Friday, March 8, 2013 at 9:21AM ActivistAngler.com
Fisheries in West Virginia and New Mexico are showcasing a new generation of manmade habitat, thanks to innovative state conservation directors in the B.A.S.S. Nation (BN).
Both Jerod Harman and Earl Conway saw the need for effective and long-lasting habitat in reservoirs that endure huge water fluctuations on a regular basis. More habitat articles at fishiding.com
“Climate change is already impacting the Southwest,” said New Mexico’s Conway. “Over-allocation of water rights and drought have drained many reservoirs in New Mexico and west Texas. Shoreline and aquatic vegetation is gone and replanting is futile when lake levels fluctuate 20 feet or so every year.
“That’s where floating islands come to the rescue.”
In West Virginia, meanwhile, the West Virginia BN has teamed with a company that makes fish habitat from recycled vinyl and reclaimed PVC to build an “oasis for bass” in Sutton Lake, according to Jerod Harman.
It consists of pea gravel, spider blocks, artificial structures fromFishiding, and vegetation growing in a 5,000-square-foot cage on a mud flat, with a creek channel nearby.
“The artificial structures attract the bass looking for a place to spawn,” Harman explained. “The pea gravel provides the correct bottom structure for bedding.
“When the young bass hatch, the artificial structures help provide a protective environment. The periphyton (mixture of algae, microbes, and bacteria that forms the base of food chain) will provide nutrients for growth, and, later on, the small bass fry can relocate to inside of the vegetation cage for protection from predators.
“This is something that I am really excited about!”
Harman added that he believes the habitat made by Dave Ewald’s Illinois company, which features vinyl strips attached to a heavy base, will greatly enhance periphyton growth, as well as provide better cover for survival of young bass than will the spider blocks alone.
“The structures are ready for installation right out of the box, and David was great to work with,” the conservation director said. “I would definitely recommend these, especially for a small group of volunteers who need to complete a larger-scale project in a limited amount of time.”
Conway and the New Mexico BN also are growing periphyton, but on floating islands instead of vinyl strips. One of those islands, complete with spawning platform, won the 2010 Berkley Conservation Award and was the first step in what the conservation director hopes will be a major habitat restoration project for Elephant Butte.
Bruce Kania’sFloating Island International, a Montana company, has provided the New Mexico BN with prototypes and expertise.
“Floating islands aren’t new,” Conway said. “They occur in nature and have a proven track record for improving water quality and enhancing fish production, but I think that we are just beginning to realize how they can add an entirely new dimension to habitat restoration options.
“My experience is that the shade and food they provide makes them better fish attractors than boat docks or tire water breaks. They are being used more often in public waters and it is just a matter of time until someone wins a major tournament or catches a monster bass off a floating island.”
Nine young anglers from the Maryland Bass Nation helped the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) build 12 temporary spawning habitat structures for largemouth bass. DNR will put the heavy-duty, corrugate plastic structures in two Potomac River sanctuaries in March. Dozens of unique habitat models at fishiding.com
“One sanctuary had too much grass and another too little. When the aquatic vegetation is very thick, it inhibits the navigation options for adult bass. Too little grass means easy access for the predators that eat the young bass,” said Dr. Joe Love, DNR Tidal Bass Program manager. “By diversifying bass habitat with artificial structures, we can provide the fish more places to retreat to, spawn and hide.”
DNR Fisheries biologists will place the structures in Concord Cove in Chicamuxen Creek and Gumtree Cove in the Nanjemoy River.
During the largemouth bass spawning period, March 1 through June 15, these coves are off-limits to boating and fishing. These activities can cause adult fish to abandon their nests, leaving their offspring unprotected and vulnerable to predators.
DNR will survey the effectiveness of the temporary habitat structures for the next three years. If they prove to be successful, DNR will expand the use of the structures to other similar tidal coves.Posted by kking
Turn the T.V. off, let’s go fishing. That’s the rule Rosie DeAnnuntis stands by and school kids and the community are listening. Dozens of unique habitat models at fishiding.com
The first Annual North Augusta Border Bass Invitational set for March 2nd 2013 is well underway, and Rosie won’t sleep until it’s all over. She explains “We are a team of folks from North Augusta Middle and High Schools, who promote the sport of fishing and resource conservation through education.”
