SOUTHERN N.Y. THREAD (L.I., WESTCHESTER, PUTNAM, DUTCHESS, SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUN

[ActiveTrapChecker]

Re "Line Twist"...... a lot of people don't know this, but mono line has taken a "set" when it's on the factory spool.  It "remembers" this "set" when you spool it onto your reel.
TO REMOVE THIS LINE MEMORY..... after you spool up your reel, hold the filled spool under HOT running water in your sink for about 1 -2 minutes.  This will remove the old "memory" and eliminate a lot of line twist.

Does this work for flouro or just mono?

[Raquettedacker]

Nice one..  Congratulations.....

[IceBalls]

NICE !!!!!!

[IceBalls]

Line twist removal trick works for Flouro or Mono

[loustru]

nice brown Pooley 

[BGIII]

Gonna be hitting Cross River Reservoir again tom morning. Hoping I have a repeat of last week with the weather coming in tomorrow night. I guess we’ll see, I kee you guys posted with conditions

[Coldfusion]

Good luck. Got a 15 inch brown jigging today. Others got a few browns and yellow perch on tip ups. Ice was 6 inches.

[setthook]

You didnt bring out any lurkers. Lol. You just seem to have caught the eye of the real fisherman out there. Every time i see a post from this loudmouth i instantly roll my eyes cuz for some reason he cant tell what a 9inch crappie looks like. And then i see pictures or short out or season bass laying on the ice. What does that show except inexperience and ignorance. And no way is someone on stand by waiting with a tape measure to measure those fish while laying on the ice. Way longer than 5 to 15 seconds.  Especially on day where the wind is blowing 40 mph. You're talking single digit wind chills and youre burning the fish skin in seconds by laying them on the ice. If you gotta measure a barely legal fish its not worth keeping. Come on now

[yesjacker]

Setthehook you're lurker you have 12 posts, and FYI so am I! I'm a lurker partly because I like picking up fishing tips from guys out there all the time. I also like seeing pictures of fish. I understand it looks bad when the fins look frozen but as long as the fish goes back down the hole and swims away that fish will be caught again.  Fisherman should stick together IMO and not criticize something different that is done one way from the other. Lets not forget that every fish that is caught basically gets a sharp hook stabbed into its jaw. They live to bite again, even with broken or missing pieces from there mouths. 

[jiignut]

Yup, we all participate in Harass and Release.

[hardwater diehard]

HIGHLAND LAKES CONTEST FEBUARY 17 7AM-3PM

https://www.facebook.com/944741532276259/photos/a.944743915609354.1073741829.944741532276259/1580136202070119/?type=3&theater

[hardwater diehard]

2018 In-Fisherman Ice Guide

https://www.osgnewsstand.com/product/ice-fish2-2018

[flounderman]

Some old timers checkin in... Glad your out there Pooley enjoying the ice this winter!

To all the lurkers and those who criticize, to each their own! Remember that...

Quit chasing lake reports and go fishing...anywhere. Safe ice is everywhere for the most part in Sullivan/Orange. Spend some time learning the lake and you'll have guaranteed success.

I spent two hours yesterday afternoon armed with a cup of fresh waxies, a jig rod, a bucket and auger. I wanted YP but the lake had other ideas. For all the picture peeps, the start of a sunfish massacre. Ran out of bait, ended with 46.

Btw, DEC are present everywhere in pairs this winter. Lots of new faces. Glad to see. I've been checked on 5 separate outings this year.

[ShawnM]

HIGHLAND LAKES CONTEST FEBUARY 17 7AM-3PM

https://www.facebook.com/944741532276259/photos/a.944743915609354.1073741829.944741532276259/1580136202070119/?type=3&theater

I'll be there good times had here!!!

[mr.clean]

Hello fellow SENY ice fishermen, Hardwater Diehard thank you for link to Mahogany Ridge Hunting club contest at Highland Lake I had a hard time getting info. on this contest in past years. Flounderman thanks for the heads up on increased DEC presence ,congrats on all the sun fish.


 I hear back from my contact with Monticello fire Dept. at present time they do not plan to hold a contest this year.


