Did you know that they spear sturgeon in Wisconsin?  Seriously.  Thousands of fishermen flock to the 138,000 acre Lake Winnebago to spear the prehistoric-looking fish during a week or two in the winter.  They set up shacks on the ice over shallow areas, cut large holes in the ice and wait for a big sturgeon to swim by.  And in some cases, a fella gets lucky and spears a big one.  Pictured below is Darren Horness of Howards Grove, Wisconsin, with the 102 pound, 72 inch sturgeon he speared during this year’s season.

You can read more about Darren and his fish here.

Lake Winnebago is unique in that it boasts what is probably the healthiest sturgeon population in the country, which is why the opportunity to spear the giant fish still exists.  The main reason the sturgeon population is so robust here is the management effort and collaboration between the Wisconsin DNR and dedicated sturgeon fishermen who want to maintain a healthy fishery.  The DNR and other groups have committed extensive time and effort to managing the fishery.  In fact, fishermen have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the sturgeon program.

The 2008 sturgeon spearing season ended last week on Lake Winnebago, and turned out to be one of the best yet.  Spearer Ed Blatz caught the biggest sturgeon in years, weighing in at 172 pounds!

Thanks to dedicated fishermen and proper management, this unique form of fishing is alive and well in Wisconsin, and I think I speak for a lot of people when I say I’m glad it’s been a success……….and I’m a bit jealous too! 

Read a great article about the Winnebago sturgeon fishery here

If you’re an Arizona fisherman you may be in for some of the best fishing the state has seen in decades.  According to a local paper, hydrologists are predicting water levels to be off the charts this year due to the large snowpack.  And more water means better fishing in this dry state.

“This looks like an historic year in our fisheries, in large part because of the tremendous runoff in 2005 and resulting spawns, but also because of the widespread deep snowpack in the high country we haven’t experienced since at least 1993,” said Fisheries Chief Kirk Young. “The Arizona fishing outlook is the best we’ve seen in 25 years or so.”

Spawning fish from the 2005 year class, revitalized vegetation growth and newly flooded reservoir edges are all expected to make 2008 a banner year for fishing in Arizona.  Remember, it’s never too early to gear up for the upcoming season.  It looks like Arizona fishermen and other fishermen in areas throughout the arid West have a lot to look forward to this year!

Read more here

Ice fishing derbies are often frowned upon because of the large number of fish that are killed in order to be weighed in, regardless of whether they have a chance to win a top prize.  While this isn’t always an issue, sometimes it can have negative effects on a lake’s fishery.  Luckily, many anglers, derby organizers and fish biologists are recognizing the need for additional conservation measures to reduce unneccesary harvest.

For instance, this from Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife fisheries biologist Gordon Kramer:

The annual Schoodic Lake Ice Fishing Derby is coming up on the weekend of Feb. 16 and 17. This year there will be a change in the way lake trout and salmon are entered in the derby. At our request, the Milo Fire Department will not register any lake trout or salmon less than 22 inches. It is still legal to keep those fish, but in the interest of maintaining a high quality cold-water fishery at Schoodic, fish less than 22 inches will not be eligible for a prize. Kudos to the Milo Fire Department for their conservation minded change in the derby rules. More information can be obtained at: http://www.trcmaine.org/fishingderby/

And this from a Massachusetts bass fishing derby:

Anyone who catches a bass weighing 2 pounds or more and brings it live to the derby weighing table wins a $10 gift certificate to Taft’s Tackle Shop. Once weighed in, the bass must be released live into a nearby hole which has been cut into the ice. If the bass cannot be released alive, then the deal is off.

This is a win-win situation for all. The angler receives the $10 certificate even though he may not have won the contest; the contest winner who caught the largest bass gets the certificate, the first place prize and bragging rights; and the fish is allowed to live and free to spawn in June and maybe fight a lucky fisherman next summer.

These are just a couple of ideas that can be implemented to reduce the potential negative affects of fishing derbies and keep them going without hurting the fishery.

Most fishermen have probably long been aware of the importance of recreational fishing to the U.S. economy, but recent reports are beginning to show just how big the industry is. 

