Go Back   Winnipesaukee Forum > Winnipesaukee Forums > General Discussion
Home Forums Gallery Webcams Blogs YouTube Channel Classifieds Calendar Register FAQDonate Members List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-07-2017, 01:13 PM   #1
Donzi Minx
Senior Member
 
Donzi Minx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Melrose, Mass.
Posts: 189
Thanks: 0
Thanked 183 Times in 52 Posts
Smile Crayfish at Winni

Thinking of days gone by, and warmer more carefree times at the lake.
As we (Melrose Howland's, related Spencers and Moschella clans) enjoyed the cottage altogether for the month of August at my uncle's West Alton property we all spent a lot of time in the water. The boathouse always housed the little blue gray lobsters that were a neat challenge to catch, really early 60's. We were always filling pails with many crayfish which seemed to populate more in the boathouse than in front of the dock.

As I returned with my own clan of 5 early 80's, crayfish were not to be found.
Did they miss the Chris Craft? Did they not enjoy the Mastercraft? Was it the thunder of the Donzi being parked above them? What banished them from the boathouse where they seemed so abundant.

As I ponder those wonderful childhood memories I am angst with the thought that it was an "environmental" thing that may have caused this disappearing act. Chief Thundercloud and I talked about it on one of our 3.5 "speed walks" and she rightly said.....your forum friends will know the answer to that!

Gawwwd, I hope it wasn't the Dr. Bronners all Natural soap!
Donzi Minx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2017, 02:08 PM   #2
GTO
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,071
Thanks: 336
Thanked 342 Times in 158 Posts
Default same here

Quote:
Originally Posted by Donzi Minx View Post
Thinking of days gone by, and warmer more carefree times at the lake.
As we (Melrose Howland's, related Spencers and Moschella clans) enjoyed the cottage altogether for the month of August at my uncle's West Alton property we all spent a lot of time in the water. The boathouse always housed the little blue gray lobsters that were a neat challenge to catch, really early 60's. We were always filling pails with many crayfish which seemed to populate more in the boathouse than in front of the dock.

As I returned with my own clan of 5 early 80's, crayfish were not to be found.
Did they miss the Chris Craft? Did they not enjoy the Mastercraft? Was it the thunder of the Donzi being parked above them? What banished them from the boathouse where they seemed so abundant.

As I ponder those wonderful childhood memories I am angst with the thought that it was an "environmental" thing that may have caused this disappearing act. Chief Thundercloud and I talked about it on one of our 3.5 "speed walks" and she rightly said.....your forum friends will know the answer to that!

Gawwwd, I hope it wasn't the Dr. Bronners all Natural soap!

We have a lot of rocks where I am in Meredith and summers ago, you could lift any rock and there would be one if not 2 crayfish under every rock. No more. Not for the past 5-6 summers.
__________________
GTO
GTO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2017, 02:33 PM   #3
Mink Islander
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 753
Thanks: 59
Thanked 271 Times in 129 Posts
Default Crayfish

I remember this question came up some years back. I still find them snorkeling around the shoreline. Bass will follow me around and I can hand feed them if I catch one.

I believe the reason there are fewer of them is actually because water quality is better overall. But I leave it to a marine biologist to confirm.

And btw, cusk are bottom feeders that feed on crayfish too and I usually find bellies full of them when I'm cleaning my catch.
Mink Islander is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2017, 02:51 PM   #4
jerseyonbear
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 97
Thanks: 94
Thanked 7 Times in 6 Posts
Default missing

In the 1950's you could find crayfish under any rock you moved.There were still a few around in the 1970's. But have not seen any in recent years. There were always large schools of minnows which also have disappeared.
jerseyonbear is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2017, 03:52 PM   #5
Greene's Basin Girl
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Moultonborough, NH
Posts: 1,515
Thanks: 394
Thanked 527 Times in 269 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by jerseyonbear View Post
In the 1950's you could find crayfish under any rock you moved.There were still a few around in the 1970's. But have not seen any in recent years. There were always large schools of minnows which also have disappeared.
Has anyone found any hellgrammites? My father use to fish with them in the 50's and 60's.
Greene's Basin Girl is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Greene's Basin Girl For This Useful Post:
dykg (09-02-2023)
Sponsored Links
Old 02-07-2017, 04:30 PM   #6
Onshore
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 500
Thanks: 12
Thanked 400 Times in 143 Posts
Default

