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Angler floored by monster catch

A fisherman's holiday that ended with a monster catch in Spain left him reeling from the weight of his 7' 7" record-breaking haul.  When the 21 lb catfish took the bait and Duncan Rooke, a 32-year-old gas engineer from Surrey, England picked up his rod, he said the weight was "obscene".

He said five people were needed to help bring the 15-stone fish on to the banks of the Ebro, near Barcelona, in July. "It dragged me down the rocks. I nearly went in. God knows how I didn't."

The female wels catfish took the bait of two halibut pellets on July 6 at the end of a week-long fishing holiday. "When you hook one they are just unbelievable," said Rooke.  "I knew I was toppling and I just let my weight go backwards and fell. Then it pulled me back on to my feet." He said: "They are scary things when you catch them. You have to grab their bottom

jaw."

"They will shake their head and do a death roll like a crocodile. It can dislocate your arm. You just have to keep hold of it. They just close their mouth and hold on and try to take you back in with them." He said he stood in the river holding on to his catch for more than an hour.

During that time the anglers weighed the fish and had the catch independently witnessed before they posed for photographs.  The proud fisherman - who weighed a stone less than his catch - burped the fish and rubbed its stomach before sending it back into the river.

"You have to make sure they get plenty of water in their gills and get rid of all the air out of their stomachs," he said.  According to the Catfish Conservation Group, the largest freshwater fish previously caught by a Briton weighed in at 211 lb.

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Thanks to our Vice President Bob Mitchell and the research by our webmaster Bob James for this new resource.

Galley Cuisine

Baked Sweet Potato Wedges

1 sweet potato

Brown sugar

Marshmallow

Cinnamon sugar

In a bowl melt 7 or 8 marshmallows over the stove. Cut the

sweet potato into 8 equal pieces. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes on 350 degrees. Take the 8 pieces out of the oven and sprinkle with brown sugar, top with the melted marshmallow and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Put back in the oven at 275 degrees until the sweet potatoes are soft.

(By Chef Jim Bucko, Radisson Hotel, Merrillville, IN )

Shark Fisherman Reels In Record Tuna

Fisherman Dan Dillon went out to sea in search of shark. He returned empty handed, at least as far as sharks are concerned.   Dillon, however, did reel in an 873 lb bluefin on July 9, 2005, the biggest tuna on record in Delaware.

Dillon, 39, a real estate executive from

Herndon, VA, said the monster fish was caught 40 miles off the southern Delaware

coast.   He used an 80 lb test monofilament line on an 80 lb class reel, using a bluefish fillet as bait.  Measuring 9' 7" in length, 80" in girth, the fish outweighed the state's previous record catch by more than 500 lbs.

Robin, Not Crow, May Be West Nile Culprit

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) � The American robin, not the crow, may be the more potent source for West Nile virus, according to new research. A DNA analysis of blood taken from the abdomens of 300 mosquitoes trapped in Connecticut over the past three years found that 40 % fed on the blood of the red-breasted songbird and only 1 % on crows, said Theodore Andreadis, chief medical entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

His findings have been turned over to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for publication in the agency journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.  West Nile virus has

been identified in more than 200 species of birds, according to the CDC.

"I'd be surprised if the American robin would be very important," said Komar, who had not yet seen Andreadis' data. "I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that crows are not important. If this study analyzes mosquitoes where there are lots of robins but no crows that could be misleading.   "What mosquitoes feed on is a very complicated and very large puzzle. We need more data," Komar said. "Sometimes researchers will find one piece that fits. All the pieces are required."

Contest Rewards Kids for Wearing Life Jackets and Telling Us About It

The National Safe Boating Council�s Boating Safety Sidekicks want kids to tell us the reasons why they wear their life jackets. We hope that by hearing these stories their parents, brothers, sisters, families and friends will realize how important it is for children as well as adults to wear their life jackets.

The "Why I Wear My Life Jacket" contest is requesting essays or short stories from kids between the ages of 4 and 15, explaining the importance of wearing a life jacket and why they choose to wear one. The stories should be between one and two pages and discuss their various boating experiences and why they have worn a life jacket while on the water. The entries can be mailed or emailed to the National Safe Boating Council

at Sidekicks Life Jacket Stories, P.O. Box 509, Bristow, VA 20136 or to [email protected].

