Spiel

....That's near exactly how mines installed Cliff and I don't have a bow light up front to deal with. Just position it as close as you can to the light (center line) as Roy suggested in the stowed position so that the motor is running over the port (or starboard) gunnel. This will ensure it's not obstructing the floor space at the bow.

....Just buy a new boat.

...If your bored and wish'n you was fish'n you can read some fish'n news. Some recent updates this morning.

....That's some good bass'n for sure. The "long skinny" ones are likely spawned out females or perhaps hungry males who are still sitting on the nests.

....I've met Garry and I know he's a top shelf kinda guy. While I've never experienced sharing a boat with him nor the hospitality of his home I know some who have and they always refer to it as a fantastic time with a wonderful host. I'm glad to read that you also have had a chance to share in his generousity John

Native fish market up and running - VIDEO (add your thoughts) June 27, 2008 Dave Dale / nugget.ca Business was brisk at the Old Chief Fish Market Friday afternoon as hungry customers bought fresh Lake Nipissing walleye harvested by Nipissing First Nation members in the morning. "This is excellent," said Diana Perry as she picked up $26 worth of walleye for supper, with a few fillets wrapped for the freezer. This is the first time the native community has sold fish through a cooperative business model regulated by its own laws and conservation plan. In years past, individual fishers and families operated commercial entities without provincial health inspections of their facilities that allow restaurant resale. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources said it supports the retail fish market approach, with the understanding that all of the fish are from registered commercial fishermen. -------------------------------------------------- Walleye quota explained by biologist June 27, 2008 Dave Dale / nugget.ca The Nipissing First Nation operates it commercial fishing activities with a quota system based on a sustainable Lake Nipissing walleye fishery. Richard Rowe, Nipissing's fisheries department biologist, said the native commercial and substistence harvest and non-native angling estimate will not exceed two thirds of the lake's sustainable level. VIEW VIDEO (add your thoughts)

Costly error for fisherman June 25, 2008 / MNR News Release A Combermere man who failed to remove his ice fishing hut by the deadline is facing the costly consequence. Lyle Zilney, 34, of Combermere, left his ice fishing hut on Kamaniskeg Lake after March 31 in Fisheries Management Zone 15 and was fined $1,000 by the Ministry of Natural Resources. On April 17, the Ontario Court of Justice, Bancroft, heard conservation officers from Bancroft District followed up on a complaint report to TIPS-MNR concerning an unlawful ice hut on Kamaniskeg Lake. Given the ice had recently broken up during a spring thaw, the officers were faced with recovering a floating ice hut. It posed a threat to the lake environment and was a safety hazard to boaters.Although the hut was successfully removed from the lake, the operation monopolized valuable staff time and equipment resources. Justice of the Peace B. Moran heard the case in Ontario Court of Justice, Bancroft, on June 3. Zilney was subsequently fined.

Lake worth $1 billion Report places value on Simcoe's ecosystem June 28, 2008 NATHAN TAYLOR, thebarrieexaminer.com According to a recent report, the ecological benefits of the Lake Simcoe ecosystem are worth nearly $1 billion. The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA), the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation and the David Suzuki Foundation partnered to create the report --Lake Simcoe Basin's Natural Capital: The Value of the Watershed's Ecosystem Services-- released Thursday. Using data collected by the LSRCA over the past three years, the study examined the lake's numerous goods and services, including carbon storage, flood control, waste treatment, clean air and water quality, supply and filtration. "Because it's based on science, it's going to allow us to make informed land-use decisions," said Mike Walters, the LSRCA's director of watershed management. "It is based on our factual understanding of the ecosystem." The report states services provided by the watershed's forests and wetlands are worth $319 million and $435 million, respectively, making them "the most highly valued assets." Putting a dollar value on the lake is "crucial to securing a safe water source and a safe local food source," said Danielle Pignataro, communications director with the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation. "It begins to level the playing field between the environment and the economy," she said, adding it's the first watershed valuation of its kind in southern Ontario. With a total area of more than 815,000 acres, the Lake Simcoe watershed is a substantial resource that cannot afford to be compromised in any way, she said. "Like the ecosystems within and around its boundaries, if one area of the greenbelt is compromised, it can affect its interconnected parts," Pignataro said, using the Holland Marsh as an example. Area environmentalist Jim Woodford questioned the benefit of -- and logic behind -- tagging Simcoe as a billion- dollar lake. "The state the lake is in, it's probably worth 10 bucks," Woodford said. "I don't think (valuation) is the way to approach this. They've got to, first of all, find out what's wrong with the lake and fix it." High phosphorus levels and the invasive spiny water flea are among the most urgent issues of the lake, he said. "To get a true figure for the value of Lake Simcoe, you would have to subtract all the liabilities, such as the $200 million to reduce phosphorus, stream rehabilitation, spawning habitat renewal, etc.," Woodford said. "The final figure might be minus several hundred million." Full Report Here

