Something is wrong in my favorite fishing bay.

[cyclops2]

About a week ago I saw a BIG small mouth floating on the surface. Not any bite marks. No gulls pecking out the eyes. Too big for birds to carry off. Yesterday ANOTHER big smallie with same appearance.  Same area.  This bay is1/4 mile away from a massive  gobies area in 65' of water. First time in decades I have seen 2 big dead floating  smallies ONLY.  No other fish floating.  This bay used to get ALL the treated sewage liquids from Clayton village. 2 years ago all untreated house sewage outside of the village was stopped.  And connected to a major sewage plant miles away. There is no other industry for many miles.    My best guess is gobies carrying Botulism toxins in the gobies.  BUT  Why not other fish that eat them ?  2 smallies out of thousands in this spot of the St Lawrence River system.

[A-Jay]

If they were caught from deep water, retained in a live well and then released,

that might explain it. 

#barotrauma

A-Jay

[TnRiver46]

4 hours ago, A-Jay said:

If they were caught from deep water, retained in a live well and then released,

that might explain it. 

#barotrauma

A-Jay

That would be my guess, there’s typically floating bass after big tournaments here (two massive tournaments have occurred on the Saint Lawrence recently ).

 

One of my game warden friends made some funny comments about the “live release” pontoon boats. The first was “easiest over the limit ticket you could write” and the other thing he said was “do you know why they use those? So all the dead ones aren’t floating near the ramp”

[cyclops2]

Bingo on the pro tournament right in the Clayton, N Y waters.

  Last week end.  Oh well.

  The ramp is UPSTREM from my bay.  Part of the Water flow is from the ramp bay to my bay. 

This web page is a big help to a old Virgin like me.  Many thanks for solving the dead bass

[TnRiver46]

24 minutes ago, cyclops2 said:

Bingo on the pro tournament right in the Clayton, N Y waters.

  Last week end.  Oh well.

  The ramp is UPSTREM from my bay.  Part of the Water flow is from the ramp bay to my bay. 

This web page is a big help to a old Virgin like me.  Many thanks for solving the dead bass

I wouldn’t say we solved it but we’ve formed an educated hypothesis anyhow 

[Sphynx]

If it is of sufficient concern to cause you consternation, bringing this to the attention of your local fish and wildlife department enforcement staff is probably the best thing you can do, I don't like to give the government credit for a lot of things, but when it comes to tracking numbers and documentation of things, you won't find many places with more passion and zeal than a government office. 

[cyclops2]

Luck is more important than skill.   Today !!  ?

Fantastic day finding where they were feeding................. I guessed right as each spot was left & they moved to the next spot.  Most of the perch were PLUMP !!  

Catch & release with the new lures & crushed down barbs

Note............Only 2 needed surgical forceps to unhook. All others were just barely lip hookups.

[cyclops2]

Very BAD sight as I came into my docking area  yesterday. About 30 to 50 Black Cormorants having a surface meeting.  100'  in front of my dock. 2 PM .   They are back & unhappy because of low water & no real weed beds. Were not diving for fish as they should be.  They have caught & swallowed a 8 to 10" bass.   I chased them out.  Most looked small or undersized for some reason.  Could be this years batch on their first outing.

[cyclops2]

  Found a small school of bass . Caught 6 as fast as I could release them.  Then they had enough of my lures.  5  large perch for my neighbor to have lunch with.  Good day.