A first, second, and third prize winner will be announced in the following age groups: 4 to 7 years old, 8 to 11 years old, and 12 to 15 years old. Winners will receive a $100 dollar savings bond! Awards will be given based upon good grammar, punctuation, composition, and the story told. Entries should include your name, age, and mailing address.

For more info go to www.boatingsidekicks.com  or www.safeboatingcouncil.org , or to submit your entry. The deadline for entries is November 1, 2005. The winners will be announced the first week in December on the "Sidekicks" and the Council�s web sites.

FishAmerica and NOAA Award Grants for Fisheries Habitat Restoration

Alexandria, VA�The FishAmerica Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration�s (NOAA) Restoration Center awarded 22 grants totaling more than $785,000 for fisheries habitat restoration projects located in communities in twelve states. The projects range from improving fish passage in the Betsie River (Michigan) watershed of Lake Michigan to recreating oyster reef fisheries habitat in San Francisco Bay to restoring hurricane-damaged fish habitat in Florida. This is the first year the partnership will fund projects in the Great Lakes watershed. 

The grants were awarded to local watershed associations, conservation clubs, and local and state agencies. Over the course of the projects, it is estimated that more than 1,400 volunteers will donate 15,000 hours to restore sport fish spawning and rearing habitat, improve water quality and improve fish passage for salmon, trout, striped bass, bluefish, snook, tarpon, redfish, black drum, sheepshead, flounder and other sport fish. 

The twelve states receiving funding are: Alaska, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington state. 

In the United States, saltwater recreational fishing is a $31

billion industry while fishing in the Great Lakes adds an additional $7.3 billion to the economy. Overall, American anglers spend $41.5 billion in retail sales and generate $116 billion in economic benefits for the nation each year.

Grants awarded in the Great Lakes:

Michigan:

The Conservation Resource Alliance was awarded $20,000 to improve fish passage along Dair Creek in the Betsie River watershed of Lake Michigan, a popular fishing spot for local anglers. 

New York:

The Chautauqua County Soil and Water Conservation District was awarded $50,000 to stabilize and restore the streambanks of Chautauqua Creek, a major tributary of Lake Erie. A prime trout stream, the creek�s lower five miles provides spawning and rearing habitat for coho, Chinook, steelhead, and brown trout. 

Pennsylvania:

The Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust was awarded $42,800 to remove the Bethayres Dam along Pennypack Creek in the Delaware River watershed, initiating the restoration of fish passage to nearly thirty miles of valuable spawning and rearing habitat for many species of anadromous fish.

Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for August 5, 2005

Lake Level Conditions:

Lake Superior is currently at the same level as last year, while the remaining lakes are 5 to 9 inches below the levels of a year ago.  Dry conditions this spring and summer are the main reason that water levels on the lower Great Lakes are below last year�s levels.   Looking ahead, Lake Superior is expected to remain steady over the next month.  Lakes Michigan-Huron and St. Clair are expected to fall 2 to 3 inches over the next month while Lakes Erie and Ontario should decline by 5 inches.  Levels on Lake Superior over the next few months will be similar to the summer of 2004, whereas levels on the lower Great Lakes will continue to be lower than the summer of 2004. See our Daily Levels web page for more water level information.

Current Outflows/Channel Conditions:

The Lake Superior outflow through the St. Marys River into Lake Huron is projected to be above average during the month of August.  Flows in the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers are anticipated to be below average during August.  Flows in the Niagara River are expected to be near average while St. Lawrence River flows should be below average in August.

Alerts:

Users of the Great Lakes, connecting channels and St. Lawrence River should keep informed of current conditions before undertaking any activities that could be affected by

changing water levels.  Users of the St. Marys River should be aware that regulated flows will be variable from August 3^rd to August 14^th due to flow measurement work in the St. Marys River.   

Anglers and Boaters Score Major Conservation Victory

Efforts by angler and boater groups key in reauthorization success

ALEXANDRIA, VA � After close to two years of Congressional action and three years of strategic planning and consensus building by leading angling and boating organizations, the most significant legislation for sportfishing and boating since 1984 is now waiting for President Bush�s signature.

