Spiel

True, very true. Only word of caution would be to back the boat in very slowly......steep ramp.

We have pickerel in Canada, Grass Pickerel, Chain Pickerel and Redfin Pickerel.

Exactly. Boaters sue for damage from gasoline blend

I definitely see a new musky rod in your future Joey, started working on it yesterday. Glad you had a "super" day.

Yep, I was drug to most of those places too.

Wow, everywhere I was on Simcoe Monday the water ranged from 42 to 44 degrees.

You are most welcome.

:)

Oh yes Laniel, lovely place. I really need to get back up there and catch some of those monster Kipawa Walleyes.

I had one years and years ago (5 horse), even after a complete rebuild of the carb the thing was piece of crap. Would only start at full throttle and would only run at full throttle and was the most unreliable piece of crap I owned (at the time. ). I once owned a Dodge after that.

That was so wrong!

How many folks here have had there picture taken with a slot fish? How many folks using a conservation license have a picture of themselves with a musky or perhaps a sturgeon? How many folks here follow (to the letter) all the board rules (even the ones you don't agree with)? How many folks here are posting while under the influence of illegal drugs? Or perhaps under the influence of alcohol (besides me)? Did I leave anyone out?

International study team excuses St. Clair R. in Huron water crisis May 6, 2009 Jim Moodie / www.manitoulin.ca LAKE HURON A much-anticipated report on the role of the St. Clair River in lowering the level of Lake Huron has largely exonerated the Sarnia outflow while placing most of the blame for water loss on climate change. On Friday, members of the International Upper Great Lakes Study (IUGLS) board released findings of an investigation to determine "whether the conveyance capacity of the St. Clair River has changed, to assess if there is ongoing erosion in the river bed, and to identify other factors that may be affecting water levels," according to the report's authors. Titled Impacts on Upper Great Lakes Water Levels: St. Clair River, the draft study has concluded that erosion of the river is not appreciable at this point and is recommending that no remedial measures be undertaken to stopper the flow from Huron to Lake Erie. Boaters, cottagers and tourist operators on Lake Huron have been pointing to the lake's unregulated outlet as a key factor in the draining of upstream H20, particularly since the river was dredged in the 1960s and has been impacted by other human activities since. But the IUGLS board has largely discounted those concerns, arguing that the situation on the St. Clair has stabilized and other forces are at fault for waning Huron water. "A key finding from the range of studies of the sediment and hydrology of the St. Clair River is that the river bed has not experienced any ongoing erosion since 2000," reads the report. "Rather, the river bed appears to have been stable since at least 2000." The study panel did document a deepening of the river bed over the period of 1962-2006, but attributes much of this to a "a major event or series of events," notably ice jams, that were experienced in the mid-1980s, and resulted in "a temporary increase in flows." Packed ice, such as a major clogging that occurred on the St. Clair River in 1984, "can temporarily increase the force of the water's flow over a river bed by forcing the same volume of water to flow through a much smaller, constricted channel," the report notes. Water upstream of the jam gets backed up, while the flow under the ice is more intense than usual and "can trigger river-bed scouring," plus the depositing of sediment downstream. Further erosion occurs when the ice jam breaks up, the report notes. Extreme fluctuations in the levels of the Great Lakes during the mid-1980s "could have played a role in the relatively rapid change in the river's conveyance as well," according to the report. But the increase in outflow from Lake Huron via the St. Clair did not continue unabated, the researchers say; by the end of the 1980s, the river's conveyance level "had returned to pre-change conditions." Investigators determined that the "head drop," or difference in water levels, between Lakes Huron and Erie plummeted by 23 centimetres (nine inches) over the span of 1962 to 2006, with the ice-related erosion of the mid-'80s accounting for some of that. But crustal rebound-the rising of the earth's upper layer in the aftermath of the last glacier-has also been a factor in dropping Huron water, as has, to an even greater degree, climate change. "This factor has become even more important in recent years, accounting for an estimated 75 percent of the decline between 1962 and 2006," reads the report. Calling climate "the main driver of the lake-level relationships," the study authors point out that "there has been a persistent decline in net total supply of water to Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron over the past two decades that has resulted in declining lake levels and a change in the relationship to Lake Erie." Pinning Huron's water woes primarily on natural causes is not going over well with members of the Georgian Bay Association (GBA), which earlier commissioned its own hydrological study of changes to the St. Clair River and determined that shoreline alteration and mining activities at Huron's outlet are contributing to a loss of 12 billion gallons per day. The GBA has been swift to criticize the findings of the IUGLS, accusing the study board of using flawed data, screening out other important information that might have yielded a more urgent response to the problem, and failing to react with an appropriate sense of alarm to the issues it does identify. The IUGLS study confirms that "six billion more gallons of water are flowing out of Lakes Michigan and Huron per day as compared to 1971," according to a release from the GBA. Yet it refuses to recommend any structural changes, such as the installation of a weir or the laying of substrate on the river bottom, as the GBA had hoped might be the case. "The fact that it completely dismisses such an enormous increase in outflow and recommends that nothing be done about it is very disturbing," said Roy Schatz, the founding president of the GBA Foundation, in a release. Bill Bialkowski, a retired engineer and member of the GBA's Water Level Committee, suggested, in the same release, that the IUGLS panel ignored critical data. "The study board needs to move to a higher level of science in order to understand this complex river," he charged. "It appears that sources were carefully screened to support preconceived conclusions." The report's authors, however, maintain that the research was sweeping and impartial. "The report is the product of intense effort by a 10-member binational study board of experts and public members, who commissioned 42 research projects that engaged over 100 scientists," they point out. The St. Clair report is just one phase of an ongoing, multi-year study of the upper Great Lakes that was launched by the International Joint Commission, a quasi-judicial body established by the United States and Canada under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to prevent and resolve disputes concerning the shared freshwater resource. Funded equally by the US and Canadian governments, the Upper Lakes study group will now proceed to the next stage of its mandate, which is to examine the outflow from Lake Superior to Lake Huron via the St. Mary's River and recommend any physical or regulatory changes that may be required. In the meantime, a series of public meetings have been scheduled for input on the St. Clair River scientific report, including one slated for Little Current on May 20. The session will occur from 7-9 pm at the Little Current-Howland Recreation Centre.

