Spiel

Help needed for building walleye spawning bed March 5, 2008 / North Star, Parry Sound Help needed for building walleye spawning bed, should you choose to get involved, the MCA (McKellar Conservation Association), in conjunction with MNR (Ministry of Natural Resources) and Transport Canada (Marine), will be creating another walleye spawning bed on a shoal on Lake Manitouwabing. Thirty-three tons of washed river rock with approximate diameters of four to eight inches (10 to 16 cm.), - that’s two tandem truck loads - will be dumped on the road closest to the intended site on Jones Bay. The rock will be hand loaded onto sleighs to be ferried via snowmobiles to a shoal, which has been cordoned off and that is 60 by 60 feet (18 by 18 metres). For safety's sake, buoyed metal rods supporting caution tapes, signage and blazing and reflective tape will be erected. The buoys are attached so that after the ice melts the rig can be retrieved from the lake. The rock will be hand placed on the ice in a 40-by-50-foot (12 -by -15-metre) rectangle where, during melt off, it will settle on top of the shoal awaiting the spring spawning activities. (An error had been made in a previous article as to the diameter of the rock and is now corrected.) Come join us. In fact, also enjoy hot refreshments and barbecued sausage at our lunch break. Let us know of your intention to help us so that ample lunch supplies are made available. Should you be able to spend part of the day with us, that is not a problem. Many hands make light work. Here is a list to consider of what you might include with your helpful attitude and the willingness to "walk the walk": a life jacket or survival suit (should you intend on being on the ice); heavy work gloves plus an extra as they will get wet; spade type shovels and/or hard rake; and snow mobiles with sleds. To get to the work site, take Burnetts Road off the Hurdville road between Centre Road and Hurdville, to a right on Stormy Point Road. Go approximately .5 kilometres until you once again turn right on Wendy’s Lane. At the end, approximately 1 kilometre, is the turnaround and the work site. Should you have questions contact us at [email protected] or 389-1786.

Feds give $25,000 for harbour repairs Chris Fell / meafordexpress.com Mar 05, 2008 For a potential pre-election spending goodie, the federal government's announcement Friday afternoon at Meaford Harbour was decidedly low-key. Local MP Larry Miller was in town to announce $62,000 in harbour funding for the Municipality of Meaford, Lion's Head and Tobermory. Meaford will receive $25,000 for dock repairs, rock removal and electrical servicing upgrades at the popular town tourist spot. Miller made the announcement on behalf of Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. "He sends his regrets. He is going to get up here this year and wants to tour all the facilities in this area. He lives in a small town with a small harbour and knows what it takes to maintain them," said Miller. Meaford Mayor Wally Reif was present at the announcement and thanked Miller for the government's help. "We thank our landlord for contributing to the ongoing costs of the harbour. It's tough for a small municipality, but it's very important to us. The harbour is our biggest attraction," said Reif. Meaford Habour Master Mike Molloy was at the announcement and said the municipality would be ready to proceed with the work the funding is slated to pay for as soon as the ice melts. Molloy said the money will help pay for various upgrades and improvements at the harbour. Miller also took time at the get together to announce that the Conservative government in Ottawa has set aside money in the budget to begin the process of divesting itself of the harbours it owns across the country. The Municipality of Meaford currently operates and leases the harbour from the government. "It's still the goal of the government to divest harbours to the local municipalities. We now have money in the budget to do that," said Miller. "It's not enough to go right across the country, but it's a start," he said. Mayor Reif told Miller that Meaford is interested in securing ownership of its harbour depending on the circumstances. Reif noted that natives have made land claims concerning shoreline properties. The Mayor said the Municipality of Meaford wouldn't want to take ownership of the harbour until it was certain the native land claims were worked out to everybody's satisfaction.

