Spiel

I was on the list Dan but unfortunately things are not well enough for me to go. Have a great time guys.

The stinkin' truth on the lake February 15, 2009 Matt Crawford / burlingtonfreepress.com If you missed it last week, noted travel writer Peter Greenberg did a little dissin' on Lake Champlain. Greenberg put the entire lake on his "must-miss" list of travel destinations in his best-selling book, "Don't Go There!: The Travel Detective's Essential Guide to the Must-Miss Places of the World." Of our big lake he advised travelers to "bring a haz-mat suit along" if they came a-visiting Lake Champlain. You're free, of course, to characterize Greenberg and his claim any way you want, but Greenberg in no fool. He is the travel editor for NBC's "Today Show," CNBC and MSNBC, a best-selling author and host of the nationally syndicated "Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio Show." He is also a contributing editor to Men's Health and Forbes. OK, maybe his comments are a little over-the-top, perhaps designed to garner some attention for his book rather than to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but you have to admit, Lake Champlain seems more like a cesspool than a pristine place these days, and the chance for improvements coming on any front seem slim to none. Greenberg wrote, "The water often looks cloudy and green and smells foul, due to algae blooms, and the depletion of the lake oxygen has affected fish." If you've ever spent time fishing on Lake Champlain, you know he hit that nail square on the head. Environmental groups and the governor's office have used Greenberg's comments to kindle an entertaining war of words about Lake Champlain's health. The Governor's Office seemed insulted and shocked (shocked!) by Greenberg's observations even though they are almost entirely in line with what we heard from Quebec's environmental minister a few years ago when he declared Missisquoi Bay an environmental "disaster." If asked, I'm betting those of us who ply the big lake's waters for fish would be more than willing to attest that severe, dramatic environmental changes have occurred and the well-being of the big lake seems much more precarious than it did even a decade ago. And if you really pressured average Lake Champlain anglers for a response, they'd probably tell you that the entire lot of government entities, environmental groups, citizen coalitions and well-intentioned souls who have tried to "fix" the ills of the big lake haven't amounted to a bucket of bullpout slime. Is Champlain a disaster? Well, maybe not yet, but if we use Champlain's fish populations as our litmus test, something is surely amiss. And it does seem to be getting worse. When we fish Lake Champlain these days we don't wear haz-mat suits, that'd just be silly. We have, however, adjusted how we fish -- learning to look for largemouths in the big weeds of milfoil, learning what super lines are available to resist abrasion when we're casting in among the zebra mussels. We know now where to look for white perch (an invasive) and know how salmon and other fish are turning on to (invasive) alewives. We are all far too familiar with nuisance species such as lamprey, which are affecting virtually every fish population in the big lake and we've seen massive fish die-offs that come from oxygen grabs. We catch pike with these huge, ugly growths (lymphosarcoma) and we're bracing for the arrival of the fish-killing VHS disease, which, we've been glumly assured, will be here before you know it. The fishing can be good -- no doubt about it -- but there's a strange feel on Lake Champlain these days, as if nature is seriously whacked and careening in the wrong direction from which there will be no return. I have no idea whether Greenberg is a fisherman, but as far a truth-sayer? Well, he ain't far off. Matt Crawford is the former Free Press outdoors editor.

Top left corner where it says "Logged in as:" then your name and beside that in brackets ( Log Out ).

ohhhhhhh TARPON!

I found some news on that this morning, posted here.