Bass put the fight put back into fishing It's often been said that smallmouth bass have more fight in them than any other fish June 28, 2008 DOUG EDGAR / owensoundsuntimes.com I knew it was time to return to civilization when a smallmouth bass swam under the boat and I started to salivate. It was years ago, when my father and I spent weeks in the summer cruising around the islands and harbours of the North Channel, north of Manitoulin. Part of the unspoken deal was that if I caught fish for dinner, the start of the inevitable trip home might be put off for another day. We were living pretty close to nature, but the Pavlovian response to a fish swimming by gave me pause. It's one thing to have your stomach rumble a bit when a butter-drenched breaded fillet is in the pan, but such a reaction is something else when lunch is looking back at you. My appreciation of bass has changed a bit since those days. I'm not one to turn up my nose at a plate of fresh fish, but now it's pretty well all about the catching -- which just so happens to start today in Grey-Bruce. It's often been said that smallmouth bass have more fight in them, pound for pound, than any other fish. They can go from deep, strong runs to multiple headshaking jumps in a split second. As a rule, once I hook a trout or a salmon there's a pretty good chance it's going to end up in hand, but quite a few bass have spat lures, jigs and even bait back at me before going on their merry way. When they're ready to bite, bass can do a lot for an angler's self-esteem, striking at plugs, spinners, spoons, flies and live bait with a vengeance. If you can watch a bass smash a topwater lure on a glassy bay in the evening and not get a bit of a rush, you might be a corpse. But they're not the perennial pushovers some people would have you believe. Smallmouth especially can get pretty moody and be quite selective, especially when the weather turns. They can check out a bait for quite a while before deciding whether to move on to a taste test. I also think they are somewhat curious. More than once I've gone snorkeling and turned around to see bass following along as though they are trying to figure out what I am. I think that curiosity plays a role in why they strike so many bizarre looking lures. On the subject of lures, it seems there's hundreds of new ones touted as the only thing the fashionable bass will have hanging from its lip this season. After all, bass fishing is big business. I'm not immune to the siren call of the tackle aisle, either. There's lots of new soft-bodied baits out now and I've built up enough to fill a couple of boxes to try this summer. Smallmouth and largemouth bass share the instinct to protect their nests and young. The male bass stands guard over the nest, a cleared-out depression in a gravelly area for smallmouth, gravel or sand for largemouth. They can live to be 15 years old. This area has bass in many of its inland lakes and rivers. In fact, one of the biggest smallmouth I ever caught came out of the Saugeen near Paisley. My wife pleaded the fish's case and I let it go. Over the years, as she's seen pictures of big bass in magazines and on fishing shows, I think she's come to realize the depth of my sacrifice for conservation and marital harmony that day. There are smallmouth along the shore in Owen Sound and in the lower stretches of the Sydenham River, although not many people seem to fish for them. I've also seen them upstream of the mill dam, but I've never seen them further up than Harrison Park. Generally speaking, smallmouth like deeper and colder water -- in the 15 to 20 C range 60 to 70 F range-- than largemouth and can often be found around structures such as logs and rocks as well as weedbeds. They'll go pretty deep to find the right temperature during the day when things heat up. Some seem to hang out in roving schools, while others will find a favourite spot and stay there. I think such behaviour has a lot to do with what they are eating -- sometimes they will key in on minnows, other times they seem to be after crayfish and leeches and such things. They will often come into shallower water in the evening to feed. One of my favourite ways to fish for smallmouth in our smaller lakes is to drift and cast a twisty-tail type jig from a kayak. Bait is a proven bass-catcher, with worms, minnows and crayfish good producers. Watch out with crayfish to make sure you don't spread the invasive rusty crayfish around. Don't move crayfish, or other self-caught bait for that matter, between waterbodies. Also, the new fishing regs prohibit dumping bait buckets in the water -- even if the bait was caught in the same waterbody. The standard-licence limit is still six and the rivers in the twin counties still close early, but since the MNR rewrote the fishing rule book it probably makes sense to double check for any changes.

