Sit On A Bucket Over Ice? Nice.
December 3, 2008
MADISON – It’s not everybody’s idea of fun, but it fits the bill perfectly for nearly half a million Wisconsin adults every winter.
In a new video available on the Department of Natural Resources Web site “Ice Fishing: My Kind of Fun,” an angler fishing one of the popular Madison area lakes explains his enjoyment of the sport.
In 2006, the most recent year for which statistics are available, anglers spent 11 million hours sitting on an overturned bucket or shacked up in an ice shanty, waiting for a red flag to fly.
They caught 14 million fish and kept just under half of them, according to a statewide mail survey of anglers the DNR conducted in 2006.
In winter, as in summer, panfish rule, says Brian Weigel, the Department of Natural Resources fisheries research scientist who analyzed the survey responses. “A quick check of the numbers shows panfish, panfish, panfish by far.”
Anglers caught about 11.7 million panfish during the ice fishing season and kept a higher proportion of them, nearly half, than in the open water season. The same pattern held true for walleye, northern pike and bass, Weigel says.
More information on ice fishing and fishing conditions to help the veteran angler as well as the novice can be found on DNR’s ice fishing pages.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE FISH SURVEY CONTACT: Brian Weigel - (608) 221-6326
10 tips for staying safe while ice fishing
First or early ice may promise the most fishing success, but it can also pose the greatest risk if anglers aren’t careful, recreation safety officials say.
“Ice is always unpredictable, and that’s particularly true early in the ice fishing season,” says Gary Eddy, the Department of Natural Resources conservation warden who administers the snowmobile and ATV safety programs.
State conservation wardens caution that ice is never viewed as safe, but general guidelines suggest at least 4 inches of clear ice is necessary before someone walks on a frozen waterbody; at least 6 inches before driving a snowmobile across ice, and 8 to 10 inches before traveling in cars or light duty trucks. “Those guidelines are only if the ice is real solid and clear,” Eddy says.
He offers these other tips for staying safe:
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Do not go out alone, carry a cell phone, and let people know where you are going and when you’ll return home.
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Wear proper clothing and equipment, including a float coat to help you stay afloat and to help slow body heat loss; take extra mittens or gloves so you always have a dry pair.
- Wear creepers attached to boots to prevent slipping on clear ice.
- Carry a spud bar to check the ice while walking to new areas.
- Carry a couple of spikes and a length of light rope in an easily accessible pocket to help pull yourself – or others – out of the ice.
- Do not travel in unfamiliar areas or at night.
- Know if the lake has inlets, outlets or narrows that have current that can thin the ice.
- Look for clear ice. Clear ice is generally stronger than ice with air bubbles in it or with snow on it.
- Watch out for pressure ridges or ice heaves. These can be dangerous due to thin ice or may be an obstruction you may hit with a car, truck or snowmobile.
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Winter Rainbows Arc Across Texas
December 1, 2008
Annual Rainbow Trout Stockings Begin Dec. 3
AUSTIN, Texas — For an inexpensive, entry-level fishing experience the entire family can enjoy, it doesn’t get much easier than winter rainbow trout fishing in Texas.
Beginning Dec. 3 and continuing until mid-March, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will stock upwards of 260,000 hatchery-reared rainbow trout at 119 sites across the state. Many of the fish stockings will be conducted at small community fishing lakes, state park lakes and popular river tailraces offering easy angling access.
TPWD has been stocking rainbow trout each winter since the 1970s, providing Texans a simple and economical opportunity to go fishing.
Catching these hungry fish can be easy, making the experience ideal for both novice anglers and kids. The fish will bite almost immediately after stocking and typically will take a variety of baits, from whole kernel canned corn or commercial soft bait to artificial flies and even small spinner baits.
Fishing gear can be as basic as an inexpensive spincast rod and reel combo, a small plastic bobber, a fishing weight and a hook. It’s also a good idea to carry along a pair of needle-nosed pliers to help remove hooks, and a five gallon bucket, small ice chest or a fish stringer to keep your catch. Be sure to keep freshly caught trout cold on ice or refrigerated.
The complete 2008-2009 Rainbow Trout Stocking Schedule 
is on the TPWD Web site. Here anglers can find stocking locations, stocking dates and driving directions to each site. Many locations offer special events for youth prior to allowing the public to fish. Check with local parks and recreation departments or water authorities for additional information. Most sites get an annual dose of more than 1,000 trout.
