kickingfrog

Third article about Nipissing walleye: http://www.nugget.ca/2012/08/03/soapboxing-fishy-business-this-week SOAPBOXING: Fishy business this week By DAVE DALE, The Nugget Friday, August 3, 2012 7:41:39 EDT PM It's almost funny how people play with words to further their own point of view. We're all guilty of it at one point in time, although it can lead to problems when there's exaggeration for political purposes. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters played a little loose with terminology this week when it declared Lake Nipissing's walleye fishery “in crisis” and “virtual collapse.” Spread that around the province like it's a fact and half the problem will disappear. Nobody will book ice hut bungalows for weeks at a time next winter and maybe the summer tourists will head elsewhere, too. Take away half the anglers and the people making a living off them and the problem virtually disappears. The good people who run tourist outfits can get jobs packing up files and furniture when they close the Ontario Northland head office. OFAH said it chose its words carefully, not actually saying the fishery has “collapsed.” But when I spoke to them Friday after they read how local mayors didn't appreciate how they jumped into the issue, an OFAH official referred to the walleye fishery as “entering a crisis level.” Some might think I'm splitting hairs here, but there's a big difference between “crisis” and “entering a crisis level.” OFAH timed its announcement well, too, because the Ministry of Natural Resources had planned a secret and confidential advisory committee meeting to discuss options to control recreational fishing harvest. Many local stakeholders are participating in the discussions, including members of the North Bay Anglers and Hunters, tourist operators and other interested parties. Most of the same people participated in the Lake Nipssing Summit organized by Nipissing First Nation this spring. Many aspects of the fishery and other issues were explored, with the idea they should work together firmly embraced. It's not news in North Bay that the walleye fishery is stressed and everybody is tired of fighting each other. Calling the situation a crisis when stakeholders are collaborating was irresponsible and opportunistic of OFAH. It merely stains the lake's reputation and drives away tourists. Truth be told, it's probably a quicker solution to overfishing than OFAH's recommendation, which was for the MNR to suspend commercial gill netting until it can manage and enforce it effectively. The problem with that recommendation is that the province is broke, and it's cutting the MNR budget and mandate back to fit its deficit budget. The fat was cut long ago. They're down to amputating departments and consolidating districts, letting many lakes manage themselves. Ontario can't even afford the legal bill if it lands in court with Nipissing First Nation defending its treaty right to access the resource. It barely has the staff to enforce the regulations recreational anglers are supposed to abide by. Hiring conservation officers to oversee native fishing is beyond its capacity. OFAH is correct, the province does have the legal authority suspend a fishery, even if a native community has commercial access rights, if conservation of a species is in question. But I'm pretty sure they'd have to close down the recreational fishing too and not many politicians or bureaucrats have the guts to take on fishermen and natives at the same time. The days of the MNR having muscle and willpower appear gone. There's a better chance of a positive outcome if all the stakeholders keep talking and working together. OFAH should grab a seat at the table instead of grandstanding. Dave Dale’s column appears Thursday and Saturday. He can be contacted at [email protected].

This year was the first time I've seen spiny water fleas on my line. Not sure how long they've been in the lake.

http://www.nugget.ca/2012/08/02/mayors-ofah-not-helping Mayors: OFAH not helping By DAVE DALE, The Nugget Thursday, August 2, 2012 7:29:03 EDT PM Local municipal leaders say the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters was out of line when it called for a commercial gill net ban on Lake Nipissing. OFAH said the walleye fishery is in “crisis” and the Ministry of Natural Resources has allowed it to happen despite data indicating walleye stocks are at their lowest point in decades. “I was saddened by OFAH's media release,” North Bay Mayor Al McDonald said Thursday. “I believe it unfairly criticizes both the Ministry of Natural Resources and Nipissing First Nation.” McDonald also said OFAH's decision to call the situation a crisis will hurt the area financially. “I'm actually hearing the fishing is good this year. I honestly believe their media release will harm tourism in our area,” he said. Nipissing First Nation started managing its native commercial with community bylaws regulating harvest quotas and methods seven years ago. It has imposed a moratorium on gill netting during the spring spawn, sanctioned members caught breaching it and funds fishery research and enforcement. OFAH said Lake Nipissing has seen its walleye fishery virtually collapse and “the problem is not the recreational fishery. The problem is, and continues to be unregulated commercial gill netting,” said Terry Quinney, an OFAH manager. Callander Mayor Hec Lavigne came to the defence of Nipissing First Nation, adding it's policing its fishermen more than the province is policing recreational anglers. “I think they deserve some respect from OFAH for what they've done . . . nobody polices the other fishermen,” Lavigne said. OFAH made its comments in a media release Tuesday based on the MNR review of walleye data between 1967 and 2011. Estimates of walleye abundance peaked in the 1980s at about 400,000 kilograms, while estimates this past decade have declined by half. Communities and stakeholders around Lake Nipissing dependent on the estimated $130-million in economic impact of the lake participated in a summit conference this spring. Organized by Nipissing First Nation and hosted by Nipissing University, all types of ecological and harvest issues were discussed with presentations by officials and scientists. The MNR did not address the fishery. A summary of the MNR review of historical data showed the human harvest target of 66,000 kg, which includes commercial and recreational efforts, is unsustainable at the current abundance estimates. “Although there have been other ecosystem changes, such as the colonization of Lake Nipissing by double-crested cormorants and the spiny water flea, fishing has placed the walleye population in a vulnerable state,” the review states. The MNR created an advisory committee last month to develop recommendations to address the decline of walleye. “With the help of local anglers, stakeholders, First Nations and fisheries experts, we will develop solutions to help this socially and economically important fishery rebound,” the review states The committee met Thursday, but participants were asked to keep discussions confidential. “The group is very engaged,” First Nation's Dwayne Nashkawa said during the lunch break. “There are a lot of issues that have to be discussed.” McDonald and Lavigne both said the impact of the cormorants should be taken seriously. McDonald said the 50 nests found on islands in Lake Nipissing in the early 1990s have multiplied to more than 2,000. And he said scientists have estimated colonies that size can eat more than 100,000 kg of fish annually, with walleye part of their diet. “We have to look at all threats and what can be done,” said Lavigne, adding that restocking programs such as the ones in the South Shore and Nipissing First Nation should be expanded. Lavigne said the MNR doesn't support restocking as a viable or effective option, but he said the walleye in Nipissing are the result of stocking. The native blue walleye in Lake Nipissing were fished out more than 80 years ago and yellow walleye were introduced. [email protected]

