Spiel

Fish Population Has Disappearing Habitat Aug 17, 2009 / northlandsnewscenter.com In this week's Nature Matters David Hoole reports on how the Northland is particularly valuable to a species dealing with disappearing habitat. Watch The Video The Sturgeon, Lake Superior's largest fish, just got some much-needed help from the state. The Fond du Lac dam in the St Louis River is an important electrical resource for Minnesota Power and Duluth area residents. Unfortunately it poses a major obstruction for fish swimming upstream to spawn. "This project is redistributing flows more to the way they would have been naturally." Cooperating with the Nature conservancy the Minnesota DNR has been working to improve habitat for the sturgeon by making their spawning grounds more suitable for the fish. "The design for the riffles that we're building was based on natural rapids that we know sturgeon spawn in." As the group put the finishing touches on the rocks and boulders to create the riffles, or rapids, they needed to see if their handiwork would perform under the higher water levels the river runs at in the springtime. "We're lucky we've worked together cooperatively with Minnesota Power and they agreed to ramp up to 1615 cubic feet per second and that's a normal spring flow. So we raised it to a springtime level." Sturgeon habitat is great but area anglers may be happy to know walleyes will benefit as well. "The habitat that we're building is especially designed for Lake Sturgeon because they're especially picky about the habitat they need, they'll migrate hundreds of miles to find one specific habitat to spawn in but the habitat we're creating is going to be very ideal for fish like walleye and suckers and many other fish who spawn in riffles." Early reports from aquatic residents suggest they like their new home. "They're already checking things out. We've seen a number of fish jumping within the reach that we're working so hopefully they're jumping for joy because they have some good habitat to reproduce in." Just upstream from Lake Superior, I'm David Hoole for Nature Matters. The DNR has no open fishing season for Lake Superior's Sturgeon. They are waiting for evidence the fish are reproducing before opening a season on them.

Wild Atlantic salmon found in Salmon River for first time in more than a century August 19, 2009 David Figura / The Post Standard Scientists recently discovered wild young Atlantic salmon in New York's Salmon River, according a news release issue by U.S. Geological Survey officials. This is the first time in more than a century that salmon produced naturally in the wild have been found in what was once New York's premier salmon stream. Forty-one wild Atlantic salmon were collected in June and July. All of the salmon were under one year old and ranged in length from about 2 - 2.5 inches. "This discovery suggests that, after many years of reproductive failure, restoration is starting to work for this species," said Jim Johnson, Station Chief for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Tunison Lab of Aquatic Science in Cortland, NY. "This finding should provide real excitement and impetus for biologists and sport groups interested in bringing this species back to the area," said Johnson, whose lab made the discovery. Lake Ontario once supported the largest freshwater population of Atlantic salmon in the world and the Salmon River, one of the lake's tributaries, helped supply the lake with it namesake species. But by the late 1800's, Atlantic salmon had vanished from the lake due to damming of tributaries, overfishing, deforestation, and pollution. Salmon have not reproduced naturally for many years, in part due to low levels of thiamine in their bodies. One of the salmon's primary prey is the alewife, an invasive fish species that entered the Great Lakes more than 50 years ago. Alewives contain thiaminase, an enzyme that destroys thiamine. When lake trout or salmon eat alewife, they take in this enzyme, which reduces thiamine in adult salmon and their eggs and causes early death of newly hatched fish. Recent reductions in alewife populations in Lake Ontario, coinciding with an increase in native preyfish, may be having some positive effects on Atlantic salmon populations. "This provides some hope that we can get natural reproduction of Atlantic salmon despite the thiaminase issue," said Dan Bishop, fishery manager for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Region 7 Fisheries Unit. "Our thinking was that the reproductive impairment would be very difficult to overcome." State, federal and Canadian natural resource agencies have a keen interest in the potential for Atlantic salmon restoration in Lake Ontario. The NYSDEC currently stocks 30,000 yearling Atlantic salmon in the Salmon River and was pleased to hear of the discovery of the wild salmon. Identifying and overcoming obstacles to the possible restoration of Atlantic salmon in Lake Ontario is a high priority and NYSDEC and USGS scientists will continue to monitor tributaries to track populations of this important native fish. In addition, the implementation of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative may help facilitate these restoration efforts and contribute to the broader goal of a healthier Great Lakes ecosystem.

