Spiel

Too funny! God loves ya Glen, even if no one else does. Too funny.

Good shoot'n Aaron. Your doing better than some of my friends are doing down there.

I feel for you Doug, I'm sure it was a tough decision. Great boat for somebody though and I do remember driving her that one time at Dalrymple. It was in part the reason I started looking for my own Lund.

You're gonna love it! I did the Nipigon (met DanC as well), Eagle Lake trip a few years back with TEP and it was incredible. I have an invite to do it again this year with Lake of the Woods also on the bill but unfortunately for me it's not doable. Lookin forward to the big report upon your return.

Great Slave Lake fish may be new species A fish biologist in the Northwest Territories says he may have found an entirely new species of cisco in Great Slave Lake. The male Coregonus googelii, or 'googly-eyed cisco,' was captured by Paul Vecsei's team in October 2008. / (Submitted by Paul Vecsei) 27/07/2009 / CBC News Paul Vecsei of Golder Associates said he and some federal government researchers were at the Sub Islands near Yellowknife in October, pulling up nets, when they hauled up the unusual-looking cisco with large fins, enormous eyes high up on its head and an upturned mouth. The male fish, 27.8 centimetres in length, has been named Coregonus googelii, or the "googly-eyed cisco." "It had enormous eyes for the size of the individual. It had eyes that were unlike other cisco or fish in general," Vecsei, whose company is based in Yellowknife, told CBC News in an interview that aired Monday. "The eyes are positioned very high, so when you look at it from a dorsal view, the eyes are almost joining at the top and you have just a narrow separation." Vecsei said researchers are trying to determine if the fish is a relic of a very old species, a newly-evolved species, or just a variation of cisco that's specific to the Sub Islands. "At the time, I frankly didn't even consider that maybe we discovered something," he said of the find. "Rather, I thought it's just some of the lesser-known species that exist elsewhere, and we thought it just may look a little different here." New and different species? Already common in Great Slave Lake, ciscos can range from tiny fish that live in fast-flowing rivers, to fish as large as whitefish that live in deep lakes. After checking with other fish experts across Canada, Vecsei realized what he had found was new and different. But whether it's a separate species is up for debate, said Jim Reist, head of Arctic fish ecology with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Winnipeg. "What one individual may conclude and defend and say, 'This is the way the world is,' another individual working in the same area and on the same material may come up with a differing opinion," he said. Reist said the definition of what constitutes a new species can change on a case-by-case basis. He added that the line between cisco species is blurry and especially difficult to establish in Canada's North, where plants and animals have only been around since the last Ice Age and continue to evolve today. The decision on whether Coregonus googelii should be a new species will come down to a professional judgment call, Reist said. Even after that call is made, he said the matter could remain up for debate.

Just messing with you. I did spend many years though in electro plating.

