WALLEYES FOREVER

E-NEWSLETTER

 

From www.WalleyesForever.com

 

No. 14:  8-15-07

 

 

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FWP Commission approves tentative

for 2008-2011 fishing regulations

 

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

 

The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission has adopted tentative fishing regulations for 2008-2011. The proposed regulations are available for review on the FWP web site at fwp.mt.gov on the Fishing page.

"A variety of opportunities for the public to comment on the proposed regulations will be announced soon, including a number of public meetings and surveys," said Don Skaar, FWP Fish Management Bureau Chief. The public may also comment by email to: fwpfsh@mt.gov through Sept. 14.

Here are some of the changes proposed for the 2008-2011 Montana fishing regulations.

Fishing on Indian Reservations:  Anglers fishing on waters that border the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Big Muddy Creek, the Missouri and Milk rivers, would have a single daily limit for all fish species on these three waters and anglers would be able to use up to six fishing lines.  Another proposed regulation clarifies that a State of Montana fishing license is required for all anglers to fish the Bighorn River on the Crow Indian Reservation.  

Handling and Transporting Fish: While a person is fishing, or on the water or the ice, all fish in possession would be required to be whole with head, skin, fins and tail attached. Gills and entrails may be removed.   Fish dressed and filleted for transport to a permanent residence would need to be packaged in a manner to accommodate easy counting to determine possession limits.   Also, the requirement would be dropped that called for a one-inch patch of skin be left on a fillet to help identify fish other than trout and salmon.   For trout, salmon, grayling, char and whitefish, however, the entire skin must be attached to the fillet for identification.

Warm Water Stamp: Add Drag Reservoir (Petroleum County), Nelson Reservoir (Benes Reservoir), (Fergus County) and  Whisker Reservoir (Fergus County) to list of waters that require the warm water stamp.  These are additional lakes that FWP currently stocks with warm-water species and

plans to continue stocking in the future.

 

Whitefish: The whitefish daily and possession limits would be reduced to 20 daily and 40 in possession in most places. This change is intended to protect mountain whitefish, the sole whitefish species in many water bodies whose populations have been observed to be in decline in some locations.   Two locations with significant lake whitefish populations, Flathead Lake and the lower Flathead River, would remain at a limit of 100 daily and in possession.

 Northern Pike:  On the Flathead River, an extended season from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28 is proposed for northern pike to reduce the number of pike that may prey on native fish, including bull and westslope cutthroat trout. In the winter season the lower river would be closed to pike fishing March 1 to the third Saturday in May to help minimize accidental catch of bull trout. Based on public comment, additional regulations aimed at controlling pike numbers were not considered.

Paddlefish:  Proposed paddlefish regulation changes would make it clear that anglers may select only one of three areas to fish for paddlefish. The Commission also proposed to set a quota of 500 fish and a season of May 1 – June 15 on the Upper Missouri River from Fort Benton to Fort Peck Dam. Catch and release fishing would be allowed throughout the season on the Upper Missouri River.  Catch-and-release would be allowed on the Yellowstone River only at the popular Intake Fishing Access Site and immediately downstream. After the season is closed to harvesting paddlefish in this area, catch and release would be allowed here for another 10 straight days, or until June 30, whichever comes first.

Milltown Dam: To protect anglers’ safety during the removal of Milltown Dam, a fishing closure is proposed from about one half mile below Milltown Dam to one to two miles above Milltown Dam on the Blackfoot and Clark Fork Rivers, as posted.

Big Hole River: Proposed changes would: allow for increased harvest of brook trout that compete with and prey on grayling;  allow for increased harvest of large rainbow and brown trout in the Upper Big Hole River grayling recovery area to increase habitat available for grayling;  remove the slot limit for trout from Divide to Melrose and allow the use of bait.

Bighorn River: The proposed regulations would revert to the Central District standard limit for rainbow and brown trout downstream from Afterbay Dam, providing for more harvest of rainbow trout than is currently allowed.

Yellowstone River:  The Commission recommended a reduced harvest limit on the Yellowstone River within the Central Fishing District, except on the reach between Emigrant Bridge and Pine Creek Bridge. Concern about adverse impacts of harvest on the trout population prompted this proposal.