SPECIAL REPORT: Georgian Bay bouncing back Aug 19, 2009 Nicole Million / midlandmirror.com Georgian Bay property owners have had to reconsider where to dock their toys in recent summers, as low water levels have left a much larger shoreline and space between their docks and the water. / Nicole Million photo Bucking a recent trend, water levels in Georgian Bay are beginning to rebound. But the long-term prediction is the Great Lakes will continue to drop due to the effects of climate change. That is the message Ted Yurzyk, co-director of the International Upper Great Lakes Study (IUGLS) board, delivered during a public meeting this spring that presented the results of a two-year study on lake levels – particularly how they are affected by changes in the flow of the St. Clair River. The primary objective of the study, Yurzyk told The Mirror, is to review the existing regulation plan to see if it meets current and evolving needs. The secondary objective, he said, was to determine whether the St. Clair River conveyance capacity, or how much water can pass through the channel, has been altered since the last major dredging activity in the early 1960s. If the capacity had been reduced, the study could have suggested remediation actions. The low water levels seen over the last decade have resulted in significant impacts for waterfront property owners, but also businesses that rely on the water to survive. Marinas have been forced to dredge to get boats in or out of the water; boating, especially for large vessels, has been restricted; and docks and water intakes have had to be extended. Yurzyk said the water levels from 1997 to 2007 were unusually low. “That is a long period of near-drought conditions,” he said. “It was really critical because it was affecting people, businesses, etc. “This was the first time in their memory of seeing such conditions. There was a lot of concern that this was the beginning of climate change.” This led to some emotionally charged meetings, including one held June 11 in Midland. “We’ve had to deal with that aspect and (let people know) we’ve seen these kinds of periods before,” said Yurzyk. “The ’30s was very similar.” The study points to climate change as the most significant cause of low water levels, Yurzyk said, although increased conveyance of the St. Clair River and changes in the Earth’s surface due to ongoing post-glacial adjustments are also contributing factors. The tide is turning, however, with water levels inching up slowly in the past two years. “Fortunately, water levels on Lake Michigan (and Lake) Huron started to rebound in 2008 and continued in 2009,” he said, adding they are currently up 30 centimetres from a year ago, although still approximately 15 centimetres below the long-term average for this time of year. Helping with that, he said, is the number of rainstorms that have made their way over the area, as well as recent cold winters. “We have had those really nice cold winters that have been really important. Once that ice freezes over, you don’t have a lot of evaporation from the lakes. What happened before is we had a lot of open water and the dry winter weather just sucks up the moisture from the lake,” he said. “Getting back to more normal-type weather conditions that we’d seen before is really helping, and the lakes have rebounded quite well.” Although Yurzyk said researchers do expect to see a small increase in water levels in the short term, in the long-term, they anticipate climate change will result in further lowering of the Great Lakes. With just over two years of work put into the five-year study, Yurzyk acknowledged there is still a lot to do. “We (still) have to look at what the water levels are, what’s the range in water levels, what impacts (this has) on social economic areas, what coastal areas are like, what’s eroding and what the implications are,” he said, adding they have students out gathering information on boating in order to help determine possible economic and environmental implications. The public has also played a role in the study thus far, he said, adding information and concerns gathered at meetings held over the last two years has been seriously considered and taken into account. “They were instrumental in getting the study started. They have got us to speed up the first part of the study by almost one full year,” he said, adding the public has provided continuous feedback on all aspects of the study. Yurzyk said the next phase will focus on regulation aspects, including running models and determining the possible implications of various plans. “Over the next couple of years, a big analyses (will) come forward with what we think is a more robust plan,” he said, adding some of the major recommendations will likely include a revised regulation plan that is more vigorous in terms of responding to climate change. Once the study is complete, the IUGLS will provide several options to the International Joint Commission (IJC), the Canada-U.S. body tasked with monitoring and protecting bodies of water shared by the two countries. Formal hearings will be held afterward to gauge reaction to the option considered most likely to produce a positive effect. A St. Clair