Beware of flares / Flares contain chemical that can burn skin June 28, 2008 Scott Dunn / owensoundsuntimes.com Grey County OPP warn anyone who finds a marine flare washed ashore to call police rather than pick it up. Every year, 424 Squadron search and rescue personnel, based in Trenton, Ont., practise dropping marine flares in a target area marked by yellow buoys offshore from Land Force Central Area Training Centre Meaford. Prevailing winds and water currents push these devices east, so if they wash ashore, they’re likely to do so from Meaford eastward, said Const. Drew Wilder Friday. He produced some flares which had washed up on shore and are now stored at the Meaford military centre. Wilder is not aware of reports of injury by these flares. But occasionally people find one, pick it up, and in one instance, brought it into an OPP detachment in Midland when they shouldn’t have. Anyone who finds a marine flare should call the OPP, Wilder said. These devices present a danger to anyone who handles them because there could be unburned phosphorus in them, he said. This chemical can still burn skin without igniting. But Wilder said the big concern is the devices could re-ignite if touched or shaken. They’re designed to ignite in salt water. But for freshwater uses, salt is added to the canister to assist a battery to ignite the flare. That process could still be activated through handling, Wilder said, and the devices could explode. If these flares wash ashore, it’s probably because they haven’t burned properly, an official with 424 Squadron in Trenton confirmed by phone Friday. These flares float while sending up smoke to help mark the target and indicate wind direction. A yellow flame is also visible at night. They’re about 45 centimetres long and have the diameter of a baseball. They’re supposed to burn for 10 to 12 minutes before sinking. They’re smaller and look similar to the magnesium flares attached to parachutes, which are dropped from search and rescue aircraft at night. These burn brightly to help rescuers see. These devices should not be handled either.

