STWA

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

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

Great Article from Great Lakes Echo! View the full article on STWA website

Great Article from Great Lakes Echo! View the full article on STWA website

Great Article from Great Lakes Echo View the full article on STWA website

Great Article from Great Lakes Echo! View the full article on STWA website

Great Article from Great Lakes Echo! View the full article on STWA website

Great Article from Great Lakes Echo View the full article on STWA website

To become a fisherman I am undergoing or struggling through another evolutionary phase, it is a life long process, which started when I was a kid. My dad tried to give me a jump start by skipping the stream angler phase however he learned you can not skip any steps in turning a little kid into a fisherman especially when you are starting him on a journey that will last a lifetime. I should explain to become a fisherman there are specific phases or steps. Fishermen are proficient in all aspects and techniques of fishing. A fisherman respects the resource, the written as well as the unwritten rules of fishing. He respects the "space" of other fishermen not crowding or infringing on someoneÕs spot. A fisherman does not litter the stream or lake and usually picks up any trash he sees. I have told the story before about my first trip with my dad to Findley Lake when I was four years old. He rented a rowboat, skipping the stream phase of my development. I cried in protest so loud that he rowed straight back to shore. I laugh when I recall that day I can remember my dad trying to calm me down so we could fish. He tried to get me out in a boat one other time; it was on Lake Erie. No success in that attempt either, and as quick as we got on the water we were back on shore. That start was a small mistake and I can understand my father's impatience to make me into a fisherman however the stream phase of the evolution can not be skipped. Thank goodness he never gave up and realizing his mistake he got me back on course for my life long evolutionary journey to become a fisherman. I actually recall going to Cassadaga Lake outlet as a little kid to fish for sunnies. There were outings to 18-mile creek where we fished. I do not recall any successes on 18-mile as a little kid, this stream is still a challenge for me. I evolved into a trout angler in Allegheny State Park on Quaker Run. It was on these waters that I learned how to detect a bite and set the hook. During those summer vacations during my youth in the park it was my cousin, Paul, and my mission to catch the Friday dinner. We took the mission seriously and thatÕs all we did was fish until we had enough for two families to eat. It kept us busy and out of trouble, not that we were trouble makers. Before the Lake Erie tributary regulations the trout opener was April first. You could not fish open water prior to that. It was a tradition for everyone or anyone who knew anything about fishing or ever thought about wetting a line. The anticipation of that opening day and the excitement for a little kid was special. Some of the excitement was lost when we started fishing the Great Lake tributaries year round. I remember lessons in etiquette and good sportsmanship. On one opener we camped near Allegheny State Park. On Quaker Run I found a landing net; my dad told me to put it back where I found it because the angler who lost it would surely return looking for his net. We returned to our camp and our folding chairs we had left in camp were "borrowed"É we left before the person could return them. At some point during one of those summer trips to Allegheny, my dad reintroduced me to fishing from a boat it was on Redhouse Lake. It was a natural progression, or evolution in the journey to become a fisherman. However, I never really got into boat fishing until I was about twelve years old. My dad bought a boat to fish Lake Erie. It was a project boat, a sixteen foot wooden Penn Yan. It was probably about ready for the bonfire but my dad saw something special in that boat. Every member of our family put hours into sanding, cleaning, painting, staining and sealing. When he finished the boat project it was a beautiful craft. The front deck was mahogany and it looked showroom perfect. I believe it was all the work and getting to know the craft in such intimate detail that gave me a sense of security when we launched it on Lake Erie. It was in that boat that my dad introduced me to Lake Erie smallmouth bass, to this day I still love to fish for bass. I can remember a lot of trips out to the ÒreefÓ and drifting over house sized boulders barely visible. Perch runs to the weedbed were a favorite trip; it was all part of the evolution into a fisherman carefully orchestrated by my dad. Now as I struggle to catch a fish from the bank of a stream I have come full circle, evolved to the stream again to become a more complete all round fisherman this time with a bit more sophistication and a fly rod. My father has retired to Florida and canÕt be on the streams with me today, however I am armed with all those lessons he taught me during my youth. I guess the point of this reflection on my journey is for all you dads; there is no better journey you can set your kids upon than to become a fisherman. By Rodney Long View the full article on STWA website

Tossed like a bit of flotsam upon the white capped waves, chilled by the wicked northwest wind, and nearly drowned by the spray off the waves my thoughts are of tranquil, warmer waters. I ask myself that most serious of questions, one that originates from deep within, the very center of my being, from the pit of my gut, "WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING ON THE LAKE WITH WAVES THAT COULD KILL ME ?" "WALLEYE!" I shout from the top of my lungs to be heard over the howl of the wind, raging against me, brought on by an angry God who must have damned me for pursuing his noble beast of a fish. God's temper is a fury cast upon me for the quest of this fish. I suffered; tossed in my boat, rigging lines to catch a beast. I want to see its toothy grin as I pull him from the chaos. Waves slap over the gunwales, as the wind blows like the Bull of Barney a beast of a breeze. Soon my trousers will be stained as fear tries to rise from the pit of my stomach. "I WILL BATTLE THE GODS' TILL I AM VICTORIOUS! I WILL CATCH A BEAST!" Breaking the crest of a wave the boat slides into a bottomless trough. The next wave breaks over the bow. "DAMN YOU LAKE, I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED!" The angry seas have turned black, capped with white foam; I turn the boat to quarter across its wrath. There is an angry roar from the waves trying to fill my boat. Holding the wheel to stay onboard and keep the course true, my eyes watch the rods for any tell tale sign that a beast is there. One rod in the downrigger with a worm harness of green and black with a big eye, Paul Stoos created this harness he swears it possesses magic. The rigger is set down only to 10 feet and 140 feet back for the harness. Lead core, three colors out with a copper willow leaf with orange and green sparkle blades and crawler for bait seventy five feet to the port on an inline board for my second rod. One point four on the GPS and one point one on the subtroll, water temperature a frigid 55 degrees. DAMNED this is a cold spring, it has chilled the fish, froze them, and given them lockjaw. The water is so cold the crawlers canÕt drown; they stiffen up like pencils. DAMN this cold; let go; it should be June. Wait! There is a mark of a big fish on the Lowrance LCD screen, a long red tell tale sign in the hook, it is a WALLEYE! The tempest rages, never the less I am driven to fish on by the mere thought of catching a beast. BLACK WATER, WHITE CAPS that could swallow a boat in one gulp, gone forever into the abyss. That is the hell called the Eastern Basin of Lake Erie, and I am here to do battle. "FISH ON!" The starboard rigger trips I grab it and take in the slack. "DAMN, NOTHING." I quickly bring in the worm harness to check the bait. I put on a new crawler, re-rig the line into the downrigger. It is a big disadvantage to fish alone in this hell, nobody to steer when hauling in a fish. Nobody to man the net, that could be bad. FISH ON! FISH ON! The rigger tripped! Run with the waves, it is all I can do to maintain control. A four-footer goes over the bow for good measure before I can turn and grab the rod. RUN WITH THE WAVES A BEAST IS HOOKED! The wind blows a cold spray at me; I feel the head shakes; it is a big beast. The magic that Stoos put in his harness has worked, now I must focus on the battle. The boat pitches in the turmoil, I almost loose my footing and fall to the floor. THE GODS HAVE BEEN ANGERED! A cold hard rain begins to beat on my brow. I am only cooled in battle not defeated. The line counter says only forty feet to go. I reach to get the net ready, only twenty feet left I have not seen the beast yet he holds deep and shakes his head more fiercely to break free. I CATCH A GLIMPSE OF GOLD! THE BEAST IS HUGE! The beast makes a plunge and takes line off the drag. I fight back and bring the beast to the surface now it is thirty feet to go. I reel and see the noble fish on the surface. I reach with the net and carefully guide its head in; it is mine "I HAVE WON!" I carefully lift the fish from the net, beautiful not a mark on it. The Berkley digital scale reads 10.85. For just this moment all seems calm, quickly now, back into the water so this beast can live. I won but I won't kill my beast, catch and release to conserve this creature for tomorrow. I turn the boat into the waves and head back to port. Breaking the crest of a wave the boat slides into a bottomless trough. The next wave breaks over the bow. I laugh out loud, "I DARE YOU LAKE, I AM THE VICTOR TODAY!" The seas are black, capped with white foam; I turn the boat to quarter across its wrath. There is an angry roar form the waves trying to fill my boat. Holding the wheel to stay onboard and keep the course true. I see the harbor and its refuge from this chaos. I smile and know I will be back again to do battle with another beast. In port, refuge awaits, clean dry clothes, hot beverages, and friends to swap tales of beasts caught yesterday and today. We all live to cry out, "FISH ON!" by Alex "Catch" Scheckel View the full article on STWA website