River report is expected to be submitted to the IJC in October, with the final study report likely to be completed early in 2012. Some cottage owners still high and dry One doesn’t have to look too closely at the shores of Georgian Bay to notice the toll low water levels have taken over the past 10 years. Docks and breakwalls built years ago are now several metres from the water. David Cornish, who owns a cottage in Waubaushene, has attended meetings about water levels for the past three years. He said he is disappointed by the results of the International Upper Great Lakes Study. “After a five-year study by so-called experts, they’ve come down with a verdict that (lower water levels) was a natural phenomenon and that it would right itself in time,” he said. “It was an awful pile of money – something like $15 million – that was spent on this study between Canada and the U.S., and I thought it was just common sense. They didn’t need to take all that money and years to figure it out.” Cornish’s family has owned a property on the shores of Sturgeon Bay since the 1930s. He said while the water levels do fluctuate a certain amount, the last three summers has been the lowest he has ever seen them. “It has been about as low as I can remember,” he said. “It is coming back up again. Just what the reason is, I don’t know. It didn’t come up last year and it was a wet year. It’s baffled me a bit that this would be happening.” Despite higher water levels this summer, Cornish is concerned by predictions that Georgian Bay will remain low, which will create problems for waterfront property owners, boaters and businesses that depend on the water for their survival. “(Low water) gives about 80 feet of Crown land between me and the water. When you try to keep your shoreline clean – that adds another 80 feet of maintenance,” Cornish said, adding that extra property has created problems for many of his neighbours with motorboats. “Their docks are useless to them. They have to anchor their boats way out in the bay someplace.” Many of his neighbours also pump water out of the bay to supply their homes and cottages, so they’ve had to add 15 to 30 metres to their water line due to the low water levels, he noted. They are also forced to make their way through several feet of foam and “gunk” in order to go swimming. “It’s been quite disappointing. I can remember back when I was in public school … we used to cook with that water and boil it to drink right out of the bay. We haven’t been able to do that in 30 years or more.” Cornish said he has also noticed a decrease in the number of boaters out on the water in recent years. “There just don’t seem to be that many boats, and there haven’t been as many fishing boats in Sturgeon Bay like there has been in previous years. The water’s been too warm and too low.” Anglers hope higher water levels remain Lower water levels over the past decade have caused fishermen more grief than a leaky boat. While the Great Lakes are currently up, experts indicate all long-term models point to lower levels. Brian Berriault, an associate member of the Eastern Georgian Bay Stewardship Council and owner of Backwater Tackle in Midland, is puzzled by the increase in water levels this year after nearly a decade of record lows. “In some places this year, I have noticed the water up at least a foot-and-a-half, if not two feet. It’s been low seven or eight years,” he said, adding he was concerned the problem was only going to continue to get worse. “We had a couple of years in a bad state. (People) were talking about global warming, wondering if we were going to experience hotter-than-normal summers…. Hot summers and evaporating waters means low water levels.” Despite the increase, Berriault is concerned by predictions that Georgian Bay will remain low, noting that would cause a decline in the number of boaters and fishermen heading out on the lake. “People are a little shy about going out on Georgian Bay (if the water is low), especially with all the rocks,” he said, noting many public launches – such as in Victoria Harbour – have been high and dry. “You couldn’t use them because you couldn’t back your boat in far enough to float it out.” This caused many people to take their boats elsewhere, he said. “Guys were taking (boats) and fishing Lake Simcoe or other areas where the boat launches are a little more accessible,” he said. Low water levels also affect fish habitat, Berriault said. “Fish are looking for alternate places to spawn. That has a really detrimental effect,” he said. “You would get used to fishing in a certain area, but there weren’t fish there.” He noted a perfect example of that is Matchedash Bay near Waubaushene, which has seen its status as a “great haven for largemouth bass” decline over the years. Berriault said while many were forced to adapt to the low water levels, there was concern that some places were just going to “dry right up.” However, he said, this summer has brought him hope that the bad years were just a blip on the radar. “This year, the proof’s in the pudding that nature takes its course. Obviously the water levels are starting to come back,” he said. “My hope and dream is it continues to rise.”