Good fishing to all.  Mr.Clean/Steve

[Rather-B-Fishin]

It is good to see that there is some banter back and forth, it means that we all care/ passionate about the sport we love and the respect needed for the fauna we seek.
With that said, maybe a better way to handle the pictures of fish that are to be caught and released is with the help of a second person versus laying them on the ice. I have caught some fish that I wish that I had pictures of but was alone and did not to want jeopardize the wellbeing of the fish. Our sub zero weather with the wind DOES pose a significant risk to fish that are not released quickly back into their environs.
Don't believe me, go run a lap around the lake taking deep breaths through your mouth, your lungs and their gills are very sensitive to this harsh weather, never mind the freezer burn of the slime coat and living tissue of the fish.
On a different note. Anyone missing lots of gear? A friend of a friend story, supposedly came across a slew of ice fishing gear that was on swing bridge. Literally everything was left.
Only thing we could think was that someone went out set up their gear and they lowered the water while the angler was out there.  Both SWB and Toronto have had their water lowered a good 10' the past week.
Hope the person is ok.
I came a across a bunch of tip ups one time that were still set up on a lake. I contacted the guy and he told me he forgot what he did with them because he had a few too many! That's scary....that does not seem like the case with SWB.

[laker5911]

I was all psych'd to fish Lake Sebago in Harriman State Park this morning.  Takes 40 minutes +/- to get there.   Approached from the south, saw only one guy out there.  Pulled into the lot.  Saw three Park police officers talking to a guy in a truck with tip ups in the back.  Driving past them, I get waived down.  "You going ice fishing?".  Yeah!.  "Sorry, they closed it due to the storm".   

So friggin annoyed.  The "storm" never materialized too.  What a waste. 

[NYBasser]

It is good to see that there is some banter back and forth, it means that we all care/ passionate about the sport we love and the respect needed for the fauna we seek.
With that said, maybe a better way to handle the pictures of fish that are to be caught and released is with the help of a second person versus laying them on the ice. I have caught some fish that I wish that I had pictures of but was alone and did not to want jeopardize the wellbeing of the fish. Our sub zero weather with the wind DOES pose a significant risk to fish that are not released quickly back into their environs.
Don't believe me, go run a lap around the lake taking deep breaths through your mouth, your lungs and their gills are very sensitive to this harsh weather, never mind the freezer burn of the slime coat and living tissue of the fish.
On a different note. Anyone missing lots of gear? A friend of a friend story, supposedly came across a slew of ice fishing gear that was on swing bridge. Literally everything was left.
Only thing we could think was that someone went out set up their gear and they lowered the water while the angler was out there.  Both SWB and Toronto have had their water lowered a good 10' the past week.
Hope the person is ok.
I came a across a bunch of tip ups one time that were still set up on a lake. I contacted the guy and he told me he forgot what he did with them because he had a few too many! That's scary....that does not seem like the case with SWB.

Any idea how your friend did out on SWB? Heard the fishing has been shot since they lowered the water

[wolfpak3770]

Red pimple with waxie, bouncing off bottom worked great yesterday.
Way too much fun catching these 14" perch (fattest was 1 lb 5 oz) with 3 lb test...

Nice catch Bluesail!

[Fifield_Outf]

Anyone go to morningside yet?

[Chaz13]

It is good to see that there is some banter back and forth, it means that we all care/ passionate about the sport we love and the respect needed for the fauna we seek.
With that said, maybe a better way to handle the pictures of fish that are to be caught and released is with the help of a second person versus laying them on the ice. I have caught some fish that I wish that I had pictures of but was alone and did not to want jeopardize the wellbeing of the fish. Our sub zero weather with the wind DOES pose a significant risk to fish that are not released quickly back into their environs.
Don't believe me, go run a lap around the lake taking deep breaths through your mouth, your lungs and their gills are very sensitive to this harsh weather, never mind the freezer burn of the slime coat and living tissue of the fish.
On a different note. Anyone missing lots of gear? A friend of a friend story, supposedly came across a slew of ice fishing gear that was on swing bridge. Literally everything was left.
Only thing we could think was that someone went out set up their gear and they lowered the water while the angler was out there.  Both SWB and Toronto have had their water lowered a good 10' the past week.
Hope the person is ok.
I came a across a bunch of tip ups one time that were still set up on a lake. I contacted the guy and he told me he forgot what he did with them because he had a few too many! That's scary....that does not seem like the case with SWB.

