What Is Lake Erie Steelhead Fishing?

Lake Erie Steelhead Fishing
from The Fishing Wire

Here are some tips on catching steelhead along the south shore of Lake Erie, where the winter runs have been excellent in recent years thanks to stocking programs.

The Division of Wildlife annually stocks five Lake Erie tributary streams with 6-8″ yearling Little Manistee River (Michigan) strain of steelhead. These fish (called “smolts”) migrate out into Lake Erie and spend the summer in the cooler part of the lake before returning to streams during the fall through the spring. Steelhead trout caught by anglers in the streams typically average 25″ long and weigh 5-6 pounds. These fish have usually spent 2-3 summers out in the lake (see growth chart below). However, there are a good number of fish that are over 30 inches and weigh more than 10 pounds and have spent up to six summers in the lake.

Ohio’s primary steelhead streams are Vermilion, Rocky, Chagrin and Grand rivers and Conneaut Creek. The Rocky, Chagrin and Grand rivers are scheduled to each receive 90,000 yearling steelhead annually. Conneaut Creek is scheduled to receive 75,000 fish from Ohio and 75,000 fish from the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission each spring. The Vermilion River is scheduled to receive 55,000 steelhead annually. Total targeted annual stocking numbers projected from Ohio’s Castalia State Fish Hatchery is at 400,000 steelhead.

Several other rivers including the Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Huron and Black rivers, and Arcola, Cowles, Wheeler, French, Euclid, Turkey, Beaver and Cold creeks get runs of stray steelhead. While Ohio Division of Wildlife fisheries biologists have noted a small amount of natural reproduction, it varies greatly from year-to-year. It is too low and erratic to support the quality fishery that has been developed and that anglers have come to expect. Good quantities of cold, spring water and adequate juvenile trout habitat are also rare in NE Ohio’s Lake Erie tributaries. The fantastic fishing has been maintained by annual stocking and by the practice of most anglers to catch and release.

Recent Stocking Numbers (Yearlings)

Stream 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Chagrin 60,537 90,009 108,353 90,063 90,085
Conneaut 44,719 75,086 75,184 75,040 84,866
Grand 60,871 91,288 90,149 108,316 90,009
Rocky 61,058 106,875 106,996 100,074 91,779
Vermilion 38,284 55,077 67,917 55,117 65,149

Steelhead Growth

Years in Lake Average Length (inches) Average Weight (pounds)

1 17 2-3

2 23 4-5

3 26 6-7

4 28 8-10

Where to Catch Steelhead

River conditions have been low and are relatively clear. Water temperatures are in the 40s. Recent rains and snow in the snowbelt will add more water to the watersheds, but big changes in flow rates are not expected. Fish have been concentrated in the lower sections of main rivers, in harbors, and in nearshore areas along the lakeshore. Anglers have been using spoons, spinners, small crankbaits, jigs tipped with maggots or minnows, spawn bags, or single salmon eggs.

There are many public access areas on Ohio streams. If you are on private property, you must have landowner permission. Don’t trespass! Private landowners have the right to restrict access on their property. In Ohio, you can gain access to the stream from public access points, but the private land ownership includes their land under the stream. The streams listed above are navigable streams, meaning you can float a boat through them to fish; however, you cannot get out of your boat and stand on private property to fish unless you have the landowner’s permission.

How to Catch Steelhead

Typical set-ups are long (7-10′), limber, spinning or fly rods with light line (4-8 lb. test). Common lures in the fall, early winter, and again in the spring include small (1/16 to 1/80 oz.) marabou or synthetic hair jigs tipped with maggots rigged with split shot under a light pencil-thin bobber.

Spoons (Little Cleo, KO Wobblers) and spinners (Rooster Tails, Vibrax, etc.) are commonly used on piers, beaches and lower stream reaches.

Flyfishers (using 6-9 wt. rods and weight-forward lines) prefer larger, weighted fly patterns, such as nymphs and streamers like woolly buggers, princes, egg-sucking leeches, stonefly and shiner patterns and clouser minnows.

Egg fly patterns (single or cluster, sucker spawn, etc.) work well as a single fly or in tandem with a nymph or streamer once the fish move upstream. Salmon or trout eggs are fished as either individual eggs or grouped together in mesh “spawn bags” about the size of a dime or nickel. Eggs can be bounced along the bottom with the current or fished at or near the bottom suspended under a bobber.

The fish will be oriented to cover or moderate to deep water pools in the fall, and move into cuts or gravel runs as they make their way upstream for spawning. As stream temperatures warm during the spring, expect fish to be more likely to chase flies, lures or bait and to be found in riffles and runs. Then in mid April – mid May, they move back downstream and into Lake Erie for the summer.

The Hook Depthfinders from Lowrance

Mew depthfinders

Lowrance is announcing a new family of fish finders/chart plotters 式 the HOOKＴ series, featuring 9 , 7 , 5 , 4 and 3 inch models, and the End of Life for all models of the Elite CHIRP series.