Two major expos cover all the angles 02/15/09 Will Elliott / www.buffalonews.com Anglers will have a variety of sources for fishing information during the next two weekends. Professional experts will discuss fishery management programs and share tips on how to find and bring on the best bites. Two seminar and socializing events deserve anglers’ attention during the next two weekends: A LOTSA Flea Market/Expo and Seminar is set for next Sunday at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Lockport and USF&WS Catch the Fishing Frenzy Fish and Wildlife Day 2009 at LaSalle Sportsmen’s Club on Feb. 28. LOTSA Expo Each year, lots of work goes into the Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association (LOTSA) pen rearing project, and many other worthwhile club efforts. “Events such as this flea market and seminars help fund our volunteer efforts,” Curt Meddaugh, pen project coordinator, said of the program. LOTSA planned a full weekend of seminars for Feb. 21 and 22, but the Saturday seminars are sold out. Great Lakes Angler (GLA) Magazine editor Dave Mull and GLA field editor Dan Keating will present a day-long Salmon School on Saturday at Cornell Cooperative, 4487 Lake Ave. (Route 78) in Lockport. Mull and Keating will be on hand throughout the LOTSA flea market and seminars on Sunday at the same site. Meddaugh has lined up a solid slate of seminar speakers, field and agency experts who will add to anglers’ understanding and enjoyment of their sport. The Flea Market starts at 10 a. m. Capt. Bob Songin, of Reel Excitement Charters, begins the seminar sequence at 10:30 a. m. with a talk titled “Wilson Harbor Spring Kings.” At noon, Capt. Dan Keating, with Blue Horizon Sport Fishing Charters, tells anglers how to apply “Lake Michigan Gear for Lake Ontario Salmon.” Colleague Dave Mull will be on hand to chat on Great Lakes fishing. Capt. Chris Lopresti, of Maverick Sport Fishing, presents a program at 1:30 p. m. called “Oak Orchard Creek Summer kings.” Senior aquatic fisheries biologist Mike Wilkinson will complete the seminar circuit at 3 p. m. with a summary of pen-rearing programs in Western New York and an update on the current project at Olcott Harbor. Wilkinson has supervised pen-rearing efforts in the Niagara River and Lake Ontario. All proceeds from this Expo go to LOTSA and other club pen-rearing projects. For details on the Saturday program, including directions to the seminars site, and the Olcott project, go to lotsa.org. Fishing frenzy Folks frenzied about fishing, and with interests in waterfowl hunting as well, have a fact-filled day planned during the Friends of WNY Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Day 2009, at LaSalle Sportsmen’s Club in Niagara Falls. Jim Lorentz, former Buffalo Sabre and avid fly angler and author, heads a list of distinguished speakers offering presentations from 9 a. m. to 2 p. m. at the LaSalle clubhouse, 2445 Tuscarora Road. Lorentz, when not fishing area trout and salmon waters, devotes much time in search of hard-fighting Atlantic salmon. His knowledge of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario feeder streams and experiences on other famed salmonid streams places him up there with Lefty Kreh when it comes to sharing on-trout-waters tips and tales. Jim Hanley, most recognized for more than two decades of producing his popular “Northeast Outdoors” series, will offer his expertise on bass fishing, and other popular area fish species. Dave Tosetto, waterfowl expert, will discuss ducks. From habitat to identifying Western New York’s frequent fliers, Tosetto can familiarize hunters and birdwatcher alike with what to watch for during waterfowl flights. Dr. John Casselman of Queens University in Ontario will present powerful arguments supporting the effect global warming has on fish in the Great Lakes. Anglers can learn adaptive methods to cope with climate change affecting cold-water fish species. U. S. Fish and Wildlife biologist Ray Li can put stream fishermen onto water conditions and possibly better approaches when he discusses stream and river obstructions and how they affect fish movements and overall life cycles. A $20 registration fee ($10 for students) for Fish and Wildlife Day includes a continental breakfast, lunch and an annual membership to Friends of the WNY Great Lakes. For more details, check with Dave Whitt (754-2133) or to download a registration form, go to friendsofthelowergreatlakes. org.

January 15, 2009 Dunnville public meeting on fish plan postponed. The public meeting scheduled for Feb. 16 in Dunnville regarding the Grand River Fisheries Management Plan has been postponed due to flooding in the town. It will be rescheduled for March.

