Spiel

For me there's no way to put a negative spin on ice fishing, I love it! From perch to kings and everything between, I love it! Thanks for putting some warmth into this damp, grey, rainy day Simon.

I'd bet even David Phillips wouldn't hazard a guess on that.

I'm thinking it's a stellar idea Cliff. The hospitality alone would be worth the price of admission. I say go for it.

Well I've had worms escape and roe go bad, but be single and having two fridges means simply, who cares.

Just got in from taking the dog for a walk and the big dewies were all over the sidewalks here in the southerly end of the province. If you need get out and get 'em. If I didn't already have 200 plus in the fridge I'd be out there!

Chicago Sanitary/Ship Canal to Close Dec 2 for Fish Barrier Maintenance Rotenone to be used to prevent Asian carp from moving into Lake Michigan Barrier area will be closed to all traffic for 4-5 days November 16, 2009 / www.great-lakes.org CHICAGO – A section of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) is planned to be closed to all traffic, weather permitting, beginning December 2 for a period of four to five days. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning to perform scheduled maintenance on Barrier IIA, one of two electric barriers in operation on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal constructed to prevent the movement of the destructive Asian carp into Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes. Performing scheduled maintenance is required in order to maintain reliability of the structures and minimize the risk of unplanned outages due to inadequate maintenance. During the maintenance shutdown, Barrier I will remain active. However, because of late summer detection of Asian carp near the barrier system and concern that Barrier I may not be effective in deterring juvenile fish, rotenone will be applied to the canal between the barrier and the Lockport Lock and Dam, a section approximately 5 miles long. The application will allow for the removal of Asian carp and other fish to keep them from advancing past the barrier toward Lake Michigan. Illinois EPA water quality experts will be monitoring downstream of the application zone to ensure that the waters of the state are protected, and the chemicals do not move beyond the designated application area. “The barrier is currently the only protection against Asian carp for the Great Lakes and the maintenance shutdown may present an opportunity for the destructive fish to advance up the canal toward Lake Michigan,” said DNR Assistant Director John Rogner. During this process, the U.S. Coast Guard will be enforcing a safety zone and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) will be closed to all commercial and recreational vessel traffic between CSSC Mile marker 291 and CSSC Mile Marker 298. The waterway is planned to be closed beginning December 2 and last for the duration of operations. The waterway will reopen as soon as operations permit. Asian carp have been detected using environmental DNA testing in the canal below the barrier, and there is consensus among federal, state, and local agencies along with other partners that actions must be taken to prevent these invasive species from reaching Lake Michigan while Barrier IIA is shut down. The Illinois DNR), in coordination with the multi-agency Asian Carp Rapid Response Workgroup along with the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, will manage the application of rotenone in the CSSC. While the toxicant will eradicate Asian carp and other fish in the canal, rotenone does not present a risk to people or other wildlife when used properly. The application of rotenone is planned for December 3, and crews from the IDNR and other agencies will remove fish from the canal and dispose of them in a landfill. The fish habitat in the section of the canal scheduled for treatment is made up of mostly non-sport fish with the most common species being common carp, goldfish, and gizzard shad. Before the application of rotenone, an electro-fishing operation will be conducted to relocate as many sport fish as possible. Rotenone dissipates quickly on its own, but to accelerate that process a neutralizing agent known as potassium permanganate will be used following the application. If Asian carp become established in the Great Lakes, they could cause a catastrophic decline in native fish species and severely damage the Great Lakes sport fishing industry, valued at $7 billion. The Asian Carp Rapid Response Workgroup includes many state and federal agencies including Illinois DNR, USACE, USEPA, USFWS, USCG, USDA, Chicago and regional agencies and commissions, and Wisconsin Sea Grant. All eight Great Lakes State Fisheries management agencies are providing support for the project. However the process will not be without interruptions and negative economic impacts. While most all of recreational boaters heading south will have already passed thru the barrier area, some 35 commercial carriers and their crews will be idled for four to five days. The Rapid Response Workgoup is requiring suspension of all boat traffic in a five mile area to prevent colliding with the many vessels involved in the Rotenone dispersal/monitoring process. That means commodity products to coal burning power plants and sand and gravel products to Material Service will be impacted during this time and over 300 folks will be out of work for that time period. Some 7,000 boats were idled this past August when the Coast Guard temporarily closed down the barrier while increased voltage testing took place. With Barrier IIB not scheduled for completion until the fall of 2010, the six month periodic maintenance requirement of our new electronic barriers means this shut down could occur again next summer. That is just one more reason to light a fire under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite the construction process.

