Spiel

Two area lakes integral to power generating idea By Valerie MacDonald / northumberlandtoday.com February 23, 2008 An engineer and writer is contacting local chambers of commerce and area politicians, including Port Hope Mayor Linda Thompson, about an idea to generate hydro-electric power using the height differential between Rice Lake and Lake Ontario. Harry Valentine, 48, of Cornwall, Ont., is promoting construction of a "pipeline or tunnel" between the two lakes. Lake Ontario is 368 feet below the surface of Rice Lake, he stated, and this is the key to his "pumped storage hydraulics" solution to Ontario's need for more power. Essentially, water from Lake Ontario would be pumped up to Rice Lake during the night when the need and cost of power is lowest. It would make Rice Lake rise by a foot. When power is needed by 6 a.m. the next day and the demand raises the cost of power, the water would flow downhill through the same pumps, which now become turbines generating electricity to be added to the power grid. Rice Lake would return to its previous level, Mr. Valentine said. "It may be possible to generate up to 1,000 megawatts of electric power for two cycles of four hours each during the morning and evening, when demand for electricity is at its peak," Mr. Valentine wrote in an e-mail outlining the project. A technical article Mr. Valentine said he is preparing for the Ontario Waterpower Association - an advocacy group for Ontario's waterpower industry and headquartered in Toronto - will outline how this 20-kilometre pipeline or tunnel could be created on the east side of Port Hope and the east side of Bewdley. It could be closer to Cobourg, however, he noted. He chose the Port Hope illustration because it is the closest distance to link the two lakes. If the project were to go forward, the pipe would go "wherever it is possible to negotiate land," he said. There is one such facility at Niagara Falls, Mr. Valentine said in an interview this week, but many in the U.S. are using this system creating about 23,000 mw of power, in fact, more than Ontario's current power capacity. Mr. Valentine said he has contacted the offices of Port Hope Mayor Linda Thompson, Northumberland-Quinte West MPP Lou Rinaldi, and the Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Rinaldi said his office receives a lot of advice about how to achieve different things and he was unaware of this particular proposal. The environmental impact of lowering and raising water levels is an issue that Mr. Rinaldi immediately flagged. Rice Lake is already controlled through the Trent system, he added. "This sounds like a pie in the sky project," he said. But, he added, it could be of value. Chamber manager Kevin Ward said he was investigating the information Mr. Valentine provided to the chamber. Mayor Thompson has been unavailable to comment and Hamilton Township Mayor Mark Lovshin was unaware of Mr. Valentine's proposal. Several township councillors at this week's council meeting were surprised by the idea and Coun. Pat McCourt predicted there would be quite a response by township residents to such an idea. Cobourg Mayor Peter Delanty, a member of the Great Lakes mayors' organization, expressed concern about piping water out of any of the Great Lakes. Water diversion is one of the group's major issues. But, he added, "I'd really have to look at it." No information had been provided to his office about Mr. Valentine's proposal, Mayor Delanty said.

It's cold outside, but Lake Superior is getting warmer By Ron Way / minnpost.com Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008 DULUTH — Lake Superior is undergoing sudden increases in its water temperatures and dramatic declines in its lake levels, prompting scientists and others to wonder: Is the world's largest fresh water lake in the throes of irreversible change due to global warming? A broad new study is being readied in an attempt to figure that out. Years of much warmer winter temperatures — especially overnight lows — has resulted in dwindling ice cover that allows more evaporation of lake water into dry, cold air, said Jay Austin, a limnologist with the Large Lake Observatory in Duluth. He said less ice is likely aggravating summertime lake temperatures and even causing more evaporative summer winds across the lake surface that, combined with a prolonged regional drought, may have the lake in a cascading "feedback" of change-provoking-change from which recovery may be impossible. There's no doubt the lake is warming, a result of climate change and three years of drier than normal weather. But with regard to near- and long-term lake levels, Austin said precipitation rates are difficult to assess in climate change models, and Superior's level could stabilize if rainfall and snow are sufficient to off-set increased evaporation. Austin is seeking funding support to examine what's driving changes in the lake and to develop forecasts of what the lake may be like in 50 years or more. Foot below 'historic average' Last August, Superior was within an inch of its 1926 record low, set after a years-long regional drought (it preceded the more famous Dust Bowl drought of the 1930s). And while last fall's unprecedented three-month rainy period prompted a 17-inch rebound of the lake's level, Superior remains a foot below what's considered its "historic average." A foot of water in the expansive Lake Superior is enough to supply the residential needs of every Minnesotan for 42 years. Austin said that Superior has been warming since 1980, and the worrisome part is that the rate of water warming has exceeded the rate of warming of surrounding air. Lower lake levels complicate commercial shipping, requiring sea-going vessels to carry hundreds of tons less cargo in and out of the Port of Duluth-Superior. It has also affected recreational boaters, especially sailors whose crafts have six- to eight-foot keels that now scrape bottom in marinas and encounter more rocks in near-shore areas. To accommodate boaters visiting historic lighthouses scattered around the South Shore archipelago of the Apostle Islands Lakeshore, the National Park Service in Bayfield, Wis., has constructed special additions to docks that now sit higher than the lower-riding boats. "There has been a 12 percent decline in cargo carried by ships due to lower lake levels," said Glen Nekvasil of the Lake Carriers' Association that represents Great Lakes commercial shippers. A 1,000-foot "laker" carrying iron ore or Western coal out of Duluth essentially loses one cargo hold, Nekvasil said from his Cleveland office. For example, he said, last November a large "laker" loaded to 63,000 tons while it normally would carry 72,000 tons. Lisa Marciniak of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority estimates an additional 25 to 30 ships were required in 2006 to haul equivalent cargo when Lake Superior was at its historic average. To address shallower harbors around the Great Lakes and through the St. Mary's River that connects Superior with other Great Lakes, Nekvasil said, the U.S. Corps of Engineers will receive an added $50 million this year (increasing to $140 million), mostly for extra dredging because of the lower water. Life in the lake While lake levels affect what moves on Lake Superior, the water levels and warming affects what lives in Superior. "This winter has been somewhat colder than the last few years, but not much colder," Austin said, noting that lake temperatures have increased 4.5 degrees since 1980. "That may not sound like much to a swimmer or a sailor," Austin said. "But that rate of change over a few short years is significant to fish and plankton." One early victim may be populations of native whitefish — long a diner's delicacy — living in Superior's cold, deep water. "Whitefish eggs are in near-shore areas normally protected by ice cover," said Tom Hrabik, a fisheries biologist at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He said intermittent ice break-up over winter along with early spring ice-out can destroy eggs before they hatch. But the effect most feared by Hrabik is that warming will provide "a thermal refuge" for unwanted exotics, including the round goby (a small but aggressive bottom-dwelling fish that displaces native species), carp, eel and cool-water zebra mussels. He said Superior's cold water has been an effective buffer against invasions of exotics. Overall, Hrabik said, a suddenly warmer lake will change a variety of fish behavior patterns that have been established over thousands of years, and the result likely won't be good for the popular whitefish and lake trout. 'It is not good' So how does a relatively small change of a degree or two or air temperature cause a "significant" change of four to five degrees in the lake? That's what Austin wants to examine with his planned study. But he offered a likely scenario: Warmer overnight lows in winter reduces ice and exposes more of the lake to cold, dry temperatures resulting in more rapid evaporation. Lack of spring ice causes earlier warming of surface waters that lately have heated to "surprising" summertime levels (one mid-lake buoy in 2006 measured 75 degrees at the surface for a comparatively long period of several days). Less differential between lake surface temperatures and the air brings winds from aloft down to the surface (Austin says winds are up 25 to 30 percent), and the warm winds cause summertime evaporation when previously the lake was so cold that none occurred in summer. Warmer surface water results in later ice formation and also thinner ice that is subject to intermittent breakup throughout winter. And so the "feedback" process feeds itself. Nekvasil and Marciniak expressed hope that current lower lake level is a short-lived and Superior will rebound, as it did following the record low of 1926. And that may be the case if precipitation amounts increase across the Great Lakes Basin to off-set evaporation losses. So far that hasn't happened. "Lower lakes cost our members because of reduced cargoes and increased trips," Nekvasil said. "It is not good." As a scientist, Austin wouldn't call the observed changes good or bad. "I would say that Lake Superior could be a in a period of seeking a new stability," Austin said.