Low water levels caused by St. Clair leak says speaker Low water levers in Georgian Bay/Lake Huron are being caused by increased water flows through the St. Clair River. Chris Fell / meafordexpress.com Mar 05, 2008 Roy Schatz was the guest speaker at the Meaford and District Chamber of Commerce's Annual General meeting last Thursday night. Schatz is the founding President of the Georgian Bay Foundation, an organization that has conducted research, funded studies, and lobbied Canadian and U.S. government officials in an effort to get the powers that be to address the declining water levels of the Upper Great Lakes. Schatz spoke to a large audience at the arena about low water levels in the upper Great Lakes. A prevailing theory explaining why water levels have dropped so low involved the dredging of the St. Clair River to create a deeper basin for ship traffic. "Too much of our water is flowing every minute of every day out the St. Clair River," Schatz explained during his speech. "That flow is no longer what Mother Nature designed; it has been artificially increased to much more than what flows in from Lake Superior and other sources, with the result that areas such as Georgian Bay are incurring permanent loss of water. Bear in mind that only one per cent or so of the water of the Great Lakes is renewed each year; nearly 99 per cent is glacial deposit from the last ice age, and if it is allowed to flow elsewhere, it's gone, gone, gone," he said. Dredging of the St. Clair River began in 1885. It was dredged several times over the years. In addition, a large natural sand bar was removed on the U.S. side in order to enlarge the channel in the 1960s. "Even a C+ science student can tell you that water loaded down with sand doesn't flow as fast as water with almost no sand in it. That faster flow has scoured the now soft riverbed, which has little natural gravel left, and made the river deeper," he said. Various studies have concluded that the low water levels have been caused by the St. Clair River situation. Remedial measures to correct the problem have been suggested by the scientific community. However, at this point, the International Joint Commission has not acted on the recommendations contained in their own studies. Schatz provided the audience with charts showing the periodic highs and lows of Great Lakes water levels since the 1860s. Current levels have dipped below the crisis low-level mark of 176.01 metres several times over the past few years. Schatz said it's time for governments to act or risk damage to the Lakes that cannot be reversed. "If Georgian Bay continues to recede, you know that the local economy will go into a recession. But if the water levels crisis is solved, there is no limit to the future prosperity of this beautiful part of Ontario," he said. Schatz said it is very important for citizens to talk about the issue with friends, relatives, neighbours and especially government representatives at the federal and provincial levels.

....No favours allowed! Only cause it's you.

Hope I'm not reading to much into this Jamie? Anyhow it's a beauty boat guy's I've seen her once when it was brand spanking new, little over a year ago. Give us the specs Jamie.

Sportsman show set for April 4-6 March 4, 2008 / thesudburystar.com Spring is on its way!!! Feel the Heat!! – AT THE ANNUAL SUDBURY SPORTSMAN SHOW – April 4th to April 6th , 2008. – at the Garson Arena and Community Center. Its back ! and its our biggest Sportsman Show Ever in Sudbury! " We have secured the largest venue ( in space ) in Sudbury at the Garson Arena and Community Center, with the community hall this gives us the needed extra space for this show. The venue is excellent just off Falconbridge road in Garson which is minutes from almost anywhere in Sudbury and region." States Darren Ceccarelli, the shows producer. "This year we have not only expanded the exhibitor line, with tons more displays, but have recruited new products that have never been seen in Sudbury or in fact in parts of Canada before. We have a large display of boats and motors, resorts and lodges, fishing tackle, ATV’s, motorcycles, tours, docks, boat licensing, outdoor equipment, travel trailers, canoes, scuba equipment as well as all the regular and special items you can expect to find in a Sportsman Show. This year we will be featuring many new products and displays such as the Canadian Forces Display, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, air compressors and tools, fly-in fishing, log homes, ATV and motorcycle courses, Argos and much more! We will also be bringing back the antique motor display with new additions ( see attached email) This is just a sampling of the many new additions to this years show which will also include dog show. This show will also feature dog retrieving ( hunting dogs) also an agility, rally obedience and formal obedience demos from the Sudbury Kennel Club. Demo times will be Friday at 6 and 8 pm, Saturday , 10:20 -12:30 -2:30 -4 and Sunday 11am – 1pm -3pm. This is also the best time to buy a Boat or ATV – because we have all of the leading dealers from Sudbury and Northern Ontario represented at the show – you can shop and compare and it helps you make the buying decision that much easier and quicker. This will be the best Sportsman Show that Sudbury has ever seen we have also recruited new marinas with new boat lines including Sandy Cove Marine, Starlite Marine, Boaters Choice and Sudbury’s leading boat dealers. There will be something for the entire family at this years Sportsman Show which takes place on Friday, April 4th, and Saturday, April 5th and Sunday, April 6th, 2008 at the Garson Arena and Community Centre just off Falconbridge Road, in Garson. The show hours will be Friday, 5pm to 9pm, Saturday 10 am to 5pm and Sunday, 10 am to 4pm. Admission will be $5 for adults for a weekend pass and children 12 and under are free.

....Rats, if'n I hadn't been working I know you would have taken me. Nice job on the fishies.

....Beauties!

