harbor temperature and productivity

[Jim Kinner]

 Happy New Year to all. I just finished reading Tony's excellent and well researched article on the Harbor. 

 Most believe that water temperature plays a key role in the Harbor's ability to produce. I also assume this to be true.

Local water temperature is taken several feet down at the water intake.

  For the harbor to be productive, more productive than the lake in general, I believe it must hold a higher temperature that sustains some alga. This would draw baitfish, setting up the type of food chain that predatory fish take advantage of.

 As the lake water cools, alga and other tiny life forms die, Baitfish seek warmer water.  Think of the baitfish near the Huntley discharge when the rest of the river seems dead. The Sustained warmer flows hold many fish.

 In years past, the Buffalo harbor had three possible heat sources. The Buffalo River- temperature can warm the North end of the Harbor if there is decent daytime sunshine, and the nights don't get too cool. There is also some warming along the few shallow shoreline stretches and slips/embayments if those conditions hold for several days. The third,and primary heat source, was the warm water discharge from the Coke ovens.

It's a bit difficult for me to lament the loss of an industry that pumped benzene and a lot of other pollutants into the air and water.  As nasty as that operation was, it did generate a consistent plume of water that was always warmer.

So, for the Harbor to draw and hold fish these days, a favorable weather pattern like warm high pressure would probably have to hold over the area for a good period of time when the rest of the lake was in the 30's or low 40's. 

Lengthening the season, to fish for what isn't usually there, just on some hope things will set up, and fish will materialize from somewhere,  or keeping it as is, to protect what has already been lost is a curious argument to me. Don't any of you guys own steelhead gear?

[John Pensyl]

Happy New year Jim. Most trips I took to the harbor this fall the temps inside the walls were lower than those in the lake. The water was gin to the bottom and the graph was blank. The only hooks and bait pods found were outside the walls in the warmer water and some of those days I doubt any of them were actually muskies. How often was this the scenario during the glory years?

There were a couple days however where things did look good, there were a few days where big hooks held in the south gap. I believe captain Larry was able to take advantage of these days with his program. Then after big winds stirred the lake and left us with some warm water in our little corner we LOADED with big hooks and huge pods of bait. The picture on the graph depicted a preditors hunting grounds, with many BIG fish seemingly stalking these bait pods. Without sustained warm water as you described, is it safe to assume these are the rare conditions we ar going to hope present themselves to give us a shot at what once was a daily occurrence?

In the past there may be 70+ days to effectively target these fish in the sustained warm waters of the buffalo harbor. Now we are lucky to have a small handful with Ideal conditions to set up a similar hunting ground that once was a daily event. 15 extra days is no guarantee, but it may happen once or twice In those 2 weeks and it would be nice to have a couple more shots at what was once a daily event.

[Jim Kinner]

It's a tough fishery these days, John. I really don't know how you guys find the patience to repeatedly fish there and suffer through 8-10 fish less trips in a row. I think I might be relieved it didn't drag on longer. Sort of like a Bills season ticket holder feels now that the season has mercifully ended.

As I say, I don't see much point in the whole thing. The only real plus I see is that it would make the season's close consistent with Ontario.  More rules uniformity on a border water is a good thing. 

[Capt. Larry D. Jones]

I hope there is a constructive debate tonight about Dec 15th ending date.I wish I could be there to speak my feelings on the issue but I have to go to a special E.L.E.C.B.A. meeting tonight to be elected President.Keep an open mind and ask yourself would 15 more days of fishing really hurt the fishery.The SBH Launch would closed on Nov 30th,so any boat fishing the Harbor if it was open would have to travel up from the river,if the weather permits.Most of those 15 days in December may not even be fishable due to brown water as well.I'm all for a uniform season on both the Canadian and U.S. sides.I would also like to see the U.S. side go back to (2) Rods per boat and get the Canadian side to go to (2) Rods per boat.For 2013 I would like to see the NMA take a bold step forward and pick an area of the Buffalo Harbor to rebuild Spawning Habitat.I would help raise funds for such a cause!Have a great meeting tonight.