Weekly News Archives

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Milwaukee GLSF Annual Flea Market ï¿½ Monday, January   11
Milwaukee GLSF Members will be selling unused and used fishing and marine items. This meeting is OPEN TO THE

PUBLIC although only members may bring items to sell. The cost to sell is the price of a membership. ($35.00)  --Meeting starts at 7 PM., tables can be set up at 6 p.m.  At: Ray and Dot's Tap, East Hall, 6351 W. Grange Ave, Greendale, WI.

Milwaukee GLSF Auction � Saturday, March 12

Location: SERB HALL 5101 W. Oklahoma Ave.  Milwaukee, WI

Doors open at 9:00 AM - Auction begins at 10:00

New Tackle, rods, reels, Downriggers, Trips, Weekend get-a

ways, Framed Artwork, Raffles, Bake Sale, And Much more...

PUBLIC WELCOME

For info call Al:  414-476-6970 or Steve Franke, 414-342-2019

USCG Announces Significant Rate of Licensed Mariners Test Positive for Drugs

Alexandria, VA�The United States Coast Guard formally announced the minimum random drug testing rate for 2005, and is pointing out that the announced rates in the Federal Register show a significant problem among licensed mariners that needs focus and attention. 

Federal regulations mandate employers to randomly test 50% of their safety-sensitive employees per year, and allow that rate to drop to 25% if the overall industry has a positive drug test result rate of less than 1%. While other modes of transportation, such as airlines and railroads, have been able to drop to 25%, the marine industry has remained at a required 50%, because 2.07% of its captains and crew tested positive for drugs in 2003. By comparison, only .56% of safety sensitive employees in the airline industry and only .93% of

safety sensitive employees in the railroad industry tested positive for drugs in 2003. Furthermore, the positive rate for those in the marine industry is actually up from 1.8% in 2002. This is especially problematic for the industry as overall Department of Transportation random drug testing positive result rates have fallen from 2.6% to 1.9% since 1999. 

"Strong and properly-executed drug testing programs act as a deterrent for drug use. Marine employers should not assume that all drug testing programs run by third-parties or consortia are effective and will keep them fully compliant with pre-employment, for-cause, random, and post-accident testing regulations," said NMCA Executive Director Melissa Moskal. "Marine employers should be especially discriminatory when choosing a testing program as non-compliance with these regulations can bring a fine of $5,000 per day." 

Barrier II Construction under way

Funding & for Barrier I unsettled

Barrier II construction is finally under way and after a recent site inspection by the Barrier Committee, it appears we will have a barrier that will last significantly longer than Barrier I.

Jeff Smith of Smith-Root, the general contractors of the project tell us the capacitors of Barrier II are 20 times the size of Barrier I, and the electrodes are built to last at least 50 years. Photos show the level of construction and quality of thematerials being used.  The electrodes � sixty of them, are each 160 ft long, and weigh 88 lbs per lineal ft.   

Questions now remain �Will Barrier I be permanent?�  We need Congressional support for funding and establishing the first barrier as a permanent barrier and not just the demonstration project it was ultimately relegated. . The letter must clearly state why we need Barrier I to be permanent. Barrier I has had no problems, though one of the electrodes is corroding.  The Corps received no funding to operate Barrier I in FY05. They are absorbing those costs right now (~ $1800/mo).  Meanwhile we still need O&M money for Barrier II.

Construction of Barrier II began the last week of October. Some of the ground clearing is complete and work has started on welding together the steel billets that will comprise the electrodes. The boring for the electrodes is being done. Smith gets weekly aerial photos of the construction site. The next step will be forming and placement of the concrete sleepers that hold the cables in place on the bottom of the canal. The pulsators are being built at the Smith-Root plant in Washington. The US Army Corps of Engineers expects the buildings to be erected in January and that the barrier will be turned on for the shake-down in February 2005.

The full funding for barrier II will be provided by the GreatLakes states and additional federal funds. The GL States will provide $575,000; Illinois will contribute $100,000, the other GL states will each contribute $67,857. Illinois has signed an agreement with 4 states (NY, MI, WI and MN). Ohio is in the process of signing the papers; Pennsylvania wants to pass the funds thru Sea Grant. Indiana has had an administration change since the election which may generate some questions. IL has set up a non-appropriated account to hold the funds.