Bighorn Lake and Afterbay:  Burbot: limit of 3 daily and in possession. Bass: 6 daily and 12 in possession. Smallmouth bass have become the most abundant game fish in the reservoir.

Additional harvest is desired to increase the average size of the bass and encourage sauger and

walleye survival. Burbot are declining through most of their range in Montana. Wyoming Game

and Fish has asked for additional protection for their last pure population of sauger.

 

Western District:  In the Western District, the regulations would show that anglers can now use two lines and two hooks per line on most lakes and reservoirs as directed by a law passed in the 2007 Montana State Legislature.

To review details on these and other proposed changes to the Montana Fishing Regulations for the 2008 season, go to the FWP web site at fwp.mt.gov on the Fishing page.

 

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Believe it or not, hunting season has begun,

and many thoughts are of fire danger

 

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

 

While Montana hunters planning early-season hunting trips should expect widespread public and private fire restrictions due to ongoing fire danger, hunting seasons will proceed wherever lands remain open, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials said today.

Montana’s first hunting season, limited to about 5,500 archery-only antelope hunters with a special license applied for earlier this year, opened Wednesday, Aug. 15. The upland game bird season is scheduled to open Sept. 1, as will Montana’s big game archery seasons.   Most moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat seasons will open Sept. 15.

Every county in Montana has a fire-use restriction in place. The restrictions generally ban open campfires and confine other activities to limited hours and locations.   Some areas near active fires are currently closed to access until the fire-danger subsides.

FWP Director Jeff Hagener stressed that while hunting seasons will proceed where hunters can obtain legal access, all hunters are required to ask for permission to hunt on private land, and   hunters must be prepared to prevent wild fires.

"Hunters need to be aware of the fact that anyone responsible for starting a wild fire is liable for all damage," Hagener said.  

Due to Montana’s current dry conditions, hunters may encounter Block Management closures or restrictions. FWP’s Block Management Program offers public hunting access to private land.

  "Some BMA cooperators may be reluctant to make access commitments until weather conditions improve," Hagener said. "Hunters should check in with the regional FWP office before making final plans."

In these dry conditions, FWP urges all hunters to:

n Carry a shovel, bucket, axe, and garden-type weed sprayer full of water in all vehicles.

n   Restrict camping activities to designated camping areas.

n Not build campfires.

n   Drive only on established roads. Take care to ensure that catalytic converters and mufflers are in good repair.

n   Not stop or park vehicles over grass or brush.

n Smoke only inside buildings or vehicles.

"Weather forecasts suggest continued dry conditions so the fire-use restrictions, and some outdoor recreation closures, will likely extend beyond several of Montana’s early hunting season openers," Hagener said. "Hunters need to remain mindful of fire-use restrictions when they’re afield."  

Hagener noted that a team of experts evaluate the risk of wild fire and determine most state and private land restrictions. He said FWP is receiving dozens of calls a day from resident and out-of-state hunters and anglers asking how hunting and fishing opportunities will be affected by fire danger and drought.

"Each day we monitor how the fire and water conditions are affecting hunters and anglers and immediately communicate that information via our Internet site."

For details on fire and drought-related restrictions and closures, visit FWP’s website at fwp.mt.gov. Click Drought & Fire.

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 Alcohol and water don’t mix

 

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

The statistics say that water recreation and alcohol don’t mix. The combination is just one more idea that sounds like a good one at the time, but that leads inevitably to regret.

Alcohol is a major factor in 50 to 70 percent of all recreational boating fatalities nationwide, reports the U.S Coast Guard.   A blood alcohol content as little as .04 can impair you, and with a blood alcohol content of   .08 or above you are boating under the influence of alcohol. Boat operators at this blood alcohol level are 10 times more likely to be killed in an accident than boaters with no alcohol in their system.

What makes alcohol and water recreation such a potentially lethal combination?

"It is a different world on the water," said Dave Loewen, a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks warden in Helena. "Boating involves continuous motion, vibration, engine noise, sun, wind and spray. All work to intensify the effects of alcohol."

Loewen said these innate stressors cause fatigue that, when combined with alcohol, can dramatically affect coordination, judgement, vision and reaction time.

Recent research indicates that as little as four hours of exposure to sun, wind, glare, vibration and other motion on the water even without the use of alcohol produces "boater’s hypnosis" – a kind of fatigue that slows reaction time almost as much as if a person were drunk.