Not everything on-line is in the store and it costs me about $20 in gas and about an hour and a half in time.

Congratulations. Three older brothers eh. Knuff said.

The Toronto Islands?

And I want the big bedroom.

Great! See you Labour Day weekend, make sure the beer is cold.

^

The eb and flow has had some of those activities. The eb and flow never had HD side scan gps computers on boats or ice bungalows with guys "fishing" 24 hours a day. But that was not my point. These are only parts of the picture and if we continue to only look at some of the pieces the whole picture will elude us. I am not interested in pointing fingers so please do not put me on one side of this. BTW my bias is that I want to go to the lake and catch some fish, keep a few to eat and maybe take a couple of photos of some "nice ones", I'd also like to do it with my kids in the years to come.

Bass Pro has a promo on right now for free shipping on orders over $75 (I assume US dollars) to Canada. Check before you buy because duty and taxes are still due.

Practically everyone is bias on this issue. The question is what information are you using, and is it accurate. Lakes are living things, they change even if humans don't mess with them. I grew up on/in Lake Nipissing. It is different today, but so I'm I. Is this part of an eb and flow or a problem we have created?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/story/2012/08/02/wdr-freighter-aground-sarnia.html?cmp=rss

People w/o trailers can park across the road and cross at the lights right there. Fifty to a hundred extra steps.

Ya different spieces. Both loons and cormarants are believed to dive more then the 150ft that this one did. But the "on-board" camera was a neet birds eye view (sorry I couldn't help myself) and the eating at depth was previously unknown.

The bends aren't an issue if you don't breath under water.

I know most of us are not fond of cormorants but I still found the video interesting. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/08/120801-imperial-cormorant-dive-video-superbird-science/?source=link_tw20120801news-superbird&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_tw20120801news-superbird&utm_campaign=Content

I guess I spent too much time squeezing bullfrogs as a kid.

http://www.nugget.ca/2012/08/01/walleye-fishery-in-crisis-ofah Walleye fishery in 'crisis': OFAH By JENNIFER HAMILTON-MCCHARLES, The Nugget Wednesday, August 1, 2012 7:06:51 EDT PM Lake Nipissing's walleye population has reached an all-time low. That's the latest information according to a Ministry of Natural Resources review of data collected between 1967 to 2011. A summary of the review indicates walleye numbers are half of what they were in the 1980s. It further states fishing is putting pressure on the fishery, which is in a vulnerable state. “The abundance of walleye has declined to its lowest level and may continue to decline in the future,” the MNR states. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is putting the blame on First Nations gill netting and calling for the immediate suspension of such activity. Terry Quinney of the OFAH said the situation will deteriorate if gill netting remains unregulated. “It's a crisis now and it's only going to become worse,” he said Wednesday. He said the OFAH wants to see regulations imposed that would govern commercial gill netting operations. But Nipissing First Nation said its gill netters are not to blame. “It's not the Nipissing First Nation gill netters. We're putting in so much money trying to manage the walleye fishery,” said Chief Marianna Couchie. “Year-round fishing is putting steady pressure on the fishery. Anglers are catching and keeping too many walleye. But what has to be looked at is the sport of fishing and the impact it's having on Lake Nipissing,.” Couchie said Nipissing First Nation gill netters are having difficulty meeting their quotas. Specific numbers weren't immediately available from the MNR or Nipissing First Nation. The MNR imposed a commercial licence on the native fishery in 2005 following a dramatic depletion of the walleye population which was blamed on a small number of commercial fishers. The commercial licence included 30,000-kilogram limit, but Nipissing First Nation adopted its own set of fishing management regulations which saw it set its own quotas. “We haven't bothered to look at the quota because we're not meeting it. We're not finding the fish in Lake Nipissing,” Couchie said. Yolanta Kowalski, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Natural Resources, said an advisory committee is scheduled to meet today and Friday. She said the committee is made up of of MNR officials, representatives from Nipissing First Nation and sport fishers. The OFAH was invited but refuses to attend because it says the meeting is focusing only on developing management options for recreational fishing and not implementing regulations for commercial gill netting. [email protected] Edit to change title after Local Mayor's response to OFAH.

Is it possible that there are counterfeits? I know powerpro had some problems a few years ago. Pure speculation on my part.

I've got a few freaky colour/styles that were impulse buys that have been around for years.

Wasn't there a giant frog from Africa that was banned from frog jumping contests?

Now that I'm not on my phone I'll add: I have no clue why they would do what you describe. I use Gulp and Gulp Alive a lot and love it, haven't bought bait in 7-10 years. The only thing they've ever done is dry up into a small, hard version of the original. Almost like the kids toys that "grow" in a bowl of water. I'll be interested to see what else people have to say.

I use to different rods to do that, and really wouldn't want to use either to do the other.

That is how I read it on my phone as well. My first thought was "What the heck did I do?"