The federal funds will come out of Construction General money; this moved the project from 1135 funding though the cost share stayed the same. However, this does not mean the barrier will be a federal project unless there is some legislative change. Ownership of Barrier II will fall to IL legislation is approved, then it will become a federal project. We need legislation to make the project fully federal. Committee members should,

as they are permitted to, push for federal legislation to make the barrier a Corps-operated project.

There is no specific money for the barrier project within the CG funds. The Corps will have to carve money out of other projects. The Corps will be able to operate Barrier II during the shake-down phase and safety tests. Once barrier II is up, barrier I will be shut down. The Corps needs a letter from the Committee justifying and recommending continued operation and maintenance of Barrier I.

The Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) has released 118 tagged common carp below Barrier I since the start of monitoring. The hydrophones installed in April have helped track fish near the barrier; monitoring occurs on a 24-hour basis. Manual monitoring is still performed too. Seventy-five of the fish have left the barrier area. The fish do seem to learn that they will not be able to get through the barrier. Many of the fish are found downstream near a warm water discharge and near a grain elevator and sunken barge.

The INHS plans to release fish between Barrier I and Barrier II once both are fully functional. Barrier II will have a hydroacoustic monitoring system as well as the telemetric monitoring. The hydroacoustics will track whether fish are probing the barrier; the telemetry tracks individual fish. Currently there are no plans to release fish above the barrier. The monitoring is currently funded by USEPA � GLNPO and the Corps.

No Asian carp have been seen or captured during the monitoring effort from March, 2002 to October 2004. Four stations (Mile posts 292.4, 290.0, 280.9 and 286.0) are monitored using electrofishing, trammel nets and mini-fyke nets.

In November 2004 a dead silver carp was found floating in thecanal about 1.5 miles downstream from the barrier site. The fish was 32 inches long and estimated to be 5 to 7 years old. There is no way to tell how the fish got to where it was found; it could have been lying dead on a barge having jumped onto the deck and fell off in the vicinity.

From the early days of  Committee discussions it was envisioned a two-barrier system with a control area between.  Only through the maintenance and continued operation of Barrier I will we be able to achieve the two-barrier array originally recommended by the Panel.  It was agreed that barrier I should be maintained / improved and should continue to operate for the foreseeable future as part of a two-barrier system.

Help protect the Great Lakes

Help keep the Asian carp out of the Great Lakes

A second larger, longer-life barrier is now under construction, but the cost of the design exceeds available funds by $1.8 million.

Illinois has contributed $2 million to the project, but the other Great Lakes Governors say they are not able to contribute the balance � $1.8 million. Their states do not have the money. The need for the additional $1.8 million is critical.

Contributions from any non-federal source will help. That�s where clubs, individuals and corporate America can help

Use of Contributed Funds

Funds will be held by the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council

and distributed based on the direction of a board of non-agency trustees including the president of the GLSFC.

All contributions are tax deductible and will only be used to:

1)      Implement the Asian Carp Rapid Response Plan

2)      Improve or operate Barrier I

3)      Construct and operate Barrier II

Send your donations to:

GLSFC � carp fund

P.O. Box 297

Elmhurst, IL  60126

Or use our PayPal for credit card donations.  Go to www.great-lakes.org/carp

Carp Fund Barometer

Donation          Ranking

$    1 � 10   Alewife

$  11 � 20  Yellow Perch

$  21 � 50   Black Bass

     Berg, Jeffrey W.

     Cozzie, Ken

     Fuka, John J.

