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Week of October 19, 2009 |
| Hunting & Shooting Products/ Issues |
| National |
| Regional |
| Illinois |
| Wisconsin |
| Other Breaking News Items |
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Beyond the Great Lakes
Hunting & Shooting Products/Issues
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RedHead Ultra Hunter Side Zip Insulated Hunting Boots 16" Boot for men
This new 1200
gram Thinsulate RedHead insulated boot is
Offering knee-high protection in the form of waterproof full-grain leather and tough 1000 denier camo nylon upper, this boot features a side zipper for a custom fit. Other features include Cambrelle� moisture-wicking lining, shock-absorbing molded EVA midsole, Poliyou removable odor-absorbing footbed, and rubber outsole. Color: Mossy Oak� Break-Up�/Brown. |
It�s great for Ice-fishing, hunting or other cold weather sports.
Features Include: ►1200 gram Thinsulate Ultra Insulation ►BONE-DRY� waterproof construction ►Durable side-zipper for a custom fit ►Waterproof premium full-grain leather ►Cambrelle� moisture-wicking lining ►Poliyou breathable and odor-absorbing cushioning footbed ►Lightweight shock-absorbing cushioned molded midsole ► Color: Mossy Oak� Break-Up�/Brown ►Cat # 38-745-903-57
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About $159.00 � on sale now for $99.99 800-227-7776 www.basspro.com |
National
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Norman A Schultz I try not to get political with Dealer Outlook, but this Administration is starting to scare me. It appears the only speed they know is breakneck � no facts, just speed. In June, the White House created an Interagency Oceans Policy Task Force. The directive: Develop a comprehensive federal policy for all coastal, ocean and Great Lakes waters � in a 90-day fire drill process!
If that�s not fast enough, now, in the second phase of the Task Force, the direction is more mind-boggling: Develop �zoning� under the pretext of �protecting� these areas, and do that by Dec. 9. What we should all fear is that �zoning� will justify the permanent closure of vast areas of fishing waters nationwide. Can you say; "California-style restrictions on steroids?"
Check it out: In the first phase, extensive submissions were presented by the recreational fishing community to the Task Force. But, as reported by Dave Pfeiffer, President of Shimano American Corp.: �They [the Task Force] failed to include any mention of the over 1 million jobs or the 60 million anglers which may be affected by the new policies coast to coast. Input from the environmental groups who want to put us off the water was adopted into the report verbatim � the key points we submitted as an industry were ignored,� he added.
If that doesn�t rile you, try this one. On Oct. 5, the National Marine Fisheries Service abruptly shut down the recreational black sea bass fishery for the next six months from Maine to North Carolina, based on survey data described by the National Academy of Sciences as �fatally flawed.� This has so angered the Recreational Fishing Alliance that it�s taking its program to protect the rights of anglers to a new level � litigation. RFA and allies plan to sue to reopen the sea bass fishery.
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According to the scientists� own data, black sea bass is a healthy stock. They are not overfished, and the most recent stock assessment places the spawning stock at 103 percent of their target. In fact, the stock has been at or above this level for the past decade. Still, the NMFS used the �fatally flawed� information from a Marine Recreational Fishing Statistical Survey.
To the point, the MRFSS data from last March and April indicates the private fishing fleet actually outfished the for-hire sector. But that�s a near impossibility considering that black sea bass are still offshore at that time � some 30 to 50 miles from any inlet � and most recreational boats haven�t even been launched for the season at that time.
We in the boating industry strongly support sustainable fisheries. But what now appears to be at stake is the very future of recreational fishing, threatened by misguided policies based on haste and ignorance. The direction of the White House is toward increased federal jurisdiction with the creation of a new National Ocean Council comprising more than 20 federal agencies at Cabinet Secretary or Deputy Secretary levels. Good grief!
