Spiel

....Well I made a decision and it's not the TICA Caiman. While I like the round body casters I'm also comfortable with the low profile and when I came across this one at what I thought was an exceptional price I decided to buy two. Should be a sweet reel for my newest casting rod. Special thanks to a good friend for helping me.

....That's it, I'm never leaving the house again.

Aurora Bassmasters go angling for pike May 21, 2008 Wil Wegman / yorkregion.com Georgina - The season’s first big fishing tournament is going to be catch-and-release ... sort of. A pike tournament, held by the Aurora Bassmasters, will be held Saturday in Keswick with the pike caught there being released later on in Fairy Lake in Newmarket. With the help of the Ministry of Natural Resource’s community fish and wildlife improvement program, volunteers and ministry staff will select a cross-section of pike that will be put into an aerated transfer tank and moved to Fairy Lake. In the past, pike from Lake Simcoe used to be able to swim as far as the Holland River. However, due to dams and obstructions over the years, they aren’t able to do so on their own these days. In their new home as top predator, the pike will help balance the fish community. Unlike other Aurora Bassmasters tournaments, this will be an open event, meaning all anglers, not just members of the club, are eligible to compete. Anglers will begin at Pasadena Marina at 534 Lake Dr. S. The tournament starts at 6 a.m. with registration at the marina. Cost is $110 per team, which includes $10 for the big fish pot and $10 for launch. Paybacks will be 80 per cent of entry fees. Anglers fish from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will bring in the heaviest three pike they catch per two-person team. Heaviest limit wins. Fully functioning livewells and all the standard boating safety requirements are in effect. No live bait is permitted and standard tournament rules apply. Other tournaments The last tournament of the year is still a long way off, but you can note the Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open will take place out of Sibbald Point Provincial Park Oct. 25. This tournament holds the all-time Canadian record for the heaviest five bass ever weighed in during a one-day tournament at 29.90 lbs and is sure to be another success in 2008. Catching Early Season Pike In Simcoe: Regardless of whether you are fishing competitively or recreationally for northern pike, early spring pike action can be some of the finest you will experience. It can, however, also be tough. And, similar to other fishing ventures at this time of year, weather is the deciding factor. Generally speaking, warming trends with a steady or rising barometer can be fabulous, so spring pike love stable weather conditions. Although they do feed during the winter, they don’t during the strenuous spawning period which has just finished. So, given the opportunity, they will be eager to voraciously search for and capture your baits. Spring is the best time of year in Simcoe to work surface and subsurface lures such as the Rapala Husky Jerk or big X Rap’s. Newly emerging weed growth can be difficult to find, especially with late winter ice outs and cool springs such as we have had so far, but if you find some fresh, green aquatic plant growth, you can often find the big hungry northern not too far off. If action near the surface subsides, throwing bright flashy Terminator Spinnerbaits can be deadly ... and with this model made from titanium, they won’t get all bent out of shape once engulfed by a thrashing pike. As is often the case on the day of your fishing excursion, the weather suddenly turns cold and blustery or even one of those dreaded blue bird days after the front. Knowing that fishing could be tough from the onset will help you prepare mentally for what could be a long day on the water. After fishing pike tournaments for at about 20 years, I have had my share of cold fronts to fish through and these spring northerns can be negatively affected big time. However, you can use this to your advantage if you slow down your presentations and possibly even revert to throwing jigs tipped with various plastics. Another secret I am willing to reveal is watch the temperature gauge on your sonar units. Look for the warmest water you can find, preferably with the presence of new weed growth. In early spring, under cold front conditions, finding areas where the temperature is only a few degrees warmer, can make all the difference in the world. And while others are bemoaning their misfortune in colder waters you will finesse your way to some pike. For more information on the pike tournament or transfer contact the club’s tournament director Tom Tsatskas at [email protected] or visit www.aurorabass.com