     Gold Coast Charter Service

$  51 � 100   Coho Salmon

     Couston, Tom

     Yahara Fishing Club

$  101 � 200   Walleye

     Chagrin River Salmon Association

$  201 � 500   Brown Trout

     N.E. Wis. GL Sport Fishermen

     Detroit Area Steelheaders 

$  501 � 1000   Steelhead

$  1001 � 5000   Chinook Salmon

$  5001 � UP   Lake Trout

_____________________

Current Total= $1,015.00

Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for January 7, 2005 

Current Lake Levels: 

All of the Great Lakes except Lake Ontario are 7 to 14 inches above last year�s levels.  Lake Ontario is 7 inches below its level of a year ago.  Lake Superior is near its long-term average and Michigan-Huron remains below its long-term averages by 11 inches. Lakes St. Clair, Ontario and Erie are above their long-term averages by 8, 4 and 6 inches,

Current Outflows/Channel Conditions: 

The Lake Superior outflow through the St. Marys River into Lake Huron is expected to be near average during the month of January.  Flow in the St. Clair and Niagara Rivers are expected to be near average and the Detroit River flow is expected to be above average in January. The St. Lawrence River flow is expected to be near average for the month of January.

Temperature/Precipitation Outlook: 

Look for quiet conditions in the Great Lakes basin this

weekend, before the chance of precipitation returns to start the workweek.  Temperatures will climb to above freezing by Sunday across much of the region.

Forecasted Water Levels: 

Lake Superior and Erie are in their seasonal declines and the levels are expected to fall 3 and 1 inches, respectively, over the next month.  Lakes Ontario and Michigan-Huron are nearing their seasonal lows and levels are expected to remain fairly constant over the next month.  Lake St. Clair is ending its seasonal decline, but due to runoff from snow melting, the level has risen 4 to 5 inches in the last week.  It is expected to return to its seasonal low and drop 3 inches over the next month.

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. Mariners should utilize navigation charts and refer to current water level readings.

Barrier may not keep Asian carp out of Lake Michigan

CHICAGO - The Army Corps of Engineers is warning that the $9 Million  electric barrier being built in Lemont may not be enough to keep Asian carp from getting into Lake Michigan. The voracious invasive fish are seen as a threat to the mega billion dollar sport and commercial fishing industry in the Great Lakes.

The electric fence being built at Lemont is the permanent

barrier that will supplement the temporary barrier that has been in place near Romeoville. The Corps warned though, that spring flooding on the Des Plaines River could get into the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal upstream of the Lemont fence. There then would be nothing to keep the fish from getting into the Chicago River and the Great Lakes.  The Corps says some sort of flood wall is needed to keep that from happening..

Commission appoints Wisconsin�s Al House to Lake Superior Committee of Advisors

House, President of the Apostle Islands Sport Fishermen�s Assn, to serve as Sport Fishing Advisor to the Committee

Ann Arbor, MI�The Great Lakes Fishery Commission has appointed Mr. Alfred House, President of the Apostle Island Sport Fishermen�s Association, to serve as Wisconsin�s Sportfishing Advisor on the Lake Superior Committee of Advisors.  Mr. House, of Washburn, was nominated for this position by Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle.  As an member of this, Mr. House will advise the Canadian/U.S. Great Lakes Fishery Commission on issues of concern to the Lake Superior and Great Lakes fisheries.

�The Great Lakes are a national treasure that define our region, supply us with drinking water, and provide income and recreational opportunities for millions of people,� said Commissioner Michael J. Hansen, a professor of fisheries science at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.  �The lakes comprise one-fifth of the world�s surface freshwater and support a multi-billion-dollar fishery. As managers of this important resource, we rely on the advice and assistance of advisors like Mr. House.�

The Committee of Advisors was established under the Great Lakes Fisheries Act of 1956.  Each of the eight Great Lakes states is entitled to four advisors for each lake it borders.  Advisors represent the sport fishery, the commercial fishery, the public-at-large, and state agencies. Members of the

committee are invited to attend commission and other meetings to examine and be heard on proposed recommendations, programs, and activities relating to Great Lakes management. Advisors meet bi-annually (during Lake Committee meetings and the commission�s annual meeting) as well as attend other meetings and events throughout the year.  Advisors receive no compensation for their work.  Canada also has a committee of advisors.

