StructureSpot

PotashCorp Sets New Trend In Tournament Bass Fishing”Helping Nature Provide”

There are countless Bass fishing events that take place across our country each year allowing participants a chance to take home substantial prize money and products. This past weekend was no exception on J. Strom Thurmond Reservoir  in Appleton,Georgia.

 With a first ever of it’s kind, The PotashCorp FishBack Open Team Tournament, contestants competed to raise money and awareness in support of the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance (GOCA) and the North Augusta Fishing Team.  After the two day event, 100% of the proceeds were donated to these two fine deserving groups with $6000.00 and $4000.00 respectively being  awarded.

With a guaranteed payout of $12,000 for first place, more than 125 boats competed in this first annual open. The two man team event goal, was raising money for two great groups. Boats and fisherman from numerous surrounding states, geared up for this unique opportunity to fish this expansive body of water.

Fast boats and seasoned anglers planned to  jockey for a chance at taking home one of the many cash and donated prizes, including two 52″ wide screen T.V’s donated by Fairway Ford.

Before first light on Saturday, hundreds of decked out fishing rigs decended on Wildwood Park and the Tommy Shaw Memorial weigh in at Clark Hill.  Anglers of all levels  including a few FLW pro’s, then discovered fishing wasn’t the only job on hand for the day.

The twist to this groundbreaking Bass tournament concept…….install artificial fish habitat during the event, enhancing the environment and the fishery! Maybe come back on day two and catch a lunker on the habitat unit you installed on Saturday!

That’s right, each boat was required to give something back to the fishery by installing an artificial fish habitat structure at either their first or second stop of day one. Over 150 new artificial habitat units were installed during the event.

More than one strange look was apparent when the requirement was announced. You want  me to put what in my spotless, pristine gel coated water rocket? I barely have enough room for the twenty something rods and hundreds of pounds of tackle we can’t fish without.  Are we going to fit yet more gear and supplies, ropes, cinder blocks, etc.?

No worries, each boat of two fisherman received a Safehouse model habitat by Fishiding.com to unfold and install. These patented, self contained habitat units are made from reclaimed vinyl siding, cemented into a PVC container. Standing about 45″ tall when shipped, the vinyl limbs bend out in all directions and create a “Safehouse” about 7′ diameter and 3′-6″ tall, weighing approximately 15 pounds.

No additional tools or supplies…or mess when putting these habitat units out. Just bend to shape by hand, whatever looks good, then toss over the side. Each artificial fish habitat unit will sink to the bottom and land upright to resemble a bush. The wide limbs create maximum shade, often preferred by bass and forage fish. Nutrients then stick to the vinyl and start the food chain.

The brains behind this first of it’s kind conservation awareness tournament came from the event mastermind, Joey Bruyninckx of PotashCorp.

“Giving something back to the fishery only made sense.” Cancer, Kids and Conservation, what better causes to support?

We met Joey and his team through our involvement with the North Augusta fishing Team. PotashCorp has been a loyal supporter of the North Augusta Fishing Team.( NAFT ) Months back, we were contacted by a hard working young lady named Rosie DeAnnutis, a selfless volunteer for the NAFT. She asked if we may like to get involved in supporting the kids on a cold spring tourney at the same location, Wildwood Park back in March.

We very much wanted to be involved, but because of the timing and the distance, we called on our trusted partners at SOlitude lake Management at their nearby office’s in Charlotte and Raleigh to assist us by speaking to the kids about habitat. SOlitude  has various offices throughout the mid-Atlantic states.  Serving clients in 9 states  including: VA, NC, SC, MD, DE, PA, WV, NJ and NY, offering top notch professional service and advice for all your lake and pond aquatic needs. Aquatic, Fishery, Wildlife and Forestry Biologists, Environmental and Ecology Scientists, all make up the SOlution to a better planet earth.

Matt Phillips, their Aquatic Biologist/Environmental Scientist was happy to help and make the three hour drive to participate. The group discussed fish recruitment, stocking and available habitat. These young, fishing machines embraced the information and wanted to be involved in any habitat restoration plans they could assist with. Matt and Joey began to discuss ideas for the upcoming FishBack Tourney that cold and overcast day as the kids enjoyed the time spent together, outdoors.

The NAFT is open to kids in junior high through high school, ages 11-18. The coach Sean Hall, has a special gift. Gaining the trust and respect of these kids, he loves the outdoors and teaching them about what is important for their future, and the environment. More habitat articles at fishiding.com

Sean brings in DNR officers, Biologists and other related professionals to talk to the kids about boating safety, fish health and species identification to name just a few. “Fishing is only a small part of what these kids take out of being part of the team.”

Although Sean is amazing in how he keeps the kids attention, he certainly can’t do it alone. Jeannie Parks Wilson and Bobbi Boatwright round out the staff to keep this team growing. Getting involved in more events and spreading the message surrounding the multi-faceted benefits of youth fishing teams is their core goal.