North Augusta Fishing Team (NAFT) goals are to promote environmental conservation & efforts including Tournament Fishing and getting kids off couches, away from TV and video games, and getting them outside to fish and enjoying the great outdoors! After all, our youth are our future!
When we heard about the tournament and what these kids find important, David Beasley and Matt Phillips from Solitude Lake Management and myself knew we could help. After numerous converations with Rosie, we found out that her group wants to get involved in giving back even more. Habitat projects involving youth are sprouting up all over the Nation and kids are learning the benefits that come with the hard work.
Corporate America is also involved in habitat restoration projects from Coast to Coast. Power companies, manufacturing and chemical firms are all taking proactive stands to improve our environment, learning from our mistakes of the past.
Solitude Lake Management’s David Beasley promotes habitat improvemnet with Fishiding habitat products
Solitude is no stranger to community involvement. Owner, Kevin Tucker runs a tight ship, providing lake,water quality, fisheries and pond management services throughout the south and Eastern seaboard. All of the employees at SOlitude get involved in giving back to the community and the environment on an annual basis. Check out their you tube page here about helping the SOlution.
Matt Phillips one of Solitude’s Fisheries Biologists, will be on hand to talk to the kids and answer questions related to fishing, habitat and pursueing and education in the field. Matt is just one of the many excited Biologists Solitude has available to discuss habitat projects with fishing groups, State and Federal agencies as well as private water owners.
Along with product displays, handouts and give away prizes, Fishiding will be on hand as well to discuss potential future habitat projects with the kids and major Corporate sponsors on hand. “I spoke to Potash yesterday afternoon & let me tell you they are extremely excited about working with Fishiding & SOLitude!”
Fishiding habitat installed before full pool
Support these kids and what they stand for. Preserving our waters and giving back for future generations. Being responsible for their own actions, utilizing the endless teenage energy to better themselves and the environment. Being aware of our environment, continued education and getting involved in your community sounds like a formula for success!
Official Tournament Rules:The following rules are designed to promote sportsmanship among the anglers and to provide a fair competition. Failure to comply with any rules may result in a weight penalty or disqualification from any tournament.
1. Inclement Weather Plan – In the event of unfavorable weather on the day of the event, the event will continue as scheduled during rain only. In the event of lightning or thunder, all boats will be secured and participants asked to return to the nearest, safest location. It is the responsibility of the Tournament Coordinator to determine whether or not the event should be called or wait until the weather clears. If the event is called, the winning weights will be determined by the fish that were caught up until that point in the day. Cancelling the event may occur if unforeseen dangerous natural events, low water levels, or unexpected problems occur that may impede the tournament.
2. All participants must be back at the boat landing no later than 3:00 pm. There will be a one pound deduction every minute a participants is late getting back to the landing up to 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, no weight will be allowed for that boat’s participants. Boat captains are responsible for making sure the boat is back to the dock by 3:00 pm and at the weigh-in no later than 3:00 PM EST. Boat captains are responsible for notifying the Tournament Coordinator in advance of the 3:00 pm closing time of any problems that may have occurred. 3. Each boat must have a bump board or way to measure the length of the fish. No fish fewer than 12 inches may be kept. Fish brought to the scales at weigh-in less than the 12 inches will not count toward the cumulative weight for a middle or high school club. There will be a five (5) fish black bass limit per individual. Black bass includes largemouth, smallmouth, spotted and/or redeye bass. Fish may be culled if an individual has 5 fish in the live well. No more than 5 fish can be in the live well at any one time individual. All fish must be kept alive. Penalty will be 1/2 pound per each dead fish. If an individual is caught with more than the 5 fish limit in their livewell by tournament officials, the fish will be culled starting with the largest fish until they are down to the stated limit of 5 fish. 4. Ties will be broken, if the poundage is equal, in the following manner: First criteria will be the largest fish; second criteria will be the number of fish. Any fish found to be altered or in poor condition (mashed, mangled or mauled) will not be counted at the discretion of tournament officials. 5. All student anglers and boat captains must wear a US Coast Guard approved Personal Floatation Device (PFD) while boat motor is engaged. Anglers will be disqualified if found to have removed their PFD. 6. Participants must only use the gear that is in the boat when the boat leaves the dock at the start of the day. Permitted methods of fishing will be the use of artificial lures only, no live bait of any sort. Each angler aboard shall have no more than 3 rods. Only one fishing rod may be in use at any one time by an angler. Bass may be landed by use of conventional hook and line. No snagging of fish allowed. In addition to tournament limits, all SC freshwater fishing laws must be adhered to. 7. Nets are allowed. 8. Every boat must have an adult captain, age 21 years old or older, for driving purposes and only that captain can drive when the outboard motor is in use. Student anglers may operate the trolling motor when the outboard motor is not in use. 9. No live bait or trolling is allowed. 