Hansen continued:  �We very much appreciate Governor Doyle�s nomination of Mr. House.  His credentials indicate he will be an important member of the committee.  Through his leadership with the Apostle Island Sport Fishermen�s Association, he has worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on various initiatives.  He is familiar to the Wisconsin Congressional delegation and to state legislators.  He has also worked with other groups, such as the Lake Superior commercial fishing industry, sportfishing clubs, national organizations, and Wisconsin Sea Grant, to develop programs to protect the fishery.  Most importantly, Mr. House has a passion for the Great Lakes and a respect for the resource.  We look forward to working with him.�

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is a binational agency established by the 1954 Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries to coordinate fisheries research, control sea lampreys, and facilitate interjurisdictional cooperation. Information about the commission is available online at www.glfc.org.

Researchers find unique strain of walleye in Ohio River

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Researchers have found a unique strain of walleye in the Ohio River that West Virginia wildlife officials plan to breed in an effort to boost the fish's population in the river.

Unlike the lake-dwelling walleye normally stocked in the Ohio, this strain of fish has adapted to living in a river. Although it has only been found in the upper Ohio, north of the Belleview pool, wildlife officials believe it would thrive throughout the waterway if they breed it in a hatchery and stock it.

"The reason they have done so well is because they are a riverine fish, they are not a lake fish. They have adapted to living in these river systems. It makes sense they would do better than lake fish stocked into a river environment," said Bret Preston with the state Division of Natural Resources' wildlife resources section.

Similar strains of river-adapted walleye have been found in the New River in Virginia and the Rock Castle River in Kentucky. The DNR is working with Virginia wildlife officials to breed the New River strain with an eye toward stocking it in the New and Kanawha rivers.

Preston said these walleye probably originated in the Lake Erie drainage system but were separated from their lake-dwelling brethren millennia ago by physical changes to the land that occurred during the last glacial period.

"For a number of years, state agencies have been stocking

walleye into the Ohio River drainage systems, and we're getting this interesting mix of Lake Erie fish and this kind of fish," he said. "There seems to be an identifiable strain of walleye (in the upper Ohio) ... farther down we see this mix."   "If we're going to stock walleye, then we want to try and use, especially in the upper river, we want to use this Ohio River strain."

The yellow-olive green sport fish, a member of the perch family, is popular with anglers. But Chris O'Bara, a DNR fisheries biologist, said the Ohio's overall walleye population is small compared to sauger, another sport fish.  "We want to restore that population to a size that we can enhance the angling opportunities and also increase the population," O'Bara said.

If the weather cooperates, the DNR hopes to begin collecting the walleye in January and place them in hatcheries at Apple Grove and outside Palestine for spawning. Once the eggs hatch, the young fish will be placed into a pond until they reach two to four inches in length. Then they will be stocked in the river, where it will take two to three years for them to reach maturity.

Adult walleye are 15 to 18 inches in length, O'Bara said.

"It's a real opportunity to affect positively and enhance a resource and an opportunity to enhance a fishery and recreational fishing opportunities, but we'd like to do it the right way," Preston said.  The DNR plans to stock up to 65,000 walleye annually from 2005 to 2009, according to the agency's fisheries management plan for the Ohio River.

All-Canada Show to be held in 11 Great Midwest Cities in 2005

The 2005 All-Canada Show circuit will travel to 11 markets:  Minneapolis, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Omaha.

One of the highlights of the circuit is the traveling exhibit "Locked at Lac Seul."  This exhibit is a first of its kind.  It consists of two mounted life-sized trophy moose with horns locked in a "duel to the death." All-Canada obtained the locked horns, both with over a 55-inch spread, and in near perfect condition, found near Lac Seul, Ontario.

In 2003, All-Canada commissioned nationally renown artist Anthony Padgett to do an original three-part painting depicting two moose meeting, fighting and all that remained from their efforts:  a set of locked horns. In 2004, All-Canada partnered with Hawkins Taxidermists, Winnipeg, Manitoba. one of North America's leading taxidermies, to build the life-sized exhibit.  The project has taken the better part of the year.

�Locked at Lac Seul� presented by Cabela�s will be on display at all 11 shows.  Show guests will have the opportunity to purchase framed signed and numbered prints of the original at any 2005 show.  Anthony Padgett will be attending all of the 11 shows, and he will be conducting daily seminars on traveling to Canada from an artist�s perspective.

All show guests may register for a fantastic moose hunting trip for two people, including airfare from Chicago to Thunderchild Lodge in northern Saskatchewan.

