STWA

Americans are hearing about the dangers of high ethanol gas to their boats, cars, and small engines and are standing up and saying NO. As a result, support for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the policy that mandates more and more ethanol in the fuel supply every year, has been steadily declining. In fact, the RFS has become so unpopular that even after big-money ethanol lobbyists poured millions of dollars into the Presidential primary in Iowa, the heart of ethanol country, they still lost at the polls. The Senate is debating a comprehensive energy bill. Two amendments have been filed that, if passed, would be monumental victories. Now is the time to close the door on the RFS. Keep up the momentum and contact your Senator today.

View the full article on STWA website

The U.S. House is about to get back to work on the SHARE Act ‒ better known as the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2015. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s 2016 and the House is still debating a common sense act from last year. Look at all the benefits for fishermen in this bill:

• It protects traditional fishing equipment containing lead from unwarranted federal bans.
  
  
• It will create more and better fishing by requiring federal land managers to support and facilitate access for fishing on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands.
  
  
• It prevents unnecessary closures of public water to fishing by implementing an “open until closed” management policy.
  
  
• It blocks the National Park Service from arbitrarily closing water to fishing without state approval like they did at Biscayne National Park.

Tell Congress to stop dragging their feet and pass the SHARE ACT. Let’s get this done.

View the full article on STWA website

Southwick Associates' has announced 2015 top brands for many angling product categories. This list has been compiled from the internet-based surveys completed in 2015 by AnglerSurvey.com panelists.

In 2015, sportfishing's most frequently purchased brands included:
● Top rod brand: Shakespeare (Ugly Stik, Sturdy Stik, etc.)
● Top reel brand: Shimano
● Top combo brand: Shakespeare
● Top fishing line brand: PowerPro
● Top hard bait brand: Rapala
● Top spinner bait brand: Strike King
● Top jig brand: Strike King
● Top sinker brand: Lindys
● Top swivel brand: Eagle Claw
● Top leader brand: Sufix
● Top fly line brand: Rio
● Top fly leader brand: Rio
● Top tippets brand: Rio
● Top wader brand: Simms
● Top clothing brand: Columbia
● Top raingear brand: Frogg Toggs
● Top landing net brand: Frabill
● Top bait bucket/aerator brand: Frabill
● Top fishing knife brand: Rapala
● Top fish scale brand: Berkley
● Top trolling motor brand: Minn Kota

The list above is only a fraction of all fishing categories tracked by Southwick Associates. Along with many other product categories, Southwick Associates also tracks the percentage of sales occurring across different retail channels, total spending per category, average prices, and demographics for anglers buying specific products. Additional information tracked includes total days spent fishing, type of fishing (fresh, salt and more), preferred species and where they fish.

This Article used in its entirety with permission by:
Dan Thomas—President
Great lakes Sport Fishing Council
www.great-lakes.org

The Southtowns Walleye Association of WNY is a member in good standing of the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council. For the full newsletter, visit their website at:
www.geat-lakes.org/basinreports/basinreports.html

View the full article on STWA website

While a growing number of sportsmen embrace the availability and convenience of buying hunting and fishing licenses online, the longstanding tradition of standing in line at a local bait and tackle or sporting shop is alive and well. In fact, even as online purchasing trends continue to climb, the majority of licenses are still purchased in brick-and-mortar stores according to recent surveys conducted by AnglerSurvey.com and HunterSurvey.com.

For hunters, the practice of purchasing licenses online has grown 12 percent from what was reported in 2011, the first year HunterSurvey.com asked the question. In that same time frame, sales at local retail locations have dropped only two percent. So what locations have lost out as online purchases climb? License purchases at government offices and at "other" locations not specified in the survey have each dropped five percent in that same time period.

On the fishing front, online license purchases have climbed 14 percent since 2011 with retailers taking a bigger hit in license sales from their angling customers than from hunters with 11 percent fewer sportsman buying fishing licenses from retailers. That said, local shops and big box store locations still account for half of total fishing license sales. In that same time, government offices are selling one percent fewer licenses and "other" locations are selling four percent less.

Southwick Associates is working with state agencies to help redesign their licenses and set better prices that boost agency revenues and provide angler and hunters with better license options.

"Online license sales will naturally continue to grow as more and more hunters and anglers take advantage of the convenience technology offers," says Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, which designs and conducts the surveys at AnglerSurvey.com, ShooterSurvey.com and HunterSurvey.com. "But for local retailers and even larger chains that sell sporting licenses the opportunity to make additional sales of products that appeal to or are needed by hunters and anglers when they visit those locations to buy a license is still huge and will likely continue to be for some time."

To help continually improve, protect and advance hunting, shooting and fishing, all sportsmen and sportswomen are encouraged to participate in the bi-monthly surveys at AnglerSurvey.com, ShooterSurvey.com and HunterSurvey.com... Every other month, participants who complete the surveys are entered into a drawing for one of five $100 gift certificates to the sporting goods retailer of their choice.

View the full article on STWA website

The biggest surprise to me is being alive and well on my 80th birthday. Never did I dream of such good luck. Saying goodbye to my parents and 3 older bothers left me convinced that I would depart at a much younger age after suffering from some very tragic health problems. What kind of luck did I have, you ask? Being the youngest kid in the family left me with all those child hood illnesses that fortunately got them out of the way in my life, leaving me immune as they departed. Some examples are mumps, chicken pox, measles, scarlet fever, kidney problems, flu and a broken leg. Then at nine years of age, someone pulled me unconscious from the Welland Canal, laid me down on my face and practised his version of artificial respiration that succeeded. I choked and gasped and slowly opened my eyes to an array of long legs in shoes that surrounded me. I survived that Sunday morning when my brother and I were supposed to be in church. When I squished my way back into our house I lied when I said that the kid down the street squirted me with the lawn-hose. Since we had visiting relatives I got away with the fib and breathed a sigh of relief in avoiding a sermon from my mother. For example, when my brother and I would walk to church my mother would say good bye to us after telling us for the one hundredth time to stay away from the canal because that’s where her young nephew drowned. To avoid a future motherly sermon, I quietly asked my oldest brother if he would teach me how to swim. And he did so with gusto---in the canal. Amen.

To stay in high school I had to work during the summers to meet the costs of books and clothing and I was lucky to be hired by International Nickel, a company that paid well and that gave me a job because my father worked there before he was down with Lou Gehrig’s disease. While working at a job site on the midnight shift an accident occurred that hit me with chlorine gas that sent me home to bed with the feeling that I was on my way to another life. On my third day in bed a strange man with a stethoscope listened to my pulse and then told me to get back to work because I was OK. Chlorine gas was used by the Germans in World War One to kill the enemy. It took a year to be OK again but at least I survived and could remain in school.

At another Inco job the next summer I was a plant fitter’s helper for one shift and I followed him around carrying his tool kit. He stabbed me in the face with the point of his weapon and left me with a scar on my lip under my nose plus a crack ed seam on my two front teeth. For many reasons I reported it as a simple accident that didn’t involve another person. But I returned there the next summer with an evil plan for revenge. After several weeks at work I asked where the “stabber” was working. “ In the cemetery. He died during the winter from a brain disease.”

In my four years at university I tried to return home each weekend because I was in love with the woman I married. Since I was perpetually broke and without wheels I hitch-hiked home at a time in history when many drivers would give rides to hikers. One very kind lady picked me up and insisted that she would give me a ride to my home town which was about 7 miles away from her destination. There was a right curve in the road but also the road that continued straight ahead. The lady was confused at this very tricky intersection and a car was approaching. I leaned forward from the right front seat looking toward the lady and braced myself against the dash at a time when seatbelts were unknown. A head-on collision occurred and I absorbed most of the shock through my arms and body. The lady lifted from her seat with her head hitting the sun visor and her legs bashing upward against the bottom of the steering wheel. Then her body came down and her chin cracked on the steering wheel. She survived with only cuts and bruises and a bashed car. My good luck continued.