Selling an old concept to a new Muskoka crowd Jun 25, 2008 Amberly McAteer / muskokan.com Photo by Amberly McAteer / CLASSICS FOR RENT. Stan Hunter has been restoring classic wooden boats for decades, but has only recently offered a livery, whereby visitors can rent the symbols of Muskoka. Hunter is precise about every little detail, including the classic keys and shiny silver touches. The wooden boat is an icon of Muskoka, yet few visitors ever experience driving one. Renowned boat builder Stan Hunter had an idea: why not bring back the wooden boat livery, once the mainstay of wooden boat companies in Muskoka. My first thought… “How easy is it to operate one of these things? I mean, can anyone do it?” I ask Stan Hunter, distinguished Port Carling boat builder. We’re standing in his boathouse, overlooking a handful of classic wooden vessels gently bobbing in the water. Before I know it, I’m cruising Lake Muskoka, behind the wheel of a shiny 1948 Duke Playmate, restored to its original beauty, with Hunter riding comfortably in the passenger seat. The motor is surprisingly quiet; it reminds me of my mom’s old sewing machine. The waves are high and the sky is bright, and here I am driving Hunter’s boat. This isn’t the story I’d come for, nor the spontaneity I expected from Hunter. I’ve come to speak with him about his livery, his newest venture of renting his refurbished classic wooden boats to the fractional ownership crowd. For $1,200 a week, visitors can rent one of his treasures, have it delivered wherever they’d like — their home, cottage or hotel — complete with a full tank of gas. When they’re done, they just leave it at the dock. No mess, no maintenance, no storage. From the driver’s seat, I slow down and soak in the awesome scenery. I’m certain that Hunter has proved his point: anyone with a pleasure craft operator card can do this, and anyone would cherish it. The livery is simply “history repeating itself,” he tells me. Boat builders Duke, Clive Brown and John Dunn were renting out their boats in the very beginning of Muskoka tourism, he explains. The Ditchburn Company grew in size because of the need for rentals, when people were flocking to Muskoka and yearning to be on the water. Now, half a century later, Hunter says the same need has arisen: people want to experience owning a classic boat, waving to dockside sunbathers on a breezy July afternoon. “It’s the newest trend, but the oldest concept,” he says. “It’s a new idea, but at the same time it’s not new at all. It’s owning a piece of Muskoka temporarily, have it be yours. And when you’re done, forget about the upkeep.” Hunter says the idea to have a livery has always been in the back of his mind. “Wooden boats are all over the promotional stuff but nobody’s figured out how to get them into the customer’s hands,” he adds. Hunter’s shop is packed with shiny, wooden boats of different sizes, years and models. Some he and his crew are restoring for customers, and some are Hunter’s personal boats. On the water, we slow right down and bob carefree in the lake. “How did you pick which models to put in the livery?” I ask. “Well, what a good question,” he answers. He’s silent. Smiling, he looks intently across the water. For a moment, I think he’s forgotten about me. Hunter is a lot like the boats themselves. He’s slow moving, leisurely. Classic. Spending an afternoon with him, I feel like I’ve gone back in time, to an era without all the rush. I’ve been transported to an age where I could spend all day, all week, on this water with Hunter and his boat. “It’s safe, it’s slow,” he says of the Duke playmate, a vessel with only 25 horsepower. “It would be difficult to do any real damage to it. It’s easy to operate, but also I’m appealing to the sort of person who cherishes the classics. They’ll want a Duke. There is magic here.” I learn that “easy to operate” is an understatement. A silver switch in the centre of the steering wheel determines the speed. “Docking the boat is the trickiest part,” says Hunter. He will personally guide the boat’s temporary owner in a short lesson on how to dock, but it’s not complicated and will only take a matter of minutes, he says. I speed up — a simple push of the switch — and look back to see the boathouse disappearing. “We’re all responsible for our own wake,” says Hunter quietly. “My dad taught me that.” Classic wooden boats have a modern appeal, he says, as they are quiet and as eco-friendly as boats can get. “And I admit I have this romantic ideology about them. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone floated around out here, instead of speeding by on wakeboards and fibreglass?”

Free fishing weekend Friday, June 27, 2008 / MNR News Release ********************** Canadians may fish licence-free in Ontario waters during the Ontario Family Fishing Weekend from July 4 through July 6, 2008. More than 50 local family fishing events, derbies and festivals across the province will offer anglers valuable fishing tips and advice and an opportunity to learn good conservation practices. Some locations will provide the use of rods and reels courtesy of the Ontario Federation of Angers and Hunters’ Tackle Share program. During family fishing weekend, anglers fishing without a licence must follow the conservation licence limits set out in the Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary. Information on these limits will also be available onsite at most local events. The annual Family Fishing Weekend is supported by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, the Canadian Sportfishing Industry Association, the Canadian National Sportfishing Foundation, the Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters Association and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, as well as many local sponsors. QUOTE “Fishing is a great way for families and friends to spend quality time together outdoors,” said Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield. “Our annual Family Fishing Weekend is a chance for Ontarians of all ages to experience the joys of fishing and learn about the importance of keeping our natural environment clean, healthy and abundant.” QUICK FACTS • Ontario’s Family Fishing Weekend takes place during National Fishing Week, which runs from July 5-13, 2008. • With 250,000 inland lakes, countless rivers, and shorelines on four of the five Great Lakes, Ontario offers some of the best fishing in the world. • Ontario is home to160 of Canada's 228 species of freshwater fish. LEARN MORE → Find out about local Family Fishing Weekend events in your area by visiting www.familyfishingweekend.com or by calling the Natural Resources Information Centre at 1-800-667-1940.

