waterfleas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NY Bowhunter · 07-02-2004, 12:02 PM

[:@][:@] My lake is infested!!!! What the heck can you do about these critters? Trolling is useless now. 3 minutes after the lines are down, the are loaded from the top of the water to the release. I've tried "reel magic"..........spray that doesn't work. I've heard about a special line that these things can't get caught on, but i've also heard it is heavy and like trolling with rope. Any suggestions?

PointingLab · 07-03-2004, 05:38 PM

Are you in the finger lakes area? The only thing I know is be very careful about spreading them to other areas. Standard precautions. You might check the Sea Grant website.

NY Bowhunter · 07-04-2004, 10:37 AM

yes I'm in the finger lakes and apparantely others didn't take your advice because I've been fishing Owasco all my life and this crap just starte last year and is 10 X worse this year and earlier than they should be here.

farmcntry · 07-04-2004, 12:06 PM

Flea collar?

Charlie P · 07-07-2004, 07:03 AM

Cortland lines makes "flea flicker" definately wouldn't get the 30 pound mono. They have it in 20 and 30. The year before I tried it I lost two nice salmon because of the fleas. Coudn't get the line through my top eye, because the line was coated with fleas.

Here's the problem went with the 30 lb. and didn't get any releases. No fleas but no bites either. I had gone down to 14 lb. mono because the water is so clear on L. Ontario thanks to the zebra mussles.I wasn't able to fish last year because of my back.

NY Bowhunter · 07-07-2004, 07:19 AM

Charlie P!! He lives and breaths.

I've heard a couple of days ago about that line. I also heard it's like trolling with rope. That's been the beauty of Owasco in years past. You could us 8-10lb. test out there and have a fun time. I don't know if I'd even enjoy trolling with 30lb. The zebras have done a good # on Owasco too. I lost a nice rainbow (6-7 lb.) the other day due to the same problem you had. SUCKS!!!!!! I suppose it's a matter of choice. Fight the fleas the way it is or troll with the flea flicker line and hope for the best? Not good choices. Where do you get that line from? Bass Pro didn't have any suggestions for me.

Charlie P · 07-07-2004, 07:53 AM

Still around,sorry I never made it up there this spring.Got permission in a new piece of land and there were a bunch of birds. Knew you were having problems at the your place with all the rain. Thought you had enough going on with out having to show me the land too.

I got mine right in Cortland at the factory store. I'm thinking about running the 20 lb. down to the ball and then using 14 lb from the ball to the lure. Then it's just a matter of setting your drag right, and useing a barrel swivel I can reel onto my spool.

Here's a link to their site.
www.cortlandline.com

Carpmaster · 07-08-2004, 03:29 PM

We just live with them when we pick them up on lake michigan, seafleas suck!!!!!

Charlie P · 07-09-2004, 06:58 AM

Carp,Wish we could do that here they just get too thick at times. Two years ago I was changing line every night. Couldn't believe what they did to the line. Got a little expensive with 4 downrigger rods and two dipsey diver rods.

NY Bowhunter · 07-09-2004, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Couldn't believe what they did to the line. Got a little expensive with 4 downrigger rods and two dipsey diver rods.

ditto.

Man these things are nasty!! Went out this morning. Seems like they are getting worse. Can't even troll anymore. They are so bad that they are sticking to the cables on the downriggers too. Looks like a lot of bass fishing and walleye fishing at night.

Charlie....
Do you happen to know if Otisco has these critters?