After speaking with local DNR officers, it was determined that the lake needed additional habitat, more than any other feasible efforts like stocking, which was another idea and potential option. The lake levels had been extremely low in the recent past which takes a significant toll on fish spawning and recruitment. Additional habitat that fish can utilize to feed, hunt and hide within creates not only big bass, but forage species as well.

This less known concept in habitat improvement is growing Nationwide and moving to installation of inert, artificial materials, that last underwater for decades or longer. In the past, brush piles, Christmas trees and the like have been the norm. Although these materials hold fish and work very well. Their life underwater is short lived due to decomposition, also robbing dissolved oxygen from the water column. Inert materials like boulders, rock and plastics never break down and provide a surface for life to form immediately after submersing.

With over 50% of the Nation’s waters in an impaired state, biologists and esteemed professionals from all the State and Federal agencies are looking for ways to improve water quality before it gets any worse. Aeration, Floating Treatment Wetlands, living shorelines and artificial habitat, are just a few of the tools we are learning have multiple benefits.

These products when placed in the water, attract and convert excessive nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen into fish food called periphyton. That fuzz that grows on surfaces underwater….”mothers milk” of the underwater world. All fish graze exclusively on this highest known source of food for their first year of life. Unlike aquatic vegetation, these products never die off and continue to process nutrients all year around in a process called biomimicry. This same technology is currently being used in fields like wastewater treatment, fish farming, aquaculture and hatchery settings worldwide.

The Potash Corporation, founded in 1989 is one of the world’s largest producer of Potash, Phosphate and Nitrogen, responsible for 20% of the global capacity through their Canada operations. PotashCorp has built the world’s largest fertilizer enterprise by capacity on world-class potash resources and high-quality phosphate and nitrogen assets. These primary nutrients that crops need, as well as livestock feeds and industrial goods, are an essential part of our everyday lives.

PotashCorp  brought in support from all over for this unique twist on bass fishing. The Clark Hill Committee and Columbia County worked tirelessly for weeks with Joey and his team to make this event the huge success that it was.

Fairway Ford provided registration and support as well as trucks for display on tournament days, as well as prizes for the raffle.

Dixie Riverside A&A Vending services also contributed not only by donating all the food and drinks, but has been an ongoing supporter of the North Augusta Fishing Team.

Fireplaces and More were on hand cooking fresh pulled pork sandwiches, dogs and the like for the two day event, keeping the masses fed.

Zoom baits, another NAFT supporter and integral part of this years FishBack tournament, were on hand with samples of some new baits for all involved and a major part of the planning to make this years event possible. Chris Baxter, Zoom sales manager and FLW pro, has a special connection to this event. After his wife was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer, he wanted to do more to raise awareness for other women and possibly save a life with early detection. Baxter reached out to Doug Barron with the GOCA.

More on Chris and his partnership with GOCA in a story recently written in Wired2Fish.com.

Doug and his right hand man Chase Powell, were around all weekend to answer questions and provide literature and support regarding ovarian cancer. Passionate outdoors men, these two guys have a soft and dedicated commitment to help women and their families diagnosed with this unfortunate disease.

From black tie events and prestigious supporters, fishing tournaments with shorts and sandals, the message on how to early detect this type of cancer is one of their main goals. Lots of travel and long days are the norm for these two stewards of ovarian cancer support and education.

Kicks 99 radio also was on hand with music and games, proudly showing their support for the kids and the Georgia cancer Alliance.

GreenfishTackle and The Tackle Shop had strong support for their products both on and off the water. Owner Jon Hair not only spent countless hours planning with the team but also got out and caught some fine fish as a contestant in the event.

Seatow was there for all on the water support as well as donating prizes to the raffles.

Loads of bass made their way to the weigh in, almost 8.5 pounds and 7.5 pounds  won the big bass checks for $1000.00 on Saturday and Sunday respectively. The NAFT kids ran to the lake for release of each boats catch like revolving fish doctors, spending needed time to revive tired fish. Two, five fish limits were added together for the total weight of the event, which a number of the top finishers were over 30+ pounds in aggregate!

A unique and welcome surprise for a couple traveling from the Chicagoland area. My wife Renee’ and I were welcomed into this family of fish loving folks, dedicated to helping others less fortunate and bettering others lives. A touching prayer and our National anthem started the event Saturday morning in the dark. Hundreds of eager contestants stood silent with respect, heads bowed and hats off.  Southern hospitality is alive and well in the Augusta area. Take note America, this is how it’s done!