Lake Erie finally frozen over, Ice fishing takes off Jeff Helsdon / tillsonburgnews.com Wednesday March 05, 2008 It’s nearly the end of February and Lake Erie is only now completely frozen over. According to Canadian Ice Service data, the lake froze over last week. In an average winter, Lake Erie is ice covered by the first week of February. "In the last 10 years since global warming has kicked in, it’s been a little later, if at all," said Lionel Hache, senior ice forecaster with the Canadian Ice Service. Ice in that typical winter would have covered the lake for the entire month of February and then started to melt in March. Hache said temperatures are forecast to be cool the next couple of weeks so the ice will stick around. As it isn’t as thick as normal, Hache said there would be a rapid decline in lake ice by mid-March. Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson explained the shallow depth of the lake is the reason Erie typically ices over. The intensity of the lake-effect snow can be reduced with the cold water covered by ice. Lake-effect snow is caused when cold air picks up moisture, heat and energy when passing over cold water. Then, when the air moves on shore, any snow in the air mass is dumped. "A lot depends on what the winds are doing at a low level, whether it’s one or two bands or a broader band," Coulson said. He explained the Tillsonburg area could receive lake-effect snow with southwest winds, but not to the same extent as Fort Erie and Port Colborne. A southwest wind can follow the entire path of the lake before hitting land at the east end of the lake, resulting in greater snowfall. The strength of the wind also makes a difference. Weaker winds tend to dump the snow shortly after hitting shore. Stronger winds can carry flurries further inland. For instance, Coulson said a strong wind could even carry snow from Lake Huron to this area. Colder temperatures and more ice are what ice anglers on Long Point Bay have been hoping for. Jim Granger of Granger’s Ice Fishing in St. Williams depends on solid ice on Long Point Bay for his business. The past weekend was only the second weekend he has been able to operate. "We drilled spots today where there’s 13 inches of ice out there," he said Monday morning. The past weekend was a busy one on the bay. Granger estimated as many as 500 people were out trying to catch a perch dinner. The traffic didn’t do much for the fishing though. "It was slow on the weekend just due to there being so much traffic that it spooks the fish," he said. Fishing during the week, however, was good. Granger said each hut was averaging 30 fish, with some catching more and others less. "The good fishermen will catch fish," he said. "I had huts that rented out and re-rented last week." In addition to the perch, a lot of pike are caught. One caught last week in one of Granger’s huts was 35 inches in length. "A lot of people are not getting them through the hole they’re so big," he said. Those yearning for an early spring and ice break-up soon shouldn’t get their hopes up too high. Coulson said predictions are for temperatures to be slightly below normal heading into March. Typical daytime highs at the end of February are usually just above the freezing mark, with nighttime lows dipping down to -7* Celsius.

.....I'm with you Lew, got a watch would have taken a rod and reel. Mind you I had 27 years in before I got my 25 year watch....lol I'm in my 29th year now and it would seem that a one job career these days is rare. Congratulations Chris. Oh and I'm sure Carol's going to love the ring Chris.

....Under properties it says it's a "strangefish" and I agree with that.

Congrtaulations ....Into my seventh week, cold turkey! Nothing to it, I do it regularly.

Mudcat Festival fishing for a cool $100,000 KAREN BEST / dunnvillechronicle.com March 5, 2008 A new portable stage can be useful for a number of Dunnville events but will make its debut at this year's Mudcat Festival if grant dreams come true. Event coordinator Carolyn Chymko is eagerly anticipating a positive response to her application for a share of the $30 million Celebrate Ontario 2008 program. She envisioned musical acts performing in a professionally-designed portable stage with permanent lighting and suitable electrical wiring. "This is huge. Everyone can benefit from a stage," she said thinking of the Dunnville fair and other community events. Chymko applied for the maximum amount, $100,000, in the hopes of purchasing the stage and a novelty people mover - possibly shaped like a boat or barge. Decorated with a mudcat, the mover will travel the streets during the festival. It begins in three months. Launched in December by the provincial government, the Celebrate Ontario program was established to enhance festivals and events to draw in more tourists. Haldimand County volunteer coordinator Heather Flaherty said only events of more than three days qualify for funding. She notified organizers of the Jarvis Cornfest, Caledonia fair and Mudcat Festival about the grant. "Carolyn jumped on it," said Flaherty who received no responses from the other two events. "I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that we're getting it," said Chymko. An announcement is expected in the week of March 24.