Ice breaker arrives to help flooded towns February 14, 2009 Dana Brown / The Hamilton Spectator PORT MAITLAND – A Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker has arrived in Port Maitland to help chop up ice in the Grand River and release a jam causing massive flooding between Dunnville and Port Maitland. Dave Schultz, manager of communications with the Grand River Conservation Authority, said the ship began pulling into the harbour around 1:45 p.m. Saturday. “It spent two hours just trying to clear some space out in the lake so that ... when this ice starts to move out there’s a place for it to go,” he said. The GRCA is requesting people stay away from Port Maitland, which has been evacuated and had power to the town cut off as a precaution. About 100 homes in Dunnville, where water levels remain steady, have also had power shut off, Schultz said. The flooding has submerged streets and forced people to flee their homes in search of higher ground. The GRCA said the situation poses a “serious threat” to public safety as another ice jam could form instantaneously in Port Maitland as the current one moves down river. “There’s a very minor amount of flooding around (Port Maitland) but the concern is that if the ice jam moves and reestablishes, that some water could spill over the bank,” Schultz said. He had no idea how long the ice breaker might take to release the jam. Ontario Provincial Police are also monitoring the situation, which at one time also included flooding in Cayuga. Water levels are expected to continue until at least around 6 p.m. Saturday, OPP said. “Residents that have been affected by high water will now require inspections of the electricity and natural gas systems within their homes to ensure that they have not been affected by water,” said Constable Mark Foster. In Wallaceburg, officials have lifted a state of emergency declaration after the small southwestern Ontario town between Sarnia and Chatham was hit by Sydenham River overflow, which flooded several streets and threatened the hospital. Officials said an ice breaker called in to break up the ice jam there worked six hours and did the trick, allowing the water to recede enough for the emergency to be called off.

Big derby nets big win Febraury 12, 2009 / Mid-North Monitor An Espanola club is up for a provincial award following a stellar year in 2008. The Espanola Game & Fish Protective Association, commonly called the fish and game club, has come out on top at a zone level and is in the running for recognition at the provincial level. The Ontario Association of Anglers and Hunters presents an award every year for the ‘best’ club in Ontario, and Espanola could claim the honour as its own next month. Espanola Club President Leonard Houle proudly received the OFAH Zone D award, which honours the club that does the most for conservation each year, at the zone meeting held just over a week ago. “The Espanola club, whose territory stretches from Batchewana Bay to Mattawa and Honey Harbour to Chapleau, has won the district award three times,” said Houle. “The victory puts the club in contention for the provincial version of the award. “Espanola won that one about 15 years ago and I would love to see us win it once again. We won’t know until the provincial conference in March, but we are excited to be in contention.” He added the club’s biggest projects in 2008 included a revamp of the shooting range, the Marble Eyes fishing derby in May and the First Annual Children’s Fishing Derby, which attracted enough kids and adults to be recognized as the largest kids ice fishing tournament in Ontario. The Second Annual Children’s Fishing Derby is all set to go this Saturday at the Anishinabe Centre on Anderson Lake, according to chair Rosalind Raby. “The volunteers have really come together well and everything is falling into place,” said Raby. “I’m just thrilled to hear about the district award, and especially the news that we hosted the largest children’s fishing derby in the province last year. That’s fantastic. “We certainly hope to repeat this Saturday, February 14.” Raby co-chaired the derby last year. This year, she is co-chairing once again with Jean Gauvin. Leland Morley also sits on the committee, but Raby emphasizes there are plenty of other helping hands. Several club members are assisting in so many ways; parking, setup, cooking, you name it, we have someone to help. And, the volunteers from the larger community have also come forward, so the enthusiasm is definitely there to repeat our success of last year, but this time, not cleaning out the town of every hotdog and hamburger to be found,” chuckled Raby. “All kidding aside, we couldn’t do this without them.” Local businesses are also helping out in a big way. Several of the food chains are donating the food items, while other businesses, big and small, donate to the prize board for the children. “We can’t say enough about all the business support, it’s awesome.” There are some nice prizes this year, including a grand prize, a ‘Friday Family Sleepover’ at the Espanola Mill House Bed & Breakfast, for up to six people, thanks to B&B owner, Jewel Hobbs. Parking will be available along the road, but participants will be encouraged to only park on one side, as recommended by the volunteers, to ensure safety. Snowmobilers can bring their snow machines, but only to get on the ice, added Raby. “We want people to be able to access the derby. For some, driving a vehicle is out of the question, but they can bring their machine down. The only thing we’re asking is that it be parked during the derby in order to ensure the safety of the youngsters. Trail wardens will also be on site.” The parking lot near the main lodge will be barricaded with only volunteers and people accessing the lodge being allowed through. Volunteers will be wearing bright, orange safety vests and be equipped with walkie-talkies to assist the public. Registration opens at 10:00 pm with the derby running from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm. Prizes will be distributed on site. Hotdogs, hamburgers and drinks will be available. The children (16 and older is considered an adult) will receive a free hotdog or hamburger, drink and loot bag. For adults, hotdogs and drinks will sell for $1, hamburger for $2 with the money raised (after costs) going towards fish planting programs in the local area. “I hope to literally see hundreds of families come out and take part in Ontario’s Family Fishing Weekend. You don’t need a licence to fish throughout the weekend, so why not come out, drop a line and maybe you will be the one catching that elusive ‘big one’, added Raby. For more information or to volunteer, call Raby at 862-0805.