Dead carp washing up on Lake Simcoe's shores 06-26-2008- Scott Howard / mykawartha.com The Ministry of Natural Resources is monitoring reports of dead fish washing ashore from Lake Simcoe. According to Jane Sirois, the information officer for the MNR's Aurora District, there have been a smattering of reports from around the lake. "At this time of year that's not hugely unusual. The environmental conditions are right for a fish die-off," she said. "But we are keeping an eye on it." The ministry has a dedicated number -- 1-866-929-0994 -- for residents to report sightings of multiple dead fish. Callers will be asked for information about the species, condition and number of fish, the location of the fish and recent weather or environmental conditions. The line is open around the clock.

PARTNERS SUPPORT ACTION PLAN TO BRING BACK AMERICAN EEL Native Species Important Part Of Great Lakes Ecosystem June 20, 2008 / MNR News An action plan to find means of restoring the American eel in the upper St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario was announced today by Fisheries and Oceans Canada Minister Loyola Hearn, Ontario Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield and Ontario Power Generation Executive Vice President - Hydro John Murphy. "The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of the American eel to ecosystems in Ontario and is committed to working with the province and Ontario Power Generation to restore eels to the upper St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario for current and future generations," said Minister Hearn. "Our contribution to this initiative will continue to be primarily in the form of our scientific research capacity, including the compilation of fish habitat inventories to better understand eel habitat." The multi-year plan will aim to find solutions to eel survival, and stock and monitor this important native species. Under the plan, Ontario Power Generation is spending $2.5 million on eel restoration by the end of 2011, including $1 million to develop ways to trap eels during their downstream migration and transport them around dams. "Protecting and restoring Ontario's native species is vital to our success in sustaining the province's biodiversity," said Minister Cansfield. "American eels once played a key role in Ontario's aquatic ecosystem; the action plan includes steps to reduce specific threats to eels and increase their numbers." As part of the plan, Ontario Power Generation stocked 2.6 million young eels into the upper St. Lawrence River during the past two years. The plan also calls for continued stocking and monitoring to ensure that the young eels survive, grow and contribute to the aquatic ecosystem. "We are pleased to provide support for this innovative and important research project to find solutions to restore and preserve the eel population. For over 30 years, an eel ladder has been operated at Ontario Power Generation's Saunders Generating Station in Cornwall, and since 2006 we have been involved in eel stocking programs and most recently researching on ways to trap and transport eels," said Executive Vice President Murphy. American eels have declined dramatically in the upper St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario since the 1990s. The number of eels passing over an eel ladder at the Saunders Generating Station during their upstream migration has dropped 99 per cent over that time. The federal and provincial governments are working together across Canada to conserve and restore this significant species. Restoring the species is especially challenging because all American eels are part of a single breeding population that spawns in the Sargasso Sea in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The young eels migrate to the inland waters of North America, remain there for 10 to 15 years, and then migrate back to the Sargasso Sea to spawn and die. For more information on the action plan, see attached backgrounder.

PCBs, fuel leaking into St. Lawrence River, pollution watchdog says June 24, 2008 Martin Mittelstaedt / Globe and Mail North America's environmental watchdog says up to eight million litres of diesel fuel and up to two tonnes of dangerous PCBs contaminate Montreal's Technoparc and are leaking into the nearby St. Lawrence River. The watchdog, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, released its five-year investigation into the site yesterday. The area, now an industrial park owned by the city between the Champlain and Victoria Bridges at Pointe-Saint-Charles, was used as a parking lot during Expo 67, but before that had been a dump for industrial waste. The waste fuel would fill about three Olympic-size swimming pools, and contaminants from the site can be detected several kilometres downstream from a city waste water treatment plant, according to the CEC. The CEC has been investigating the site after five Canadian and U.S. conservation groups alleged in 2003 that Environment Canada was failing to enforce provisions of the Fisheries Act that make it illegal to discharge harmful pollutants into fish habitat. Testing by the groups found that PCB concentrations at Technoparc were up to 8.5 million times above Canada's water quality guidelines. PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are transformer fluids now banned because they cause deformities in animals, particularly those exposed during early life. After a preliminary review, the CEC, which was set up under the North American free-trade agreement to monitor pollution in Canada, the United States and Mexico, said the allegations merited an in-depth investigation known as a factual record. The CEC isn't allowed to issue conclusions on the conduct of governments and can issue only facts about cases. Yet its investigation did conclude that groundwater at the site "is toxic to fish" and that "by the late 1980s, government authorities knew that the lands ... were contaminated." Environment Canada studied the site in 2003, but didn't launch Fisheries Act charges because it said it was "impossible to determine the source and pathway of the contaminants," according to the CEC. Mark Mattson, president of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, one of the groups that complained to the CEC, said, "This is an incredible story about Canada doing everything in its ability to escape accountability and enforcement of a continuing environmental travesty on the St. Lawrence River." In its defence, Environment Canada told the CEC that pollutants from the site could have come from the dumping of snow and waste of unknown origin. Because Environment Canada worried that it wouldn't have a successful prosecution under the Fisheries Act, it decided to drop its investigation and continue "its efforts with the different parties potentially responsible for the contamination in order to find a lasting solution to this environmental problem," the CEC said.