Photos by: Michael E. Johnson Photography 706-832-6762

additional links/stories: ODU, facebook Wired2Fish, potashcorp/facebook

Inert substrates grow periphyton and larger fish

Effects of addition of tilapia on the abundance of periphyton in freshwater prawn culture ponds with periphyton substrates

MN Hasan, MS Rahman, MF Hosen, MA Bashar

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of addition of tilapia on abundance of periphyton in freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man) in periphyton based culture system for a period of 120 days at Fisheries Field Laboratory Complex, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. A large pond (83×8.9 m) was drained completely and partitioned by galvanized iron sheet into 18 small ponds of 40 m2 each; of which 6 ponds were used for this experiment. The experimental ponds were divided into 2 treatments each with 3 randomly selected ponds. The absence and presence (0 and 0.5 individual m-2) of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) were investigated in 40 m2 ponds stocked with 3 prawn juveniles (5±0.05 g) m-2 with added substrates for periphyton development. A locally formulated and prepared feed containing 30% protein was supplied considering the body weight of prawn only. Addition of periphyton substrates significantly reduced the inorganic N-compounds (TAN, NO2-N, and NO3-N) in water column. Forty six genera of periphyton were identified belonging to the Bacillariophyceae (10), Chlorophyceae (21), Cyanophyceae (7), Euglenophyceae (2), Crustacea (1) and Rotifera (5) with significant difference (P<0.05) of phyto-periphyton except Euglenophyceae and without significant difference (P>0.05) of zoo-periphyton between the treatments. The abundance of periphyton biomass in terms of dry matter, ash, ash free dry matter and chlorophyll-a were significantly higher in tilapia-free ponds comparing to tilapia added ponds. Benthic organisms had no significant difference (p>0.05) between the treatments. Addition of tilapia in periphyton-based system benefited the freshwater prawn culture through (i) reducing toxic inorganic nitrogenous compounds in water (ii) reducing demand for supplemental feed (iii) using periphyton as additional natural feed and, (iv)improving survival and production of prawn and tilapia.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbau.v10i2.14924

J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 10(2): 313-324, 2012 More habitat articles at fishiding.com

Bell Isle gets $2 million for habitat work

A $2-million habitat restoration project on Belle Isle is expected to further the comeback story of fish on the Detroit River and make Detroit?s island park a more desirable destination for anglers.

Keith Flournoy, Belle Isle park manager for the city, called the improvements ?wonderful.?

?Just the aesthetics of it look great,? he said. ?And what it does for habitat, for the fish to thrive in this area; the opportunities for fishermen to have a better fishing experience both in the Detroit River and on Belle Isle … I think it?s money well-spent.?

Belle Isle was on display last weekend for the annual Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix and will take center stage again next weekend with the two-day Orion Music + More festival featuring metal giant Metallica. But the habitat enhancements are occurring on the little-trafficked east side of the island, usually left to birds, frogs, turtles and snakes. More habitat articles at fishiding.com

A $1.5-million portion of the project is transforming the Blue Heron Lagoon, a 41-acre wetland on the island?s east end that for decades has featured a small, pump-fed lake closed to the river. The lagoon is now open to allow the river to flow through. A new pedestrian bridge spans the water opening.

The lagoon now better provides areas where baby fish, known as fry, can hide and develop during a crucial period when they are most vulnerable to predators, said David Howell, chairman of Friends of the Detroit River, a nonprofit that helped lead efforts on the Belle Isle projects. Dredging over the years to improve freighter shipping on the river destroyed many of the gravelly bottom areas fish like for spawning, he noted.

?If they did spawn, the eggs or little fish would just get washed away. There was no safe harbor,? Howell said. ?This is a place for fry to go and grow and return to the river.?

Some deep holes were excavated in the lagoon to vary water depths, said the Friends? Sam Lovall, project manager on the Belle Isle habitat restoration.

?It?s really been an attraction to fish,? he said.

A peninsula constructed in the lagoon is currently being planted with a variety of submerged and emerged plants, further improving habitat.

?The whole point is diversity in the biosystem ? more fish, more birds, the snakes, the turtles,? Lovall said. ?All of them living together is what makes a healthy community of wildlife.?

Southwest of the Blue Heron Lagoon, at the South Fishing Pier, a series of breakwaters now slows the current between the pier and land, protecting small and large fish alike from both the river flows and large freighters? wakes, Lovall said. More plantings and water depth variances further enhance the fish habitat.

?It?s a nice fishing pier, but fishermen didn?t typically have a lot of luck fishing there because it?s right in the middle of the current,? Howell said. ?There?s no place for the fish to gather or sort of rest. The fish just get pushed on down the river. The South Fishing Pier created some shelter and rest spots.?

The project works in concert with spawning reefs constructed in the river near Belle Isle in recent years, which has led to a comeback in fish species including the threatened lake sturgeon, Michigan?s oldest and largest fish, as well as whitefish, Howell said.

The project is funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a federal grant program designed to address areas of concern in the Great Lakes region. That includes the Detroit River, with its long history of industrial pollution and aquatic habitat loss.

?About 97% of coastal wetlands on the Detroit River are gone; the original, coastal wetlands,? Howell said.

?Efforts like these and others up and down the river are designed to protect the remaining 3% and add to it.?

Oklahoma wildlife officials hope fish like tornado debris

  • Oklahoma Debris Spider Block.jpg

    Debris from the recent tornado that swept through Oklahoma is being put to use by state conservation officials, who are submerging it in lakes to form “fish attractors.” (wildlifedepartment.com)

Debris from the recent tornado that swept through Oklahoma is already being put to use by state conservation officials, who are submerging it in lakes to form “fish attractors.”

