Canadarago 2017

[Floatman]

Well, I'll try again to see if I made a mistake or my comment was removed.  What I tried to submit an hour ago was this truth.  The days of catching a mess of nice perch on Cando are long gone.

[iloveacrappiedinner]

Each time I've been out I've gotten on perch. Not catching too many dinks (i keep my bait size larger to weed out some smaller fish), but you gotta weed through a lot of 6-7-8" fish to find the nicer 10"+ ones. Haven't caught any jumbos (12"+). I'm finding most out in the mud flats just after the drop-off in 28-30 FOW. Bang the bottom to stir up the mud, then bring your bait up 2-3'. They hit SOFT so a spring bobber is a must.

[Floatman]

Thanks for the specifics crappiedinner, now the armada will arrive.  Just what is needed on this small waterbody, more pressure.

[iloveacrappiedinner]

What specifics? The only specific I gave was a depth of water range which includes about half the lake. The rest is perch ice fishing 101.

[ol crawdad]

Thanks for the specifics crappiedinner, now the armada will arrive.  Just what is needed on this small waterbody, more pressure.

I was out there Sat., I saw maybe 10 people fishing on the whole lake, driving from the south to the launch.  Compared to 5, 7 years ago, 500 shanties midweek.  Gonna take a while before this lake has a good population of decent perch.  Stocking pike would help clean up some of the smaller fish (I like pike ). 

[Tightliness]

Has the perch size gone down due to over fishing? Also wouldn't pike just wipe out the perch that are left? But I have to agree pike are nice

[ol crawdad]

The armada will show up when you have 50 guys posting they filled their buckets with 12 - 14 inchers.  Most people who have been here know it is mostly 5 - 7 inchers, unless you do the work to find them like crappiedinner.  This lake ain't what it used to be.

[iloveacrappiedinner]

I was out there Sat., I saw maybe 10 people fishing on the whole lake, driving from the south to the launch.  Compared to 5, 7 years ago, 500 shanties midweek.  Gonna take a while before this lake has a good population of decent perch.  Stocking pike would help clean up some of the smaller fish (I like pike ).

I'd rather they up the walleye stocking to really bring back that population and supplement that with bunch of tigers like they used to. Tigers can really help a water body like that without the risk of them taking over (like pike can). Plus tigers get a lot bigger before people can start keeping them.

[ol crawdad]

Has the perch size gone down due to over fishing? Also wouldn't pike just wipe out the perch that are left? But I have to agree pike are nice

There is prolly a billion small perch.  Or more.  If you put your time in, 100, 150 small perch can be caught in a day.  If you do like cd and fish bigger baits, you can weed out the smaller ones and find some a little bigger.  But ten years ago, a limit of 12 - 14 inchers was not uncommon.  Lots of opinions why in various C-rago threads...

[ol crawdad]

I'd rather they up the walleye stocking to really bring back that population and supplement that with bunch of tigers like they used to. Tigers can really help a water body like that without the risk of them taking over (like pike can). Plus tigers get a lot bigger before people can start keeping them.

I'm ok with tigers, except they have not proven to do the job here.  I have been fishing it for 35+ years, back when they had real muskies in it and then started the tiger stocking (I remember the sign in the launch, showing muskies AND norlunge present).  We hooked some nice fish back then, topwater and downrigger fishing.  I used to belong to NJ Musky Inc., and have all the equipment, and would love to have a viable musky fishery nearby (like northern NJ believe it or not).  Pike and real musky breed, and there is no need for the state to spend money stocking.  But, wishful thinking.

[iloveacrappiedinner]

I'm ok with tigers, except they have not proven to do the job here.  I have been fishing it for 35+ years, back when they had real muskies in it and then started the tiger stocking (I remember the sign in the launch, showing muskies AND norlunge present).  We hooked some nice fish back then, topwater and downrigger fishing.  I used to belong to NJ Musky Inc., and have all the equipment, and would love to have a viable musky fishery nearby (like northern NJ believe it or not).  Pike and real musky breed, and there is no need for the state to spend money stocking.  But, wishful thinking.

Back in the 90's my grandparents lived on the lake so we would fish there a lot. I remember catching killer perch and plenty walleye over 20". My cousin landed a 40" tiger. It was great. The lake has certainly changed. The smallmouth has certainly improved tho. We never could catch the numbers and size smallies like are getting pulled out of there now.

[ol crawdad]

Back in the 90's my grandparents lived on the lake so we would fish there a lot. I remember catching killer perch and plenty walleye over 20". My cousin landed a 40" tiger. It was great. The lake has certainly changed. The smallmouth has certainly improved tho. We never could catch the numbers and size smallies like are getting pulled out of there now.

Agreed on the walleyes, it was my go to place for them.  Many a night we came home with a limit for each of us.  Also caught them at night tossing musky jitterbugs over weedbeds for muskies.  I used to do well on the smallies back then though also.  Zara spooks in the shallows early in the day.

Sat. I fished it for two hours, caught two 16.5 smallies, they were fun.  Glad you think they are improving.

[Raquettedacker]

   Many a night we came home with a limit for each of us.   

                                          

[bigredonice]

                                         

? ? ?

[ol crawdad]

                                         

dacker, over many years, not in a single week.  I fish a lot of waters, I doubt if we ever kept more than 25, 30 walleyes from C-rago in a single year.  If you include Otsego, Susquehanna, Goodyear, Madison County lakes like Tusc, Eaton, Leb, Moraine, I have kept quite a few.  But I distribute the wealth.  C-rago used to be our fav tho, and RARELY were there more than one or two other boats out after dark.  It was never hammered.

[Yotecatcher]

? ? ? Many nights limits= no walleye. 

[bigredonice]

I dont know how to use the insert quote function correctly

[icu.traveler]

How's ice on Canadarago?  I wonder if its still fishable .  Please post if anyone knows.
Thanks

[Mein4877]

There's open water at the north end and in front of the lake house. Not good ice on the rest I'm assuming.