Warning markers to be placed at eight GRCA dams May 06, 2009 / www.grandriver.ca The Grand River Conservation Authority is installing warning markers upstream of dams on the Grand, Nith and Speed rivers to provide additional notice to canoeists and kayakers to stay away from the dams. Installation is planned for these dates, although the scheduled is subject to change due to weather conditions: Friday, May 8 – Wellington Street Dam, Guelph – two buoys Monday, May 11 – Dunnville Dam, including Weirs 1, 2 and 3 – four buoys Tuesday, May 12 – Caledonia Dam – four buoys Tuesday, May 12 – Wilkes Dam, Brantford – three buoys Wednesday, May 13 – Parkhill Dam, Cambridge – four buoys Wednesday, May 13 – New Hamburg Dam – three buoys Thursday, May 14 – Bissell Dam, Elora – one buoy Thursday, May 14 – Drimmie Dam, Elora – boom The buoys are marked with a bright red diamond, which is an international warning symbol for boaters. They are in addition to existing warning and portage signs. The number of buoys at each dam depends on the width of the river. The boom at Drimmie Dam spans the river and consists of floats linked together with a chain. These dams are "run of the river" or "low head" dams. The water upstream of the dams can be still and placid, but the area downstream can be dangerous. Strong currents at the base of the dam can capsize a canoe or kayak and trap the occupant underwater. Buoys or booms have already been put in place at other GRCA dams: Rockwood, Conestogo, Woolwich, Shand and Guelph. For more information on river flows, see the River Data of the GRCA web site. Download a copy of a river safety pamphlet for children. Further information: Dave Schultz, GRCA Manager of Communications Phone: (519) 621-2763, Ext. 2273 Fax: (519) 621-4844 E-mail: [email protected]

