Weekly News Archives

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Virginia officials to restore elk with RMEF help
MISSOULA, Mont.�The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has been officially notified that elk restoration efforts in Virginia will begin this spring.  Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries officials confirmed the news to RMEF, the project�s leading financial contributor with a pledge of $300,000. RMEF leaders say they will now step up local fundraising efforts to ensure the project, once

started, continues to move forward and remains on schedule.

Plans call for relocating up to 75 elk from Kentucky to Buchanan County, Va., with an elk management area to include Dickenson and Wise counties. Biologists are hoping for a sustainable elk population that will offer recreational opportunities such as elk viewing in the short term and a limited hunting season within four or five years.

Tracker Marine wins NMMA 2012 innovation award

For Mako Pro Skiff series

Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Marine Group�s MAKO Pro Skiff Series was honored recently by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Boating Writer�s International (BWI) at the 71st annual Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show & Strictly Sail. 

The MAKO Pro Skiff Series was awarded the 2012 Innovation Award in the category of �Runabout and Fishing Craft to 24 Feet.�  Organized by NMMA and judged by BWI, the Innovation Awards are bestowed on products that best meet and demonstrate the following four criteria:  Innovative Distinction, Benefit to Consumers, Practicality of Use and Cost Effectiveness. 

The innovative AIV hull shape of the MAKO Pro Skiff series delivers superior stability, good rough water handling and a great load carrying capacity. The Pro Skiff Series consists of the 17CC, 16CC and 17 Tiller. 

�We knew these boats would be winners from the attention they received from consumers during testing,� said Maurice Bowen, Director of Marketing for Tracker Marine Group. �Now, the innovative design of the MAKO Pro Skiffs is delivering real-world benefits through quality fit and finish, performance, fuel efficiency, load-carrying capacity and ride, all with a very affordable price.�

Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Marine Group was one of thirteen companies to take home a prestigious 2012 Innovation Award.  �The MAKO Pro Skiff Series represents one of the best values in boating,� said Alan Jones, Executive Editor for Boating World magazine who was also one of the judges.  �MAKO reinvents the affordable skiff genre with a superior ride and finished interior.�

To learn more about Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Marine Group or for a complete listing of MAKO boats please visit www.trackerboats.com or shop the Boat Showroom listed at www.basspro.com.

Remington  Model 700^M SPS Tactical 300 Blackout

Madison, NC � Remington is proud to announce the Model 700 SPS (Special Purpose Synthetic) Tactical 300 Blackout rifle. Chambered for the incredibly popular 300 AAC� Blackout�, this new rifle features the time-proven Model 700 action and is designed to impress from the bench or in the field at a very affordable price.  A long-time favorite of both military and police units, the Model 700 offers the legendary accuracy and unfailing performance you�ve come to expect. 

At the core of the Model 700 SPS Tactical 300 Blackout is the machined solid-steel, cylindrical Model 700 receiver design ensuring uniformity, strength and solid bedding area. Unique to this precision rifle is the 16 � -inch, heavy-contour clean barrel threaded to accept AAC and all 5/8 x 24 threaded flash hiders, muzzle breaks and suppressors. The tactical-style carbon steel, hammer-forged barrel is the perfect balance between handling in tight spots and delivering pinpoint accuracy. With a twist rate of one in seven inches, this rifle is optimized for accuracy. These specialty, bolt-action rifles are shipped with a thread protector installed.

The rock-solid barreled action is bedded in a Hogue^� OverMolded^� Ghillie^� Green pillar bedded, synthetic stock with a semi-beavertail fore-end for added stability. The soft-touch, sure-grip stock is extremely comfortable for extended, long range shooting and assures a positive grip in both stressful situations and inclement weather. The dual point pillar bedding guarantees a solid interface 

between the action and stock to help insure cold bore accuracy and prevent point-of-impact shifts. Add Remington�s X-Mark Pro^� externally adjustable trigger, designed to �break-like-glass� and set at 3 � pounds from the factory, and this rifle delivers surgical-like accuracy.

Other key features include a drilled and tapped receiver for the addition of optics; distinctive, laser-engraved �300 AAC Blackout 1:7� roll mark; convenient hinged floorplate magazine with 4-round capacity and a non-reflective, black oxide external metal finish; and sling swivel studs.  The Model 700 SPS Tactical 300 Blackout is the perfect tactical bolt-action rifle and available at a very affordable price.