Improving water quality, if in fact Winnipesaukee's water quality was improving, would not adversely impact crayfish. They are in fact indicators of good water quality and highly sensitive to pollution.
Onshore is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2017, 05:04 PM   #7
mishman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 164
Thanks: 49
Thanked 80 Times in 38 Posts
Default missing crawfish

I asked this question a couple of years ago. I remember finding crawfish under lots of rocks on Moultonborough Neck in the late 80's / early 90's but can't find a one these days (and I have looked, repeatedly). I question whether water quality is improving - is there any established data that suggests it was worse 30 years ago? Just curious.
mishman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2017, 05:33 PM   #8
camp guy
Senior Member
 
camp guy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: formerly Winter Harbor, still Wolfeboro
Posts: 1,130
Thanks: 284
Thanked 480 Times in 271 Posts
Default Crayfish

I can join in and say that crayfish have been among the missing in Winter Harbor for a number of years. I can remember always being able to spend a few minutes and find/catch enough crayfish to supply bait for a long afternoon of fishing.

When my family operated Camp Wyanoke in Winter Harbor it was standard modus operandi for a camper to first catch some crayfish, then go fishing. I can remember snorkling along the shore line in shallow water turning over flat rocks and finding several at a time.

I guess crayfish's time is up.
camp guy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2017, 05:49 PM   #9
tis
Senior Member
 
tis's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,386
Thanks: 716
Thanked 1,375 Times in 951 Posts
Default

I remember lots of crayfish when we were kids too. However, I almost never see them now. But I mentioned it to my neighbor and he said his grandsons always find lots of them for fishing. So I guess they are around, but I agree, I certainly don't see them like I used to.
tis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2017, 07:23 PM   #10
thinkxingu
Senior Member
 
thinkxingu's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 5,939
Thanks: 1,152
Thanked 1,959 Times in 1,210 Posts
Default

Interesting. I was surprised to find one in poor health in the shallows near our beach last summer--first one in three summers.

Sent from my XT1528 using Tapatalk
thinkxingu is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2017, 07:46 PM   #11
tis
Senior Member
 
tis's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,386
Thanks: 716
Thanked 1,375 Times in 951 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greene's Basin Girl View Post
Has anyone found any hellgrammites? My father use to fish with them in the 50's and 60's.
I don't believe we ever had hellgrammites in the lake.
tis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2017, 08:31 PM   #12
8gv
Senior Member
 
8gv's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,002
Thanks: 61
Thanked 700 Times in 455 Posts
Default

While I cannot answer the question of crayfish decline, I can state that I have observed the rise and fall of competitive species of fish elsewhere.

My experience is with the CT river. The three species that I target are smallmouth bass, walleyes and rainbow trout. Over three decades of fishing there have led me to believe that a species will rise in dominance as the others diminish. This seems to change every five years or so.

I realize the above is not a scientific study but this is the internet so I shall propse the following theory:

Something has changed in the balance of predatory fish. The crayfish are being eaten in greater numbers than they were in the past. What species of fish has been rising over the last few decades? Could it be white perch or rock bass?
8gv is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to 8gv For This Useful Post:
Top-Water (02-07-2017)
Old 02-07-2017, 09:01 PM   #13
rick35
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Bear Island/Merrimack
Posts: 707
Thanks: 54
Thanked 170 Times in 104 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by tis View Post
I don't believe we ever had hellgrammites in the lake.
But Waldron's had them. One of my childhood memories of fishing with my father on Waukewan was when a hellgrammite fell off the hook and into his lap. I thought my father was going to jump out of the boat. They are nasty little creatures.
rick35 is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2017, 10:35 PM   #14
Pine Island Guy
Senior Member
 
Pine Island Guy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: pine island of course!
Posts: 404
Thanks: 235
Thanked 233 Times in 111 Posts
Default interesting question... what is the answer?