The HOOK series features HOOK 9, HOOK 7, HOOK 5 and HOOK 4 standalone displays that combine CHIRP Sonar with DownScan ImagingＴ technology, a super bright, LED backlit display, built in GPS antenna and a wide range of high definition mapping opt ions. The HOOK family also includes the HOOK 3 series, featuring bright color displays with Broadband SounderＴ or DownScan ImagingＴ. CHIRP Sonar Advantage Easier to identify and distinguish bait and game fish targets • Better target identification at greater depths Mark fish clearly at faster boat speeds Exclusive HOOK CHIRP Advantages No other standalone fish finder has integrated CHIRP sonar No other standalone fish finder offers fish revealing DownScan Overlay Multiple CHIRP frequency options from a single transducer CHIRP sonar performance with the Lowrance HDI SkimmerＹ TrackBackＴ sonar history Simple to Use Intuitive page selection Simple menu selections On screen sonar adjustments Quick release, tilt swivel bracket with optional RAMＹ mount integration Best Mapping Insight GenesisＴ Insight PRO Navionics C MAP Elite CHIRP End of Life With the announcement of the new HOOK series all Elite CHIRP series models are being discontinued

Elite CHIRP inventory is available while supplies last, on a first come, first served basis, and must be delivered in 2015. If the Elite CHIRP model you want to order is not available, you can place an order for a new HOOK series unit with shipments beginning in December 2015

Lowrance is announcing a new family of fish finders/chart plotters 式 The Elite Ti series, featuring 7 and 5 inch touchscreen displays. The Elite Ti series combines high end features with powerful performance at an affordable price.

Hook depthfinders

The Elite Ti series features 7 and 5 inch standalone displays that include a touchscreen, easy to use interface, CHIRP Sonar, StructureScanＹ HD SideScan and DownScan ImagingＴ, built in GPS antenna and a wide range of high definition mapping options. Elite Ti models support Low/Mid/High CHIRP and 50/83/200/455/800kHz frequencies.

Integrated wireless connectivity allows boaters to not only download software updates directly to the unit, but also gives them the capability to download Insight Genesis custom maps Directly to the chartplotter 式 for immediate use. The Elite Ti series is scheduled to start shipping in February 2016. Elite Ti Feature Summary: High resolution touch display LED backlit color display with touchscreen interface provides fast, fingertip access to all Elite Ti features CHIRP Sonar, StructureScanＹ HD and DownScan ImagingＴ CHIRP Sonar offers improved fish target separation and screen clarity, while the StructureScanＹ HD sonar imaging system with exclusive Lowrance DownScan ImagingＴ delivers photo like images of fish holding structure on both sides and directly beneath your boat. StructureScan HD requires optional TotalScanＴ transducer. TrackBackＴ Rewind your CHIRP sonar, SideScan or DownScan Imaging history to review structure or fish targets and mark the location with a waypoint. Internal GPS antenna Highly accurate, built in GPS antenna plus a detailed U.S. map Optional chart upgrades Optional Americas chart upgrades include Lake InsightＴ and Nautic InsightＴ PRO and HD, Navionics HotMapsＹ Premium and Fishing HotspotsＹ PRO. Global chart upgrade options include Navionics + and Jeppesen C MAP MAX N and MAX N+. Built in wireless connectivity Provides access to the GoFree Cloud where you can shop, purchase, download and immediately use Insight maps, and third party maps from GoFree partners MicroSD card slot Quick Release bracket

Are You Ready for First Ice?

Gear up for First Ice

Dr. Jason Halfen
http://www.technologicalangler.com
from The Fishing Wire

Ice Fishing

Anglers await the arrival of the first ice of winter with great anticipation. The short-lived first ice bite is classically one of the best of the winter, with active fish still found in near-shore, oxygen-rich waters that are easily accessible to the walk-on angler. My early season ice fishing adventures are governed by three guiding principles: stay safe, travel light, and fish shallow. Read on to learn about the tools that I use to accomplish these goals, AND return home with a pail of fish.

Stay Safe

Early season hard-water adventures often occur on frozen lakes that are capped by a relatively thin layer of ice. I heed the well-publicized guidelines distributed by my regional Natural Resources managers, which generally indicate that 4-inches of hard, black ice are suitable for foot travel. On frozen lakes that have not been previously accessed by other early season anglers, I will check ice thickness along my walking path using a spud bar, which is, in essence, a long-handled ice chisel. If I measure less than 4 inches of ice thickness, I will turn back toward shore.

Even with general ice coverage of 4-inches or more, thin spots may persist in the early season due to springs, current, or even the action of schools of fish or flocks of waterfowl. It is important to have a plan to get back onto the ice surface, should you fall unexpectedly through the ice. My Frabill I3 Jacket includes an integrated Self-Rescue device over the shoulders, ensuring that the ice picks are easily accessible should I fall through a thin spot. Integrated drainage mesh in my Frabill I3 suit also allows any water that accumulates in the suit to drain rapidly away.

Creepers, or some other sort of traction-enhancing device for your feet, are also useful tools for the early season ice angler. The first ice of the season is often free of snow cover, quite flat, and extremely slippery. Falls on the ice can lead to bumps, bruises, sprains, or worse, and increasing the traction of your footwear can help to minimize these injuries.

Be conservative when venturing onto early season ice. No fish is worth your life. Those fish will remain in the same general areas for a couple of weeks, so don’t rush prematurely onto an unsafe crust of ice; wait until conditions permit you to enjoy the first ice period while staying safe and dry.

Travel Light

keep your equipment manageable

First ice is NOT the time to haul your snow machine or hard-sided ice house to the lake. You will be traveling on foot, and you don’t want to be weighed down pulling hundreds of pounds of gear in pursuit of a hot early-ice bite. I limit my load to those items that I can fit comfortably into a medium sized sled. If it doesn’t fit, it stays in the truck. Here are the key items that always make the cut.