Invasion of the other perch White perch, a cousin of the white bass and native to the Atlantic, has made it's way into Lake Michigan Friday, August 21, 2009 Dennis Cogswell / heraldpalladium.com White Perch White Bass Michigan Department of Natural Resources images The white perch and white bass are part of the same genus, morone, and look very similar to the untrained eye. The white perch is native to the Atlantic coast, but has made its way through the Great Lakes and can be found as close as Lake Macatawa, near Holland. The fish is considered invasive, so there is no creel limit. It can cross-breed with white bass, and feeds on walleye and white bass eggs. Mention perch to most people and they'll think of the slim green and yellow (in inland lakes) or silvery (in Lake Michigan) fish that is near the top of many culinary lists. That's the yellow perch. But Michigan has another perch that is becoming increasingly more common. A native of the Atlantic Coast, where it exists in both salt and freshwater, the white perch invaded the Great Lakes in 1950 through the Erie Canal. It is now established in all five Great Lakes, reaching Lake Michigan in 1988. It's been found in Lake Macatawa, a drowned rivermouth that enters Lake Michigan at Holland, abut 40 miles away, and it seems inevitable it will eventually make its way here. White perch are really not perch at all but members of the genus morone, the same family that includes striped bass, yellow bass and white bass. In fact, white perch are often confused with white bass, which are similar in appearance. The two species sometimes mate and produce hybrids. Since the hybrids are capable of back-crossing, there is concern they could dilute the gene pool of both parent species. White bass, which are native to Michigan, are usually silver, with 5 to 7 dark horizontal stripes, and average 9 to 15 inches. White perch are silvery green on the sides, have no stripes and average 5 to 7 inches. The state record is 1 pound, 14 ounces, and was caught in Lake Huron. White perch over 12 inches have been taken in the Grand River and Muskegon Lake. White perch prey on walleye and white bass eggs and feed on baitfish favored by both species. In Lake Erie, which is known for walleyes, white perch have become the most common fish. White bass numbers have generally declined. Although they are regarded as an undesirable fish in some areas because of their tendency to compete with more desirable species, white perch are actually good eating and fight much like a bluegill. White perch sell for about $7 a pound in the supermarket, about half the cost of yellow perch. Because it is viewed as an invasive species, Michigan has no size or bag limit on white perch. Michigan Sea Grant agent Dan O'Keefe says white perch have colonized Lake Michigan waters around Chicago and off Indiana, as well as Green Bay. Will they compete with yellow perch? "I know that in Green Bay it was a real issue," he said. "I talked with people in Wisconsin and they were worried that they were really abundant and they would take off." But so far, O'Keefe says there's been no causal link between white perch and any decline in the yellow perch population in Green Bay. He says the white perch population exploded in Lake St. Clair for a while, then suddenly diminished. The species seems to do better in warmer, shallower bay and drowned rivermouth areas of Lake Michigan such as Little Bay De Noc, Mona Lake, Muskegon Lake and Lake Charlevoix. That may preclude any large populations off Berrien and Van Buren counties. But they've also thrived in the Grand River, and that could mean the St. Joseph River is ripe for an invasion.