Among the winter trout stocking sites are 13 Neighborhood Fishin’ locations in city suburbs across the state. These spots get trout stocked every two weeks in the winter, but catfish are also stocked there in the summer, making them year-round family fishing destinations. Details are on the Neighborhood Fishin’ Web page, which lists the urban area, lake or pond, driving directions, and a TPWD name and contact phone number for each site. Money donated to TPWD from the Toyota Texas Bass Classic is being used to support Neighborhood Fishin’.
Other popular fishing holes like the Guadalupe River below the Canyon Reservoir Dam, which includes the tailrace, also receive multiple stockings from December into March. As the only fishable place in Texas where rainbow trout can survive during the summer months, the Guadalupe River will get almost 17,000 trout stocked this winter.
One public access point along the Guadalupe River has been leased by TPWD specifically for trout fishing, Camp Hueco Springs. A map and directions to this site are on the TPWD Web site.
Anglers should note there are special harvest restrictions in place along a 10-mile stretch of the Guadalupe River below the tailrace. In this area, anglers may retain only one trout per day, which must be at least 18-inches in length, and any trout harvested must be caught on artificial lures.
For additional details about the special harvest regulations and the location of that river stretch, please consult the TPWD Outdoor Annual. The special regulations zone does not include the area immediately below Canyon Lake Dam. There, as in other Texas waters, the daily bag limit is five trout and there is no minimum length.
A valid Texas freshwater fishing package is required to fish for trout. Youth ages 16 and younger and all anglers fishing from the bank in state parks are exempt from the fishing package requirement.
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Ancient Lake Sturgeon Are No Longer Just History in Georgia
November 25, 2008
CALHOUN, Ga. - The once eliminated, prehistoric-looking lake sturgeon is making a return to Georgia’s waters. Decades have passed since these fish, described by some as “shark-like” and “weird,” inhabited their native waters in the Coosa River Basin and Etowah River. Thanks to recent stocking efforts, the species now has a chance to reestablish a population and one day thrive again in these Georgia rivers.
This fall, Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division biologists from Calhoun are stocking 5,000 sturgeon in the Etowah River above Lake Allatoona for the first time. Lake sturgeon stocking efforts began in 2002 in the river system below Allatoona, and the small population has since spread throughout most of the native Coosa River Basin habitat.
“We are hoping eventually to hear reports of lake sturgeon sightings as our stocking efforts begin in the Etowah River,” explains Wayne Probst, Wildlife Resources Division regional fisheries supervisor for northwest Georgia. “We also hope for an increase in sightings throughout the Coosa River Basin as annual stocking efforts continue. Restoring the presence of these prehistoric fish is an important ongoing project for the division.”
Lake sturgeon are long and slender fish with five rows of bony-like plates known as scutes. They are cartilaginous and have dorsal fins similar to a shark, and their toothless tubular mouths are topped with four wiry whiskers. They can live up to 150 years and can weigh 100 or more pounds. In Georgia, they are more likely to reach 40 or 50 pounds.
The 4-6 inch fish biologists will use for stocking came from fertilized eggs received from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The eggs were hatched and raised at Summerville Fish Hatchery in Summerville, Ga. - the only division-operated hatchery in the state currently producing lake sturgeon.
Another hatchery assisting in the restoration effort is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Warm Springs Regional Fisheries Center in Warm Springs, Ga. Hatchery staff assist the division by producing fingerling-size lake sturgeon and helping transport the eggs received from the Wisconsin DNR.
Monitoring studies indicate that stocking efforts in the river system below Allatoona are succeeding. However, because lake sturgeon are long-lived and have a low reproductive capacity, restoration efforts for the species can take decades, and the division anticipates conducting annual sturgeon stocking efforts for the next 15-25 years.
“It is our hope that in time, Georgia’s river systems once again will have a thriving, self-sufficient population of lake sturgeon,” explains Gary Beisser, Wildlife Resources Division biologist. “Successfully re-establishing the species for harvest is the ultimate goal, and anglers can help with this effort by immediately releasing any caught sturgeon and by reporting sightings or catches to a local Wildlife Resources Division Fisheries office.”
For now and during the next decade or two as the species recovers, it is illegal to harvest lake sturgeon. If a sturgeon is accidentally hooked, anglers are advised to immediately release the fish and report the catch details to the division.