Pure Fishing Establishes World Headquarters in Columbia, South Carolina Jun. 25, 2008 / PR Newswire Spirit Lake, IA.... Pure Fishing, a leading global provider of branded fishing products, today announced plans to establish its world headquarters in Columbia, South Carolina. This move will strongly position Pure Fishing for its next phase of growth as an international leader in the fishing tackle market, with closer proximity to its global customer base and improved operating efficiencies. The Pure Fishing brand portfolio includes Abu Garcia®, Berkley®, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Pflueger®, SevenStrand®, Shakespeare®, Spiderwire®, Stren®, Trilene® and Ugly Stik®. The Columbia location will contain the Pure Fishing world headquarters staff including senior leadership, sales management, sourcing and supply chain management, and specific category marketing and product development teams. Pure Fishing will continue to maintain the majority of its U.S. coworker base in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Terry Carlson, CEO of Pure Fishing, said, "We are committed to building the world’s best fishing tackle company and our decision to establish our world headquarters in Columbia represents this commitment in action. Combining three fishing companies into one organization with centralized leadership at one location is a key element of our long-term focus on building on what is the strongest cross-category brand portfolio in the industry. With this new headquarters, we will better serve our customers around the world and be able to take advantage of synergies and new business opportunities created through the combination of Pure Fishing, Shakespeare and Penn." Mr. Carlson continued, "The talent and passion of our staff across each of our facilities, including our freshwater and saltwater centers of excellence in Philadelphia, Spirit Lake, Iowa, and Columbia, are unparalleled in our industry and we will continue to drive innovation across all of our brands to ensure they remain the best in the industry." Pure Fishing is a leading global provider of fishing tackle, lures, rods and reels with a portfolio of brands that includes Abu Garcia®, Berkley®, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Pflueger®, SevenStrand®, Shakespeare®, Spiderwire®, Stren®, Trilene® and Ugly Stik®. With operations in 19 countries, Pure Fishing is part of Jarden Outdoor Solutions, a leader in developing outdoor and active lifestyle products and a division of Jarden Corporation