Other Attractions include:

Norm McCreight, an icon at the All-Canada Show, will host the In-Fisherman main stage with other seminar hosts to be announced.  Seminar schedules will be posted on the web site:  www.AllCanada.com.

Grand prize at all 11 shows is a 17' MirroCraft boat, 90 hp Mercury motor and matching trailer. First prize at each show is a minimum four-day American plan trip for two to a Canadian lodge including lodging, food, boat, motor, gas, guide and tax (or equivalent).

Attractions include a Travel Centre, fishing and hunting simulators, Wolf River Lodge, Little Fort Canada, the Moose Bay Trading Co., a Canadian shore lunch

Date City, State Location

Jan. 7-9, 2005 Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis Convention Center

Jan. 13-16, 2005 Chicago, IL Pheasant Run

Jan. 17-19, 2005 Grand Rapids, MI The Delta Plex

Jan 21-23, 2005 Milwaukee, WI Wisconsin State Fair Park

Jan. 24-26, 2005 Madison, WI MARRIOTT MADISON WEST

Jan. 27-30, 2005 Green Bay, WI ShopKo Hall

Feb. 1-3, 2005 Cleveland, OH Holiday Inn Express & Suites La Malfa Centre

Feb. 4-6, 2005 Cincinnati, OH Roberts Convention Centre

Feb. 7-9, 2005 Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis Convention Center

Feb. 11-13, 2005 St. Louis, MO Wentzville Crossings Exposition & Convention Center

Feb. 15-17, 2005 Omaha, NE Holiday Inn Convention Centre

And now with the addition of Our World Underwater, the Chicagoland Show also offers the largest scuba and dive travel show in the Midwest all under one roof!

The show will feature contests, seminars, activities, youth events, outfitters and guides, resorts, etc.  That�s this week a the Rosemont Convention Center � January 12-16

2005 World Record Game Fishes book Available to the Public

DANIA BEACH, Florida, U.S.A. - The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) has mailed the 2005 edition of World Record Game Fishes to its members and is now ready to fill orders for the general public.

The 400-page record book is packed with valuable information and remains the most complete source of fishing reference material for anglers anywhere. Readers will find the names of thousands of record holders from throughout the world, members of special clubs and encyclopedic material. Also listed are the International Angling Rules, Guide to Fishes, Certified Captains, Weigh Stations and the IGFA Member Discount Program,

There are 156 pages of records this year with 30 pages of new IGFA state line class and fly opportunities and five more species categories. There is a 10-page inventory of international tagging programs and the inaugural list of IGFA certified observers from around the world. The reader will also find a complete list of over 300 representatives that comprise the International Committee, a true worldwide network of fishing stakeholders sharing their interests in conservation.

This year's articles are a blend of historic, scientific and educational flavors.  Distinguished outdoor writer Doug Olander looks back at the heyday of big game fishing in the rich waters off Peru in Cabo Blanco.  Olander provides a bonus feature, Thailand's Fantastical Fishes, accompanied by

photographs of surreal species of fish residing in the lakes of Thailand.  In From Silk Lines, Silver Spoons and Split Bamboo, the "Bass Professor", Doug Hannon reminds us of just how simple bass fishing used to be, and compares that to the multi-billion dollar industry it is today.  Veteran fly fisherman Jack Samson, in

A New Theory on Hooking Permit, integrates British fly fishing techniques for tender-mouthed carp into his arsenal of tactics for hooking the elusive permit.  Glenda Kelley and Steve Kantner join forces in IWFA Comes of Age for a celebration and remembrance of the past 50 years of the International Women's Fishing Association.  Peter B. Wright, well-versed fishing captain, writer, and globetrotter, shares his knowledge about the Evolution of Fishing Lines. 

IGFA Representative Mike Rivkin provides a sneak peek at his forthcoming book, Big Game Angling Headquarters: A History of IGFA, with an article entitled Anglers at War, the story of the fishing kits that saved countless soldiers' lives during World War II.  Finally, we trust you will find Capt. Johan Zeitsman's article about Ghana's Behemoth Tuna entertaining and enlightening as you learn more about these oceanic powerhouses.

