LAKE GEORGE BS THREAD

[hairbone]

Yeah no fish in there only dinks you probably shouldn't even bother fishing there.

 

[Berkley4life]

I think this guy has eaten plenty limits of perch in his day....

[bird21s]

lake George could handle a few no limit seasons, the only benefit to the 50 perch rule is it helps keep the crowd down. With out it I bet the lake would be off the hook, no pun intended!!!

[Berkley4life]

lake George could handle a few no limit seasons, the only benefit to the 50 perch rule is it helps keep the crowd down. With out it I bet the lake would be off the hook, no pun intended!!!


The market fisherman would be in their glory

[captin bill]

Difference between n 8 & 10 is the head ,wonder who's swimmn this week seen guys on dunhams on mon.

[mealworm]

Way to go Berkley that is a stud laker.nice to see some togue pics on this thread after the year we


I'm no biologist but when a lake gets over populated with a species dosent the species growth get stunted, so if the perch aren't harvested we would end up with a bunch of dinks anyway.no matter what when I perch fish I don't keep anything smaller than about 8" and I really try to take my limit if I can

[Fishmon]

Not an expert on this, but I dive during summer on the lake and you would not believe the size of the schools of perch on weed beds.  I don't think you could make a dent in the perch population in the lake during the winter given the short ice season and lack of access  to the entire lake.  The schools are massive and contain fish of all sizes.  You would be surprised how big some of these fish get.  50 is just a number.

[perchslappinmy]

I don't dive but we fish the lake out of a boat in the fall and I know exactly what you mean about the size of the schools. This will make 2 winters in a row that the lake didn't have it's normal ice . I think the perch size ran a little smaller on average this last fall, I'll be curious to see after this second winter of little ice if that average gets even smaller.

Not one of the pan fish I took this winter came from Lake George. Caught a bunch in the fall from the boat though  I've fished Lake George for many, many years and even back in the days of no limit  the perch fishing was pretty good. And to be honest it's been quite a few years since I've caught 14" or bigger perch out of the lake that we used to catch before the 50 fish limit.

[hunts2long]

Years ago I perch fished a lake in WNY. It would get hit very hard every weekend. Numbers and size were very good. Then there were 4/5 years of very little ice. After that the perch fishing went down hill big time. I don't think it ever recovered to what it used to be...h2l

[Neil McCauley]

Someday when the fish are all gone because some people have to be pigs. They will say gee! I wonder what happened, it use to be good here. Even 50 is to many. I wonder what the total take is every day between everybody that's fishing. Probably why the majority of perch on George are dinks! 

Really don't think we could over-fish a panfish species like Perch on a 29k acre lake with jigging rods even if we tried. Historically it only seems to happen with big predator species like Pike or when people are using mass fishing techniques like dip netting. Perch on LG are truly prolific in numbers, divers and people with cameras know this, so do people with good sonar who open water fish. The schools are massive and all oer the place... and they're definitely not "majority" dinks ! At least not in my experience, pulled plenty of 14+ inch perch out of there. The 50 fish limit is kind of silly imo...to how many anglers does this actually apply, and how often? How many of them would, after limiting after 6 hours of fishing, would instead keep 51 or 52 perch? Or how many would go on to keep 150? It's very very few in the latter case. And what to do with them all? Unless you have a gigantic extra freezer or you are selling them I don't see how think this is a realistic issue. The 50 fish limit is just because the State is lazy and doesn't want to actually monitor the population, it's pure arbitrary state agency laziness, nothing more. 

[bigfish1212]

Today was my last day unless we get another big blast of cold air. Three of us got nice limits of perch and jigged  up a couple lakers for the smoker. Had 6" off good ice yesterday was saggy starting to honeycomb on the way off today.

[njg0621]

Really don't think we could over-fish a panfish species like Perch on a 29k acre lake with jigging rods even if we tried. Historically it only seems to happen with big predator species like Pike or when people are using mass fishing techniques like dip netting. Perch on LG are truly prolific in numbers, divers and people with cameras know this, so do people with good sonar who open water fish. The schools are massive and all oer the place... and they're definitely not "majority" dinks ! At least not in my experience, pulled plenty of 14+ inch perch out of there. The 50 fish limit is kind of silly imo...to how many anglers does this actually apply, and how often? How many of them would, after limiting after 6 hours of fishing, would instead keep 51 or 52 perch? Or how many would go on to keep 150? It's very very few in the latter case. And what to do with them all? Unless you have a gigantic extra freezer or you are selling them I don't see how think this is a realistic issue. The 50 fish limit is just because the State is lazy and doesn't want to actually monitor the population, it's pure arbitrary state agency laziness, nothing more.

Sell them! The guys keeping BIG numbers of perch aren't filling their freezers they are selling them!

Can anyone tell me a good reason why you need to keep more than 50 perch an outing unless you sell them? No need IMO

[bigfish1212]

I usually put away at least 800-1000 perch a lot more some years, and never sold one.

Sell them! The guys keeping BIG numbers of perch aren't filling their freezers they are selling them!