Catch and release May 21, 2008 JUDI KOSKI / www.northernlife.ca The Angler & Young Angler is a professional tournament where the kids are the pros. The goal of this tournament is to educate young anglers about competitive sport fishing in a fun environment, surrounded by family and friends, while creating memories that will last a lifetime. Tournament Director Guy Myre (of Sudbury Cycle & Marine) explains that each team consists of one adult angler and two young anglers, 17 and under. The event includes an official weigh-in, prizes, awards and BBQ to follow a hard day’s fishing. The winner of each regional tournament qualifies for the opportunity to participate in the National Championship. The AYA Walleye Championship began in 1998 when tournament founder, Andrew Klopak decided he wanted to fish in a competitive style (catch and release) tournament on opening day with his son. Seeing that there were no tournaments catering to adult and young anglers, he created his own. The success of this original Manitoba tournament has lead to expansion across North America. The Sudbury AYA tournament takes place Sunday, May 25 in Massey (lower Spanish River), with the grand prize a Lund Boat Package. For more information call (705)-560-7751 or visit www.angleryoungangler.ca.

....Well I've done my share of open water fishing for whities and they can be had in many ways. Tactics are often based on the water type. In cold, clear deep water I've found ice fishing style tactics to be quite successful. The key is finding concentrations of fish (sonar being invaluable). Another deep water method of course would be the downrigger, trolling small minnow baits or small spinners. I supose my fave would have to be on smaller northern lakes when the mayfly hatches are on and you can actually take whitefish abundantly with a flyrod on dry flies or emerging nymph patterns. In this case the whities will show themselves with delicate surface takes as they rise to suck in the mayfly. Friends lucky enough to be with me when this happens have had success with small crappie type jigs under pencil floats or tossing small mepps style spinners.

....Boy there's a lot of happy faces there, young and old. Looks like a great event well hosted and run. Kudos to all involved qand congrats to all the winners.

...Great post and report Mike. As for the debate, looks like a "white perch" to me but then again I need better glasses.

....I'd would definitely try ripping shallow running, suspending stick baits (husky jerks) over the weed tops.

.....Seems like a lot prefer Trilene and I'll add my vote to it. Trilene XT is on most of my reels and the only other mono I use is Maxima Ultragreen. You might find the Maxima more pliable and memory free than the Trilene.

Battle against lamprey on Beaver and Big Head Rivers May 21, 2008 Doug Edgar / theenterprisebulletin.com Canada's sea lamprey busters plan to treat a section of the Sauble River during the first week of June. They are also monitoring lamprey runs on the Beaver River, which enters Georgian Bay at Thornbury, and on the Bighead, which enters the bay at Meaford. Also, a metal plate will be added to the top of Denny's Dam as added insurance that the parasitic jawless fish - although they're often called eels, technically they're not - don't get into the vast Saugeen system, which has extensive areas suitable for lamprey spawning. The drive to reproduce is so strong that lampreys will attach themselves to a dam or other obstacle and work their way over the top if the drop is small enough, said Paul Sullivan, section head, control, with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Sea Lamprey Control Centre in Sault Ste. Marie. "It's remarkable the tenacity they have," he said. The drop at Denny's Dam is great enough to stop them, but the plate, which will form a horizontal lip over the crest of the dam, will make the structure better. "It's just an added safety measure," Sullivan said. The Saugeen was treated with lampricide once, in 1970, when Denny's Dam was put to use as a barrier, Sullivan said. It was the most expensive treatment to that point and would cost $700,000 to do today. The local work is part of efforts on both sides of the border to control sea lampreys, an invasive species that is believed to have entered the upper Great Lakes through the Welland Canal in the early 20th century. They helped decimate lake trout and other large predatory fish. The Sauble River will be treated from the Jewel Bridge Road downstream, Sullivan said. That area, a short distance east of Bruce Road 13, which is the main north-south route along the Huron shore, is as far upstream as larval sea lampreys have been found. The Sauble has been periodically treated with lampricide since 1970, Sullivan said. The chemical, which kills the larval stage of the lamprey but doesn't affect other aquatic organisms under normal conditions when used in the correct concentration, will be pumped into the river for 12 to 14 hours. A trap at the fish ladder in the Beaver River is also regularly checked during the lamprey spawning run, which lasts from early April through the end of June. The Bighead River was treated last year and it will be checked this year to see how effective those efforts have been, said Sullivan. The Bighead has no barrier to stop sea lampreys from reaching spawning areas, he said. The river is treated with lampricide every four years, since that's the minimum time it takes the larvae in the river to reach the point they change into adults and head for the lake. Larval lampreys are filter feeders that live in the bottom of the stream before they enter their parasitic stage, while adult sea lampreys have a ring of sharp teeth that they use to scrape a hole in a fish. They then suck out the fish's blood and bodily juices. Sullivan said there is evidence that adult lampreys find their way to spawning sites - gravel areas with clean, well oxygenated water, roughly what is suitable for rainbow trout - because they are attracted by pheromones produced by the larvae. To complicate the matter, there is also evidence that sea lampreys are attracted to pheromones produced by the larvae of native lampreys that live in some local river systems, including the Saugeen. That means that even if sea lampreys aren't present in a watershed, adults could be drawn to spawn. The native lampreys include the non-parasitic northern brook lamprey, which is under consideration for partial protection under the federal Species at Risk Act. Once sea lampreys reach a suitable spawning area, they make crescent shaped nests by moving gravel around with their mouths. They die after spawning. Officials are also evaluating a program in which sterilized male lampreys are released in the St. Marys River. The idea is that they spawn with females and produce non-viable eggs. The DFO control centre will help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service release 25,000 such lampreys this year.