You can order the 2005 World Record Game Fishes from IGFA Headquarters, 300 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, Florida, 33004, phone (954) 927-2628, fax (954) 924-4299, email [email protected] .

Ladies Fishing Association

"Ladies, Let's Go Fishing" is the official publication of the National "Ladies, Let's Go Fishing! Association. 

For information on what all the chapters are doing, log onto www.ladiesletsgofishing.com and click on "Chapter Forum".  The "Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!" local chapters educate, entertain and provide fishing adventures for their members.

Call 954-475-9068 for local contact info from the national office or check the Forum area on our website.

"Ladies, Let's Go Fishing!" P.O. Box 550429, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33355, 954-475-9068, fax 954-474-7299

email: [email protected] , website: www.ladiesletsgofishing.com

Missouri Approves Fishing With Bare Hands

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Next summer, it will be legal to plunge into some Missouri rivers and grab catfish by hand � a type of fishing that is not for the faint of heart.

Known variously as noodling or hogging, handfishing has long been a misdemeanor punishable by fines, because state officials fear it depletes breeding-age catfish. It can also be dangerous: Noodlers hold their breath for long periods under water and sometimes come up with fistfuls of agitated snakes or snapping turtles instead of fish.

That does not discourage enthusiasts, who insist there is great sportsmanship in fishing with your bare hands.  So after years of urging by noodlers, and lopsided legislative support for easing up on handfishers, the Missouri Conservation Commission has approved an experimental handfishing season next summer. Forms of handfishing are already legal in 11 states, including neighboring Oklahoma, Arkansas and Illinois.

"It's a start," John Smith, deputy director of the Conservation

Department, said Tuesday. "We are moving forward in good faith to answer the legitimate biological concerns that we have, and balance that with the requests for making this process legal." Missouri's biological concerns are that handfishers, who go for the biggest fish they can wrestle from riverbanks or hollow logs, will take too many sexually mature fish from their underwater nests.

The commission agreed to a June 1-July 15 season, during which handfishers who have bought a $7 permit can use only their bare hands and feet to catch a daily total of five catfish. Fish under 22 inches long must be thrown back.

Handfishing will be legal only along specified stretches of the Fabius, St. Francis and Mississippi rivers.

So secretive are handfishers that they have formed a club called Noodlers Anonymous. A University of Missouri-Columbia professor who got the group's cooperation in surveying its members found that most are men, average age about 40, living in rural areas.

FishAmerica offers $600,000 Available for Marine and Anadromous Fish Habitat Restoration

The FishAmerica Foundation and the NOAA Restoration Center announce the availability of up to $600,000 for hands-on, grassroots projects across the coastal United States to restore marine, estuarine and riparian habitats, including salt marshes, mangrove forests, and freshwater habitats important to anadromous fish species.  The partnership will seek an increased number of projects from the Chesapeake Bay watershed and may provide limited funding for salmon and/or steelhead habitat restoration projects in the Great Lakes basin. 

Visit FishAmerica's web site at http://www.fishamerica.org for the complete announcement, funding guidelines and application.  Please Note: The application for this partnership is new this year. 

Community-based nonprofit organizations, such as local sporting clubs and conservation associations, as well as state and local agencies are encouraged to submit proposals. Projects must result in on-the-ground habitat restoration,

clearly demonstrate significant benefits to marine, estuarine or anadromous fisheries resources, particularly sportfish, and must involve community participation through an educational or volunteer component tied to the restoration activities.  Applicants are encouraged to incorporate the participation of NOAA staff to strengthen the development and implementation of sound restoration projects. 

Grant recipients will be contacted prior to receipt of the grant contract to discuss specifics of the contract, matching requirements and reimbursement. 

The FishAmerica Foundation must receive applications and required documentation no later than February 25, 2005 by 5:00 PM.  Electronic and faxed applications will NOT be accepted.  Proposals must be submitted to:

FAF/NOAA RFP - Grant Applications

FishAmerica Foundation

225 Reinekers Lane, Suite 420

Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Ice Fishing Clinics Scheduled

Think of it only as sitting on a sheet of ice, braving bone-numbing winds and staring anxiously into a slushy hole and ice fishing doesn�t sound very tempting.  Point out that it�s an incredibly productive way to catch fish � and big ones at that � and �hard water angling� takes on a whole new appeal. For those interested in learning more about this sometimes overlooked form of fishing, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is partnering with other organizations to offer ice fishing instruction.