Flood worries on the rise; Lake Simcoe could surge as much as 30 centimetres Colin McKim / thebarrieexaminer.com March 5, 2008 With water levels in Lake Simcoe abnormally high due to a record-breaking January thaw and heaps of February snow yet to melt, there is a risk of the worst flooding in almost 50 years, says a water-control expert with the Trent-Severn Waterway "I don't want to alarm anybody with doom and gloom about a big flood," said Dave Ness. "But the potential is there." A quick thaw boosted by heavy spring rain could cause Lake Simcoe to rise by as much as 30 centimetres and spill over earthen dikes into the Holland Marsh, causing widespread flooding in the low-lying agricultural area, something that last occurred in 1960. "All the emergency-management people have been given a heads up," said Tom Hogenbirk, manager of engineering and technical services with the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority. "The biggest danger is a wholesale breach in one of the dikes when there's no one around." The Holland Marsh Joint Municipal Service Board Drainage Committee is monitoring the water levels in Lake Simcoe and developing an emergency plan to shore up low points in the dikes with sandbags, said Hogenbirk. "They're out there checking the situation every day." Hogenbirk asked members of the public to notify authorities if they see water spilling over dikes or roads in the marsh area, where much of the land is lower than Lake Simcoe. A major breach would flood 6,000 acres of farmland, barns, houses, churches, processing plants, fuel tanks and other structures, said drainage committee chair John McCallum: "If the levee breaks - it doesn't matter where - the whole thing floods." Docks, boathouses and other structures on Lake Simcoe could be damaged if water levels rise rapidly in the spring thaw, said McCallum. There is also a risk of flooding along the Severn River system between Lake Couchiching and Port Severn, with Sparrow Lake, Six Mile Lake and Gloucester Pool being most at risk, said Ness. Water levels in Lake Simcoe are controlled by numerous dams and valves in the locks, fluctuating up to 37 centimetres from a peak of 219.06 metres above sea level to a low of 218.69 metres. Water levels typically peak in May and June following the spring runoff and hit bottom at the end of October. Every fall, the water in Lake Simcoe should be at least 20 centimetres below peak to create capacity for the spring runoff. At the beginning of January this year, the water level in the lake was at the desired level - 218.85 metres - low enough to accommodate typical winter thaws and the spring runoff. However, rain and melting snow in January pumped 20 centimetres back into the lake, bringing it virtually back to capacity at 219.05 metres. The waterway took the unusual step of opening dams and valves downstream to bring the water level down again. But it has been slow going and the water level in Simcoe, 218.93 metres, is still about 17 centimetres higher than average for this time of year, said Ness. "It's surprising," he said. "We're discharging as much as possible. The valves are wide open." And the heavy snow load dumped in February is still waiting to melt and flow down rivers and creeks into the system, Ness noted: "There's a pile of snow out there." If there is a gradual melt this spring, with minimal rainfall, the flooding risk will be greatly reduced. But, if temperatures leap to 10 C or higher, accompanied by significant rainfall, the lake will spill over, Ness predicted, noting the overflow could be as much as 30 centimetres. One wild card is the Black River, which drains into the Severn system at the north end of Lake Couchiching and can carry huge volumes of water in the spring. Normally, the flow from Lake Simcoe can be held back while the Black crests to minimize flooding along the Severn. This spring, however, the valves and dams will have to remain wide open to keep draining Lake Simcoe, so there will be no way to ease back when the Black lets go, said Ness. "We could be in quite a pickle."