Alcohol also makes it harder for a person to control the involuntary "gasping reflex" that occurs when the face or upper body is suddenly immersed in cold water, Loewen said. An intoxicated person is more likely to inhale water into the lungs when plunged suddenly into cold water.

"Another serious safety factor is the interaction of alcohol with any prescription drugs the individual may be taking," said Liz Lodman, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks boating safety coordinator. Common prescription medications, for heart disease or blood pressure for example, may have a different effect when combined with alcohol and the environmental stressors of recreating on the water.

Lodman said levels of blood alcohol and prescription medications that would have little impact on land can potentially cause a significant impairment for a boat operator.

While BUI, or boating under the influence, laws apply to boat operators, a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that intoxicated passengers are as likely to die as an intoxicated operator. That’s because most boating fatalities involving alcohol are from falls overboard, not collisions which are more common in automobiles.

Loewen said citations issued by FWP wardens as a result of boating under the influence of alcohol have included recklessly driving a boat while intoxicated, endangering others on the water, boating with children on board without the proper personal flotation devices, and near drowning due to boating under the influence of alcohol.

To avoid finding yourself in one of these grim situations and to protect the lives of your passengers, follow these guidelines:

Ways to Avoid the Hazards of Alcohol

 

n Take along a variety of sodas, a jug of water, iced tea, lemonade, or take along nonalcoholic beer.

 

n Take along plenty of food.

 

n Wear clothes that keep you cool.

 

n Plan to limit your trip to the number of hours you can spend on the water without becoming tired.

 

n Enjoy your outing more by having a party ashore - in the picnic area, in the yacht club, in your backyard - where you will have time between the fun and getting back into your boat or your car.

 

n If you dock somewhere for lunch or dinner and drink alcohol, wait a reasonable time before getting in your boat or car.

 

n Be sure to have a sober designated driver as the boat operator.

 

n No alcohol aboard is the safe way to go - remember, intoxicated passengers can fall overboard too.

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Invasive mussels found in Lake Powell,

but researchers aren’t sure if they’re zebra or quagga

 

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

New test results indicate the presence of an extremely small number of individual, larval quagga or zebra mussels in Lake Powell. Two cooperative research and monitoring efforts, conducted on July 19 and 30 by the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Park Service, and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, detected three individual mussel larvae at the Wawheap Marina and near the Glen Canyon Dam.

photo

Photo from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service,

La Crosse Fishery Resource Office

Dr. David Britton, an expert on quagga and zebra mussels for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said, "While the test results indicate the presence of individual larval quagga or zebra mussels in Lake Powell, much uncertainty remains. We do not know at this point if an established population is present. We also do not know for certain how quagga or zebra mussels will affect Lake Powell."

Five water samples were collected from Lake Powell and analyzed by a Bureau of Reclamation laboratory in Denver (see table below). The samples were analyzed using two different methods a microscopic technique and DNA fingerprint technology. Three of these samples did not indicate the presence of any quagga or zebra mussels. Two of the samples, collected at the Wahweap Marina and near the Glen Canyon Dam, indicated the presence of three individual larval mussels when tested with the microscopic method and DNA fingerprint technology. The testing methods cannot distinguish whether or not these are quagga mussels or zebra mussels, which are closely related.

"Additional samples have been collected from Lake Powell and are being analyzed for quagga and zebra mussels. In the coming weeks, more samples will be collected from various locations around the lake to determine if mussels are present in other areas," said Kitty Roberts, superintendent of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

The National Park Service, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Bureau of Reclamation, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have been closely working with each other to monitor the spread of quagga mussels since they were found in Lake Mead in January 2007.

The National Park Service's existing quagga and zebra mussel prevention program will remain in place. Boats that have been in water bodies with known quagga or zebra mussel infestations in the last 30 days will continue to be required to be decontaminated before entering Lake Powell. High pressure, hot water decontamination stations are available at all marinas within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, including Wahweap, Antelope Point, Bullfrog, and Halls Crossing marinas.

As a preventative measure, the National Park Service will also begin requiring any boats that are slipped or moored in Lake Powell to receive a decontamination wash before they exit the park if they are being moved to a non-infested lake. In addition, people with boats in the marinas at Lake Powell are strongly encouraged to conduct a thorough inspection of their boat to look for quagga or zebra mussels which may be attached.