Study: 'Salties' harm greater than benefits Thursday, May 22, 2008 Jeff Alexander / mlive.com PETERBOROUGH, Ontario -- The environmental costs of ocean freighters hauling cargo on the Great Lakes outweigh the economic benefits by a nearly 6-to-1 ratio, according to a new study. Ocean freighters -- known as "salties" -- have imported 57 exotic species to the Great Lakes since 1959, when the St. Lawrence Seaway opened the lakes to transoceanic ships, according to government data. Those nonindigenous species now cause $300 million damage annually to Great Lakes fisheries, recreational activities and large water intake facilities, according to preliminary results from a University of Notre Dame study. "If you sum up the direct loss of ecosystem services attributable to nonindigenous species, in 2006 those losses were $300 million," said John Rothlisberger, a University of Notre Dame graduate student. He presented the data Wednesday at the annual meeting of the International Association for Great Lakes Research. The $300 million figure dwarfs the transportation savings achieved by allowing ocean freighters to carry cargo into the Great Lakes via the St. Lawrence Seaway, according to a separate study. A recent Grand Valley State University study concluded that ocean freighters reduce the cost of shipping international cargo on the Great Lakes by $55 million annually, or 6 percent. Industry officials have called the GVSU study simplistic and misguided but have presented no scientific data to discredit its findings. Numerous studies have found that exotic species imported by ocean ships have unleashed a biological hurricane beneath the sparkling waters of the Great Lakes. The Notre Dame study was the first comprehensive effort to quantify how much value exotic species steal each year from valuable natural services the Great Lakes provide. The lakes' $7 billion sport and commercial fishery has been hurt the most by exotic species, according to the study. "Direct economic losses are the greatest for sport fishing, at more than $200 million per year," Rothlisberger said. Absent exotic species, he said the lakes would support a far more robust fishery. Rothlisberger cautioned that the $300 million damage figure was an estimate which could change as scientists conduct more research. Though ocean ships account for less than 10 percent of all cargo moved on the Great Lakes, Rothlisberger said the so-called salties have imported 67 percent of the 84 foreign species discovered since the Seaway opened. Zebra and quagga mussels native to eastern Europe have dramatically altered the lakes' food chain and spawned blooms of noxious and toxic algae; round gobies have become the dominant fish in western Lake Erie and some Great Lakes connecting waters, including Muskegon Lake; and the Eurasian ruffe has taken over Duluth Harbor and could threaten Lake Erie's perch and walleye fisheries if it spreads beyond Lake Huron, he said. There are 185 foreign species in the lakes; a new species is discovered every seven months on average, according to government data. Shipping industry officials were not at Rothlisberger's presentation and could not be reached for comment. Jennifer Nalbone, a spokeswoman for Buffalo-based Great Lakes United, said ocean ships should be banned from the lakes until they are equipped with ballast water treatment systems. "New legislation must require salties to meet stringent ballast discharges standards; until that time, we should be using alternative modes of transportation," Nalbone said.