Bid to save Crooks Hollow dam fails August 24, 2009 Eric McGuinness The Hamilton Spectator GREENSVILLE The scenic Crooks Hollow Reservoir will be drained this fall when the 96-year-old dam that forms it is demolished. A spirited grassroots effort to save the deteriorating concrete structure on top 0f the Niagara Escarpment near Highway 8 and Brock Road in Flamborough, failed to raise money for repairs, so Hamilton Conservation Authority board members voted recently to proceed with demolition. The decision leaves area resident Renate Intini bitter and disillusioned. She feels the authority neglected the dam for too long and didn't listen to those who think it's worth saving. "They should take conservation out of their name and just call it the Hamilton authority," says Intini. "I'm just amazed at how they didn't listen to the community's voice. They say they do, but it's just talk." Authority chair Chris Firth-Eagland says the decision was difficult, but the dam is in danger of collapse. He says he can't be sure it would survive a storm like the one that flooded Red Hill Valley July 26. "We've had three walloping storms in the Hamilton-Burlington area in five years, any of which could have crossed the Crooks Hollow watershed and blown the dam. The question for board members was how far do you want to push the risk?" In addition to flood damage, he noted that a dam failure would wash zinc-contaminated sediment downstream. Firth-Eagland says the picturesque dam and reservoir "epitomize conservation, but we are very vulnerable, and no significant funds were raised. Several groups agreed with the notion of rebuilding, but there is no money on the table, no commitment." He says the authority must also listen to arguments for restoring Spencer Creek to the way it was more than a century ago, "as a more natural watercourse as (the late former general manager) Bruce Duncan dreamed." Firth-Eagland said he appreciates "the sentimental, spiritual lift we all get when we see something as beautiful as that (the dam and reservoir), but can we as a community afford to rebuild for spiritual and sentimental reasons?"