....While it has been some time since I fished Dry Pine Bay I think it's part of the upper French River (main channel). It's in the area south of Alban on the map. The lower being west of HWY#69. And while I certainly don't condone keeping any sturgeon in the Nipissing region I don't think those pictures show lots of killing. Like the other pictures on the site there are many duplicates. I think in all those shots we're seeing three sturgeon. From the 2008 regs.... Lake Nipissing - ncluding the waters of the French River from the Chaudière and the Little Chaudière dams to Lake Nipissing; the west bay of Lake Nipissing in Haddo Twp.; the northwest bay of Lake Nipissing to the falls of MacPherson Creek; the Sturgeon River from Lake Nipissing to the dam at Sturgeon Falls; the Veuve River from Lake Nipissing to the chutes located in Lot 5 in Conc. l in Caldwell Twp.; the South River from Lake Nipissing to Highway 654; and the entire West Arm of Lake Nipissing including Cross Lake. / Lake sturgeon closed all year. Now if I could just find a copy of the old regs. I think he also needs to bone up on his facts.... "They have different names. People call them Lake Sturgeon and River Sturgeon but the proper name is White Sturgeon." White Sturgeon....Acipenser transmontanus Lake Sturgeon....Acipenser fulvescens

Fish blast off for brief swim in outer space By AP STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN -- German researchers have launched a rocket carrying 72 small fish on a brief space flight to study motion sickness. The cichlids were in an unmanned rocket that blasted off from a launch pad in northern Sweden yesterday. Professor Reinhard Hilbig, who was in charge of the fish-in-space project, says the thumbnail-sized fish were filmed as they swam around weightlessly in small aquariums during the 10-minute space flight. The German team will now study the video to see if some of the fish swam in circles because that is what fish do when they experience motion sickness. Hilbig says the scientists hope the experiment can help shed light on why some people experience motion sickness while others do not, because the mechanisms involved are similar for both fish and humans. Hilbig said the fish landed safely and appeared to be in good condition.

....I think they should have charged him for this offence as well!

53 fish worth $4,500 By CARL CLUTCHEY Friday, February 22, 2008 chroniclejournal.com A little-known clause in Ontario‘s wildlife regulations has resulted in a Toronto man being fined $4,500 for possessing an unusually large quantity of fish. The 51-year-old man was charged with having 53 rainbow trout over the limit last spring by Manitouwadge game wardens, even though the fish had been caught near Medicine Hat, Alta. Ontario wardens were able to lay the charge because of Section 51 of the province‘s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, which gives them jurisdiction over fish or wildlife caught illegally in another province. As it happens, the maximum number of rainbow trout anglers in Alberta and Ontario can possess at one time is the same in both provinces – five. Ontario game wardens were called last April after police stopped a man on Highway 17 near Marathon for a traffic violation, the Ministry of Natural Resources said in a news release. Many of the fish found in two coolers had already spoiled, investigators said. The man, who pleaded guilty last week in Thunder Bay court, also lost his fishing licence for a year.

Town buys former marina for lakefront parkette Feb 21, 2008 John Slykhuis / yorkregion.com Georgina council inked a deal last week for the purchase of the former Keffer’s Marina on Lake Drive at Rayners Road in Keswick. That means an additional 130 feet of lake frontage in addition to a smaller piece of property across the road, Mayor Rob Grossi said. The lakefront land, under power of sale, was purchased for $98,500. “We’ve been hearing from our constituents that it should be cleaned up. It’s a mess. “I started some discussion with the real estage agent and brought it to council and we decided to buy it,” Mr. Grossi said. The deal was negotiated by town engineering director Bob Magloughlen. There will be discussions with the Ministry of Natural Resources for the removal of a number of decaying boat slips in the water, Mayor Grossi said. “We’re (hoping) the MNR comes up with some money to help us rehabilitate the whole area,” he said. “Depending on what staff recommends, we may want to create a little parkette down there. We also want to keep the boat ramp.” The mayor estimated the cleanup cost to be about $100,000 and said the town will investigate if federal funds of $18 million announced last week can be used. “It’s a great little piece of property,” he said. “We’ve made a request to MNR to clean up the docks and they’re trying to get funding,” Mr. Magloughlen said. “The docks are on crown land.”

....Sorry to hear this Rich. No other choice in the matter, you done right by her.