Regulations, rising costs put bite on bait 06/22/08 Will Elliott / buffalonews.com The fishing is great, but the bait sparks debate. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s restrictions on live and preserved baits, imposed to help control of aquatic diseases and maladies, has put a serious bite on bait sales and use. Perch fishermen have been affected most, but any angler in need of live bait, especially the swimming versions of fish lures, has to pay more per bucket and often must do without the more preferred bait species. Factor in the ever-increasing cost of gas to get to and across the water and fishing might seem to be in a latter- day Depression Era mode. Despite these bait restrictions and other setbacks, all is not gloom and gruesome. Reports of perch and bass catches for Lake Erie throughout the spring have fish numbers and sizes on the increase. The walleye comeback is nicely chronicled in a Dave Barus piece in the June issue of Conservationist magazine. Everything from panfish to pike offer area anglers a busy and rewarding resource. Few places in North America provide access to five-pound smallmouth bass, 10-pound walleye and a bucket of foot-long perch within a mile of some structure between harbors at Buffalo and Barcelona. Boaters need not haul a trailer for hours to get to good perch schools off Pinehurst, Hamburg, Sturgeon Point, Cattaraugus Creek, or Dunkirk Harbor. As for the bait restrictions, the whole truth is that Lake Erie perch and ringbacks in Lake Ontario and other nearby waters have a distinct preference for the emerald shiner. Emeralds, for decades, have accounted for more blue pike, yellow perch and other panfish species in full buckets than all other baitfish options combined. It could be the shape, the flashy coloration, or some subtle scent given off, but emeralds shine among shiners while fishing for perch at virtually any depth in Lake Erie. Here’s the good news — or at least better than all those agonizing reports on perch catching — for this season and during this bait restriction period: Salted emerald shiners work nearly as well as live emeralds and often better than any live baits such as fatheads or small golden shiners. Earlier in the season, boaters could net emeralds close to shore, head out from their netting site, catch fish, and comply with DEC bait regulations. Now, emeralds may be captured from shore at sites along the Niagara River, but the open shoreline of Lake Erie has warmed, algae buildup would clog a seine net and the bait has moved out. A walk along the shoreline at Sturgeon Point last weekend confirmed that the minnows are on the move. It took us a half-hour stroll just to spot a small school of bait, that was probably young-of-the-year game fish, not emeralds. Bait dealers know that emerald shiners are a mainstay. “We netted as much as we could, processed them and have salted packages ready,” said Bill Van Camp at Big Catch Bait & Tackle, 2287 Niagara St. “We also have live golden shiners and fatheads that can be sold live,” which he and wife, Pat, supply daily for fishermen. Van Camp works the circuit as both a retail and wholesale bait dealer. His sales area has him traveling to the Michigan side of Ohio as well as eastward throughout New York State. “Just this week they had to raise golden shiner prices 75 cents per pound,” he said, referring to wholesale price increased caused by gas price increases. But bait dealers need not pay for a DEC 10-day permit, obtainable from regional headquarters, to dip bait for salting. “I have to report my dipping location and the time I collect the bait,” said Rick Miller at Miller’s Bait & Tackle in Irving. After that, dealers can store processed and salted emerald shiners for sale throughout the season. Steve Hurst, DEC Fisheries Bureau Chief in Albany, said earlier this week, “I don’t see the permanent regulations coming off soon. We’re protecting the resource for down the road,” referring to VHS and other aquatic invaders that have entered the Great Lakes chain and some larger inland lakes. Hurst, himself an avid angler, was encouraged to hear that salted emeralds worked well on Lake Erie perch, added his regrets that bait dealers have to deal with these required restrictions. “With all the great fishing we have across this state, it’s a shame that we have to impose these regulations,” he said. The perch bite, straight out of Cattaraugus Creek, continues to flourish at depths of 40 to 50 feet, and serious ringback runners often hit into schools of the older, post-spawn plugs that can quickly fill a bucket or box on a good day out. Take along an assortment of minnow- type baits and keep on the move until your boat gets over a good working school. The fishing can be great despite the choice of bait.