Shimano Xtreme Fishing Takes the Fight to the Fish High-energy Wii game featuring rod & reel, bowfishing, spearfishing in stores now November 16, 2009 / www.great-lakes.org SAN FRANCISCO, CA- Mastiff LLC, a leading publisher of video games, announced that Shimano Xtreme Fishing for Wii™ is now shipping to retailers throughout North America. Shimano Xtreme Fishing lets you take the fight to the fish either traditionally with rod and reel, or up close and personal with spear gun and SCUBA, or bow and arrow. Fast play makes Shimano Xtreme Fishing a wild ride from the start, and robust multiplayer options make it an ideal party game or way to spend time with your fishing buddies. Players will be well-equipped with cutting-edge fishing gear like Shimano Voltaeus fishing rods, Hoyt bows, AMS Bowfishing reels and accessories, and Muzzy arrow points. Armed with the very best in extreme fishing gear, players will navigate massive environments filled with more than 50 varieties of fish and dangerous predators like sharks, piranhas, and alligators. Shimano Xtreme Fishing guides players, by boat or SCUBA, through exotic environments ranging from the cold, dark waters of a North American reservoir to a roaring Amazon waterfall, eerie submerged Mayan ruins, the hidden lagoons of a southern island, and the shark-infested shipwrecks of a tropical sea. Whether it's a vigorous fish fight with traditional rod-and-reel tackle, aiming a bow and arrow at fast moving fish, or venturing into the dangerous depths with SCUBA gear and a spear gun, there's never a dull moment in Shimano Xtreme Fishing. Shimano Xtreme Fishing includes a series of challenging tournaments, each with beautiful scenery and unique weather conditions. As players progress through the levels, they will unlock new tackle, clothing and sporting accessories. With three careers, 12 tournaments and more than 65 stages, Shimano Xtreme Fishing gives players hours of non-stop fishing action. Players looking for a more open-ended fishing trip can roam the vast environments in search of new hot spots while mastering their gear of choice in Free Fish mode. Multiplayer mode allows up to four players to compete against another kind of predator--humans--on their way to fish-hunting glory. For more info: http://www.sxf-game.com.