Sewage discharges a major problem around Great Lakes; Environmental groups says $5 billion to $10 billion is needed to fix the problem May 21, 2008 DENIS LANGLOIS / owensoundsuntimes.com A whopping 92 billion litres of raw or partially treated sewage is discharged into the Great Lakes each year in Canada, according to the head of a water protection coalition. Derek Stack, executive director of Great Lakes United, said deficiencies in sewage collection systems, which lead to overflows and treatment system bypasses, are not unique to Owen Sound. They are so prevalent the organization has pushed the problem to the top of its priority list. "It's the next major issue to deal with. It's a problem. It's a major, major problem," Stack said in an interview Tuesday. A Ministry of the Environment report included in last week's city council agenda says millions of litres of raw sewage can flow into Owen Sound bay when heavy rain or spring thaws push the city's waste water system beyond capacity. The problem is mainly caused by combination sewage and storm water systems. During heavy rains, massive volumes of storm water pour into the collection system and is carried, along with raw sewage, to the waste water treatment plant. The volume is too high for the plant to process, leading to bypasses or overflows into the bay. Owen Sound public works manager Mike Crone said bypasses can also be caused when groundwater infiltrates aging sections of the city's collection system. A program to separate the underground storm water and sewage systems has been ongoing since the city's primary treatment plant was built 36 years ago, Crone said, but could take another 30 to 40 years to complete. The obstacle is money. The city separates the systems during road reconstruction projects, but Crone said only one or two blocks are completed each year. Stack estimated fixing the sewage system infrastructure in the cities and towns along the Great Lakes would cost between $5 billion and $10 billion. The projects are too expensive for municipal budgets, he said, and most federal funding programs require municipalities to contribute one-third of a project's cost. Coun. Peter Lemon said the city's main priority must be separating the two systems. "We have to do it so we don't get these outflows," the veteran councillor said. At one time all rainwater that fell in the city's downtown flowed to the waste water treatment plant. The city paid to separate the two systems during the $9-million Big Dig several years ago. A project is now underway to direct runoff from downtown roofs into the storm water system. The city also installed an underground containment tank near the Pottawatomi River to store waste water during heavy rains and direct it to the treatment plant once capacity is available. Another tank is being installed near the treatment plant. The city also separated the two systems during the reconstruction of the 6th Street East hill and is doing so during the work on 2nd avenues east and west and 4th Street East. "It's ongoing and it's really important, particularly given that we get as much rainfall as we seem to," Mayor Ruth Lovell said. "We're doing this on a methodical basis around the city until they're all done."

....I wish I could take the credit Glen as it is amazing work but alas no, it was not I.

....Well I guess it always possible to set new bench marks and apparently I've just found mine. Have a look at this incredible custom rod work. A number of amazing custom rod photos can be seen here.... http://www.fieldandstream.com/article_gallery.jsp?ID=1000021904

Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and Niagara River reports; 05/22/08 Fishing Line Will Elliott / buffalonews.com Nasty weather — cold rain and high winds — have dampened spring fishing runs. Night trollers have had few chances to get on the water and into good post-spawning ’eyes. Day-side trollers have started seeing fair numbers of walleye on runs around Myers Reef. Perch continue to do their yo-yo cruises into shallows followed with runs to deeper waters. A depth of 54 feet seems to be a deep-side holding ground for ring backs on the run. For the few boaters who could get out this past week, Evangola has become the hot spot once again. A few patchy schools of perch appear in spurts around the Catt; on rare occasions perch move into the creek. But the bread-and-butter, bucket-catch numbers remain out deep. Bass anglers have begun moving in closer to work shoreline rock structures, despite the recent chill. Both bottom-bumping jigs and live bait work well on bass. With bass chubs, try to set the hook as quickly as possible to keep the hook as close as possible to the lip for easier catch and release. Niagara River Perch schools have moved in closer at both the Ferry Street and Ontario Street launch sites, but it takes a bit more work to find keeper-sized pike. Bass have moved up current in the lower river, but drifters can still hook into a few steelies and a fair number of lake trout as waters warm. When things get rough — winds and wave activity — Buffalo Harbor breakwaters around the gaps offer good protection from the elements and nice fish activity. When bait movement and water color are right, anglers may hook into everything from bluegills to sturgeon, but the bass population dominates those rock structures along the walls. Lower-river water temperatures average 47 degrees, which hold steelhead and lake trout in areas that should be bass and walleye hangouts right now. Drifters can see a mix of trout and bass on just about every pass at Artpark, Lewiston-Queenston and down to the forts at the mouth. Lake Ontario Nasty winds, often from the north, have pushed bait schools and pursuing trout and salmon in and away from shore. A few smaller Chinook can be found around the Niagara Bar, but boaters in search of sizable salmon have been heading to trolling sites off Olcott Harbor. Trout stocking Randolph Hatchery staffers have stocked trout in the following waterways in time for outings this weekend: Ischua Creek, Franklinville, 3,100 yearling brown trout; Cattaraugus Creek, Java, 1,700 yearling brown trout; Oatka Creek, Warsaw, 1,100 yearling brown trout; and East Koy Creek, Gainesville, 3,300 yearling brown trout.

Students give small fry a start; Bid to restore vanished salmon Fri, May 23, 2008 JASON BUCKLAND / SUN MEDIA PICKERING -- Micailah McIntosh waded in Duffins Creek yesterday with thousands of tiny salmon zipping around her legs. Something was fishy. The 11-year-old student at Oshawa's Coronation Public School had just released a huge watering can full of Atlantic salmon into the water. Her classmates all around were doing the same thing. Micailah was lending her help to a city-wide effort to restore the population of the fish to Lake Ontario by releasing 27,000 salmon fry into its waterways. "It's a great experience to help," said the tiny blonde. "You feel miserable 'cause it's chilly and you're all wet, but it also feels pretty good because you're helping the fish out." Yesterday's fry release was part of a project to bring a self-sustaining Atlantic salmon population back to Lake Ontario within 10 to 15 years. In the third of a five-year program, about 500,000 baby salmon -- some only 1.5 cm long -- will be let go into local creeks and streams by the program's end in 2009. "These waters used to be just teeming with (the fish)," said Deborah Martin-Downs, Toronto and Region Conservation's director of ecology. Atlantic salmon were wiped out before 1900 by farming, development on their spawning streams and overfishing. Pacific salmon were introduced to Lake Ontario in 1968 and have become the basis for a popular sports fishery. Environmental groups have their work cut out for them in restoring the Atlantic salmon population. Only 5% of the fry released make it back upstream to spawn. Still, Marion Daniels, management biologist for the ministry of natural resources, says restoring a piece of our heritage is too important to pass up. "It's like bringing back a little piece of history." If assessments made this fall show the restoration program is a success, it could be expanded beyond 2009. Which goes to show, an environmentalist's work is never finished.

....I'm using old and well worn 6lb Fireline (2lb diam.) and a 3ft lead of 4lb Maixima Ultragreen. Works for me, uni knot to uni knot with a little dab of crazy glue and I'm golden.

Thanks for the advice outdoorguy61. I've never in all these years had to send a reel off for repair. Guess I've been fairly lucky in that anytime I've had an issue I've been able to fix it with stuff laying around my shop or in rare cases get my hands on parts locally. I will take your advice into consideration though before deciding.

....Awesome job, nicely done.

....We pay Greencoachdog a hansdsome wage to take some of the heat off Roy.

Well that's just swell Art. I wouldn't need it till Lakair so I'll let you know.

....I promise you won't see anymore siilyness from Yummyapple!

....One of my personal all time faves....

....Thanks all. I have read some supposed independant online reviews (all good) and I'm still toying with the purchase, just not 100% decided. My post has brought good offer my way which I'm seriously considering. I'll let yous know what I decide.

....There's plenty to read on crude oil pricing just google it. Reading through stuff like this or this just makes my blood boil!