ONEIDA LAKE DIEHARDS THREAD...

[Deadeyez]

The main reason was poor "egg up". Which means that a lot of the eggs in the jars didn't hatch. One reason behind it is the fact that some of the folks helping out at the hatchery, mixing eggs and sperm, were not seasoned. So they were not mixed well and therefore didn't hatch. The DEC does not assemble the same group of folks every year to assist and some of them are not entirely farmiliar with the process.

Not sure about a lack of food, I had not heard that. They are fed brine shrimp in the hatchery. Zooplankton is what they would eat in the lake. It is what minnows and baby fish eat in the lake.

Thats a shame Bruce! It's nice that people help out with the walleye spawn, but I'd rather have someone that's properly trained to do the more important aspects of the egg collection process. Man that's a lot of fish lost 

[Dug1898]

... \Oneida lake try-hards

Lmao Good one Fred...Release musta thought that one up! Too funny!

[FISHFORPIKE]

this has not been released to the public yet---until now---the constantia hatchery has lost over half of the walleyes so far---stocking quotas will not be met

Don't know about all this talk of the hatchery losses.  Black Lake got the fry they were scheduled for (quite a while ago).  Last I knew, (and I'm one of the every year volunteers there) they were not raising eyes past the fry stage.  Stocking was taking place right after the hatch (no feeding involved).
Had not heard of any egg problems this year.
The process they use at the hatchery works like a well oiled machine, and is well supervised.  I find it hard to believe that they would mess up at that stage of the game.
Maybe they changed it up this year and kept some for raising to fingerlings. 

[reeleyz]

FFP - my comments about the egg loss are paraphrased from what the hatchery manager reported at the OLA meeting. Basically he had some newbies that didn't mix them quite well enough and some got clumpy. This issue is being addressed.

I beleive he said that they had 60-65% hatch this year and a normal year is around 90%. That doesn't nessarily mean that Oneida did not get its normal number of fry though...

I can't remember if they were raising fingerlings this year, but like you said FFP, those are the only fish that are fed.

[reeleyz]

I doubt it will have much of an impact on the overall fish numbers. I think the gobies are going to help raise the perch and walleye population no matter what we do.

Also, Cornell is doing a "mark recapture" this year. That is where they clip a fin when they release the walleyes after stripping them at the hatchery. Then in the fall they will shock and count to get an idea of the adult population.

[SKUNK-MASTER]

just curious........why would gobies raise the population of perch and walleye?   dont they eat eggs?

[Deadeyez]

just curious........why would gobies raise the population of perch and walleye?   dont they eat eggs?

They are easy prey for walleye, perch, bass, pickerel, etc....  I believe that's what Reeleyez is sayin

[reeleyz]

They are easy prey for walleye, perch, bass, pickerel, etc....  I believe that's what Reeleyez is sayin

Exactly. So prey fish will eat more gobies and less walleye and perch fry. Plus less fish are being harvested so the population will increase.

Goby attack spawn beds but walleye and perch don't make spawn beds.

[filetandrelease]

I'm no expert and I'm most likely wrong , but I have noticed the perch size is smaller than the past , now if the preditors start eating less perch won't that put numbers much higher , right now there are tons of small perch about  3-4" in the lake , just my take

[SKUNK-MASTER]

Exactly. So prey fish will eat more gobies and less walleye and perch fry. Plus less fish are being harvested so the population will increase.

Goby attack spawn beds but walleye and perch don't make spawn beds.

got it the spawn bed thing makes good sense......I know the smallies in erie etc. have spiked in size...i guess that is good.
I would guess that with every good comes a bad and vice versa

hopefully Oneida can hold on and be a great fishery for eyes perch and bass......it really is a diverse ecosystem  seems like that should help

[FISHFORPIKE]

FFP - my comments about the egg loss are paraphrased from what the hatchery manager reported at the OLA meeting. Basically he had some newbies that didn't mix them quite well enough and some got clumpy. This issue is being addressed.

I beleive he said that they had 60-65% hatch this year and a normal year is around 90%. That doesn't nessarily mean that Oneida did not get its normal number of fry though...

I can't remember if they were raising fingerlings this year, but like you said FFP, those are the only fish that are fed.

Thanks.  He did not mention any of the egg thing when we got our fry for BL.  Too bad, such a simple, but important part of the process got goofed up.

[filetandrelease]

In every fishery there are alway Positive and negitives , when things are added or taken out of the equation

[coachwarner]

Good news!! The first shipment of NST hoodies and window decals has arrived.

[Cheeks13]

Went out Thursday afternoon with my wife. She caught one early. We went to dinner at the Crazy Clam... then fished till dark and got two more. All were deeper in the 30 ft range.

[drowndin dots]

   Coach, they look great! And congrats Cheeks, you sure are putting fillets in the freezer