Brass = copper & zinc Bronze = copper & tin

Sturgeon resurgence in Lake Erie The ancient fish remains endangered, but more are beginning to show up Sunday, July 19, 2009 Deborah Weisberg / www.post-gazette.com Erie County's Dick Brozell lands an endangered sturgeon June 24 in Lake Erie. / Chuck Gnarra Chuck Gnarra's eyes nearly popped when client Dick Brozell of Erie County, jigging for perch on Lake Erie party boat the Edward John, hooked a kind of fish he'd never seen before. "A lot of the 40 people on board moved to the front of the boat to watch it," said Gnarra, who was captaining that day, June 24. "It jumped out of the water and someone said, 'I think that's a sturgeon,' and other people went, 'Nah! Can't be. Sturgeon aren't around anymore.'" But that's exactly what it turned out to be -- all 37 prehistoric-looking inches. Given sturgeon can grow to nearly 8 feet and hundreds of pounds, this fish was young, said the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's Chuck Murray, who added he was delighted and surprised by reports of the catch, especially since it was the second caught that day. Brozell released the sturgeon off the Edward John, while John Homchenko of Erie released one of a similar size. Both fish hit on live bait in about 50 feet of water. "We hadn't had reports [of sturgeon] in two or three years, then two in one day. That's notable," said Murray. "Let's put it this way, I've never brought one onto our boats since I've been with the commission, and that's 17 years." His agency hasn't put many resources into studying lake sturgeon, although, coincidental to this year's catches, that is about to change. The commission is partnering with the state-run Tom Ridge Environmental Center in a new sturgeon work group, and will also help launch a sturgeon "watch," designed to enlist public participation. Small informational cards soon will be distributed to anglers, asking them to contact wildlife agencies with information about sturgeon catches or sightings. "They're an endangered species, so you've got to return them to the water immediately if you catch one," Murray said, "but we're asking folks to call us since we want to collect data." Murray surmises Brozell's catch probably came from Lake St. Clair or the Niagara River, where sturgeon populations are robust enough to support a recreational fishery. Given its size, it was probably 20 years old, the age when sturgeon sexual maturity and can reproduce. Sturgeon can live for more than a century and spawn once every three to five years, choosing shallow, flowing water where their eggs can adhere to rocks and logs. The two recent catches may even have been on a virgin spawning run, Murray said, since May and June are when they spawn. It's debatable, though, whether they are reproducing in the open waters of Lake Erie. "Historically, there were open lake spawning populations, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. The most notable spawning populations are in the rivers, like the Niagara and the Huron-Erie corridor," said Murray. "We have the shoals and other areas where there's the wave action they like for spawning, but is the habitat enough for a viable population? I think that's doubtful, but it's one of the things the sturgeon work group may look into." Sturgeon are as ancient as they look, dating back to the last Ice Age. They have scutes -- an armor-like covering -- instead of scales. And they are indigenous to the Great Lakes, although 25 other strains of sturgeon live in Europe, Asia and elsewhere in North America. Some types of sturgeon are anadromous, meaning they dwell in the ocean but swim inland to spawn, but Murray said Lake Erie sturgeon are a freshwater species, which may occasionally venture to brackish waters of the St. Lawrence River, but not the open sea. Sturgeon have protected status in many parts of the world because of historic exploitation and impacts to their habitat. Beluga sturgeon, for example, have suffered overharvest because their caviar is so coveted. Overharvest also took a huge toll on Lake Erie sturgeon in past centuries, and their numbers have never rebounded, Murray said. "People took millions of pounds of sturgeon out of Erie in the late 1800s because they considered them a nuisance that tore up fishermen's nets," he said. "They'd pile them up like firewood and burn them. Then they discovered there was a market for them, especially for their roe, so millions more pounds were taken for their flesh. That continued until the early 1900s. In less than 20 years, they were practically wiped out." Given their tough hides, once they reach 4 inches Great Lakes sturgeon have few natural predators, although they've taken a hit from lampreys, an exotic invasive species that can latch onto their soft undersides and suck out their body fluids. About a decade ago, pollution-related botulism killed several Erie sturgeon and the carcasses washed up on shore. The last recorded commercial harvest on Erie was on the Ontario side in 1983, when just 200 pounds was reported for the entire year. "And that was probably one fish," Murray said. "They can get pretty big." The largest recorded Great Lakes sturgeon was 310 pounds and almost 8 feet long, caught on Lake Superior in 1922. Because the Fish and Boat Commission has no sturgeon assessment program, it cannot estimate sturgeon numbers, but Murray said perch fishermen would be catching them regularly if their population were abundant. "They feed off the bottom like perch, sucking in everything they can find in the mud, so they're eating zebra mussels, crayfish and gobies," Murray said. "In fact, the gobies and zebra mussels, as well as improvements in water quality, may be why we're seeing a relative resurgence of sturgeon." Murray said it will be a long time, if ever, before they are removed from the endangered list, but this summer's catches are encouraging. Other Great Lakes states once stocked sturgeon as part of a restoration effort, but Murray said creating suitable spawning habitat is the preferred approach to fostering wild reproduction. "With stocking, there are concerns about genetics and the risk of introducing disease," he said. "And it seems sturgeon, so far, are holding on. I'd like to see them make a comeback on their own."