I bring two pieces of ice electronics with me on every ice adventure; one of these is a Humminbird sonar/GPS combo, like the HELIX 5 ICE or ICE 688ci HD Combo. These multi-functional pieces of electronics allow me to walk to the fishing grounds with GPS precision, and target the fish lingering there with either a traditional flasher-wheel sonar display or an “open water” view that is rich in historical sonar information. The second piece of must-have ice electronics is my Aqua-Vu Micro 5 camera. This compact underwater viewing device fits perfectly in the front pocket of my Frabill I3 bibs, and features a long-life Lithium Ion battery that provides for many hours of continuous use. I use my underwater camera to identify the fish I observe on my sonar, find green weeds along expansive weed edges, and even monitor baits suspended under tip-ups to learn how fish are reacting to them.

I pack a lightweight, portable shelter on early ice trips. This can take the form of a one-angler flip-over, like the Frabill Recruit 1250, which also provides the sled that I use to transport all of my gear. Unique design features of the Recruit 1250 provide me with more fishable area than other one-angler flip-over shelters, and also incorporates a full thermal shell to ensure a warm, comfortable day on early ice. If I’m fishing with a friend, I trade my flip-over for a thermal hub, like the Frabill Bro Hub which provides plenty of room for two anglers plus all of their gear, and an expansive 80″ of headroom to allow for a good stand-up-and-stretch when the bite slows. Weighing in at just 36 pounds, the Bro Hub is easy to transport to and from the fishing grounds.

Beyond my electronics and shelter, everything else that I carry, including rods in a hard case to keep them safe and secure, essential tackle and tools, tip-ups when chasing fish with teeth, an assortment of live bait, and snacks and drinks, all need to fit into that single sled. If you minimize the amount of gear you bring on early ice trips, you’ll be more likely to remain mobile on the ice, and mobility is the key to success for the modern ice angler.

Fish Shallow

Catch big fish through the ice

The early ice period features one of the best near-shore, shallow water bites of the ice season. Those waters remain well oxygenated from fall winds and rains, and any shallow cover like weeds, rocks or timber will rapidly accumulate baitfish populations, as well as the gamefish and panfish that feast upon them. Now is the time to target those fish, before they vacate the shallows and head to the primary breaklines or the deep basin.

Shallow fish are generally more active, and respond more favorably to aggressive presentations, than their deep water cousins. Now is not the time for micro baits rigged on the tiniest tungsten jig that money can buy. I favor larger profile, high-action baits like the soft-plastic Ratso or the Slender Spoon from Custom Jigs and Spins. There is generally no need to tip the Ratso with any sort of live bait, as the supple action of the long Ratso tail is all that an angler needs to trigger bites. Likewise, if you plan to accessorize the Slender Spoon with an organic bait, limit that to only a minnow head, as an entire minnow will deaden the tantalizing flutter of the often imitated, but never duplicated, Slender Spoon. When you’re fishing the Slender Spoon under low light conditions, be sure to tie on a Pro-Glow Slender Spoon, and supercharge that spoon with a small LED light to enhance the bait’s appeal to crappies or walleyes lurking beneath the lake’s frozen cap.

Yes, I know there are crappies suspended out over the basin. And yes, I recognize there are probably some walleyes on that mid-lake rockpile. However, I hate to walk past catchable fish to find other fish that are much farther away, so I plan to take advantage of this early ice, shallow water bite for as long as it lasts. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to retool for offshore adventures as the winter progresses.

About the author
Dr. Jason Halfen owns and operates The Technological Angler, with a primary mission of informing and training anglers on the use of modern technological tools to find and catch more fish. Learn about The Technological Angler’s award winning instructional videos, teaching tools, and angler training workshops at http://www.technologicalangler.com

Snake Week!

The third week of September started out as snake week for me. On Sunday I came home from a tournament at West Point and backed my boat into the garage. After taking some things in the house I unhooked the boat and something just didn’t look right under the boat. When I looked closer there was a four foot long black snake slowly crawling across the floor.

Monday I was cutting the field at my farm and on one pass I noticed something white where I had cut on the last pass. It was a three foot long black snake that had gotten too close to the bush hog blade. Laying on its back, its white belly really stood out.

I hated to kill the one at the farm and did not bother the one in my garage. Snakes won’t bother you if you leave them alone and they eat mice and other vermin. I have always been interested in snakes and they don’t worry me much.

The two in September were both what we called “black runners” when I was growing up on the farm. We liked having them around the chicken houses since they ate the rats that ate the chicken feed, but they could be a problem since they would eat eggs, too.

My mom was terrified of snakes and dad would sometimes walk into the house with a king snake wrapped around his arm. We knew king snakes were good snakes since they ate rats and would kill poisonous snakes. He taught me how to identify dangerous snakes and how to catch the non-poisonous ones.

The church I attended had an old pond behind it. The concrete dam had a square overflow spillway and the water in it was about 15 feet down since the pond had been drained. We used to go out there and play after church.

One day when I was about 12 years old we went back there a water snake was trapped in the spillway. I went home and made a snake catcher, a long pole with a cord running down its side through staples and had a loop at the end. I rode my bicycle back to the church the next day, taking my snake catcher and an old metal minnow bucket, the kind with a top that had a clip to keep it closed, with me.

The snake was still there and I managed to catch it with the loop. It was not happy but I got it in the bucket and took it home. Mom was not happy with my new pet!

I tried to keep that water snake in a wooden box but the next day it was gone. I am pretty sure it got out on its own and my mom didn’t make dad release it. Snakes can get through a tiny hole, much smaller than you would think.

I don’t even kill poisonous snakes unless they are a problem. A couple of years ago I was fishing at my pond and noticed a snake head at my fish basket. I picked up a stick and shooed it away but it came right back. The second time I ran it off I saw it had a triangular head, the sign of a viper. It was a young cotton mouth.