It is critical that we ensure, 1) Congressional oversight, and 2) continued state jurisdiction and management, neither of which is contemplated by the Task Force. Accordingly, a special Web site at www.KeepAmericaFishing.org has been set up to generate e-mail to the Administration and members of Congress. Go to it.
Moreover, give the RFA your support. Its decision to sue is a bold but necessary undertaking, a declaration on behalf of all anglers that enough is enough Go to www.joinrfa.org and get involved. We can either hand over fishing�s future to Washington or hold the future of fishing in our hands. |
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Major Policy Review Appears to Shortchange Sport and Recreational Fishing Concern That Obama Administration Management Plan Could Limit Angling Access The Obama Administration recently released a management plan for the oceans and Great Lakes that could have a huge negative impact on fishing in coastal areas.
The plan is called the Interim Report of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force. The policies outlined in the report will govern federal ocean and Great Lakes waters. The report focuses on shifting to �ecosystem-based management as a foundational principle for the comprehensive management of the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes.�
Of particular concern to many organizations is the absence of any reference in the report to the positive impact recreational anglers have on aquatic conservation. Instead, it raises an alarm as to what the framework for zoning in these waters will be when the final report is presented to the president by early December. The consequence of that framework could result |
in severe restrictions including the elimination of many popular, historically important recreational fishing areas.
Numerous conservation organizations have publicly stated their concerns over this plan. In a recent press release, Gordon Robertson, vice president of the American Sportfishing Association, stated, �the sportfishing community believes that recreational activities such as responsibly-managed and regulated recreational fishing deserve full consideration and incorporation in the administration�s ocean and Great Lakes policy.� He went to conclude, �Providing the angling public with access to public resources is no less important than conserving those resources.�
�We hope the Administration recognizes that sportsmen are the greatest conservationists and will not accept any proposals shutting off large tracts of coastal territory to them,� stated Rob Sexton, U.S. Sportsmen�s Alliance vice president for government affairs. �If access for fishing becomes overly restricted, there will be a significant decline in resources dedicated to future conservation.� |
Regional
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Weekly Great Lakes Water Levels for Oct. 16, 2009 Weather Conditions Unseasonably cool temperatures and scattered showers occurred across the Great Lakes basin this week. Some locations near the lakes even saw their first snowflakes of the season. Through the middle of October, precipitation has been above average across the entire Great Lakes region. Unsettled weather is expected early this weekend, before warmer temperatures arrive for the start of the workweek. Locales across the southern reaches of the basin could see 60 plus degrees on both Monday and Tuesday. Lake Level Conditions All of the Great Lakes remain higher than their levels of a year ago. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie and Ontario are 1, 7, 6, 4, and 1 inches, respectively, higher than their levels last year at this time. The water levels of Lakes Superior and Michigan-Huron are expected to decline by 2 inches over the next month. Lake St. Clair, Erie and Ontario are expected to decline 4, 3 and 5 inches, respectively, over the next 30 days. Over the next several months, Lake Superior is predicted to be near its level of a year ago. Lakes Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, and Erie are forecasted to remain at or above last years levels over the same time period. Lake Ontario is forecasted to be near or below its levels of a year ago over the next six months. Current Outflows/Channel Conditions In September, the outflow from Lake Superior through the St. |
Mary's River and the outflow from Lake Michigan-Huron through the St. Clair River were below average. The Detroit River and Niagara River carried near average flows during September. The outflow from Lake Ontario through the St. Lawrence River was above average in September. 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.
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Illinois
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DNR announces $200,000 to enhance snowmobile trails Trail maintenance, equipment and safety projects will enhance snowmobile recreation SPRINGFIELD � The Illinois DNR has awarded state snowmobile trail grants totaling $200,000 to nine local governments and to the statewide snowmobile association for trail maintenance, equipment, and safety improvements for public-access snowmobile trails in Illinois.
�Snowmobiling in Illinois is enjoyed by thousands of people annually and we always talk about the importance of safety. This money will help maintain trails and help keep |
snowmobilers safe this coming season.� said IDNR Director Marc Miller. The state snowmobile grant program is funded entirely by snowmobilers through the registration fees they pay. There are nearly 38,000 registered snowmobiles in Illinois.