As rush subsides, steelheaders revel in the wake of a record run November 15, 2009 Rich Landers / The Spokesman-Review The Snake River’s record run of steelhead has been parading upstream and delivering pleasure and profit from the mouth of the Columbia upstream 800 miles to the Salmon, Idaho, area— and beyond. “We’re getting in about a hundred steelhead a week for smoking,” said Steve Egger of Egger’s Meats on Spokane’s South Hill. Even though it’s more than 100 miles from the steelheading action, Egger’s is just one of countless businesses profiting from some 316,000 steelhead that have dodged hooks, nets, sea lions and detours into other Columbia tributaries to migrate up the Snake and over Lower Granite Dam toward Idaho and Oregon. The previous record over Lower Granite was 269,281 fish in 2001. The October surge of steelhead lured thousands of anglers and created traffic jams on the shores and waters of the Snake upstream from Lewiston and into the Grande Ronde. “Catch rates were out of sight,” said Larry Barrett, Idaho Fish and Game Department spokesman in Lewiston. “Now the fishing is starting to settle down a little and the crowds have dispersed.” The hottest steelheading last week had moved upstream into: •The Grande Ronde near Troy, Ore., where anglers were averaging an exceptionally fast rate of three hours a fish. •Upper Salmon River near the town of Salmon. A large portion of the run beelined to this area in October. •Upper Snake River where migrating fish hit a dead end at Hells Canyon Dam, which has no fish ladders. “There are thousands of extra steelhead at the base of the dam,” Barrett said. “Fisherman are catching a bunch and we’re trapping a bunch for the tribes and to put out for fishermen in other rivers. We’ve trucked several hundred fish for release in the Boise River and Oregon has released some in the Powder River.” But that doesn’t mean the fishing isn’t good in the popular area of the Snake and Grande Ronde near Asotin. “I know this isn’t as crazy-fast as it was in October, when we hooked dozens of fish a day, but it’s still pretty darned good fishing,” said veteran Snake River fishing guide Pete Paolino. He was wrapping up a recent day with five clients who had boated a total of nine steelhead while backtrolling plugs behind his jet boat. “The fish have moved up and soon will be settling in somewhat (for winter),” said Glen Mendel, Washington Fish and Wildlife department fisheries biologist. Cooler water temperatures and shorter days tend to make the fish slow their migration. The number of fish moving over Lower Granite Dam last week had finally dropped below 1,000 a day. “The fishing is very slow in the Columbia below the Snake River, where anglers are averaging 132 hours a fish but the rates recently have been as good as 3.8 hours a fish upstream from Lewiston,” Mendel said. “That’s phenomenal.” Anglers often comment that they catch more wild steelhead – a small portion of the overall run – than this year’s abundant fin-clipped hatchery fish, which anglers can keep for eating. “The steelhead tend to move upstream into portions of the river in pulses,” Barrett said. “When you have heavy fishing pressure, or several boats of four to six guided anglers working down through hole after hole, they start to select out the hatchery fish and pretty soon you have a disproportionate number of wild fish until a new pulse of steelhead comes in. “Steelheaders live through feast and famine in the number of fish holding in a stretch of the Snake or Grande Ronde through the course of a week. “The best weather for steelhead fishing is a series of wet systems. You want enough rain upstream to bring the river up a little and turn it a bit off-color for a couple of days. Then you can expect to have really good fishing right after that until fishermen deplete the numbers in the local vicinity. “Ideally, you want more rain and another pulse of fish about every week.” Steelhead will become less active as the weather becomes cooler and they will not travel as far for a fly or a lure. With many anglers going hunting or losing interest, the remaining anglers have more elbow room to fish the rivers a little more thoroughly, rather than moving quickly from spot to spot.

Pure Fishing and Dyneema Sign Strategic Agreement Partnership to further drive innovation and advancements in premium fishing lines made with Dyneema November 9, 2009 / www.great-lakes.org URMOND (NL), SPIRIT LAKE (USA) – 5 November 2009 - Dyneema and Pure Fishing announced the signing of a new global strategic agreement that will strengthen and increase their joint commitment to the research and development, marketing and sales of high performance fishing lines made with Dyneema. The partnership will lead to developing premium fishing lines that meet and exceed the most demanding performance expectations in strength and abrasion resistance. Pure Fishing lines made with Dyneema provide exclusive solutions to experienced anglers. Pure Fishing lines made with Dyneema offer unsurpassed performance. Besides its unparallel strength, the lines are also extremely thin making them near invisible to fish while also increasing the reel’s line capacity. In addition, the lines provide low stretch, allowing fishermen to instantly ‘feel the fish bite’. “We work hard to ensure we can provide our customers with products they can trust. Our customers can expect from us best-in-class Superline products designed to incorporate abrasion resistance, outstanding line-sensitivity and most importantly unmatched strength provided by Dyneema,” said Clay Norris, Senior Product Manager, Pure Fishing. “This is why we believe DSM Dyneema is an ideal partner with a proven performance track record for us to team with. Put simply, the world’s best fishing lines deserve Dyneema, the world’s strongest fiber.” “Continuous product innovation and strategic collaboration with partners who are leaders in their field are two of the core pillars of our business model,” said Marcel Alberts, Global Sports Marketing Manager, DSM Dyneema. “We are really pleased in joining forces with Pure Fishing and are confident it will lead to even higher performing fishing lines that will continue to delight the more discerning angler who demands more from his equipment.” About DSM Dyneema DSM Dyneema is the inventor and manufacturer of Dyneema, the world’s strongest fiber. Dyneema is an ultra strong polyethylene fiber that offers maximum strength combined with minimum weight. It is up to 15 times stronger than quality steel and up to 40% stronger than Aramid fibers, both on weight for weight basis. Dyneema floats on water and is extremely durable and resistant to moisture, UV light and chemicals. The applications are therefore more or less unlimited. Dyneema is an important component in ropes, cables and nets in the fishing, shipping and offshore industries. Dyneema is also used in safety gloves for the metalworking industry and in fine yarns for applications in sporting goods and the medical sector. In addition, Dyneema is also used in bullet resistant armor and clothing for police and military personnel. Dyneema is produced in The Netherlands and in Greenville, North Carolina. DSM Dyneema is also a partner in a high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) manufacturing joint venture in Japan. Further information on DSM Dyneema is available at www.dyneema.com and www.feelthefishbite.com.