....I've done a lot of fishing for whities on Georgian Bay and I'd me more inclined to use a super thin no stretch superline or braid with a flourocarbon leader. You're better off trying to detect the take by feel than waiting to see the line move, IMHO.

....Has anyone considered she may be genetically pre-disposed to stupidity, uh have you?

Global warming deemed culprit in decline of L. Huron by Jim Moodie / February 21, 2008 manitoulin.ca LAKE HURON-As Lake Huron dwindles towards a record low, conviction is growing that neither the Chicago diversion nor the St. Clair River is principally to blame. Rather, in what could be described as a case of finally seeing the ocean for the waves, both policymakers and scientists seem to be reaching the consensus that the bigger, broader problem is climate change. In late January, the issue of global warming was high on the agenda of a premiers' conference in Vancouver, with Ontario leader Dalton McGuinty seeking-and receiving-commitments from his colleagues to address the crisis gripping the Great Lakes. Recent research undertaken by scientists in Michigan, meanwhile, suggests that Huron's water woes are largely the result of increased evaporation, a product of the widespread warming trend. The conclusion, reached by limnologists at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Michigan-an arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-was published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology in mid-January. According to the Toronto-based conservation group Environmental Defence, the scientists' findings provide a convincing argument for prompt action on the climate change front. The consequences of global warming are hitting closer and closer to home," the group's policy director, Aaron Freeman, states in a press release. "The health of the Great Lakes is essential to both the economy and natural environment of this region. It is a resource worth protecting." An alliance of lawyers and citizens that formed in Ontario in 1984, Environmental Defence worries that levels will continue to plummet if dramatic changes aren't swiftly made in how North Americans conduct their lives and business. And so does Ecojustice Canada, a national law organization that fights environmental battles in court on behalf of Canadians. "This study represents mounting evidence that the prognosis for the Great Lakes is dire without significant, immediate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions," warns Dr. Elaine MacDonald, senior scientist at Ecojustice Canada. "Without action we will continue to witness the decline of our beloved Great Lakes, an internationally significant freshwater ecosystem." At present, Lake Huron is within five centimetres (two inches) of its all-time recorded low for this time of year, and 60 centimetres (two feet) below its long-term average, with the US Army Corps of Engineers predicting that the lake will drop another 20 centimetres by spring. It could get much worse: additional studies, according to Environmental Defence, have "predicted a permanent decline in water levels of one to four feet in Lakes Huron and Michigan by 2050, dramatically changing historic levels that have fluctuated within only six feet (1.8 metres) over the past 100 years." Lakes Huron and Michigan are "especially vulnerable to water level threats such as global warming," the group notes, since "other Great Lakes have locks or gates that can control water levels, but Huron and Michigan do not." Equally concerned about the state of this invaluable freshwater resource and conduit for commerce is the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLSLCI), an alliance of mayors spanning both the Canadian and US shores of the basin. Directors of the organization's board, including Town of the Blue Mountains Mayor Ellen Anderson, were closely following the premiers' conference, with the expectation that positive news might unfold regarding a new commitment to solving the water levels crisis. They weren't disappointed. "The premiers have agreed that Ontario will host a summit of experts on climate change impacts this year," related Mayor Anderson, whose municipality hugs the south shore of Georgian Bay near Collingwood. "It could be in a matter of weeks-as soon as it can be held. And my interpretation of this is that the premiers collectively agree that it's an important issue for Canada." Indeed, water sustainability was one of two key areas-the other being forests-that were identified by the premiers as warranting national strategies, noted Mayor Anderson. "As a member of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, I'm excited that they have recognized this as a high priority," she told the Expositor. "I look forward to the opportunity to share our concerns and become part of that process." Mayor Anderson said that, while the GLSLCI addresses a variety of issues impacting the Great Lakes, her particular focus has been declining water levels and the toll-both environmental and economic-this can have on a shoreline community. "My goal was to bring the water level issue to the board on a more personal scale," she said. "If the water levels go down two more feet, this means, in the Town of the Blue Mountains, an extension of our water intake at a cost of $5 million. As a municipality, we will certainly realize additional costs in servicing, both in terms of water and waste water." While exposed water lines and elevated docks in the so-called "big water" of Lake Huron may be the most obvious signs of trouble, Mayor Anderson said that the problem goes beyond the Georgian Bay coast. "Keep in mind that it's not just the bay that you see," she said. "The issue goes inland, and what we're doing there has a dramatic effect on the lakes. The rivers that flow into the lakes have been compromised by water being taken, for instance, by agriculture." Since joining the board of the GLSLCI, Mayor Anderson said she's made a point of speaking her mind and not shying away from worst-case scenarios. "I was asked at one point what my goal was as part of this group and as a leader of my community, and I said it's to provide shock treatment-we have to get people worried, because this has been happening for a long time and as humans we tend to be lethargic, assuming someone will fix it for us. But the invoice is going to be expensive." The Georgian Bay mayor brought forward a resolution on water levels at the December 14 meeting of the GLSLCI in Wisconsin that was heartily endorsed by the other board members. Citing the importance of the Great Lakes as a drinking water resource and site for recreation and commerce, and the threats posed by declining water levels (especially in Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan) to such needs and activities, the resolution calls upon the International Joint Commission (IJC), which launched a five-year study of the Upper Great Lakes last year, to proceed "with a sense of urgency" in its investigation. As well, the resolution commits the GLSLCI to "monitor the progress of this study closely through its representative on the public interest advisory group," and to "organize meetings of mayors and the interested public in the Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron basins to provide information about the nature and magnitude of the problem, and progress toward finding and implementing solutions." Mayor Anderson's municipality, inhabiting Grey County, is not the only part of Huron's southern shore that is alarmed by the dramatic dip in the lake's level. In January the Town of the South Bruce Peninsula called upon Bruce County to support its petition to the federal government to address the crisis, according to the Owen Sound Sun Times. South Bruce Mayor Gwen Gilbert told the Sun Times that cottagers are experiencing difficulties in accessing their properties due to the drop in water levels, and, if the situation persists, the municipality will have to extend the water intake for Wiarton, which draws its supply from Georgian Bay. Algae blooms and an incursion of phragmites (an invasive plant) are cited as some of the troubling offshoots of waning water that have been experienced along the shore of the Bruce. The Georgian Bay Association, which represents cottagers across the "sixth Great Lake," continues to press for remedial action to be taken at the St. Clair River shipping channel, which they say has been deepened over time due to dredging and scouring, hence contributing to Huron's decline. But the IJC, a quasi-judicial body formed a century ago to resolve disputes over waters shared by Canada and the US and oversee regulation of lake levels, has yet to find convincing evidence that the St. Clair is a significant culprit in Huron's decline. The commission launched a multi-year, $17 million study of the upper Great Lakes in March, 2007, following a similarly lengthy (and costly) examination of the lower lakes and the St. Lawrence. For Environmental Defence, the cure to Huron's water ills requires a widespread adjustment in the way governments, companies and citizens go about their daily routines, with an emphasis on conservation and reversing the trend in global warming. Last September, the group co-produced (with four other Canadian environmental groups) a report titled Great Lakes Blueprint: A Canadian Vision for Protecting and Restoring the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Ecosystem, which recommends, among other strategies: heightened standards and support for water conservation, including more grey-water recycling; more efficient municipal water systems with fees based on volume; and greater federal appreciation-and action towards-the impacts of global climate change on hydrological systems. For Mayor Anderson, no one answer will solve the problem, but she does feel that "it will take bold leaders and bold leadership to acquire a positive result with Great Lakes water levels." Governments are finally beginning to act, she believes, but a little after the fact. "We've known this was going to happen for years," she said. "The only reason we're paying attention now is that it is costing people some money. Someone's writing a cheque to get their boat up to the cottage." She also believes that the time has come to stop pointing fingers at convenient targets. "I hear a lot of comments about the US taking water," she noted. "But Canadians need to be educated about what we are taking, and we have to take responsibility for our own actions and stop blaming other people. Until then, we're sunk." Or left high and dry, as the case might be. Asked to compare her area's water concerns to those experienced by communities on Manitoulin, Mayor Anderson replied, perhaps a bit too tellingly, "we're in the same sandbox."