The Commission and its partners have scheduled six upcoming ice fishing clinics.  Participants will learn basic ice safety, get an explanation of the different types of ice fishing gear and some practical lessons in various ice fishing techniques.  Don't have any ice fishing gear?  That's okay, just bring yourself.  Equipment may be provided by the PFBC or the event sponsor.  Interested participants are encouraged to call ahead. 

For more information on individual events, interested

participants should call the number indicated after each listing.

� Winter Festival at Black Moshannon State Park, Centre County, January 22, beginning at 1 p.m.  814-342-5960

� Snowfest at R.B. Winter State Park, Union County, January 30, noon � 4 p.m.  570-966-1455

� WinterFest at Nescopeck State Park, Luzerne County, February 5, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.  570-403-2006

� Winter Fun Fest at Pymatuning State Park, Crawford County, February 5, 9 a.m. � noon & February 6, noon � 3 p.m.  814-336-2426

� Winter Family Fun Day at Parker Dam State Park, Clearfield County, February 6, noon - 3 p.m.  814-765-0630

� SMART Ice Fishing Skills Clinic & Derby at Moon Lake County Park, Luzerne County, February 5, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.  570-735-6303.

So just how effective can ice fishing be?  Ice anglers caught two recent state record fish � an 8 lb. 14.8 oz. chain pickerel and a 35 lb. northern pike.  Now that�s appealing.

Emergency rule could limit sturgeon spearing season to one day

Season will close if harvest cap reached on opening day

MADISON � The state Natural Resources Board has approved an emergency rule that authorizes state fisheries officials to close the 2005 lake sturgeon spearing season on Lake Winnebago after one day if spearers reach the harvest cap for juvenile females, adult females or males.

The 2004 spearing season on the Winnebago system Upriver Lakes, a separate season on lakes Butte des Mort, Winneconne and Poygan, is already due to close after one day.

The board also instructed DNR fisheries officials to work with a local advisory group and other interested parties to devise a better, long-term solution to protect populations of the slow growing, late maturing fish while allowing a longer season.

"Board members told us this is only a stop-gap measure and that we need to work with the Lake Winnebago Citizens Advisory Committee and others to look at other long-term options to limit the harvest and extend the season, including looking at refuges and a lottery," said Mike Staggs, Department of Natural Resources fisheries management and habitat protection director.

The statutory season structure allows the season to run 16 consecutive days or until spearers reach 80 percent of any one of the harvest caps set for juvenile females, adult females or males. Upon reaching that trigger, the season would close at the end of spearing hours the next day.

In 2004, spearers harvested a record 1,303 lake sturgeon on 

opening day of the Lake Winnebago spearing season, withthe 509 adult females speared surpassing the total allowable harvest for adult females of 425. But because of the season rules, spearing continued for a second day before closing, allowing an additional 175 adult females to be harvested. All told, 259 more adult females were speared than the total harvest cap.

Overharvest of adult females is a concern because they�re the backbone of the lake sturgeon population and because they don�t spawn until they are 20 to 25 years old, and then only every three to five years, according to Ron Bruch, a Department of Natural Resources senior sturgeon biologist and fisheries supervisor based in Oshkosh.

The change is the latest regulatory effort that sturgeon biologists and the citizens' group that advises DNR on Lake Winnebago lake sturgeon management have sought to try to reduce harvest pressure on adult females. Improved water clarity and a growing number of spearers has increased the harvest of adult females, which spearers tend to target because they're generally larger than males, Bruch says.

Under the emergency rule passed today by the board, the 2005 Lake Winnebago lake sturgeon spearing season will open Feb. 12 at 6:30 a.m. and run until the harvest cap is reached or a maximum of 16 consecutive days, with the possibility of the season closing after one day if one of the harvest caps is reached.

The spearing season on the Upriver Lakes will be a one-day season only on those waters and will open at 6:30 a.m. Feb. 12 and close at 12:30 p.m. that same day.