10. Boats provided by volunteers must be a minimum of 16 feet in length, have front and rear casting decks, a front mounted trolling motor, an aerated live well capable of keeping alive the [two-man team’s or individual’s] five bass limit. Boats must also have console steering (no tiller), an ignition safety kill switch, and all safety equipment as required by the United States Coast Guard. Boats participating in this tournament must have current boat registration. All boats must be subject to a safety check prior to the blast off. 11. Anytime the gasoline engine is in use, boat captains must be seated in the driver’s seat and anglers should be seated in the appropriate locations aboard the vessel. 12. Boat captains must operate boats in a safe manner abiding all boating laws when carrying student anglers to fishing locations. Student anglers make the decisions on what areas to fish on the lake and what direction to go. Boat captains cannot make suggestions on areas to fish. 13. Boats shall not exceed the maximum horsepower capacity on the boat’s maximum horsepower rating affixed to the boat by the manufacturer or a maximum of 250 hp. The maximum capacity rating must be legible. 14. Use of cell phones by student anglers is prohibited during the tournament. Captains may use cell phones to communicate emergencies only. All boats are required to have a cell phone and must provide the Tournament Coordinator the number of that cell phone in case of an emergency or to notify of bad weather conditions. Any use of a cell phone or any other communication devices to exchange fishing information is prohibited and will result in immediate disqualification. In the event of an emergency, all boat captains should call 911 first and then notify tournament officials. 15. All participants 16 years of age and older must have a valid South Carolina or Georgia Recreational Freshwater Fishing License. 16. Anglers may assist one another in netting fish. Coaches may also assist in netting fish, but are not allowed to assist tying lures or handling fish or gear. 17. After the weigh-in, all fish must be released immediately. All fish that are put in the live well must be kept alive. Dead fish will have a 1/2 pound deduction and cannot count as the large fish for that angler. 18. Dead fish may not be culled. 19. Each school is responsible for bringing 1 boat per 2 anglers. Only two students in each boat. [The total weight of the 5 fish limited to that boat will count for the total weight of the 5 fish limited to each angler will count for the cumulative weight.] 20. The total weights for each of the 5 fish limited to an individual will count towards the overall team total for the tournament. Individual weights will be recorded for the top fish designated by each boat. The largest fish award and most weight boat captain award will be given at the tournament. 21. Participants must stay completely in the boat unless they are using an authorized restroom facility or due to some other emergency or malfunction. If an emergency or malfunction occurs, the boat must contact the Tournament Coordinator prior to leaving the boat. In the event of a needed restroom break, the boat captain needs to contact tournament officials. Student anglers may leave and return to the boat at the official checkpoint designated by tournament officials. 22. Any transfer of fish from one live well to a different live well in another boat due to malfunction must be made in the presence of the Tournament Coordinator or other adults as approved by tournament officials. 23. On the day of the tournament, teams will be limited to putting into the water the number of boats based on the number of participating anglers. No additional boats, contacting coaches or other competitors from a team can be put into the water unless approved by tournament officials. Contestants may not obtain fishing patterns or locations from non competitors, follow a non-competitor’s boat or participate in the practice of “hole-sitting,” a practice wherein a non-competitor sits on a fishing spot, holding it for a contestant. In addition, non-competitors may not place markers for contestants. All of these acts are prohibited and will result in the immediate disqualification of the boat. 24. Only the designated boat captain and the two anglers assigned to that boat may be aboard the boat during competition. 25. At the time of check-in, all student anglers and their boats must comply with all the rules applied by tournament officials. At check-in, boat captains shall report their tournament boat identification number and anglers must present their limit and report any dead fish. Once the individual’s catch has been verified, anglers will proceed to the weigh-in. Boat captains must check in even if they don’t have any fish. North Augusta Fishing Team North Augusta Fishing Team Booster Club Facebook Page Tournament : http://www.facebook.com/NaftBorderBassInvitationalTournament/events 26. At the weigh-in location, each individual must carry their limit to the scales. 27. In the event of a tie, the following will be used in order to break the tie: schools with all three of their two-man teams weighing in a full 5 bass limit will automatically place higher; schools weighing in with dead fish will be automatically placed lower; and taking the tied teams and seeing which school landed the larger fish will automatically be placed higher. 28. No livewell culling system may be used that pass through the fish’s operculum or gill flap. Culling systems that attach via the fish’s lip are allowed. 29. Student anglers are encouraged to wear school uniform shirts or jersey which may include outside sponsor logos. 30. At the discretion of tournament officials, any participant can be disqualified for any unethical or unsportsmanlike behavior. 31. All boat captains subject to polygraph.