The Maskinonge River needs our help! The Maskinonge River Recovery Project can help Where is the Maskinonge River? The Maskinonge River headwaters, or starting point, begin in the south near Queensville (East Gwillimbury) and in the north near Lockie Road (Georgina).The river flows through Ontario's Greenbelt through Keswick into Lake Simcoe. Problems The Maskinonge River's water quality and quantity as well as fish and wildlife habitat have declined steadily. This is a result of poor land stewardship practices like the removal of shoreline vegetation, increased urbanization and poor farming practices. This degradation has resulted because of a combination of many factors. Ultimately, it is because of poor land use practices in both the urban and rural areas of the subwatershed. A subwatershed is the area of land that drains into the river. Why Should I Care? The Maskinonge River subwatershed area encompasses 4,733 parcels of land -- one of those could be yours! Many of you use the Maskinonge River for recreation, for wildlife viewing, for fishing, for aesthetics from your property. It is also used by numerous fish and wildlife species as their home and drinking water source. In fact, the snapping turtle which is a species of concern (a species of special concern because of characteristics that make it particularly sensitive to human activities or natural events), has been identified in the Maskinonge River. The Maskinonge River subwatershed is in bad shape - but the collective action of individuals can revive it. What's Being Done? In 1998, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and the Town of Georgina, along with input from the community, developed the Maskinonge Remedial Strategy. This identified some of the problems with the Maskinonge River subwatershed. Now, with the Lake Simcoe Clean Up Fund, there is a developing project called the Maskinonge River Recovery Project (MRRP) comprised of groups like: the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority; Save the Maskinonge; York Environmental Stewardship; the Town of Georgina; and the Town of East Gwillimbury to work with the Maskinonge community to clean up the subwatershed. How Can I Help? After two public workshops, the MRRP has established a public committee to help develop a stewardship and education plan for the Maskinonge River subwatershed over the next several months. In the meantime, you can help by: Help us spread the word about the state of the Maskinonge River subwatershed Sign up for a free property visit if you are a Maskinonge subwatershed landowner Tell us if you are interested in what we are doing so we can keep you informed of upcoming Maskinonge events and ways you can participate What is a property visit? A property visit is free and is conducted by a MRRP project partner staff. Typically, they would come out to your property on a mutually agreed date for 1/2 - 1 hour to discuss with you any environmental questions, concerns, and/or issues you might have as a Maskinonge landowner. From there, they would discuss with you any potential environmental projects that might be suitable for your property. If there is a project that you would like to do, they would help you finding funding (typical cost share right now is about 50% from the Conservation Authority and 50% from the landowner or other sources) and filling in the necessary paper work. Examples of Potential Projects: tree planting removing hardened shorelines and replacing with naturalized, gradual sloping shorelines naturalizing (either through planting or by not mowing) the river's edge thus increasing the riparian buffer enhancing an existing wetland removing in-stream barriers etc All with our help! You don't have to do this alone Who do I contact to get involved? Please contact: Andee Pelan, Maskinonge River Covery Project Coordinator Phone: (905) 895-1281 ext. 244 E-mail: [email protected] More reading Maskinonge Remedial Strategy York Environmental Stewardship Landowner Environmental Assistance Program (LEAP) Town of Georgina Town of East Gwillimbury

Breathing new life into Don River May 8th, 2009 Christopher Hume / The Toronto Star In its plans for a restored Lower Don Lands, Waterfront Toronto envisions a public promenade along the water. Like time, the Don flows slowly on Toronto’s waterfront. But plans revealed yesterday by Waterfront Toronto outline a large, multi-use community along the edges of a restored Don River and its mouth between Keating Channel and Lake Ontario. The concrete channel was completed in the 1920s, during an era when man’s job was to “improve” nature by obliterating it. Now, the task has shifted to restoration. In its new configuration, the Don will flow south before jogging to the west and the lake. A naturalized spillover will be built to direct flood waters into the Shipping Channel when that’s needed. The Keating will remain, but with more of the feel of a canal, hugged by a public promenade and new housing and mixed-use development. Keep in mind that Waterfront Toronto expects that this precinct – the Lower Don Lands – will eventually be home to 25,000 residents as well as thousands of workers and visitors. “We want to make the river front and centre,” explains Waterfront Toronto’s vice-president of development, Christopher Glaisek. “We hope to bring all the development processes together into one.” Therein lies the key to success; Glaisek’s task is to co-ordinate the efforts of dozens of agencies, each of which considers its needs paramount. To manage all this and pull off the high-quality public realm designers long for will be a Herculean task. New York-based landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh, whose firm has devoted nearly three years to the Toronto waterfront, calls it “ecological urbanism.” The idea is to assemble a “huge team of experts,” including some very sophisticated computer modellers, that can recreate nature as it might have existed. The other big move is to use infrastructural engineering – berms, flood water protection and the like – as the starting point for public realm improvements. The earthmoving now going on to flood-proof the west side of the Don, for example, will become the foundation of a new neighbourhood park. Rather than divide these projects into a series of smaller tasks, each assigned to an expert; the concept here is that each contributes to the larger whole. “We’ve learned a hell of a lot more about the technical systems,” says Toronto planner Ken Greenberg. “And we’ve taken a more integrated approach than I’ve ever seen before.” As Greenberg points out, the design team includes planners and landscape architects as well as hydrologists and biologists. This kind of all-encompassing approach is critical if waterfront revitalization is to avoid the fate of sameness. Underlying this is the corporation’s stated goal of carbon neutrality. Streets will be designed to allow maximum sunshine. There will also be solar panels, wind turbines and geothermal heating. But as Van Valkenburgh also notes, “We no longer have normal weather patterns; that means more extreme storm events in the future.” The team must anticipate and prepare for a Hurricane Hazel-type disaster of the sort that ripped through Toronto in 1954. Back then, vast areas of the lower city were buried under two metres of water. As much as anything, renaturalizing the mouth of the Don will be one of the most effective means of dealing with such a possibility. But nothing will happen overnight. Construction won’t start for at least two years, and will last another five. It will be a quarter of a century before anyone can move in. Patience is a virtue, of course, but in Toronto, it’s also a necessity.

