Trout-fishing class tackles how to get it done

BY MARK J. CZERWINSKI
The Record
STAFF WRITER


PARAMUS — Frank DeMarco already is a veteran angler. So are Jim Martinelli and Jay Logan.

Sure, they know all about fly fishing for trout. They'd seen others do it plenty of times over the years, and they were definitely intrigued.

But until they signed up for the beginners fly fishing course offered by members of the East Jersey chapter of Trout Unlimited, they were outsiders, uninitiated in one of the most enduring rites of spring.

That all will change when the New Jersey trout season opens Saturday morning at 8 o'clock. Even though they've only just started the class, all three know their April fishing experiences never will be the same again.

"This is really the sport end of fishing," said DeMarco, 61, who lives in Wayne. "I've always liked to fish, but this is different."

"I had a little taste of it last summer," said Martinelli, 46, of Saddle Brook. "But it's like golf. You can do it, but if you want to be any good, you have to take a couple of lessons."

One of the class assignments over the next couple of weeks is to go fishing, and like the rest of the state's trout chasers, these guys won't have a hard time finding a place to do their homework.

The state has been stocking trout in designated lakes, ponds and rivers since March 22, and nearly 600,000 fish will be added to these waters by the end of spring. The Department of Environmental Protection reports that trout-fishing participation is up by more than 21 percent over the past five years, and the ranks of fly fisherman are about to swell a little more.

"I've been wanting to learn how to do this for a long time," said Logan, 49, who lives in West Milford and hopes to visit the Pequannock River sometime in the next week. "About a year and a half ago, I bought myself a fly rod, but I never did anything with it.

"Last year for Father's Day, my family got me a fly setup. When I saw the article about these classes in The Record — boom — I was in."

The members of East Jersey Trout Unlimited are dedicated anglers who know the North Jersey trout-fishing scene inside and out. They are good and patient teachers who enjoy passing this art form on to other anglers, and the group of instructors even includes former students back to help out.

The classes began last month at West Brook Middle School in Paramus, and run for seven weeks, three hours each Tuesday. The first two sessions made a big impact on the students, who seem hungry for more.

"What I've learned is that I don't want to miss any classes," Logan said. "I want to learn it all. About the bugs. Reading the water. All of it."

"I started with the fly-tying classes over the winter," Martinelli said. "They say once you move away from bait and become a fly fisherman, you never go back to worms and a lure. After this, worms and splitshot seem prehistoric."

The class already has learned the mechanics of casting, so students know enough of the basics to take advantage of everything April has to offer.


Sure, they know all about fly fishing for trout. They'd seen others do it plenty of times over the years, and they were definitely intrigued.

But until they signed up for the beginners fly fishing course offered by members of the East Jersey chapter of Trout Unlimited, they were outsiders, uninitiated in one of the most enduring rites of spring.

That all will change when the New Jersey trout season opens Saturday morning at 8 o'clock. Even though they've only just started the class, all three know their April fishing experiences never will be the same again.

"This is really the sport end of fishing," said DeMarco, 61, who lives in Wayne. "I've always liked to fish, but this is different."

"I had a little taste of it last summer," said Martinelli, 46, of Saddle Brook. "But it's like golf. You can do it, but if you want to be any good, you have to take a couple of lessons."

One of the class assignments over the next couple of weeks is to go fishing, and like the rest of the state's trout chasers, these guys won't have a hard time finding a place to do their homework.

The state has been stocking trout in designated lakes, ponds and rivers since March 22, and nearly 600,000 fish will be added to these waters by the end of spring. The Department of Environmental Protection reports that trout-fishing participation is up by more than 21 percent over the past five years, and the ranks of fly fisherman are about to swell a little more.

"I've been wanting to learn how to do this for a long time," said Logan, 49, who lives in West Milford and hopes to visit the Pequannock River sometime in the next week. "About a year and a half ago, I bought myself a fly rod, but I never did anything with it.

"Last year for Father's Day, my family got me a fly setup. When I saw the article about these classes in The Record — boom — I was in."

The members of East Jersey Trout Unlimited are dedicated anglers who know the North Jersey trout-fishing scene inside and out. They are good and patient teachers who enjoy passing this art form on to other anglers, and the group of instructors even includes former students back to help out.

The classes began last month at West Brook Middle School in Paramus, and run for seven weeks, three hours each Tuesday. The first two sessions made a big impact on the students, who seem hungry for more.

"What I've learned is that I don't want to miss any classes," Logan said. "I want to learn it all. About the bugs. Reading the water. All of it."

"I started with the fly-tying classes over the winter," Martinelli said. "They say once you move away from bait and become a fly fisherman, you never go back to worms and a lure. After this, worms and splitshot seem prehistoric."

The class already has learned the mechanics of casting, so students know enough of the basics to take advantage of everything April has to offer.

"This is real fishing," DeMarco said. "It's so much more fun. It's so much more rewarding."