Yesterday I seen this frozen stuff at the launch on the Dam side of Toronto, Good amount of water was let out of there but not nearly as much as Swinging Bridge

[setthook]

Catching a fish with a hook is one thing. But when it comes out of the water and its wet and its negative degree wind chills you're definitely doing a number of the fish. Especially placing it on the ice so  you can take the time to place a tape measure alongside the fish and get a picture. And an out of season small bass at that. This is retarded for anyone to say .......to each their own. Have some ethics here people. Have some sportsmanship. Glad to see some people still have passion and dont encourage certain stupidity. DEC would have a field day with some of you guys if they seen stuff like this

[Loudmouth879]

Catching a fish with a hook is one thing. But when it comes out of the water and its wet and its negative degree wind chills you're definitely doing a number of the fish. Especially placing it on the ice so  you can take the time to place a tape measure alongside the fish and get a picture. And an out of season small bass at that. This is retarded for anyone to say .......to each their own. Have some ethics here people. Have some sportsmanship. Glad to see some people still have passion and dont encourage certain stupidity. DEC would have a field day with some of you guys if they seen stuff like this

One last final thing on this topic.... it was not negative wind chills... with the wind chill that day it was right around 18* (per weather underground) as it was caught around noontime.... DEC wouldn't have an issue with the pictures being taken since Bass season starting Dec. 1st is actually "Catch and Release".

The NYS DEC definition of Catch and Release is as follows.... catching and immediately releasing the caught fish without harm. Measuring, weighing and photographing of the fish are permitted as long as the fish is not removed from the water for an extended period or handled in a manner that could cause it harm. Fish may not be placed in a bucket, tub, livewell, on a string or any other holding device. 5-15 seconds is not an extended period of time if you ask me. Also as I said before I didn't take time to place the tape measure it was already placed on the ice and with todays cell phones it doesn't take long to take a picture.

[Rather-B-Fishin]

NYS DEC General Regs.
-A person may not fish for a species (even if immediately released) during the closed season for that species on a given water. Fish caught during the closed season must be unhooked and released immediately. They may not be handled for any other purpose.
-A person may not have in possession, or intentionally kill or injure fish other than the sizes specified and allowed for that species on a given water.
-A person may not possess, kill or unnecessarily injure fish in excess of the daily limit for that species.
-Any fish an angler catches and immediately releases uninjured will not be counted as part of the daily limit for that species.

Loudmouth, I can appreciate your point and sure your intent is not to have the fish that you are releasing endure unnecessary harm. But, the general regs which you reference and that I have above have a high degree of interpretation, at the discretion of the DEC officer and the practices of the angler. The numerous pictures of out of season fish don't help your case; reference bullet one and two. Secondl,I highly doubt the entire process is 15 seconds. Not looking for a argument or negativity, there is just a better way to ethically handle it.

[NYBasser]

Just wanted to interject, if this banter is gonna get all "specific", then tipups with live bait are not considered "artificial lures" as per the DEC's website regarding bass regulations. Also it takes quite a while longer than 5-15 seconds for a fish's fins to freeze, especially when its at least 18 degrees out. I've usually noticed that it takes around 20-30 seconds when its in the single digits with negative wind chill.....so you do the math. I'm all for taking photos of fish, but putting them on the ice really damages their slime coat and can also damage their fins if they freeze and stick to the ice.

[Loudmouth879]

Just wanted to interject, if this banter is gonna get all "specific", then tipups with live bait are not considered "artificial lures" as per the DEC's website regarding bass regulations.

