferry.
The little lady was eight years old. This was her first time fishing. She had her first fish on immediately, and caught several more. I may have a convert.
Let me note the cormorants are evermore present.
Field observations 6/27/11 6-9:00pm.
Ellicott Creek in Amherst State Park
Female mallard
Grackles
Blue jay
Ravens
I caught seven small fish. Mostly rockies. One bluegill. One nine inch smallmouth. I used pieces of night crawler with one medium split shot eighteen inches above the hook.
The park is heavily used this time of year. Walkers, kayakers, fishermen and tubers. The kayaker were practicing their roles
The creek is pretty. Picturesque. However, in one place where a culvert empties in, it smells pretty ripe.
The water was clear. Visible to four feet. No sign of larger fish of any species. It was a pleasant outing. but not remarkable. Deer were up and browsing as I exited the park.
Note: The Great Lakes hold 21% of the world’s fresh water.
8/03/11 Field Observations
Over the last month, I’ve spent a lot of time in the field. With Bird Island pier only a mile from my apartment on the Wes.t Side, it is easily accessible.
There is always something interesting happening there. There are always fishermen there filling buckets with white perch. From 4 to 9 inches, with a few up to a foot long. It seems the same group of fishermen fill their buckets every day. They are feeding themselves and their families. There is also quite a bit of buying and selling of fish. A bucket of small fish sells for 5 to 10 dollars. A 17inch 3 pound bass will fetch 5 dollars. With many fishermen on a limited income, selling the catch, or feeding the family is an important factor.
I took Tommy and Avia to Dann Lake. We didn’t catch fish. However we had fun catching frogs with hook, line and lure. We dangled tiny lures in front of frogs in the reeds. They would lunge for the lure and hook themselves. Tommy caught a bullfrog the size of a small chicken. The frogs sang for us. The bugs were not too bad.
Getting back to Bird Island, they are getting good numbers of sheepshead and black bass. Last Sunday, a 3 foot walleye was landed. A beautifully colored specimen. I had Tommy and Avia with me. They caught a few small perch. Avia hooked and lost a big one. I was not satisfied.
Needing a success,I headed out alone on Monday morning. Fish had been landed all around me, but I was frustrated. So I headed out to scout new waters. I ended up on the Oak Orchard River. At the bridge between Routes 18 and 98, at the Waterport Dam, and at the fishermen’s park at Park Avenue extension.
I waded in at the fishermen’s park at 2:00 pm. The action started out slow. But by dusk I had landed rock bass, sunnies, bullhead, white perch, white bass, one largemouth, and three two pound plus channel cats. An exciting day for sure!
I had a sub and soft drink for supper. And managed to find lodging at a fishermen’s camp nearby.
I stayed up late, in meditation. The sounds of frogs and fish jumping accompanying my prayers.
Tuesday am
Tuesday am. was rainy, but I fished for an hour anyhow. Done with my angling early, I drove the surrounding roads to get the lay of the land. Endless orchards, and agricultural lands.
WOOLSTON’S CEDAR POINT LODGING 585-682-3253
RIVERVIEW CAMPGROUND 716-432-7047
I went back to Bird Island tonight. Again, remarkable bass were caught all around me. But I did not catch any fish. I landed fish or others, but I did not hook up myself.
Field Observations 3/02/12
3/02/12 Pond in Great Baehr Swamp.
50 degrees. cloudy
Conservation area. Off SpiceBush..
Limited access. One 20 foot clearing. Litter shows that other fishermen have been here. WE fished 30 minutes. No bites.
3/15/12 Niagara River. Foot of Ferry. Fishermen congregating. Many without gear, just scoping it out. A huge walleye 30”, was landed while I was there. It was bloated with eggs, about to spawn. Several onlookers offered to buy the fish, which was sold for $20.00. It would have easily fed six adults.
3/02/12 The ditch off Youngs Road
Water visibility 3 feet. We jumped three deer there. I fished 30 minutes with no action. I have seen carp in this ditch. I think it holds bullheads and Northerns at certain times of the year.
I have to generate protocol for this study. First, I have to decide which water bodies will be included in this study. Here are likely possibilities; Dann Lake. Ellicott Creek at Amherst State Park. The pond in Great Baehr Swamp off Spicebush. The long ditch off Youngs Road by Great Baehr. The diversion channel under Sweethome Road by North Ellicott. Vets Park on Tonawanda Creek.
3/18/12 2:00 pm. Field Observations
Dann Lake
Sunny 70 degrees.
Light Breeze
Partly Cloudy Water visibility 3.5 feet.
I crossed paths with a father and a small son. The youngster was elated to catch a “lobster”. A large crayfish. They told me of their success in the lower river at ArtPark. With salmon on egg sacks. The young lad, about seven, wanted to give me all his lures. I feel guilty because I have extra daredevils, and could have given him one. The little guy absolutely demanded I take his salmon eggs. These guy have scouted out the other ponds on the Dann parcel, with stories of great bass. All I could do was to say “thanks, and have a blessed day”.
Chickadees
Red Tail
Kill Deer
Song Sparrow
Peepers
Crayfish
18 inch Snapping turtles.
The trail in was under water.
Dirt bike ruts
Six parties. Three pike landed. Four strikes, one follow in.