Cinder blocks scattered by the twister that killed 24 last month have been collected by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, which will use them to make what anglers call “spider blocks,” to sink in state lakes, according to The Oklahoman

“We’ve probably got close to 500 right now,” Greg Summers, of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, told the newspaper. More habitat articles at fishiding.com

Fish congregate around the spider blocks, which get their name from the appearance given by the PVC pipe that sticks out from the cinder blocks.

“Predators use them as an ambush point,” Summers said. “That’s why they are valued as fish attractors because they do attract predators.”

Spider blocks are usually placed at depths of 12 feet or less, and marked for anglers.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/06/04/oklahoma-wildlife-officials-hope-fish-like-tornado-debris/#ixzz2W0JRnrJw

TPWD stocks stripers at PK Lake

 

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist Wes Studder aids in transferring a net full of the more than 100,000 striper fingerlings stocked at Possum Kingdom Lake May 30. The stocking was done following a work project which sank cedars and brush piles to increase fish habitat in the lake. (Sarah Howard)

In an effort to continue to increase the fish population at Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stocked 100,000 striper fingerlings May 30. The fish arrived from the new TPWD East Texas fish hatchery in Jasper. They were then transported by boat from North D&D to deeper water before being released into the lake. “We use the deep water transfer to help avoid predators that are usually close to the shoreline,” said Steven Hise, TPWD staff member charged with the job of transferring the fish. According to Wes Studder, TPWD senior technician, the stocking was done following a work project which sank cedars and brush piles to increase fish habitat in the lake. “The new brush piles will provide shelter for the new fish,” he said. “It is great to have a group of people to work with on projects like this.” TPWD is working in conjunction with Hell’s Gate Bass Club on projects to improve the lake. Plans to coordinate with the club were made after an April HGBC meeting where members voted to establish a chapter of Friends of Reservoirs. The program will enable the club to obtain grants and donations for projects done in conjunction with TPWD. TWPD also plans to start 60 small colonies of American pond weed and water willow in the Cedar Creek area of the lake. “We have plans to return to the lake in June to establish vegetation habitats,” said Studder. “It will give us another chance to work with the Hell’s Gate Bass Club.” Dropping water levels and the age of the reservoir have resulted in fewer habitats and less natural plant growth that acts as a refuge for younger fish. To battle this, TPWD began a habitat enhancement project. Its goal is to create natural and artificial habitats, as well as re-introduce aquatic vegetation into the lake creating safe places for young fish. By Sarah Howard. More habitat articles at fishiding.com

At work on the North Fork

AGFC projects under way on riverbed, overlook

North Fork River projects
North Fork River projects: Overlook and fish habitat improvement underway

Written by
FRANK WALLIS
Mike Cantrell, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission coordinator of Regional Maintenance, points to the North Fork River while standing on an overlook now under construction on a bluff above the river. The new overlook is near the city of Norfork.More habitat articles at fishiding.com

Mike Cantrell, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission coordinator of Regional Maintenance, points to the North Fork River while standing on an overlook now under construction on a bluff above the river. The new overlook is near the city of Norfork. / Kevin Pieper/The Baxter Bulletin

watch it online

See a related video
on the North Fork River projects online atwww.baxterbulletin.com.

NORFORK — The North Fork of the White River and the scenic valley that cradles it are expected to offer some new accommodations for fish and humans by the summer’s end.

An award-winning team of biologists is set to begin work in the riverbed, strategically placing a series of boulders and root wads in the stream for fish habitat and bank stabilization.

Meanwhile, an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission construction crew is building a new scenic overlook on the east side of AR Highway 5 to the north of Norfork.

Fish habitat

AGFC Biologist Tim Burnley told The Bulletin the river work is a second phase of the North Fork River Habitat Project that began in January 2012.

The work involves about 1.5 miles of riverbed and riverbanks from the head of Cooper’s Island downstream to waters fronting River Ridge Inn. Burnley said the stretch of river below Cooper’s Island — known to anglers and biologists as The Flats — hasn’t contained many objects to create holding places for fish, also known as “lunker bunkers.”

“We plan to come in with in-stream cover — mostly rocks and rootwads,” Burnley said. “With that and new water from minimum flow, we expect to have some good fishing in this area of the river.”

Burnley heads up the $100,000 project with AGFC biologists Tony Crouch and Eli Powers.

A series of large boulders is planned for placement at the head of Cooper Island to offer some floodwater protection for the natural island structure and, at the same time, create new holding places for fish.

A similar series of boulders was placed on Charlie’s Island in the first phase of the project.

Overlook project

Mike Cantrell, coordinator of AGFC’s Calico Rock Regional Maintenance, leads an AGFC team in construction of a new public overlook on the east side of Highway 5 just north of its intersection of AR Highway 341.

Cantrell said the overlook will offer a much broader view of the river valley than can been seen from an unmarked pull-off to the north of the new overlook site.

A platform is planned for sightseers with disabilities.

A second viewing site higher on the ridge is planned for hikers. Parking for up to eight passenger cars or trucks is planned, but not for buses due to a relatively steep grade to the parking area, Cantrell said.