I have been out fishing a few times not as much as I would likeÉ that would be every day. My wife has something to say about that, she is not a fisherperson, nor a fan of my fishing exploits. Her idea of fun is to see me working around the yard, or just working period. With the tournament here I hope my pre-tournament practice was worth it. Look, the time spent in practice is work nobody likes work but it has to be done, ask my wife. Practice is an investment toward success and rewards. It is a result of time and effort. Investment and success are the important words here, take your weekly pay if you are disciplined enough to save (invest in a CD or municipal fund) just ten percent of your weekly income at 4% interest in ten years you would have $649.29 for every dollar you saved. You would have put in the bank over the period just $520 and got a return of $129.29 that is almost 25%! In twenty years you would earn over 50% return on your savings that is amazing and over that period as your pay increases the amount you put in the bank/invest increases, you could be a millionaire in no time at all. Then my friend you can go fishing every day. Twenty years may sound like a long time if you start young you will not even notice the time passing. You will be busy with the family, work, and getting ahead. It will seem like no time at all when you will be reaping your rewards. This year with the high price of gas I am approaching the tournament differently. I am trying a ÒnewÓ technique. I will troll when necessary but I know that big walleye are just sitting out there on structure and will hit bait bounced along the bottom. Controlled drifting and jigging to put the bait in front of big walleye is not really new just forgotten by many however, to the young fishermen it is new. A jig tipped with a minnow or half a crawler bounced over structure is dynamite, many of the pros on the walleye fishing circuit rely on this method. It is cost effective because you do not burn gas all day. Here, lets look at some numbers, the cost of gas we will assume is $4.00 a gallon. When you troll for eight hours the trip usually burns close to ten gallons. Jigging is usually closer to shore so the runs are shorter. So say you conserve 4 gallons (that would be enough to troll a couple hours plus jigging). Over the summer you plan to go out twice a week, fish 7 of the 9 tournament days, for a total of about 33 trips to fish. If you save 4 gallons a trip you just saved $132. That is enough money to take your wife out for a very lovely dinner or buy yourself a really cool reel. On the other hand, if you bank the savings in twenty years it would be worth $278.10 at the 4% interest figure we used earlier. 4% by the way is conservative you should be able to do better. Nevertheless, let me tell you this, the dinner with your wife will pave the way for future allowances for you to go fishing, consider it an investment for the future. So here it is $132 gas savings, or $278 return on your investment, or dinner with the wife priceless, you make the call. by Y. R. Moneyworth View the full article on STWA website

by Spencer Hunt THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH LOUDONVILLE, Ohio -- State and federal officials are tracking an escaped killer. Armed with nets, a plastic dinghy and a 300-volt generator, a team of fish experts spent a day last week collecting fish from the Clear Fork Branch of the Mohican River, looking for a deadly disease called viral hemorrhagic septicemia. Officials thought the contagious virus, which makes fish bleed to death, was contained in the Great Lakes. But the discovery of VHS in the Clear Fork Reservoir in Morrow and Richland counties has changed all that. It's the first discovery in a U.S. waterway that doesn't drain to the Great Lakes. "The bug is out," said Ken Phillips, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service microbiologist based in La Crosse, Wis. "In theory, it could make it all the way to the Mississippi River." Phillips and three other Fish and Wildlife biologists were in Ohio last week dissecting hundreds of fish shocked and netted from linked streams that flow from the Clear Fork to the Ohio River. Although not a threat to humans, the disease can kill trout, perch, walleye and other fish by the thousands. There is no way to stop its spread or kill the virus. "It could be devastating," said Larry Mitchell Sr., president of the League of Ohio Sportsmen and the Ohio Wildlife Federation. In 2006, the virus killed tens of thousands of freshwater drum and yellow perch in the western basin of Lake Erie. VHS is a threat to state hatcheries as well, where sport fish are bred for release in Ohio lakes and stream. Two hatcheries, one near London in Madison County and the other near Castalia in Erie County, are under quarantine while officials await results of VHS tests. The London hatchery received virus-contaminated muskie eggs from the Clear Fork Reservoir in April. The hatchery sent about 55,000 potentially infected rainbow trout to Castalia, said Elmer Heyob, hatchery administrator for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. If tests for the virus are positive, the state would have to kill more than 400,000 muskies, brown trout, rainbow trout and steelhead trout at the hatcheries, Heyob said. "Then we would have to decontaminate the hatcheries with chlorine," he added. The value of the fish at both hatcheries is more than $480,000, according to Ohio Department of Natural Resources estimates First discovered in Europe, the disease somehow migrated to the Great Lakes. Researchers identified it after a fish kill in Lake Ontario in 2005 but now suspect it was in Lake St. Clair as early as 2003. VHS becomes deadly once fish are under stress because of spawning, another disease or low oxygen levels in water. Lower water temperatures also help VHS replicate. The virus was discovered after routine tests of ovarian fluid from the Clear Fork muskie eggs. Heyob said he's hopeful that the disease hasn't spread among all the hatchery fish, which are kept in separate tanks and ponds. However, he and others will have to wait some time to find out. It takes two to four weeks for test results, Phillips said. Still, both are hopeful that tests on the stream-caught fish will show how far and how fast the disease has spread downstream. "It could have been in the reservoir a year or two years ago and we're just now detecting it," Phillips said. "How long it could take to move is anybody's guess." Click Here for a downloadable PDF on this Killer ! View the full article on STWA website