The snowmobile grant program is administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Applications for the next round of grants are available by contacting the IDNR Division of Grant Administration, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL, 62702-1271, or by calling 217/782-7481. Applications are accepted March 1-May 1. |
Wisconsin
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Winnebago sturgeon spearing license deadline October 31 OSHKOSH - Sturgeon spearers who want to participate in the 2010 Lake Winnebago system sturgeon spearing season can buy their sturgeon spearing license through Saturday, Oct. 31, the sales deadline.
Licenses are $20 for residents and $65 for non-residents and can be purchased over the Internet through the Online Licensing Center; by calling toll-free 1-877-WI LICENSE (1-877-945-4236); at license sales locations; or DNR service centers during their regular business hours. The 2010 sturgeon spearing seasons open on Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes on Saturday, Feb. 13.
The minimum age for spearing is 14. Youth who turn 14 between Nov. 1, 2009, and the last day of the 2010 spearing season can still buy a spearing license after Oct. 31. Military personnel home on leave can also purchase a license after Oct. 31, according to David Argall, with DNR�s customer service and licensing bureau.
The number of licenses sold is not limited on Lake Winnebago, but is limited to 500 for the Upriver Lakes fishery. The Upriver Lakes fishery is managed through a drawing and 500 individuals who submitted an application before Aug. 1, 2009, were authorized to buy an Upriver Lakes sturgeon spearing license for the 2010 season. Once a person is authorized to buy an Upriver Lakes license for a season, he or she is not able to buy a license for Lake Winnebago. Those |
who applied for an Upriver Lakes license in the drawing but were not authorized received a preference point and can still buy a Lake Winnebago license before Oct. 31, Argall says.
Last year, 10,239 people bought licenses for spearing during either the Lake Winnebago or Upriver lakes season and harvested a total of 1,512 fish. That includes 42 fish that weighed between 100 and 172 pounds, the highest percentage of trophy-size fish ever recorded in the history of the fishery. A 100-pound sturgeon can be anywhere from 65 to 80 years old; heavier sturgeon are proportionally older, according to Ron Bruch, DNR fisheries supervisor in Oshkosh.
Bruch says there are still a lot of trophy sized fish left in both Lake Winnebago and the Upriver Lakes for the 2010 season, including a female lake sturgeon that weigh more than 200 pound and was netted by state fish crews during the spring 2009 spawning assessment on the Wolf River.
The number of these trophy-size fish has been increasing significantly over the last decade, Bruch says. �This is due to the distribution of age classes currently present in the population and due to the impact of harvest regulation implemented over the last 17 years designed to increase survival of these large fish.�
More information on lake sturgeon is available on the DNR Web site. |
Other Breaking News Items (Click on the title or URL to read full article)
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Weighing the risks and benefits of eating Great Lakes fish Fish are lauded as an excellent source of lean protein and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which foster neurological development in children and lower the risk of dying from a heart attack. To maximize health benefits from fish, the American Heart Association recommends eating fish twice a week.
Beach rights principle is under attack The right to stroll beside a navigable body of water has been guaranteed for 50 or so generations -- but that doesn't mean neighbors can't feud about it.The principle dates back to ancient Rome, where the law defined oceans, lakes and rivers as resources held in trust for the public. Not so in Ohio, where a court of appeals has ruled�
Massive algae blooms threaten Lake Erie & Video Lake Erie is under attack from algae in a way not seen since the late 1960s and early 1970s. And this is more than just an aesthetic problem. Among the species of algae that are fouling beaches, harming wildlife and threatening drinking water is a toxic form that has scientists�
NPS - No park plan to ban lead National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis said he has no plans to ban lead bullets and fishing tackle in parks but said nonlead alternatives are a good option for hunters and sportsmen.
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