Spiel

....For those attending, drive carefully. It's not very nice out there!

....Just a reminder it's this weekend for those interested.

Deadly fish virus found in Lake Huron

by Jim Moodie / manitoulin.ca

manitoulin.ca

LAKE HURON-It's here.

Late last month, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources found viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) in several types of fish from the Alpena, Rogers City and Cheboygan areas of the state-waters situated a mere 100 miles from the Island.

"It was found in Michigan by the Americans, because we're not looking for it," said Gord Miller, Ontario's environment commissioner, in an interview with the Expositor last week.

While it is hoped that fish will build up a natural resistance to the highly contagious bug, and that new Ministry and Natural Resources (MNR) regulations on the harvest and transfer of bait fish may slow its proliferation, there seems little hope of actually halting its progress. "It will continue to spread through the Great Lakes," said Mr. Miller darkly, adding that it could also "spill into the inland lakes."

Originally confined to salt water, VHS appeared in a new freshwater strain in 2005, as diagnosed by Guelph fish pathologist John Lumsden. At that time, it was identified as the culprit behind a massive die-off of freshwater drum in Lake Ontario.

Since then, over a dozen species have been found to be susceptible to the disease, which, as the 'hemorrhagic' part of its name suggests, kills fish in a most unpleasant way. They bleed to death.

While it remains unclear exactly how the virus arrived in our waters, the most likely explanation, said Mr. Miller, is bilge water from ocean-going freighters. Humans are not at risk of contracting VHS, but the list of fish that could incur high mortality rates is ever growing.

The VHS-infected fish studied by the Michigan DNR included chinook salmon, walleye and whitefish. The latter, a staple of Island commercial fishermen, hailed from the Cheboygan area and were initially collected in 2005 as part of a survey for bacterial kidney disease. A more recent analysis revealed they had actually died of VHS.

Apart from its proximity to Manitoulin and the North Channel, Cheboygan is also a scant 25 kilometres from the strait linking Huron to Lake Michigan, meaning another Great Lake will almost certainly find itself on the list of infected zones soon.

Following these latest finds, Michigan has reclassified its Lake Huron waters as a VHS Positive Management Area, joining Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River, the Detroit River and Lake Erie in this category. In conjunction with this, the state has issued a ban on the trap and transfer of live fish unless they have tested negative for VHS, and is urging anglers to disinfect their boats and cease transporting minnows from the Great Lakes to inland lakes.

Ontario announced similar VHS control strategies in early January which involved dividing the province into three zones-the infected zone, the buffer zone, and the virus-free zone-and outlawing all commercial harvesting and export of bait fish in the former, while buffer areas would be permitted to collect and use bait fish but not move them elsewhere.

At the time, only Lakes Ontario and Erie were considered infected zones, while Lake Huron fell into the buffer zone category. Although no announcement has yet come from the MNR regarding a reclassification, it is almost certain that, with the recent discovery of VHS along the Michigan shore of Lake Huron, our area will soon fall into the more strictly regulated category.

George Purvis of Purvis Brothers Fishery said that, "now that they've found it (in Lake Huron), they'll move the boundary up to the Sault locks." The longtime commercial fisherman, and member of the Ontario Commercial Fish Producers Association, isn't thrilled about the appearance of VHS in local waters, but neither is he surprised or particularly alarmed.

"We've known about this right from the start, and I'm not that concerned about it," he said. "The head of our association, who is a biologist, says we just have to let nature take its course. I think after a couple of years fish build up an immunity."

Mr. Purvis noted that the virus has obviously been in Lake Huron for some time already, since the samples collected in Michigan date to 2005, but his boats are still hauling in decent amounts of fish. "The whitefish haven't died yet," he said. "In our main fishing areas, we took our quota last year, so I'm not too concerned at this point."

That said, Mr. Purvis suspects that those who make their livelihoods from aquaculture and the bait business could incur significant losses. "The farmed fish could be in serious trouble compared to wild fish because if rainbows get it, it would go through the cages like wildfire," he said. The virus tends to impact fish that are stressed, he noted, and disease can travel very quickly among close-quartered farm stock.

"If the aquaculture people have brood stock or fry that are infected with VHS, they'll kill it all, like cattle in England," said Mr. Purvis.