NVCA Species at Risk workshop on Lake Sturgeon Join the NVCA to learn more about Lake Sturgeon in the Nottawasaga Valley watershed. Our biologists will discuss this species' characteristics, life history, current species status and management practices, plus what you can do to help protect this fish in our watershed. This FREE workshop takes place on Wednesday, November 25th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Essa Township Administration Centre. For more details and to RSVP Click here

Dye tracer testing may turn Grand River red in Brant, Six Nations November 09, 2009 / www.grandriver.ca During the last two weeks of November, officials from the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA), in partnership with the Six Nations of the Grand River Public Works Department (Water / Sewage Division), will place a safe, environmentally-friendly, “fluorescing” dye into the Grand River near Brantford and Newport, and Fairchild Creek near Cainsville, temporarily giving these watercourse systems a red tint. The study is part of a Ministry of the Environment-funded program to assess the vulnerability of municipal drinking water supplies. The undertaking is known as a "dye tracer test" – a common way to determine travel time in watercourses for the protection of the water supply intake. The tests will involve injecting the dye at three locations over one to two days and the measurement of travel time and dye dilution at downstream locations. The test may appear to turn the watercourses red temporarily where the dye is placed. It will dilute quickly as it moves downstream, eventually becoming invisible. The dye tracer test is one component of a series of water supply source protection studies the GRCA is conducting with Six Nations in support of the Ontario Clean Water Act. For more please contact: Frank Montour, Acting Director of Public Works, Six Nations, 519-445-4242 James Etienne, Senior Water Resources Engineer, GRCA, 519-621-2763 x 2298 Scott Robertson, P.Eng., Water Resources Engineer, Stantec Consulting Ltd., 519-585-7297

You are refering to just the minnows.....right. (j/k) I'd say with your outlook on the whole situation Simon that you'll come out of this, on top!

Your posts never fail to impress me Al but then again I'm a sucker for anything Brookies.

Hmmmmm, 90+ uh, sunburn uh, tough break Garry. Over the sound of my typing is the sound of the furnace running, brrrrr.

That is good news. Thank you.

It's hard to say what costs would be for this type of work. Variables can be extensive in time needed to remove the old handle, whether or not it can be done from the back or whether the guides will have to be removed. Cork costs are through the roof and can run upwards of several dollars per inch. Then of course fitting, glueing and lathing the grips followed by instalation on the now cleaned up blank...... Then of course you can add custom cork burls to pimp it out, I could go on. Pre fab handles are definitely cheaper but quality is not as great and of course you lose out on uniqueness. Wood seats also vary in price depending on many factors but will typically run 2 to 3 times more than conventional seats. Bottom line is if you want quality components and quality work it's gonna cost.