At the July meeting of the Southtowns Walleye Association of WNY, it was good to hear the outrage of the members about aquatic invasive species. It all started after NYS DEC Lake Erie Unit Manager, Don Einhouse's presentation when some one asked about transporting emerald shiners and VHS. The debate was heated but finally settled on how do we stop the next invasion. The consensus was, even if we can contain VHS something else is coming and it could be worse. Shippers and conservationist groups all agree that ships bring in the bulk of the invasive species in their ballast water. Shippers will not spend the $1 million plus per ship for onboard treatment systems until the government sets the treatment level. The big hitch is our government has not been able to say how effective the treatment needs to be or the acceptable level of living organisms in ballast water. (I believe the level is simple because we can not afford any new invader to come in to jeopardize the fishery and human health, zero tolerance for living organisms.) Whose fault is it, the politicians who do not have a clue as to the severity of the problem or the shipping lobby? I can almost understand ignorant politicians, but they have to ask the experts when they do not know the answer that is their job. If they are too ignorant to research the issue it is time to fire a few and get someone in there who will get the job done. Why would the shipping lobby try to stall the efforts for legislation when they agree that ballast water is the vector for aquatic invasive species invasion? Simple the more stringent the treatment level the more it will cost them to refit ships. Some ships may even be impossible to refit to meet the toughest treatment levels, zero discharge of living organisms. There has been debate by conservation groups and political leaders about closing the St Lawrence Seaway to all ocean vessels until a way can be found to stop ballast water invaders. The argument against the closure is it will cost too much for shipping around the Great Lakes. Before we look at cost consider this, since the opening of the Seaway in 1959 overseas shipping on the Great Lakes has been in a steady decline. The reasons are many but a big reason is our industrial centers have shifted to the southern states and overseas. There is less than two overseas ships a day entering the Great Lakes. At this level it makes the Seaway a luxury not a necessity. A federally funded study released in mid July said invasive species dumped into the Great Lakes is costing the economy $200 million dollars a year. The cost of closing the Seaway in added transportation would be $55 million a year. We do know there is an average of two new species introductions a year, we do not know the environmental or the economic impacts for each new species. It could be benign or deadly. If we close the Seaway we get stuck with a $255 million dollar bill a year (the cost of the present invaders never goes away). If we leave it open we gamble that we will not get any new invaders that will impact the ecosystem, human health, or the economy. If we use history as our guide we can expect that $200 million dollar bill to grow. Since I am using the most recent study IÕll go with that figure but some figures would lead you to believe the current cost is much higher. Wisconsin did a study they said zebra mussel control cost Wisconsin Electric Power Company $1.2 million a year. The estimated annual cost of controlling zebra mussels in the Great Lakes now range from $100 to $400 million, according to NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Director Dr. Stephen Brandt. (A government agency we paid to study the issue.) Sea Lamprey control costs over $30 million a year for treatment and research. The bottom line is the $200 million figure is, the very conservative cost could actually be much higher. What will a new invader cost? At least several million dollars for research. We can not afford another invader just on an economic basis. At less than two ocean ships a day the Seaway is a luxury. In this era of economic difficulties we should close it. We will protect the ecosystem from invasive species in addition we will save the operation fees. We wonÕt need to pay the high salaries for commissioners. The money saved could be used for rehabilitating the damage already done to the environment caused by the Seaway operation. At less than two ships a day what the heck do the people manning the locks do all day? Folks we are wasting money. Get outraged! Less than two ships a day and we are killing the fishery and ecosystem! Get outraged, call your congressman and tell him he has his priorities wrongÉ protecting human health should be number one, the ecosystem should be next and followed by our economy. He can do it in one simple stepÉ CLOSE THE CANAL! GET OUTRAGED! IF YOUR CONGRESSMAN CANÕT GET THE JOB DONEÉ. GET OUTRAGED AND FIRE HIM! YOU HAVE THE POWER YOU HIRED HIM; DONÕT LET HIM FORGET IT! LESS THAN TWO SHIPS A DAY IT IS OUTRAGEOUS! by Tom Marks View the full article on STWA website

By the most recent creel survey results from the NYS DEC for July there is not better time to be perch fishing than right now. The harvest was 4981 perch in July '08 compared to 1601 in July '07, a 312% increase! For the month of July '08 the harvest rate (harvested fish per hour) is up 107.7% over last July. For the season (May '08 to July '08) the harvest rate is up 162% that tells me there are a lot of perch to be caught this summer. Angler effort is up this July 192% over last July and 147% for the season. The over-all perch harvest for July '08 was 3459 perch, up 312%, in July 07 only 1108 perch were harvested, the season harvest so far is up 268% over 2007. This is a tremendous increase and it reflects well on the state of the perch fishery. Walleye results are up as well for July and the season; we have a great fishery. This should be obvious Lake Erie is one of the Great Lakes. Frankly, I am quite puzzled by the creel survey results when I look at factors that should have caused the figures to continue to trend down. The price of gas is 34% higher than in July '07. I know anglers are fishing less due to the price of fuel. Fishing license sales this year are down 18% from 2007 so we know there are fewer people fishing. This summer windy conditions seem to be more common restricting the days (opportunities) anglers can get out on the lake; at least from my perspective. Many anglers were outraged at the price and availability of emerald shiners last summer and this was blamed on the drop in perch angling effort in 2007. The price is the same in 2008 or slightly higher due to the increased in fuel prices. The effort figures (up 191% over July '07) surprises me. Does the higher angler effort suggest an answer? Despite fewer anglers caused by lower license sales, higher gas prices, less opportunity, and expensive bait; are anglers are fishing longer on each trip? Longer time on the water (more hours) would increase the effort. Have the local bait shops and the bait distribution networks resolved last year's issues with the supply of emerald shiners? Have the anglers that stayed away from fishing last summer due to the price of bait and the new regulations, accepted the changes and begun to fish again? I believe the increased effort indicates an attitude change and acceptance of the new regulations, and higher costs. The inconvenience of certified bait and higher fuel prices, when compared to the value of the catch (perch are about $15 a pound at the market) and the experience, it is still inexpensive to go fishing. The great harvest figures tell the story, everyone who fishes for perch are catching them with abandon so despite the negatives on paper get out and enjoy the fishing! by Tom Marks View the full article on STWA website

I have heard the whispers; "he fishes for bass". "What is a walleye club member doing fishing for bass?" "He ain't a real walleye fisherman if he fishes for bass." Yup, I fish for bass, perch, steelhead, pike and anything else that swims and how is it all those died in the wool walleye fishermen who whisper behind my back fish for perch, trout or cod? Are they not purists? Not hardly, I would think. I understand I hope we are all fishermen at heart and as I often say, "the tug of a fish is magic . . . " I hope it is what bonds us together, a brotherhood of fishermen. Every time I fish I believe it is a tribute to my father and the lessons he taught me on the stream or on the lake in a boat. All the lessons were not about fishing often they were about life and I believe they have helped me through tough times and helped me recognize and enjoy the good times. My dad worked two full time jobs most of the years I was growing up. Therefore, the times I got to spend with him fishing were very important. Those years were in the late 1950's and 1960's and we always talked about fishing for yellow pike and missed the days of the blue pike. Our fishing trips were not that regular with his work schedule. It seemed we would plan for weeks and hope the weather cooperated. We would fish for what ever was biting and seldom did yellow pike fit into that category. Lake Erie was fast becoming an open sewer at that time and yellow pike were not that common. We caught perch, lots of perch, and bass. Bass were exciting, jumping high out of the water, what more could a kid want? I discovered the Mepps Spinner about 1960 and with it I caught a ton of bass. There was no other better lure for me. I would fish the "Docks" in Grandview Bay all summer long catching bass. When my dad had time we would go out to the "reef" in our 16-foot Pen-Yan and fish for bass with soft-shell crabs that I caught in Delaware Creek. To this day I remember a big bass that I had hooked that jumped clear over the bow of the boat and straightened the hook. We relived that story for years always wondering how much that bass would have weighed. My first yellow pike came when I was 13 years old. I was fishing just outside the weedbed in Grandview Bay for perch when I caught that yellow. It was small about 15 inches but it was a yellow. That summer I would catch quite a few more off the "Point" near the "Docks" but it would take a long time before I would catch a big walleye. I caught my first six pounder in 1973 right in front of Sturgeon Point. I know it, because that was the year I sold my Starcraft Boat. I didnÕt own another boat until 1993. The 20 years between 1973 and 1993 I experimented with all kinds of fishing. I took up salmon fishing on Lake Ontario, fishing out of my best friend Joe's boat. I fished the streams again as I did when I was a kid. I fished ponds for bass. I bet you I knew almost every pond in Western New York and had access to most. We have some great pond fishing for bass. You may not think that stability is an important factor when it comes to designing in-line planer boards for walleye fishing, but the truth is, stability is probably one of the most important characteristics a walleye trolling board should have. Without it, the board would topple over at rest, be unable to plane cleanly in rough water, and generally would not perform adequately at the slow speeds we often use for walleye trolling. I love my dad and if it weren't for him I would not be a fisherman today. I wish he could still fish today and we could share our passion for the sport. I love to fish. The tug of a fish is magic. It is hard to explain there is no other feeling like it. I am not sure if it is the mystery of what it could be or the feelings it stirs of the memories from my youth, fishing with my dad. I can assure you that every fish no matter how big or small I feel the same excitement as I did when I caught my first fish. When my father taught me to fish he gave me a gift that would last a lifetime. It is a gift I will pass on to others and someday to my grandchildren if I am blessed. So I am a walleye fisherman, bass fisherman; a fisherman . . . say what you will but I wouldn't have it any other way, for the love of fishing. by Tom Marks View the full article on STWA website