Bait dealers, meanwhile, "are going to be put out of business," Mr. Purvis predicted, due to the crackdown on harvest and transfer of live bait. "It's gotten political, and they're jumping through the hoops now to keep (VHS) out of inland lakes."

The commercial fisherman also anticipates that fish hatcheries will soon encounter strict new policies geared to stemming the spread of the virus. "The MNR might insist those fish are tested before they're put in the lake, because you don't want to dump the virus right on top of the existing fish."

....Awe shucks *blushes*, thanks everyone. Been doing it for a long time now and while it does eat up plenty of time finding articles it's all worth it as long as someone's reading them.

....As stated two is the norm throughout most of Ontario with exceptions. Personally I often tend to focus all my attention on one. It keeps me mobile (less work packing up and resetting) and often prevents the fish of the day from getting tangled in my second line, a real bummer if your angling alone.

....I totally agree with Cookslav the only thing I might add is some big fat dewies on a single hook with a little shot for those river browns.

....lol, I'm sure everyone willl be able tell tell us apart Wayne when you blow by me and leave me bobbing around in your wake.

....Just found this little notice in the Barrie Advance.

Ice Fishing seminar

Simcoe Bait and Tackle presents a special free in-store seminar on ice fishing on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m.

Award-winning outdoor writer, and renowned ice angling instructor Wil Wegman will be presenting a program entitled, Ice Fishing Lake Simcoe: Adapting To A Changing Lake.’

Learn how the lake has changed over the years and what you can do to adapt to these changes. Also learn about four key Simcoe species – lake trout, whitefish, yellow perch and northern pike – and special techniques to catch them.

Seating is limited. For more information, or to reserve a spot, call 737-4819.

....Great post Wayne with some great shots. Super looking boat as well but what's wrong with black.

....Also would help to know what kind of trout, brookies, lakers, rainbows?

....Been using my 4" Rapala on perch for over 20 years now, no plans on changing what works best!

....Wow, you done well. Hope you both have a great evening.

...Awe man, Rick beat me to it by a minute.

Anyhow, you can find the thread here.

....It has been unpinned for the time being Gary. It'll likely get repinned when the warmer weather returns. It's still on the board somewhere, I'll see if I can locate it.

....Ah, ain't dat tweet. Congratulations, I know I haven't managed to do it.

....Will the new house have room for me and three kids? I'd like to think so as it appears you're moving into heaven.

....Yippeeeee!

Try this link folks.

A change in wind direction almost always means a change in barometric pressure. It's the barometric pressure that does it. Not the wind direction. "Wind from the West, fish bite the best" is mostly true because of the prevailing westerlies. Our wind almost always comes from the west which results in steady barometric pressure. Any change will throw the fish off, depending on species. So, your poem is mostly true. But if we had two weeks of steady east wind, the fishing would be great. But that never happens.

....Dan has hit the nail on the head here in my opinion. After barometric pressure everything thing else is secondary.

....A bunch of testosterone fueled men pummeling the tar out of each other, ah no I won't be watching.

Holy Crap Chris - you have OVER 5000 posts.

Joey

....Yes Joey I sure do....lol (note to self, "get a life!")

Clampet those pictures would be late 70"s

I hate to say it, but that shirt and I would be the same age! Haha!

....Ah Snady you is making me feel old.

and Gerritt if you haven't noticed I don't have much hair left to cut. Dang I hate Barbers!

I think i have the same shirt ,still in my closet

lol....Well you might have if you played on the 12-10 mill (Stelco) ball team back in 78-79.

....Posts like these truly upset me knowing I likely won't make it up to Nipissing this year. But I do enjoy seeing them none the less, thanks.

....Tough call Brian but it could be days before he comes up with another question.

....With all these ice reports from Binbrook on the board lately I decided it would be fun to post a few summer time pictures of the terrific fishing a few friends and I used to enjoy at Binbrook from the comforts of my 16' square back sportspal with an old Sears Gamefisher electric. Enjoy!

Me and a typical Largie

My Buddy with a better than average Northern

and finally another buddy with a typical stringer of walleye. At the time it was pretty easy to get a mess of these everytime we went out.