Spiel

Report examines Cobourg Creek watershed July 11, 2008 Valerie MacDonald / northumberlandtoday.com About 9,900 people live within the Cobourg Creek watershed which is undergoing a thorough investigation, paving the way for a future development and governance plan. About 25 of those people came out to the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority's (GRCA) public meeting in Baltimore on Wednesday to see what scientists and engineers had found out about the water and lands where their homes, farms and businesses are located. The region covers the area south of Rice Lake which includes Hamilton Township, Cobourg and part of Alnwick-Haldimand Township. The creeks include Baltimore, Brook Road and Midtown: there are four branches that converge and empty into Lake Ontario. "We need to marry the science and community needs," GRCA water resource manager Mark Peacock said. A background report for the plan looks at features ranging from its geology, created by glacial activity, to the fisheries and human habitation. "Water is the engine that drives everything," he said. How the water moves through the watershed, and that impact, is key, and "Cobourg Creek is one of the gems in Ontario." Both the water quality and quantity are good and it is "one of the best fishery resources in Ontario," Mr. Peacock said. The Cobourg Creek watershed covers 123 square kilometres and includes the historic Lake Iroquois Shore Line when the waterline was much higher and is evident along County Roads 28 and 45, says GRCA stewardship technician Pam Lancaster. There are four tributaries, 32 private water structures and two dams: Pratt's at Elgin and Ontario streets in Cobourg and Ball's in Baltimore, she said. There are 37 fish species identified in Cobourg Creek, although most people only know about trout and salmon. Within 50 metres of the creek system, eight per cent of the lands are developed and 18 per cent is used for agriculture, Ms. Lancaster said. The plan to be developed is likely to include goals to preserve the quantity and quality of ground and surface water, enlarge the forested area, protect fish habitat and preserve the area's cultural heritage, she said. The public was then asked to share at least three concerns/priorities they had as input into shaping the watershed's future. Input and direction will also come from a community advisory committee for which members are being sought. For more information call 905- 885-8173 ext 247 or e-mail [email protected].