Ohio Wildlife Council makes changes to hunting regulations, fishing limits

By D'Arcy Egan, The Plain Dealer
April 09, 2010, 6:30AM
Ohio deer hunters will be allowed to purchase a less expensive $15 antlerless deer permit without being first required to obtain a $24 regular deer permit.The Ohio Wildlife Council approved Division of Wildlife recommendations in setting the hunting regulations for 2010-11, made it less expensive to bag a female white-tailed next fall, and expanded the number of lakes with a 15-inch size limit for walleye, sauger and saugeye.

The OWC also gained two members. Kim Davis of Carrollton and Timothy Ratliff of Winchester were appointed by Gov. Ted Strickland to the eight-member board through 2014. They replace longtime member Howard Calhoun of Akron and Gary Grant of Continental.

Ohio deer hunters eager to put venison in the freezer rather than bag an antlered buck will be allowed to purchase a less expensive $15 antlerless deer permit without being first required to obtain a $24 regular deer permit. The more expensive regular deer permit allows a hunter to bag a buck or doe. A $19 resident or $125 non-resident annual Ohio hunting license is required before buying deer permits.

The OWC approved a recommendation to increase the deer bag limit to four deer per season in nine Northwest Ohio counties. Only one antlered deer is allowed per season in all of Ohio. Deer hunters had a record harvest of 261,314 deer in 2009-10.

The 2010-11 deer seasons are:

•Archery: Sept. 25-Feb. 6.

•Special area muzzleloading rifle: Oct. 18-23.

•Youth gun: Nov. 20-21.

•Statewide gun: Nov. 29-Dec. 5 and Dec. 18-19.

•Statewide muzzleloading rifle: Jan. 8-11.

Hunting dates for other game approved by the OWC include: squirrel, Sept. 1-Jan. 31; ruffed grouse, Oct. 9-Jan. 31; fall wild turkey, Oct. 9-Nov. 28; youth upland game season, Oct. 16-17 and Oct. 23-24; rabbit, Nov. 5-Feb. 28; pheasant, Nov. 5-Jan. 9; quail, Nov. 5-28; fox, raccoon, skunk, opossum and weasel, Nov. 10-Jan. 31.

Waterfowl regulations are set in August using U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service guidelines. The early Canada goose and mourning dove hunting seasons begin Sept. 1.
walleye fishing.jpgView full sizeD'Arcy Egan / PDThe Ohio Wildlife Council has expanded the number of lakes with a 15-inch size limit for walleye, sauger and saugeye.

Fishing changes: Lakes in Northeast Ohio with a new 15-inch size limit for walleye, sauger and saugeye are Atwood, Pleasant Hill, Tappan and West Branch. The list also includes Acton, Alum Creek, Buckeye, Caesar Creek Ferguson, Findlay, Indian, Snowden, Metzger, Rocky Fork and Seneca lakes.

Think turkey: The month-long spring turkey hunting season opens April 19. Wildlife managers are keeping their fingers crossed.

"Although last year we experienced one of the poorest wild turkey hatches we have seen in recent years, good numbers of 2-year-old gobblers should be available in many areas this spring," game biologist Mike Reynolds said.

Hunters killed 20,710 gobblers last spring. The Ohio turkey population is estimated at 200,000, and 70,000 hunters are expected in the woods.

There are new hunting hours this spring, but only for the last half of the season. The turkey-hunting day begins 30 minutes before sunrise, but ends at noon for the first two weeks. From May 3-16, the hunting day is extended until sunset.
FISHING REPORT

Steelhead trout fishing should continue to sparkle in Lake Erie tributaries if more rain doesn't fall. Lake Erie perch and walleye fishing is warming up. Inland anglers are reporting good catches of crappies, with largemouth bass starting to bite.

Cleveland area The night bite isn't hot yet, but some Lake Erie walleye have been caught after dark from Lakewood's Gold Coast to Edgewater Park. Few anglers are chasing yellow perch around Cleveland, but the perch have been steadily biting off Lorain Harbor.

Walleye fishing has been fair to good to the west, with anglers trolling minnow-style plugs and casting hair jigs and minnows in the traditional spring hot spot from Huron's Cranberry Creek to Sherrod Park in Vermilion. The best depths have been in 15 to 25 feet.

Rainbow trout were recently stocked at Shadow Lake in the Cleveland Metroparks South Chagrin Reservation in Solon, and at the Westlake Recreation Center pond.

There are various trout limits. The steelhead and rainbow trout limit in the main rivers is two fish per day, as well as on the East Branch of the Rocky River, where there have been frequent stockings of 1- to 4-pound rainbow trout. There is a trout limit of five per day on lakes getting state stockings, including Shadow and Hinckley lakes and the Ohio & Erie Canal waters. The Cleveland Metroparks limit on its stocked waters -- Wallace, Ranger, Judge and Ledge lakes -- is three trout per day.

Anglers must also carry a 2010 fishing license.