We've had a lot of conversation about this topic over the past few years... back in the early '60s at night you could shine a flashlight in shallow water by the beach and see them crawling around... they were under every rock we'd turn over... and we would set a "crayfish trap" with a dead fish, to capture them and in turn sell them to the bait shop on Moultonborough Neck for 5 cents apiece!

Over beers we've speculated on a lot of theories, but would love to know what's really behind it... there must be a scientific answer out there somewhere!

Doing the ice-in dance... -PIG
Pine Island Guy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-07-2017, 11:31 PM   #15
Top-Water
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 674
Thanks: 1,535
Thanked 714 Times in 431 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greene's Basin Girl View Post
Has anyone found any hellgrammites? My father use to fish with them in the 50's and 60's.
Hellgrammites are usually found in running water where there are boulder, rocks and gravel for them to hide under similar to crayfish. Not found in the lake that often unless there is some sort of current.

They are harvested by using a cheese cloth net downstream of a person tumbling the rocks and boulders up stream and they get caught in the net before they can get back down to the bottom.

When I first got into fishing I used them a lot, we used to call them "Caviar for Bass" they love'em.

I have see people (women) eat Hellgrammites as part of there daily diet right at the moment that they catch them. I can't imagine eating one myself.

Once in a great while you can find one them as fully developed adult.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dobsonfly

Crayfish:
I still find plenty of fish with crayfish that they spit out when caught, but not as many as in years past. I would not be surprised if the decline in crayfish populations is directly related to the explosion of the rock bass population.
Top-Water is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2017, 01:03 AM   #16
Greene's Basin Girl
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Moultonborough, NH
Posts: 1,515
Thanks: 394
Thanked 527 Times in 269 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by tis View Post
I don't believe we ever had hellgrammites in the lake.
They may not be in the lake now, but they were in the 50's and 60's
Greene's Basin Girl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2017, 06:48 AM   #17
secondcurve
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,084
Thanks: 1,267
Thanked 557 Times in 286 Posts
Default Crayfish for Bait

Does anyone know where the bait stores source their crayfish? There always plenty in the bait stores and I assume they are coming from local lakes and ponds? Are there any bait store owners on the forum? Maybe the bait store owner in Meredith could shed some light on the subject?
secondcurve is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2017, 07:28 AM   #18
tis
Senior Member
 
tis's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,386
Thanks: 716
Thanked 1,375 Times in 951 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greene's Basin Girl View Post
They may not be in the lake now, but they were in the 50's and 60's
Well, that I never knew. I never saw one. When we were kids, we had a bait business and we bought hellgrammites to resell.
tis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2017, 09:42 AM   #19
ishoot308
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Gilford, NH / Welch Island
Posts: 5,907
Thanks: 2,279
Thanked 4,924 Times in 1,906 Posts
Default

My opinion is the crawfish are still in the lake but moved to deeper water due to the invasive Rock Bass taking over their habitat and / or eating them. I also think spraying for milfoil has not helped the reproductive process...Just my opinion however.

As far as the lake being cleaner today than the in the 60's and 70's....There is no doubt the lake is MUCH cleaner today than back then! I can still remember all the hillside vacation camps with their over burdened septic systems leaching directly into the lake on almost the entire southern hillside shoreline from Gilford to Alton. It's a good thing they didn't do bacteria testing and beach advisories / closings back then as you never would of been able to swim in the lake!

Dan
__________________
It's Always Sunny On Welch Island!!
ishoot308 is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to ishoot308 For This Useful Post:
Top-Water (04-23-2020)
Old 02-08-2017, 10:02 AM   #20
Onshore
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 500
Thanks: 12
Thanked 400 Times in 143 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mishman View Post
I asked this question a couple of years ago. I remember finding crawfish under lots of rocks on Moultonborough Neck in the late 80's / early 90's but can't find a one these days (and I have looked, repeatedly). I question whether water quality is improving - is there any established data that suggests it was worse 30 years ago? Just curious.
We are improving our efforts to make data available. You can find general environmental data at http://www4.des.state.nh.us/NHEnvironmentalDashboard/ and data more specific to lakes and ponds at http://www.des.nh.gov/organization/d...lake_water.htm. Individual lake trophic studies and invasive species management plans can be found by going to the Lakes Trophic Surveys section on the second webpage listed above.
Onshore is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Onshore For This Useful Post:
FlyingScot (02-09-2017)
Old 02-08-2017, 10:26 AM   #21
dave603
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Nashua/Winnisquam
Posts: 282
Thanks: 106
Thanked 96 Times in 49 Posts
Default