FOLLOW THE FISH Conditions A-OK for big ones; salmon, steelies in Lake Ontario can wear out best of arms Friday, July 18, 2008 Steve Pollick / toledoblade.com POINT BREEZE, N.Y. - Fishing for king salmon and steelhead trout here on western Lake Ontario, where both species grow big, is something like seeking the "perfect storm." No, not lightning-laden thunderstorm cells like the ones that, thank goodness, passed north and south of the trolling sport fleet here on Wednesday. Rather, it's about the coming together of the right water temperatures at the right depths, currents, winds, and schools of baitfish, all of which put big kings and steelies within striking distance of brightly colored spoons with bizarre nicknames like Rodney, Screwface, 42-Second, Purple Frog, and Raspberry Dolphin. The garish patterns of purple, chrome, pink, chartreuse and more - one of them even is called Monkey Puke - must look like a hot date to these sleek, silvery baitfish-eating machines. For when your trolling pattern or spoons slides into the perfect salmonid storm, you are in for a fishing treat. "My knees are still shaking," said Steve Hathaway of rural Port Clinton, who was on his first Lake Ontario salmon trip and who had just spent more than 20 intense minutes dueling with a drag-screaming 20-pound-plus king. It was part excitement, part fatigue. His left hand was a little cramped, too, from hanging onto the rod and a strong fish for so long. A retired Ohio watercraft supervisor, he was a member of a fishing crew of four aboard Ed LaBounty's Pirate Queen and had been on deck for the next fish when a long rod jestingly called a widow-maker started bouncing, a signal for fish-on. This rig is set up with a reel filled with 400 feet of lead-core sinking line, 100 feet of monofilament leader, and hundreds of feet of backing. In a typical trolling set-up, the spoon is 500 feet or more behind the boat and when a fish takes the bait, it may rip off hundreds of feet more line. Bill Nowak, who runs the Walleye Queen currently in port here, said one fish last week took the line-counter on a widow-maker to 972 feet before they turned it around. It wasn't long, however, after Hathaway's duel that he was ready for his next turn in the rotation - on the widow-maker or any of the other rigs trailing off the Pirate Queen's stern. "On dark days a dark pattern is better and on a sunny day the brighter colors seem to work better," explained LaBounty on spoon selections. His lure collection aboard would run well into four figures to replace. A resident of Graytown, he is a veteran of 26 years as a fishing guide in western Lake Erie's walleye haunts, doubling the years by also fishing Lake Ontario's famed salmon grounds. LaBounty is quick to admit that these fish are unpredictable. In other words, if a spoon type or pattern that makes no sense suddenly starts to work, he'll rig up with an array of patterns in similar colors and types. It pays to be flexible. Besides the widow-maker, LaBounty and most skippers drop "cannon-balls" on wire line off stern-mounted downriggers, running shorter but tough rods and reels full of 20-pound-test monofilament with spoons trailing at various depths. They also will rig some long, specially designed rods that handle reels with wire line, used in tandem with Dipsy Divers and a terminal rig called a "Spin Doctor," a fish-shaped, vaned piece of plastic containing an "e-chip" that emits slight, attracting electric current, plus a flasher fly. The idea is to set out a smorgasbord and hope that something will come to dinner. Not all of the tricks work all the time, but with veteran skippers in charge, something usually works at least some of the time. The fishing here this week was good, tending to be more steelhead than kings. Average catches were running eight to 10 fish per boat, with a "major" king of 20 pounds or more being a fair expectation. Kings as large as 29-3 have come into port in the last week. LaBounty's first day here was Tuesday, this after winding up summer walleye work out of Meinke's West Marina in Jerusalem Township east of Toledo on Sunday afternoon. Ask him sometime about getting his beamy, 31-foot, twin-engine boat onto a semi-trailer rig, safely to New York, and changed over to salmon gear by Tuesday morning. So you want to be a charter captain, eh? "I know more about these boats than I ever wanted to," he said, facing a laundry list of tweaks and fixes right on day one. "I like them, they're good boats, but …" They're boats - what more needs be said. LaBounty even brought along his two Labrador retrievers, Jig and Lady, a brother-sister act. "They're family," he said. The canines accompany him on his trips and are well-behaved and a welcome break between fish. Fortunately, LaBounty's long experience with boats and fish put his first run well into the plus column for fish, with steelies to 10 pounds and kings to 12 pounds the first day. He came back with the 20-pound king among three and an 11-pound steelie among seven the next day. His anglers were happy. The salmon and steelhead runs should concentrate as the fish stage off the Oak Orchard River here for fall spawning runs into early and mid-September. The thought of a brawny 20-pounder on a widow-maker or an acrobatic steelie silver-streak cartwheeling 40 feet behind the transom makes you want to go back. ---------------------------------------------------- Walleye action on western Lake Erie has been decent this week, especially in the more westerly reaches of the basin. Boats are working off in 12 to 22 feet of water in Crane Creek and between West Sister Island and the end of the Toledo Ship Channel and taking limits, using mayfly rigs or worm-harnesses and bottom bouncers when drifting, or trolling with small spoons, according to Rick Ferguson at Al Szuch Live Bait in Jerusalem Township. Farther east some walleye action is seen three miles west of West Reef and a half-mile off northeast of C-Can on the outer Camp Perry Firing Range, according to Rickard's Bait on Catawba Island. Some walleye anglers have returned to hair jigs with stinger hooks, according John Jokinen, of Jann's Netcraft. He said that about half of those going to the spring tactic are dressing the jigs with minnows, and the rest are using them without bait. "We saw the same thing last year," Jokinen said about mid-summer jigging, explaining, "the fish are on the bottom." Yellow perch action also has warmed up, Jokinen added, saying that anywhere in a circle from three-quarters of a mile to two miles from the Toledo Water Intake in 18 feet of water seems to be the active zone. Rickard's said perching has picked up in 24 feet off Lakeside and off the northwest corner of Kelleys Island. Western basin perch anglers are reminded that the daily creel limit for perch is 25, west of the Huron pier.

....Well I'll be...........I may crack open a bottle of my finest in your honour Roy. Have a fantastic day my friend.