News Release / MP Watson Delivers: Government Takes Action to Help Clean Up the Detroit River Windsor, Ontario, February 21, 2008 - Jeff Watson, Member of Parliament for Essex, on behalf of the Honourable John Baird, Minister of the Environment, announced today that the Government of Canada is investing up to $600,000 to help clean up the Detroit River. "The actions taken now to improve the state of the Detroit River will not only produce a cleaner environment, but will also stimulate regional development," said Mr. Watson. "We are working to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for the nearly three million citizens in Canada and the United States, who rely on the watersheds of Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie and the connecting Detroit River for drinking water. We are proud to be partners in important initiative." The funding announced today will go towards the excavation and removal of PCB-contaminated sediment and bank soil. The project will begin in the fall of 2008 and be completed by 2009. "Our Government is committed to clean water and clean air and to delivering results for Canadians," said Minister Baird. "Thanks to the hard work of MP Jeff Watson, our Government is taking real action to help clean up contaminated sediment in the Detroit River. This investment, as part of our comprehensive Action Plan for Clean Water, will make a real difference for Windsor and Essex County." This major investment to clean up the Detroit River is part of the Government of Canada's Action Plan for Clean Water. Recently, the Government has also taken action to protect water quality, including tough new regulations against the dumping of raw sewage and improving raw sewage treatment in municipalities and first nation communities across Canada. These measures will help filter out substances like phosphates, which can lead to excessive blue-green algae production. Backgrounder / Cleaning Up the Detroit River

Net Pens Increase Survival of Lake Huron Salmon Week of February 18, 2008 great-lakes.org Anglers in several ports around the Great Lakes have donated their time and money to net pen projects, hoping to increase the survival of salmon stocked by management agencies. The pens are generally stationed in harbors and allow the young salmon to acclimate to their new environment. Growth of net pen salmon is enhanced with artificial feed. Pen-acclimated salmon are less vulnerable to predators due to this head start in growth, and their tendency to move into deep water more quickly than wild or conventionally stocked salmon. A recent study compared recreational angler return rates of tags (CWTs) from salmon stocked traditionally to those held in net pens. Net pens in the AuSable River resulted in a 2.5-fold increase in salmon returns, while net pens at Harbor Beach resulted in a much smaller increase due to high temperatures. Pens on the AuSable also appeared to help salmon to imprint. Salmon reared in AuSable River net pens were 6.4 times more likely to return to that river than conventionally stocked fish.

Four to enter Bass Fishing Hall of Fame 40th Bassmaster Classic is setting for Feb. 21 induction ceremonies Week of February 18, 2008 great-lakes.org HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Four legendary figures of bass fishing who have contributed greatly to the sport through education, angling achievements, innovations and communications will join 32 previously inducted men and women into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, Feb. 21. The class of 2008 includes Charlie Campbell and Virgil Ward both of Missouri, Nick Crème of Texas and Buck Perry of North Carolina, as the seventh group of inductees. Crème, Perry and Ward will be inducted posthumously. Induction ceremonies Thursday, Feb. 21 will take place at the Hyatt Hotel in Greenville, S.C., the evening before the start of the 40th Bassmaster Classic’s three days of championship fishing on Lake Hartwell. The reception will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the induction banquet and ceremony in the main ballroom at 7 p.m. The four honorees and their contributions include: ►Charlie Campbell as a Missouri educator and celebrated coach for over 15 years would spend after-school hours and summers guiding nearby lakes. Multi-dimensional he later owned a marine dealership, developed the "Charlie Campbell CC Spinner Bait,” and was instrumental in the design of the Bass Tracker boat for Bass Pro Shops. He won a B.A.S.S. Federation National Championship, fished five Classics and won a total of 67 tournament trail events. Among his many honors he’s been inducted into two other halls of fame. ►Nick Crème in 1949, created the first rubber worms on his kitchen stove which made a huge impact as it revolutionized bass fishing with artificial lures in the 1950s and ‘60s. When professional anglers began winning early B.A.S.S. tournaments on Crème Scoundrels and Shimmy Gals, the founder and owner of Crème Lures saw his business take off. Crème became one of the first tackle companies to sponsor a pro angler when, in 1967, Nick offered John Powell of Alabama an $18,000 contract. ►Buck Perry is widely acclaimed as the "father of structure fishing," as he opened up America’s lakes and rivers to a different style of fishing than anyone had ever enjoyed. Before sonar, Perry was using his Spoonplugs and trolling tactics to catch deep water and offshore bass that others did not even know existed. Perry spent his life educating others about bass migrations, habitat and deep water methods. Even though he passed away in 2005, his Spoonplugging school is still a serious educational institution for anglers. ►Virgil Ward had one of the most popular TV showcases of bass fishing techniques for 27 years with his very successful Virgil Ward's Championship Fishing Show. Syndicated nationally for 20 years, Ward‘s show in 1985 was rated No. 1 overall. Millions of fishing fans followed his weekly shows on 253 radio stations and his advice in 450 newspapers. In 1955 Virgil and his son Bill, started the Bass Buster Lure Company, designed the feather jig and patented the fiber weed guard still used today by jig manufacturers. Among the currently enshrined Hall of Fame members are Ray Scott, Johnny Morris, Bill Dance, Cotton Cordell, Denny Brauer, Stan Fagerstrom, Roland Martin, Bob Cobb, Guido Hibdon, Jimmy and Chris Houston. The evening will also include the introduction of the four newest members to the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Board of Directors. They include Kathy Magers and Dick Hart of Texas, Gene Ellison of Massachusetts and Hobson Bryan Jr. of Alabama who were named to three-year terms beginning January 1 of this year. The board is comprised of 15 members from within the fishing industry. Established in 1999, the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, headquartered in Hot Springs, Ark., is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. It‘s dedicated to promoting the sport of bass fishing through participants and fans and establishing a shrine to the men, women and companies who have supported and elevated this sport to anglers around the world.