Another time I’ll tell you how my luck continued in Africa, Cuba, Canada, USA etc especially from friendly fire and collateral damage.

Erno Rossi is a bestselling JUNO nominated author. Author of White Death-The Blizzard of '77 book/DVD and Crystal Beach-The Good Old Days, book/DVD. Visit him at whitedeath.com or on You Tube, type in ernoinferno77 and there ride the front seat of the Comet and the old Giant roller coaster at Crystal Beach Amusement Park. His books are available or can be ordered through Coles, Barnes & Noble, Amazon and buffalobooks.com. He now accepts talks for his future speaking schedule. Call him at 905-835-8051, or email him at [email protected] Think gift books for Mother and Fathers’ Day, birthdays, the holiday seasons and other special occasions. Give Erno a call or email to reserve a visit to the Port Colborne lighthouses.

View the full article on STWA website

It was Friday evening and I called my fishing buddy John Alff and told him the walleyes were hitting at Barcelona and we should go there tomorrow. John said: “We do not know the area as neither of us have fished there before, but OK. Barcelona it will be. We had better take our boat and the 28 HP motor so we could go to different areas faster than my little 18 HP motor.” We both agreed to leave home in time to be on the water by
6:00 AM and try to catch that big walleye to win that Tournament, which does end at 5PM tomorrow. John said: “I’ll rig up some kind of downriggers for tomorrow. OK, see you in the morning.”

Arriving at Barcelona at 5:45 AM, John went to pay for the launching while I readied the boat for the launch. I ask John if he got any tips from anyone and he replied: “The launch attendant said to go west to eighty feet of water. That is where That is where they were catching the walleye yesterday.” So agreeing with the suggestions, we headed out into a slight fog and a fairly calm lake. We traveled about three miles when a spark plug fouled, so we had to change that and onward we went again.

My little 16 foot boat did pound some from the wakes of many other boats, most of which were larger than ours, but finally we got to 80 feet of water and also marking some fish on the recorder. Let’s start trolling right here. After trolling till about 11:30 and in about 100 feet of water now, and only two sheephead to account for, we decided to go for a little shallower water. John had changed about 8 or 9 lures of different combinations which included Bombers, thundersticks, spoons, and spinners & worms. I now changed from a yellow Rapalla to a silver and black of the same size. John also pulled up and retired his downrigger assembly because we
both agreed the wire made too much noise and was scaring the fish. Now we were both long lining.

I told John: “I can’t believe that I have lost three walleyes during this tournament. What am I doing wrong?” John said: “Nothing, those you lost are adding up to one twelve pounder because that is all that I am asking for—only one twelve pound walleye.”

Now 11:50 AM, the winds stronger, the lake with three to four foot rollers, John said: “It is getting real rough out here and I think we should troll toward shore. “What do you think?” I agreed and we headed toward shore still trolling.

Bright and sunny, but very rough lake conditions made trolling very difficult. John and I were extra quiet, I suppose because thoughts of having to quit fishing early because of the lake’s roughness. I said to John: “You should put on your life jacket.” I was already wearing mine as the lake had gotten rougher. He said: “ I’m fine.” I replied: “I am not man enough to pull you back onto the boat if you fall overboard, but I can pull you back to the side and drag you back to shore from the side of the boat.” He then put on his life jacket and asked: “Are you graphing any fish?” and I answered “Not any for quite a while now but there is some baitfish – a large one, and there is some more medium ones.” With more fish graphing now I lifted my pole from the rod holder and a fish hit my plug and almost jerked the rod out of my hand. I said to John “This is a real sizeable fish and it feels like a walleye.” John said to me: “Don’t you try to stand up fighting that fish with this rough water or you will lose the fish or possibly fall overboard. I fought the walleye’s vigorous efforts to get off in a seated position which was very difficult. The big walleye diving down and disappearing out of sight 4 different times and at this point John said: “Rick, you have to bring that fish to the boat this time up or he is going
to get off.

Being that I was not able to stand up because of the rough water to fight the fish, I could not turn around and see where the fish was but John guided me – John said: “He is coming up, swing your pole over your head toward me, keep reeling, keep reeling, come on, come on, keep reeling. He is on top, keep reeling, HE IS IN THE NET AND IN THE BOAT!! There is that twelve pounder that we have been hunting for. I yelled for joy: “There is that $6000.00 WALLEYE!” John guessed the fish weigh 12 pounds. Arriving at the Barcelona weigh-in station at about 1:30, we saw that the first place fish was 10.93 pounds, that we had to beat. Ours tipped the scales at 11.71 pounds – we were now in the number one spot, but with three and one half hours left to closing of the Tournament, we did hope and pray that our walleye would remain in first place and it did. John and I will split the $6000.00 first prize - $5000.00 from the Southtowns Walleye Tournament and $1000.00 from Emerling Chevrolet. Thank God and thank you.

View the full article on STWA website

Americans are hearing about the dangers of high ethanol gas to their boats, cars, and small engines and are standing up and saying NO. As a result, support for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the policy that mandates more and more ethanol in the fuel supply every year, has been steadily declining. In fact, the RFS has become so unpopular that even after big-money ethanol lobbyists poured millions of dollars into the Presidential primary in Iowa, the heart of ethanol country, they still lost at the polls. The Senate is debating a comprehensive energy bill. Two amendments have been filed that, if passed, would be monumental victories. Now is the time to close the door on the RFS. Keep up the momentum and contact your Senator today.

View the full article on STWA website

The U.S. House is about to get back to work on the SHARE Act ‒ better known as the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2015. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s 2016 and the House is still debating a common sense act from last year. Look at all the benefits for fishermen in this bill:

• It protects traditional fishing equipment containing lead from unwarranted federal bans.
  
  
• It will create more and better fishing by requiring federal land managers to support and facilitate access for fishing on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands.
  
  
• It prevents unnecessary closures of public water to fishing by implementing an “open until closed” management policy.
  
  
• It blocks the National Park Service from arbitrarily closing water to fishing without state approval like they did at Biscayne National Park.

Tell Congress to stop dragging their feet and pass the SHARE ACT. Let’s get this done.

View the full article on STWA website

Southwick Associates' has announced 2015 top brands for many angling product categories. This list has been compiled from the internet-based surveys completed in 2015 by AnglerSurvey.com panelists.

In 2015, sportfishing's most frequently purchased brands included:
● Top rod brand: Shakespeare (Ugly Stik, Sturdy Stik, etc.)
● Top reel brand: Shimano
● Top combo brand: Shakespeare
● Top fishing line brand: PowerPro
● Top hard bait brand: Rapala
● Top spinner bait brand: Strike King
● Top jig brand: Strike King
● Top sinker brand: Lindys
● Top swivel brand: Eagle Claw
● Top leader brand: Sufix
● Top fly line brand: Rio
● Top fly leader brand: Rio
● Top tippets brand: Rio
● Top wader brand: Simms
● Top clothing brand: Columbia
● Top raingear brand: Frogg Toggs
● Top landing net brand: Frabill
● Top bait bucket/aerator brand: Frabill
● Top fishing knife brand: Rapala
● Top fish scale brand: Berkley
● Top trolling motor brand: Minn Kota

The list above is only a fraction of all fishing categories tracked by Southwick Associates. Along with many other product categories, Southwick Associates also tracks the percentage of sales occurring across different retail channels, total spending per category, average prices, and demographics for anglers buying specific products. Additional information tracked includes total days spent fishing, type of fishing (fresh, salt and more), preferred species and where they fish.

This Article used in its entirety with permission by:
Dan Thomas—President
Great lakes Sport Fishing Council
www.great-lakes.org

The Southtowns Walleye Association of WNY is a member in good standing of the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council. For the full newsletter, visit their website at:
www.geat-lakes.org/basinreports/basinreports.html

View the full article on STWA website

While a growing number of sportsmen embrace the availability and convenience of buying hunting and fishing licenses online, the longstanding tradition of standing in line at a local bait and tackle or sporting shop is alive and well. In fact, even as online purchasing trends continue to climb, the majority of licenses are still purchased in brick-and-mortar stores according to recent surveys conducted by AnglerSurvey.com and HunterSurvey.com.