The third time it came back I got my pistol out of the truck and shot it in the head, since I did not want to be worried about a poisonous snake at my feet while I fished. Since I like to eat anything I kill I skinned it, much easier than I expected after cutting off its head, gutted it and cut it into four inch long pieces.

It tasted pretty good after flouring it and frying the pieces, but since it was only about three feet long there was not much meat on it.

One snake almost gave me a heart attack. I came home from work one sunny early spring day back in the 1980s and decided to walk through the garden. As I took a step I realized I was about to put my foot on a huge black snake lying in the sun and did a one leg hop about three feet back.

That snake lived around my house for years and I saw it fairly often. One day my dog kept barking at something under the deck and when I looked it was coiled on one of the supports in the corner of the deck. And I would see it sunning on some days in the garden. I watched carefully where I stepped after the thrill of almost stepping on it.

One day I was working on my well pump, kneeled on the floor of my well house. I had been in and out several times getting tools but one time when I stood up, on a shelf at eye level, there was a snake skin on it. It had not been there when I had kneeled by the pump a few minutes earlier.

That big black snake had shed its skin right over my head. The skin was perfect, you could see the bumps on the head end where its eyes had been. That six foot, two inch skin was pinned on my wall for several years.

Snakes are good in many ways so don’t fear them, just respect them and what they do. Find out about them and realize they are just part of the natural world.

What Are Giant Grouper?

Times Changing for Giant Grouper

By Rodney Smith, www.rodneysmithmedia.com.

Landing a giant grouper

Handling Giant Grouper Carefully is a Mighty Task

It might as well have been the Loch Ness monster I stood over, except there was nothing either anecdotal or mystical about this giant sea monster; it was real! The rotting carcass of what was then called a jewfish, estimated to weigh over six-hundred pounds, lay before me in the wet Gulf of Mexico sands near the base of the Pier Kahiki, which was part of a Hawaiian-themed complex at Indian Rocks Beach. The high tide had dumped the decaying beast there after fishermen had caught it using a hand gaff-sized steel hook baited with a football-sized black drum. The hook was attached to a short 3/8″ steel chain, which was tied to a sturdy hemp rope they had secured to the pier’s railing.

Once I was up and on the pier’s deck, I overheard the crusty dock manager, Joe, chuckling and talking through the cigar permanently clenched in his broad, crooked mouth to a couple of tourists. “It took six of them men to pull it to shore” he was telling them. Later, when I asked Joe why they wasted such a giant fish, he followed his normal method of operation, spitting his words in my direction. “Boy, them big fish ain’t any good; anyway, they took the cheek meat with’em.”

It was the late Sixties, a time of ignorant bliss, well before most fishermen understood our oceans’ bounties were not finite. Less than a decade later, I believe it was the summer of 1975, during one of my first surfing trips to Sebastian Inlet State Park, I saw three Volkswagen Bug- sized grouper swimming along the bottom of the inlet’s main channel. Their size was amazing and unbelievable. This was the last time I saw any truly giant jewfish.

Looking back at how drastically fisheries management has changed, it might as well have been a hundred years ago. Today jewfish have been officially renamed goliath grouper. Since 1990, these remarkable fish have been fully protected in the U.S.A as a “no take” fish, and their numbers continue to grow. In fact, goliath grouper have rebounded to the point that segments of the angler population find them to be quite the nuisance.

Acting like protected California seals, goliath grouper hang out at places where they know they can steal angler’s catches. Their thieving habits alone have partially fueled a push to remove a couple of layers of Federal and State regulations protecting these endangered fish. Less restrictive rules could give fisheries managers several keen opportunities to raise research money and fisheries datum, or find ways to better protect habitat and build artificial reefs.

States like Florida could sell goliath grouper kill-tags, much like special hunting permits. They could open up a couple of goliath grouper short seasons and help the recreational sports fishing industry raise revenue. This strategy could pump major bucks into coastal fishing communities around the Sunshine State and help researchers and scientist collect valuable data. It could be a “win/win” for everybody!

However, there are serious obstacles standing in the way of this idea. Fisheries biologists understand the complexities of protecting the sustainability of these potentially huge, but slow- growing fish better than most of us. They will tell you we must protect the biggest goliath groupers or they will never return to their historical size and range.

There are two things I’ve learned about fisheries management as a member of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Snapper/Grouper Advisory Panel. Management of our fisheries and other marine resources is most often driven by money and greed, and secondly, I now understand why the following statement is true. Fisheries management isn’t rocket science, it’s worse!

To read more like this, visit www.rodneysmithmedia.com.

Four Pound Spotted Bass At Lanier

Last Sunday at Lanier 12 members of the Spalding County Sportsman Club fished our November tournament. In 8.5 hours we landed 14 keeper bass weighing about 34 pounds. All were spots, not a single largemouth was weighed in. There were no limits and four people didn’t have a keeper.

I managed to win with four weighing 11.84 pounds and my 4.30 pound spot was big fish. Niles Murray came in second with three weighing 6.49 pounds, Raymond English placed third with two at 4.71 pounds and Billy Roberts was fourth with one at 3.26 pounds.

I was looking forward to this tournament since I had won the Flint River tournament at Lanier two weeks earlier. In that tournament I landed three keepers the first two hours on three points not far from where we launched. So in this tournament I headed to those points as soon as we blasted off.

After three hours of casting with nothing to show for it I was real frustrated. In the Flint River tournament wind was blowing in on the three points where I caught fish but in the Sportsman Club tournament the wind was not hitting them.