You might be able to find a Bowfin though I wouldn't hold my breath. As for Ling, I'd say not a chance. Ling prefer deep cool waters.

Yep, I visit there often with the kids (bike rides, walks) and the dog. The city has done a great job in turning the Bay front into a user freindly place.

Coaster / Brook Trout, same fish HTHM. Coaster

Refer to my previous post. As for the Pearl Jam concert, oh I'd love to be there!

Uh, NO

Be well Shane, we've still got a date for whities to fulfill.

Congratulations Ryan on a succesful event for a great cause. You done good. Kudos to all who sponsored and or participated.

The closest shop to me is also Fishing World, I've been a regular in there since the day they opened. Mike has always treated me fairly and when asked to help out with OFC derbies, he's been very generous.

Goldfish genocide OK’d by conservation authority August 11th, 2009 Richard Leitner / The Hamilton Mountain News Tadpoles potential ‘collateral damage’ in bid to preserve salamanders’ habitat Despite some concerns about the “unfavourable optics,” the Hamilton Conservation Authority will use a natural pesticide to kill goldfish in two Dundas Valley ponds that are home to nationally and provincially threatened Jefferson salamanders. Directors unanimously approved the use of rotenone, derived from the roots of tropical plants in the bean family, after hearing the ravenous fishes’ exploding population is putting the salamanders’ breeding habitat at risk. The fish were apparently dumped in the ponds by people who wanted to breed them for use in backyard ponds and, in the case of the McCormack Pond in the Governor’s Road Conservation Area, now number an estimated 30,000 — up from about 40 when first noticed in 2005. A similar problem looms at the pond by the former Merrick Field Centre in Ancaster – described as the salamanders’ hottest breeding area in the valley – where fish were introduced last year and a new stock was discovered in July. Authority ecologist Shari Faulkenham said the goldfish devour anything they can fit in their mouths, including the eggs of the salamanders, which are in the ponds from late March until maturity in late August. Other efforts to remove the fish, including using a large seine net and electrical charges, have failed, she said. “I’m afraid we’ll reach a breaking point where we’ll no longer have Jefferson salamanders returning to the pond” because of unsuccessful breeding, she said. “Basically, we have an area where they lay their eggs, these eggs hatch and they live in that pond for a number of months, and then we have probably 20 or 30 thousand goldfish that are gobbling them up.” Ms. Faulkenham said rotenone is relatively harmless to other species but effective on fish because it is absorbed into the bloodstream through their gills and initiates a cellular process that makes oxygen toxic. While the plan is to apply it in late summer or early fall, when the salamanders are out of the ponds, she said rotenone may also kill some tadpoles of green frogs, which take two years to mature and will be the lone other gilled species present at that time. “That’s the only potential downfall,” she said, noting the Ministry of Natural Resources, Hamilton Naturalists Club and Jefferson Salamander Recovery Team support using rotenone in this case. “Even though tadpoles aren’t as susceptible to rotenone as fish, there may be some collateral damage as a result. Luckily, green frogs aren’t a rare species. They can quickly repopulate.” Although supporting the plan, Councillor Tom Jackson said he is concerned about how the public will react. “Just on the surface, the optics of pesticide use on a pond isn’t the most favourable, in my humble opinion,” he said. “Just as a layman, I’m struggling with this.” But chair Chris Firth-Eagland said he’s seen the carp-like fishes’ impact on the McCormack pond first hand as a neighbour on an adjacent farm and action is necessary. Once pristine, dark and mysterious, with duckweed in the summer, the spring-fed pond is now “a mud puddle,” he said. “It’s absolutely destroyed. There’s no duckweed. There’s no vegetation. There’s nothing but dark, coffee-coloured, muddy water. We may be too late,” he said. “The entire ecosystem has been completely flipped around.” Mr. Firth-Eagland said he believes he stumbled upon the people who stocked the pond during a midnight stroll this spring, when he encountered three men with powerful head-mounted flashlights, large fishing nets and bags of fish. He said he was carrying a talking stick and “waltzed the men down to their car,” but failed to get their licence plate number so they could be charged. “These fish were put purposely there to create an illegal commercial opportunity,” he said. “They weren’t dumped out of some kid’s fish tank at home because they felt sorry for the fish.” Ms. Faulkenham said if breeding the fish for sale were indeed the intent, doing so is “absolutely impossible” in a natural setting because of the genetic manipulation needed to maintain the ornamental fishes’ colour. “Within one generation, they’re all brown,” she said. “What they did was absolutely pointless.” Before proceeding with the eradication plan, Ms. Faulkenham said the authority must obtain approval from a provincial pesticide advisory committee. Sandbagging to prevent outflow from the ponds may preclude the need for additional permits, she said. Once dead, the goldfish will be removed and either buried or sent to a dump, she added.

My apologies, obviously I missed something?

A carp to the jaw hurts It's all fun till someone gets hurt August 13, 2009 Jeff Lampe / prairiestateoutdoors.com Bumps, bruises, cuts and slime are all part of boating trips on the Illinois River these days. Spend enough time on the Illinois and you’re bound to have at least one close encounter at least one flying Asian carp. But your odds of a collision go way up when you are actively trying to make the fish jump so you can shoot them with a bow and arrow. Few people know that better than Jodi Barnes of Bartonville, fiancee of carp-slayer Chris Brackett. During a carp-shooting outing earlier this summer, Barnes had her jaw broken when a large silver carp slammed into the side of her face. The collision occurred within view of Johnny’s Hideaway along the Peoria riverfront with Driven TV hosts Pat Reeve and Nicole Jones in the boat. “We were going really slow because that seems to get them to jump really high,” Brackett said. “Jodi had shot at one and was leaning forward to reel in her arrow when another fish came out of nowhere to her right and then hit her in the jaw.” Photographer Bill Konway actually photographed the moment of impact. Click here to see the rest of Konway’s pictures and to check out some of his other cool outdoors-related photographs. Hours after she was hit Barnes had her jaw wired shut. She still has four more weeks of eating instant potatoes and smoothies until the broken jawbone heals. The experience left Barnes with a vendetta against flying carp. Moments after her collision, she sent a text message with three simple words: “Kill ‘em all!” Incidentally, film crews will be on the water with Brackett Aug. 22-23 to shoot footage for an upcoming episode of Hooked, which airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on the National Geographic channel.