Mercury Marine Web Site Named Best in its Category Abigail Walker / Feb. 19, 2008 fishingworld.com FOND DU LAC, WI.... Mercury Marine’s consumer Web site has been recognized by the North American Marine Industry Web Awards competition as the Best Marine Equipment Site. Winners of the competition were announced at the 2008 Miami International Boat Show, Feb. 14-18. Four judges from inside and outside the marine industry made the selections. The Mercury Marine website was re-launched in early 2007 with a new look, feel and architecture, offering more intuitive and visually engaging user experience that is easy to understand and navigate. The site features extensive content that helps users easily conduct online product research. In addition, improved product merchandising has enabled users to more easily locate the products they’re seeking. "Though an avid boater, I know virtually nothing about engines," said Sharon Davison, an award judge who is CEO of web design and consulting firm Red Sky Blue Water. "Yet with the Mercury site, I believe I could make an informed decision about the right motor for my needs. Mercury’s passion for engines comes through with a wealth of information made easily accessible through intuitive functionality." A recent addition to the Mercury Marine website is extensive engine-performance information housed within the site’s "Look Deeper" section. Mercury Marine’s current advertising and promotion campaigns urge boaters to "Look Deeper" into the results of engine reviews and tests from third-party experts, as well as head-to-head comparisons with competitive products. The site offers information and evidence supporting these advertising statements. The combined effort is an effective and productive integrated campaign that encourages consumers to truly compare essential data. "I haven’t seen another site in this industry that offers such comprehensive, objective comparative data," said Steve Fleming, director of communications for Mercury Marine. "With the right balance of aesthetics, intuitive site architecture and engaging content, the Mercury Marine website has become a critical success for Mercury Marine. And our site continues to grow every day, which I think is somewhat unique in our industry." About Mercury Marine Mercury Marine is the world’s leading manufacturer of recreational marine propulsion engines. A $2.3 billion division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), Mercury and its 6,200 employees worldwide provide engines, boats, services and parts for recreational, commercial and government marine applications. Mercury’s industry-leading brand portfolio includes Mercury and Mariner outboard engines; Mercury MerCruiser sterndrives and inboard engines; MotorGuide trolling motors; Mercury and Teignbridge propellers; MotoTron electronic controls; Mercury inflatable boats; Mercury SmartCraft electronics; and Mercury and Quicksilver parts and oils. In 2008, Mercury Marine’s OptiMax engine was ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Two-Stroke Outboard Engines" by J.D. Power and Associates for the third consecutive year.

Algae-munching fish clean up Chinese lake: Thu Feb 21, yahoo.com BEIJING (AFP) - Chinese authorities are using algae-munching fish to clean up one of the country's most polluted lakes -- and after their diet of toxins they will be sold on to consumers, state media said Thursday. More than 50,000 silver carp fry have been introduced into Chaohu lake and another 1.55 million will be added in the next 20 days, said Wu Changjun, from the Chaohu Fishery Administration, according to the Xinhua news agency. Each carp is expected to have gobbled between 40 and 50 kilogrammes (88 to 100 pounds) of blue algae when it reaches its adult weight, with each chomp of the sludge helping to clean up the toxic lake, the report added. Once the carp have matured, fishermen will be able to catch them and sell them in markets, at a price 15 times their original cost, giving a boost to the local fishing industry, according to Xinhua. Chaohu, China's fifth biggest lake in the nation's eastern Anhui province, was last year overcome by the blue-green foul-smelling algae, threatening water supplies and destroying life in the lake. The algae has led to a decline of 20 percent in the lake's whitebait stocks, one of the local fishing industry's key catches, Xinhua said Thursday. Hundreds of factories discharge their waste into Chaohu. More than 70 percent of China's waterways and 90 percent of its underground water are contaminated, according to government figures, often as the result of years of untreated sewage discharge and industrial pollution. The environmental woes have had led to problems with the nation's food supply, with some of those toxic foods making their way into exports that have contributed to the recent tarnishing of the "Made in China" brand