Can anyone tell me a good reason why you need to keep more than 50 perch an outing unless you sell them? No need IMO

[SSmokinn SS]

Not an expert on this, but I dive during summer on the lake and you would not believe the size of the schools of perch on weed beds.  I don't think you could make a dent in the perch population in the lake during the winter given the short ice season and lack of access  to the entire lake.  The schools are massive and contain fish of all sizes.  You would be surprised how big some of these fish get.  50 is just a number.

I agree. I dive on the lake as well. The perch and smallie schools are rediculous.

[Toyotaguy 1]

Word is there's a guy swimming in Harris bay right now ...just came across the scanner ..

[MJB518]

Sell them! The guys keeping BIG numbers of perch aren't filling their freezers they are selling them!

Can anyone tell me a good reason why you need to keep more than 50 perch an outing unless you sell them? No need IMO

Not everybody fishes everyday. Some of us work through the winter. My family loves perch fries.  Keeping 50 average sized perch once or twice a month in my case does the job.

[mike304]

Word is there's a guy swimming in Harris bay right now ...just came across the scanner ..

Just heard about it too. Far be it for me to judge, but being out there today was not a smart move!!!

[Neil McCauley]

Word is there's a guy swimming in Harris bay right now ...just came across the scanner ..

you mean the flasher? 

[hunt4perch]

Possibly, too many perch in his bucket.

[Toyotaguy 1]

Just heard about it too. Far be it for me to judge, but being out there today was not a smart move!!!

x2 ..gotta know when to fold them !

[WHITETAIL111]

Wow....see what I started with my comment.  😊 Ijust read a few posts where guys have perch frys with their families. Man I totally get that!  Friends and family and sharing in the harvest is what it's all about.  They guy went on to say he does it a few times a month...awesome!  What I'd be afraid of with no limits is something that would affect us all down the road and that is what someone else mentioned..the selling of them...again just my opinion... but $$ leads to gluttony.  That leads to less humps and bumps and secret spots with fish on them.  I read of divers seeing massive schools..others saying I had 50 fish and left them piled 7 feet off the bottom. Isn't it nice to go back and know those fish might still be stacked 7 feet off the bottom without the fear that while you were at work M-F someone didn't go in there and annihilate your spot ?
Yes...it's a big lake and those massive schools divers are seeing is a great sign!  For u guys who live around there, man I'd think you'd want a 50 perch limit?  Will it get "fished out"... lol...not likely. I just know when I go, I'll take some larger size perch for the table..and toss the rest back.  Hell, I'd think you would thank me for that!!  I certainly understand though....the guys who want the 50 for the freezer a few times a season.
I hope you all enjoy the rest of your season! Be careful out there, no perch is worth your life.  Me..I'll be scouting turkey, shed hunting and tying striper flies these next few weeks.  If you haven't tried fly fishing for stripers...man you don't know what your missing? Stay safe.

[lowaccord66]

Whitetail...this is simple...you shouldn't have an opinion on what someone else keeps for the table.  Period.  You can do what you like with your fish and that's cool.  Champlain hasn't had a limit in years and supports a good amount of commercial fishing.  Your fears are unfounded. 

[fishyfishes]

Such a short season... hope those that went through today  (yesterday) made it out. I say today, as we got crushed at work and I just got home.
     With the ice gone within the week, who's going trolling?

[LAKEGEORGEJEFF]

Pulling out boat today...

[prchslyr]

I like a limit of 50.
My criteria increases greatly once I hit 40.
Otherwise I'd leave after each trip with 50+ 7" perch in my bucket. 

[trapper2000]

low I don't think they should  allow more then one deer to be taken in Massachusetts.....and  it be on a lottery draw system ....whitetail should thank me for coming up with such a great  plan to increase the Massachusetts deer population!!!!  we'll  limit the harvest!!!!

[trapper2000]

Sell them! The guys keeping BIG numbers of perch aren't filling their freezers they are selling them!

Can anyone tell me a good reason why you need to keep more than 50 perch an outing unless you sell them? No need IMO

a working man of 4 he gets a average of once a month to fish ...of he's lucky enough to catch a limit of perch that's a meal and that's about it ....

as far as a limit look at northern Jefferson county  no limits (ever)  largest perch producer in the state with huge perch  and it gets market fished hard  ....... hasn't hurt that fishery

[prchslyr]

Man.
I wonder what a bump to a 75 perch limit on Lake George would do?
I really don't think it would hurt a darn thing aside from my arteries.

[step2jimi]

I agree. I dive on the lake as well. The perch and smallie schools are rediculous.

I dont ever hear of you fishing for smallies there in summer, I know you love champ. Im assuming its because of the bs to get on and off lake george? I love fishing lake george for bass but the politics of the lake keep me away. But i love pulling deeeeeep water smallies.

[lowaccord66]

I dont ever hear of you fishing for smallies there in summer, I know you love champ. Im assuming its because of the bs to get on and off lake george? I love fishing lake george for bass but the politics of the lake keep me away. But i love pulling deeeeeep water smallies.

As soon as it ices out I'm dragging up there....hopefully I'll be able to launch...