Toys for the Tots
Annual NAFT/CHC Angler/Mentor Champion Tournament 1. NAFT host a NAFT/CHC Mentoring Championship Tournament e. Top 6 teams will consist i. 3 middle school teams ii. 3 high school teams f. See 2012 & 2013 NAFT Booster Club calendars 2. Championship a. At Clarks Hill Lake b. Open to all angler’s and their assigned boat captain c. June 2013, after State tournament d. Trophies/Prizes awarded to winning Champions i. middle school and high school age group champions and their boat captains i. 2nd and 3rd placed prizes for both age groups e. Massive potential bragging rights at stake! 3. Proposed pre-determined destinations and Championship Tournament Location: a. Wildwood Park Boat Landing b. With permission from Wildwood Park i. NAFT Booster Club will obtain all required permissions
The tournament is on March 2 at Wildwood Park Landing, Appling, GA. They have invited all TBF Georgia & South Carolina youth clubs/teams and have requested each participant complete an Angler Bio with their registration. The plan is to offer a packet of bios to each of the recruiters. Rosie’s personal goal of this tournament is two fold, “First is to show our anglers and the world what a college education can bring them, and second the various industries associated with fishing and the tournament environment”.
Please help us spread the word about our tournament to college recruiters & various fishing industries from all over the US. We would like to show our youth the endless opportunities available when one follows his dreams.
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California and the Gold Ridge and Sotoyome Resource Conservation Districts have teamed up with a number of local government agencies, nonprofit groups, agribusinesses and landowners to improve fish habitat in five northern California watersheds. The goal is to increase salmonid populations while also sustaining productive agricultural operations. California is one of three western states included in this program.
James Gore, NRCS Assistant Chief from Washington, D.C., attended a special event in Camp Meeker to provide information on the programs during a walking tour of the Dutch Bill Creek restoration project that has been in process since 2009. This work included removing an old fish barrier dam, constructing a new pedestrian bridge, installing rock wiers for fish migration, and other stream and habitat restoration efforts.
Funding for these projects is available to landowners in watersheds along the Russian, Lower Eel, Big River, Navarro& Garcia rivers, Gualala and Salmon rivers. These funds will be used for barrier removal, streambank stabalization and restoration, and off-stream ponds to store water for irrigation and frost protection. Landowners are not required to participate, but are encouraged to become involved on a voluntary basis. Gains in fish habitiat because of private landowner participation is evident in the current Dry Creek Habtat Restoration Projectand the Biological Opinion Project progress.
Applications will be accepted at the Petaluma NRCS office until mid-March. Funding will be made available to landowners through the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program – a federal cost-share program, through the Farm Bill, to help landowners implement on-farm conservation practices.
For additional information, eligible producers in these counties are encouraged to contact their local NRCS Service Center. Service center locations and more information on the programs can be found at www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov. NRCS office located at 1301 Redwood Way, Suite 170, Petaluma, CA 94954.