The material cost for the overlook is about $27,000, Cantrell said.

Both projects are funded mostly through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sport Fish Restoration Fund administered by AGFC. That fund matches $3-to-$1 a contribution of $25,000 for the fish habitat project from the the state’s Overlook Estates Settlement Fund held jointly by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and Trout Unlimited.

Award-winning work

Burnley‘s group and an array of contributors including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Explorer Scouts, Trout Unlimited, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Friends of the North Fork Fish Hatchery, are 2010 recipients of the American Fisheries Society’s Sport Fish Restoration Project of the Year Award.

The project included substantial stream-bed and bank stabilization for Dry Run Creek with major access for anglers with disabilities.

What Exactly Is Fish Habitat and Why Must We Care?

Forward Post: AFS Journal
What Exactly Is Fish Habitat and Why Must We Care?
Mon Jun 3, 2013 2:29pm
What Exactly Is Fish Habitat and Why Must We Care?Thomas E. Bigford
Office of Habitat Conservation, NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
E-mail: Thomas.bigford@noaa.gov

“Fish habitat” is a
simple term. We can easily
imagine a fish languishing
under a log or in
a kelp forest, and we can
picture a school of forage
fish zipping through the
water column. We can
also grasp that the preferred
space for many species might change as the seasons change and
the years pass by. But the rest of the story is not quite so simple,
mostly because life is more complicated and knowledge is often
limited. This month’s “Fish Habitat Connections” seeks to demystify
those details so we can appreciate the intricacies in the
fish habitat world and become more emboldened to serve fish
not just as a meal but as they deserve.
Let’s begin with semantics. Each fish occupies its preferred
niche in the ecosystem. The environmental conditions of that
space define the fish’s preference at each life stage—water
temperature, depth, salinity, flow, bottom type, prey availability                                                annual cycles, and much more. It is important for us
as professionals to place those variables in proper context so
that individual fish can survive, fish stocks can flourish, fishery
management can succeed, and society can benefit from our nation’s
waters.
That simplistic summary reflects our hopes, which are
complicated by the reality that we know very little about our
most basic habitat questions. With luck, we know where fish
live throughout their life cycles. But oft times we have few
insights into the shifting preferences of each life stage. Even
that knowledge is elusive unless we have close observations
from multidecadal stock assessments or the insights offered
by a healthy fishery. Almost universally, we rarely understand
the relationships between fish and their habitat.

If a wetland is
dredged, how will the local fish populations change over the
short and long term? If a dam is breached, will the new hydrological
regime support native species or invite invasive species?
If an acre is protected or restored, how will the population respond?
Will harvests increase?
These issues read like the final program at many an American
Fisheries Society (AFS) conference. They have vexed us
as a profession for decades. We must manage fisheries with the
best available information, scant as it might be. And we must
identify our primary needs so that gaps are addressed.
COLUMN
Fish Habitat Connections There is also the still-new concept of ecosystem-based approaches.
Habitat must be an essential variable in stock assessments,
but those analyses must be conducted with an ecosystem
in mind. Those perspectives can be as important as data. Without
that challenge, we won’t even know we have a data gap.
Considering how complex this simple topic can be, and
how it reflects human pressures from our coasts to the mountains,
it is probably no surprise that we continue to lose habitat
function at alarming rates. Along our oceans, marine and estuarine
wetland loss was three times higher between 2004 and
2009 than in the previous 5 years (Stedman and Dahl 2008;
Dahl 2011). Inland wetland loss is not as severe, but hundreds of
rivers representing thousands of river miles are compromised by
blockages that prevent fish movement upstream or downstream.
The first-ever national fish habitat assessment found that 53%
of our estuaries are at high or very high risk of habitat degradation
(National Fish Habitat Board 2010). Given those numbers,
it is unfortunate that those places provide vital nursery habitats
for many of our favorite fish.
As fishery professionals from all disciplines, our assignment
is to combine our skills to protect important habitats and
restore those that are degraded. Our mission will be slightly
less daunting if we and our partners can set a pace to match
the steady pressure of human population growth and looming
challenges such as climate change. AFS represents an incredible
knowledge base. If anyone can analyze our habitat knowledge,
fill our priority gaps, apply lessons learned, and improve habitats
for the benefit of all, it is us.

More habitat articles at fishiding.com
Next month we will shift from the nuances of semantics
to the harsh realities of the challenge before us. It is imperative
that we engage now! Economic and ecological facts urge AFS,
its units, each of us, and our home institutions to accept the challenge.
We will explain the opportunities before us and how our
collective skills are needed for success.
REFERENCES
Dahl, T.E. 2011. Status and trends of wetlands in the conterminous
United States 2004-2009. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish
and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C. 108 pp.
National Fish Habitat Board. 2010. Through a fish’s eye: the status of
fish habitats in the United States 2010. Association of Fish and
Wildlife Agencies, Washington, D.C. 68 pp.
Stedman, S., and T. E. Dahl. 2008. Status and trends of wetlands in the
coastal watersheds of the Eastern United States 1998 to 2004. National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine
Fisheries Service, and U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and
Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C. 32 pp.