Georgian Bay's 'lakekeeper' says L. Huron in crisis by IJC's measure Faults over-dredging of St. Clair River Jim Moodie / manitoulin.ca March 5, 2008 WASHINGTON-A Georgian Bay rep who returned on Sunday from a Great Lakes summit in Washington, DC feels Canada is lagging behind the US in terms of our commitment to the continent's pre-eminent freshwater resource. "The Americans are very engaged on this," said Mary Muter, waterkeeper for Georgian Bay (or Georgian Baykeeper, as the Waterkeeper Alliance prefers to call her) and chair of the environment committee for the Georgian Bay Association (GBA). "They're quite close, for instance, to getting ballast water legislation passed." Ms. Muter was on hand in the US capital along with members of the Healing Our Waters Coalition-a spectrum of environmental and conservation groups-for two-and-a-half days of meetings and government lobbying that culminated with Great Lakes Day on February 28. This annual occasion in the US is convened by the Great Lakes Commission, which also held its semi-annual meeting over the preceding two days. According to the commission's website, Great Lakes Day allows for "a unified expression of the Great Lakes region's priorities for legislation and appropriations to assist in protecting (the basin's) environment and sustaining our economy." Other groups in Washington included the Council of Great Lakes Governors, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the mayors of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (of which Blue Mountains Mayor Ellen Anderson is a Lake Huron voice) and tribal representatives, with over 200 people in all taking part in meetings and advantage of the opportunity to meet with congress and senate members. Issues on attendees' minds ranged from water levels and climate change to pollutants and invasive species. On the latter front, the US is close to passing legislation that would subject ocean-going freighters to stricter rules regarding ballast water, as it is via such ship-stabilizing fluid that invaders like zebra mussels are imported to the Great Lakes. The Ballast Water Management Act, drafted last year, would require "vessel operators to conduct all ballast water management operations in accordance with a ballast water management plan designed to minimize the discharge of aquatic nuisance species," according to a summary of the legislation. As well, it would require vessels to exchange water more than 200 miles from shore and in waters more than 200 metres deep. And the discharged water would have to meet a standard 100 times more stringent than the current guideline. The act was expected to come to the floor of the House of Representatives last week, but was pulled for consideration, according to story in the Detroit Free Press. Still, water champions anticipate it will receive attention in congress in coming weeks. An equally if not more pressing concern for Great Lakes advocates is the drought gripping the upper lakes, with Huron and Michigan both nearing record lows. Ms. Muter and the GBA remain convinced that measures need to be taken to reduce the flow of water through the St. Clair River, and are frustrated that interim mitigation measures aren't being implemented prior to the completion of an Upper Lakes study being carried out by the International Joint Commission (IJC). The IJC has frontloaded the St. Clair issue into the first two years of its five-year study, pledging to "produce a draft report a full year ahead of schedule by February, 2009, with interim progress reports throughout 2008," according to a release from the commission. "A peer-reviewed final report on the St. Clair River is expected in June, 2009." Ms. Muter said her organization is "pleased they've accelerated" this portion of the study, but believes "they can still put in interim measures now while they figure out the final report. To just allow 2.5 billion gallons per day to escape through the river is totally unacceptable." The GBA is also concerned that the study group will not be employing 3-D modelling in its analysis of the river. "They say they don't need it," said Ms. Muter. "But it's required to understand the complexity of the river's high flow, sharp turn and the change in sediment supply." Ms. Muter elaborated that riparian dwellers along the St. Clair have, over the years, employed bedload traps to "harden the shoreline and protect it from high water," and this, in turn, has "removed significant amounts of the sand supply, which used to slow down the flow. And you can't understand that change without doing 3-D modelling." Such technology was employed, Ms. Muter noted, in an analysis of contaminated sediment in the St. Clair, which the federal government is now prepared to clean up to the tune of $3.3 million. In an announcement made on February 23, Environment Minister John Baird said the funding would be put towards "a sediment management strategy for the site," with remedial options to include "capping and/or dredging, disposal of contaminated sediment and long-term monitoring." While Ms. Muter doesn't question the need for a cleanup of polluted matter in the river, she feels it's equally urgent to address the deepening of the channel due to dredging and scouring, which the GBA contends has contributed to the decline of Lake Huron. And she says the IJC need only follow its own advice in this regard. "If you look at a Levels Reference Study they did in 1993, and the Crisis Condition Report within that, you'll see that what they define as a crisis alert condition is something we've been in since 2000," she remarked. "The bottom line is, they have already looked at this, and know what to do-they established what qualifies as a crisis level years ago, and at what point the adverse consequences warrant interim mitigation measures." In other words, the IJC needn't await the findings of its Upper Lakes team before acting; the rationale is spelled out in the 1993 study-one, Ms. Muter added, that spans 1,700 pages and cost $37 million (in today's values). "How much more money and time are they going to spend studying this?" she asked. While the Levels Reference Study of 1993 grew out of concerns over the high levels of 1986, its research was equally focussed on the potential for alarmingly low levels. It sets "crisis threshold limits"-both high and low-and outlines measures that should be implemented in response to such crises. Lake Huron's crisis level for low water, according to this study, is 576.8 feet. As of Monday, Huron's level was 576.7 feet, and through most of January and February it was a couple of inches lower. The all-time low, set in 1964, is 576.1 feet. Ms. Muter said that she's recently been asked to sign petitions regarding droughts in Australia and at Georgia's Lake Lanier. In each case, the images she's been shown of "high-and-dry docks don't look any different from the shores of Georgian Bay." Yet whereas these dry spots have sparked considerable alarm among both members of the press and political leaders, "ours doesn't seem to get the same attention," said Ms. Muter. Canadians, she suggested, are slower to get worked up since the country has such an abundance of lakes, and the presumption is that we will never lack for a supply of H20. Yet it's time we got worried, in her view. "We need to protect this resource-the water, the fishery, and the habitat we have left," she said.