About $817.00

800-243-9700     www.remington.com

Environmentalists threaten suit over ballast rule

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich (AP) � Environmental groups have threatened to file another lawsuit in their long-running battle with the federal government over ballast water discharges from cargo ships blamed for spreading invasive species in the Great Lakes and other U.S. waters.

Representatives of five organizations issued the warning on the final day of a public comment period on a regulation the Environmental Protection Agency proposed last fall. It would require oceangoing commercial vessels to install technology strong enough to kill at least some of the fish, mussels and even microorganisms such as viruses that lurk in ballast water before it's dumped into harbors after ships arrive in port. Environmentalists want tougher standards that would leave nothing alive in the water.

Ballast helps keep ships upright in rough waters. The EPA requires ocean vessels to exchange their ballast water at sea or rinse the tanks if empty to kill freshwater organisms, but some may survive in residual mud or pools of water.

The proposed rule is based on standards recommended by the International Maritime Organization, an arm of the United Nations, that the shipping industry says are achievable. Environmentalists say they are inadequate. They contend water cleanliness standards 100 to 1,000 times as strong are needed to kill virtually all organisms and prevent more attacks by invaders such as zebra and quagga mussels, which have seriously damaged Great

Lakes ecosystems and cost an estimated $200 million a year for damage repairs and control measures.

The mussels clog water intake pipes, gobble plankton crucial to aquatic food chains and enable sunlight to penetrate deeper into the water column, contributing to growth of nuisance algae linked to botulism outbreaks that have killed thousands of shore birds.

Some states have their own ballast water requirements. In New York, rules scheduled to take effect in 2013 would set live-organism limits 100 times stronger than the international ones, while California is phasing in standards 1,000 times tougher.

Shipping groups say technology to meet those standards doesn't exist. A report issued last year by EPA's Science Advisory Board agreed. The industry contends if New York proceeds with its rule, international shipping will grind to a halt in the Great Lakes region because vessels must go through New York waters to reach the lakes.

Environmentalists say the same methods used to treat municipal drinking water, such as chlorination, filtration and heat, could achieve the results they want.

The EPA is scheduled to make a final decision by November. When announcing the proposed regulation, the EPA said it would "substantially reduce the risk of introduction and establishment of non-indigenous invasive species in U.S. waters."

Researchers Use Fish Earstones to Collect Hatched Fish Data

Fish otoliths have been commonly used as a way to determine the age of a fish. Otoliths have an added benefit to research, tied to those fish originating from hatcheries. Otoliths are small bones, often called earstones, that grow lines with age, much like a tree trunk does. They also can show water quality and other environmental factors in the water.

Bowling Green State University scientists have found that

the otoliths can help determine the origin of fish�s birth and its habits on returning to its birth place for spawning. This information will supply fishery managers with information on the return rates of their fish which in turn influences the recreational fishing season.

The research is made possible by the Ohio Sea Grant which is a statewide program that supports research, education and outreach of Lake Erie and the Great Lakes. It is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Sea Grant College Program.

Cabela's Reports Record Results, Eyes Expansion

Cabela's reported record fourth-quarter financial results. Net income was up 25% compared to the same period a year ago. Comparable-store sales, or sales at stores open for at least a year, rose 1.7%. "During the quarter, we saw a significant strength in the firearms and shooting

categories," CEO Tommy Millner said during the

company's fourth-quarter earnings call. The company also said that in 2012 it expects to open five next-generation stores in North America in addition to its first "outpost" store, which will be about 40,000 square feet and serve smaller markets.

Grand Valley researcher finds salmon link to contaminated fish

MUSKEGON, Mich. � A link between pollutant levels in stream-resident fish and stocked Pacific salmon in Lake Michigan has been described by a researcher at Grand Valley State University.

David Janetski, a postdoctoral researcher with the university�s Annis Water Resources Institute in Muskegon, said he has found a link between spawning salmon and elevated levels of pollutants in fish that normally live in tributaries to Lake Michigan. Those pollutants include PCBs; DDE, a chemical byproduct of DDT; and PBDE, a chemical that�s classified as toxic by the EPA. It is often used as a flame retardant in textiles and furniture.