....Burbot, lawyer fish, ling whatever. A key identifier of the ling is the barbel under the chin which can be seen clearly in the video clip. Yes they are usually a cold water fish and no I can't explain it's gulping behavior but it is a ling none the less.

....You're welcome.

....Right on, another good report from Jiggy Jiggy. The fish in question is definitely a ling

.....Tagged fish is part of a study for sure. Perhaps a stocking or movement study? Call the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (omnr) to report your catch. They'll likely ask a few questions on location, size, date, etc.

....Oh yes and I don't like being in that situation at all. You were being scouted as a potential ground source for a lightning strike.

You may legally gift your daily possesion limit of fish. If he's doing this morning and evening he is breaking the law!

....Oh the shame of it all. Not my finest moment Norm. (note to self....put Cliffy on mod Q. )

....You promised to keep this under your hat. Can't trust anyone these days.....

Sparking a fish comeback Electro-fishing crew sees good variety in lake, a sign conservation efforts are paying off Jul 17, 2008 TONY BOCK / TORONTO STAR Video: Electrofishing The electrical current coursing through the water almost completely immobilized the little silver fish. Now, scooped up out of the water, it lolls on its side in the white plastic tub. Centimetres away in larger containers, its predators thrash, attempting to use their bulk to overturn their temporary plastic prisons. The sun is setting. We're moving slowly across Humber Bay on Lake Ontario. The captured fish were rounded up during an electro-fishing excursion involving members of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Our expedition is captained by senior project manager Rick Portiss. The conservation authority stuns, counts and records data on fish a couple times a year for about two weeks along the waterfront. The point is to determine the health of the city's aquatic ecosystems. Essentially, if they catch lots of different kinds of fish they know things are going well. "If you catch a lot of large predators, you know there are a lot of forage species keeping them alive," said Portiss, as he sorts through the fish, describing where they came from and explaining their various injuries. The conservation authority doesn't track fish populations. Instead, it measures density or the ratio of species, based on what they scoop into the boat. Portiss said the density of just about every species has remained static between 1989 and 2003 – with a new report on numbers coming out this fall. That is with the exception of walleye, which have been making a significant comeback since then, he said. In the past they only caught one or two a year and now the boat hauls in several every night, he said. Walleyes are the strong, sensitive type – they're top predators, but don't react well to changes in the water. The conservation authority helps create and protect habitats, and they take the walleye's comeback as proof that their efforts are paying off. The electro-fishing team works from just before sundown to the early morning hours. That's when little fish come to the water's edge to feed. It also allows the predators to back them up like diners at the edge of an all-you-can-eat buffet, explains Portiss. He likens the water under the boat to a "candy store," stocked with everything from perch, walleye, minnows and trout to carp, bass and pike. If you put them in a food pyramid, the minnows would be close to the bottom, getting snacked on by fish such as perch and walleye. Pikes, with their muscle and razor sharp teeth, eat anything they can catch. Carps are bottom feeders and get their bulk from aquatic vegetation and insects. There are also alewives – the "chocolate bars" of the water, said Portiss. "They don't deal well with stress," he said, releasing a limp little fish off the side. "You wonder why this fish exists." Almost on cue, a gull swooped in and there was one less alewife in the world. It's a seven-hour shift and the conservationists haul in about 200 to 300 fish a night. "In some cases, we need to stop the boat early because there is no room in the livewell," said Portiss. According to the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, most of the populations around the Toronto area are in good shape. "For a major urban centre, there is a surprising number of great fishing spots," said Jeremy Holden, fisheries biologist. ------------------------------------------------------------------- How electro-fishing works A customized steel platform boat – dubbed the Night Heron, in this case – generates an electric current which runs out clusters of slendera nodes suspended at the end of two poles. The metal boat acts as the negative, creating a web of electrical current approximately eight feet around the underside of the boat and eight feet deep. The electrical pulse causes the fish's muscles to contract, pulling them towards the front of the boat. Stunned fish drift limply through the water at varying depths and researchers scoop them up in large nets. The little fish, minnows, pumpkin seeds and alewives, bob close to the surface. With the larger fish, carp, salmon, trout and pike, all you get is a flash of underbelly or a shadow of toothy jaw before it vanishes back into the murky water. (Note to amateur electricians aspiring to become fishing enthusiasts: It is completely illegal to fish this way.) The captured fish are tossed into a livewell and taken back to a second craft to be separated, weighed and measured. By that time, the fish – some weighing more than 14 kilograms – are wide-awake and fighting mad. Once they are weighed and measured and the crew has taken a few photographs, the fish are released back to the water. - Emily Mathieu

....Exactly what I was thinking Cookslav, exactly!