Couple fishes together on Valentine's Day February 14, 2009 Henry Bury / www.intelligencer.ca TWEED – Newlyweds Laura and Ken Daniels spent their first Valentine’s Day as a couple sitting over an ice fishing hole on Stoco Lake near here. “It’s not too often you’re allowed to go fishing on Valentine’s Day,” Ken Daniels said with a big grin Saturday afternoon. “It’s very romantic,” Laura Daniels quickly added with a laugh. The Courtice, Ont. couple was among the 50 anglers competing in a charity fishing derby Saturday at Cozy Cove on Stoco Lake. The annual February event was organized by Larry and Bonnie Jones, whose year-round home backs onto Cozy Cove. The Jones hold various fundraising activities every year to raise money for research into multiple sclerosis and cancer and to support local community projects. This was the Daniels’ second consecutive year competing in the fishing derby and they had no qualms that Saturday was Valentine’s Day. Laura’s uncle, Bob Spicher, helped plan the event and he fished as well. “We’re just lucky my uncle lives right beside the lake and we get some time to spend with family as well,” said the 35-year-old who got married Dec. 6, 2008. Laura said she enjoyed the hours spent outdoors watching fishing lines in three different holes. “It’s a nice day, not that cold,” she said. "Besides, we want to win a prize for the biggest fish.” Ken Daniels, 36, said he couldn’t think of a better way of spending Valentine’s Day. “I have my two favourite things right here, my wife and fishing,” he said. “We’re just lucky Laura has family here.” Larry Jones said the fishing derby has become a popular February event with many couples coming from as far away as Bowmanville and Peterborough. The 8th annual event, however, drew less than the 80 anglers from last year’s event and Jones said he believes it may be due to Valentine’s Day falling on the Family Day holiday weekend. Many participants fished from inside the comfort of ice fishing huts while others, like the Courtice couple, sat in chairs on the frozen lake. Each angler paid $10 to compete and there were prizes for the largest pike and pickerel. “This is Family Day weekend and no fishing licences are required to fish, so we’re getting lots of kids out here and they just think it’s great,” Jones said. The derby also featured a barbecue and an evening chili cook-off among six contestants at the Jones’ residence. Larry and Bonnie Jones began holding annual charity events a decade ago. They manage to raise between $8,000 and $10,000 each year. “We’re community-minded people,” she said. “We love doing stuff for people and getting together with friends and neighbours,” she said. “And today’s even more special because it’s Valentine’s Day.” They held the first fishing derby eight years ago, Larry Jones explained, to raise money for the multiple sclerosis and cancer societies. “Our daughter was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was 20 years old. She’s 36 now and has to take medication for her condition. We just wanted to raise money so that researchers can find a cure for multiple sclerosis,” he said. Two years ago, the couple founded the Friends of Stoco Lake Association and some of the proceeds from the fishing derby goes to support its work in improving the quality of the lake. “We’ve already used some of the money to run our weed harvesting operation in the summer months on the lake,” he said. The association, in partnership with the environment ministry, also conducts regular tests of the lake water. “I think anything we can do to help the environment to make this a better place for our children and grandchildren, we will all reap the benefits,” he said.