The centerpiece of the legislation is the successful capture of the federal fuel tax on motorboats and small engines which will now be dedicated to sportfish restoration, angler and boating access and boating safety. The Act will consolidate the receipts of the new Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund and distribute them according to a simpler and more equitable formula supported by the American Sportfishing Association and a coalition of 33 other fishing and boating organizations.

Formerly known as the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, this reauthorization will recover approximately $110 million per year of federal fuel taxes currently being paid by anglers and boaters which was being diverted to the general treasury. The capture of the fuel tax will significantly boost funding revenues for the Fund to approximately $570 million per year for important angling and boating programs such as fisheries monitoring; habitat conservation and restoration; fishing and boating access facilities such as docks, piers, and boat ramps; and education and safety programs for anglers and boaters. State wildlife and natural resources agencies, which receive the funds, will see an annual increase anywhere from $1.1 to $5.5 million dollars for conservation management. Funds are appropriated to the states for sportfish restoration and boating programs based on license sales and water area.

The Fund amounts to about $570 million per year which is ultimately parceled to state fish and wildlife agencies as a primary source of their overall funding. For more than 10 years, only a portion of anglers and boaters' federal motor boat fuel taxes were directed to the Aquatic Resources Trust

Fund, a user-pay/user and resource benefit fund that provides revenues for fishing and boating programs across the nation. The reauthorization captures the entire amount of the fuel tax. In addition, the Congressional action also distributes approximately $87 million of previously unappropriated revenues to various accounts within the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund.

The Transportation Bill also included two other significant victories for sportfishing. They are: $10 million for fish passage improvement under the U.S. Forest Service road system; and $1 million for highway signage to direct anglers and hunters to access points.

Specifics Include:

►       Reauthorize the Marine Sanitary Devices pump-out program, Boating Infrastructure Grant Program, and Outreach programs � these programs would have expired under ARTF including the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation.

►       Boating Safety Grants will now have guaranteed funding � this program will now receive 18.5% of the total, increasing 2005 funding from $64 million to approximately $100 million in FY 2006.

►       Dissolve (spend down) the Boat Safety Account � the balance currently in the account plus the interest (approximately $87 million) will be distributed over the next five years to accounts in the fund.

►       Most programs will be funded by a percentage � All programs, except administration and multi-state grants which remain a fixed amount, are assigned a percentage to allow a more simple and fair process, when the amount of funds increase or decrease so will all of the programs based upon their percentage. 

Percentages are as follows:

  ●        Sport Fish Restoration        57%

  �         Includes 15% for Boating Access

  ●        Boating Safety Grants        18.5%

  ●        Coastal Wetlands Act         18.5%

  ●        Boating Infrastructure        2.0%

  ●        Outreach (RBFF)                  2.0%

  ●        Clean Vessel Act                  2.0%

Numbers show MAATS was a record-breaker

The final figures are in, and they confirm that the fifth MAATS attracted a record number of buyers to Las Vegas last month.

The Marine Aftermarket Accessories Trade Show drew nearly 2,400 people to the Las Vegas Hilton and Convention Center July 20-22, according to the show�s producer, the National Marine Manufacturers Association. That total includes 455 buyers � the most ever for MAATS and a 17 % increase over the 2004 number.  Those buyers were there to see the boating accessory products of 368 exhibitors � also a record number. There were 1,300 individual buyer/supplier meetings, at which those products were shown off in a private setting, away from the show floor.    

Helping swell attendance was the co-location of MAATS with ICAST (the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades), the sportfishing industry�s principal trade show. �There were a number of buyers that attend ICAST every year that came to MAATS for the first time,� said MAATS manager Kathleen  Clickett. She said the benefits of co-location are obvious: People can see the new products in both industries on a single trip.

MAATS and ICAST both return to the Las Vegas Hilton and Convention Center July 19-21 next year.

Invading Carp cause Tennessee fishery headache

By Bryan Brasher, Commercial Appeal

As a fisheries biologist for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tim Broadbent specializes in identifying problems and figuring how to solve them. That's what makes the issue of silver carp and bighead carp so frustrating for him.  

