Author Topic: DURAND EASTMAN PARK ROCHESTER, NY (Read 6572 times)

Luffy · « **on:** Jan 19, 2008, 07:37 PM »

Anybody have any info, pics, tips, stories, etc about fishing either Durand Lake or Eastman Lake in the county park? I've fished there in the summer, so I now it holds a lot of bluegills and some largemouth, but have never really done anything there on the ice...

OneBucketMike · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 19, 2008, 09:06 PM »

Quote from: Luffy on Jan 19, 2008, 07:37 PM

Anybody have any info, pics, tips, stories, etc about fishing either Durand Lake or Eastman Lake in the county park? I've fished there in the summer, so I now it holds a lot of bluegills and some largemouth, but have never really done anything there on the ice...

I'll report mostly what I have heard and some of my own experiences. Many years ago it was used as a "fish hatchery" for largemouth bass which the State would use to stock farm ponds etc. Then that was stopped and it was opened up to fishing. Going back 10 years or so fishing was OK on it for decent 'Gills/Bass. I even saw a Pike caught there once back then. It does seem to mainly hold "dinks" of late, hence hardly anyone fishes there. It must have some springs also as the ice does not seem to form there as well as other bodies of water. Hope this helps a little Luffy. Cya.....

Luffy · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 20, 2008, 12:06 AM »

Yeah, that definately helps. I've seen some guys out on it every now and then, but I've never stopped to see what, if anything, they're pulling thru the ice

rgfixit · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 20, 2008, 04:20 AM »

My ice fishing mentor (The Old Man) taught me how to ice fish on those ponds. I cut my first hole with a spud on Eastman Lake. There were good numbers of decent crappies and blue gills there. The larger pond to the east holds more bass and tons of dink gills. If you go, be extra careful of the out flows near the road. They're both about 10' at their deepest. I've taken some big perch there. Bucket Biologists were most likely responsible for them. Never found any small perch.

I guess I graduated from fishing school. Been a long time since I fished there.

RG

ejge49 · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 20, 2008, 07:44 AM »

I actually fished durand a couple of weeks ago for the first time. got one dink perch but mared alot of fish. I was using big bait so I think it was more perch i was marking.I plan on going back as it is close to my work and i can kill an hour or two after work.if you turn your back to the road and tune out the traffic you could almost be on an adk lake.

OneBucketMike · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 20, 2008, 08:29 AM »

Quote from: rgfixit on Jan 20, 2008, 04:20 AM

My ice fishing mentor (The Old Man) taught me how to ice fish on those ponds. I cut my first hole with a spud on Eastman Lake. There were good numbers of decent crappies and blue gills there. The larger pond to the east holds more bass and tons of dink gills. If you go, be extra careful of the out flows near the road. They're both about 10' at their deepest. I've taken some big perch there. Bucket Biologists were most likely responsible for them. Never found any small perch.

I guess I graduated from fishing school. Been a long time since I fished there.

RG

Bob, looks like we both go back aways in our ice fishing experiences, will have to get together.
My early ice fishing experiences were on Mendon Ponds and Conesus Lake, but I still remember when I was about 8 ice skating with my dad on Long Pond and seeing ice fisherman for the first time.
A couple of the "Old Men" I remember on Irondiquoit Bay were Nick "The Legend" and the original "Grumpy Old Man" Irwin. Neither was that easy to talk to but I guess I fished along side them enough that I was allowed to coexist without getting yelled at.
I agree with your Bucket Biologist theory on the perch also. I remember back over 40 years ago that one of the Edgemere Dr Ponds (Senior memory, maybe Buck or Round Pond) overflowed and fish were flopping on shore. The DEC went down with their trout stocking, water tank, truck and hauled any live fish to Seneca Park Pond. Us kids had a couple of good years catching better fish there. Then about 10 years later a kid caught a 10+# Northern Pike out of there (he had to wade in and cradle it in his arms to "land" it!!). That Pike must have been "king of the hill" feasting on dink fish for many years.
Back when they were stocking farm ponds out of the Durand Eastman Ponds they had a ratio of 'Gills to Largemouth Bass (something like 50-1) that they used. The deal was you could not fish the farm pond for 4 years, and then you had to take out as many small 'gills as a couple people could catch to keep the ratio correct to allow for big 'Gills and Bass to result. My guess is that this is what hasn't happened in the Durand Eastman ponds and that they have become full of stunted 'gills.
With this extended cold spell now, hope to cya out on the ice rather than Posting old memories....