Hooked for life – by Bruce Kania

Hooked for life – by Bruce Kania

May 30, 2013
posted by Anne
IMG_0604Fish Fry Lake may be the best fishing hole in Montana…at least for kids!  The lake is only 6.5 acres, but the water’s invitingly clear and it is extremely easy to catch yellow perch, crappie and bluegills.  Even some Yellowstone Cutthroat trout happen here…which may be their easternmost extension.  Fish grow fast in this lake at Floating Island International’s headquarters 25 miles from Billings, Montana.  Fish Fry Lake is a test site for BioHaven® floating islands as well as other embodiments of BioHaven technology.Last year over forty kids (and a couple adults) caught their very first fish on the lake.  For most of these fisher people it was as simple as attaching a piece of nightcrawler onto a small jig head, then flipping the baited hook into the crystal clear water and watching their line for some indication of a bite.  Typically the line will twitch when a fish picks up the offering, and then it’s a straightforward process.  Lift the rod tip and reel in a scrappy panfish.  Some kids start off with a cane pole, just like I did way back when.  Today there’s even lighter fiberglass extension poles and it’s pretty easy for little guys, and gals, to swing the offering over open water, wait a moment, then pull up a seriously exciting fish!The pond is also home to painted turtles, leopard frogs, bullfrogs, tadpoles, blue herons, mallards, wood ducks, teal, spoonbill, widgeon, yellow and red headed blackbirds, woodpeckers, garter snakes, the occasional bull snake, crawfish, salamanders, Canada geese, osprey and even the occasional Bald Eagle, all of which tend to be of great interest to kids.  As I was growing up there was a similar wetland within walking distance…and kid tracks along the shoreline evidenced fascination with critters and plants, and pretty much everything wild.  Episodes with poison ivy notwithstanding, kids and water and fields and wildlife, they used to go together as naturally as water flows downhill.  Today though, computers seem to have taken over some of that space, some of the territory that used to be reserved for kids and nature to get to know each other. 

We are not against computers!  The advances associated with the huge strides in information transfer technology that we’ve experienced in the last twenty years are life changing, and mostly positive.  But wouldn’t it be ideal if we could retain some connection with nature?  And certainly not just on a computer screen, but in person and up close!  Catching a fish, splashing after a leopard frog, or sneaking up on a big old gander goose is the stuff of childhood, and I don’t think it’s a good thing to miss out on.

I remember a troupe of kids passing by with fishing rods in hand one day last summer, when one of the boys, lagging behind, complained about the sun being “too hot!”  A young gal in the group suggested he “man up”, at which point the young lad was pretty much forced by the amazing power of peer pressure to deal with conditions.  Not sure if those kind of life lessons happen frequently in front of a computer screen.

And kids don’t catch fish automatically.  Not even on Fish Fry.  They must learn the process, think it through, and then connect the dots.  Along the way, with a bit of patience, they are rewarded.  This is good stuff for kids.

There was a young gal that could not handle touching a worm.  When it came to touching a fish, that was at least as bad as the idea of touching a worm.  An hour later she was independently doing both.  Real life lessons, and a new connection with where food comes from.  More good stuff!

Today the majority of fresh water lakes in the U.S. are so nutrient rich that they are at risk of running out of dissolved oxygen, without which fish die.  Fish Fry Lake has turned this condition on its head.  We have learned how to cycle those same nutrients into fish, instead of algae.  Catch rate on Fish Fry is a fish every two minutes on average.  The 6.5 acre lake yielded 5,168 fish last year, which translates to 210 pounds of fish per acre.  And along the way the water in Fish Fry was kept within Cutthroat Trout temperature requirements.  A nearby public lake, with conventional management, yielded about ten pounds of fish per acre.  And those fish were stocked, while Fish Fry’s are wild and naturally reproductive.  In late summer, the bottom half of the public lake is devoid of breathable oxygen.  Trout that were stocked in that lake in the spring have a choice…they can cook in the warm water on top, or suffocate in the stratified cooler water below.  The same conditions repeat themselves in thousands of U.S. waterways every summer.  But it doesn’t have to stay this way.

What if we focussed on our public waterways, especially in cities and villages?  What if we took that water and cycled the nutrients that are already there, into fish?  This is a very real prospect.  We do have the science, and we have the tools.  Dive into our website and keep this vision in mind…of kids catching fish hand over fist.  This is a new vision of abundance, and it’s within reach.  We can concentrate nature’s wetland effect and the result is an upward spiral that leads to both clean water and huge abundance of healthy, vibrant and edible fish.

Following are a few Thank You notes by kids who’ve fished here on Fish Fry:

Dear Ms. Anne and Mr. Bruce.