For hunters, the practice of purchasing licenses online has grown 12 percent from what was reported in 2011, the first year HunterSurvey.com asked the question. In that same time frame, sales at local retail locations have dropped only two percent. So what locations have lost out as online purchases climb? License purchases at government offices and at "other" locations not specified in the survey have each dropped five percent in that same time period.

On the fishing front, online license purchases have climbed 14 percent since 2011 with retailers taking a bigger hit in license sales from their angling customers than from hunters with 11 percent fewer sportsman buying fishing licenses from retailers. That said, local shops and big box store locations still account for half of total fishing license sales. In that same time, government offices are selling one percent fewer licenses and "other" locations are selling four percent less.

Southwick Associates is working with state agencies to help redesign their licenses and set better prices that boost agency revenues and provide angler and hunters with better license options.

"Online license sales will naturally continue to grow as more and more hunters and anglers take advantage of the convenience technology offers," says Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, which designs and conducts the surveys at AnglerSurvey.com, ShooterSurvey.com and HunterSurvey.com. "But for local retailers and even larger chains that sell sporting licenses the opportunity to make additional sales of products that appeal to or are needed by hunters and anglers when they visit those locations to buy a license is still huge and will likely continue to be for some time."

To help continually improve, protect and advance hunting, shooting and fishing, all sportsmen and sportswomen are encouraged to participate in the bi-monthly surveys at AnglerSurvey.com, ShooterSurvey.com and HunterSurvey.com... Every other month, participants who complete the surveys are entered into a drawing for one of five $100 gift certificates to the sporting goods retailer of their choice.

View the full article on STWA website

The biggest surprise to me is being alive and well on my 80th birthday. Never did I dream of such good luck. Saying goodbye to my parents and 3 older bothers left me convinced that I would depart at a much younger age after suffering from some very tragic health problems. What kind of luck did I have, you ask? Being the youngest kid in the family left me with all those child hood illnesses that fortunately got them out of the way in my life, leaving me immune as they departed. Some examples are mumps, chicken pox, measles, scarlet fever, kidney problems, flu and a broken leg. Then at nine years of age, someone pulled me unconscious from the Welland Canal, laid me down on my face and practised his version of artificial respiration that succeeded. I choked and gasped and slowly opened my eyes to an array of long legs in shoes that surrounded me. I survived that Sunday morning when my brother and I were supposed to be in church. When I squished my way back into our house I lied when I said that the kid down the street squirted me with the lawn-hose. Since we had visiting relatives I got away with the fib and breathed a sigh of relief in avoiding a sermon from my mother. For example, when my brother and I would walk to church my mother would say good bye to us after telling us for the one hundredth time to stay away from the canal because that’s where her young nephew drowned. To avoid a future motherly sermon, I quietly asked my oldest brother if he would teach me how to swim. And he did so with gusto---in the canal. Amen.

To stay in high school I had to work during the summers to meet the costs of books and clothing and I was lucky to be hired by International Nickel, a company that paid well and that gave me a job because my father worked there before he was down with Lou Gehrig’s disease. While working at a job site on the midnight shift an accident occurred that hit me with chlorine gas that sent me home to bed with the feeling that I was on my way to another life. On my third day in bed a strange man with a stethoscope listened to my pulse and then told me to get back to work because I was OK. Chlorine gas was used by the Germans in World War One to kill the enemy. It took a year to be OK again but at least I survived and could remain in school.

At another Inco job the next summer I was a plant fitter’s helper for one shift and I followed him around carrying his tool kit. He stabbed me in the face with the point of his weapon and left me with a scar on my lip under my nose plus a crack ed seam on my two front teeth. For many reasons I reported it as a simple accident that didn’t involve another person. But I returned there the next summer with an evil plan for revenge. After several weeks at work I asked where the “stabber” was working. “ In the cemetery. He died during the winter from a brain disease.”

In my four years at university I tried to return home each weekend because I was in love with the woman I married. Since I was perpetually broke and without wheels I hitch-hiked home at a time in history when many drivers would give rides to hikers. One very kind lady picked me up and insisted that she would give me a ride to my home town which was about 7 miles away from her destination. There was a right curve in the road but also the road that continued straight ahead. The lady was confused at this very tricky intersection and a car was approaching. I leaned forward from the right front seat looking toward the lady and braced myself against the dash at a time when seatbelts were unknown. A head-on collision occurred and I absorbed most of the shock through my arms and body. The lady lifted from her seat with her head hitting the sun visor and her legs bashing upward against the bottom of the steering wheel. Then her body came down and her chin cracked on the steering wheel. She survived with only cuts and bruises and a bashed car. My good luck continued.

Another time I’ll tell you how my luck continued in Africa, Cuba, Canada, USA etc especially from friendly fire and collateral damage.

Erno Rossi is a bestselling JUNO nominated author. Author of White Death-The Blizzard of '77 book/DVD and Crystal Beach-The Good Old Days, book/DVD. Visit him at whitedeath.com or on You Tube, type in ernoinferno77 and there ride the front seat of the Comet and the old Giant roller coaster at Crystal Beach Amusement Park. His books are available or can be ordered through Coles, Barnes & Noble, Amazon and buffalobooks.com. He now accepts talks for his future speaking schedule. Call him at 905-835-8051, or email him at [email protected] Think gift books for Mother and Fathers’ Day, birthdays, the holiday seasons and other special occasions. Give Erno a call or email to reserve a visit to the Port Colborne lighthouses.

View the full article on STWA website

It was Friday evening and I called my fishing buddy John Alff and told him the walleyes were hitting at Barcelona and we should go there tomorrow. John said: “We do not know the area as neither of us have fished there before, but OK. Barcelona it will be. We had better take our boat and the 28 HP motor so we could go to different areas faster than my little 18 HP motor.” We both agreed to leave home in time to be on the water by
6:00 AM and try to catch that big walleye to win that Tournament, which does end at 5PM tomorrow. John said: “I’ll rig up some kind of downriggers for tomorrow. OK, see you in the morning.”

Arriving at Barcelona at 5:45 AM, John went to pay for the launching while I readied the boat for the launch. I ask John if he got any tips from anyone and he replied: “The launch attendant said to go west to eighty feet of water. That is where That is where they were catching the walleye yesterday.” So agreeing with the suggestions, we headed out into a slight fog and a fairly calm lake. We traveled about three miles when a spark plug fouled, so we had to change that and onward we went again.

My little 16 foot boat did pound some from the wakes of many other boats, most of which were larger than ours, but finally we got to 80 feet of water and also marking some fish on the recorder. Let’s start trolling right here. After trolling till about 11:30 and in about 100 feet of water now, and only two sheephead to account for, we decided to go for a little shallower water. John had changed about 8 or 9 lures of different combinations which included Bombers, thundersticks, spoons, and spinners & worms. I now changed from a yellow Rapalla to a silver and black of the same size. John also pulled up and retired his downrigger assembly because we
both agreed the wire made too much noise and was scaring the fish. Now we were both long lining.

I told John: “I can’t believe that I have lost three walleyes during this tournament. What am I doing wrong?” John said: “Nothing, those you lost are adding up to one twelve pounder because that is all that I am asking for—only one twelve pound walleye.”

Now 11:50 AM, the winds stronger, the lake with three to four foot rollers, John said: “It is getting real rough out here and I think we should troll toward shore. “What do you think?” I agreed and we headed toward shore still trolling.