Luffy · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 21, 2008, 01:01 PM »

Interesting history on these lakes. Thanks guys.

shawner · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 21, 2008, 01:40 PM »

Yeah, these are the conversations I like and stay on for. Nice!

OneBucketMike · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 21, 2008, 10:36 PM »

Quote from: shawner on Jan 21, 2008, 01:40 PM

Yeah, these are the conversations I like and stay on for. Nice!

Thanks for the thanks guys. Conversations are nice Shawner and Luffy but now it's time to do some fishing!!! Hope to cya on the (hard) water....

rgfixit · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 22, 2008, 03:09 AM »

"The Old Man " I refer to is a fine friend and fishing partner for many years now. He taught me to perch fish first on Seneca then on the ice. We fished the open water on the bay a week ago and I put the screws to him. For the first time he said to me " You're gettin' pretty good at this, whatcha' usin' there?".

You're right about these conversations...they're what this site is all about.

I think it's time I do a second "Ice Fisher's Anonymous " tourney on the bay. We did one a couple of years back and had a ball. I remember a little kid who we awarded some binoculars to for a perch. The smile was something to behold. I think the winning fish was a drum.
RG

GAMBELL · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 22, 2008, 03:16 AM »

As a kid, I used to fish the ponds. The furthest East pond has some nice crappies in it. Other than that, it was mostly stunted gills.

Luffy · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 22, 2008, 02:35 PM »

Maybe I'll give it a shot one morning soon.

gumpy2 · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 22, 2008, 06:22 PM »

A fellow employee I used to work with about 5 years ago showed me some photos of some awesome pike he took out of one of the larger two ponds. He caught them during the summer fishing big shiners under floats. One was 42". Not many in there he said but the size made up for it. Only stands to reason that with the panny population in those ponds that there are some hawgs swimming around.

Luffy · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 22, 2008, 07:05 PM »

I was wondering if there might be a couple in there... I"ve seen some big bass swimming around, but could only guess about the pike

OneBucketMike · « **Reply #14 on:** Jan 22, 2008, 07:45 PM »

Quote from: GAMBELL on Jan 22, 2008, 03:16 AM

As a kid, I used to fish the ponds. The furthest East pond has some nice crappies in it. Other than that, it was mostly stunted gills.

Hi Jason, take it from some of us "older gentleman", you STILL are a "kid", but one heck of a fisherman!!!! Cya....

iceplank · « **Reply #15 on:** Jan 22, 2008, 09:12 PM »

Quote from: rgfixit on Jan 20, 2008, 04:20 AM

My ice fishing mentor (The Old Man) taught me how to ice fish on those ponds. I cut my first hole with a spud on Eastman Lake. There were good numbers of decent crappies and blue gills there. The larger pond to the east holds more bass and tons of dink gills. If you go, be extra careful of the out flows near the road. They're both about 10' at their deepest. I've taken some big perch there. Bucket Biologists were most likely responsible for them. Never found any small perch.

I guess I graduated from fishing school. Been a long time since I fished there.