Thank you for letting us go to Floating Islands.  It was a lot of fun. I loved catching fish.  It was fun.  I like your dogs.  I think the picnic was fun, too.  I think I learned a lot about fishing.  You made my day.  Thank you for everything.
Thank you for letting us fish and play with the dogs.  I caught four fish.  It was awesome!  The floating islands are really cool and I hope to come back again.
I liked….. fishing, seeing the fish.  Thank U.
Thank you for letting us fish for different kinds of fish.  I enjoyed fishing.  I also caught a ton of fish within the small amount of time I spent fishing.  I also enjoyed walking on the floating islands.  I really enjoyed throwing frisbees for the three cute dogs….. I thoroughly enjoyed going to Floating Islands and I hope to come again.  Thank you very much.

– See more at: http://www.floatingislandinternational.com/2013/05/hooked-for-life/#sthash.iT9q5opN.dpuf

The unexpected consequences of fighting Eurasian Watermilfoil, preventing fish from successfully reproducing?

Lake on the Brink:

The unexpected consequences of fighting Eurasian Watermilfoil

By Eric Engbretson

 

 

In 2012, Greg Matzke, a fisheries biologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, made a startling discovery on Florence County’s Lake Ellwood. During a comprehensive fish survey which included spring, summer and fall netting and electrofishing surveys, Matzke discovered that all of the lake’s largemouth bass were older than 5 years of age, with approximately 91% of the largemouth bass population being at least seven years old.  The absence of younger fish indicated a recruitment failure for a number of years.  Such failures in largemouth bass recruitment over multiple years are unprecedented in the state of Wisconsin.

 

“The current largemouth bass population is in serious trouble,” Matzke reported. “It appears that natural reproduction of largemouth bass has not occurred since 2007. As these older/larger fish move through the population, a significant reduction in largemouth bass abundance will take place, with the potential for the complete loss of this species of fish unless the current situation changes.”

 

Matzke next began looking at the lake’s panfish population.  What he found was stunning. Overall, the lake’s panfish abundance had fallen an estimated 75% in just the last 10 years, with bluegill and rock bass abundance down an estimated 65% and 89% respectively, showing that these populations also appear to be collapsing. Intense sampling throughout 2012 found only a single black crappie under six years of age, showing another alarming recruitment failure in several consecutive years. When Matzke analyzed the ages of Lake Ellwood’s northern pike population, the results were even more disappointing: There were no pike under the age of eight!

 

Matzke stared at the data he had collected. His department had never seen a mystery like the absolute and complete recruitment failures of native northern pike, black crappie, and largemouth bass (along with significant reductions in recruitment of other panfish populations). He shared his findings with other fisheries professionals across the state and they all said the same thing.  They had never seen a collapse like this in their careers. Matzke and his team scrambled to collect more data and tried to find a cause that could have brought the fish to the brink of extirpation in Lake Ellwood. Surveys from 2002 had shown normal abundance, size structure, growth, and recruitment in all of these species. What had happened in the last ten years that was preventing fish from successfully reproducing?

 

The only thriving species of game fish in the lake were smallmouth bass. Their abundance and size structure had grown in the last decade and recruitment was high.  This suggested that the problem was targeting specific species of fish. Because Lake Ellwood’s smallmouth bass were doing so well while the other species were collapsing, the focus turned to the lake’s historically sparse but important aquatic plant community. All the species showing recruitment failures are highly dependent on aquatic vegetation for spawning as well as cover and food for their young. Matzke observed that smallmouth bass seem to be different. “The fact that this species was not affected by the reduction in plant life,” he said, “is not a major surprise since as a species smallmouth bass are less dependent on aquatic vegetation.”

 

The Smoking Gun

 

Eurasian Water Milfoil was discovered in Lake Ellwood in 2002. Herbicide treatments began in 2003 and increased every year. By 2007 recruitment of northern pike, largemouth bass and black crappie had come to an end. “When I started to analyze the data it was strikingly obvious to me that there are some problems associated with the herbicide”, said Matzke. When he graphed the fish abundance (by year class) over the last decade and overlaid it with a graph showing yearly herbicide treatments, he found what he believed was a critical connection.  Fish numbers fell as the amount of herbicide increased.  Interestingly, in the year following a relatively low application of herbicide, young bluegill (and black crappie to a much smaller degree) began to appear again, but their numbers are still very low and they will likely disappear before they reach age 2.

 

 

 

Year class strength, indexed using age estimation to determine number of individuals of each year class captured during a 2012 comprehensive survey, for northern pike, black crappie, largemouth bass and bluegill plotted against the number of pounds of 2,4-D (not acid equivalent) used to treat aquatic plants in Lake Ellwood, Florence County, 2003-2012.

 

 

 

“We still wonder which stage of reproduction has failed in these species”, says Matzke. “Aquatic vegetation plays a major role in spawning site selection and in the survival of eggs and fry. Plants are also the source of primary production providing food and habitat for young fish and prey items, including invertebrates and minnows. It seems likely that one or all of these important phases of reproduction are dwindling in Lake Ellwood.”