Becket almost has record-setting day Aug. 15, 2009 Will Elliott / buffalonews.com Anthony Becket shows his hefty lunker he caught in Lake Erie, west of Dunkirk Harbor. Records are made to be almost broken. Anthony "Tony" Becket lives in Portland, Ore., but spends his summers at Chautauqua Institute, enjoying the various activities provided there. One day each season he books a fishing charter. This year, the walleye run on Lake Erie had been slow, but charter captain Paul Dreher (cq) of Small Fortune Charters headed for deeper waters Aug. 6 with hopes of hooking into trout as well as walleye some 12 miles northwest of Dunkirk Harbor. Dreher's plans worked very well. Becket fished with his father-in-law, Norman Pedersen of Florida, his son Pete Pedersen of Wellesley, Mass, and his son Bill Pedersen, 18. The foursome got just one walleye, but the outing resulted in a total of 10 lunker lake trout, one that nearly broke the New York State record for that species. Dreher set lines close to bottom at depths to 130 feet. "The Dream Weaver [spoon] with a "gator' [black, green, and green glow] got the big one," he said of the biggest trout. Becket noted all four anglers enjoyed catching and releasing big lakers. "Most of them were around 20 pounds, except for my big one," he boasted of his fish that looked as though it would weigh in the high 40-pound range. Bill Culligan, DEC Great Lakes Supervisor from the Lake Erie Unit at Dunkirk met Becket and Dreher at Bart's Cove in Dunkirk Harbor; Culligan confirmed the fish as a true lake trout species. "Our next problem was to find a certified scale," Dreher said since most store scales stop at 30 pounds. "By the time we had it officially weighed at a store in Sherman, it came to 40.25 pounds," Becket said of the weigh-in posted at 1:30 p.m. The weight total missed the state record laker that Jesse Wykstra caught out of Dunkirk Harbor on Aug. 9, 2003. That fish weighed 41.5 pounds. "Before today, the biggest trout I'd ever caught was 15 inches long," Becket said as his large laker was being authenticated and measured. Nonetheless, Becket's fish, measuring 42 inches with a girth of 29.5 inches, topped the current 39-pound second-place record lake trout, a fish caught in Lake Ontario. Eastern Lake Erie waters have become a lake trout factory in recent years. Senior aquatic biologist and Lake Erie Unit head Don Einhouse noted that July assessments show an exceptional number of rainbow smelt this year — prime forage for heavy-feeding lake trout. With the poor showing of walleye this summer season, many boaters have dropped deeper, targeting not only lakers but also abundant schools of brown and rainbow trout. The Lake Erie limit for lake trout is set at one fish per angler and fishermen should carefully handle and quickly release lake trout not intended for the creel. For Becket, this one was creel-worthy.

Trolling on a fishing (mostly fishing) forum, hmmmmm, go figure.

Nice bass. Takes me back to my youth when I spent a considerable amount of time chasing Bronte Creek smallies. Thanks.

Can't say I've ever used one but a friend purchased one to try. He used it on smallies and clobbered them. Unfortunately after a half dozen fish most of the paint was gone and the lure was full of water, he's a little dissapointed.

I agree with Ryan, good fishing can be had out there till it's too cold to venture out. Lot's of bows and next years kings to be had for those willing to move beyond the staging fish and they continue to feed aggressively.

I've used 6lb and 8lb Trilene XT for pier fishing for years, plenty adequate, just make sure you have plenty of yardage. In fact the breaking strength for Trilene XT is under rated.

Sheeeeesh I don't know what to say. I do appreciate the kind words and I'm pleased to know that you all like the rods. I suppose I'm the fortunate one though as I have owned dozens of Spiel custom rods.

Damn, I need to get me arse out there!

"Do you always throw back the big fish?" Well I could reply with an indepth answer and relate all the varibles that may arise when deciding whether to keep or release but the short answer is, NO!