In late 2012, a diverse set of more than two dozen government agencies, nonprofit groups and other stakeholders assembled to expand restoration efforts of salmonid habitat and historic salmon runs throughout Northern California. The Russian River Compact Executive Committee will explore a number of steps that local groups and landowners can take to improve salmonid populations to benefit both the species and local agricultural production.
The story of the Dutch Bill Creek Restoration Project is available with a slide show, video documentary, and project documents the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation Site website. As part of the Dutch Bill Creek Restoration Project, a new footbridge was installed across the creek. Watch the YouTube slideshow. You can stay tuned to updates at the Camp Meeker Community web site: www.campmeeker.org
Additional information about the program, progress, and people involved can be found at the OAEC Water Institue web site: www.oaecwater.com The WATER Institute has been involved with many projects in the Dutch Bill Creek watershed such as landowner outreach and education workshops, first flush water quality monitoring, coho recovery efforts, watershed road signage installation, watershed divide display construction & installation, active membership in the Dutch Bill Creek Watershed Group and numerous watershed friendly land management projects on our own 80 acres property in the headwaters of the Dutch Bill Watershed.
Volunteers, schools and more throught the adjining communities have been taking part in this ongoing restoration for the past several years. Students at Guerneville School took part by raising hatchlings then rleasing them into the creek as part of the fish restoration project. As of January 2012, endangered coho salmon, which had taken a fifty-year hiatus from spawning in Dutch Bill Creek, were spotted in the creek, and a snorkel survey of the creek in August if that year recorded a small school of wild coho on film, and the observers on the Russian River have counted at least 87 adult coho returning to that river and its tributaries (including Dutch Bill).
In December 2012, Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-1) announced that the Russian River watershed was selected as California’s Habitat Focus Area within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) Habitat Blueprint. NOAA’s habitat conservation experts felt that the Russian River offered the greatest opportunities for NOAA-wide collaboration on habitat conservation among the 17 candidate areas identified by the staff this fall.
This designation recognizes the Russian River watershed as one of the most promising regions in the nation for improvements in fish habitat. Efforts by volunteers at river clean-up days, adopting fish-friendly farming practices or creating habitat on private property is part of what made this region attractive to for funding and support.
The Russian River drains 1,485 square miles, including much of Sonoma and Mendocino counties and is home to three fish on the endangered and threatened species lists: coho salmon, Chinook salmon, and steelhead trout.
The habitat enhancement work includes supplementing cold water releases by providing the shady, complex habitat critical for young coho and steelhead, along with other habitat restoration and enhancement projects are being done throughout the Russian River watershed. These efforts are accompanied by extensive monitoring in order to measure success and to continually improve projects and programs.by Vesta Copestakes
When last we left them, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Fish and Boat Commission were publicly sparring over the definition of “impaired.”
Some things just don’t change. It seems the two state agencies are still playing in the kiddie river.
A smallmouth bass collected from the Susquehanna River near Selinsgrove displays the black spots that have anglers concerned.PA FISH & BOAT COMMISSION PHOTO
He points to the plunging population of smallmouth bassin the river from Sunbury to the Holtwood Dam as his evidence. Dozens of unique habitat models at fishiding.com
During that time, DEP Secretary Mike Krancer has said the commission’s concerns — young-of-year die offs, lesions on adult bass and inter-sexing of the species — are real and being actively studied by DEP experts. Full Story………
Growing big fish starts with growing lots of food to feed them. In order for the fry and forage fish to thrive and reproduce, they need mass amounts of food to develop and prosper.
Minnows, small panfish and fry feed on film that grows on surfaces underwater called peripyhton. This magical micro-floral community of bacteria and fungi, protozoa and zoo-plankton, dance together forming this wonderful highly efficient, nutrient converting fish food.
Phosphorus and nitrogen are often the biggest culprits in abundant weed growth and eutrophic waters. Converting these nutrients into fish food and ultimately fish, is not new and has been being used with ongoing success sometimes called brush parks. Create the food source and the fish will come.
The more surface area available, the more food can grow. Weed beds are a good example of surfaces for this film to grow and hiding places for the small fish.