A little after ten I ran to Mud Creek and stopped on a rocky point where I had caught my biggest spot ever, a 4.27 pounder, in a club tournament about ten years ago. The wind was blowing in on this point, so hard I had trouble fishing it, even with a spinnerbait.

As I rounded the point I saw some brush on my depthfinder but the wind was too strong to stop on it. After I got around to the lee side of the point I put down my spinnerbait and picked up a rod with a four inch soft swim bait on a quarter ounce jig head tied on it. I had never caught a bass on a swim bait but I knew it should be good.

After a few casts on the point I felt my line tick as the bait sank in about 15 feet of water. I managed to set the hook and finally land a spot that weighed 4.03 pounds. That really cheered me up!

I made a few more casts with the swim bait then picked up a jig and pig since I was in a good position to fish the brush I had seen. As the jig came through the brush a fish hit it and I landed the 4.30 pound spot, my biggest ever! That gave me two four pound spotted bass at Lanier in one day! Enough to win the tournament, but at the time I didn’t know that.

I got those fish recorded on my GoPro camera and it is a real comedy watching me try to get the fish to the boat, pick up the net and get them in the boat since I was by myself. What you can’t see is the fact I could see the fish in the clear water the whole time I was fighting them and was scared I would lose them.

I fished that point another hour without a bite then tried a couple more similar rocky points with wind blowing in on them but didn’t catch anything. At about 1:00 I went to a point back in Mud Creek and found a brush pile on it. After throwing out my marker I cast a jig head worm to it and landed a spot that was just barely 14 inches long.

When I got on top of the brush I used a drop shot and immediately got a bite. After a long fight on the light rod and eight pound test line I landed the two pound spot. That was it for the day although I fished hard until the end at 3:30. It was weird, I caught two fish two times within ten minutes of each other but nothing else in the 8.5 hours! That’s tournament fishing.

Why Pass the Gulf States Plan?

“The Five Best Reasons To Pass The Gulf States Plan”

by Jeff Angers
from The Fishing Wire

Red Snapper

There are plenty of good arguments why Washington ought to let the Gulf of Mexico states assume management of the red snapper fishery beyond their own state waters. Yet five of the most persuasive reasons seem to have been missed in all the testimony and written comment about the proposal.

I’m speaking of the five fish and wildlife management agencies of the Gulf states. I’ve spent the last 20-plus years working with the individuals who lead and work in these departments, and I have found them all to be impressively competent professionals — serious and passionate about sustaining the stocks of fish and game under their management.

In my own state of Louisiana, we are justly proud of our Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, which has developed a state-of-the-art creel survey for offshore anglers (“LA Creel”).

Now in its third year, the innovative LA Creel survey is providing pinpoint-precise, real-time estimates of fisheries populations and harvest levels.

This is exactly the kind of data that fisheries managers need to protect red snapper — but only if they have the authority to act.

Once Washington gets out of the way, the five state fisheries managers can respond with flexible approaches that reflect the real state of affairs in the Gulf; they will be able to preserve the species for the enjoyment of all sectors, with no group excluded. Today, federal fisheries managers are left to guess — and to play favorites.

It was this kind of advanced knowledge that led Louisiana’s DWF to realize that the recreational red snapper catch during the regular season was short of its quota by at least 88,823 pounds, making possible an extended season that just began November 20. (The extended season will be subject to a daily bag limit of two snapper per person of 16-inch minimum length; Louisiana’s regular state-waters red snapper season ended September 8).

LA Creel is featured in a new video that also introduces us to representatives from all five Gulf state fishery management agencies. It ought to be “Exhibit A” in the case for adopting the five Gulf States’ plan. I urge recreational fishing advocates to watch the video and share it widely on social media.

Louisiana isn’t alone: each of the five Gulf States has been at the forefront of advanced fisheries science.

It was their devotion to the sustainability of the red snapper that drove the five states’ fisheries directors to put aside regional, political and personal differences and take the historic step of coming together to develop the five states’ plan.

They were doing what we ask all leaders to do: when confronted with a serious problem like federal mismanagement of the red snapper fishery, real leaders set aside distractions, utilize the most advanced scientific tools and information at their disposal and then act in the best interests of future generations.

It wasn’t just a matter of joining together to fill the vacuum left by the federal government’s mismanagement. The five directors then went further, each of them becoming personally involved in advocating for the plan, both in their own state capitals and in the halls of Congress.

Over the last year, testimony advocating state management from Nick Wiley, the executive director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Chris Blankenship, the director of the Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Robert Barham, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, before the U.S. House of Representatives has been especially compelling and persuasive.

The state directors traveled to Washington to move the ball forward on their historic agreement. Once H.R.3094 is enacted, their words will be remembered as watershed moments in saving the fish and the fishery.

As those of us who live here know, the Gulf is a very special place, unique in every way. These are the men and women who know it better than anyone else — certainly better than a distant bureaucrat in Washington, D.C., however well intentioned.

Thanksgiving With Dad

One Thanksgiving memory of mine is usually best left for after the meals are all eaten. It was Thanksgiving with dad. My father did not like dogs in the house. He never let me or my brother have a house dog although we did have outside dogs.

After I got married Linda and I got a border collie and she slept under out bed every night, stayed inside all day and went everywhere with us. And my dad tolerated Merlin in the house when we came to visit.

One year on Thanksgiving Day I went rabbit hunting after lunch and Merlin went with me. I shot one rabbit and field dressed it as soon as I recovered it. And Merlin feasted on the guts before I could stop her.

That night we were having our big Thanksgiving Dinner. Mom had the big round table extended with both inserts, as big as it would go, and it was loaded with food. As we sat down for the blessing Merlin decided it was a good time to crawl under the table and throw up all the rabbit guts.