Cities and Province Affirm Commitment to Restoring and Protecting the Great Lakes First-ever Great Lakes Summit held in Toronto News Release May 5, 2009 / www.ene.gov.on.ca May 5, 2009, Toronto – The Ontario Government and the mayors of municipalities around the Great Lakes have strengthened their commitment to coordinate efforts to restore, protect and promote the Great Lakes. Ontario mayors and provincial cabinet ministers met today for the first time to discuss shared interests and concerns about the Great Lakes and their watersheds at a summit meeting organized by the province and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. The Ontario mayors presented their recommendations and report, “At the Shoreline: A Mayors’ Collaborative Action Plan to protect the Great Lakes”, to the province today. “We have received a lot of excellent advice which will help us decide on future programs and policies for the Great Lakes,” said Environment Minister John Gerretsen. “As the mayors have recommended, we agree it is critical to understand the economic benefits of investments in the Great Lakes. We are committed to working with the mayors on an economic study.” Gerretsen also indicated that the proposed economic study would involve other partners and stakeholders, including non governmental organizations, other municipalities, Aboriginal communities and business and industry around the Great Lakes. The federal government will also be invited to participate. The provincial ministers agreed to work with the mayors on other areas of shared interest in their Great Lakes Action Plan, including enhancing and promoting beaches, wetlands and natural areas along the shorelines and considering the implications of climate change for stormwater and sewage discharges into the Great Lakes. "Great Lakes municipalities are collectively the largest financial contributor to Great Lakes protection, with Ontario municipalities investing over $2 billion a year. It is essential that the federal and provincial governments work with us to coordinate our efforts and investments," said Toronto Mayor David Miller. "As Great Lakes mayors we are calling on our federal and provincial partners to work with us to implement a joint protection plan for the Great Lakes. Together we can work to improve people's enjoyment of the Lakes and stimulate local economies in communities across Ontario." The province and the Cities Initiative signed a Memorandum of Cooperation last year that paved the way for today’s summit and to the municipalities providing input into implementation of the Canada Ontario Agreement Respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem (COA). It has resulted in a series of meetings between provincial and municipal staff members to discuss areas of common concern, leading up to the summit. As well, the Province is currently seeking input into its Great Lakes Priorities from a broad group of partners, stakeholders, non governmental organizations and Aboriginal communities. “The Great Lakes mayors’ recommendations complement the broader work that the province and our partners are doing to protect and restore Great Lakes ecosystem health,” said Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield. “We look forward to working with the municipalities on shared areas of interest in the urban environment.” At the meeting, mayors and ministers also considered how to bring federal, provincial and municipal leaders together to protect the Great Lakes. The importance of Canada-US cooperation on Great Lakes protection was also discussed. “Great Lakes Mayors recognize the importance of securing further support from our federal government in protecting these waters of national and global significance, said Thunder Bay Mayor Lynn Peterson, chair of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, “Engaging federal governments on both sides of the border to strengthen bi-national cooperation and to involve mayors and local communities is vitally important.” Mayors and ministers also recognized the importance of attracting more people to the Great Lakes’ shorelines, to build support for Great Lakes investments and to promote local Great Lakes economies. “Having clean water in the Great Lakes is vital to urban and rural communities,” said Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Leona Dombrowsky. “As a shared resource, water is also a shared responsibility, which is why it is crucial for us to work together to protect it.” Contacts John Karapita, Minister’s Office, 416-314-6736 Kate Jordan, Ministry of the Environment, 416-314-6666 Contact information for the general public: 416-325-4000 or 1-800-565-4923/ www.ontario.ca/environment