Janetski�s research revealed that pollutant levels in fish residing in Lake Michigan tributaries where the stocked salmon travel to spawn are, on average, about 30 times higher than in stream reaches where the salmon don�t travel.

�Certain pollutants bioaccumulate in predator fish such as salmon, so when they migrate into streams to spawn and die, they leave those pollutants behind in the stream,� Janetski said. �These include PCBs and other organic pollutants.� He also said pollutants may be transferred to smaller fish, including brook trout, when they eat the eggs the salmon lay in the streams during spawning season.

While the salmon do seem to be bringing pollutants further upstream, Janetski said it�s not clear what the impact of higher pollutant levels would be on human health. Some of the levels in the streams without salmon were barely detectable, so a 30-fold increase doesn�t necessarily mean terribly polluted resident fish.

�If background levels in these streams are at a certain amount and salmon come in and raise that 30 times, I think that�s important in terms of understanding the dispersal and distribution of pollutants in the Great Lakes basin,� Janetski said. �We�ve found that salmon runs can be very important (to pollutant distribution) in certain situations.�  Janetski said the study doesn�t mean salmon shouldn�t be stocked in the Great Lakes any more, but if people are concerned about pollutant dispersal, it�s worth noting that salmon are certainly a factor.

The Pacific salmon that are transporting the pollutants from Lake Michigan to tributary areas are not native fish. Chinook and Coho salmon, native to the Pacific Northwest, have been regularly stocked in the Great Lakes since the late 1960s. The salmon help control alewife populations and are an extremely valuable species for commercial and recreational fishermen alike.

Janetski said the fish grow up and mature in the lakes and instinctively swim upstream to spawn. The fish do this in large numbers, which transports nutrients and pollutants from open water into streams.  �I believe we�ve found evidence that spawning salmon drive pollutant levels in stream-resident fish, that�s how I interpret our data,� Janetski said.

The project is a joint collaboration between AWRI and the University of Notre Dame, where Janetski just finished his doctorate in aquatic ecology.  For more information, contact David Janetski at (616) 331-3722 or visit AWRI online at www.gvsu.edu/wri.

A photo of Jenetski is available for download and use at the following link: http://gvsu.edu/s/7T

Poor Atlantic Salmon return on 1,400,000 MNR plants

Fall returns fail to live up to expectations, not so Rainbows

Atlantic Salmon are Lake Ontario�s only native salmon. Dollars, hours and futile efforts have been expended to re-establish an extirpated fish that disappeared in the late 1800s.

Although some research showed Atlantic Salmon restoration was feasible, and the combined New York and Ontario Ministry management plan of Lake Ontario Fish Community Objective for Atlantic Salmon, Mother Nature has yet to cooperate.  After stocking  457,512 fingerlings and yearlings in the Credit River in 2010, 405,426 in 2009, and another 478,000 in '06-'08, MNR reports show a total of 39 adult spawning Atlantic Salmon were caught in the Credit River at Streetsville and Norval.

Ontario GLSFC Director, and longtime outdoor radio and TV fishing Host Darryl Choronzey retorted "This is one big joke."

On the other hand, Choronzey has worked with the Lake Huron fishing Club and Ontario Steelheaders, showing they have improved the Saugeen River rainbow fishery. The Saugeen had a past history as a significant steelhead river, but the big flow had lost much of its shine as a premier Ontario steelhead stream.

Since the spring of 2005 club members have been trapping adult-run steelhead at Denny's Dam. They set a collection target of one 100,000 viable eggs and always have met

that goal. The mixing of eggs and sperm then takes place

on site at the Lake Huron Fishing Club's Kincardine fish hatchery. Depending on water temperature, club members generally carry out their total egg take and fertilization over a few days.

With new raceways built, and in a short span of a few years the two volunteer clubs, working with a few dedicated contractors, engineers and the local MNR office have created a miracle. It is estimated that as many as 30,000 steelhead now run the Saugeen annually. At Steelheaders Park downstream of Denny's Dam as many as 500 fish a day are being caught in a stretch of a few miles. The dam at Walkerton is approximately 50 miles by river to where the Saugeen empties into Lake Huron. This immense stretch of water is fishable until the last week of December and is full of autumn run Chambers Creek steelhead throughout that time frame. It's a big, beautiful flow that offers some of the best fishing anywhere in Canada. Definitely the best steelhead fishing in Ontario.