Check the coupler on the trailer. Make sure all parts move freely and are rust and crack free. Lube as directed in owners manual. Inspect trailer jack and wheel. Lube pivot shaft and wheel if necessary. Check all running lights. With the boat off the trailer, inspect either bunks or rollers for excessive wearing, broken board, torn carpet, or loose or missing bolts. Both bearing and brakes if applicable should be serviced by a certified mechanic yearly. A good coat of wax once or more a year will help in both looks and longevity of your trailer. Check the level of electrolytes in all batteries. Add only distilled water and fully charge after every use. Check battery post for corrosion.Inspect fuel systems for any odors, leaks, or deteriorations. Do steering systems work smoothly both ways? Grease the steering cable if needed. Look for any loose bolts and signs of breakdown. Inspect navigation lights for corrosion and make sure they work properly. Inspect bilge and aerator pumps to make sure they are also working properly. Do live wells drain properly? Check intake screen for obstructions. Check the horn.Are drain plugs installed and tight? Check trolling motor pull cord if applicable. Look for fraying or cuts. Replace if you see any visible wear. Is prop secure and void of cracks or deep nicks? Replace if necessary. Is the fire extinguisher in good working shape and secured? Replace if there is any doubt! Are life jackets and throw cushions in good shape? Check each one for tears, and replace as needed. Clean and wax all parts of the boat. It not only makes your rig look better but will help in its resale if done on a regular basis. Check anchor rope for wear or aging. Replace as needed. Do you have a basic tool kit onboard? Make sure all tools, fuses, and bulbs are accounted for and in good working order. This article was written by Randy Patzner. Randy is a certified Mercury mechanic who has worked at Starks Sport Shop in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin for more than 20 years. View the full article on STWA website

A new 'dead zone' has been found in Lake Erie, which struggled back from contamination before. Zebra and quagga mussels from the Caspian Sea could be to blame for a new "dead zone" recently found in central Lake Erie, an area where dissolved oxygen levels are low enough to endanger fish and other water life. University of Waterloo biologist Ralph Smith suspects the mussels also contribute to unwanted algae growth and cloudy water along the beach-lined shore of the eastern basin. He's among a number of Canadian and American researchers trying this summer to understand how the two mussel species and other invaders such as the round goby fish are affecting the lake's chemistry and biology. Erie was threatened once before by low oxygen, the result of decaying algae that grew in overabundance because laundry detergents and sewage were pumping in huge quantities of the plant fertilizer, phosphorus. Scientists spent years figuring out the processes at work, creating a model that allowed them to predict how the lake would react to changes, and convincing society to control phosphorus. The lake's health improved, the water became clearer and beaches were cleaner, but invasive species now appear to be causing such dramatic effects that the model may no longer apply. Dime-sized zebra mussels were first found in Lake St. Clair, near Windsor, in 1990. They have since spread throughout the Great Lakes and beyond. They established massive colonies on the bottom of eastern Erie, but Smith says they've since been almost entirely replaced by their quagga cousins, for reasons not yet understood. The filter-feeding mussels are so numerous they've vacuumed up enough tiny plants and animals to make the water much clearer in many places, but at a price to other species that depend on the same food. In addition to clogging intake pipes at power plants, factories and municipal drinking water systems, it now looks as if they could be changing the lake enough to encourage algae growth and make the water murky along the shores where people play. The murkiness results, Smith suspects, from small particles sucked up by mussels in the shallow, nearshore areas that stay there and don't wash back out to deeper water. In addition, their fecal waste acts as fertilizer for algae that's becoming a nuisance on beaches. He and other scientists are also intrigued by the bottom-feeding gobies, fish that grow to about 17 centimetres in the lakes. He says these fish "have arrived in the east end of the lake in fantastic numbers. "They will eat small mussels (including zebra and quagga) for sure, and bass will eat the gobies, so life for smallmouth bass looks to be good for awhile." But no one really knows the long-term effects of what's happening. Before the mussels, "we didn't have any organism that would attach to the bottom and filter large quantities of water. The freshwater temperate zone never had that. "So the mussels perform a completely new type of ecological function that will persist unless the gobies can harm them enough to reduce their impact." Eric McGuinness At first, it seemed no other creatures were preying on the mussels in the Great Lakes, but some duck species are feeding on them and they're turning up in the guts of perch, walleye, sheepshead, carp, white bass -- almost all fish except smelt and rainbow trout. But Smith says researchers don't yet know how many mussels the fish are eating, whether they like the shellfish, whether they offer good nutrition to the fish or how fish are affecting the mussel population. "Sheepshead probably eat a lot, and gobies more, the little ones. They have the potential to bring the mussels under some degree of control." In Polish lakes and other places in Europe to which zebras and quaggas have spread, populations reportedly rise and fall unpredictably. Storms can scour them off shorelines, and they may be subject to diseases, but little is really known. Smith says: "What are gobies going to do? I'd love to know." By Eric McGuinness View the full article on STWA website