Wonder how much the reduction of the number of 2 cycle engines has caused the the cleaner water conditions. Those old 2 strokes used to pour fuel into the lakes. I don't see many of them around these days.
dave603 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2017, 07:45 AM   #22
mishman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 164
Thanks: 49
Thanked 80 Times in 38 Posts
Default where's the data?

I went through the links provided and could not easily find detailed information on water quality for Winnipesaukee. If it is there somewhere, it is not well presented or organized. For example, something as simple as finding water clarity trends over a ten to twenty year period or water temperature changes over the same period. Critical information about water quality should be presented in clear, easy to understand charts.
mishman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2017, 08:13 AM   #23
Slickcraft
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Welch Island and West Alton
Posts: 3,211
Thanks: 1,167
Thanked 1,999 Times in 913 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mishman View Post
I went through the links provided and could not easily find detailed information on water quality for Winnipesaukee. If it is there somewhere, it is not well presented or organized. For example, something as simple as finding water clarity trends over a ten to twenty year period or water temperature changes over the same period. Critical information about water quality should be presented in clear, easy to understand charts.
Spend some time here:

http://winnipesaukeegateway.org/moni...ing-sites-map/

Zoom in and click on a monitoring site.

We had sampled 2 sites off Governors for several years, the deep site CIC constantly had Secchi disk depth of nearly 10 meters. In the bays maybe 7 to 8 meters.

If you have specific questions contact Pat Tarpey:

http://www.winnipesaukee.org/category/about/contactus/
Slickcraft is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2017, 09:02 AM   #24
winnipiseogee
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 297
Thanks: 67
Thanked 152 Times in 79 Posts
Default

We rarely find crawfish on Winni any more but we often find them on squam. Could it just be the amount of shore disturbance and development?
winnipiseogee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2017, 10:00 AM   #25
Onshore
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 500
Thanks: 12
Thanked 400 Times in 143 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mishman View Post
I went through the links provided and could not easily find detailed information on water quality for Winnipesaukee. If it is there somewhere, it is not well presented or organized. For example, something as simple as finding water clarity trends over a ten to twenty year period or water temperature changes over the same period. Critical information about water quality should be presented in clear, easy to understand charts.
The Dashboard is fairly new will be used to show trends through charts and other formats. The trophic surveys, accessed by clicking on the waterbody of interest on the map, include detailed sampling data related to water chemistry and flora for different years.
Onshore is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2017, 10:38 AM   #26
Dave R
Senior Member
 
Dave R's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,974
Thanks: 246
Thanked 736 Times in 438 Posts
Default

In addition to fish, birds and otters also eat them. Guessing the increasing number of otters, loons, and blue herons has not done the crayfish population any good. I think the frog population has suffered as much as the crayfish population. When I was a kid, frogs were easy to find; hardly see them these days.
Dave R is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2017, 11:12 AM   #27
OTF
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 2
Thanks: 4
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
Default

I think you can find a inverse relationship between crayfish numbers and the rock bass population. Most likely it is the juvenile rock bass eating the crayfish fry in the shallows.

It would be interesting to have a rock bass fishing tournament with prizes for the most pounds of fish taken. Opposed to some of the other tourneys on the lake, this would be accessible to everyone with a fishing rod regardless of skill!



Another possible reason could be an increase in water temperature along the shoreline. Decreased overhead cover leads to increased water temperature. These crayfish thrive in cold water.
OTF is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to OTF For This Useful Post:
ishoot308 (02-09-2017)
Old 02-09-2017, 11:22 AM   #28
Slickcraft
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Welch Island and West Alton
Posts: 3,211
Thanks: 1,167
Thanked 1,999 Times in 913 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by OTF View Post
I think you can find a inverse relationship between crayfish numbers and the rock bass population. Most likely it is the juvenile rock bass eating the crayfish fry in the shallows.