Sportfishing Industry Awards 2009 "Best of Show" Honors July 20, 2009 / www.great-lakes.org Orlando, Florida - ICAST 2009, the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades, the world's largest sportfishing tradeshow, was in full swing from July 15-17, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Over 7,200 representatives from the sportfishing industry, including over 2,200 buyers and over 500 media representatives, were gathered to see the latest innovations in tackle, gear and apparel and network with the global sportfishing community. The sportfishing industry's premier trade event is produced by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), the industry's trade association which is headquartered in Alexandria, Va. This year, the 52nd year of ICAST, the New Product Showcase, the tradeshow's flagship event, was more competitive than ever. Sponsored by ESPN Outdoors/BASS, 208 exhibiting companies entered 600 tackle products and accessories into the New Product Showcase. The product category with the most product submissions was the hard lure category. This year the Hobie Cat Mirage Pro Angler, both a boat and a kayak, was voted by buyers and media as the most innovative product in the ICAST 2009 New Product Showcase in both the Marine category and the overall "Best of Show." This year's New Product Showcase winner's also included first-time ICAST exhibitors Cablz, Inc., USA Custom Rods and Better Bait Systems. Eight returning ICAST exhibitors were also first-time winners. They are: Durasafe, Master Vision, Ross Reels USA/Ross Worldwide Outdoors, Sebile USA and Hobie Cat. Three 2008 showcase winners - Shimano, Pure Fishing and Plano Molding Company - also won Best of Show honors in 2009. "Each year, I am amazed by the quality of new products that are unveiled at the New Product Showcase and this year was no different," said Mike Nussman, ASA's president and CEO. "I congratulate all of the winners and everyone who participated in the New Product Showcase, from the companies who worked hard to develop these innovations to the buyers and media who served as judges." Making up a special section of ICAST's 400,000-square-foot show floor, the New Product Showcase provides special visibility for the industry's latest innovations in gear and accessories. Buyers and media representatives judged the products based on their levels of innovation, execution, workmanship and practicality to select "Best of Show" honors in 17 categories, as well as the overall "Best of Show" winner. 2009 ICAST New Product Showcase Award Winners For product details, images and other information please contact the individual award winners listed below. Overall Best of Show - Hobie Cat - Hobie Mirage Pro Angler Apparel - Cablz, Inc. - Cablz Electronics - Lowrance-Navico - Lowrance HDS-10 Eyewear - Costa Del Mar Sunglasses - Zane Fishing Accessory - Durasafe - Codeable Locks Giftware - Master Vision - Mini Lantern Kids Tackle - Ross Reels USA/Ross Worldwide Outdoors - Journey Youth Fly Fishing Outfit Line - Pure Fishing - Berkley Trilene TransOptic Soft Lure - Sebile USA - Magic Swimmer Soft Pro Model Hard Lure - Sebile USA - Spin Shad Marine - Hobie Cat - Hobie Mirage Pro Angler Freshwater Reel - Shimano - Stradic CI4 Saltwater Reel - Daiwa - Saltist Lever Drag Freshwater Rod - USA Custom Rods - Camo Stix Saltwater Rod - G. Loomis - Pro Green 882S Tackle Management - Plano Molding Company - Liqua-Bait Locker System Terminal Tackle - Better Bait Systems - Circle Hook Rig In 2010, ICAST will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, from July 14-16, 2010. ICAST 2011 will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, from July 13-15, 2011.

Pflueger Arbor Combo Walks Away With Best Of Award At 2009 ICAST Showcase July 20, 2009 / www.great-lakes.org Designed to handle today's superlines, the Pflueger Arbor Combo has won the ICAST show Best Combo Award. With the introduction of the new Pflueger Arbor spinning reel, it became apparent the reel needed a special rod to benefit from the reel's oversized spool. Not just any spinning rod would do. The result is a perfectly matched and balanced rod and reel combination that takes advantage of the reel's design and purpose. "We designed this rod n' reel combo to fish the new generation superlines," said Andrew Wheeler, Pflueger Product Manager. "Whether an angler decides to throw the fluorocarbon or braided lines the Arbor's larger design is the perfect. The rod was custom built to take full advantage of the many benefits of the Pflueger Arbor." The Arbor reel is highlighted with an oversized, large arbor spool, which winds the line on to the reel in larger loops. With 7 stainless steel ball bearings, the reel is smooth on the retrieve. Made with a hybrid aluminum construction the reel is lightweight. An oversized carbon fiber washer manages the sealed drag system. Additional features include a graphite rotor, Sure-Click bail and solid aluminum bail wire. For the rod, Pflueger started with a one-piece IM-8 graphite blank for its lightweight and enhanced sensitivity. To complement the line coming off the reel's oversized spool, the Large Arbor Guide Concept system was developed. This includes a larger stripper guide that is reversed. This reduces line buildup before the front guide during casting. The remaining guides are also oversized to keep the line moving freely and are made from durable stainless steel. The cork handle split grip design provides a comfortable command of the combo and the graphite reel seat holds the Arbor reel securely to the rod. Two models are available; the Arbor 7430 reel is matched with the 6'6" Arbor medium-light action rod. The Arbor 7440 reel comes on the 7'0" Arbor medium action rod. MSRP for the Pflueger Arbor Combo is $99.95.