 

On April 17, 2013 Matzke met with the Lake Ellwood Association to reveal his data and conclusions. He told the group, “The main cause for failed northern pike, largemouth bass and black crappie recruitment (along with the massive reduction in panfish abundance) appears to be the loss of aquatic vegetation.” The 2-4-D herbicide used on Eurasian watermilfoil had been successful in reducing the abundance of this invasive species significantly. Conversely, other native plants were also harmed by years of chemical treatment. Matzke said he has no reason to believe the chemicals have directly caused a failure in reproduction of any species of fish in Lake Ellwood. However, Matzke does believe that the chemicals have indirectly caused recruitment failure by eliminating too many of the aquatic plants young fish need in order to survive.  Matzke has called for a change in the way the Lake Ellwood Association has been managing the lakes aquatic plants.  He recommended that further chemical treatments for milfoil be stopped.

 

“First and foremost,” says Matzke, “we need to promote and strengthen aquatic vegetation in Lake Ellwood.” He stresses the role of aquatic vegetation in spawning and concludes that the loss of vegetation (including the invasive milfoil) has almost certainly wiped out a great deal of forage for young fish.

 

It seems that milfoil treatments controlled the invasive plant but also jeopardized the health of the lakes fishery. Today the lake contains a dwindling and rapidly aging population of largemouth bass, black crappie, northern pike, and bluegill. Matzke hopes the plants will come back in time for the remaining old fish to produce at least one year class before they die. If that doesn’t happen, many fish populations will likely be extirpated from Lake Ellwood. New fish can be stocked, of course, but the lake would lose the unique genetic lineage of the fish that have lived there for thousands of years.

 

 

The Future

 

Could chemical herbicide treatments for Eurasian watermilfoil be reducing fish recruitment in other lakes? None of the other lakes that have been receiving chemical treatments have had their fish populations surveyed this intensely. Large scale recruitment problems due to loss of important plant cover could be taking place throughout the region where the invasive plant is now being fought. There is no way to know if this is happening, and frankly, up until now, there has been no reason to find out.  Fisheries experts around the state are only now learning of Matzke’s findings on Lake Ellwood. In the future, they will likely start paying more attention to fish recruitment on lakes treated for Eurasian watermilfoil which would allow the Department of Natural Resources to determine whether this crisis is an isolated instance or a more widespread problem.

 

In the meantime, it’s a race against time for Lake Ellwood’s native fish. The question remains: Will the plants come back in time to save these fish populations?

SOLitude Lake Management Teaches Over 700 Youth About Fishing

At the Family and Youth Casting Call SOLitude Lake Management Teaches Over 700 Youth About Fishing

SOLitude Lake Management joined the Family and Youth Casting Call to educate children and their families about fishing and how to care for the environment.
More habitat articles at fishiding.com
SLM at Family and Youth Casting Call 2013-1.1
SLM at Family and Youth Casting Call 2013-1.1

May 30, 2013 – Through its corporate volunteering program, The SOLution, SOLitude Lake Management, an industry leader in lake and pond management, fisheries management and related environmental services for the mid-Atlantic and surrounding states, participated in The Family and Youth Casting Call as volunteers, by stocking fish, and as a platinum sponsor of the event. The event was held May 3 – May 4, 2013 at the Fletcher’s Boat House in Washington, D.C. Over 700 youth attended this year.

In its 7th year, this annual event is geared towards getting kids outdoors, active, “hooked” on fishing, and educated about the importance of natural resources. SOLitude stocked just under 2,000 adult bluegill and largemouth bass, including several huge bass, in the C&O Canal for the children to catch and release.

SOLitude Lake Management also donated 97 total volunteer hours and set up a hands-on shad spawning game to demonstrate the shad’s difficult journey downriver to the open ocean, and then back upriver to lay their eggs. The children pretended to be in a simulated water environment, avoiding challenges and potential predators as they made their way through the obstacle course following the shad’s dangerous path.

“It was a really fun opportunity for our team to share our enthusiasm for water resources with the kids,” said Shannon Junior, Aquatic Ecologist and Regional Manager for SOLitude. “Many of them had never caught a fish before, and it’s an experience that they’ll remember forever.”

The SOLution is a company-wide program that encourages the company and all employees to strive to “create a better world” through volunteerism, community outreach, sustainability and environmental consciousness. SOLitude’s company leadership feels it is important to not only be good stewards of the environment and good corporate citizens, but also to fulfill company core values to “take action and be accountable” and to “protect and respect nature.” To participate or share a non-profit’s goals for consideration in The SOLution, contact Tracy King at tking@solitudelake.com.

Since 1998, SOLitude Lake Management has been committed to providing full service lake and pond management services that improve water quality, preserve natural resources, and reduce our environmental footprint. Our services include lake, pond and fisheries management programs, algae and aquatic weed control, installation of fountains and aeration systems, water quality testing and restoration, bathymetry, lake vegetation studies, habitat assessments and nuisance wildlife management. We are the second largest distributor of AquaMaster fountains and aerators internationally and in the U.S. Lake and pond management services are available in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey & New York. Fisheries management consulting and aquatic products are available nationwide. Learn more about SOLitude Lake Management and purchase products at www.solitudelakemanagement.com.

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