Environmental audit will reflect on Harper Mike De Souza / The Ottawa Citizen Tuesday, March 04, 2008 Water quality in the Great Lakes, contaminated sites and endangered species are among the topics that federal Environment Commissioner Ron Thompson tackled in a report to be released later this week. The 14-chapter audit will be tabled in the House of Commons on Thursday, opening the door to some headaches for the Harper government on one of its most sensitive priorities. The last major report from the commissioner, who reports to the auditor general, blasted the government in 2006 for failing to adequately address the threat of climate change and its potential impacts. While the Harper government blamed the previous Liberal regime for not acting after that report, the findings in the audit could focus more on this government's actions. They (the reports) are for the most recent period possible for each audit," said Margot Booth, a spokeswoman for the auditor general. "They try to use the most up-to-date information." The auditor general's office has a practice of informing the government about each chapter, and it works with the appropriate officials to find solutions to the issues raised in the audit. Ms. Booth said much of the audit work in the new report was completed last summer and fall. Pierre Sadik, a senior policy adviser at the David Suzuki Foundation, said the government would be forced to take responsibility for the new report since it is now entering its third year in power. "It would be ludicrous for the government, Canada's new government, at this point to continue pointing the finger at the previous government on the environment," said Mr. Sadik. One chapter of the report will specifically examine Environment Canada's efforts to address 17 environmentally degraded areas of concern around the Great Lakes. Mr. Sadik noted that some research has suggested that 93 per cent of pollution that causes or is suspected of causing cancer in the region is originating from Canadian facilities. He added there is little progress in federal efforts to clean up contaminated sites. Meantime, the government has also missed legally binding deadlines to approve plans to protect 154 of 215 species at risk. "What's been happening is environmental groups, including us, have been having to take the government to court," Mr. Sadik said. "It shouldn't have to be that way. It costs us money and time to get the government to do what its own legislation says it should be doing." At a news conference yesterday, environmental groups suggested the government was also on the verge of announcing new details about its framework for regulating pollution from industry. They warned that it is dragging its feet on a pledge to introduce draft regulations for industry by this spring, delaying it possibly until the fall.