Bright and sunny, but very rough lake conditions made trolling very difficult. John and I were extra quiet, I suppose because thoughts of having to quit fishing early because of the lake’s roughness. I said to John: “You should put on your life jacket.” I was already wearing mine as the lake had gotten rougher. He said: “ I’m fine.” I replied: “I am not man enough to pull you back onto the boat if you fall overboard, but I can pull you back to the side and drag you back to shore from the side of the boat.” He then put on his life jacket and asked: “Are you graphing any fish?” and I answered “Not any for quite a while now but there is some baitfish – a large one, and there is some more medium ones.” With more fish graphing now I lifted my pole from the rod holder and a fish hit my plug and almost jerked the rod out of my hand. I said to John “This is a real sizeable fish and it feels like a walleye.” John said to me: “Don’t you try to stand up fighting that fish with this rough water or you will lose the fish or possibly fall overboard. I fought the walleye’s vigorous efforts to get off in a seated position which was very difficult. The big walleye diving down and disappearing out of sight 4 different times and at this point John said: “Rick, you have to bring that fish to the boat this time up or he is going
to get off.

Being that I was not able to stand up because of the rough water to fight the fish, I could not turn around and see where the fish was but John guided me – John said: “He is coming up, swing your pole over your head toward me, keep reeling, keep reeling, come on, come on, keep reeling. He is on top, keep reeling, HE IS IN THE NET AND IN THE BOAT!! There is that twelve pounder that we have been hunting for. I yelled for joy: “There is that $6000.00 WALLEYE!” John guessed the fish weigh 12 pounds. Arriving at the Barcelona weigh-in station at about 1:30, we saw that the first place fish was 10.93 pounds, that we had to beat. Ours tipped the scales at 11.71 pounds – we were now in the number one spot, but with three and one half hours left to closing of the Tournament, we did hope and pray that our walleye would remain in first place and it did. John and I will split the $6000.00 first prize - $5000.00 from the Southtowns Walleye Tournament and $1000.00 from Emerling Chevrolet. Thank God and thank you.

View the full article on STWA website

Great Lakes Action Agenda Work Group Meetings March 2nd, 3rd, 7th & 8th

NYSDEC invites you to join other regional stakeholders in a basinwide partnership to advance ecosystem-based management opportunities for New York's Great Lakes basin, as identified in the state's interim Great
Lakes Action Agenda (GLAA). Join us in March: to help us select critical actions within the draft sub basin work plans for focused collaboration and implementation, and for a presentation by Natural Heritage Program on a new riparian restoration and protection planning tool created especially for New York's Great Lakes basin.
Four sub basin work groups provide a unique opportunity to connect, coordinate and collaborate with other groups and agencies working locally and basin wide.

Please join us for one or more of the following meetings:

Lake Erie Work Group
Weds, March 2nd, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Woodlawn State Park Lodge
3580 Lakeshore Rd
Blasdell, NY 14219

SW Lake Ontario Work Group
Thurs, March 3rd, 9:00am - 12:00pm
Seneca Park Zoo, 'Z.O.T. Zone' Building
2222 St. Paul Street
Rochester, NY 14621

NE Lake Ontario Work Group
Mon, March 7th, 10:30am - 2:00pm
West Carthage Fire Hall
61 High St.
Carthage, NY 13619

SE Lake Ontario Work Group
Tues, March 8th, 10:30am - 2:00pm
Beaver Lake Nature Center
8477 E. Mud Lake Rd.
Baldwinsville, NY 13027 (Optional hike following meeting)

All NYS Great Lakes stakeholders are invited to participate -- including environmental orgs, academic institutions, state and federal agencies, local government, individuals and other diverse stakeholder groups (business, health, recreation, planning, etc).

Please let us know if you can make it!
RSVP to [email protected] by February 29th. Please indicate which work group meeting you'll be attending.

Questions or comments?

Lake Erie & SW Lake Ontario Work Groups: Shannon Dougherty, [email protected], 716-851-7070

SE & NE Lake Ontario Work Groups: Emily Sheridan, [email protected], 315-785-2382

View the full article on STWA website

Great Lakes Action Agenda Work Group Meetings March 2nd, 3rd, 7th & 8th

NYSDEC invites you to join other regional stakeholders in a basinwide partnership to advance ecosystem-based management opportunities for New York's Great Lakes basin, as identified in the state's interim Great
Lakes Action Agenda (GLAA). Join us in March: to help us select critical actions within the draft sub basin work plans for focused collaboration and implementation, and for a presentation by Natural Heritage Program on a new riparian restoration and protection planning tool created especially for New York's Great Lakes basin.
Four sub basin work groups provide a unique opportunity to connect, coordinate and collaborate with other groups and agencies working locally and basin wide.

Please join us for one or more of the following meetings:

Lake Erie Work Group
Weds, March 2nd, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Woodlawn State Park Lodge
3580 Lakeshore Rd
Blasdell, NY 14219

SW Lake Ontario Work Group
Thurs, March 3rd, 9:00am - 12:00pm
Seneca Park Zoo, 'Z.O.T. Zone' Building
2222 St. Paul Street
Rochester, NY 14621

NE Lake Ontario Work Group
Mon, March 7th, 10:30am - 2:00pm
West Carthage Fire Hall
61 High St.
Carthage, NY 13619

SE Lake Ontario Work Group
Tues, March 8th, 10:30am - 2:00pm
Beaver Lake Nature Center
8477 E. Mud Lake Rd.
Baldwinsville, NY 13027 (Optional hike following meeting)

All NYS Great Lakes stakeholders are invited to participate -- including environmental orgs, academic institutions, state and federal agencies, local government, individuals and other diverse stakeholder groups (business, health, recreation, planning, etc).

Please let us know if you can make it!
RSVP to [email protected] by February 29th. Please indicate which work group meeting you'll be attending.

Questions or comments?

Lake Erie & SW Lake Ontario Work Groups: Shannon Dougherty, [email protected], 716-851-7070

SE & NE Lake Ontario Work Groups: Emily Sheridan, [email protected], 315-785-2382

View the full article on STWA website

Before Luis returned to Mexico City, he brought me to a remote beach outside Acapulco called Pie de la Questa according to my Journal. Here he showed me some thatched covered hammocks open to the breeze. Nearby the surf tumbled ashore with a vibrating thump. “For fifty cents a day you can stay here and sleep in the hammock at night. This will keep you off the sand. Strange creatures crawl in the sand at night. The farmer has a mosquito net for you at night if you decide to stay. Use the net. You do not want malaria. The local farmer owns the hammocks and for a few cents will sell you coconuts, eggs, maybe a chicken for a special occasion. You are not afraid to kill a chicken are you?

“With your fishing line you can use some meat for bait to catch red snapper, sea bass, sharks, turtles. Don’t fool with a local woman unless you want to get married. Don’t fool with a married local woman unless you want to get chopped into fish bait. These people will think that you are a rich American at first. You have to make it clear that you are not a Gringo. Do not wear your watch. You are not rich. You are from Canada. You are a poor artist writing a book about this great country of Mexico. They respect artists in Mexico, unlike Canada and the USA.

“Many people here don’t like Gringos---goes back a long way to wars with the USA. Try to learn the local dialect. By trying you will make many friends. Call the young people muchacho or muchacha. Call others amigo, amiga. They will like you. Teach the children English words. You are a good teacher. You have great patience except for the bullfight. Adios amigo.”

That was the advice that I accepted from Luis. My choice was between a short visit in a hotel bed or a very long visit in a seaside hammock where I could meet the people and learn from them. I was at ease asleep in my hammock because I found the sounds of the sea to be a comfort. Manuel the farmer assured me of my safety saying that there were no banditos here. Only in Mexico City did they thrive. But I slept with a borrowed machete that I used for cutting driftwood for my fire. I carried in my pack other essentials such as a multi- utility- knife, a small wooden bowl, a coil of thin wire, matches, a coil of nylon fishing line with hooks, bobbers, sinkers, and a bar of Life Boy soap that was wrapped in a face cloth plus some toilet tissue.

I called him Man to anglicize him. He was Manuel’s son of the same name. About 15 years old, he was a barefoot, handsome kid with a dark skin and a wide, white smile. He brought me coconuts and showed me how to open, drink and eat them. Man asked me to teach him English in return for free coconuts, eggs and a loaner frying pan and a pot for boiling water. But first, I asked why he wanted to learn English. Without any hesitation he said: “Meet rich Gringo girl on Acapulco beach. Marry her. Live happy life. Have many bambinos.”