It would be interesting to have a rock bass fishing tournament with prizes for the most pounds of fish taken. Opposed to some of the other tourneys on the lake, this would be accessible to everyone with a fishing rod regardless of skill!



Another possible reason could be an increase in water temperature along the shoreline. Decreased overhead cover leads to increased water temperature. These crayfish thrive in cold water.
Welcome to the Forum OTF

We have also seen a decline in crayfish on the west side of Welch. My grand kids can attest to the abundance of rock bass around the breakwater.
Slickcraft is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2017, 04:46 AM   #29
ApS
Senior Member
 
ApS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Florida (Sebring & Keys), Wolfeboro
Posts: 5,781
Thanks: 2,080
Thanked 735 Times in 530 Posts
Arrow Shoreline Ice Preserves Crayfish from Depredations...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave R View Post
In addition to fish, birds and otters also eat them. Guessing the increasing number of otters, loons, and blue herons has not done the crayfish population any good. I think the frog population has suffered as much as the crayfish population. When I was a kid, frogs were easy to find; hardly see them these days.
IMHO, it's the man-made dock circulators that have extended the ice-out season for crayfish-dining.

Since about 1993, we were frequenting Lake Winnipesaukee before ice-outs, and were surprised to see a "new" species of diving duck swimming in spaces between the ice floes. These Hooded Mergansers would predictably paddle into shallow water and come up with two-inch crayfish with every brief dive. It was a veritable crayfish buffet!



These small ducks stayed for less than a week, and moved-on as the ice broke up.

(Their flying speed is 50-MPH, and are on a population surge).

Borrowing from another theory,
Quote:
Decades ago, mink were probably restricted to natural open water areas after "Ice-In". Today, with circulators everywhere, mink have flourished on the lake's mussels.

Since crayfish are also on the mink's diet, I think the reason some lakefront property owners "have no crayfish" is that they have circulators/bubblers operating nearby.
Internet factoids:
• Crayfish evolved 100+ million years ago, during the same time period as our oldest living bird species, Loons.

• Crayfish have been filmed actively feeding under ice cover.

• 'Lots of crayfish species, including adults from Down Under, that weigh 11 pounds!
https://web.archive.org/web/20050513...srac/244fs.pdf

.
__________________
Every MP who enters Winter Harbor will pass by my porch of 67 years...
ApS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2017, 08:02 AM   #30
Rich
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Derry / Gilford
Posts: 1,218
Thanks: 66
Thanked 341 Times in 231 Posts
Default

The problem is very obvious and has been clearly documented right here in this very thread.

The problem is all the kids over many years collecting crayfish, then trying to sell them for 5 cents each!

Save the crayfish, and consider all of the lost revenue, if only there was a state crayfish collection and distribution tax (since NH doesn't have a sales tax).
__________________
Don't listen to me, obviously I don't understand what I'm talking about!
Let's help each other save time and money: WinniGas.com
Rich is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2017, 08:11 AM   #31
tis
Senior Member
 
tis's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,386
Thanks: 716
Thanked 1,375 Times in 951 Posts
Default

Nope, Rich. We never sold crayfish.

Seriously, we as people have said, we do have great blue herons and loons which we didn't have years ago. We also have more ducks and eagles. I think they also have hurt the frog population.
tis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2017, 08:41 AM   #32
rsmlp
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 460
Thanks: 5
Thanked 159 Times in 80 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich View Post
The problem is very obvious and has been clearly documented right here in this very thread.

The problem is all the kids over many years collecting crayfish, then trying to sell them for 5 cents each!