In fall, walleyes can be anywhere . . . say, six inches under the surface in 80 feet of water or tight to bottom in 10 feet. Sound challenging? It can be, unless you know how walleyes drift off of structure and suspend in the vicinity of bait. Finding them is a looking game with quality electronics; catching them is a straining game with planer boards, spinners and crankbaits. The pattern holds true wherever you are, from Great Lakes to inland waters, and wherever walleyes are chasing baitfish. Which, it turns out, is everywhere. The Baiting Game . . . The bait connection betrays the walleye's presence. In fall, when walleyes ramp up their feeding before winter, the fish will never be far from food. On the Great Lakes, you might see enormous pods of one- to three-inch gizzard shad skittering on the surface or as big blobs on a locator. Shiners and the like herd up as well on inland waters, and predators are never far behind. How do you find them? Start looking for structure on a map and then with electronics. Points, humps and weed edges are all fair game. But when you look with a quality locator that pinpoints fish and bait the key is to veer away from the structure and look over open water. If you've seen fish on structure at a certain level, 15 feet for instance, you can bet they'll be at that same depth over open water, from hundreds of yards to half a mile away from the structure. Walleyes will do this day and night. The most important thing to remember is not to glue yourself to structure the walleyes will wander away from it if bait is present. Search Mode . . . The best way to enter into search mode is to start trolling. This way you can cover water and zigzag to find fish. It would be far too time-consuming to jig or live-bait rig. Trolling, on the other hand, spreads lines to the sides of the boat and behind itÑthe better to cover a swath of water at different depths. I always try to maximize my efforts with the most rods possible and the greatest coverage. Enter planer boards, and inline boards the handy devices that veer lines away from the boat. With them, you can run more rods without tangling and pull lures through more territory. Which brings us to my two favorite offerings in fall. While few people fish spinners after summertime, the reliable crawler harness keeps working through October and even into November. You can boost up a size or two with your spinners in fall to tempt more big fish. If, for instance, you were using No. 2 blades in summer, you now might want to try Nos. 4 and 5. The heavier thrum is often just what the walleyes want when they're starting to feed with gusto before winter. By November, though, I normally start switching to crankbaits. You can move them faster and cover more water (2.0 or 2.3 mph for cranks vs. 1.1 mph for crawlers), and since the fish are so keyed on baitfish, cranks will often do the job even better. Experiment with cranks and crawlers to find out. For the lures themselves, it's hard to beat Rapala Husky Jerks (in shallow and deep-running versions), Tail Dancers and Shad Raps. Again, match the colors to the prevalent baitfish and conditionsÑsilvers around shiners and shad, brighter fluorescents in darker or stained water. You can trick out your lures with additional color with holoform tap from WTP, formerly known as Witchcraft. Add a strip of silver or glow to the lure's sides, something that's particularly effective at night. If the structure is particularly steep or difficult to follow, you might want to try leadcore. I like it if I'm on a break that twists and turns and I'd have too much line out with boards. Even in 45 feet of water, you can often get down to the fish zone with 75 to 85 feet of line out. By Mark Martin View the full article on STWA website

Full Moon or Dark Moon? Major and minor solunar periods? Which is best? Does any of this moon mumbo jumbo make any real sense nor does it actually work? These are legitimate questions asked by thousands of anglers each year, and they deserve concrete answers backed up by some bonafide data. Yet as much as pro anglers endorse the effectiveness of moon charts and outdoor publications of every niche' continue to print them, rarely does either source validate these solunar claims with data. It's not hard to find a solunar table of some kind. Nearly every fishing publication today publishes some kind of monthly solunar table, moon chart, activity calendar, action graph, or other similar version. All of these tables, charts, and calendars claim to predict daily feeding activity of fish with accordance to moon and solar influences. Yet, I, like so many other anglers, rarely find any consistent correlation with most of these references. Finally, back in 1976, when I got into the fishing guide business full time, I really made it a point to compare my fishing catches to a number of solunar charts. Once I started logging my catches on a daily basis I developed a good data base. This finally put me in a position to compare hundreds of muskies, and thousands of bass and walleyes on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis to any printed solar/lunar reference. One of my key entries was the time of day. I figured a daily entry of fish activity would finally give me a mound of fishing data to compare with the various solar/lunar references on a given day to day basis. What followed convinced me that certain solar/lunar criteria simply had little or no daily influence. Basically, I became so frustrated and disappointed with the lack of any real consistent correlation to most of the popular magazine charts today that I gave up on them completely. They simply did not work. I actually caught far more fish when they weren't supposed to bite. And when good fish and game activity did coincide, which was less than 10% of the time, it was plainly obvious that it actually had much more to do with the local weather changes than any predicted major or minor solunar period. You would have thought that my accumulated research would have cured me from ever looking at a solunar chart again, but it did just the opposite. Why? Because I ended up discovering a certain solar/lunar influence that really did work. In fact, it worked so well that it was hard to believe at first. My daily fishing logs had surely disputed the commonly accepted correlations, but they just as surely pointed to indisputable evidence that a "certain" solar/lunar factor was really important. Yes, I had flipped 180 degrees on the entire solar/lunar deal. I went from totally disbelieving to being totally convinced. In fact, I eventually got to the point where I myself began to predict the most probable daily, monthly and even yearly times when the biggest fish were most apt to bite. And what's even more incredible, was that I was right almost every single time! But perhaps what was even more unbelievable to me was that everyone else had missed this simple but really absolutely true key. The real secret, I discovered, to solar/lunar influences on a daily basis was nothing more than knowing when the sun and moon rose and set on a 24 hour basis. That's right, it was simply a matter of knowing, to the minute, when the sun came up and went down, and when the moon came up and went down each and every day. My 21 year old fishing log revealed without question that fish were active during a 90 minute window surrounding each one of these four daily influences. Now, I realize this sounds overly obvious, but I told you it would. Most of the solar/lunar charts, tables and graphs you see depicted in today's publications do not reveal nor coincide with these four vital factors. 1) sun rise, 2) sun set, 3) moon rise, and 4) moon set. Yet it doesn't take an astrologist to figure out how important the rise and set of the sun and moon has to be. It's certainly no secret that feeding movements of both fish and game have been traditionally accepted as key during dawn and dusk -- this correlates with sun rise and sun set. Moon rise and set is a bit more tricky to key in on though since they can often occur at mid day or mid night. Overcast weather can also make it impossible to see a moon rise or set, and of course a dark/new moon is not visible to begin with. The other "super secret" my logs revealed was the predictable frequency of big fish catches during the peak moon phases of full and new moon. Specifically, a lot more big muskies, walleyes, and bass were taken right on the scheduled calendar day of both the full or new (dark) moon peak, and continued for a three to five day stretch afterwards. In other words, if the full moon peak is on June 10th, June 10 thru 15 have great potential for trophies. Backing up a bit, the four daily factors previously discussed (the rise and set of both the sun and moon) inside each one of these predictable monthly moon peaks (four days on the back side of the full or new moon) further nails it down. In other words, you want to plan your fishing trips to hit the peak of the full or new moon. Then you want to be on your favorite big fish spots during the daily rise and set of both the sun and the moon. Finally, my logs revealed a third factor that really adds impact to this entire solunar secret. That unpredictable third influence is local weather. Whenever a local weather change coincides with the daily rise or set of either the sun or the moon, during a peak monthly moon period, big things happen in bunches.Big things meaning big fish. For example, give me a severe summer T-storm right at sunset, and just before moon rise during the new moon period and it's almost a sure bet that that I'm going to bag big muskies or the year's biggest catch of lunker walleyes. Or just as good -- put me on a steep rocky shoreline with some spawning ciscoes right at the start of a snow storm in the late fall just after sunrise and right before moon set during a full moon period. Big muskies, big pike, big walleyes and big lakers will be snappin'. Could there be a fourth factor? Absolutely. In fact, there might even be a 5thor 6th. However, an easy-to-detect 4th factor of influence that adds even more impact to an already good situation is a change in the photoperiod, or laymen's terms -- a change in season. Photoperiodism is actually the measured ratio of daylight to darkness. The most drastic changes in the photoperiod occur in the spring and fall, but mini-differences are detected inside all seasons which are quickly detected thru their eyes and transmitted to their pituitary gland. The responses to these changes in the photoperiod trigger sexual responses such as reproduction and the development of eggs. This, in turn, also triggers increased movement and feeding binges by normally less active trophy fish. I do realize how controversial my comments on solunar table validity may seem to some, but the facts speak for themselves. My data clearly points to sun rise, sun set, moon rise and moon set as The most important factors. The simple rise and set of both the sun and moon has far more impact than any other daily sun or moon position. That is, bar none, the single most important daily triggering factor of both fish and game. Monthly peaks in both the full and new moon are a second factor definitely worth considering. When fish of all sizes are feeding infrequently due to a prolonged streak of bad local weather conditions, that small "window" of three to four days right after the actual moon peaks, full or new, may be the only time that the largest fish of any species is truly cacheable. Fishing during the daily rise or set of the sun and moon during these key monthly moon phases is paramount Weather is also a legitimate third factor, and helps to elevate the impact of the daily rise and set of the sun or moon. It further elevates the entire realm of big fish possibilities when all three factors happen at relatively the same time. A changing weather pattern combined with a good monthly moon phase and rise or set of either sun or moon can activate some major movement from big fish. If all of these things happen during a good photoperiod, look out! This is when the biggest fish of the year are generally caught. If your serious about taking such a fish, I'd suggest you start really paying attention to the real scoop on moon phases! Trust me -- thousands of entries in my fishing logs can't be wrong. This stuff really works! By Joe Bucher View the full article on STWA website