I was willing to help fulfill his Mexican dream. That’s why I agreed that he should visit each morning and I would begin his English lessons. A fast learner, Man was counting in English up to 25 when little brothers and sisters began to visit with him and listened attentively to the lesson. They learned even faster than Man and soon they all could count to 100. Each morning I let the advanced students draw the numbers in a lateral line in the sand. Then I would let them walk in pairs beside each number and recite it as they viewed it. An advanced student could teach a new student in this way and learning took place at their speed and level.

Margarita, a tiny sweetheart in bare feet wanted to learn a Gringo song. “Margarita had a little lamb” was the first that they mastered. They were confused over the line, “Its fleece was white as snow” They understood ‘white’ but not ‘snow’. And I was just as confused trying to explain ‘snow’ to people who had never seen it. Then followed Christmas songs like Jingle bells and simple other songs like “Jesus loves me yes I know.” These lyrics were printed into the sand as well and after they learned them in English I had them teach me the words in Mexican. They laughed at my mistakes but they loved my attempts to learn what they could teach me.

They tried to teach me the Mexican national anthem as best they knew it and we sang a chorus of it together every day. Other kids joined the group and soon I had 15 students. They learned the alphabet, reciting it in unison and then singing it, concluding with,“Now I’ve said my ABC’s. Tell me what you think of me.” And that is when I said, “ Buena muchachas and buena muchachos.”

Then they drew the alphabet in a lateral line in the sand and recited the letters as they walked the line. One advanced student could teach a new student in this way and learning took place at their speed and level.

Soon we added O Canada, where everyone is standing on guard freezing their gumbos in a blizzard. Frozen solid we stand on guard for thee ad nauseam. When my kids asked if everyone stood on guard in Canada I knew it was time for a quickie revision of the words. I kept the same music without the sexism of the Mexican and Canadian anthems. Thus we sang a mini Rossi version.

Our Canada, the great north strong and free
Vast open lands, kissed by 4 great seas.
We love you so Dear Canada
We love you so today.
We’ll love you so Dear Canada
Until our final days.

The biggest challenge was the American anthem, a pleasant tune based on an old English drinking song but with the most confusing, archaic words in desperate need of a simplified upgrade. In teaching the Star Spangled Banner I explained an old story that little Jose from Mexico visited his cousin in California and together they went to see a baseball game. Before the game began all the people stood up and looked at little Jose and asked him, “Jose can you see?” That question became the first line of the our Star Spangled Banner and all the Americans continue to sing it to this day. Americans are a very friendly people if you treat them as equals. In this way we sang three anthems each day and yes, everybody was singing,” Jose can you see? not “Oh say can you see?”

But the words to the Star Spangled Banner were so difficult that I created a simple version for beginners or for people in a hurry.
I tried it out on my muchachas and muchachos and they preferred my version. But the kids were sad that Jose was not part of this new song. To the original tune we sang my new 6-line version:

Can you see it at dawn
Our flag and our hope?
Midst thunder of cannon
The fire and smoke?
The Star Spangled banner forever shall be
America’s flag, the land of the free.

I explained that I was not a citizen of the USA. Many people call them Gringos. Some people think that the name Gringo came into use when the Americans were at war with Mexico. Their armies were camped on either side of the Rio Grande. At night the Mexican soldiers could hear the American troops singing songs around their campfires. One popular ballad of the day had a line in it that said:

“Back where the green grass grows, grows, grows. Back where the green grass grows.”

To Mexican ears this sounded like Gringos. Thereafter a nickname for people from The United States of America. That was one story. Then I told them that some people believe that Gringo comes from the Spanish word ‘griegas’meaning Greek often applied to foreigners. That was the story that I believed and that made me a Gringo as well because I was from Canada. I tried to teach the kids French but backed off with the difficulty that they had with the pronunciation of Je as in Je suis meaning I am. They have an ‘h’ sound as in Jai Lai. Basic English would have to suffice.

I liked the contact with students and the sharing of knowledge. The only “problem” was nipped in the bud when older girls arrived to learn and did not want to leave when the lesson was finished. They had reached puberty and wanted to help me with my daily chores. One girl wanted to cook for me. I had to politely send them on their way. I told them that I would see them next day to learn in English the names of birds and beasts. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. There was no room for anger against a guy who slept alone in a hammock on an isolated beach with only a machete.

I caught, cleaned and ate a variety of fish. With my small coil of wire, I strung my gutted fish on this wire and over my fire. In this way I did not have to scale or behead the fish but rather pulled back the skin and scales from a toasted and tasty red snapper. That wire served as my clothesline as well and I regularly washed myself and my clothes in the salty pacific. But daily short rain showers kept most salt out of my clothes and rinsed from my body. I tried to time my bath in the ocean just minutes before a rain shower. To this day, more than 50 years later, I still smile at those warm ocean baths and cool heavenly showers.

Man and manners. He wanted to know how to behave around Gringo women. I made some basic suggestions:
Do not blow your nose into the sand after swimming. Use a tissue or use the salt water.
Look her in the eye when you talk to her. Do not look at other women.
Wash everyday and wear clean clothes.
Don’t pounce. She will let you know when she wants to be intimate and pounced. Be gentle.
Be polite. Say “Por favore - Please”
If she gives you a gift, say “Thank you.”If she wants to send you gifts say “Muchas gracias.”
Do not pretend to be what you are not.
Have an address for her to contact you and for you to contact her.
Be very interested in older women rather than the young jail bait. Amen.

View the full article on STWA website

Before Luis returned to Mexico City, he brought me to a remote beach outside Acapulco called Pie de la Questa according to my Journal. Here he showed me some thatched covered hammocks open to the breeze. Nearby the surf tumbled ashore with a vibrating thump. “For fifty cents a day you can stay here and sleep in the hammock at night. This will keep you off the sand. Strange creatures crawl in the sand at night. The farmer has a mosquito net for you at night if you decide to stay. Use the net. You do not want malaria. The local farmer owns the hammocks and for a few cents will sell you coconuts, eggs, maybe a chicken for a special occasion. You are not afraid to kill a chicken are you?

“With your fishing line you can use some meat for bait to catch red snapper, sea bass, sharks, turtles. Don’t fool with a local woman unless you want to get married. Don’t fool with a married local woman unless you want to get chopped into fish bait. These people will think that you are a rich American at first. You have to make it clear that you are not a Gringo. Do not wear your watch. You are not rich. You are from Canada. You are a poor artist writing a book about this great country of Mexico. They respect artists in Mexico, unlike Canada and the USA.

“Many people here don’t like Gringos---goes back a long way to wars with the USA. Try to learn the local dialect. By trying you will make many friends. Call the young people muchacho or muchacha. Call others amigo, amiga. They will like you. Teach the children English words. You are a good teacher. You have great patience except for the bullfight. Adios amigo.”

That was the advice that I accepted from Luis. My choice was between a short visit in a hotel bed or a very long visit in a seaside hammock where I could meet the people and learn from them. I was at ease asleep in my hammock because I found the sounds of the sea to be a comfort. Manuel the farmer assured me of my safety saying that there were no banditos here. Only in Mexico City did they thrive. But I slept with a borrowed machete that I used for cutting driftwood for my fire. I carried in my pack other essentials such as a multi- utility- knife, a small wooden bowl, a coil of thin wire, matches, a coil of nylon fishing line with hooks, bobbers, sinkers, and a bar of Life Boy soap that was wrapped in a face cloth plus some toilet tissue.

I called him Man to anglicize him. He was Manuel’s son of the same name. About 15 years old, he was a barefoot, handsome kid with a dark skin and a wide, white smile. He brought me coconuts and showed me how to open, drink and eat them. Man asked me to teach him English in return for free coconuts, eggs and a loaner frying pan and a pot for boiling water. But first, I asked why he wanted to learn English. Without any hesitation he said: “Meet rich Gringo girl on Acapulco beach. Marry her. Live happy life. Have many bambinos.”