Dad got a weird look on his face, got up and went into the living room without a word. Mom helped Linda and me move the table, clean up the mess and put Merlin out in a car. We then reassembled around the table, had the blessing and ate all we could hold.

Dad never said a word about it and I don’t remember him ever bringing it up.

I would give anything to have one more meal with my parents but now all I have are the memories, good, bad, funny and sad. But I cherish them all.

Professional Bass Fishermen Give Advice To Young Fishermen

What Young Fishermen Should Do To Become A Pro
Professional Bass Fishermen Give Advice To Young Fishermen

Almost all young bass fishermen dream of becoming a professional bass fisherman in the future. A very few will. The idea of fishing every day, winning tournaments and being admired by other fishermen is enticing. But it is a hard life, and you must work, even in high school and college, to make your dream come true.

Fishing almost every day in tournaments and practicing for them sounds great. But it means long, hard days on the water no matter what the weather. And most don’t think about the travel to lakes all over the US with long drives, little sleep and being away from family and friends all during the tournament season.

Even in the off season a successful pro will spend many hours away from home while working shows. Presenting your sponsor’s products at boat shows, fishing shows and other events is critical for success, but it means even more travel.

You can be good at catching bass but there is a lot more that goes into a pro career. If you can’t get and keep sponsors you can not stay on the tournament trail. And those sponsors need people that can represent them well to the public, not someone that can just catch fish.

So how should a high school or college fisherman prepare for a professional fishing career? Some things may seem simple and straight forward. But others may not be so apparent. Who better to know and explain the things that you need to do than the guys fishing the Bass Masters Classic? As the BASS motto goes, they are living the dream.

At the 2014 Classic at Lake Guntersville and Birmingham I got to interview some of the pros fishing it. These pros ranged from first timers fishing the Classic to some who had fished more than a dozen Classics.

I asked them what a young fisherman needed to do to plan for a professional career. Their answers will give you good guidance in your planning to make your dreams come true.

Greg Vinson

Greg Vinson was fishing his third Classic at Guntersville after placing second in the 2012 Classic. I spent the practice day in the boat with Greg and he gave me detailed answers to my questions.

“Stay in school,” Greg said. “No matter what happens in your fishing career, a good education is important for the rest of your life,” he added. If your fishing career works out your education will help you. But if it something keeps you from being a professional bass fisherman, a college degree is very important.

Greg also said a young fisherman should fish every chance he or she gets. Join a youth club and fish those tournaments. Join a regular club as soon as allowed and fish them with more experienced fishermen and learn from them.

“Many young fishermen get too excited and don’t pay attention to detail,” Greg said. Learn to pay attention to detail. Make sure all your hooks are sharp and your reels are in good shape.

Also learn to pay attention to detail when on the water. Greg is good at this. He notices every bird diving, every circle of feeding fish and every change in wind direction.

All those are obvious but he also looks for little details like the size of the baitfish the bass are eating. One shad floating in the water can tell you what size bait to use. If a fish you catch spits up a crawfish, use baits that imitate them.

“Get the basics down,” Greg said. Learn to fish patterns, not places, and apply them to every lake you fish. Work on baits you don’t have confidence in until you do. Remember where you get bites, and learn from every one.

“Electronics are critical in fishing now,” Greg said. Learn to use them and what they mean. Work on all your techniques and get the mechanics of pitching, flipping and casting down so well you don’t even have to think about them, even if you are practicing in your back yard.

Patrick Bone

Patrick Bone was the only Georgia fisherman at the 2014 Classic. He qualified by winning a Southern Open but has done well on both the FLW tournament trail as well as BASS trail tournaments.

“Decide where you want to go,” Patrick said. Do you want to fish the top trails and travel all the time, or would you rather learn you home lake in detail and concentrate on tournaments on it. It is much easier to learn one lake and stay near home that to constantly travel all over the US fishing tournaments on new lakes.

“Remember you are starting at the bottom,” Patrick added. Don’t expect to hit the pro trail and instantly win, or to do well in every tournament. Don’t let bad tournaments hurt your confidence.

“Support at home is critical,” Patrick said. For a high school or college fisherman, support from parents and mentors can make all the difference. If married, lack of support from your wife will mean either the end of your career or the end of your marriage.

“Fish with clubs, youth teams and enter draw tournaments as a co-angler,” Patrick said. Learn from every day on the water. Try to find a mentor, an experienced fisherman to teach you as you fish. There are a lot of good people out there that can make your learning curve much steeper.

David Kilgore

David Kilgore lives in Jasper, Alabama and was one of nine contenders from Alabama, the most of any one state. He was fishing his first Classic at Guntersville but had won over $200,000 in 50 BASS tournaments in his career. He has qualified to fish the Elite Series three times but has turned each opportunity down. He cites the expenses of fishing the trail and time away from his family and business as reasons to not fish it.

“Join a high school team or youth team in your area and try to fish every tournament,” David said. “Pick a college with a fishing team and fish all those tournaments, too,” he added. There is no substitute for time on the water to learn the habits of bass.

Fishing high school and youth tournaments are likely to put you on lakes close to home, and you can learn from them. But college teams travel well away from their local area and that will teach you to find bass on unfamiliar lakes. You have to learn bass patterns that hold up no matter where you fish.

Fish other tournaments as a co-angler, and learn from every trip. Pay attention to everything you see and every fish you catch. David says you should keep a detailed fishing log of every bass you catch to help you learn how a bass’s brain works under different conditions. Keeping a good log you can review will help you learn.