Not sure about everyone else but when I'm fishing with tip-ups or with anything in the winter I'm not targeting bass they just happen to be an accidental catch. I haven't found a rule about not taking pictures of an accidental catch unless it's an Eastern Hellbender Salamander and the DEC even says take a picture and send it to us if you can.

NYS DEC General Regs.
-A person may not fish for a species (even if immediately released) during the closed season for that species on a given water. Fish caught during the closed season must be unhooked and released immediately. They may not be handled for any other purpose.
-A person may not have in possession, or intentionally kill or injure fish other than the sizes specified and allowed for that species on a given water.
-A person may not possess, kill or unnecessarily injure fish in excess of the daily limit for that species.
-Any fish an angler catches and immediately releases uninjured will not be counted as part of the daily limit for that species.

Loudmouth, I can appreciate your point and sure your intent is not to have the fish that you are releasing endure unnecessary harm. But, the general regs which you reference and that I have above have a high degree of interpretation, at the discretion of the DEC officer and the practices of the angler. The numerous pictures of out of season fish don't help your case; reference bullet one and two. Secondl,I highly doubt the entire process is 15 seconds. Not looking for a argument or negativity, there is just a better way to ethically handle it.

If you read the regs book the only regions with an actual "closed" season on black bass (smallmouth and largemouth) are Region 5 and Region 6 where it actually says "Fishing for black bass (including catch & release) is prohibited outside of the open season. Lake Champlain is the only exception in Region 5 because there are special Regs for Champlain. In Regions 1-4 from Dec 1 through Fri preceding the 3rd Sat in June the season is still open it's just "Catch and Release". The part that is up for interpretation is what is considered an "extended period of time."

But it all basically boils down to what your ethics are... some people don't believe it is ethical to take a picture of fish that can't be kept while others believe it is ethical to take photos of the fish and then put the fish back in the water.

[Gamalot]

I must be unethical in my fishing practices. Any fish I catch that I have no intention of keeping for dinner is treated one way. Once identified as a non keeper I hope the fish tosses the hook or breaks my line in the hole. I carry forceps to remove lip hooked fish in the hole and clippers to cut my line on deeply hooked fish. We fished Toronto on Sunday and caught nothing but small mouth bass and only one got it's picture taken because the woman had never been ice fishing so it was a first. All the others stayed in the lake at the hole. I carry extra hooks and bless each fish with a thank you for the thrill of maybe being my dinner. If I say I had a great day fishing there won't be any photographic proof because I have a great day fishing weather I catch a fish or not.
Unethical and probably even illegal but I have caught fish, usually pickerel, that are so foul hooked and squirting blood they are sure to die so the Eagles need to eat too.

BTW, we saw that jacket left on the launch rocks with the little blue pipe and figured someone might make use of it so we left it where it was.

Gam

[BGIII]

Hit cross river reservoir yesterday, only had 3 flags all morning with one 17 inch trout which was released, thought with the “weather” coming in the bite would be a little better LOL. Few other guys out there and seemed like it was slow for everyone. There was almost 7 inches of nice black ice. Personally I think the fishing is better when there’s a little snow on the ice, I feel the Fish can get a little spooked when it’s so clear. Just to be clear the white lake derby is Feb 18 correct?

[GreekUPS]

If u must take a pic u can try placing the fish on a towel or something in btwn the fish and the ice.  It doesn’t take long to damage the eyes and gills of these fish.

[Rather-B-Fishin]

Any idea how your friend did out on SWB? Heard the fishing has been shot since they lowered the water

It wasn't someone that I know personally and the individual is pretty tight lipped with their personal fishing success. I have heard mixed reports of SWB from other folks. I personally have not been there yet this year, trying to learn another local lake that gets less snowmobile and people traffic. IF you do go, bring extra rope, good cleats and drill not to far from shore to check water level. The collapsed ice along the shoreline can be very tricky and dangerous to get up and down on.
Going out this afternoon, if it stops soon.
FYI - went to Tom's in Bloomingburg for bait the other morning because Thruway was out. Great little shop, excellent bait, and he is open a 6ish. He is part of a dying breed, our area used to have several really good and reliable mom and pop bait shops. It is sad to see that they are a has been.