The Hangout is where the smaller fish will congregate and eat this highest form of food available, within the protection of the maze of vinyl limbs that surround the feeder bag.
The plastic mesh feeder bag holds an incredible 400 square feet of surface area from a matrix of woven plastic recycled from drinking bottles. Weighing just over two pounds and approximately ten inches diameter and two feet long, these bags hold the key to fish development.
Over thirty two square feet of flexible vinyl limbs, the same material in all fishiding fish habitat products, complete this protective eating establishment. Dozens of unique habitat models at fishiding.com
Bend limbs and pinch crease with fingers, no tools or additional supplies needed.
Opens to a full 46″wide by 48″ tall, hang at any depth, unit sinks.
Each unit comes with 5.5 pounds of pre-drilled vinyl limbs, ranging in length from 12″-28″ long and 1″-4″ wide with feeder bag with ten feet of mono bait-ball line.
Hang unit from underside of dock or pier for year around fishing action.
Suspend unit from raft or tree limb to keep predators close by your food source.
Attach unit to full size habitat unit or anchor and add foam to feeder bag to add buoyancy.
Tie multiple units together for deep water applications.
David Beasley, head Fisheries Biologist for Solitude Lake Management talks about the need for fish habitat for a balanced aquatic environment. Fishiding.com and Solitude Lake Management have been working closely together to help clients up and down the East coast improve water quality and fish habitat. Beasley has been a strong leader in helping lake and pond owners understand the multiple benefits of adding and improving fish habitat in their waters. Dozens of unique habitat models at fishiding.com
Together, working with numerous Federal and State agencies , private lake owners, lake management associations and DNR Biologists, habitat restoration and improvement is near the top of everyone’s list.
Artificial fish habitat made from PVC, never decay and only improve with time. Un-like wood, plants and natural products that decay over time and remove dissolved oxygen from the water, bio film and periphyton growth adhere to PVC, creating nature’s finest available food for fry development. This magical film excels in nutrient uptake, converting over abundant phosphorus, nitrogen and other nutrients from the water brought in from run-off fertilizer, and plant decay. This inert substrate allows algae growth all year long, providing this important “mother’s milk” of small fish development.
Check out all the products available on-line at fishiding.com or Solitude Lake Management and see why the Industry Leader’s are leading with fishiding artificial Fish habitat Products.
Professional Angler sees the benefits of GRDA programs …
Langley – Although February 2013 will mark the first time that the Bass Master Classic tournament has visited Grand Lake, that does not mean participating fishermen will be unfamiliar with the popular fishing waters. Dozens of unique habitat models at fishiding.com
Grand Lake is always among the most popular angler destinations in Oklahoma and the surrounding region. Its 46,500 acres of water offer plenty of locations and plenty of room for landing the big one or just passing the time and wetting a hook.
Volunteers gather for instructions from the GRDA Ecosystems Management Department during a “Rush For Brush” event held in the Spring of 2012. Local anglers – both casual and professional – have seen the benefits of this GRDA program and other fisheries enhancement efforts on Grand and Hudson lakes.
Still, in recent years, the Grand River Dam Authority Ecosystems Management Department has been very active in lake-enhancement programs designed to both protect and preserve the waters of Oklahoma’s third-largest reservoir. The department was established in 2004 and has stayed busy with efforts like aquatic plant transplant programs, new oversight efforts for fishing tournaments and the very popular “Rush For Brush” artificial fish habitat effort. In late November the department also announced the first annual “Crappie Christmas” program to collect used live Christmas trees after the holidays for use at fish habitats.
“Our ‘Rush For Brush’ program is one of the most popular things we do,” said GRDA Fisheries Coordinator Brent Davis. “We seem to get more and more volunteer interest every year and it’s been very successful.”
GRDA’s efforts at fisheries enhancement have not been lost fishing enthusiasts – even those who do it professionally. Edwin Evers (Talala, Oklahoma), who will compete in the upcoming Bassmaster Classic knows the waters of Grand Lake well and also knows what it’s like to help with the GRDA’s artificial fish habitat efforts.
“The coolest thing they do to manage these lakes is they have this Rush For Brush,” said Evers. “This where volunteers come out and build habitats with materials supplied by GRDA, then fishermen can put them where they want to in the water. It’s just another thing GRDA does to make our lakes so great.”