Shoring up walleye stocks is daunting task November 10, 2009 Steve Pollick / toledoblade.com When it comes to shoring up Lake Erie's highly valued walleye stocks, which currently are foundering as badly as the world economy, the elusive search is on for magic bullets. Fisheries biologists and managers have looked at most if not all of the proposals - many are resurrected whenever walleye stocks cycle downward, as now - and they would be only too glad to adopt them if they made science sense. Stocking hatchery-reared walleye in the lake is one such example. Jeff Tyson, Lake Erie fisheries research supervisor for the Ohio Division of Wildlife, noted that it would take a stock of 224 million walleye fingerlings to produce an average size year-class of 10 million age two fish. That is 32 times the capacity of Ohio's walleye hatcheries, and it would take 72,800 mature female walleye to produce such a supply of eggs, only half of which survive to hatching. Tyson said that state electroshocking crews in the Maumee and Sandusky rivers in the spring only manage to capture about 4,000 walleye, and of them only 800 are females. That is tens of thousands of fish short of what would be needed and illustrates the daunting scope of the numbers alone needed to stock a lake the size of Erie- more than 6.3 million acres. Dumping hatchery fingerlings into the lake, moreover, could dilute and even endanger the highly evolved genetics, including homing and timing instincts, of the various reef and river stocks. Another major campaign has taken aim at First Energy's Bay Shore Power Plant, located where the Maumee River empties into Maumee Bay. Bay Shore's cooling-water intake annually entrains millions upon millions of walleye fry, and that has been a big bone of contention. A move toward best management practices - such as reducing the intake during spawning runs - is desirable. (Note that even year-old and 2- year-old fish, the latter 15-inchers entering the fishing stock, easily can swim out of the intake channel and avoid destruction.) But even if you could shut down the plant completely during the spring spawning run up the Maumee River, which is not likely, there is no guarantee it would allow for consistently good year-classes from the Maumee River stock, noted Tyson. "We've always got the weather trump-card." Good weather, good hatch; bad weather, bad hatch. It is that simple, or that difficult. It would be hard to make a case against Bay Shore in court, which is where any spawning shutdown debate ultimately would reside. The fact is, the plant has been in operation more than 50 years - right through the walleye boom of the 1980s, and ultimately state fisheries managers would have to justify to a judge just how that boom could have occurred if Bay Shore is wrecking walleye stocks. It can be argued that if millions of fry succumb annually at Bay Shore, billions more succumb to natural causes at large on the lake. Another contentious issue is the dumping of Maumee Ship Channel dredgings in the open waters of the outer bay. The Maumee River watershed produces more silt - from erosion of farmland and urban runoff - than all the rest of the rivers on the Great Lakes, combined. But Tyson notes that such dumping already is restricted until after July 1, long after any spawning and hatching may occur in the bay. Too, a strong, prolonged northeaster will kick up the shallow western basin's south shore and turn the water-column to "mud," creating a built-in siltation problem irrespective of ship channel maintenance. The same argument about Bay Shore - that it was on-line before and during the walleye boom - applies to the dredging issue, however desirable it may be to eliminate as much additional siltation as possible. Which leaves, among major suggestions, the question of closure of fishing during spring spawning. To which Tyson replies: "We've done a lot of research in the rivers and on the reefs, and what it indicates is that closure, within the range of populations seen on Lake Erie, does not have an impact on year-class strength." The biologist noted that only four percent of the annual sport catch occurs in March and April, and that is not significant enough to affect the adult walleye stock. Most of the annual sport-catch occurs May through July on the lake, and a female fish removed in May or June is just as unavailable next spring as one caught in March or April. Nonetheless, Jack Tibbels, who owns Tibbels Marina at Marblehead, is pushing for a spring closure on walleye fishing. He has been circulating letters to the editor in local and county newspapers, stating his case. "This is my solution to preserve a great industry for the future," Tibbels says in part. "I have 55 years experience as a fishing charter captain and commercial fisherman. I have seen walleye fishing go from catching 100 walleye daily, to no walleye, to plentiful, to current lows heading for depletion. Without protecting the spawning of walleye, [smallmouth] bass, and [yellow] perch, we can only expect declining fish populations." Tibbels runs party boats, which charge $37 a head for fishing, and he also runs standard "six-pack" charters which take up to six anglers for about $600. He operates a fully equipped marina. "I'll survive," he said. But, "what we've done in the past hasn't worked. I'm willing to sacrifice business in that early season." Predictably, his position finds little favor overall among charter skippers, who see the spring jig-and-minnow fishery as their make-or-break time for the year. That is because - again, weather permitting - the fish are in close so the boat-runs are short and fuel bills are lower. The fishing can be fast, and some skippers can cram two, even three trips into a single day. They claim that offsets their costs of long, time-consuming runs for less cooperative fish come midsummer. "We're very concerned," says Rick Unger, president of the Lake Erie Charter Boat Association, about the depressed walleye stocks. LECBA has 200 members and with affiliates represents most of the 800 captains in Ohio waters of the lake. But Unger said that LECBA does not support spring closure. "We stand behind the division of wildlife and their science," stated Unger. "Their science says shutting the spring fishing would not improve the hatch. The hatch is weather driven. They can't make the weather."