Lake Erie walleye trolling has come of age. Over the past several seasons, lures and techniques have come to the forefront which produce consistent catches of large walleye throughout the traditional June through October season. The one technique which now stands above all others in its productivity is trolling with crankbait/Flutter Spoon, "Double-Bait" combinations. Whether you're walleye fishing in the shallower waters of the Western Basin or in the deep waters of the Central and Eastern basins, this technique will produce big dividends day-in and day-out. Trolling has its biggest advantage in allowing you to cover a lot of water in a short period of time. Crankbait/spoon combinations can be trolled in a wide spread horizontally as well as vertically, allowing you to locate walleye concentrations and pinpoint their preferences as to color and depth. Lake Erie's walleye dine primarily on shad and smelt. Baitfish schools and walleyes most often are found in a temperature band from 50 to 70 degrees. Walleyes which are actively feeding usually are located at the tops of the baitfish columns and your lures should be pulled at a depth that causes them to run at this level. A depth sounder and temperature meter, therefore, become necessary tools for locating the depth of baitfish schools as well as the depth of scattered walleyes not relating to bait at a given point in time. A crankbait/spoon "Double-Bait" combination can effectively be fished on a flat line, wire line or with the aid of a planer board, downrigger or Dipsy Diver. Favored crankbaits for "Double-Bait" walleye trolling are the Power Dive Minnow, Hot Lips Express or Speed Trap. Spoons utilized in conjunction with these plugs are all lightweight, high action models such as the #44 Flutter Spoon, #4 Diamond King or #3 1/2 Needlefish. Diagramed above is a rod spread George Bockelman, a successful troller out of Curtice, Ohio uses in the Western Basin as an example of maximum spread of lures both horizontally and vertically using several different depth devices Bockelman uses "Double-Bait" setups behind his Dipsy Divers and single Flutter Spoons behind the Jet Divers. Productive Flutter Spoon» colors include blue, purple, green and chartreuse. Here are his specific suggestions on rigging: For the Jet Divers», run a four-foot leader behind the Jet Diver to a #44 Flutter Spoon. Set the port Jet Diver» for its deepest dive and the Jet on the starboard side for a middle dive. Bockelman suggests 17-pound solar, XT high visibility line for easiness of observation. On the flat lines run off the port and starboard planer boards, he uses "Double-Baits" run off 3 1/2-foot leaders attached to a three-way swivel. A Flutter Spoon is tied to the end of one leader with a deep-diving Power Dive Minnow, Hot Lips Express crankbait tied to the end of the remaining leader. The diving plug will pull the spoon down without any tangling. The result of trolling this rig often is two walleyes at once! For the Dipsy Divers, Bockelman uses different settings to obtain the widest possible spread (see diagram). "Double Baits" also are used behind the Dipsy's, except he chooses shallower running crankbaits for this operation as the Dipsy Divers provide necessary depth in Western Basin waters. Speed Traps and No. 35 Hot Shot plugs are his favored crankbaits for this purpose. To attach the three-way swivel to the Dipsy Diver, Bockelman uses a split ring between the third leg of the three-way swivel and the swivel on the tail end of the Dipsy. He then runs two 3 1/2-foot leaders off the remaining two legs of the three-way to his lures, with a #44 Flutter Spoon on one and the Speed Trap or Hot Shot on the other. Standard Dipsy colors are productive but many trollers have found Metallic Purple, Metallic Pink and Metallic Green to be even more effective. Central Basin walleye expert and charter captain Andy Emrisko, out of Cleveland, fishes much deeper water than found in the Western Basin and adjusts his methods accordingly. He, as well as fellow charter captains Jeff Dzuro and Ron Stevens also are convinced the way to go is a "Double-Bait" rig off a three-way swivel. Crankbait choices for deep water trolling, however, are deep-diving models. Emrisko prefers Power Dive Minnow or Hot Lips Express plugs for Central Basin trolling in combination, again, with a Flutter Spoon. He notes blues or greens are top color choices for his Flutter Spoons. Emrisko uses leaders of equal length for his "Double-Bait" setups, as does Bockelman. But they're a little longer with 4- to 6-foot lengths preferred. He cautions against using any leader length longer than your rod, as landing a fish will be difficult. Two leaders of the same length are used because there is less chance of "leader nicking". "Doubles" also are commonplace with crankbait/spoon combos and the equal lengths allow easy netting of both fish at the same time. Emrisko uses 20-pound leaders. He notes heavier weight leaders result in fewer break-offs and can take more abuse so, if they don't spook the fish, why not gain a little edge? "Double-Bait" setups, as used by many charter captains in the Central Basin utilize a snap on the end of one leader to which the Power Dive Minnow or Hot Lips Express plug is attached. The second leader ends with a snap swivel to which the spoon is attached. The snap swivel aids in preventing line twist when faster trolling speeds are desired. Both the snap and snap swivel provide an immediate way to change lure colors without re-tying. Emrisko, Dzuro and Stevens point out their fondness for the new Power Dive Minnow and Hot Lips Express is due to the fact both crankbaits run straight, true and very deep...a necessity to keep the diving plug down underneath and away from the spoons. Spoons such as the #44 Flutter Spoon, and #4 Diamond King are chosen because of their high action and their lightweight nature, again helping to keep them above and away from the crankbait underneath. Although some Lake Erie walleye trollers prefer to match the color of their crankbait to the Flutter Spoon color, Emrisko points out it really doesn't seem to make that much difference. What does count a lot, however, is to run several colors and change colors regularly until walleye are caught and then go to that color with the remaining lures. His best all-around color is Fire Tiger, followed closely by Silver/Blue Back/Orange Belly, Black/Purple, Chartreuse, Gold and Black. All three charter captains agree that while planer boards or flat lines with a Power Dive Minnow attached will get you down in the 20- to 30-foot range, there are many instances in the Central and Eastern basins when that's just not deep enough. In these cases, they go to Dipsy Divers with long leaders or wire line when extra depth is needed. Emrisko and Frank Maraldo, both from Cleveland, won the First Annual Lake Erie Open Walleye Tournament this past October trolling wire line and Power Dive Minnow/Flutter Spoon, "Double-Bait" combinations. Largest of their five walleye on that day went 10 1/2 pounds with others in the 8- to 9 1/2-pound category. The 10- to 12-pound test wire Emrisko uses is thin diameter and has very little water resistance. This thinness also makes it virtually invisible in Lake Erie waters. Unlike monofilament, which reaches its depth potential when out about 100 feet, you can go deeper and deeper with wire by letting more line out. Wire has no stretch, so even with a long line, it's easy to hook a walleye on the strike, though the fish is several hundred feet away from the boat. Because of this fact, it is advised you NOT set the hook, as thin wire will break at its rated strength. Walleye taken on wire line trolling gear will set themselves. Wire can be a very effective way to reach deep water walleye. It does, however, require some special equipment and care. Here are some helpful tips: 1) Because of wire line's non-stretch properties, it is recommended you use a Dipsy Diver¬ Snubber and a 6-foot section of 20-pound monofilament ahead of a single Power Dive Minnow. For "Double-Baits", attach one end of the snubber to the wire and the other end to your three-way swivel with a snap. 2) Use a backing line of Dacron or cotton on your reel before spooling on wire. Spool it on semi-loosely. Suggested reels for wire line trolling include the Daiwa 47SH and Penn 310. 3) Let out line S-L-O-W-L-Y...use your clicker to slow rate of release. 4) Keep your drag loose...you have different forces at work. 5) Use a rod with hardened steel or carbide guides. Wire will cut ceramic...and, a good roller tip guide is preferable. 6) Watch for kinks...be careful! Bill Agler of Parma, Ohio is still another successful Lake Erie walleye troller. He focuses his efforts in the Central Basin which starts perking in May and produces walleyes through October. Agler also is a firm believer in the three-way swivel/"Double-Bait" setup. He uses 6-foot leaders on his outfits noting this length allows hooking of both the crankbait and Flutter Spoon» to the rod handle when not in use. His best all-around colors include Silver/Blue Top/Orange Belly, Fire Tiger, Gold/Green Top and Black on a season-around basis. For July through October walleye trolling, Agler also likes Black/Purple, Red/White/Orange and Shad. Another of his recommendations when using "Double-Baits" is to run six to eight of these combos at once to simulate a baitfish school. The prominent Lake Erie walleye trollers interviewed for this Tech Bulletin differ a bit on leader length, line test, method of getting deep, etc. All agree without hesitation, however, that the top trolling setup for Lake Erie walleye...BIG walleye...consists of a three-way swivel, two equal lengths of leader, a crankbait and spoon. The "Double-Baits" of choice are Luhr Jensen Flutter Spoons» in combination with either the deep-diving Power Dive Minnow¬ or Hot Lips Express¬ crankbait. All these anglers also have one other very important thing in common: they catch a lot of walleyes! Luhr Jensen & Sons, Inc., P.O. Box 297 Hood River, Ore. 97031, Ph. 541-386-3811 (7:30 - 3:30 PST) Compiled from the Diaries and Logs of the Luhr Jensen Fishing Research Team. "Double-Baits" are HOT! View the full article on STWA website