I was amazed at the findings of the recent American Sportfishing Association study that showed that sportfishing generates an estimated $125 billion in overall economic output, and supports over 1 million jobs!

Read the report (pdf) here. 

In a report recently released by the conservation group California Trout, a private firm has concluded that fishing represents a major part of California’s economy.  The report states that anglers in California spend over $2 billion on fishing-related expenses annually. 

What’s even more interesting is the predicted economic benefit that would result from increasing fish populations in particularly fisheries.

For instance, the report states:

 If salmon populations were increased in the Klamath River, each additional fish caught by anglers would be worth $200 to the economy.  Approximately every 1,000 fish caught recreationally generates four jobs in the area. 

These are really interesting numbers, especially since they come at a time when government and the public sometimes have to make decisions about political issues related to fisheries.

The report recommends that increased state funding be targeted to activities that sustain and restore fisheries and habitats for their ecological values and benefits to people. It states that restoration of compromised fisheries would result in improved economic opportunities from fishing and other water-based recreation, as well as other benefits such as ecosystem health and biodiversity.  

If you’re not from California, doesn’t this make you wonder about the value of your own state’s recreational fisheries, and how much benefit could be derived from increased investments in natural resources?

You can download the full report below:

The Value of Recreational Fishing in California

In the interest of disclosure, I should mention that California Trout provided funding for this study.

Check out the Cal Trout Press Release here.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission heard comments this week regarding a management plan for the Bull Shoals and Norfork tailwaters, two of the most important tailwater fisheries in the state.  The rivers are strongly influenced by water releases from reservoirs, and therefore can be managed for quality fisheries through proper water control measures. 

Fisheries managers were seeking public input on the plan, which would combine a water release regime with other changes such as restrictive fishing regulations to improve the fishing.

Goals in the plan include maximizing angler access, improving water quality and fish habitat, providing an enjoyable fishing experience and maintaining satisfactory catch rates.

The plan includes the potential for catch and release fishing regulations, but only if they prove to be effective, which is being determined through a University of Arkansas study that’s underway.

The draft retains all catchand-release areas pending the completion of a multiyear study of the tail waters by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Research Unit.

Arkansas Chapter of Trout Unlimited president Bruce Ritter had this to add:

“The ultimate decision whether to manage our resource with slot limits or a system of catchand-release areas is a significant one. Changes to the current system should only be made if those changes are supported by meaningful data,” Ritter said.

While the management plan has garnered plenty of support, some people do have issues with parts of it. 

Several participants, including Julie Raines of His Place Resort at Cotter, objected to future bait restrictions. Raines said the restrictions could drive away a large segment of anglers who don’t or can’t fly fish — such as children, the elderly and the disabled.

Regulators should be encouraging children to take up the sport of fishing, not discouraging them by restricting bait fishing, said Mike Seftar, manager of Nabatak Inc. in Midway, a wholesale distributor of live and artificial fishing bait.

As in every fish management plan, the best outcome will likely be one where the fishery is improved with support from all sides.  And I sure hope it works.  I’d love to get the chance to catch a monster brown trout in an Arkansas tailwater someday!

James Phillips, avid angler and active member of a local Indiana chapter of Trout Unlimited, wrote an article reflecting on the first ever catch and release fishing regulations in sections of three Indiana streams. 

A flyfisherman who strongly supports catch and release, Phillips seemed very satisfied with the new regulations, and noted high catch rates and the lack of other anglers in the catch and release sections.  He and others kept personal fishing logs to evaluate their success.

I cannot recall anyone predicting in meaningful detail in advance of the season what effect catch-and-release regulations might have on fishing on the Little Elkhart River, our most hallowed and historically important trout stream. Nor do I recall anyone defining what might constitute success.
But within a few weeks, everyone agreed the fishery exceeded the most optimistic expectations. Crowds of anglers on the catch-and-release waters were nonexistent.

So was catch and release better for the fishery in these stretches of Indiana streams?  Phillips believes that catch rates were higher and that these stretches were fished less often, making the experience more valuable for those who chose to fish the C&R waters.