All that habitat does make a difference in angler success. Each year, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) releases an Oklahoma Bass Tournaments Annual Report. In the most recent report, with numbers from 2010, Grand Lake ranks third to continue “its annual showing at or near the top of our list,” states the ODWC report. In past years, GRDA’s Lake Hudson has also been a frequent visitor to the top 10 list. In other words, a standard answer to the age-old question “where are they biting?” can almost always be “Grand and Hudson.”
Meanwhile, GRDA’s efforts to help manage catches at all those tournaments are also good for the lakes, said Evers.
“The other thing I think makes a big difference in why Grand Lake is so good is how GRDA manages the summer months,” said Evers. “During those times when fish are caught deep and water temperatures are really high, they limit the amount of fish that can come in during a tournament. They go from a five fish limit to a four fish limit in June and July. Then, they take it to a three fish limit in August when it’s the absolute hottest. When you do that, there is a lot less stress on the fish.”
All those efforts help GRDA to meet not only its ecosystems management mission but they also aid the economic development mission. A good tournament reputation helps bring in more tournaments, which bring in more dollars to the lake area. Of course, the upcoming Bassmaster Classic has the reputation as the biggest and most prestigious of all.
Davis, who works closely with tournament officials on GRDA lakes, said larger, more prestigious tournaments like the Classic equal even more money spent per angler, per day.
“I am going to say $300 to $400 per day,” he said, pointing out that those numbers are just for the anglers themselves, and do not include the dollars spent by the fans who attend the events.
All those people will get to experience one of the best lakes to be found, said Evers.
“When I think of Grand, what pops in my mind is one of the premier lakes in the country,” he said. “It’s as good as it possibly gets.”
With a continued focus on good management practices, and ongoing programs that involve lake-area stakeholders, GRDA is working to keep it that way. Headquartered in Vinita, GRDA is Oklahoma’s state-owned electric utility; fully funded by revenues from electric and water sales instead of taxes.
Directly or indirectly, GRDA’s low-cost, reliable; electricity serves nearly 500,000 homes in Oklahoma and stretches into 75 of 77 counties in the state. At no cost to Oklahoma taxpayers, GRDA also manages 70,000 surface acres of lakes in the state, including Grand Lake, Lake Hudson and the W.R. Holway Reservoir. Today, GRDA’s 500 employees continue to produce the same “power for progress” that has benefited the state for 75-plus years.
Standing on a bank at Smith Mountain Lake, Michael Forte watched as Appalachian Power workers on a barge lowered what looked like a wooden pyramid the size of a small refrigerator into the lake.
Forte, of Franklin County, designed it himself, and now the invention is part of an assortment of habitat devices that will be used to determine how to entice more fish into coves at the lake.
With the help of Internet research, Forte built a similar pyramid habitat and installed it under his boathouse a few years ago. He said it caused a “dramatic difference” in the number of fish swimming in his cove; today, there are dozens and dozens as opposed to very few.
“I just wanted to see if I could attract some fish,” he said. “And it worked.” See the dozens of unique habitat models at fishiding.com
The power company, which uses Smith Mountain and Leesville lakes to produce electricity through a two-reservoir hydroelectric generation dam, hopes to duplicate that kind of success in drawing fish to shallow water areas, said Liz Parcell, a plant manager.
Last week, workers lowered about a dozen similar fish habitat devices in areas shallower than 20 feet in the cove below the Discovery Center at Smith Mountain Lake State Park in Bedford County.
“Fine, dense cover for the smallest of fish.
Some of the habitat designs were natural collections of brush and twigs; others were man-made and included cinder blocks, wood pallets and various pipes.
“It’s kind of like a scientific project,” Parcell said.
Some designs resembled objects that might be seen in art galleries, but that will change over time, she said. (possibly the fishiding structures)“They’ll get covered in algae; they won’t look like this for long,” Parcell said.
The goal is to study what designs work and then share that information with lake homeowners, who in turn could use it to create fish habitats of their own.
Next year, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries will send scuba divers near the habitats placed in the water to gauge their effectiveness in drawing more fish, Parcell said.