....Just a guess Glen but it might be this fatty. Nice bass Jeff.

....Nice read Mark, glad you decided to stick around. I might add I used to do a lot of fishing in your backyard as it were.

Nope, not our Terry. Though our Terry is likely very capable of guiding, right Misfish.

....I don't have a lot of Erie experience but I do know you can get some great bass fishing in between Port Maitland (Grand River, launches available) and Hoovers Marine (launch available) located by Nanticoke. Lots of shoals that hold plenty of bass in this area. Tubes and crankbaits never fail.

....My condolences on the loss of your good friend Harry. While I did work in the 12-10 mill from 78 til 81 I'm afraid I never knew Jerry. I think everyone here probably has a tragic story of neglect within the hospital system, myself included and Joe Brant would be the hospital.

....Oh yeah, kids, dog and GF still won't come near me. Good job on those bass though, love the dark coloration in those stained weedy lakes.

....I'm still hurt'n from last week when I portaged my boat into that lake.

....Those pictures sure do make me miss my trips to Kipawa. Good looking fish.

....My thoughts exactly when I seen the picture indicating where the oil was coming from. Just gotta learn the motors quirks Mo.

Terry offers tips on hiring a guide July 8, 2008 Terry Curtis / northumberlandtoday.com So, you're heading out on a family fishing vacation, or maybe going with a few fishing buddies on a little fishing getaway for a few days. And you're thinking about hiring a fishing guide. That's a good idea, especially if you're fishing waters you don't know. This week I'm offering up some do's and don'ts that will benefit both you and your chosen fishing guide for a better day on the water. As a longtime guide, I've been down this road many, many times over the years and I'm constantly amused and amazed at some of the things I see and hear while on the water. With that in mind, here are some simple Terry's Tips to keep in mind for use both before you hire a guide and while you're fishing with one. First of all, when you hire a guide, do your homework on him. Ask for references from previous customers and talk to them to see if he was knowledgeable, congenial and on time. How reliable was his fishing gear and boat? Most importantly, did he lead them to fish? If you're phoning a resort or tackle shop, don't just take their word that their guide is good. In most cases, they are getting a cut of the guide's fees, so they want him to be as busy as possible. Ask to speak to the guide personally, and don't be afraid to pepper him with any and all questions you can think of. If you get a lot of unanswered questions or hemming and hawing, save your money. A good guide knows his business and bodies of water well and will have most pertinent answers ready. Don't forget to ask about alternate dates in case of bad weather. Do you still have to pay if weather forces a cancelation? Who decides if you go or not if the weather is dicey? Some guys don't care if you want to back out because the water is too rough for your liking. They say the motor is running, the trip is booked and you still pay whether you want to go or whether you don't. Book your guide for the prime fishing times on his waters. If you know August is a slow month for fishing where you are headed, maybe you can book in July or September when the fishing is better. No guide, no matter how good an angler he is, can make the fish bite. They can only put you on the best spots with the baits that work the best. If you book the dog days of summer, expect the dog days of catching fish and don't whine. Listen to the guide's advice. A good one wants you to catch lots of fish so he'll get repeat business. I can't begin to recall the number of people I've guided who suddenly became the guide themselves when they thought the fishing was too slow for their liking, saying things like, "That looks like a better spot over there," or, "I caught lots of fish in that spot by the island 20 years ago; why don't we go there?" Well, if they know all that, why did they hire me? I fish the places I do because I have current knowledge of where the fish are biting. I want them to catch fish and take them the best areas I know so they can do that. Leave the guiding to the guide. For heaven's sake, be on time! You want your guide to be prompt. Give him the same respect. Some people think if they show up late the extra time should be added on at the end of the day. Not with me! The clock starts ticking at the previously agreed to time and ends either four or eight hours later. I don't know anyone who works for nothing, why should I? Get your butt out of bed and be on time! If you tell the guide you are bringing one other person, then only bring one other person. Don't show up with extras, even if they are children. Extra people mean extra work for the guide, extra food and drinks in some cases and extra tackle, not to mention extra fuel for the boat. Be fair and stick to the terms of the agreed to facts when you book the guide. Perhaps most importantly, book your guide for the first day or two of your trip, not the last one. Too many people think they can catch the fish by themselves, panic when they only have a day or two left in their trip and are catching nothing, then get upset when they can't get a guide. Why not spend a few bucks early in the trip, learn where the fish are located and what they're hitting, then relax and enjoy the rest of the week? And catch fish! For example, I got a call last week from a guy who had been fishing Rice Lake for a week and had caught nothing, hit the train tracks with his boat and had to head back to the States the next morning. He was in a panic to catch a muskie and asked me to guide him for one hour to catch one. One hour! When I told him I didn't usually do one-hour guides and told him if I did it would cost him the same as a four-hour trip, he spun! He couldn't believe it. He thought I was ripping him off, I guess, but when I asked him how much he would have saved by calling me the first day he was here and then knowing where the train tracks were (thus saving his motor) and also catching some muskie throughout the week, he calmed down and agreed he made a mistake -- a pricey one, at that! Overall, if you want to be treated well by your guide, give him the same respect. No one -- neither client nor guide -- likes to be taken advantage of. Put some planning and research into your fishing trip before you go and hire your guide early if you opt to go with one. Everyone will be happier! Terry Curtis can be reached at [email protected] .