'King' salmon have less to eat March 04, 2008 Jeff Alexander / The Muskegon Chronicle Chronicle file photo / Charter captains say the days of catching 30-pound salmon, whic were common in the 1970s and 1980s, are gone for now. These days, a 20-pound salmon chinook from Lake Michigan is considered a big fish. The billion-dollar Lake Michigan salmon fishery remained strong last year despite a shrinking supply of fish food that has some scientists and anglers wondering if the good times will last. Charter boat anglers in Michigan's half of the lake caught 84,600 chinook salmon in 2007, up from 81,700 the previous year, according to data compiled by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The state only tallies fish caught by anglers on charter boats, but the data are a reliable indicator of the fishery's health. Lake Michigan anglers last year also caught 10,500 lake trout, 10,200 coho salmon, 7,700 rainbow trout and 600 brown trout. All of those numbers were up from 2006, according to DNR data. The diagnosis: There still are lots of chinook salmon in the lake, but the so-called "kings" are becoming more Napoleonic in size. "It would be nice to have more big fish, but people want action," said Denny Grinold, who owns a charter boat in Grand Haven. "The fishery may never return to the way it was in the 1970s, but it's still pretty good." State data supported that claim. The catch rate last year for chinook salmon on Lake Michigan -- the number of fish caught per hour of angler effort -- remained strong. Anglers on average caught one-third of a fish for every hour of effort. The catch rate for chinook has increased 68 percent over the past five years, according to state data. The strong fishery has been good for Grand Haven, which logged more charter fishing trips last year, 1,939, than any other port on Lake Michigan. Anglers fishing out of Ludington caught the most chinook, 16,911, followed by Grand Haven, with 14,693, according to DNR data. Muskegon did not rank among the top five ports for number of fishing trips or fish caught in 2007, primarily because of its relatively small fleet of charter boats. Charter captains said it was common in 2007 for their customers to catch their limit of chinook, three per person, within two or three hours. But the days of catching 30-pound salmon, which were common in the 1970s and '80s, are gone for now. These days, a 20-pound chinook from Lake Michigan is considered a big fish. Salmon and other species of fish are shrinking because the volume of prey fish in the lake -- the small fish eaten by larger fish -- has sunk to record lows in each of the past two years. Prey fish abundance in Lake Michigan last year was down 92 percent from the record volume of 400 kilotons recorded in 1989, said Chuck Madenjian, a research fishery biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey's Great Lakes Science Center. The good news for salmon was that alewife abundance in Lake Michigan increased 18 percent last year. Still, the volume of alewife in the lake in 2007 was less than half that recorded a decade ago. Scientists are at odds over what is causing a precipitous drop in the volume of prey fish. Some researchers blame quagga mussels, a relative of the zebra mussel, which invaded Lake Michigan around 2001. Last year, there were an estimated 245 kilotons of quagga mussels, or 540 million pounds, in Lake Michigan, according to USGS data. Quaggas account for 98 percent of the mussels in the lake and their numbers increased 13 percent in 2007. As the quagga mussel population has exploded, prey fish abundance has plummeted. The volume of all prey fish in the lake -- alewife, bloaters and other small fish eaten by salmon, lake trout and whitefish -- dropped from 61 kilotons in 2006 to 30 kilotons in 2007, according to USGS data. That was the lowest figure recorded since the government began tracking prey fish densities in 1973. "That's an enormous shift in the way Lake Michigan operates," said Al Steinman, director of Grand Valley State University's Annis Water Resources Institute. Some researchers believe quaggas -- which filter a liter of water per day, per mussel -- are hogging the microscopic plants and animals that comprise the base of a food chain that ultimately supports salmon, whitefish and lake trout. "The quagga mussels are all over the bottom of the lake," Madenjian said. Still, Madenjian said increasing numbers of salmon and other predators in recent years might be responsible for the decline of prey fish. The four states surrounding Lake Michigan cut salmon stocking in the lake by 25 percent in 2006. But 53 percent of the salmon now in the lake reproduced naturally in West Michigan rivers. Pacific salmon were first stocked in Lake Michigan in 1966. For much of the past four decades, all the salmon were grown in hatcheries and stocked in rivers that flowed into Lake Michigan. But the ocean fish have adapted well to their freshwater environment and are reproducing millions of offspring each year on their own, according to researchers. Paul Jensen, a commercial fisherman in Muskegon, called the naturally reproduced salmon pouring into Lake Michigan from area rivers a "runaway train." Biologists are trying to avoid a repeat of what happened in Lake Huron in 2003, where excessive numbers of salmon -- many of which reproduced naturally in rivers -- ate virtually all the alewife. With no food, the salmon fishery collapsed in 2004. There are subtle signs that Lake Michigan's salmon population might be headed for trouble. Researchers have found increasing concentrations of water, and less fat, in the muscle tissue of chinook taken from the lake. Less fat and more water means the fish aren't getting enough to eat, said Dave Clapp, manager of the DNR's fisheries research station in Charlevoix. Clapp said chinook in Lake Michigan still were in good condition last year, despite their reduced size. "Overall, the fish are in very good health," Clapp said. "We feel the condition of the chinook is relatively stable. ... We hope." Grinold said he is "cautiously optimistic" about the future of the salmon fishery. "It's fragile," he said.

....LOL, of course they do Wayne, fish don't buy lures.

Ditto. Odd though, something stirred in me the other night that made me feel as I should get in touch with Rob.

....Y'all have a blast and be safe.

Walleye anglers headed to the Sault Preparations underway for Professional Walleye Trail's September visit Mar 03, 2008 / By SCOTT BRAND sooeveningnews.com SAULT STE. MARIE - The best walleye anglers in the world will be converging on the St. Mary's River in 2008 as the Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) returns to Sault Ste. Marie for a regional tournament scheduled for Sept. 11, 12 and 13 and preparations are already underway for this event. Jim Kalkofen, speaking on behalf of the PWT said he just returned to his Minnesota home from a week-long tour which included meetings with the Sault Area Chamber of Commerce, the Sault Ste. Marie Convention and Visitor's Bureau and others. “There is a lot of community interest and excitement,” he said of the visit. “When you sense that kind of excitement among the organizers themselves that translates to the public as well.” Kalkofen said he gets the impression the Sault is planning to turn the PWT visit into a festival including a poker night with the professional and amateur anglers. The effort to attract 120 amateur anglers has just begun, but it appears as though there is once again plenty of interest. Kalkofen said this is one of the best deals in the fishing world. “I don't care what sport,' he said, “you can't hire a guide anywhere in the country of $125 a day.” Kalkofen has said in the past that the St. Mary's River provides ample opportunity and new challenges to tournament anglers. To participate in the 2008 event amateur anglers will need to fork over a $325 entry fee. Registered anglers will be aboard the boats of the professional anglers, utilizing all of the newest and best equipment in the walleye world and also stand a chance to win fabulous prizes. Under the new prize structure, Kalkofen explained, prizes will be dispensed to the 120 anglers on more of a random draw, and not strictly by placement in the competition as has been done in years past. “It will be a lot more fun for everybody,” he added. Amateur anglers interested in joining the 2008 event can get more information over the Internet at the PWT Website by punching in www.professionalwalleyetrail.com. Those without computer access can also call the PWT Headquarters at (218) 829-0620.