Determining whether fishing regulations are successful depends on how the value of a fishery is measured.  Is the goal to provide the most number of fish caught for the most people?  Is it to extend a fishing season so that anglers can fish for a longer period of time?  And does it include the value of an individual’s personal experience, which can be affected by the number of other anglers around? 

In Mr. Phillips’ case, the value of a fishery is measured by the ability to catch consistent numbers of fish over a relatively long period of time with few other anglers around.  This position is shared by many other anglers, but not all.  In other cases, the value of a fishery may be measured by the ability to take the family fishing for a couple of weekends, toss in a gob of worms and catch a nice mess of trout to take home.  Catch and release regulations may affect the ability for some to have such an experience. 

So overall, we can surmise that restrictive fishing regulations are beneficial to some at the cost of others.  I’m not familiar enough with the details of the Indiana regs to make more specific comments, but I do know that imposing restrictive regulations involves an important balancing act to provide unique fishing opportunities while ensuring that the values of all anglers are taken into account. 

Happy New Year, everyone!  Yesterday marked the ice fishing opener for most lakes and ponds in northern Maine, and it was the first time in many years that I wasn’t out drilling holes before daylight on St. Froid Lake.  Instead, I was 3,000 miles away in northern Utah, thinking back on memories of opening day ice fishing over the years. 

In the spirit of opening day, I took the time to dig out a few old ice fishing pics from a past opener and post them here.

Now it’s off to see if I can’t scare up a few trout around here!

It’s ice fishing time, and for many in the state of Maine, that means hook-and-lining it for smelts in the ice shack.  The rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) is native to many coastal waters in Maine, and has been extensively introduced to inland lakes.  The smelt is a thin, silvery fish that ranges in size between a couple of inches and nearly a foot in some areas.  Smelts are an important forage fish in both inland and coastal waters in the state.  In fact, smelts can often constitute over 90% of the diet of landlocked salmon in Maine lakes. 

Aside from being forage for other game fishes, though, smelts also directly provide an important sport fishery for many Maine anglers.  Fishermen set up fishing cabins, or ‘ice shacks’ on lakes to provide shelter while they jig for smelts, using small hooks tipped with little chunks of bait.  The bite can be fast and furious at times, and smelt fishing typically provides steadier action than targeting other species.  There’s nothing quite like spending a quiet day out at the cabin pulling in smelt after smelt.    

Many of Maine’s coastal rivers experience vast runs of smelts, which ascend into freshwater in preparation for spawning.  When the ice is thick enough, some establishments place dozens of shacks out on the ice for fishermen to rent.  I’ve spent my fair share of time in some of those shacks, and the fishing can be incredible.  It’s not rare to come home with a few hundred smelts, and a ’smelting’ trip with friends or family is always worth the few bucks paid to rent a shack.       

In addition to the direct recreational benefit smelts provide, smelts are a very popular food item, and are absolutely essential to the baitfishing market.  Many anglers will fry up a mess of battered smelts, but others save their catch to use as bait.  The vast majority of Maine ice fishermen use tip-ups rigged with live bait to catch salmon and trout, and smelts are far and away their top choice of bait.  These baitfish can cost upwards of $10/dozen, so it’s no surprise that many anglers take the opportunity to catch their own bait!

Smelts play a vital role in Maine’s fisheries.  They provide a crucial forage base for gamefish and are popular sportfish in their own right.  Smelts are also excellent table fare and are a very important part of Maine’s live bait industry.  If you haven’t been out smelt fishing, you may be missing out on one heck of a time! 

Here’s a great article about smelt fishing Maine’s coastal rivers

Click here for places to rent smelt shacks.  I’ve been to James Eddy’s and Jim Worthing’s smelt shacks.  Both provide good cabins for a decent price.

Here’s an article on smelts in Maine written by fisheries biologist Jim Pellerin, who is considered the smelt expert within the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

You may remember a post of mine earlier referring to the Colorado record cutbow trout caught out of Antero Reservoir.  It’s ice fishing time at Antero, and the hot fishing trend continues despite the cold weather.  With just a few inches of ice on the reservoir over the weekend, anglers were successful in catching a large number of quality fish in the past few days.  It appears that draining and refilling the lake this past year opened up the opportunity for a lot of trout to grow REALLLLY BIG!

See the local news story here