Flood fears rising Angus and Belle Ewart affected by snow melt February 14, 2009 IAN MCINROY / www.thebarrieexaminer.com Snow melt and rain earlier this week have caused the Nottawasaga River to flood nearby low lying areas, wreaking havoc for some residents. Shoppers at the Angus Plaza were driving through water up to their hubcaps yesterday as the Pine River, a Nottawasaga tributary, flowed into the parking lot. The Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority expected the river to crest around noon yesterday, while waters downstream will continue to rise over the next three to five days as water is released from the Minesing wetland. Ice jams may also occur. The authority expects high flows to continue throughout the weekend and it is warning area residents to keep children away from all bodies of water. Unfortunately, it's the same old, same old for Belle Ewart area residents this week as the recent thaw turned their neighbourhoods into huge puddles, and then ice rinks. "It's a chronic thing that happens year after year," Belle Ewart resident John Hurd said Thursday. "There are some yards that are totally covered, with the water coming up to the foundation and roads are covered. Some people I've talked to thought it was the worse they'd ever seen." Mild temperatures and rain caused waters to rise Wednesday night -- forcing town officials to close some roads -- but there was still widespread flooding earlier in the day on many streets. "There was two or three inches of water and it had a current to it while it was going across the road," Hurd said, adding it was much worse in other areas. His wife drove through a foot of water on her way home from Alcona Thursday afternoon, he added. "The ground's frozen so there's no place for the water to go. It's like it's running over asphalt," he said. "All that snow melt and rain has to come from a large area well west of Belle Ewart: all the those farmers fields and gullies. So when the flooding starts, that's not the end of it. It just keeps coming." Innisfil chief administrative officer Larry Allison said Thursday that roads in several areas were closed because of high water levels. Roads in some other areas were also closed, but levels were not as high. "Road crews have been out continuously. This time we had the resources down there to deal with it," he said, adding that eventually, four pumps were deployed to move water into Cook's Bay. Allison said as of Thursday afternoon, the South Innisfil Drain was "nearing capacity along lines 2 and 3" and that the 8th Line and Lawson Creek drains "were within their banks." He's is hopeful the flooding can be minimized by some future changes in the area. "The Lefroy Settlement Area Management Inc. (LSAMI) development in Lefroy west of the GO tracks is going to do over-control of the storm water there to reduce discharge down stream. It will make a contribution to future flood relief in that area," Allison said. The town will also be expanding the mouth of Carson Creek (drain) to further enhance flow, he added. A timeframe for that project has yet to be announced, however. "We're hoping things will cool down and get back to normal. As the temperatures cool, it will slow down the flooding." Hurd said the elimination of much of the area's wetlands -- which act like sponges and help control flooding -- is one reason the area is inundated every thaw. He described development in the area as piecemeal. "It's a little bit of this and a little bit of that," he said. "There should never have been so much building (activity) around wetlands without proper planning and engineering solutions. If it's not done properly, it makes it worse."

Authorities nab anglers, sledders 17 facing charges following spot checks February 14, 2009 / www.thebarrieexaminer.com Seventeen people face charges after OPP and MNR officers recently conducted checks of snowmobilers and ice fishermen on Severn Sound. They were charged with offences under the Liquor Licence Act, the Motorized Snow Vehicle Act, Ontario fishery regulations and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. Southern Georgian Bay OPP say police and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources officers checked more than 150 people. This weekend, Feb. 14-16, Canadian residents aged 18 to 65 can fish licence-free during the Ontario Family Fishing Weekend. Monday, Feb. 16 is Family Day in Ontario.