Broadbent has identified the problem. He knows the two giant exotic species are swimming and breeding freely in many Tennessee reservoirs. He knows where they came from. He knows they could eventually make trouble for many native game fish species. Frankly, he doesn't know what he or anyone else can do about it.   "The way these fish have taken hold is really incredible," Broadbent said. "In places like the Mississippi River, their numbers have just exploded -- and with so many fish in an area so large, I'm not sure there is anything that can be done to control them."

Silver and bighead carp are Asian species that were imported into the United States and raised in American hatcheries for sale to pond owners with aquatic weed problems. Since the mid-1980s, the fish have escaped hatchery ponds during floods and are now becoming a nuisance across the country.

Broadbent said the fish can be found throughout the Mississippi River system and in many parts of the Tennessee River, including the popular fisheries of Kentucky and Barkley lakes. They are also abundant in Reelfoot Lake.

Both species grow to weights of 50 pounds or more and reproduce with remarkable speed. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the fish were first found in the Missouri River during the 1990s. Despite that recent introduction, they may already be the most abundant large fish on the lower portion of that river.

Because the fish feed on plankton, many fisheries biologists believe they will eventually have a negative impact on game fish species like bass, crappie and bluegill -- all of which feed on plankton at some point during their development. Because of their sheer size and numbers, the carp species also

destroy shallow-water habitat and have been known to consume the larvae of game fish species.

Besides causing problems for other fish, the carp can create true dangers for humans. Silver carp are capable of jumping 6 to 8 feet out of the water. They have been known to jump into moving boats, sometimes causing injuries and even structural damage to the boats. There are also documented cases of silver carp knocking riders off personal watercraft and causing skiers to fall.

Duane Chapman of the U.S. Geological Survey said the impact of a silver carp is like being hit with a bowling ball. The U.S. Geological Survey is currently studying several methods for controlling carp populations and keeping certain areas free of the fish. They're experimenting with pheromones that attract the carp and make them easier to net. They are also working with chemicals and electrical currents that repel the carp.

"It's certainly conceivable that a fisherman catch a net full of juvenile carp below a dam on the Tennessee River and mistake them for shad," Fiss said. "Then they leave and go to another lake, thinking they've got a bucket full of bait when they're really transporting an exotic species.   "They're probably in our free-flowing rivers to stay. But there's no reason why they should end up in other tributaries across the state."

Regional Distribution

  ● Silver and bighead carp can be found in the following areas:

  ● The length of the Mississippi River, including all portions that flow through Tenn, Mississippi, Ark, Ill, Wis and Min.

  ● The Hatchie River in Tennessee.

  ● The Tennessee River near Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.

  ● The Arkansas River just upstream of Pine Bluff, Ark., and on the southern portion of the river between Dam No. 2 and the Mississippi River.

  ● Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee.

Rainbow smelt making Lake Ontario comeback

7/18/2005   Lake Ontario's rainbow smelt population, which was near collapse three years ago, is on the rebound, say scientists who have been studying the lake's ecosystem.  The proliferation of zebra mussel beds on the bottom of the lake, however, continues to hinder efforts to assess data.

In a technical review released late last month by New York Sea Grant, government agencies studying the freshwater

ecosystem in Lake Ontario received good marks, said David B. MacNeill, the program's fisheries specialist. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey and the state Department of Environmental Conservation test the water and measure the fish populations in two research boats three times a year.

The data is obtained through hydroacoustic sampling - sonar devices towed behind the boats - which uses sound waves to measure fish populations without disturbing the sealife.

DNR Announces Reservation System for 2005 Controlled Pheasant Hunting Permits

SPRINGFIELD, ILL. - Permit reservations for controlled pheasant hunting at nine Illinois DNR sites are available through an internet-based reservation system again this year.  The nine sites are the Green River State Wildlife Area in Lee County, the Des Plaines Conservation Area in Will County, Kankakee River State Park in Kankakee County, the Iroquois County State Wildlife Area, Moraine View State Recreation Area in McLean County, Sand Ridge State Forest in Mason County, Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area in Cass County, Eldon Hazlet State Park in Clinton County, and Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park in Jefferson and Franklin Counties.