I was willing to help fulfill his Mexican dream. That’s why I agreed that he should visit each morning and I would begin his English lessons. A fast learner, Man was counting in English up to 25 when little brothers and sisters began to visit with him and listened attentively to the lesson. They learned even faster than Man and soon they all could count to 100. Each morning I let the advanced students draw the numbers in a lateral line in the sand. Then I would let them walk in pairs beside each number and recite it as they viewed it. An advanced student could teach a new student in this way and learning took place at their speed and level.

Margarita, a tiny sweetheart in bare feet wanted to learn a Gringo song. “Margarita had a little lamb” was the first that they mastered. They were confused over the line, “Its fleece was white as snow” They understood ‘white’ but not ‘snow’. And I was just as confused trying to explain ‘snow’ to people who had never seen it. Then followed Christmas songs like Jingle bells and simple other songs like “Jesus loves me yes I know.” These lyrics were printed into the sand as well and after they learned them in English I had them teach me the words in Mexican. They laughed at my mistakes but they loved my attempts to learn what they could teach me.

They tried to teach me the Mexican national anthem as best they knew it and we sang a chorus of it together every day. Other kids joined the group and soon I had 15 students. They learned the alphabet, reciting it in unison and then singing it, concluding with,“Now I’ve said my ABC’s. Tell me what you think of me.” And that is when I said, “ Buena muchachas and buena muchachos.”

Then they drew the alphabet in a lateral line in the sand and recited the letters as they walked the line. One advanced student could teach a new student in this way and learning took place at their speed and level.

Soon we added O Canada, where everyone is standing on guard freezing their gumbos in a blizzard. Frozen solid we stand on guard for thee ad nauseam. When my kids asked if everyone stood on guard in Canada I knew it was time for a quickie revision of the words. I kept the same music without the sexism of the Mexican and Canadian anthems. Thus we sang a mini Rossi version.

Our Canada, the great north strong and free
Vast open lands, kissed by 4 great seas.
We love you so Dear Canada
We love you so today.
We’ll love you so Dear Canada
Until our final days.

The biggest challenge was the American anthem, a pleasant tune based on an old English drinking song but with the most confusing, archaic words in desperate need of a simplified upgrade. In teaching the Star Spangled Banner I explained an old story that little Jose from Mexico visited his cousin in California and together they went to see a baseball game. Before the game began all the people stood up and looked at little Jose and asked him, “Jose can you see?” That question became the first line of the our Star Spangled Banner and all the Americans continue to sing it to this day. Americans are a very friendly people if you treat them as equals. In this way we sang three anthems each day and yes, everybody was singing,” Jose can you see? not “Oh say can you see?”

But the words to the Star Spangled Banner were so difficult that I created a simple version for beginners or for people in a hurry.
I tried it out on my muchachas and muchachos and they preferred my version. But the kids were sad that Jose was not part of this new song. To the original tune we sang my new 6-line version:

Can you see it at dawn
Our flag and our hope?
Midst thunder of cannon
The fire and smoke?
The Star Spangled banner forever shall be
America’s flag, the land of the free.

I explained that I was not a citizen of the USA. Many people call them Gringos. Some people think that the name Gringo came into use when the Americans were at war with Mexico. Their armies were camped on either side of the Rio Grande. At night the Mexican soldiers could hear the American troops singing songs around their campfires. One popular ballad of the day had a line in it that said:

“Back where the green grass grows, grows, grows. Back where the green grass grows.”

To Mexican ears this sounded like Gringos. Thereafter a nickname for people from The United States of America. That was one story. Then I told them that some people believe that Gringo comes from the Spanish word ‘griegas’meaning Greek often applied to foreigners. That was the story that I believed and that made me a Gringo as well because I was from Canada. I tried to teach the kids French but backed off with the difficulty that they had with the pronunciation of Je as in Je suis meaning I am. They have an ‘h’ sound as in Jai Lai. Basic English would have to suffice.

I liked the contact with students and the sharing of knowledge. The only “problem” was nipped in the bud when older girls arrived to learn and did not want to leave when the lesson was finished. They had reached puberty and wanted to help me with my daily chores. One girl wanted to cook for me. I had to politely send them on their way. I told them that I would see them next day to learn in English the names of birds and beasts. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. There was no room for anger against a guy who slept alone in a hammock on an isolated beach with only a machete.

I caught, cleaned and ate a variety of fish. With my small coil of wire, I strung my gutted fish on this wire and over my fire. In this way I did not have to scale or behead the fish but rather pulled back the skin and scales from a toasted and tasty red snapper. That wire served as my clothesline as well and I regularly washed myself and my clothes in the salty pacific. But daily short rain showers kept most salt out of my clothes and rinsed from my body. I tried to time my bath in the ocean just minutes before a rain shower. To this day, more than 50 years later, I still smile at those warm ocean baths and cool heavenly showers.

Man and manners. He wanted to know how to behave around Gringo women. I made some basic suggestions:
Do not blow your nose into the sand after swimming. Use a tissue or use the salt water.
Look her in the eye when you talk to her. Do not look at other women.
Wash everyday and wear clean clothes.
Don’t pounce. She will let you know when she wants to be intimate and pounced. Be gentle.
Be polite. Say “Por favore - Please”
If she gives you a gift, say “Thank you.”If she wants to send you gifts say “Muchas gracias.”
Do not pretend to be what you are not.
Have an address for her to contact you and for you to contact her.
Be very interested in older women rather than the young jail bait. Amen.

View the full article on STWA website

In 2015 the NYS DEC Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit began a five year study that will use acoustic telemetry to describe the movement of walleye in Lake Erie. The main goal of this research is to determine the migration timing and contribution of western basin walleye to our New York walleye fishery. In addition, we are interested in learning how the movement of our local walleye populations contributes to walleye fisheries in
other parts of Lake Erie.

In spring 2015 the Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit staff surgically implanted 70 acoustic tags in walleye captured on the Van Buren Bay spawning shoal. Fourteen of the 70 tags were returned to us by anglers who each received a $100 dollar reward. Tags were returned from NY, PA, OH, and ON. The figure below shows the locations at which each acoustic tagged fish were caught. If you capture an acoustic tagged walleye please give us a call or stop by the Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit in Dunkirk.

NYS DEC Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit
Telephone: 716-366-0228
178 Point Drive North, Dunkirk, NY 14048

View the full article on STWA website

In 2015 the NYS DEC Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit began a five year study that will use acoustic telemetry to describe the movement of walleye in Lake Erie. The main goal of this research is to determine the migration timing and contribution of western basin walleye to our New York walleye fishery. In addition, we are interested in learning how the movement of our local walleye populations contributes to walleye fisheries in
other parts of Lake Erie.

In spring 2015 the Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit staff surgically implanted 70 acoustic tags in walleye captured on the Van Buren Bay spawning shoal. Fourteen of the 70 tags were returned to us by anglers who each received a $100 dollar reward. Tags were returned from NY, PA, OH, and ON. The figure below shows the locations at which each acoustic tagged fish were caught. If you capture an acoustic tagged walleye please give us a call or stop by the Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit in Dunkirk.

NYS DEC Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit
Telephone: 716-366-0228
178 Point Drive North, Dunkirk, NY 14048

View the full article on STWA website

Beginning in June 2016, the NYS DEC Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit will be implanting acoustic tags in angler caught walleye in the New York waters of Lake Erie. We would like to solicit help from New York walleye anglers in this study. Our goal is to catch fish at depths less than 30 feet. Pilot work completed in 2015 indicates that walleye caught at depths greater the 30 feet do not take the surgery well and ultimately do not survive. We are hoping to schedule some fishing days during which anglers will fish in the vicinity of a dedicated surgery boat. When fish are caught they would be placed in an aerated live well, then be transported to the surgery boat to have tags implanted.

If you are interested in participating in this effort please send an email to Jason Robinson at the NYS DEC Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit.