That is pretty nasty. There was no doubt it'd blow out and flood, just a matter of the flood surge reaching the lower river then......ice gone!

I would say for certain that those rivers will be MUD.

Been there many times Joey and I know the agony Paul is in. Rest has always done it for me but it takes time. I was a non Chiro type till I started having neck issues and went to see one who practices A.R.T. and have been a convert ever since. I have had low back adjustments a few times when needed in the last couple of years with good results.

Clay man searching for home for illegal Snakehead fish Wednesday February 11, 2009 Tom Leo / The Post-Standard "Rocky" is a 10-year-old, 28-inch long Snakehead fish owned by Chris Deverso who lives in Clay. A pet owner in Clay hopes his guilty plea in town court this week doesn't equate to a death sentence for his 10-year-old, 28-inch long Snakehead fish. Chris Deverso pleaded guilty Tuesday night and was fined $25 for possessing the illegal fish. He's now is scrambling to find "Rocky" a legal home. He's contacted zoos and aquariums, including the Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnett Park. So far, he's had no luck. Rosamond Gifford Zoo officials told Deverso they can't take the fish because they don't have funding to build a large aquarium to house a single fish. A Snakehead would attack any other fish in the tank. "This fish doesn't deserve to die," said Deverso, 37, who purchased the fish 10 years ago for $30 from a local pet store. "There has to be another solution." Possessing a Snakehead didn't become illegal until 2004, about two years after somebody released a pair of Northern Snakehead into a Crofton, Md., where they bred and wiped out the entire fish population. Snakehead have infiltrated New York waters, as well. Last August, the state's Department of Environmental Conservation was forced to treat Ridgebury Lake and Catlin Creek in Orange County with an aquatic pesticide designed to kill Northern Snakehead. Snakehead are described as having voracious appetite, often consuming all other fish in a lake or pond, and even eating its young. The fish can slither across land, staying out of water for up to three days, to find new sources of food, including small animals. "Those fish released into the pond were cold-climate temperature fish that can survive winter months," Deverso said. "My fish is a Giant Snakehead species. It's not a cold-climate temperature fish and could not survive if it was released into a pond." Federal regulations do not distinguish between different species of Snakehead; they're all illegal. Deverso said some animal organizations from outside the state have extended offers to take in Rocky. One issue is federal transportation laws across state lines. "Another issue is the fish is 10 years old," he said. "There's a fear the stress of taking him out of the environment he's been in for 10 years and doing a transport would kill him." Deverso has the fish in a 200-gallon tank at his home at 7424 Muench Road in Clay. State Department of Conservation officials said they would wait until Deverso's criminal court proceedings were complete before, possibly, seizing the fish. "We realize this fish is this guy's pet and we're sensitive to the situation, trying to work with him," said Region 7 Capt. Woody Erickson of the DEC, "as long as he's trying to find a legal home for this thing. If not, he'll have to surrender it to us or euthanize it himself." There's no set timetable to seize the fish, Erickson said. "On the other hand if there is no home for this thing, we can't continue this on forever," he said. "We'd like to work this out within the next two weeks."

This is indeed very troubling.

Here's one I've used on accasion. passing the cursor (mouse) over the map displays latitude and longitude. Maptech

Port Dover and Friday the 13th

That's a thing of beauty man.

Thanks for the Roy and Norm. Shoot me a PM Buckster.

If your hut is not securely anchored I'd be concerned.

I hear ya Glen, loud and clear.

Valens Ice Fishing Derby Feb.15 The Ice Fishing Derby is being postponed till February 22.

....Glad to see you were well looked after Cliff. It's been around my home and it's not been fun for those who were infected.