Lampreys?

[Billy V]

Is anyone seeing an increased number of lampreys this year? On my boat, we've DEFINITELY seen an increase. I'm hoping that I'll be hearing something soon about a control project...until then I'll just keep cutting the nasty things in half!

[LongLine]

According to the DEC 2005 lake report, the wounding rate on L.T.s was 3.9 wounds per 100 fish. The number was derived from the 2005 DEC Gill Net operations. This is twice the 2004 level & the state target level (2 per 100 fish). It’s the highest since the mid 80’s. The majority of our LT’s are Seneca Strain and are more “lamprey resistant†than the Superior Strain that used to be stocked. Unfortunately DEC is not sure whether that high rate is due to decreased LT numbers or higher Lamprey abundance.

The latest word I heard was that the lamprey’s had found some new breeding grounds and that the state was going to treat some new areas this year. I haven’t heard exact details – where nor when.

A lot of guys reported Browns with wounds on them last year. I haven’t heard that many reported this year. I do know that the Lampreys on salmon that have made it into my boat are quite a bit bigger than the last couple years. (I prefer to cut them in thirds after I grab them real hard behind the head with pliers.)

If you hear any of the treatment details, please post.

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[SkeinMachine]

Of the 14 Kings we boated last weekend,9 had wounds & 6 of the 9 had lamprey still attached.

Definately on the increase. :angry2:

[Empty Hook]

i boated a king this weekend with one on it, it went back to the deep minus the some parts and we took 1 brown this year with one on it. last year i boated a lot of the slimmy buggers. we camp on hte little salmon river, flat rock campsites, and the dec poisoned the stream this spring from parish down, they were dead eveywhere in the water after that. hopefully it did some good on the population of them.