Seaway authority to release plan to adjust water levels Joanne Laucius, The Ottawa Citizen Wednesday, February 20, 2008 The binational commission that regulates the flow in the St. Lawrence Seaway is set to release a proposal next month to adjust water flow through Cornwall's Moses-Saunders Dam. The plan is likely to affect levels in many parts of the waterway. There are three potential schemes under consideration, but the preferred option suggests allowing greater variations in water levels, as was the case before the Seaway opened almost 50 years ago. "It would allow the system to return to its normal ebbs and flows," said Greg McGillis, a spokesman for the International Joint Commission, the independent body that regulates the seaway. The preferred plan has environmental benefits, encouraging the return of wetlands and wildlife populations, he said. It could also affect power production, tourism, recreational boating, water supplies and commercial navigation. But meetings on the issue in Ontario have only attracted 30 or 40 people, while in the U.S., crowds of 300 or 400 have gathered to debate the options, Mr. McGillis said. The plan has not attracted much controversy in Eastern Ontario, but it has raised questions in Montreal, where low water levels might affect the Port of Montreal, and around Rochester, New York, where high water levels could increase the risk of flooding for landowners on the south shore of Lake Ontario. There are about 100 homeowners on the south shore who face the risk of flooding, said Mr. McGillis. While waters will rise just as much on Canadian shorelines, there is less risk of flooding because Canadian homeowners followed the setback guidelines more closely. "The laws exist in the U.S. They have been resolutely ignored," he said. Changing water levels have also been flagged as a potential problem by the busy Port of Montreal, which has recurring problems with low water levels. Last September, the International Joint Commission authorized a gradual release of water from the Great Lakes through the dam at Cornwall. The aim of the five-year study that produced the plan was to correct, as much as possible, the wrongs of the St. Lawrence Seaway, a massive engineering project that was officially opened in 1959, said Mr. McGillis. The waterway enables vessels to sail from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Duluth, Minnesota, and makes it possible to inexpensively transport bulky cargo. But it also changed habitat for waterfowl, fish, vegetation and other parts of the ecosystem because the engineered waterway did not have the same extremes of high and low water as the natural system. After the proposal is released on March 31, the IJC plans to hold 10 meetings in towns and cities in various parts of the seaway system on both sides of the border, said Mr. McGillis. Dates and places are to be announced after the plan is released.

How to Handle an Invasive Species? Eat it By TARAS GRESCOE / nytimes.com February 20, 2008 Montreal LATE last year, a flotilla of fluorescent jellyfish covering 10 square miles of ocean was borne by the tide into a small bay on the Irish Sea. These mauve stingers, venomous glow-in-the-dark plankton native to the Mediterranean, slipped through the mesh of aquaculture nets, stinging the 120,000 fish in Northern Ireland’s only salmon farm to death. Closer to home, the Asian carp, which has been working its way north from the Mississippi Delta since the 1990s, is now on the verge of reaching the Great Lakes. This voracious invader, which weighs up to 100 pounds and eats half its body weight in food in a day, has gained notoriety for vaulting over boats and breaking the arms and noses of recreational anglers. Having outcompeted all native species, it now represents 95 percent of the biomass of fish in the Illinois River and has been sighted within 25 miles of Lake Michigan. The only thing preventing this cold-water-loving species from infesting the Great Lakes, the largest body of fresh water in the world, is an electric barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. One of the great unsung epics of the modern era is the worldwide diaspora of marine invasive species. Rising water temperatures brought on by global warming have allowed mauve stingers and harmful algae to thrive far beyond their native habitats. Supertankers and cargo ships suck up millions of gallons of ballast water in distant estuaries and ferry jellyfish, cholera bacteria, seaweed, diatoms, clams, water fleas, shrimp and even good-sized fish halfway around the globe. Thanks to the ballast water discharged by ships entering American ports, Chinese mitten crabs now infest San Francisco Bay, and the Chesapeake’s oysters are preyed upon by veined rapa whelks native to the Sea of Japan. Sixty percent of the species in the St. Lawrence River were introduced by ships that ply the seaway to Lake Ontario. There is nothing new about such invasions. The first recorded case dates to 1245, when Norse voyagers brought a soft-shelled clam to the shores of the North Sea on the sides of their wooden ships. What is new is the rate of introduction and the extent of impact — 80 percent of world trade is conducted by ship, and a new marine invader is now recorded in the Mediterranean every four weeks. Zebra mussels have to be power-hosed from the intake pipes of Great Lakes electric companies, and sea squirts form dense colonies that smother the scallops and clams of Georges Bank. According to one estimate, invasive species in the United States cause major environmental damage and losses totaling about $137 billion per year. There is an easy solution, however: if cargo ships were required to empty and refill their ballast tanks at sea, rather than in harbors and estuaries, marine invasions could be brought to a near standstill. (High-seas ballast water exchange is already mandatory for ships entering the Great Lakes, and will be required next year for vessels mooring in California.) Unfortunately changing ballast water at sea takes time — and time in the shipping industry is money. So far, ship owners the world over have blocked laws seeking to limit shipping’s role in spreading bio-invaders. In the absence of any concrete action by the shipping industry, I would like to make a modest proposal. To save our oceans and lakes from their apparently inexorable slide back to the Archaean Eon — when all that was moving on the face of the waters was primitive cyanobacteria — it is high time we developed a taste for invasive species. Diners in Asia, where sesame-oil-drenched jellyfish salad has long been considered a delicious, wholesome dish, are way ahead of us. On the Yangtze River, the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric project, has increased the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen in the waters off China, creating an ideal breeding ground for Nomura’s jellyfish, a monstrous 450-pound creature that can tear apart fishing nets. In the summer of 2005, a half-billion were estimated to be floating from the shores of China to the Sea of Japan every day, forming a ring of slime around the entire nation. The citizens of Fukui, a northern Japanese island, coped by marketing souvenir cookies flavored with powdered jellyfish. Returning from a fact-finding mission to China, a professor from Japan’s National Fisheries University offered up 10 different recipes for preparing Nomura’s jellyfish. “Making them a popular food,” he told a Japanese newspaper, “is the best way to solve the problem.” Precisely. And if we want to forestall our looming carp quagmire, this is the kind of attitude we need to adopt on our shores. Sports fishermen are already doing their part by angling for the pests (as the presence of such titles as International Carper, TotalCarp, and Carpology on magazine racks attests). Restaurateurs from Tupelo to Toronto could pitch in by replacing the bland-fleshed channel catfish on their menus with equally bland-fleshed Asian carp. It seems only fair: it was catfish farmers in the South who imported the fish to filter algae from their ponds in the 1970s and allowed them to escape into the wild during the Mississippi floods of 1993. For years now, fisheries scientists have been telling us that, for our own health and the health of the oceans, we need to start eating down the food chain — closer to the level of oysters than tuna. So, next time you’re in the mood for seafood, ask the chef to whip you up a jambalaya (or a fricassee, or a ragout) of rapa whelks and Chinese mitten crabs, or maybe consider blackening up an entirely new species. Asian carp, Cajun-style, anyone? Taras Grescoe is the author of the forthcoming “Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood.”