The open water fishery in the so-called Huron Blue Zone has been exposed and is about to create an entirely new Lake Huron sport troll fishery. "I've personally witnessed hundreds of steelhead now moving through the new fishways at Walkerton and above daily. We move and transfer a thousand adult steelhead in a little more than four days to new spawning waters," said Choronzey.  "I've been around the sport of fishing a long, long time. I'm just happy to refer to it as the best steelhead fishery on this entire continent of ours."

Choronzey and others have put out a lot of positive information about the LHFC and the Saugeen River Stocking program and how exceptional it is and the great work by the LHFC

Spring Trout releases provide fishing opportunities around State

Releases start March 8 and continue through mid-May

COLUMBUS, OH - Public fishing opportunities will be enhanced this spring when more than 96,000 rainbow trout will be released into 61 Ohio lakes and ponds, according to the Ohio DNR.

The releasing of the rainbow trout, which are 10 to 13 inches long, will occur between March 8 and mid-May. Anglers are reminded the daily catch limit for inland lakes is five trout. Anglers should also know there will no longer be fall catchable trout releases. Beginning in 2012, all catchable trout releases have been shifted to the spring season.

Some locations will feature special, youth-only angler events on the day of the scheduled releases. Anglers age 16 and older must have an Ohio fishing license to fish the state�s public waters. Once the youth-only events have concluded, all other anglers may fish. Contact the nearest district office for specific information about the angler

events.

The 2012-13 fishing license will be available March 1. The license will be valid March 1 through Feb. 28, 2013. An annual resident fishing license costs $19. A one�day fishing license is available and may be purchased for $11 by residents and non-residents. The one-day license may also be redeemed for credit toward purchase of an annual fishing license.

Ohio residents born on or before Dec. 31, 1937, may obtain a free fishing license where licenses are sold. Persons age 66 and older who were born on or after Jan. 1, 1938, and have resided in Ohio for the past six months are eligible to purchase the reduced cost resident senior license for $10.

Additional information about spring trout releases is available by calling toll-free at 800-WILDLIFE. Information is also available from Division of Wildlife district offices in Akron, Athens, Columbus, Findlay and Xenia.

Sea Grant aiding in improving State�s stocking efforts

Ongoing Ohio Sea Grant research is assisting fisheries managers in states around Lake Erie in evaluating and improving their stocking efforts for steelhead trout, a popular sport fish in the region. Researchers from Bowling Green State University have found that the chemical signature of a fish�s otoliths, small bones located behind the eyes, can aid in determining where fish were hatched and whether they return to that same location for spawning.

Dr. John Farver, Associate Professor of Geology, and Dr. Jeffrey Miner, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, are able to determine the origins of adult steelhead trout in the Great Lakes region with better than 90% accuracy (100% for Ohio-raised fish). This finding becomes an important tool for state fishery managers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New York, who can use the information to determine the return rates of steelhead trout stocked into local streams to extend the recreational fishing season. The project is currently funded by Ohio Sea Grant.

�Fisheries managers stock about two million steelhead into Lake Erie each year,� explains Miner. �It�s a very substantial fishery that primarily occurs from October until April because that�s when the fish come up into the rivers to spawn. This provides an economic opportunity for the region at a time of year when other recreational activities are not at their peak.�

Steelhead trout are related to salmon, and like their cousins, most individuals will return to their �home stream�

to spawn once they reach maturity, with 8 to 10% of fish raised in hatcheries deviating from this pattern and moving

to a different stream. Steelhead fishing in Ohio alone contributes $12 million or more to the state�s economy, so fisheries managers want to make sure they raise fish that will return to their home state instead of essentially supporting another state�s economy. Ohio�s yearly investment into stocking steelhead is about $340,000.

Because steelhead are not native to this region, they can�t reproduce successfully in most streams that flow into Lake Erie�the water gets too warm during the summer months for the offspring to survive�and hatcheries along the lake stock juvenile fish into tributaries each year. Miner and Farver are able to determine which hatchery a fish came from based on chemical elements incorporated into the fish�s otoliths during growth, and combine that information with where it was caught to determine return rates for each hatchery along Lake Erie.