One Source for All Your Weather Needs Whether you need to: learn about severe weather warnings plan an outdoor event monitor approaching storms head out onto the water search past weather events Environment Canada’s weather Web site has all the information you need. When you visit Environment Canada’s weather Web site, you will find links to several informative Web pages, including the following: Weather Warnings Current Conditions and Forecasts Marine Weather RADAR and Satellite Imagery Historical Weather (Climate Data) Educational Resources While visiting the weather Web site, be sure to check the answers provided for frequently asked questions.

Draft of St. Clair River Report Released for Public Comment May 7, 2009 / www.on.ec.gc.ca On May 1, 2009, the International Upper Great Lakes Study released the draft report Impacts on Upper Great Lakes Water Levels: St. Clair River for public comment. The report answers important questions posed by the International Joint Commission (IJC) regarding the St. Clair River system: Has the conveyance or water-carrying capacity of the St. Clair River changed and, if so, why? What effect could an altered flow have on water levels in the upper Great Lakes? What other factors (such as climate) may be affecting the change in water levels? What actions, if any, should be taken by governments to remedy concerns about low water levels? The Study Board will be providing in-depth briefings and receiving comments at 14 public meetings throughout the upper Great Lakes basin in May and June. The schedule for these public meeting can be found on the Study’s Web site. Written comments can also be provided via the Study’s Web site. After incorporating public comments and the results of additional research, the Study Board will finalize the report for transmission to the IJC in the fall of 2009. Funded equally by the U.S. and Canadian governments, the Study is being conducted by the bi-national, independent International Upper Great Lakes Study Board at the request of the IJC under the authority of the Boundary Waters Treaty. This draft report is the first output of the Study. This study will continue to examine whether the regulation plan for outflows from Lake Superior through the compensating works and power dams on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie might be improved to take into consideration changing interests and changing climate. The final report of the Study is expected early in 2012.

2009 Parks Season Officially Opens May 05, 2009 / www.mnr.gov.on.ca 2009 Parks Season Officially Opens McGuinty Government Invites Everyone To Experience Ontario’s World-Renowned Parks NEWS Most provincial parks in southern Ontario will be open on May 8, with the majority of northern parks opening on May 15. Ontario’s provincial parks offer a variety of recreational activities, including camping, hiking, canoeing, swimming, picnicking and wildlife viewing. Many parks also provide Natural Heritage Education programs for children and adults to connect with their surroundings and learn about wildlife, plants, and park history. May 8 also marks the beginning of an 11-day ban on the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages in 44 provincial parks. QUOTES Visiting one of Ontario’s magnificent provincial parks this year is an opportunity for you, your family and friends to get outdoors and appreciate the value and beauty of nature. Parks are located in areas all across the province so there is sure to be one nearby to enjoy. – Donna Cansfield, Minister of Natural Resources QUICK FACTS There are 330 provincial parks in Ontario; 113 of these are “operating” parks (with visitor facilities). Last year, more than 9.5 million visits were made to Ontario Parks. Ontario Parks employs more than 1500 students each summer. Ontario’s provincial parks protect distinctive landscapes, rare plant and animal species and historic cultural sites. LEARN MORE To find out more about the alcohol ban, camping, park opening and closing dates, fees and special events in provincial parks, visit the Ontario Parks website (www.OntarioParks.com). See the 2009 Ontario Parks Guide at www.ontarioparks.com/english/parksguide.html. Get a printed copy by calling 1-800-ONTARIO (668-2746). To reserve a campsite, call 1-888-ONT-PARK (668-7275) between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. EST daily, or book online 24 hours a day at the Ontario Parks website. For More Information Ivan Langrish, Minister’s Office, 416-314-2212 Media Desk, Communications Services Branch, 416-314-2106 General Enquiries Natural Resources Information Centre 1-800-667-1940 TTY 1-866-686-6072 (Hearing Impaired)