Jan. 17, 2004, All the news from mars about the Rover, Spirit, we forget he has his roots back here on earth. The Mars Rover came from very modest stock, his father, Walleye, worked for the sanitation department picking up trash. The Mars rover does get his competitive spirit form his father however, who did compete in the famous "trash picking up contests" of the 1990's. Walleye has three 6811 microprocessors linked together through synchronous serial ports. One 6811 controls the motors and the gripper, another decides what to do next, and the last one processes the images. Walleye looks for Styrofoam cups and empty cans, picks them up, and delivers them to either a trash or a recycling bin. Walleye uses a small black and white camera (160 by 160 pixels) to recognize trash and trash bins. Walleye has competed in the IJCAI/AAAI 1995 Robot Competition (in Montreal, August 1995) and has obtained the third place in the Pick up trash event. Walleye was named after the Minnesota state fish. Students in the University of Minnesota Computer Science and Engineering School created Walleye. View the full article on STWA website

That's how many were left after morning on northern Green Bay, yet everybody came in loaded with fish. Hugh had told me that walleyes would be cruising the bottom of Green Bay as thick as clover in 111 fallow field, but I didn't believe him Walleyes are a sometimes fish, here today and gone tomorrow, but these were supposed to be different. The season didn't open until May 21, quite some time after the spawning season, and then the fish stayed around in the northern part of Green Bay off Michigan for two months after that. He said you could take limit catches of 10 husky fish throughout June and most of July. And you could do this in broad daylight while trolling from an outboard on flat broad water. That was laugh, because everyone knows... Just then my rod jumped and came to life in my unbelieving hands. I jerked the tip up. The slender glass archer over and stabbed at the water. The clutch was set loosely and the six-pound monofilament line ran out with a high pitched whir-r-r-rá I tightened the clutch a trifle and began working the fish toward the boat. He was a deep fighter and heavy enough to put weight into his runs, but at last, he surfaced and I scooped him into the net. As he lay shimmering in the bottom of the boat. I took a good look at my first Green Bay walleye. The walleye is a beautiful fish, with a black back, and golden-yellow sides flecked here and there with little black scales. His body is thick through the middle, and he has a small head and a high, spiney dorsal fin. He's often called a yellow pike or yellow pickerel, but he's in the pike-perch family and is more perch than pike. This one went better than two pounds "You don't have to stare at him so hard," Hugh said from the stern Drew is thin, redheaded, and sunburned, and is a fine friend for a fisherman to have away from home. But he was slightly suspect even more so than the average angler. Hugh Worked for the chamber of commerce in near-by Escanaba and I had a feeling that the tall tale was part of his stock in trade. I didn't believe a fifth of what he said, and right now, I had the feeling he was going to ruin everything. "Hold on a minute," I said "Haven't you heard haw to fish walleyes? When you hit one, you circle in that same spot. These babies travel in schools, and where there's one there's likely to be more. Let's get our bearings and circle." He laughed "It would probably take us all day to get our limit here. We'll go down where the action is." He was the guide, so I didn't argue. After all, he'd let me put out a line as soon as we were clear of the shore. He said he didn't want to fish there himself, but would be glad to go slow enough for me to trail a line. We were off the northern shore of Green Bay, an inlet near the head of Lake Michigan. I'd arrived at Escanaba the night before, lured by Hugh's improbable tales. We'd launched an auto-top boat at a public-fishing site beside the highway three miles south of the city early in the morning. A stiff inshore wind was blowing across the bay, raising the water to a mean chop, and the early June sky held the threat of rain. Out in the middle of the bay the water was blue-black, but here along the sand-and-gravel shore it was churned to a murky dun. Under Hugh's approving eyes, I'd tied on the one rig that will consistently outfish any other for Green Bay walleyes. It was a night-crawler harness-two small flashing spoons ahead of three hooks in tandem. I'd put two worms on the rig. Both were hooked through the collar on the top two hooks, the tail of the second worm being pinned to the bottom hook. Now I had only half a crawler left on the hooks. I put on two fresh worms and tossed the rig hack into the rolling bay. A little dipsey sinker about three feet ahead of the hooks pulled the line down, and I could feel it ticking along the sand and gravel below. Ahead of us, a long line of white rollers was breaking along a curved point of land. There were a dozen boats scattered in the area, and as we drew near, Hugh tossed his own line overboard. We trolled along in the trough of the waves parallel to the beach, and our boat bobbed rhythmically. As we trolled by the other boats, Hugh began to frown. Now it's coming, I thought. Now he'll tell me why fish aren't hitting today. It's either too calm or too rough, too cold or too hot, too soon or too late. "This won't work," Hugh said suddenly. "The wind is pushing us toward shore. We're in too close right now. But if I put on more speed to climb out of the trough, we'll be going too fast for walleyes." You had to give him credit for that. No one could argue with his logic. It was perfect. He pointed ahead "Let's watch those two boats a minute." I twisted my neck to look. "They seem disgusted," I said. "Just sitting there, holding their rods, not even running the motor. Doesn't look too good, huh?" There was movement in the boat nearest shore. The stern fisherman twisted around and yanked the motor into life. He headed the bow straight into the waves, perpendicular to the shore, and hunched over his rod again. "Why, certainly," said Hugh. "I should have figured it out myself." He turned our bow into the waves. "We'll drift fish," he said. Then I caught on. I'd done the same thing for walleyes myself when the wind was too strong. Trolling walleyes requires a very slow speed, slow enough to keep your hooks six inches off bottom. Trolling down wind with a stiff breeze at your back will almost always be too fast, no matter how slowly your motor can run. On days like that, you troll into the wind, which cuts speed to a walleye crawl. When you want to come back across a likely spot, you just shut off the motor and drift with the wind. That's usually speed enough. "Perfect for today," Hugh said. "We can prospect all depths from five to twenty feet - we're sure to find fish someplace in between." Suddenly I felt a light tapping on my line. I pulled, the fish pulled back, and a minute later I lifted in a small yellow perch. Hugh beamed as I released it. "That's good news," he said. "The perch are in, which means walleyes will be close behind. There's nothing a walleye likes better than a perch for dinner. And while he's in a feeding frame of mind he'll snap up every wiggling worm that comes across his bow." I tossed my