Editorial: DNR's water ballast rules the right step Posted March 3, 2008 / sheboygan-press.com It's full speed ahead for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in the battle against invasive species in Lake Michigan and Lake Superior — and it's about time someone took the lead. Congress has shown an unwillingness to implement rules to guard against non-native aquatic life that threatens the health of all five Great Lakes. Already there are more than 180 foreign invaders in the Great Lakes, including the pesky zebra and quagga mussels. Not only do these non-natives clog water intake pipes, they also filter plankton from the water — the base food in the Great Lakes food chain. For years now, officials from all states bordering the Great Lakes have pleaded with the federal government to require ocean-going ships to either dump ballast water before entering the Great Lakes or treat the water to kill the non-native species. The shipping industry has fought efforts to regulate ballast water and sued Michigan last year over its ballast-water law. But the case was thrown out of court, and more recently, efforts to enact ballast rules got a much-needed boost from a California court that ruled states could regulate ballast water under the Clean Water Act. The DNR will use the Clean Water Act to write its rules and work with Minnesota to ensure that the two states — which both border Lake Superior — have compatible rules. At the same time, the DNR is moving forward with plans for an on-shore treatment of ballast water to kill the invasives. Ships would have to dump the ballast water into the holding tank rather than releasing it into the lake. Once treated, the water could safely be pumped into the lake. The DNR hopes to have a pilot project up and running in Milwaukee in time for the start of the 2009 shipping season. Gov. Doyle has said the state would put up the $6 million for treatment facilities in Milwaukee, Green Bay and Superior. This kind of treatment program will be expensive, but the cost of not doing anything and waiting for Congress to act will likely be even higher. The best solution to this problem, everyone agrees, would be comprehensive federal rules governing shipping on all of the Great Lakes. Even the shipping industry agrees with this. But that same industry has fought previously proposed rules as too costly or too cumbersome and appears content to sit on the sidelines and do nothing. It's unfortunate that individual states have to take these steps to protect the lakes, but we're glad that Wisconsin is willing to step up when Congress doesn't.

Whirling-Disease Resistant Rainbow Trout Tim Romano March 03, 2008 / fieldandstream.com Colorado's rainbow trout were almost wiped off the map more than 10 years ago from Whirling Disease. The Colorado DOW have been crossbreeding a German species of rainbow called a hofer and other rainbow strains to create franken-fish that now appear to be highly resistant to the disease. Read the whole press release here. Whirling disease is caused by a microscopic parasite that passes through the fish's skin. The organism attacks the cartilage of young fish and distorts the spine. Thus causing the fish's spine to curve and greatly reduce it's ability to survive. The affected fish "whirl" around in circles making escape from predation and feeding almost impossible. While this all sounds hunky dory for anglers, I'm curios to the long term ramifications of cross breeding hatchery fish to fend off parasites that seem to be in the ecosystem for some reason or another. Sometimes it takes a long time to realize we (humans) have made a mistake by playing god. What's your take on the situation? Good? Bad? Or don't you care as long as they're are big fat fish fish in the river for the time being Photo Credit: Colorado Division of Wildlife / This is a cross between a Hofer rainbow trout and a strain of rainbow that the DOW has used for many years. The Hofer cross rainbows grow more quickly than the traditional rainbows. This fish, hatchery raised for brood stock, is about 18 months old.

News release / March 3, 2008 ONTARIO ISSUES FIRST ENVIRONMENTAL PENALTY McGuinty Government Protecting The Environment Ontario has issued its first-ever environmental penalty under the province’s “you-spill, you-pay” legislation. CGC Inc. of Hagersville was ordered to pay $9,000 for failing to comply with environmental laws. On September 26, 2007, run off from the gypsum processing plant entered a tributary of the Grand River, putting local water quality at risk. Quote “When it comes to protecting the environment, we are prepared to use every tool available including these new environmental penalties,” said Environment Minister John Gerretsen. “We want to send a clear signal that we will not tolerate spills.” Quick Facts The environmental penalties regulations, under the Environmental Protection Act and the Ontario Water Resources Act, came into force in August 2007. Revenue from environmental penalties will be directed back to affected communities through the Ontario community environment fund. Read more about environmental penalties at http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/about/penalties/index.php

That is quite an undertaking and equally, something to be very proud of. It looks fantastic Bernie, my hats off to you.