The demise of lake sturgeon populations is not limited to Georgia alone. In fact, the species is listed as either threatened or endangered by 19 of the 20 states within its original national range. The construction of dams, pollution and overfishing are blamed for the loss in North America. Division biologists specifically suspect pollution and overfishing as main contributors to Georgia’s loss.
The species truly is an ancient family of fishes. Sturgeon have been recognized since the Upper Cretaceous period (136 million years ago), a time when dinosaurs were at the height of their development. Worldwide there are 29 species or subspecies of sturgeon - nine species exist in North America.
For more information on lake sturgeon or to locate the nearest Wildlife Resources Division Fisheries office, visit www.gofishgeorgia.com or call (770) 918-6406.
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CA DFG Fish Stocking Program Will Continue Following Court Order
November 24, 2008
SACRAMENTO - An order today signed by Sacramento Superior Court Judge Patrick Marlette will allow the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to stock more waters than would have been allowed under his Nov. 6 tentative ruling. The order is a result of weeks of negotiation among DFG, and the Pacific Rivers Council and Center for Biological Diversity, along with their counsel Stanford Legal Clinic.
“DFG fought hard in the negotiations to save its fish stocking programs,” said DFG Director Donald Koch. “We are pleased that the order allows us to continue stocking in a number of areas where the communities depend on fishing.”
The order, with some exceptions, has a broad prohibition against DFG stocking “nonnative” fish in “any California fresh water body” where surveys have demonstrated the presence of 25 specified amphibian or fish species or where a survey for those species has not yet been done. The order does not address the stocking of native fish into native waters.
The order lists exceptions to the prohibition regarding stocking nonnative fish, which include:
- Stocking in human-made reservoirs larger than 1000 acres.
- Stocking in human-made reservoirs less than 1000 acres that are not connected to a river or stream, or are not within red legged frog critical habitat or where red legged frogs are known to exist.
- Stocking as required as state or federal mitigation.
- Stocking for the purpose of enhancing salmon and steelhead populations and funded by the Commercial Trollers Salmon Stamp.
- Stocking of steelhead from the Mad River Hatchery into the Mad River Basin.
- DFG’s Aquarium in the Classroom program.
- Stocking actions to support scientific research.
- Stocking done pursuant to an existing private stocking permit or to be done under a new permit with terms similar to one that was issued in the last four years.
DFG is preparing a list of waters where stocking will cease based on these parameters. It will be available on the DFG Web site early next week.
In October 2006, Pacific Rivers Council and Center for Biological Diversity, represented by Stanford Law students, sued DFG over fish stocking programs it has engaged in for more than 100 years, claiming that no Environmental Impact Report (EIR) had been completed for the programs. The result of the case was a court order requiring DFG to complete an EIR. DFG is engaged in the years-long and multimillion dollar EIR process, now scheduled to be completed in January 2010.
Due to delays in the EIR process, which involves combining the EIR with a federal Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), on Friday, Nov. 7 Judge Marlette told the department to negotiate with the petitioners to seek an agreement on terms for how and where DFG may continue stocking fish during the time it is preparing the EIR/EIS.
- Water bodies that WILL be stocked by DFG
from Nov. 24, 2008 through Jan. 1, 2010 (PDF) - Water bodies that will NOT be stocked by DFG
from Nov. 24, 2008 through Jan. 1, 2010 (PDF)
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South Carolina DNR Stocks Trout by Helicopter in Lower Saluda River
November 24, 2008
The S.C. Department of Natural Resources’ Freshwater Fisheries Section stocked about 17,000 brown and rainbow trout in the Lower Saluda River Nov. 19 using a helicopter and specialized lift bucket. The stocking benefits South Carolina’s $18 million trout fishery.
This year’s trout stocking is a cooperative effort between DNR and the State Law Enforcement Division with SLED providing the pilots and helicopter for the aerial stocking.
Helicopter stocking allows the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to better distribute trout up and down the river system and prevents the concentration of fish in any particular area. This will allow the fish more time to acclimate and disperse before anglers begin trying to catch them. The SLED aircraft also allows the DNR to be more selective in the type of habitat where the fish are stocked.
The helicopter stocked brown trout (averaging about 6 inches) and rainbow trout (averaging about 9-10 inches) over some 9 miles of the Saluda River. The trout came from the Walhalla State Fish Hatchery in Oconee County, operated by the DNR. The trout are transported by truck to a site near the river. The fish are kept in water and transferred to the lift bucket attached to the helicopter. The chopper then pulls away and carries the fish to the river.
