Editor:
I disagree with Greco’s column on May 18. I believe that by reducing the lake trout size limit from to 21" will help the Lake George trout and salmon fishery.
Emily Zollweg, senior biologist, analyzed hard data collected for years by DEC cooperators who keep catch and release records. By looking at the data, you can see the plethora of just sub-legal lake trout caught and released. The former biologist for the lake, Rich Preall, agrees with the proposal and recently stated that he was thinking of proposing just the same size limit reduction three years ago. Lake George baitshop owners have said to me that customers complained for years about all of the "just" short trout they caught.
Many of us feel that if some of those 21" to 22+" trout aren’t harvested, it will lead to a stunted population of trout and even fewer salmon caught. The columnist mentions that the change will be detrimental to the trout fishery. I question that. As we can see in the data, many legal size trout are released. Our former regional biologist said to me that he can’t believe how many legal trout are released.
A reduction in the size limit will help the growth rates of trout and salmon, will reduce predation, there will be less competition for baitfish, it will reduce the possibility of a stunted fish population, and most of all could bring Lake George back to being the foremost lake trout and landlocked salmon fishery in the state.
Your columnist mentioned stocking rainbow or brown trout, but former biologist Bill Miller reported rainbows do not do well in Lake George, and from what I’ve heard, brown trout do not do too well in Adirondack lakes.
BARRY LEEDS
Bolton Landing