How to slow St. Clair flow still in question $15-million study may never answer debate over dredging TINA LAM • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • February 20, 2008 Leaders of a $15-million study of lake levels in the upper Great Lakes -- Superior, Michigan, Huron -- and St. Clair said they're not yet sure whether the St. Clair River might need gates or weirs to halt its flow. Eugene Stakhiv, one of the coleaders of the study, said laying data that show recent low levels on the lakes on top of historical data of low lake levels just before the Dust Bowl in the 1920s and 1930s, shows that the patterns are similar. What is different, Stakhiv said, is that evaporation and lack of ice on the lakes in winter are major contributors to the current low levels, while the historic lows mostly were due to a lack of precipitation. About 80 people at a presentation in Grosse Pointe Farms on Tuesday night heard that the study won't be complete until June 2009. Even then, it still may not fully answer questions about whether low lake levels are caused by past dredging of the St. Clair River, as a Canadian homeowners group alleges, or what to do about it. So far, data show the river is not eroding, which casts doubt on the theory. But some of those in the audience said they're worried about the lows. Phillip Wehrmeister of Grosse Pointe Park said he has a boat on Lake St. Clair. "I want to know what they're going to do," he said. "Lake St. Clair is way far down." Others, such as Mike Simmons of Clinton Township, said they're concerned that some water may be being illegally diverted from the lakes. The study leaders said they do not believe there are any such diversions. Legislation pending in the state Legislature, which all eight Great Lakes states have agreed to, would ban any future diversion from the lakes to other states. "We must get that passed," said Kay Felt, a member of the public interest advisory group for the study and a resident of Grosse Pointe Shores.

Ministry of Natural Resources / News Release *********************** TORONTO — Family Fishing Weekend is a great opportunity for families and friends to get outdoors and enjoy a popular winter sport together. ""Families can use this annual licence-free weekend as an opportunity to try a great winter activity and have a good time, while taking all precautions to ensure ice conditions permit safe fishing," said Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield. Where safe ice conditions permit, local events include: • Children's Fishing Day on Anderson Lake near Espanola, sponsored by the Espanola Game and Fish club, February 23. • The 3rd Annual Fishing Derby on Nighthawk Lake near Timmins, February 23 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. • The Georgian Bay Get Outdoors Club Ice Fishing Derby at Georgian Bay Landing, February 24 starting at 10 a.m. • Family Fishing Derby, Shirley's Bay, Ottawa River sponsored by the West Carleton Sportsmen Association, February 23 starting at 9 a.m. • The Pike "Catch-em & Keep-em" Derby, February 23 on Crowe Lake west of Marmora. During the Family Fishing Weekend, Canadian residents can fish licence-free in any public waters across Ontario, except those with a closed season. Anyone fishing licence-free must follow the conservation licence limits set out in the 2008-2009 Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary. Information on these limits will be available at each participating site. Anglers should also check the summary for regulations on season closures and gear and bait restrictions, which must be observed. The Family Fishing Weekend is supported by a partnership of the Ministry of Natural Resources, 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. For more information about Ontario Family Fishing Weekend and local events, please visit www.familyfishingweekend.com.

Sign up for fishing derby North Star, Area News, Shelley Heffernan Wednesday, February 20, 2008 The Whitestone Rod and Gun Club are holding their second annual fishing derby on Saturday, March 8, from noon to 3 p.m. on Whitestone Lake. The cost per hole is $50 per adult and $20 per child. There are lots of cash prizes to be won and early bird tickets bought on or before Feb. 29 could win a prize of $250. For more information or tickets, call Jeff Hull at 389-3281 or the Duck Rock Resort at 389-3322.

Federation of hunters slighted by auditor general’s report The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters has completed a 14-page response to the Auditor General’s Fish and Wildlife Management Program audit, which it said unfairly and erroneously discredits hunters and anglers. By Garett Williams Miner and News Tuesday February 19, 2008 The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters has completed a 14-page response to the Auditor General’s Fish and Wildlife Management Program audit, which it said unfairly and erroneously discredits hunters and anglers. The federation completed an analysis of the 28-page audit and said it found inaccuracies from Ministry of Natural Resources reporting errors to an insufficient knowledge of the science of wildlife management in the Auditor General’s office. “In terms of what was presented, there were just so many flaws, there’s no other way of putting it,” said Ed Reid, a wildlife biologist with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. “The Auditor General’s office was looking at technical aspects of the fish and wildlife program where you would expect the role of the Auditor General to be looking at the cost efficiency of the wildlife programs and are they working.” Reid said the audit noted an increase in deer populations, but failed to capture the progress the ministry has made to increase its management capacity. The number of tags issued has doubled since the last audit, in 1998, to 100,000. Reid said the audit used an average of 87,000 tags, rather than the actual numbers, which plays out as if the ministry hasn’t responded to the increase. “That’s a really critical issue, it’s a sustainability and conservation issue and unfortunately, that wasn’t captured within the Auditor General’s report,” he said. “Instead, it painted a picture that the ministry hadn’t responded. And similarly in moose management, I would have to say the Auditor General’s office just simply is not qualified to interpret what is a fairly complicated ... moose harvest allocation process, which is science based.” Reid said the audit leaned on over-hunting for a declining moose population and while he admitted the moose population may have declined by nearly seven per cent, the number of tags issued to hunters declined by as much as 30 per cent. “There seems to be a focus that hunting and over-hunting and over-harvest seems to be highlighted as more of the singular problem,” he said. “Where as, in the case of moose management, moose hunters have had to give up quite a bit of opportunity and they will willingly, to maintain moose populations.” Increasing bear numbers in Northern Ontario are a root cause for calf decline in some areas, Reid said. Studies out of Minnesota suggest warmer climates place additional stress on nursing cows. The ministry needs increased wildlife resources to complete further studies, he said. A copy of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters response has been sent to both the MNR and the Auditor General’s office. Reid said there has been no response, as far as he knows. However, not everything the Auditor General’s report concluded was wrong, he said. The federation agrees the MNR is underfunded. Reid suggested as much as $30 million in additional funding would be required. “We want accuracy,” Reid said. “... as a citizen, I think, like most people, ‘this is an important independent review of the efficiency of government programs.’ Reasonably, fairly and rightly, it looked at the tasks the ministry has to do and the resources it’s got and concluded that it needs more resources. “We would agree with that.”

....A foot from the tip, I'd try and get it replaced or buy a new one. A foot off any rod is not repairable and using it a foot shorter than it's origional length is not desirable nor recommended.