The Saluda River below Lake Murray dam is unique because its popular trout fishery is essentially an artificial situation, according to DNR biologists. Trout must be stocked there and can survive only because of the cold-water releases from the bottom of the Lake Murray dam. The DNR normally stocks more than 30,000 trout each year in the Saluda from November through April in what it calls a “put, grow and take” fishery.
Annual stocking is necessary to maintain the trout populations, and anglers play an important role as well. Young trout grow rapidly if allowed to remain in the river. For young trout to reach their potential, they must not be removed from the river immediately after stocking. If given time to grow, they can reach up to 16 inches, considered trophy size for this type of fishery. If trout are to reach this size, anglers must practice catch-and-release fishing, especially during the winter and early spring. Conservation officers with the DNR will be patrolling the Saluda River in the winter and spring to hold down the number of over-the-limit trout catches. The daily limit is five fish from the Saluda River between the Lake Murray dam and the confluence of the Broad River.
South Carolina’s trout fishery generates more than $9 million annually for the state’s economy in direct retail sales, with a total economic output of more than $18 million, according to a study on the economic benefits of freshwater fishing in South Carolina. The effects of trout fishing can be felt in many segments of Upstate and Midlands communities, from motels and restaurants to gas stations, local bait and tackle shops and sporting goods stores.
The South Carolina DNR stocks more than 400,000 trout into public waters in the state’s Upcountry each year. The trout are stocked in more than 50 cold-water rivers and streams in Greenville, Pickens and Oconee counties, in Lake Jocassee, and in the cool tailwaters below the Lake Hartwell and Lake Murray dams.
The Sport Fish Restoration program and fishing license revenue helped fund the Saluda River trout stocking. The Sport Fish Restoration program is a major funding source for South Carolina’s freshwater fisheries’ program, and it represents the return of excise taxes collected from the sale of fishing tackle. Funds are allocated to states based on their relative size and the number of licensed anglers.
DNR protects and manages South Carolina’s natural resources by making wise and balanced decisions for the benefit of the state’s natural resources and its people.
Lower Saluda River Helicopter Trout Stocking Video
(Click PLAY Button To View Video)
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The Shenandoah River Fish Kill Task Force Evaluates Results of Latest Studies on Virginia River Systems
November 24, 2008
Richmond, VA — The Shenandoah River Fish Kill Task Force met November 17, 2008, to review the latest research on the causes of unexplained fish kills in several Virginia river systems since 2003. The meeting included presentations and discussions of findings during 2008. Though researchers have not identified a cause, they are evaluating several significant findings.
The work plan for 2009 will be developed with input from the task force’s science subcommittee and should be finalized by early January. The general focus of work for 2009 will be on disease-causing organisms, fish health and water quality.
As researchers continue to gather valuable information, task force members are considering several theories. This includes the possibility of multiple stressors on fish populations that make the cause of the kills more complex than a single contaminant, virus or bacteria.
The Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, co-chairs of the task force, set priorities earlier in 2008 for available funds and coordinated a number of investigations this year. For example, studies in 2008 included sampling before, during and after fish kills in the rivers experiencing those problems. The investigation also emphasized rivers where fish kills have not occurred, expanded lists of chemical analyses with a focus on storm flows, and fish health studies.
Here is a summary of the fish kill investigation findings to date:
Water quality and environmental conditions - DEQ monitored every two weeks from March through May at multiple sites in the Shenandoah, James and Cowpasture rivers, and several comparison streams, for metals. Dr. Dan Downey of James Madison University conducted a study on the South Fork Shenandoah River and a heavily farmed tributary, Cub Run, that evaluated physical and environmental conditions, metals, nutrients, organic chemical, and pesticides. This was done at frequent intervals before, during and after storm events between March and May 2008. The fish kills have occurred mostly during the spring months, starting when water temperatures reach about 59 degrees Fahrenheit in March and April, and ending when temperatures reach the mid- to upper 70s in mid-June. Fish kills appear to be connected to spawning periods for many of the fish species that have been affected. Water quality data from these studies and from extensive sampling during previous fish kill seasons have not identified any contaminants at levels that exceed water quality criteria or known levels of concern for toxic chemicals. This monitoring does not cover every possible water quality parameter, though it does include the most likely potential contaminants.