KVD Helps You Choose a Fishing Rod June 23, 2008, 4:31 PM ET Ed Harp / ESPN "The most important thing about choosing a fishing rod is to get the one that works for you," says two-time Classic Champion, Kevin VanDam. Simply put, "a 'good' fishing rod is one that helps you fish effectively and efficiently with the lure you are using. "Too many anglers worry about materials, mechanics and names. Those things are important but the ultimate standard is to choose a rod that performs the task at hand properly. There's really no other way to judge a rod." He continues by pointing out that if you're throwing a small, shallow running crankbait, you need a rod with the proper action and tip that lets you cast accurately. Precise lure placement matters. On the other hand, if you're throwing a big, heavy deep-diver you need power and a rod that'll let you make long casts. Accuracy is less important. The same rod — no matter how high the quality of its materials and construction — won't do the same job. If you do use the same rod for both applications, one of them is not a good rod because it won't perform properly. That sounds great in theory but there's a practical, real-world problem with it — money. Most of us can't afford to purchase a special rod for every type of lure we throw. We have to make do with what our budgets allow. What to do? VanDam recommends we start with three rods that are acceptable for most applications. He then recommends add-ons based on where we bass fish and our level of experience. KVD's Basic 3 1. Start with a 6-foot, 10-inch, medium-heavy action baitcaster. That rod will handle most spinnerbaits, crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, jerkbaits and topwater plugs. 2. He also recommends we carry a 7-foot, medium action spinning rod with a high speed reel. That'll work for most finesse applications such as drop shotting, shaky heads and weightless worms. 3. A 7-foot, 2-inch heavy casting rod will round out the arsenal. It'll manage heavy cover applications such as flipping or pitching, and it work frogs effectively. Those are the basics. They aren't all going to be perfect, but they're a start. Most lures, rigs and applications can be fished effectively in most parts of the country with one of them. VanDam stresses another factor that he believes is critical to fishing success — compatibility. "Every company's rods are different. They all have different blanks, different handles, different guide spacing, different actions, different tips and a different overall feel. It's important that all your rods be from the same company. "Now, I design rods for Quantum. I think they're the best in the industry. I'd like to see you buy ours. But, if you like another manufacturer's rods better, you should buy them. And I mean buy all of your rods from them. Don't mix and match. "If you're going to become a better bass angler you've got to be able to cast quickly and accurately with good rods. You can't do that if every time you pick up a rod and reel it takes you 10 minutes to readjust. You can't afford to waste that much time. "If all your rods and reels are the same, you'll feel comfortable immediately when you switch outfits. I can't stress how important that is to becoming a better anger. It's critical, absolutely critical, that all your rods and reels are from the same company." VanDam says he can't recommend additional rod choices unless he knows an angler's particular circumstances. "I can't pick another two or three must-have rods unless I know where an angler's going to be fishing and how much experience he or she has," he explains. "Every situation is different. "In Michigan, where I'm from, there are a lot of shallow, clear natural lakes. And, we fish a lot for smallmouths. Long spinning rods are popular here. If you live in Florida, however, you'll probably need a heavy flipping rod, something that'll get you through the heavy weeds and vegetation. "When I worked in my brother's tackle store in Kalamazoo — R & D Sports Center — I frequently recommended anglers not buy additional rods too soon. If you're new to our sport take some time and go fishing. Don't get in too big of a hurry. Find out what works for you and what techniques are popular in your neck of the woods before you buy more rods." Finally, a word or two about price: According to VanDam you generally get what you pay for with fishing rods. He says the biggest problem with cheap rods is that the blanks and actions aren't uniform. The rods vary from one to another. VanDam is an angler noted for demanding perfection in every product he endorses. His new Signature Series crankbait rods from Quantum will retail for around $150.

....Yeah the hat looks good on ya! Have one on me champ.

....Here's your solution....No Drill Hydrofoil Stabilizer

....It was great to see you back again Rich and a pleasure to meet your wife and those wonderful dogs. Brook is kind of bored these last few days without all the excitment of her four legged friends about.

Bassmasters secure sponsorship for fishing tournament Jun 25, 2008 / yorkregion.com Georgina: The Aurora Bassmasters announced Jack Link’s Beef Jerky, the leading United States meat snack brand, has thrown its support behind a new partnership between its club and Bass Pro Shops Canada, Inc. for the Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open slated for Oct. 25 at Sibbald Point Provincial Park. “On behalf of Jack Link’s Beef Jerky, we are proud to lend our support to this exciting new event as presenting sponsor.” said the company’s Ontario regional manager Doug Surerus. “The success of the Lake Simcoe Open will continue to grow exponentially into the future, attracting ardent anglers from all walks of life. We are excited to be a part of your tournament season here in Ontario. We look forward to playing an integral role in this year’s successes,” he said. Anglers competing in the 2008 tournament are encouraged to pre-apply because the field will be limited to 80 teams. Total entry fees per team will be $280. This includes $20 for big fish and $10 to launch your boat. Anglers wishing to pre-apply, should send a $50 non-refundable deposit (cheque) or the entire amount payable to Aurora Bassmasters: c/o Herb Quan, 58 English Ivy Way, Willowdale, ON M2H 3M4. Application forms are available through www.aurorabass.com

Indeed, indeed. What Roy said.

....I've done plenty of corny stuff when in the boat and if fact out of the boat, plenty of it captured on film too, and fame had nothing to do with it! Just having fun that's all. Wouldn't life be a giggle if we never allowed ourselves to be foolish, ever! *yawn*