Berkley Trilene TransOptic Wins Best Line Award at 2009 ICAST New Product Showcase July 20, 2009 / www.great-lakes.org Berkley Trilene TransOptic has been awarded the Best Line Award on Wednesday at the 2009 ICAST show. After four years in development, Berkley has designed a nylon monofilament line that captures UV rays to physically change the line's color, making the line a hi-vis gold above the water and transparent below the surface where the UV rays are filtered out. The color-changing line benefits anglers that spend their days watching their line for the subtlest of bites. Anglers see the line, fish don't. "Four years ago we saw a need for a line that benefited anglers that needed a monofilament that could be watched," said Berkley Product Manager, Clay Norris. "Through efforts with our product innovation team, we were able to come up with the technology to harness UV rays to change the color of nylon monofilament above water. Our team has worked extremely hard to be the first to produce TransOptic." With superior knot strength, tough abrasion resistance and extra shock resistance, Berkley Trilene TransOptic is perfect for flipping, pitching, jigging and any application that calls for a hard hook set. Being a monofilament, the line is easily managed for a wide variety of baits and techniques.

OSU research finds trout are better models for cancer research than mice Monday July 20, 2009 Chris Spitzer / The Oregonian George Bailey helped build the world-class trout research facility at Oregon State University, and recently retired after his team completed a sensitive study of the carcinogen DBP. Doug Beghtel/The Oregonian A rainbow trout can inspire and inform. It can lead a young fisherman to a life-long career studying human health. It can reveal the risks of carcinogens, and help develop treatments to prevent cancer. It can become the centerpiece of a world-class research facility that may reshape how government agencies regulate environmental toxins. George Bailey knows all this and has plenty of fish stories. As a professor, he spent three decades studying disease with trout in his aquatic laboratory at Oregon State University. From outside, the building sits on a dusty lot just outside of Corvallis and doesn't look like much. Walk inside, and you'll find a bustling laboratory. The air is cool and the fishy smell is surprisingly slight. Eggs and fry swirl in large glass cylinders off to one side. Once they're big enough, the fish will graduate to the hundred gallon tanks that pack the huge central room, which covers a third of an acre. There is constant activity as the dozen staff members prepare cheesy fish food and systematically check the tanks. "What we have here is the only facility of its kind anywhere in the world," says Bailey, 68. "Completely unique." He officially retired six years ago, but continued to work at half pay to complete the capstone of his career, the most accurate study of the chemical DBP, an environmental carcinogen. The results, published in May, were surprising. "It was known to be a powerful agent," Bailey says, "but there wasn't much information." By using trout, Bailey measured risk of DBP at low exposures, and found reducing exposure by half meant less than half as much cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency calculates a proportionate risk level from high exposure data. In essence, the EPA guesses conservatively to compensate for lack of data. But Bailey's fish gave him low exposure data so he could pinpoint the risk. And for DBP, Bailey found that the EPA would overestimate the cancer risk by a factor of 1,000. David Williams, director of the Superfund Research Center at OSU, thinks the research could have a big impact. "A lot of people are going to sit up and take notice, because this is by far the best cancer data set in the world." Tiny amounts of DBP exist naturally in soil. But it's also concentrated in cigarette and coal smoke. It might seem odd that you can learn about people from trout, but in both animals, DBP causes stomach and liver cancer by attacking and damaging DNA, tiny strings of molecules that contain cell-building information. People are good at repairing DNA, but trout have more difficulty. Like a canary in a coal mine, fish tend to get sick before people. Rats and mice are canaries, too. Bailey points to two advantages of rainbow trout. First, when trout are fed a healthy diet and treated well, they have an inherently lower cancer rate. Only one in a thousand trout would get stomach cancer, compared with the rat rate of one in 20. That's why trouts' cancer risk to DBP can be measured at low levels. Then there's the matter of money for research. "We can do it at roughly 5 percent of the cost of doing the rodent study," Bailey says. Since each carcinogen acts differently, the results of Bailey's study applies only to DBP. Some chemicals might generate a cancer response that is proportional to the exposure, in which case the EPA's method would accurately determine risk. Bailey's OSU group is not proposing any specific regulations, but knows their finding should sharpen risk assessment. "We're not sure what the EPA will make of these results," Bailey says. Bailey's past trout studies have also led to effective treatments. Aflatoxin is a carcinogen present on foods like grains and nuts. In the United States, aflatoxin levels are carefully checked, but in developing areas, like parts of China, the levels are so high that one in 10 men dies of liver cancer by age 45. In an OSU study with trout a decade ago, scientists discovered chlorophyllin, a derivative of the stuff that makes plants green, renders aflatoxin harmless. "It should work in all species, including humans," Bailey discovered, and went on to develop a small green chlorophyllin pill effective in human trials. "We can reduce the cancer rate in those people for pennies a day, affecting millions of human lives, and this was discovered because of the rainbow trout," Bailey says. OSU's trout expertise may even help make animal studies obsolete. As scientists learn more about the basic biology of cancer, rodents and fish can be replaced by experiments that don't require any animals. Animal rights organizations, such as the Humane Society, say the government should prioritize ending all animal research as alternative methods can be developed. Bailey was first drawn to trout science by his passion for fishing in Berkeley in the 1960s, where he finished his doctoral work in less than four years. The trout followed him through positions in British Columbia and New Zealand before he landed at OSU in 1979, where he eventually took the reins of the program from Russ Sinnhuber, a pioneer in using trout to study human health. The trout facility is not Bailey's only legacy. He helped bring the Linus Pauling Institute to OSU from Palo Alto, Calif., in 1996, and recruited the current director. LPI does groundbreaking research in the link between disease and diet. Fish scientists have pretty big shoes to fill with Bailey's departure. As his OSU colleague Williams puts it, "He planted a lot of seeds, and was able to make them grow." Now that the DBP study is complete, Bailey has decided to spend more time enjoying retirement, though he occasionally consults for OSU. He spends many of his days at his home in central Oregon, where he rebuilds old pickups with his grandkids, picks the banjo, and, yes, fishes a little now and then. -- Chris Spitzer has a Ph.D. from the University of Washington in theoretical particle physics and is an intern at The Oregonian through the American Association for the Advancement of Science: 503-221-8272; [email protected]