The work is tied to the 30-year license renewal that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted APCo in 2010, she said. The license, which the commission renewed after years of planning and debate among lake-area stakeholders, calls for a habitat-management plan and improved habitat along the shoreline.
Lake-area residents and landowners will have to obtain permits from the company before installing the habitats, Parcell said. APCo is working to have that process online, she said, and hopes to have it up and running soon.
“Hopefully, no one gets too excited too quickly,” she said.
This unusual barge can deposit several tons of rock into the lake to help create new fish habitat. / Missouri Department of Conservation
Written by
David Casaletto
Executive Director, Ozarks Water Watch
The Missouri Department of Conservation uses this unusual barge to dump heavy rocks or tree stumps into Table Rock Lake to help improve fish habitat. MDC also uses a different ‘fish habitat barge’ to deposit trees and brush piles into the lake. / Missouri Department of Conservation
Table Rock Lake is more than 50 years old.
When the lake was created, much of the Ozark forest was flooded, and the trees and brush provided cover for the lake’s fish populations. But after 50 years, most of that fish habitat has disappeared.
In 2007, the Table Rock Lake National Fish Habitat Initiative (NFHI) project began with the primary objective to improve fish habitat in Table Rock Lake. Additional goals include: Improve the water quality of Table Rock Lake and its tributaries, monitor the effectiveness and longevity of habitat structures, and develop a framework for a broader national habitat program.
Project partners include the Missouri Department of Conservation, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Bass Pro Shops, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Southwestern Power Administration, Ozarks Water Watch, Table Rock Lake Water Quality, James River Basin Partnership and other private groups and citizens.
To improve habitat, the Initiative project places cedar trees, hardwood treetops and recycled Christmas trees in the lake to create habitat with a “fish habitat barge.” The barge was built for this purpose by Tracker Marine in Lebanon, Mo. It is a large pontoon-style boat with a hydraulic lift on the front that raises and dumps the habitat into the lake.
Another barge called the “rock barge” is contracted to place larger (and heavier) habitat structure consisting of rocks, boulders and stumps. The state conservation department gets these materials from developers, contractors and landowners who are clearing land and need to dispose of them.
To date, 1,810 brush piles, 104 rock structures, 76 stump fields, 11 stump/rock combinations and 26 rock “fence” structures have been installed for a total of 2,027 new habitat structures in Table Rock Lake. These structures were placed in areas and depths that are available for fish during most of the year.
They have been located by positioning systems and can be found (and downloaded) on the department’s website at:http://newmdcgis.mdc.mo.gov/tablerock/. In addition, the department has placed green signs on the shoreline near some structures.
The Initiative also recognizes that water quality is a critical component of fish habitat. Funding has been contributed to the James River Basin Partnership, Table Rock Lake Water Quality and Ozarks Water Watch for cost sharing to homeowners to pump out septic tanks and replace failing septic systems.
These water quality organizations have combined over the past five years to pump out more than 2 million gallons of septic effluent and replace more than 100 failing septic systems.
All participants receive a packet of water quality educational materials and septic system maintenance information. Funds are still available to share the cost for pumpouts and for replacing failing septic systems.
To monitor and evaluate the Initiative structures that have been placed in Table Rock Lake, the state conservation department has designated four evaluation techniques: fish sampling, Scuba observations, an angler survey and a black bass biotelemetry study.
By monitoring fish use of the habitat structures, the department is learning what techniques and designs work best for placing habitat during the remainder of the Initiative project and in other lakes in Missouri. Information gathered from the evaluation will allow the department to share ideas and techniques with other state agencies that are working to improve fish habitat in reservoirs.
By all accounts, this is a success story, but is that area going to be loaded with fish? Will a fisherman always be able to find fish off those trees? The only way to find out is to get out there and fish those areas. And the only way for biologists to know if the project is working is if anglers let them know.
Friday, March 8, 2013 at 9:21AM ActivistAngler.com
The story of the Dutch Bill Creek Restoration Project is available with a slide show, video documentary, and project documents the 
A smallmouth bass collected from the Susquehanna River near Selinsgrove displays the black spots that have anglers concerned.PA FISH & BOAT COMMISSION PHOTO