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Excessive heat taking a toll on fish in North Dakota

North Dakota Game and Fish

High temperatures, including many days in triple digits, are starting to have an influence on fish populations in some North Dakota lakes.

Scott Gangl, fisheries management section leader for the state Game and Fish Department, said die-offs have been reported at Northgate Dam, Burke County; Kettle Lake, Williams County; Raleigh Reservoir, Grant County; Mooreton Pond, Richland County; and the Bois de Sioux River in southeastern North Dakota. Most of the dead fish have been trout.

“This isn’t surprising to us,” Gangl said. “The warm days, followed by warm nights over the last few weeks, have really warmed some of our lakes. Since trout are adapted to cold water, they can be very sensitive to warm summer water temperatures.”

It’s unknown at this point how many trout died, but preliminary investigations indicate the die-offs were substantial. “Our biologists will know more once they have a chance to net the lakes,” Gangl said. “However, despite the trout die-offs, we’ve heard of anglers catching bass, bluegill, and crappies at these lakes.”

Fish kills during summer are caused by a combination of high temperatures and low dissolved oxygen. Warm water holds less dissolved oxygen. Meanwhile, algae and plants that flourished early in the summer will die and begin to decompose, which consumes oxygen. “This combination creates a recipe for lethal conditions for fish,” Gangl said. “Trout are usually the first to die because of their sensitivity to warm water. But if conditions degrade far enough, more tolerant fish species will also die.”

Gangl asks if anyone sees fish mortality on area lakes to report it to a local Game and Fish Department district office.

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Angler fined $1,800, loses boat and motor

for being 140 sunfish over the limit

 

Minnesota DNR

 A recent investigation by Minnesota conservation officers netted a Battle Lake man with 140 sunfish over the legal limit and facing possible fines and restitution of nearly $1,800.

On July 30, conservation officer Tricia Plautz of Henning received a Turn-in-Poachers (TIP) call that Leroy H. Vorgert, 73, had allegedly been fishing West Battle Lake every day during the month and bringing fish to his residence each day during the course of the month. Plautz, along with conservation officers Chris Vinton and Daniel McBroom, started the investigation with a visit to Vorgert's home.

"I asked Mr. Vorgert about fish at his residence and he lead us into the garage where he immediately confessed he probably had more than he should," Officer Plautz said. "He then led us to a small freezer in the corner of his garage that contained 16 bags of frozen fish. A bag in the refrigerator contained fish that had been caught that day."

According to the criminal complaint, Vorgert told the officers that, as he caught fish, he just tossed them into a bucket and wouldn't count them. He also said he was catching his wife's limit as well. Mr. Vorgert allegedly told the officers that he would fish in the morning, then go out again in the evening catching more than his legal daily possession limit of 20 sunfish.

The 17 bags were thawed for an accurate count of the fillets. The exact count was 140 sunfish over the legal limit. A small fishing boat and motor used to catch the fish were seized. Vorgert's fishing license was also seized. If convicted, his license could be suspended for three years. A court date has been set for Aug. 21 in Otter Tail County District Court.

Plautz said conservation officers appreciate help from the public and encourage people who see illegal fishing activities to call the TIP line.

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Idaho pelican roundup nets hundreds of birds

Idaho Fish and Game

Cattle round-ups are a part of life here in southeast Idaho. But who ever heard of a pelican round-up?

In the early morning hours of July 19, 20 biologists and volunteers descended on Gull Island in the Blackfoot Reservoir and encircled several hundred young flightless pelicans. They corralled the pelicans with plastic fencing while several people captured individual birds and took them to teams who then attached U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service leg bands and black wing tags - cattle ear tags, no less.

They marked 300 birds in less than three hours.

The biologists and volunteers from Idaho Fish and Game "hit the trail," so to speak, to attach leg bands and wing tags to 600 young American white pelicans at two locations in southern and southeastern Idaho. The birds were marked to help Fish and Game learn more about their movements and behavior in southeast Idaho, the intermountain region and at wintering areas outside of Idaho.

The round-up and marking process was repeated the following morning at Lake Walcott on the Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge, where another 300 pre-fledgling pelicans were banded and tagged -- this time with red wing tags.

