Long Lake Sinclar

[OFF THE GRID]

Heading up to long lake camps in the morning, hope there is no slush and the ice is good, any reports thanks.   

[Alex Delarge]

I was out yesterday. There is still slush to be found but most of it froze and has some standing water on it. I'd avoid what looks like big snow drifts, probably slush. Ice thickness varies but in general there is several inches of junk ice, slush and snow sitting on top of 5+ inch of decent ice. My shack is right out front. I'll be there til 1: ish tomorrow. Stop in. Good luck.

[OFF THE GRID]

Thanks I will stop in after getting set up at the camps

[Moosekill]

Was up to Long Lake fishing last weekend.  18" +of ice, no problems with sleds or atv's.  No snow at all on the ice.  No fish whatsoever.  Last year we went up early and had great luck with salmon.  This year 8 guys fishing two days caught one small salmon.  Saw the biologists 3 different times.  This was what they told us. 

Last year, during ice fishing, the number of salmon being caught were way down and the size of them was as small/thin as they had ever seen.  They feared the smelt population was crashing so they closed the stream Mudd?? to spring smelt dipping, and almost completely stopped stocking salmon.  This year the guys smelting are catching a ton of smelts but no one is catching anything else.  Biologists said one day going over the entire lake they saw two salmon on the ice.  The next day was the same.  Not even catching any perch.  We asked them both, at separate times, where they would fish, and they both answered, not here.

I think there are lots of smelts in the lake, and they greatly reduced stocking so the few fish in the lake have lots of food so the odds are slim you are going to catch anything.  I think the biologists misread what was happening.  They seemed embarrassed while discussing it.  My guess is they will start heavily stocking the salmon this spring and try to get the lake back to where it used to be.

[Jadler311]

Was up to Long Lake fishing last weekend.  18" +of ice, no problems with sleds or atv's.  No snow at all on the ice.  No fish whatsoever.  Last year we went up early and had great luck with salmon.  This year 8 guys fishing two days caught one small salmon.  Saw the biologists 3 different times.  This was what they told us. 

Last year, during ice fishing, the number of salmon being caught were way down and the size of them was as small/thin as they had ever seen.  They feared the smelt population was crashing so they closed the stream Mudd?? to spring smelt dipping, and almost completely stopped stocking salmon.  This year the guys smelting are catching a ton of smelts but no one is catching anything else.  Biologists said one day going over the entire lake they saw two salmon on the ice.  The next day was the same.  Not even catching any perch.  We asked them both, at separate times, where they would fish, and they both answered, not here.

I think there are lots of smelts in the lake, and they greatly reduced stocking so the few fish in the lake have lots of food so the odds are slim you are going to catch anything.  I think the biologists misread what was happening.  They seemed embarrassed while discussing it.  My guess is they will start heavily stocking the salmon this spring and try to get the lake back to where it used to be.

Thanks for the report, Moosekill! That is some scary stuff Hope the lake is able to bounce back. I guess we will have an even greater sample size after the derby takes place in a couple weeks.

[JDK]

Interesting.

[troutnfool]

We had a similar experience this past weekend very slow fishing managed 4 fish in 4 days with 6 guys fishing.  Heard a little local talk about some funny business with the smelts up there last year.  The gentleman was visibly angered with the situation.  Biologist rolled up twice same report as above.  Cold and beautiful weekend though.

[The Rusty Crab]

Frank frost told me the exact same thing. The smelt population crashed and stocking was halted. however I have heard fairly good reports of salmon being caught. we didn't have stellar luck with numbers but what we did catch was healthy and broad.  As far as perch drop below 10 feet and you can chase flags all day. I jigged a few holes showing a new fisherman how to use a vex and it was super easy first hole, first drop. The derby isn't much of a help, the pressure that weekend hurts any future building. it will take a lot of stocking to bounce back that large lake. the worst part is now it has pushed more people to the surrounding lakes and is not doing them any good at all.

[JDK]

Too bad the search function doesn't work anymore.  Seems to me a few of us on here were saying sumptin about Long Lake a few years ago while everyone else was rubbing one out over 4 pound salmon, smelt dipping, and derbies. 

[MarkNFish]

Too bad the search function doesn't work anymore.  Seems to me a few of us on here were saying sumptin about Long Lake a few years ago while everyone else was rubbing one out over 4 pound salmon, smelt dipping, and derbies.

This is one of those cases when I wish we had all been wrong

[JDK]

By no means am I an expert on Long Lake but I do fish it more than a few times each year and I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in the past.  It didn't take a rocket scientist to see what was, and was going to, happen there.  Personally, I walked away from icefishing for the most part because I saw what was and what is.  IMHO the saddest part of all was that the biologist also knew and were waiting for a crash.  Their comments were to let it crash and re-build (due mainly to perceived public support).  I think they forget that the true value of Long Lake was that it wasn't "created" but it was protected for the longest time. 