Lake Erie species given clean bill of health May 5, 2009 Will Elliott / buffalonews.com As a belated present, outdoors enthusiasts might consider taking mom fishing on Lake Erie. Expert fisheries professionals gathered at Armor Fire Hall in Hamburg on April 30 for an annual State of Lake Erie Meeting to offer updates and status reports on Erie’s popular fish species. Sponsored by New York State Assemblyman Jack Quinn, R-Hamburg, with coordination from New York Sea Grant and Southtowns Walleye Association, this meeting gives anglers and all others interested in how the fish are swimming some direction and insight on the lake’s layout. Helen Domske served as host and presenter, introducing Quinn, who, like many of the 110 in attendance, simply enjoyed being there. “This is fun,” Quinn said, “because I can just sit back with friends and find out what’s going on out there on our lake.” The first speaker, Don Einhouse, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Lake Erie Unit leader, spends countless hours on the water and in data studies, and has spent more than 25 years looking at this lake. He began with a most candid and forthright observation: “Every year the state of this lake changes in some ways.” Economic concerns affect things all across the state, but Einhouse noted that all features of the Lake Erie Unit Base program are in place for the coming year. Projects include angler surveys, netting surveys, tagging studies, plankton sampling, and extensive reporting on all data gathered. While numbers of anglers have generally declined during the past two decades, Einhouse attributes that involvement more to social than to actual fishery facts. He cited increased successes in the three species that have made Erie a major fishing destination: yellow perch, walleye, and smallmouth bass. Angler surveys have begun and first reports have fair catches of big perch from waters east of Cattaraugus Creek. Increased water clarity and a slew of exotic invaders caused a decline in perch populations through the 1990s, but good hatches starting in 2000 have restored perch numbers throughout the lake’s eastern basin. Walleye, like perch populations, peaked just after a record hatch in 1984. More recently, the 2003 year class of ’eyes came close to the top production and survival rate of ’84. Actually, the ’03 class has already reached its max numbers; anglers in 2009 should expect to see fewer but bigger fish from that year’s class. Smallmouth bass have been the most stable in both spawning and catch rates. Einhouse noted an early-season bass program begun in 1994 has not negatively affected the bass fishery. “Most early-season anglers release the fish they catch and in the total season-long catch of 100,000 we’re seeing about 6,000 of those fish caught,” he said. Trout fishing has been spectacular on Lake Erie, he noted. Lake trout, though not a major fishery, has seen an increase with the introduction of a Klondike strain that has a large growth rate and better spawning capabilities in cold water. Also, sea lamprey, a major lake trout predator, has declined in numbers. Rainbow/steelhead trout have been great in New York State waters and ranks as the No. 1 fish anglers seek lake-wide. Einhouse answered a question about bait restrictions with the comment, “The 2008 incidents of Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) were low, but we have much to be learned about VHS.” He concluded with reference to the number of upwellings or rapid water-temperature changes seen recently in Erie’s New York State waters. Sudden changes, sometimes just three degrees, can be injurious or fatal to some fish species. In total, all warm-and cold-water fish species Lake Erie has to offer received Einhouse’s good to great ratings. For detailed studies of the lake’s fish species, he suggests going to glfc.org. Senior aquatic biologist Mike Wilkinson keyed on the one popular game-fish species that has suffered in recent years, muskellunge. Until about 15 years ago, Buffalo Harbor and the upper Niagara River had been sources for many a 50- inch trophy catch of muskie. Wilkinson reported that recent years have seen numbers reduced in the harbor and the upper river, with the remaining larger fish foraging in open waters of Lake Erie. Young-of-the-year (y-o-y) muskies have been rare in the harbor, but nursery sites in the river have produced y-o-y that reach 9-10 inches by September, he noted. Wilkinson cited Kevin Kapusinski, a graduate student doing his doctoral studies on St. Lawrence fish, which will include habitat and dietary studies of area muskellunge. Dr. William Edwards of Niagara University reported on the “Dead Zone” phenomenon often seen in the central basin of Lake Erie. Algae formations and oxygen depletion may be a problem more critical at the central and western areas of the lake. Domske finished discussions with an announcement that all the electrical barriers against Asian carp have been installed to prevent this exotic species from invading. Domske also noted that Lake Erie is home to lake sturgeon, an exotic-looking resident species that has been around since prehistoric times and is being observed more often in recent years. She asked anglers who happen to see these protected fish to report their location and other data to the New York Sea Grant/U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lower Great Lakes office at 691-5456.