"It was hot, dusty and very smelly, but nonetheless, satisfying to complete the job," said Scott Farnsworth, a student at Idaho State University and third-year technician for Fish and Game.

Farnsworth notes that a common defense mechanism used by young pelicans is to regurgitate stomach contents when approached. Thank goodness cows are known to only chew their cuds. But of course, biologists have never been trampled by stampeding pelicans either.

American white pelican populations have been increasing in southeast Idaho in recent years. There are only two nesting colonies in Idaho, both in the southeastern corner of the state. The Blackfoot Reservoir nest colony has increased from about 100 nests in the mid 1990s to about 1,700 nests this summer. The Lake Walcott colony also has been on a steady increase in recent years, with about 1,900 nests counted this summer.

"This increase is appreciated by many as pelican populations are recovering from years of low numbers due to DDT, disease, and disturbance and destruction of colonies," said Colleen Moulton, senior wildlife research biologist for Fish and Game's nongame bird program.

Though populations are on the increase, American white pelicans are still listed as a state Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Idaho as well as being considered a species at risk across their range.

For some, the recent success of the American white pelican in Idaho has raised some concerns about potential effects on native fish populations as well as effects on stocked, intensively managed recreational fisheries.

Though research has shown pelicans predominantly feed on nongame fish, such as chubs, carp, and suckers, there is evidence that the birds also feed opportunistically on trout in Idaho, including another sensitive species, the cutthroat trout. Fish and Game is studying pelican diets on the Blackfoot Reservoir colony and attaching radio transmitters to migrating trout to determine the extent to which pelicans are feeding on trout.

By getting locations of marked birds, wildlife managers can begin to understand how Idaho's nesting colonies are connected to each other and to other colonies in surrounding states, including the 10,000-bird colony at the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Fish and Game also hopes to learn where pelicans "roam" for the two to three years before their breeding. And because the wing tags have unique numbers, important information about individual foraging, movement and breeding habitats will be gathered.

The information gathered from these marked birds will add to Fish and Game's increasing knowledge of the pelicans in southeast Idaho and will be useful in developing management strategies for pelicans, fisheries and habitats associated with Idaho's nesting colonies.

So anyone out bird-watching, fishing or otherwise enjoying Idaho's great outdoors, is encouraged to keep a lookout for "branded" pelicans and to report them to Fish and Game.

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Join Walleyes Forever – get a free cap!

 

As part of your $25 annual membership in Walleyes Forever, each member will receive one, free WF logo cap.  The membership year runs from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31.

 

Your dues help us to help fund projects including kids fishing days.  You will also receive our four-page newsletter in the mail each month.

 

If you'd like to purchase additional WF logo caps, they'll be on sale for $8 each at club meetings or from WF Treasurer Linda Granholm.

 

To join Walleyes Forever, go to www.walleyesforever.com/membership/membership.html.

 

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And, finally……..

Medicare in a nutshell

 
The phone rings and the woman of the house answers, "Hello."

       

"Mrs. Fred Ward, please."

“Speaking."

"Mrs. Ward, this is Doctor Adrian Jones at the Medical Testing Laboratory. When your doctor sent your husband's biopsy to the lab yesterday, a biopsy from another Mr. Fred Ward arrived as well. And we are now uncertain which one is your husband's. Frankly the results are either bad or terrible."

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Ward asks nervously.

"Well, one of the specimens tested positive for Alzheimer's and the other one tested positive for AIDS," said Dr. Jones. "And we can't tell which specimen is your husband's."

       

"That's dreadful!" exclaims Mrs. Ward. "Can't you conduct the test again?"

       

"Normally we could," says Dr. Jones. "But Medicare will only pay for these expensive tests one time.  So the people at Medicare are recommending that you drop off your husband somewhere in the middle of town.

        

"If he finds his way home, don't sleep with him."

       

 

Why men make lousy secretaries

Note on the refrigerator door from a husband to his wife:

“Someone from the Gyna Colleges called.

They said the Pabst beer is normal.

I didn’t know you liked beer.”

 

 

A home-cooked meal

 

When the power failed at an elementary school, the cook couldn't serve a hot meal in the cafeteria.

       

So at the last minute, she whipped up great stacks of peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches.

       

As a little boy filled his plate, he said, "It's about time!

       

“At last -- a home-cooked meal!"

       

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