[email protected]

View the full article on STWA website

Beginning in June 2016, the NYS DEC Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit will be implanting acoustic tags in angler caught walleye in the New York waters of Lake Erie. We would like to solicit help from New York walleye anglers in this study. Our goal is to catch fish at depths less than 30 feet. Pilot work completed in 2015 indicates that walleye caught at depths greater the 30 feet do not take the surgery well and ultimately do not survive. We are hoping to schedule some fishing days during which anglers will fish in the vicinity of a dedicated surgery boat. When fish are caught they would be placed in an aerated live well, then be transported to the surgery boat to have tags implanted.

If you are interested in participating in this effort please send an email to Jason Robinson at the NYS DEC Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit.

[email protected]

View the full article on STWA website

Ed Mills, Survivor of the Cyclone at Crystal Beach Amusement Park

"My most memorable ride in an amusement park occurred in July 1945, when I was on military leave in St. Catharines, Ontario. I had just turned 18 and had been in the Canadian Army for about 8 months. My two buddies and I spent a part of our leave in Crystal Beach, Ontario, which at that time was considered to be one of the greatest places for servicemen to have a good time. Besides, Crystal Beach was famous for having the most thrilling roller coaster ride in the Western Hemisphere. Being soldiers of course, and having been trained for all kinds of warfare, we had "no fear" of anything, except perhaps Military Police, and since we were on a legal pass, there was "nothing to fear". As soon as we entered the park one evening, we headed straight for the roller coaster, which was identified with a huge sign announcing "The Cyclone--Thrill of a Lifetime". After listening to the loud screams coming from the roller coaster, we decided that we must go on it right away, and promptly bought our tickets, which were I think about 15 cents or maybe 20 cents. We then stood in the line-up near the entrance gate, which happened to be very close to where the previous passengers got off. It was then that I first noticed the distinctive smell of vomit which was stronger as we got closer to the loading point. It was a bit disconcerting, but I was then immediately distracted by getting a whack in the face from something kind of leathery. It turned out to be a wallet which had fallen from the ride, and we opened it and it had a US Navy ID Card in it. As soon as the ride stopped, we saw the US sailor getting off the ride and called to him. He looked a bit dazed, and did not realize what had happened to his wallet.

It was then our turn to ride, and we ran to the coaster cars. Up the steep ramp we went, up, up and then up some more until we could see the entire amusement park. Just as I was enjoying the view, the car lurched forward and I looked in front of me down a steep incline that looked to me to be about an 89 degree slope. The cars then headed down the incline at warp speed, and all I could see in front of us was Lake Erie. I was sure there must have been a part of the tracks missing, and I then uttered my only two words during the entire ride... "Jesus Christ!" ...as we plunged down towards the Lake, I then saw a steep bank to the right of the incline and we changed directions in a split second, turning violently on our side as the car careened around a hairpin turn. I looked sideways and saw the earth spinning by, and from that point on, most of the ride was pretty much of a blur. The only other memorable part was as we reached a high horizontal point again, we were racing around a curve at such speed that it seemed certain that we would fly off into thin air. Very frankly, I was quite relieved to see the cars finally slowing down...even then, they approached the unloading platform at such a speed that that they would overshoot and go right into the spectators.

When I walked off the unloading platform, I smelled the vomit again, and in fact, walked away from the area fairly promptly in order to resettle my own stomach."

Erno Rossi is a bestselling JUNO nominated author. He is the author of White Death-The Blizzard of '77 book/DVD and Crystal Beach-The Good Old Days, book/DVD. Visit him at www.whitedeath.com or on You Tube, type in ernoinferno77 and there ride the front seat of the Comet and the old Giant roller coaster at Crystal Beach Amusement Park. His books are available or can be ordered through Coles, Barnes & Noble, Amazon and buffalobooks.com. He now accepts talks for his future speaking schedule. Call him at 905-835-8051, or email him at [email protected] Think gift books for Mother and Fathers’ Day, birthdays, the holiday seasons and other special occasions. Give Erno a call or email to book a visit to the Port Colborne lighthouses.

View the full article on STWA website

Ed Mills, Survivor of the Cyclone at Crystal Beach Amusement Park

"My most memorable ride in an amusement park occurred in July 1945, when I was on military leave in St. Catharines, Ontario. I had just turned 18 and had been in the Canadian Army for about 8 months. My two buddies and I spent a part of our leave in Crystal Beach, Ontario, which at that time was considered to be one of the greatest places for servicemen to have a good time. Besides, Crystal Beach was famous for having the most thrilling roller coaster ride in the Western Hemisphere. Being soldiers of course, and having been trained for all kinds of warfare, we had "no fear" of anything, except perhaps Military Police, and since we were on a legal pass, there was "nothing to fear". As soon as we entered the park one evening, we headed straight for the roller coaster, which was identified with a huge sign announcing "The Cyclone--Thrill of a Lifetime". After listening to the loud screams coming from the roller coaster, we decided that we must go on it right away, and promptly bought our tickets, which were I think about 15 cents or maybe 20 cents. We then stood in the line-up near the entrance gate, which happened to be very close to where the previous passengers got off. It was then that I first noticed the distinctive smell of vomit which was stronger as we got closer to the loading point. It was a bit disconcerting, but I was then immediately distracted by getting a whack in the face from something kind of leathery. It turned out to be a wallet which had fallen from the ride, and we opened it and it had a US Navy ID Card in it. As soon as the ride stopped, we saw the US sailor getting off the ride and called to him. He looked a bit dazed, and did not realize what had happened to his wallet.

It was then our turn to ride, and we ran to the coaster cars. Up the steep ramp we went, up, up and then up some more until we could see the entire amusement park. Just as I was enjoying the view, the car lurched forward and I looked in front of me down a steep incline that looked to me to be about an 89 degree slope. The cars then headed down the incline at warp speed, and all I could see in front of us was Lake Erie. I was sure there must have been a part of the tracks missing, and I then uttered my only two words during the entire ride... "Jesus Christ!" ...as we plunged down towards the Lake, I then saw a steep bank to the right of the incline and we changed directions in a split second, turning violently on our side as the car careened around a hairpin turn. I looked sideways and saw the earth spinning by, and from that point on, most of the ride was pretty much of a blur. The only other memorable part was as we reached a high horizontal point again, we were racing around a curve at such speed that it seemed certain that we would fly off into thin air. Very frankly, I was quite relieved to see the cars finally slowing down...even then, they approached the unloading platform at such a speed that that they would overshoot and go right into the spectators.

When I walked off the unloading platform, I smelled the vomit again, and in fact, walked away from the area fairly promptly in order to resettle my own stomach."

Erno Rossi is a bestselling JUNO nominated author. He is the author of White Death-The Blizzard of '77 book/DVD and Crystal Beach-The Good Old Days, book/DVD. Visit him at www.whitedeath.com or on You Tube, type in ernoinferno77 and there ride the front seat of the Comet and the old Giant roller coaster at Crystal Beach Amusement Park. His books are available or can be ordered through Coles, Barnes & Noble, Amazon and buffalobooks.com. He now accepts talks for his future speaking schedule. Call him at 905-835-8051, or email him at [email protected] Think gift books for Mother and Fathers’ Day, birthdays, the holiday seasons and other special occasions. Give Erno a call or email to book a visit to the Port Colborne lighthouses.

View the full article on STWA website

Fishery managers from Michigan, New York, Ohio, Ontario and Pennsylvania released an updated walleye management plan for Lake Erie. The plan, which is an update of the original plan of 2005, sets new fishery goals and objectives for walleye. The plan is the result of extensive stakeholder and manager input through the Lake Erie Percid Management Advisory Group, or LEPMAG. The plan is available at: http://www.glfc.org/lakecom/lec/LEC_docs/position_statements/walleye_m anagment_plan.pdf.

The Lake Erie Walleye Management Plan provides a brief history of walleye management in Lake Erie and reports on the status of the species. The plan also defines key reference points and harvest control rules to be used by the Lake Erie Committee to establish an annual total allowable catch recommendation, or “TAC.” The overall goal is to ensure the long-term sustainability of the walleye fishery on Lake Erie. The plan and objectives were developed through the LEPMAG progress and represent the consensus of commercial and recreational fishers and management agencies.