Randall Tharp

Randall Tharp was fishing his first Classic at Guntersville after winning the FLW Championship that year. He had concentrated on the FLW tournaments but decided to fish the BASS Opens to qualify for the Elite trail, and won an Open so he qualified.

“Don’t get in a hurry to fish the pro trails, get an education first,” Randall said. Randall didn’t get his first bass boat until he was 30 years old so he got a late start, concentrating on education and business first, and now he is one of the top pros on both trails.

“Be true to yourself first,” Randall added. Don’t let your fishing take over your life. But fish every day you can within reason. Enter as many tournaments as possible as a co-angler, but don’t ever get into debt from your fishing.

Learn from others you fish with, but also figure out your own way of doing things. Every lake and every day is different. If you figure out your own way of fishing after learning from others, you can go to your strength in all tournaments.

“If you have a God given ability to catch bass, that special quality that sets you apart from weekend anglers, use it in the way that suits you. Develop your own style of fishing and don’t let dock talk make you change from your strengths.

To develop this skill, learn from others by being a Marshall in tournaments, fishing as a co-angler put time in on the water. Develop your confidence, probably the most important quality of a successful pro. But don’t let your fishing interfere with your home life.

Clifford Pirch

Clifford Pirch was fishing his first Classic in 2014 after winning over $213,000 in 32 BASS trail tournaments. He is a hunting and fishing guide from Arizona and has been successful on the FLW trail, too, winning over $740,000 there.

Clifford agreed staying in school, getting a degree in public relations or marketing, and spending time on the water is the way to go. But he also said there is a tremendous amount of information out there on learning to catch bass.

“Study magazine articles, information on the net and even newspaper reports,” he said. You can learn a lot and get some good ideas from them. Then put it with your information from time on the water and put all this together for your use.

“Make a pre-tournament plan and stick with it,” he said. Too many young fishermen try to fish every thing they can and miss a good pattern by not sticking with their plan. If you have put in the time studying for a tournament don’t waste it by not following your plan.

Kevin VanDam

Arguably the top bass fisherman of this century, Kevin VanDam has fished 24 Classics and won four. He is well known to most fishermen and a great role model for young fishermen.

“Stay in school and get a marketing degree,” Kevin said. If you can’t market yourself and your sponsors you will not be able to have a pro career. Kevin is a master at both, and his advice is critical for your success.

“Fish high school, youth, club and college tournaments,” Kevin said. Learn from experienced fishermen and get the basics down. But you also must learn to budget your time and energy in a tournament, and fishing them is the only way to do that.

Skeet Reese

I got to eat lunch with Skeet Reese at the media day and he spent time talking with me even though several of his sponsors were at the table. Many of the top pros were overwhelmed with media and sponsors demanding their time, but they all had a good attitude and were willing to answer questions. That willingness is critical to a pro’s success.

“Start out with high school and college teams as well as one day tournaments,” Skeet said. Don’t try to go too fast. Work your way up through Opens with the goal of qualifying for the Elite trail. Learn in every tournament as you go.

“Find a good partner to marry,” Skeet said. Support at home is critical for you to be successful. A good marriage will help you on the tournament trail. If you have problems at home, you will have problems in tournaments.

Aaron Martens

Aaron Martens lives in Leeds Alabama and was fishing his 15th Classic. He moved to Alabama to be closer to the bigger tournament trails and for the variety and quality of waters to fish in Alabama.

“Fish, fish, fish,” said Aaron. Fish a lot to get productive at it. But he warns if you don’t love to fish and fish competitively, you won’t do well. If it is a job rather than a pleasure you will have a tough time. It has to be in your blood.

Hank Cherry

Hank Cherry was fishing his second Classic at Guntersville and has won over $275,000 in 30 BASS tournaments. He placed third in his first Classic on Grand Lake in 2013 and has done well in FLW tournaments, too.

“Put fishing the pro trails out of your mind until you get a college degree,” Hank said. Your degree in marketing or PR should be your priority. Fish youth clubs, high school teams and college teams, but get your education then concentrate on your pro fishing career.

Edwin Evers

Edwin Evers has won over 2.2 million dollars in his career and is one of the most popular fisherman on the trails. He placed third at Guntersville in the 2014 Classic, his 13 trip to them.

“Stay in school, get a degree in marketing and fish a lot,” Edwin said. Fishing high school, youth and college teams is a great help, but don’t overlook other possibilities. You can learn a lot by being a marshal at tournaments, too.

“Learn from everyone and everything, but develop your own style,” Edwin said. Don’t try to get information about a lake that can mislead you. Consider anything you hear, but get on the water and confirm it but don’t get locked into something others have told you. Time on the water is the only way to learn this.

Jordan Lee

What better fisherman at the Classic for advice for young fishermen than Jordan Lee. He fished at Guntersvile as the college trail representative and placed sixth in his first Classic. Just 23 years old, he is the youngest Elite Series fisherman this year.

Jordan got hooked on bass fishing when he was ten and knew, after catching his first bass in his grandfather’s pond, that he wanted to be a pro fisherman. He went to Auburn University and fished the college team there and has done well in other tournaments, too.

“Fish a lot as a co-angler, make friends with the pro fisherman and learn from them,” Jordan said. That is the way to learn patterns and techniques to catch bass. Fish a variety of lakes so you can be adaptable.

“Learn to use electronics,” Jordan said. They are critical for catching fish in tournaments now. You have to get all the basics down, but electronics will show you the structure and cover to fish, and even the fish in it.

The obvious things a young fisherman should do, according to these pros, is to fish a lot, learn the basics and get a degree.