The controlled pheasant hunting website, developed by the IDNR and LRS Webservices of Springfield www.LRSIDNRPermits.com, is available to view application instructions, controlled pheasant hunting sites, season dates and regulations and to submit permit reservations.

Three two-week random drawing periods for permit reservations are scheduled.  The first drawing period open from 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 1 through midnight on Aug. 14 will be available to Illinois residents only.   The second drawing from

12:01 a.m. on Aug. 15 through midnight on Aug. 28 will be available to Illinois residents not entered in the first drawing, Illinois residents who are unsuccessful in the first drawing, and to non-residents.  The third drawing from 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 29 through midnight on Sept. 11 will be available to residents and non-residents who want a second permit.

Hunters are required to pay for permits in advance through the secure Internet registration system, using a credit card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, or Visa).  DNR Controlled pheasant hunting permits are $15.  A prorated transaction fee of from $2.25 to $3.75 dependent on the number of reservations requested will be assessed for each successful transaction.  Credit cards will be billed for hunters successful in the drawings. There continue to be no fees for the Illinois Youth Pheasant Hunt.  Dates for the youth pheasant hunt vary by location and more information is available on the controlled pheasant hunting web site.

Interested hunters without computers are encouraged to gain access to the controlled pheasant hunting reservation system by checking with extended family or friends or by using a computer at their local public library.  Completing a permit reservation on the internet should take less than five minutes.

USGS Confirms Snakeheads in NYC Lake

Invasive fish species threatens native fauna

U.S. Geological Survey fisheries biologists have confirmed the presence of the voracious non-native northern snakehead fish in Meadow Lake in Queens, NY. Five specimens have been collected by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation from the lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park since early July. In the last 5 years, these adept predatory fish have been found in rivers and ponds in Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia, threatening the well-being of native aquatic species.

The northern snakehead is an air-breathing, freshwater fish native to waters ranging from southern Siberia to south-central China. This species is highly valued as a food fish in its native range, and was exported to the United States for live sale in some markets and restaurants before October 2002.

Juvenile and adult snakeheads feed almost exclusively on other fishes (90-95% of their diet). Northern snakeheads also 

protect their young through the post-larval stage, which further encourages the establishment of a feral snakehead population. Fisheries biologists consider the snakehead an invasive species because of the threat they pose to native species and aquatic ecosystems.

At present, researchers have not determined if the Meadow Lake population is established as a reproducing population. According to USGS fisheries biologist Walter Courtenay, however, the range in length of the collected specimens from 15 to 28 inches suggests the presence of two distinct year age groups of snakeheads in Meadow Lake.

A comprehensive snakehead fish study, including a biological synopsis, risk assessment, and accounts for each species, was conducted from September 2001 to September 2002 by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The entire report can be accessed online by visiting the USGS Web site at http://fisc.er.usgs.gov/Snakehead_circ_1251/index.html

Commissioners Elect New Officers

Commissioners Richard Czop and Howard �Gary� Pflugfelder, Jr. were elected President and Vice President, respectively, of the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) at the board�s July 19 meeting.

Commission President Czop was appointed to the board on June 28, 2002 from the Eighth District of Pennsylvania. His district includes Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia and Schuylkill counties. Czop, who has been a fishing and boating enthusiast for most of his life, has previously served on the Boating Advisory Board of the Fish and Boat Commission. He also served on the Upper Providence Township Planning Commission for 16 years. Czop is chairman of the Board of Directors for Czop/Specter Inc., an engineering and land-

surveying firm.

Commissioner Vice President Pflugfelder has served on the Commission since 1990.  Pflugfelder is from the Sixth Commissioner District, comprised of Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and York counties. Over the years, Pflugfelder has devoted himself to many aquatic-related organizations including the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Harrisburg River Rescue, Inc., Keystone Aquatic Club and the International Marina Institute.  He also served as Director for the Pennsylvania Marine Trade Association and was owner and president of the Harrisburg Seaplane Base, Inc. for twenty-three years. 

The newly-elected officers will serve a one-year term.