Field Obs. 3/20/12
Ditch”B”. Under Sweethome Road
This diversion channel is parralled by the bike path.
80 degrees.
No breeze.
Water clarity 6 feet.
Depth unknown. About three feet.
Clear skies.
The unseasonable warmth brought out the walkers, bikers, and bladders enmasse. In the thirty minutes I was there thirty people came by.
The high numbers of Canada geese have fouled the water. A lot of floating feces. Small fish by the shore. 2 to 3 inches long. Long and skinny like a pencil. Maybe small pike. One large fish surfaced. I did not id it. I was hoping to locate bullheads, without success.
Field Obs. Sun. 3/25/12 6:30 pm.
Retention Pond in Ellicott Creek Park. Near Niagara Falls Blvd. entrance. Behind tennis court.
45 degrees
N.wind.
Partly cloudy
One foot water visibility.
Ten fishermen. Two sunnies on crawlers. I small turtle showed its head. Shallow. 2-3 feet deep. A mess of large scales on the shore where someone landed a carp. Lot of goose feces in the water. No bites.
Tonawanda Creek at sewage plant outlet.
Water clarity one foot.
On my way home from Ellicott Creek Park, I passed a fisherman at the sewage plant outlet. He was well equipped, and obviously experienced. He had just landed an 18”fish that was flopping in the grass. He identified it as an European Rudd, an invasive. It looked like a large red shad. I would not hesitate to clean and cook it, except for the location of the catch. The sewage plant outlet.
This man’s name was Eric. He shared of great success with many species in Tonawanda Creek, and the Erie Canal. Walleye, Northerns, Black Bass, channel cats and carp.
Eric shared about other fishermen who had done some personal stocking on the Dann lake parcel. He also reported a school of large Rainbows in Ellicott Creek below the dam near Main Street. Probably holdover from previous years stockings.
Eric mentioned that there’s a new bait dealer up near Transit and Millersport. That there baits are of good quality.
Regarding the European Rudd, I have heard of Red Snapper being caught in New York State fresh waters. This is unlikely , as snappers are saltwater fish. This may resolve that issue.
One of the awesome things about fishing is meeting other fishermen. Sharing the outdoors, and the conversation. it’s energizing.
Field Obs. 4/06/12 6:00pm.
Dann Lake
Sunny 60 degrees
Mallards
4 Wheeler
No fish
Access under water.
Field Obs. 4/13/12 3:00pm.
Ellicott Creek at Amherst State Park
Sunny.
70 degrees.
Access at footbridge.
Still. No wind.
The annual trout stocking was yesterday. In the three hours I was there, I encountered 20 other fishermen. One party had landed 8, twelve inch rainbows, stockers. One fisherman, with light tackle, bragged about 100 hookups in one afternoon. I fished in waders, upstream about 300 yards from the bridge. Though there were some fishy looking spots in the creek, I did not get a nibble. Let me note that algae had begun to bloom. There was one flock of ducks, consisting of 8 drake mallards.
Marie Louise park. Great Baehre Swamp.
Sunny.
60 degrees.
By the parking lot and boardwalk.
I fished the pond here. I could see many golden carp here, about 8 inches. About fifty of them. Small bullheads were also visible in the tannin stained water. I caught one tiny bullhead, and one tiny sunny. I fully expected to land some big bullheads here, but was disappointed.
Field Obs. 5/06/12 2:00 pm.
Ditch along Youngs Road. Three mile ditch.
The carp are in to spawn. In good numbers.
Blue heron.
Painted Turtle.
I caught and released one 22 inch carp on orange yarn and salmon egg. Three young boys came by on their bikes as I was playing the fish. They ran for the net, I netted the fish, and we ended up in conversation. They told me that they were going to the store to buy energy drinks. I warned them about the danger of doing energy drinks. “It’s unhealthy”, I said.
Field Obs. 5/12/12- 5/13/12 Evening
The ditch along Youngs Road south of Stone wood and Buttonwood
Cloudy
65 degrees.
I did two short sessions chasing the carp in the ditch along Youngs Road. There are currently many carp in up there to spawn. I used carp bait I got at Gander Mountain, and hooked two of the large and beautiful fish. One must be very stealthy to sight fish these fish. They spook easily. The challenge is to naturally place the bait ahead of them a foot or two, where they can find it, and inhale the offering.
I found myself in poison ivy as I dealt with the first of these fish. So I had to come home right away to wash. The poison in poison ivy is carried by the plants natural oil. it is actually an allergic reaction. So washing immediately with Palmolive or Dawn dish soap will prevent blisters and rash from forming.
I did remember, on the way home, to pick up a bottled of champagne for Mom’s Mother’s Day present.
Field Obs. 5/14/12 7:30pm.
Ditch in Natureview Park
70 degrees.
Still.
Clear Skies.
Water visibility 18 inches.
Most of the ditch is weed choked. I saw one small dead carp. Also a dead and partly consumed bullhead. Perhaps found dead by a coon, and partly eaten. There is a clear stretch of water by the culvert. About 50 feet on each side of the culvert. It looks like a good place for bullhead.
Peepers and green frogs were singing. The birds were in full chorus. Wood Thrush, Redwings, and Viree. Lots of deer and coyote prints. Raccoon, as well. I saw a Yellow Warbler. Looks like beavers or muskrats colonizing the banks.
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