Less obvious is the consistent recommendation to get a degree in marketing or PR so you can market yourself and represent your sponsors. It might seem a degree in fisheries biology would help more, but you can learn the basics of catching bass on the water while getting and keeping sponsors so you can keep fishing.

Make your plans and start working toward the dream of being a pro fisherman now.

Can and Should the Gulf Stream Be Used To Generate Power

Plugging Into the Gulf Stream?
Can the Gulf Stream be used to generate power? Should it?

by Kip Tabb, Coastal Review
www.coastalreview.org
from The Fishing Wire

MANTEO — The Gulf Stream passes at times just 12 miles from Cape Hatteras. The amount of water it carries past our coast is massive. In fact, if it were a river, the Gulf Stream would be the greatest river that ever existed on this planet.

“”By the time the Gulf Stream gets off Cape Hatteras (it’s greater than) the flow of all the rivers of earth . . . 45 times greater the entire flow of every river on earth (at flood stage) is what we have off Cape Hatteras,” Mike Muglia of the Coastal Studies Institute said.

A team of researchers and scientists from the institute, N.C. State University and the Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City has been studying for the last two years whether all that water could be put to use to create electricity.

Gulf Stream hugging the Southeast coast

This infrared image shows the warm waters of the Gulf Stream hugging the Southeast coast, moving millions of gallons of water per second. Photo: NASA
“Is there a resource there and is it enormous? Absolutely,” Muglia said, then asks the important question. “Is it a viable resource?”

It is still too early to tell, but there are characteristics of the Gulf Stream as it passes the Outer Banks that may make better suited for energy production. As it flows north past the Outer Banks, the Gulf Stream is constrained from changing position by the edge of the continental shelf on its west side, Muglia explained. It veers east into deeper water at The Point, an undersea geologic structure about 40 miles off Hatteras Island, and its course can meander.

“The key point is that off of Hatteras, the variability in available energy at a specific location is due primarily to the variability in the Gulf Stream location,” he said.

The Gulf Stream gains three times the amount of flow as it moves north up the Southeast coast. Its flow is measured in svedrups, or Sv — named for the late Harald Sverdrup, a pioneering oceanographer and an early director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California. Off the south Florida coast, the stream’s flow is 33 Sv, or 33 million cubic meters per second; by the time the current reaches Cape Hatteras it’s flow has increased to 90 Sv.

However, with no banks to constrain its flow, the location of the Gulf Stream is not a constant, nor is the force of the current the same at all times. Because it varies in place and flow as much as it does, if the Gulf Stream is to be developed as an energy resource accurate predictions of its fluctuations will be needed, the researchers noted.

Ruoying He, an oceanographer at N.C. State, develops models of coastal circulation currents. It is the modeling that his group has created that is being used to predict where the Gulf Stream will be and the force of the current as it moves past the Outer Banks.

“I got involved in this project because my team at NC State develops a high resolution computer model to predict ocean circulation off the East Coast of U.S.,” He wrote in an email in response to a question. “Similar to the weather forecast, our model provides time and space continuous ocean state . . . predictions. They are quite useful to fill observational gaps and help understand Gulf Stream variability measured by (the) limited suite of observational assets we deployed . . .”

The models He’s team have developed have been remarkably accurate, according to Muglia. “We’ve compared (our) measurements to the model and the model does an extremely good job of capturing the average speed over a long time period,” he said.

He notes there is more work to be done. The model has done a good job of predicting the amount of flow in the Gulf Stream and giving a good idea how it fluctuates. However, if the resource is going to be developed, better information is needed.

“A major research area in my team is to further improve the accuracy of our ocean prediction model,” He wrote. “The model is doing a decent job in predicting the Gulf Stream variability. We hope, through further model refinements and data assimilation, we can perform accurate real-time . . . forecasts of the Gulf Stream to support (and) optimize offshore surveys and energy harvesting efforts.”

Whether the Gulf Stream can be utilized as an energy resource is still very much up in the air. Muglia notes there are a number of hurdles that must be crossed before energy will surge from the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

“Is it a viable resource in terms of permitting? Is it a viable resource in terms of economics? Engineering?” he asked.

Those questions, especially the topic of engineering, are being addressed by John Bane at the Institute of Marine Sciences. He points out that the studies that are being done are comparable to almost any study looking at a potential energy resource. “The observations that Mike has made shows very clearly that it (the Gulf Stream) fluctuates. It’s very similar to studies of wind energy,” he said.

Expanding on that, Bane talked about other energy resources. “If you were out in West Texas and wanted to drill for oil, you would examine and explore where oil might most likely be. This is a resource assessment. That’s what we’re doing.”

The assessments are ongoing and expanding. Initially the instruments used to measure what was happening with the currents were coastal radars, ongoing measurements taken from instrument in the sea and onsite observations. Instrumentation is being increased to look at a broader cross section of the Gulf Stream, giving the scientists a better picture of the energy closer to shore where it may be more accessible and farther out to sea where there may be more potential energy but the cost of engineering would become higher.

The first biological assessments are also being done. The role of the bottom arrays that are used to assess current and flow is being expanded.

“These now have hydrophones on them. We’re passively listening and seeing what kind of critters we have out there,” Muglia said. “We’ve certainly observed clicks and marine animals. Some of them seem pretty curious. We have one where it sounds like he comes right up to the instrument.”

A place of verdant sea life, the Gulf Stream has been a remarkable asset for the Outer Banks for as long as the islands have been populated. Whether it will be a part of the energy assets of North Carolina is still an unanswered question.

“We really are just trying to understand what the resource is and whether it’s a viable resource,” Muglia said.

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