RG

wow!!!! old school memories. i grew up walking distance from there and we used to sneak in there through the woods in the late seventies when they were off limits because they were "stock ponds" filled with huge bucket mouth,mutant perch and gills. once they opened it up it was never the same.however we messed around out there ice fishin around 2000 we caught some smaller crappies and gills by finding submerged or fallen over trees protruding in water. I have seen kids in summer get some nice gills. I love irondequoit!!!

rgfixit · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 22, 2008, 09:23 PM »

I grew up in the Irondequoit area. Used to play golf at Durand when I was a kid. I remember seeing BIG (well they looked big to me at 10yrs old) pike in the stream that passes through the course. I believe it feeds the ponds.
RG

OneBucketMike · « **Reply #17 on:** Jan 23, 2008, 03:02 PM »

Quote from: Luffy on Jan 22, 2008, 02:35 PM

Maybe I'll give it a shot one morning soon.

If anyone goes in the near future, don't be alarmed if they see a big open area near the NW shore in the far eastern Lake. When I drove by today, looked like the Fire Dept. was running a practice life saving rescue on the ice. They had cut a big hole in the ice and had a guy in the water (maybe wearing one of the IceShanty floating Armour suits??) that they were "saving". Does make one think as we get a little less cautious on these marginal ice fishing days!!! Cya.....

Perchdoc · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 23, 2008, 08:59 PM »

I used to walk to those ponds from my house in the mid to late 80's. Cut my first hole in the ice on one of those ponds with a spud borrowed from a neighbor. Did not know the first thing about ice fishing, so I fished with a worm right near the bottom. Caught three bullhead the first time out. Later on, when I knew more, would catch decent bluegill and bass. If you go please give us a report.

Luffy · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 23, 2008, 09:34 PM »

Will do.

rgfixit · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 24, 2008, 03:36 AM »

Geeze, maybe we should have a "Nostalgia Day at Durand"? When you going Luffy?
RG

Luffy · « **Reply #21 on:** Jan 24, 2008, 07:49 PM »

Not sure yet.. the schedule at home is pretty full for the next week or so, although I'll probably get out 2mrw and saturday morning, and probably sunday afternoon... I'm planning Braddock trips those days, but would like to hit Durand within the next couple weeks. I'm thinking maybe next sunday or monday

iceplank · « **Reply #22 on:** Jan 24, 2008, 07:58 PM »

Quote from: rgfixit on Jan 24, 2008, 03:36 AM

Geeze, maybe we should have a "Nostalgia Day at Durand"? When you going Luffy?
RG

almost worth drivin 4 hours for. Dont expect to pound the slobs!!!!! So many stories about all five ponds in park and the brownies and steehead along the lakeshore and the huge whitetail over population in Durand in the 80's wreching havok on Irondequoit. Also the pike, carp and occasional salmonoid cruisinin up through the golf course streamsawesome thread!!!!!!!!!

Luffy · « **Reply #23 on:** Jan 24, 2008, 08:10 PM »

The only way we'll find out what's in there now is to fish it!!

rgfixit · « **Reply #24 on:** Jan 24, 2008, 08:11 PM »

Think I'll hit it Sat. Morning then wander over to the bay.

RG

Luffy · « **Reply #25 on:** Jan 24, 2008, 08:13 PM »

I would be game for stopping by there instead of the bay... I'll only have a few hours to fish on sat anyway what time, which lake?

rgfixit · « **Reply #26 on:** Jan 24, 2008, 08:34 PM »

2nd from the east, I've always known it as Durand Pond.
Is that right?

RG

Luffy · « **Reply #27 on:** Jan 24, 2008, 09:11 PM »

Sounds right... I'm only gonna have a couple hours to spend, so I'm thinking 7-730ish?

rgfixit · « **Reply #28 on:** Jan 25, 2008, 03:28 PM »

Sounds good to me!

2 geezers on the pond! Life is good.
RG

Luffy · « **Reply #29 on:** Jan 25, 2008, 08:03 PM »

ha ha ha... indeed... Although, I'm not quite a geezer yet... getting there, but not yet.. see you in the morning

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Author Topic: DURAND EASTMAN PARK ROCHESTER, NY (Read 6572 times)