Zebco: Going From Bombs to Big Mouth Bass By CHARLES CANTRELL gtrnews.com Over its 100-year history, Tulsa’s energy based economy has spawned many enterprising, start-up companies that found a niche by providing a much needed, innovative services or products. Mostly those small companies remained tied to the energy industry and successfully grew up with the expansion of the country’s energy needs. But there was one very notable exception to that model. From 1932 until 1949 Zero Hour Bomb Company found and held its niche in the petroleum industry. It held the patent on and manufactured electrical time bombs used in fracturing, a procedure to bring difficult, tight formation wells into production. During the mid-1940s, the company began to look for other things to manufacture when other methods to start the flow of oil into wells began to surface causing a shrinking market for its single product. And to make matters worst their patent was about to expire. In 1949 a watchmaker and itinerant inventor with the unlikely name of Jasper R. Dell Hull entered the scene. He had created a new kind of fishing reel so simple, so ingenious and yet so revolutionary it would change the world of fishing forever. It must have made quite an impression on the oil patch manufacturer, because from that day on management of the Zero Hour Bomb Company turned their backs on the petroleum world and focused on the exciting world of fishing retaining only a conjugation of their old name by calling themselves Zebco. R. D. Hull (as his name was mercifully shorten to) had come up with a new way of feeding line off of a reel that eliminated a thing called backlash. Backlash was a common problem associated with the tricky “baitcast” reels of the day where one simple mistake led to a tangle of braided Dacron line requiring not only the patience of Job but the dexterity of a weaver, requiring far too much precious weekend leisure time to correct. Using the Zebco “Standard” fishing reel, a dad could fish all day with his son without one encounter with the dreaded backlash and thus avoid the temptation to use words not suitable for young ears. Flawless casting out of fishing line became the purview of everyone, not just the practiced, patient and skillful angler. Zebco’s inexpensive closed face fishing reel soon replaced the old baitcast reel and it also replaced the traditional cane pole, hook, line and bobber and launched a new era in fishing. The Zebco Standard, and the subsequent similar low cost reels they made with their user friendliness, essentially broadened the fishing market to include the whole family: dad, mom, brother and sister. Not only was effortless casting for fish more adventuresome and exciting than sitting passively on the bank waiting for a bite or wrestling with backlash, it encouraged more anglers onto the waterways to explore new fishing domains. Soon the opportunities and demographics for fishing included anyone with a little interest, some expendable income and weekend time on their hands. Zebco with their strange little reel had helped widen the market vistas for manufacturers of boats, lures, fishing line, rods and other fishing paraphernalia. The early reel was only the first in a proliferation of products to come. By introducing more of America to fishing, this little Tulsa company was instrumental in ushering in the vibrant industry we know today. But back to that first innovative reel, originally branded the Standard. It was renamed the “Zebco 33” and over time this mainstay product took on the mantel of “America’s Reel.” As the company began to develop a product line of similar closed faced reels at various price points, the Model 33 would remain virtually the same over the years. Any attempt to calculate the number of fish caught over the years using Hull’s reel would boggle the mind. It was the company’s cash cow and cash in they did. Starting with its line of closed face reels, Zebco would springboard into manufacturing and marketing fishing products addressing a variety of needs for the growing market it had helped create. Every year brought a new challenge to the company to satisfy the typical anglers’ insatiable appetite for something new and better and to ultimately help them catch more or bigger fish. Continual innovative products were essential to ongoing success. This demanding need had to be juggled with retaining the company’s core values of always providing dependable and affordable quality products. Zebco also diversified its product line through company acquisitions to include other type reels such as open face spinning reels and levelwind casting reels. The company developed a line of fishing rods and acquired a fishing lure company. They even began to sponsor professional anglers in the growing sport of professional tournament fishing. So well did Tulsa’s fishing reel company present itself in the market place that it was purchased in 1961 by Brunswick Corporation, a move that facilitated its continued market ascension into every aspect of the fishing industry and around the globe. Product diversification enabled the company to break new marketing ground by offering assembled packaged products call “Combos.” Weekend anglers could walk into a sporting goods store and purchase a Zebco reel fully wound with the latest in high strength monofilament fishing line matched to the proper rod with maybe a hot lure or two thrown in for good measure, all assembled and ready to go in one package. At the same time the customer could also buy a scaled down version of a Combo for his younger fishing buddy. Then all that was needed was a body of water with fish in it. Innovative product development, prudent acquisitions and exemplary marketing are all hallmarks of the Zebco story. Notable marketing achievements include being the first fishing tackle manufacturer in America to advertise on network television. Over the years the company has been a major player in the preservation of the country’s fishing heritage through conservation and education programs. In 1983 it established the Fish America Foundation, which over the years has raised and granted millions to the cause of restoring fish habitats in the United States and Canada. Older local anglers might even remember the media attention given to the casting expertise of the fishing chimpanzee put on display at the Zebco booth at the Tulsa Sports Show in the 1970s. It was one more ingenious marketing ploy making the point once and for all that anyone and everyone can catch fish with a Zebco reel. Time, with its inevitable tribulations, tests a company’s resolve, its mettle and its ability to adapt. Throughout the years Zebco has been tested often by the highly competitive and unforgiving retail fishing market. It is a multi-billion dollar industry with a fickle customer base constantly demanding new products and ideas, and one that expects both product quality and affordability. To maintain its market position, the company has at times been compelled to adopt strategies that run contrary to its inherent corporate culture. Such a time came in the late 1990s when labor cost differentials forced the company to move its manufacturing overseas in order to stay competitive. But Zebco maintains a significant presence right here in Tulsa where it first began its journey. In 2001 Brunswick sold Zebco to the W.C. Bradley Co. However, the company’s World Headquarters, housing all of sales, marketing, R&D and accounting, remains at its Apache Street location where it has been since the early 1970s. The Zebco journey began with an improvised prototype fishing reel made of ingenuity and part of a beer can thrown together by a man with an idea addressing a simple notion that fishing should be affordable and fun for everyone. And Tulsa’s fishing product manufacturer continues on as a renowned international company and an integral part of an industry leader in recreational products, all in a little under 60 years. It would be hard to find a more quintessential American success story than Zebco, a Tulsa mouse that roared.

....No worries Wayne, I get an extra weeks vacation next year and I know where I'll be slotting it.