Analyses of “passive samplers” (imitation fish tissue) - Passive samplers were placed at multiple sites in the Shenandoah and Cowpasture rivers in spring 2007 by the Friends of the North Fork and DEQ. Additional samplers were deployed in spring 2008. These samplers imitate fish tissue and “accumulate” chemicals during a four- to six-week period and allow measurements of chemicals that are normally not detected in conventional water samples. A wide range of chemicals were detected and quantified, but no chemicals were found at levels equal to or above known water quality criteria at any sites.
Bottom-dwelling stream life - Dr. Reese Voshell of Virginia Tech led a multi-year study that evaluated invertebrate communities in the North and South Forks of the Shenandoah and a number of tributaries. Data analyses included comparisons with other large river systems, historical comparisons in the Shenandoah River, and indications whether areas with severe fish kills had corresponding harm to small creatures living on stream bottoms. None of the large river sites in the Shenandoah basin showed significant reduction in biological conditions. The health of small stream creatures showed no patterns that corresponded with areas of heavy fish kills. The data provided no evidence that toxic substances were present in amounts that would cause biological harm. In general, the presence of these creatures in the large river sections appears to be consistent with streams that have high levels of nutrients.
Fish health - Studies of fish health continued in 2008 by Dr. Vicki Blazer of the U.S. Geological Survey, and Dr. Don Orth of Virginia Tech and associates. Studies focused on fish kill areas in the Shenandoah, James and Cowpasture rivers and included comparison sites in the Rappahannock, New, North Fork Holston and other rivers. Fish were collected before, during and after fish kills. Specimens were examined externally and internally for lesions, general health and abnormalities of skin, gills and internal organs. In addition, parasites were identified and quantified, microscopic analysis was conducted on gills and internal organs, and blood chemistry was evaluated. As seen in previous years, male fish from the Shenandoah and Cowpasture rivers had a high incidence of immature female eggs in the testes, known as intersex. The studies suggest that a wide variety of parasites, bacteria and viruses caused infections in fish that died. It is not known whether fish kills and reproductive issues are linked.
Bacteria and viruses - In 2008, Dr. Rocco Cipriano of USGS conducted bacterial analyses on numerous specimens from fish kill and comparison sites before, during and after kills in the Shenandoah, James, Cowpasture and other rivers. Cultures were obtained from skin, gills and internal organs. The findings show that pre-kill fish had diverse types of bacteria, but no symptoms. Once the fish kills and symptoms such as skin lesions began, the dominant bacteria shifted to Aeromonas salmonicida. When fish kills ended in mid- to late June, the bacteria in fish from the rivers with fish kills returned to the diverse groups seen before the kills. Specimens examined from streams without fish kills did not appear to host Aeromonas salmonicida at any time, even when fish kills were occurring in other rivers. Aeromonas salmonicida causes furunculosis, a disease with symptoms consistent with those observed in dead and dying fish in the Shenandoah, Cowpasture and James rivers. However, the investigation has not determined whether the bacteria caused the fish kills or is related to them.
Fish kills mainly have affected smallmouth bass and redbreast sunfish, though the incidence of fish deaths was relatively low in 2008. DEQ and DGIF continue to coordinate the investigation and efforts to obtain additional funding for future work.
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DNR Seeks Comments on Lake and Stream Management Plans in the Grand Marais Area
November 20, 2008
Every year, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) prepares or revises individual fisheries lake and stream management plans for several waters in each management area and seeks public comment on the plans.
In the Grand Marais area, plans for the following lakes and streams will revised through
March 2009:
- Axe - managed for walleye
- Bingshick (BWCAW) - stocked with brook trout, reviewing stocking strategy
- Caribou (near Clearwater; BWCAW) - reviewing walleye management options
- Carrot - stocked with brook trout, reviewing stocking strategies
- Christine - potential for panfish management
- Kemo - stocked with lake trout, reviewing stocking strategy
- Lima - stocked with brook trout, reviewing stocking strategy
- Logger - many small northern pike
- Marsh - a flowage on the Temperance River
- McDonald - walleye and northern pike fisheries
- Moses - little potential for game fish
- Mush - some potential for trout management
- Road - has been stocked with walleye, unsuccessfully
- Swamp River Reservoir - large numbers of small northern pike
- Trout - stocked with rainbow trout, and a natural lake trout lake.