What's killing carp? Jul 09, 2008 John Slykhuis / yorkregion.com A couple of dead carp were found floating near the shore at Miami Beach in Keswick. Ministry of Natural Resources officials say dead carp is not a major environmental concern and of no health threat to you . Georgina: The ongoing mass carp die off in Lake Simcoe isn’t the first one. Lloyd Crate, of Crate’s Marina in Keswick recalled a similar incident in the early 1930s. “That was when we first came up here,” he said. “There weren’t any cottages on the lake at that time. “We had to dig holes and bury them. This is about the same as then. The amount of fish that’s out there is unreal.” That earlier die-off continued for about a month, he added. The carp are being killed by a bacteria called columnaris, which is harmless to humans although the stench of the rotting fish can cause considerable discomfort, Ministry of Natural Resources officials said. The ministry does not consider it a “crisis situation at this time ... The ministry simply says the disease must run its course”, said Councillor Dave Szollosy, a member of the environmental advisory committee. The ministry does not pick up dead fish, other than on its own lands, such as Sibbald Point Provincial Park, Jane Sirois, a spokesperson with the ministry said. Die-off locations are monitored and sick carp are being caught and tested. Willow Beach and Jackson’s Point beach were posted earlier this week for excessive E. coli counts, but that had nothing to do with the dead and dying carp, Becky Hester, York Region senior public health inspector, said. Students collecting water for testing are also counting the dead fish when they spot them. “If there’s something unusual at a particular beach, we always document it,” she said. “We have a whole field data report sheet the students fill in when they do the sampling. “We’re testing for E. coli and we haven’t been finding anything unusual.” The students, who must go into the water to collect the samples, haven’t run in to many dead fish since town staff have been quick to collect the carcasses, Ms Hester added. “Fortunately they haven’t had to contend with that.” The town’s beaches haven’t seen any decline in sunseekers despite the widespread reports of the fish dieoff, acting leisure services director Faye Richardson said. The town’s seven-day-a-week cleanup effort is continuing, operations manager Bob Fortier said. Town properties and road ends are being dealt with by staff and residents collecting dead carp are asked to double bag them, place by the curb and call the town for pickup at 905-476-4305, ext. 232. As a precaution, it is suggested residents wear rubber gloves, then afterward, wash gloves and tools with bleach. The cost of the cleanup will be tallied when the contagion has passed. To report dying fish call the MNR at 1-866-929-0994. For more on the disease go the Ministry of Natural Resources website www.mnr.gov.on.ca/239487.pdf