rig back in and let the line run while the sinker settled on bottom. Suddenly Hugh shut off the motor. "Fish," he said. I glanced at his rod. It was whipping wildly. "Hang on to him." I yelled. "I'll get the net." I raised my own rod and started cranking furiously on the reel. The light glass jumped and the reel buzzed. I stopped cranking but the reel still sang. "Hurry with the net," Hugh shouted. "He's getting close." "I'll match you for it," I yelled back. "I've got one on now." Hugh whipped his fish on one side of the boat while I kept busy on the other side. Walleyes normally aren't heavy-fighting fish, but these packed a wallop. I stole a couple of looks to watch Hugh boat his fish, and it was fatal. My walleye switched directions and the hook tore loose. I drew in an empty line. "Too bad," Hugh sympathized. "Sometimes they strike pretty light. They're full, but just can't resist a squirming worm." We kept moving into the wind until we lost the bottom completely. We then shut off the motor and the boat turned broadside to drift shoreward with speed that was beautifully slow and steady. Hugh hooked another fish, but it was small so he released it. We found the best fishing in 12 to 15 feet of water, and the downward drift was more successful than the return troll. By 11 a.m. I was ready to apologize. "Hugh," I said. "I didn't believe a word you told me about these Green Bay walleyes. Now I'm convinced. There's nothing you could tell me now that I wouldn't take as sworn truth." Hugh's sunburned features crinkled into a laugh "Want to know something? The fishing isn't good today." I looked at the strings of fish trailing along beside us. "I believe you," I said earnestly. "Here it is not yet noon and we're still four fish short of our limit." "These things will slow up now," he said. "It almost always does at midday. We'd probably have to fish another hour to get four more. This east wind doesn't do the fishing much good; it should be from the southwest for a really good day. Let's go in." We boated our rods and turned back toward the landing site. "Don't these fish ever wander away?" I asked. "Are they always here for the whole two months? And what makes them stay?" Hugh set the motor on a slow course and jerked a thumb at the fishing grounds behind us. "This is just one spot that happens to be handy. There're a thousand places just as good in these waters. This is what they call northern Green Bay, but it's really two other bays-Big Bay de Noc and Little Bay de Noc. There are better than 200 square miles of water in those bays, and probably 100 miles of shoreline. The fish are all over. They stay here because it's natural for walleyes. There's an abundance of spawning areas, lots of food, and plenty of room to roam." He also told me that there are smelt and perch by the jillions in these waters --ideal walleye feed. Last winter commercial fishermen netted 3 million pounds of smelt through the ice. A five-year-old perch here will grow, on average, three inches longer than a five year-old perch in southern Green Bay. Hugh kept talking as we rolled slowly through the chop. There had always been walleyes in Green Bay, he said, but nothing like the present population. Eight years ago, walleyes started turning up in staggering numbers on the stringers of sport fishermen and in the commercial nets. The increase was so marked--about 11 times the previous 15-year average-that state fish experts ran up to Green Bay to see what it was all about. The experts were able to pin down what had happened, but they couldn't explain precisely how. In going back over the records, they found that 1943 was the decisive year. Then there were an estimated 100,000 fish in the spring spawning run, and Green Bay walleyes fish population. During the next two years, the spawning runs grew smaller, down to half the 1943 level. Then the number of walleyes suddenly started to were well on their way out as a major increase. By 1948 grown walleyes swarmed in the bay as if it were a hatchery pond and they've kept on swarming ever since. How come? Biologists studied the scales of fish in the 1949 run and found that nine out of ten fish taken had been spawned in the spring of 1943 Those 100,000 fish had produced well over 2,000,OOO big, husky, mature walleyes. How did this phenomenal hatch come about? The experts themselves would like to know. The best they can say is that the 1943 spawning season must have been ideal-a perfect combination of conditions for the propagation of walleye eggs. As I listened to all this a question formed in my mind, "Just how many walleyes do you figure there are in Green Bay?" I asked Hugh. He rubbed his chin. "Walleyes attain legal size (around 13 to 15 inches) during their fourth year," he replied. "They begin to die out from natural mortality when they're between seven and ten years old. In Green Bay now there are probably seven generations of walleyes. Just make a guess and say that each generation averages around a million fish. What would that give you?" I calculated "Seven million walleyes." Hugh shrugged. "One guess is as good an another. No one's going to count them." We put our boat ashore and cleaned our fish on the beach. Screaming gulls fluttered overhead, snatching up the guts as fast as they were offered. Many boats were coming in now, and the beach was a busy place. There were half a dozen boat trailers parked on the sand and three times that many cars beside the highway. Almost everyone we saw was loaded with fish. As we packed the boat and gear. I took out a map and said I'd like to fish some more in a different spot. Hugh ran his Anger around shoreline. "Try it here at the head of Big Bay de Noc. There's a sand beach there beside the highway where you can launch easily. Or run down the west side of Stonington Peninsula. There's a 90-foot limestone cliff that runs most of the way down the peninsula. You'll have to find a break in it. The water drops off fast and you'll have to go deep, but it's all rock and walleyes love rock. Or try the west side of the Garden Peninsula. ThereÕs a bunch of beautiful little bays and harbors there, not many people, and lots of campsites. You can spend six weeks exploring around here and have fun every minute. You're never far from fish." He paused, then asked, "What are you going to do with your fish?" "I don't know. Find some ice, I guess." "We'll take care of that," he said. "This is a commercial fishing port. We'll have those fish packed in crushed ice and shipped to your home. It won't cost much and your wife will have them bedded down in the freezer by the time you get there." We drove to the docks, where a man packed my catch and shipped them off for a little over $3. "Now you're free to travel," Hugh said I thought of the Garden Peninsular I'd been there once years ago and had seen a little bay shaped like a fishhook. It was a beautiful spot, and had stuck in my mind across the years. Now I decided to visit it. I dropped Hugh off at his car parked in downtown Escanaba "Thanks very much," I said. "And do you know what? I believe you about those seven million walleyes." HughÕs eyes crinkled with his ready grin. "Not seven million now, you know weÕve seen guys catching fish all morning. Only about 6,999,000 left." The End Editor's note: This story was fist appeared in the June 1957 "Outdoor Life" By Woodie Jarvis View the full article on STWA website