Professors find clue to dead zone in lake Study says algae deplete the oxygen November 10, 2009 TOM HENRY / toledoblade.com For decades if not centuries, a portion of Lake Erie's central basin has been so depleted of oxygen that it has not supported life. Two Bowling Green State University researchers believe they have uncovered cold-weather diatoms, or microscopic pieces, of algae that contribute to the lake's infamous dead zone. The research that Michael McKay and George Bullerjahn have done into Aulacoseira islandica (pronounced All-LE-sa-SY-ruh Eye-LAND-icka) is not likely to solve the dead zone's mystery. But they said it could explain one of the many factors behind it. Mr. McKay and Mr. Bullerjahn, both professors of biological sciences, said they first noticed the diatoms of algae in brownish pockets floating under Lake Erie ice in February, 2007, while they were aboard a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker. The tiny bits of algae made up 80 to 90 percent of some collected samples, Mr. McKay said. Unlike microcystis, a toxic, free-floating algae that has blanketed the lake's western basin between Monroe and Sandusky almost annually each summer since 1996, Aulacoseira islandica isn't harmful. It's just hardy. It thrives in cold water while most other types of algae dissipate. The diatoms sink to the lake bottom as the water temperature rises in late winter and early spring, Mr. McKay said. They form a large source of carbon for bacteria to decompose, which consumes oxygen. "When they sink and die, that's when we have the oxygen depletion occurring," Mr. McKay said. Mr. Bullerjahn agreed. "This is a cold adapted algae. It's pretty much gone when spring comes," he said. "It's likely contributing to the dead zone." Lake Erie's dead zone is known to shift locations from year to year, varying in size and shape. One day, it may be found in the lake's midpoint, northeast of Cleveland. Then, before long, in another locale. It is almost always within the central basin. Limnologists - scientists who specialize in lake research - have said at least some of it is likely the result of Lake Erie's physical attributes. The lake's three basins vary greatly in depth, from the shallowness of western Lake Erie to the large drop-off near Buffalo. Consequently, water recirculates differently in each basin. "The jury's still out on what is causing the dead zone. I'm of the belief there are multiple factors," Mr. McKay said. Although Aulacoseira islandica is one of many naturally occurring forms of algae, it is like others in that it depends on a steady diet of phosphorus and nitrogen. Both are land-based fertilizers and waste products that trickle into lake tributaries after heavy rain. The algae may thrive in spite of pollution controls because of how zebra mussels have changed the lake biology. Native forms of algae, most of which the public never sees, are "not as abundant in the past as they have been since zebra mussels invaded," Mr. McKay said. "The zebra mussels created some conditions in the water chemistry that might have allowed this species [of algae] to emerge as a dominant type," he said. The professors' research has been funded for at least the next two years. By better understanding how the lake functions during the winter, scientists will be able to make better predictions about its future. "This helps complete our predictions about carbon functions in the lake," Mr. Bullerjahn said. "If you don't know what the lake's doing on its own, it's hard to target it for protection."

If only I had known Wayne. I certainly would have captured a few photos.

Due to the overwhelming negativity of the replies I wasn't going to view the clip and now all I can say is why, why did I do it? I may never forgive you for this Craig.

I was outside this morning at 10:30 to rake up the leaves (again) when at 10:45 sharp I heard a loud roar to the east. Unmistakebly the Lancaster! As I averted my eyes skyward I was treated to an oustanding and impressive sight as the Lancaster flew by at a mere few hundred feet directly over my head. Flanking it on the right was the B-25 Mitchell and on it's left a C-130 transport. The roar of these awesome planes sent shivers down my spine. They were quickly followed by another three plane formation from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, one of which I recognised as the Harvard. Then promptly followed by a PBY-5A. For me it was a poignant reminder of how very fortunate we are to have had so many give so much for the rights and freedoms we enjoy today. As I stood in silence 15 minutes later I was truly humbled!

LOl....Don't worry TJ, I've no doubt he'll always look up to you.

Good stuff boys. Nice to see father and son get some quality time together. A got to ask though TJ, is Avery growing like a weed or are you standing in a hole?

Sure it can be done, I could even do it, done it many times but you wouldn't like the cost. Personally I think you have a better handle now then the one you're wanting.

Come on folks, Joey deserves better than a 24th place showing.