Follow the Fish: Purple lures walleye Spotty take blamed on temperatures, wind May 08, 2009 Steve Pollick / toledoblade.com It was a fun to see walleye being caught on western Lake Erie this week with both the jig-and-minnow rigs of early spring and the hybrid mayfly/night crawler rigs of summer. It's transition time. What wasn't fun, for most of us out there it seems, was not catching enough fish. Our four-man crew Tuesday, including Dan Tucker, Jerry "Meatpole" Meyers, and Steve Hathaway, hooked just seven fish. The "fish," by the way, mean walleyes and not the many sheepshead, white bass, white perch and such we also landed in seven hours of picking on the many inshore reefs off Davis-Besse. Whatever you do, though, purple is a great color in both jigs and in the hybrid worm-harnesses, or "Weapons." Over at Jeff Shatto's fishing-cleaning station next to Wild Wings Marina, the customer boxes ranged from sparse to a couple, from charters, that were pretty full. If you call such results spotty, you will be calling them the way everyone else does. "Thirty-one years in the business, this was the worst April," said Shatto. But he waxes philosophical: "It's all Mother Nature. The fish are there." The Ohio Division of Wildlife's Jeff Tyson agrees. As supervisor of the division's Lake Erie Fisheries Research Station at Sandusky, he hears more than his share of angler whining about the catching. But he cannot control the wind and weather, which has led to abnormally prolonged cool water temperatures and heavily muddied near-shore waters. "East wind," Tyson summed about the spring's weather. That has kept pushing cooler central basin water to the west, and strong wind churns it all up. As for the slow action so far, Tyson simply and rightly notes, "I can't make them go." Based on the nearshore marine forecast the water temperature is just 55 at Toledo and 50 at Cleveland. John Jokinen at Jann's Netcraft said trollers are having decent results by pulling worm-harness/spinner combinations with night crawlers along the Canadian line from north of North Bass Island to Gull Island Shoal. No. 5 and No. 6 Colorado or No. 5 Indiana blades have worked best on the in-line spinners, he added. Dan Baker at Butch and Denny's Bait on Corduroy Road said that some of the charters have done well with seven-man limits in the 100-plus-pound range, fishing in as little as eight feet of water off Turtle Island in Maumee Bay. But overall results in the bay have been like elsewhere, spotty. The good thing about it all, fishermen are not giving up. Tuesday perhaps 80 to 100 boats could be seen in the near-shore reef complex, for example. Great for midweek nowayears. Lake-watchers know that the fishing community cannot keep mining what's left of the 2003 mega-class of walleyes forever, and that the fishery needs a good hatch and soon. The lake's standing stock of walleye is down to 18 million, a small number. Still, it is capable of producing a bumper crop if the weather cooperates, just as in 2003, when a small stock produced Gargantua. Tyson noted if the stock were to fall to 15 million walleye or less, fisheries managers around the lake would switch into crisis mode rather than the current rehabilitation mode. Rehab means continuing conservatively with setting of catch-quotas, which mainly affect commercial netters and not sport anglers. For Ohio waters, walleye netting is banned and hook-and-liners rarely come close to catching even reduced quotas of walleye. As for this spring's hatch, Tyson simply notes, "till we get a net on them, it's hard to tell." That will not happen till mid to late summer, when young-of-year show up in test trawls.

Here's a few links to previous posts on Red Cedar Lake. http://www.ofncommunity.com/forums/index.p...ed+cedar\# http://www.ofncommunity.com/forums/index.p...red+cedar\ http://www.ofncommunity.com/forums/index.p...red+cedar\

"Genius, pure genius!" Wile E. Coyote

Bingo! It's not rays your trying to catch.