I said this more than a few times, we strived to be like the rest of the State and succeeded.

[woodchip]

Farmers have to lime and fertilize their gardens to get good produce. what do fishermen and State of Maine  do to maintain proper P.H.

[JDK]

Farmers have to lime and fertilize their gardens to get good produce. what do fishermen and State of Maine  do to maintain proper P.H.

I do my part...see my response in the 20 minute rule thread.

[MGK]

East Grand is next... if not already there

[jacksmelt71]

i agree. too many big breeders caught out of there the last few years. long is a disaster in the making . and all the perch in there isn't helping. between the derby and the extra attention it brings, i don't see it ending well for the salmon. even the fish in other fish river chain lakes are skinny and stunted even if theres a decent smelt population present. something besides lack of bait is causing this and the bios are at a lost. it could be water ph. some say parasites. i haven't seen a really healthy salmon for awhile now and thats not just in long. even the brookies in square are affected. I've been saying it for years that the massive clearcuts are warming and altering water ph. nobody wants to investigate this as it may affect how the logging industry conducts business and may affect jobs in the area. we take and take from our forests without considering the consequences. this is what happens when we have taken too much and disrupt the balance. very sad.

[GasBlaster]

It sounds like you need a perch jigging tourney.

[woodchip]

 Lakes and ponds with a lot of small perch. The fishermen that throw back small perch should stop. They increase in Pop. so fast and easy, throwing them back has no benefit . (feed the Eagles, Ravens)Clubs and the state should have  a perch fishing derby, Prize the largest and highest number. This would really help increase feed for Salmon, Trout.  and the perch Pop. would increase in size. When they do things like they did at Sabbatus lake by limiting the number of white perch taken  .was a definite  step backwards!!!!!!!!!

[jacksmelt71]

It sounds like you need a perch jigging tourney.

totally agree! been trying to organize one for the beg of march but no one seems interested in donating for prizes. was going to call it a kids perch tournament. even the bios said they would give me the permit. guess the locals rather complain instead of doing something about the problem.

[stagatha]

Smelts are better - Salmon stocked this year & last are bigger than 3-4 year old fish - they are increasing the stocking next year - already been approved by I F & W
 

[pegasus]

No touge in Long Lake I have read, just cusk and yellow perch.

[GasBlaster]

totally agree! been trying to organize one for the beg of march but no one seems interested in donating for prizes. was going to call it a kids perch tournament. even the bios said they would give me the permit. guess the locals rather complain instead of doing something about the problem.

What you need is some real cash prizes !! Something to draw a big crowd and really do a number on the perch population .

[JDK]

totally agree! been trying to organize one for the beg of march but no one seems interested in donating for prizes. was going to call it a kids perch tournament. even the bios said they would give me the permit. guess the locals rather complain instead of doing something about the problem.

IMHO, you'd be better off working with the current derby organizers to set something.  I know that they raised the prize money for perch.  They are already attracting a lot of people to the area.

[woodchip]

That picture reminds me of the derby they had on Round pond in or near Machias , the rod and gun club had some sought of a financial deal with Lloyds of London and had three tag trout with ten thousand dollars on each one . no one caught any of the tagged fish , But I saw people out fishing that had old stick traps   .Traps had to be close for all to get a chance to fish,I saw a lot of yellow perch, bass Pickerel, I felt the tags ended up in one of the big pickerel. I drove 4 hrs with my two sons it was an interesting event. Witnessed a couple of snowmobiles with 4 of 5 children riding into a head on crash they took some of the kids off on stretches , Never did hear how they made out.  It must of been in the 1970s .

[jacksmelt71]

IMHO, you'd be better off working with the current derby organizers to set something.  I know that they raised the prize money for perch.  They are already attracting a lot of people to the area.

i did try to contact them. got voicemail and left a message twice. no response! got the same cold shoulder talking to the businesses for donations.

[saltyshores]

That picture reminds me of the derby they had on Round pond in or near Machias , the rod and gun club had some sought of a financial deal with Lloyds of London and had three tag trout with ten thousand dollars on each one . no one caught any of the tagged fish , But I saw people out fishing that had old stick traps   .Traps had to be close for all to get a chance to fish,I saw a lot of yellow perch, bass Pickerel, I felt the tags ended up in one of the big pickerel. I drove 4 hrs with my two sons it was an interesting event. Witnessed a couple of snowmobiles with 4 of 5 children riding into a head on crash they took some of the kids off on stretches , Never did hear how they made out.  It must of been in the 1970s .

i remember that, Woodchip. They held that derby for a few years, until finally 2 or 3 of the very valuable fish were caught and the insurance company paid out several thousand dollars. Guess they learned the hard way. 

[woodchip]

If the clubs could raise a good value for prizes they would all be jigging perch . Think it could be a great fund raiser. and the lakes would benefit .People would come out of the wood works.