The LEC created LEPMAG to provide advice from all stakeholders based on their stated objectives and common evaluation of alternative exploitation policies. The LEC took this advice from LEPMAG into account in developing this plan, while also accounting for the sustainability of the resource.

In Lake Erie, walleye are managed under a quota-setting process that takes into account natural fluctuations of fish stocks and the socio-economic needs of the five state and provincial jurisdictions that share the lake. Lake Erie walleye are managed as common fish stocks, and the jurisdictions, through management and technical committees, meet on a regular basis to understand the state of walleye in the lake, to share science and data, and to reach consensus on a TAC. The individual jurisdictions are free to allocate their fishery as they see fit, pursuant to the TAC. Ontario allocates most of its portion of the TAC to the commercial fishery while American states allocate their portion to the recreational fishery.

The TAC-setting process occurs through a bi-national forum called the Lake Erie Committee. This process has evolved over the years to include robust discussions among the management agencies and to incorporate stakeholder goals and needs into the decision-making process. LEPMAG, which was initiated in 2010, is the primary way managers and stakeholders meet to discuss walleye management on a bi- national level. Michigan State University’s Quantitative Fisheries Center supports the LEPMAG process and biologists from all jurisdictions provide key information to ground decisions.

Said Lake Erie chair Jeff Tyson of the Ohio DNR: “The Lake Erie Committee and representatives of LEPMAG have worked extensively together over the previous several years to develop Lake Erie walleye harvest strategies that recognize the importance of sustainability and socio-economic impacts. The Walleye Management Plan is the culmination of this collaborative work and institutionalizes the commitment of the Lake Erie Committee to work with stakeholders to sustainably manage the shared Lake Erie walleye resource for the benefit of multiple jurisdictions and fisheries.”

This Article used in its entirety with permission by:
Dan Thomas—President

Great lakes Sport Fishing Council
www.great-lakes.org

The Southtowns Walleye Association of WNY is a member in good standing of the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council. For the full newsletter, visit their website at:

www.geat-lakes.org/basinreports/basinreports.html

View the full article on STWA website

We all know about Mary and her little lamb and how her lamb followed her to school one day. As kids we loved reciting that story and many years later I discovered that I was supposed to be saying that its fleece was white as snow. Instead I said that its face was white as snow. Interesting that no one ever noticed. The fun was in reciting and singing this tale not in correcting a kid’s grasp of ancient poetry. Then the humour arrived later when the poets played with a revised story about Mary and her lamb. It seems that Mary had a little sheep. One night she took it to bed to sleep. The sheep turned out to be a Ram. So Mary had a little lamb. Kids have never complained about Mary and her little lamb.

With poetry we can give a lot of good stuff to our kids. I remember part of a poem that said, “One, two, three, four, five---once I caught a fish alive. Six, seven, eight, nine, ten, then I let him go again. Why did you let him go? Because he bit my finger so! Which finger did he bite? This little finger on the right!” This passes on a lot of solid information to young kids in a form that is very entertaining to them.
Some of you did not have the pleasure of living during the Great Depression 1929-1945. I lived through it and received the middle name of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt for my own middle name. During the Depression and World War Two 1939-1945, I heard a lot of poetry recited that was created by veterans who were involved at that time in the war and was intended for solo or group singing. Yes, there might have been beer involved as well. Heaven forbid this simple pleasure for people who might be killed next day or even that night.

A sample of their poetry: The North Atlantic Squadron Chorus: Away, away, with fife and drum, here we come, full of rum, looking for ladies to pat on the bum in the North Atlantic Squadron. American boys we do admire, they fly through storms of snow and fire, they never ever seem to tire in the North Atlantic Squadron. Chorus: The fire-fighters have lots of fire, they never, ever seem to tire of pulling their hose and fire attire in the North Atlantic Squadron. Chorus: Into the mess we go to sup, a dirty plate, a dirty cup. The cooks should darn-well smarten up in the North Atlantic Squadron. Chorus : In Gaspe it rained most of the time, the sun was never known to shine, the fog was so thick you could set it in bricks in the North Atlantic Squadron. Etc.
What I noticed with my drinking age was that we were not allowed to sing in bars and this left a huge gap in our folk music. It seems that the alcohol prohibition from 1919 to 1933 really left us behind those countries where bar patrons could sing as individuals or groups. Even today however it’s hard to imagine a group of Irish people singing when Irish Eyes Are Smiling when everyone else in the bar wants to watch and to hear the Bills football game. Amen.

Erno Rossi is a bestselling JUNO nominated author. He is the author of White Death-The Blizzard of ‘77 book/DVD and Crystal Beach-The Good Old Days, book/DVD. Visit him at www.whitedeath.com His books are available or can be ordered through Coles, Barnes & Noble, Amazon and buffalobooks.com. He now accepts talks for his future speaking schedule. Call him at 905-835-8051, or email him at [email protected]

View the full article on STWA website

Fishery managers from Michigan, New York, Ohio, Ontario and Pennsylvania released an updated walleye management plan for Lake Erie. The plan, which is an update of the original plan of 2005, sets new fishery goals and objectives for walleye. The plan is the result of extensive stakeholder and manager input through the Lake Erie Percid Management Advisory Group, or LEPMAG. The plan is available at: http://www.glfc.org/lakecom/lec/LEC_docs/position_statements/walleye_m anagment_plan.pdf.

The Lake Erie Walleye Management Plan provides a brief history of walleye management in Lake Erie and reports on the status of the species. The plan also defines key reference points and harvest control rules to be used by the Lake Erie Committee to establish an annual total allowable catch recommendation, or “TAC.” The overall goal is to ensure the long-term sustainability of the walleye fishery on Lake Erie. The plan and objectives were developed through the LEPMAG progress and represent the consensus of commercial and recreational fishers and management agencies.

The LEC created LEPMAG to provide advice from all stakeholders based on their stated objectives and common evaluation of alternative exploitation policies. The LEC took this advice from LEPMAG into account in developing this plan, while also accounting for the sustainability of the resource.

In Lake Erie, walleye are managed under a quota-setting process that takes into account natural fluctuations of fish stocks and the socio-economic needs of the five state and provincial jurisdictions that share the lake. Lake Erie walleye are managed as common fish stocks, and the jurisdictions, through management and technical committees, meet on a regular basis to understand the state of walleye in the lake, to share science and data, and to reach consensus on a TAC. The individual jurisdictions are free to allocate their fishery as they see fit, pursuant to the TAC. Ontario allocates most of its portion of the TAC to the commercial fishery while American states allocate their portion to the recreational fishery.

The TAC-setting process occurs through a bi-national forum called the Lake Erie Committee. This process has evolved over the years to include robust discussions among the management agencies and to incorporate stakeholder goals and needs into the decision-making process. LEPMAG, which was initiated in 2010, is the primary way managers and stakeholders meet to discuss walleye management on a bi- national level. Michigan State University’s Quantitative Fisheries Center supports the LEPMAG process and biologists from all jurisdictions provide key information to ground decisions.

Said Lake Erie chair Jeff Tyson of the Ohio DNR: “The Lake Erie Committee and representatives of LEPMAG have worked extensively together over the previous several years to develop Lake Erie walleye harvest strategies that recognize the importance of sustainability and socio-economic impacts. The Walleye Management Plan is the culmination of this collaborative work and institutionalizes the commitment of the Lake Erie Committee to work with stakeholders to sustainably manage the shared Lake Erie walleye resource for the benefit of multiple jurisdictions and fisheries.”

This Article used in its entirety with permission by:
Dan Thomas—President

Great lakes Sport Fishing Council
www.great-lakes.org

The Southtowns Walleye Association of WNY is a member in good standing of the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council. For the full newsletter, visit their website at:

www.geat-lakes.org/basinreports/basinreports.html

View the full article on STWA website