Shhhhhhhhhhh...............where's the delete button?

Actually that has been changed. I believe there is still no trespassing but boat access is permitted. Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Pacific Salmon Extended Fall Season (4th Sat. in Apr. to Dec. 31) Bronte Creek - Town of Oakville from Hwy. 2 upstream to the south side of Hwy. 407 EXCEPTIONS TO ZONE 16 REGULATIONS Fish sanctuary - no fishing from Jan. 1 - Fri. before 4th Sat. in Apr. & Oct. 1 - Dec. 31. Bronte Creek - City of Burlington and Flamborough Twp., from the C.P.R. track in the Village of Progreston downstream to the south side of Hwy. 407, including part of Limestone Creek upstream to Steeles Avenue in the Town of Milton.

Never had one and never will. I've honed my filleting skills (be what they may) with a filleting knife.

Was this fish caught in Ontario?

Have a good'n, I hope you're spending it on the water.

So you had your shirt off Wayne.

Nice fish Jaden. Great shot of your ole man TJ, did he manage to best Jaden....LOL

You didn't invent this move Brian but given time you could perfect it. Congrats on the boat.....zoom, zoom.

She probably would, you done the right thing....LOL Someday we'll get 'er done.

Have to say I'm skeptical on the coho identity. Chinooks have indeed been documented in Nipissing but I've not heard of any cohos. The source of course is Georgian Bay which I spend a great deal of time fishing salmonoids and cohos are rare, at 25 pounds there nearly non existant. I'm not saying it's impossible but a picture would be worth a thousand words.

With a little effort from all the good folks here we should be able to add a 1,000 votes or more everyday. Come on OFC'ers, it only takes a couple of minutes.

Good question, time to move on.

Geeeeez Mike, I think your post is about one picture away from crashing my computer. Now this pictures takes me back. From the late 70's to 1980 I had the same canoe. It was my first means of getting off shore and to this day I still regret selling it. Now the only thing I can think of in regards to the above quote, you're NUTS ! That aside all I can say is great post, thanks for taking the time to get it up.