Save the crayfish, and consider all of the lost revenue, if only there was a state crayfish collection and distribution tax (since NH doesn't have a sales tax).
I'm not sure if this is in jest but assuming it's not, that's ridiculous. Children collecting crayfish will NOT wipe out the population and btw we still have plenty of crayfish at South Point on LI.
rsmlp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2017, 03:46 PM   #33
FLAG!
Senior Member
 
FLAG!'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Upton, MA
Posts: 112
Thanks: 44
Thanked 14 Times in 6 Posts
Default Crayfish

We've summered in Wolfeboro since before I was born. In the 70's and 80's crayfish were abundant. Would see them with a flashlight any time after dark and of course around the rocks. I sued to think they disappeared because of the natural cycle of the lake changing our area from sand and gravel to silty and weedy over the last 40 years perhaps ushering the crayfish to move on to more gravely areas. However a smart local friend of mine suggests that the chemicals used to kill millfoil are to blame for the destruction of the crayfish population.
FLAG! is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2017, 09:00 PM   #34
NH.Solar
Senior Member
 
NH.Solar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Jackson Pond, New Hampton
Posts: 210
Thanks: 37
Thanked 128 Times in 69 Posts
Default Sky Pond crayfish decline

This is a really interesting thread to me because the rapid decline in crayfish is something that has recently caught my attention in both Sky and Jackson Ponds. For those of you unfamiliar with Sky Pond it is a very deep small pond and State Park at the corner of New Hampton, Ashland, and Meredith. It is cold, spring fed, and stocked with brook trout by the F&G. It is a fly fishing only pond and there are no motors allowed. Jackson Pond is fed from Sky Pond and used to be the Ashland Town water supply. Neither pond has much shoreline development and they are very clean.
There is a local bait shop that has multiple traps on Sky Pond and cleans them out everyday. I had attributed the decline to their overfishing, but this thread makes me wonder the real reason. Sounds like a good topic for F&G, the Squam Lakes Association, or maybe a paper writing college grad to explore. There is obviously a lot of interest!
__________________
Peter
NH Solar
NH.Solar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-13-2017, 09:12 AM   #35
Rich
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Derry / Gilford
Posts: 1,218
Thanks: 66
Thanked 341 Times in 231 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by rsmlp View Post
I'm not sure if this is in jest but assuming it's not, that's ridiculous. Children collecting crayfish will NOT wipe out the population and btw we still have plenty of crayfish at South Point on LI.
Humor my friend, just some humor!
__________________
Don't listen to me, obviously I don't understand what I'm talking about!
Let's help each other save time and money: WinniGas.com
Rich is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-17-2017, 02:31 PM   #36
Rob M
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 21
Thanks: 10
Thanked 11 Times in 11 Posts
Default Crayfish in Winni

There still is a healthy population of crayfish in the lake. Many fish that I catch spit them up during the fight. The increased population of predator fish such as rock bass and white perch as well as loons has forced the crayfish to adapt in order to survive. I catch fish in 30 feet of water that will cough up 3 crayfish at a time...just because we don't see them where we did 30 years ago, does not mean they are not there, or the population is dwindling. I also have trapped over fifty in one night in one trap in the Gilford area of the lake.
Rob M is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Rob M For This Useful Post:
Top-Water (04-23-2020)
Old 09-02-2023, 03:31 AM   #37
ApS
Senior Member
 
ApS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Florida (Sebring & Keys), Wolfeboro
Posts: 5,781
Thanks: 2,080
Thanked 735 Times in 530 Posts
Question Circulators, Bubblers, Wakes, Copepods...

Quote:
Originally Posted by winnipiseogee View Post
We rarely find crawfish on Winni any more but we often find them on squam. Could it just be the amount of shore disturbance and development?
A few years ago, I found a large crayfish along my least-used shoreline. His picture is somewhere in another thread. Speaking of "shoreline disturbance", that crayfish (and I) were being hammered with huge wakes. That lone crayfish was moving especially slowly, as though fatigued.

And speaking to changing-out of species, there seems to be an increase in secretive freshwater "shrimp". This week, while handling a soft woven Ski-Doo painter (the bow line) a number of these fell out. Some were living, but the dead ones had turned lobster red. They're not very big (maybe a quarter-inch) but they're plentiful, and dine on the same foods as crayfish

Circulators around docks in winter allow shoreline crayfish to be attacked year-round by mergansers, otters, and mink predators. Islanders without circulators probably are better stocked with crayfish than mainlanders.
ApS is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:44 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.

This page was generated in 0.40185 seconds