�If you look at an otolith, it looks very much like a tree that�s been cut in half, with rings that are demarcations of changes in growth,� says Miner. The center part of the otolith represents the fish�s early life, and rings are added as the fish continues to grow. In addition, using chemical elements such as strontium and barium that typically incorporate into the otolith, researchers can determine the water chemistry of where the fish spent certain parts of its life, and correlate that to various regions of Lake Erie and its tributaries.

For more information about this research, please visit www.go.osu.edu/otoliths .

Early inland trout season opens March 3

Exceptional fishing prospects on the line

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. -- Anybody with a fishing rod and an itch to get outside will want to take note: the scant snow and poor ice behind a disappointing winter for sportsmen and women have set the stage for what state fisheries biologists say should be a fantastic early trout season opening March 3 on inland waters.

�Unless a major snowstorm or Arctic blast hits our area, anglers could see one of the best early trout season's on record this spring,� says Heath Benike, Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist based in Eau Claire.  �Trout populations are strong across most trout streams right now and fish should be very active especially from early to late afternoon.�

Jordan Weeks, fisheries biologist for Crawford, La Crosse, Monroe and Vernon counties, agrees: �Anglers are going to find a lot of fish,� Weeks says. �They are going to find hungry fish and easily accessible streams because of no snow. They're going to be able to go where they want to go. I think it's going to be fantastic as long as we don�t get a big rain or snow to slow or stop it.�

Weeks noted that even though his area was supposed to get snow overnight on Feb. 20, a predicted warm up later in the week would likely melt the snow with little effect on the streams.

Season details

The early catch-and-release trout season opens at 5 a.m. on March 3 and runs until midnight April 29.

Most trout streams are open to early fishing with the exception of most Lake Superior tributaries and most streams in northeast Wisconsin; check the current trout fishing Regulations pamphlet for specific waters. Anglers are not required to use barbless hooks but must use artificial lures and flies.

Trout population reports for 2012

Trout populations have generally increased statewide, and the number of fish in all sizes examined have increased, since 1950, according to a University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point analysis released in 2011 and discussed in "A Trout Treasury," an April 2011 Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine article.

Angler Education workshops set for March

Get the training and materials to start a kids' fishing program

MADISON -- Fishing club members, youth leaders, classroom teachers, and leaders of afterschool and summer recreation programs are encouraged to attend free angler education workshops in March in Madison, Menomonie, Milwaukee and Stevens Point.

"Our basic angler education training workshops will help you start your own fishing program for kids," says Theresa Stabo, aquatic education coordinator for the Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources. "It's a great opportunity to share your passion for fishing by introducing kids to the sport, and at the same time, helping them learn about Wisconsin's aquatic resources and gain important life skills."

Basic Angler Education instructor training certification workshops focus on teaching spin casting and incorporating related topics in a K-12 curriculum or youth development program. Some workshops feature fly fishing or complementary aquatic resources education programs.

Unless otherwise noted, all workshops are free of charge and include lunch or dinner, Stabo says. However, there is a $15 workshop commitment fee that is returned upon

completion of the course. Pre-registration is required;

download the form and return to the designated contact.

Basic angler education instructor workshop schedule

• March 17, Menomonie - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Menomonie Public Library, 600 Wolske Bay Drive, Menomonie. Instructor: Dennis Vanden Bloomen, UW-Stout. Registration Deadline: March 10, 2012

• March 22, Madison - 4:30 - 8:30 p.m., Madison Public Library - Sequoya Branch, 4340 Tokay Blvd., Madison. Registration Deadline: March 15, 2012

• March 24, Milwaukee - 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Milwaukee School of Engineering, Student Life & Campus Center Building, Room CC-130, Corner of State & Broadway, Milwaukee. Enter on the west side of building. Registration Deadline: March 19, 2012

• March 31, Stevens Point - 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Club 10, 1602 Highway HH West. Directions: From Highway 39/51, exit West on Business Hwy 10. Business 10 becomes Main Street. Hook left off of Main onto Clark Street and cross the Wisconsin River. Veer right onto Hwy HH when you get to Hwy M. Club 10 is on the right. If you pass Rocky Run, you missed it. If you are lost, call 715-344-7128. Registration Deadline: March 23, 2012