Trout streams It has been a very good week of steelhead trout fishing in Northeast Ohio's Lake Erie tributaries, with most of the rivers low and fairly clear. Recent rain seems to have enhanced the fishing, but too much rainfall will slow it down. Rainfall has been erratic, with some areas getting only a little moisture in the past day or so, and steelhead fishermen will need to check river levels. The Grand River has been the hot spot, with some fresh fish to catch and lots of dark trout heading back to Lake Erie after spawning.

With clear-water conditions, steelheaders are downsizing their flies and bait. Stealth fishing has been the key, with the trout especially wary this time of the year. Lots of trout are on the gravel beds to spawn, and easy to snag. Those trout must be released.

Steelhead trout fishing has been good on the Rocky River, where lots of suckers also have moved into the stream. Some smallmouth bass are showing up in the lower stretches of the Rocky River.

Anglers with small boats can target steelhead trout in the lower estuaries and harbor areas in the lower sections of the river and around the mouths of rivers. Casting streamers is a good bet, with some anglers trolling plugs and spoons in the lower sections of rivers.

Inland lakes, reservoirs Mosquito and Pymatuning reservoirs have been giving up fair to good numbers of walleye, with some anglers wading the shallows to cast shallow-running diving plugs and jig-twister tail rigs for walleye. Crappies are also being caught in good numbers as they move into shallow water, although the larger schools of crappies are gathering around structure in deeper water.

Turkeyfoot and West lakes in the Portage Lakes have been good for crappies in 10 to 15 feet of water.

Bass fishing has been very good at the small electric-only lakes, including Mogadore and LaDue reservoirs, where bass are making an early appearance along shoreline drop-offs. Pitch small plastic worms, jigs and trailers and tube jigs.

Today's cold front could slow the fishing down a little bit in shallow water, but warming temperatures should improve the fishing toward the latter part of the weekend.

Western Ohio Walleye fishing around the Niagara Reef complex and waters to the west has been good, with anglers casting lead-head jigs with hair skirts tipped with minnows or twister tails. The Maumee Bay and Turtle Creek areas have been especially good. Some yellow perch are being caught, and smallmouth bass are making an early appearance around the Bass Islands and Kelleys Island.

Walleye fishing has slowed a bit on the Maumee and Sandusky rivers as rain has kicked up the water levels, but there is plenty of walleye in the rivers. Anglers are casting lead-head jigs and twisters tails and floating jig heads and twister tails on Carolina-style rigs. Bright colors are working best.

White bass fishing on both the Sandusky and Maumee rivers will begin soon.


Holy mackerel! The largest fishing tackle flea market in the area is open today through Sunday, with Jim Wohlever filling the New Russia Township Hall in Oberlin with rods, reels and lures, including antique tackle. The free show is open today from 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wohlever offers free appraisals of old fishing tackle.

Turkey talk: Turkey hunters can sight their shotguns Sunday at a special session from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the South Cuyahoga Sportsmen's Association in Chatham Township. The Northcoast Limbhangers Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation is holding the event. A wide variety of shotshell loads are available to test at a cost of $1.50 to $3 per shell. The NWTF chapter also has its annual banquet April 15 at Holy Spirit Party Center in Parma. Call Jim Cartellone (330-220-7185) for tickets.

Out and about: A fire destroyed the main equipment building at the London Fish Hatchery last weekend, a facility west of Columbus that raises rainbow trout stocked at lakes around the state. . . . It's the time of year wildlife officials are warning well-meaning people to not rescue wildlife, even though a deer fawn or baby raccoon appears to be abandoned.

Venison for food banks: Buckeye deer hunters had a good year, and so did the food banks that rely on their donations of venison. During the season, hunters donated 116,750 pounds of venison to the Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry program, enough for 467,000 meals for Ohioans in need. A total of 2,336 deer were donated, up from 1,096 deer in 2008-09. The Division of Wildlife helped pay the processing costs of the donated deer.

Ontario netters unhappy: The Lake Erie Committee of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission allocated Ohio sport fishermen a smaller number of walleye for 2010.

Ohio was able to maintain its daily bag limit of six walleye this summer, though cuts are forecast for 2011, and the yellow perch bag limit for Western Lake Erie increased to 30 fish, matching the bag limit in the rest of Ohio's Lake Erie waters.

Ontario commercial fishermen, who usually catch all of their quota with efficient gill nets, are not so pleased. Critics in Canada say the quotas for walleye and perch are the worst ever, reports the Windsor Star. One commercial fishermen said he could catch all the perch he's allowed in a single month, if he wanted. Commercial fishermen predict this year's catch will net them about $20 million, half of what they earned in the lake's heyday.

New law makes vandals pay

By Independent Record

Montana state parks, fishing access sites, and wildlife management areas are seeing the benefits of a law passed during the 2009 Montana legislative session that gave more teeth to convictions for vandalism at FWP sites.

House Bill 223 authorized the revocation of hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges upon conviction of criminal mischief or trespassing on Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ properties or criminal trespass while hunting, fishing, or trapping.

The law went into effect one year ago in early April, just in time to apply to widespread vandalism at the Dailey Lake Fishing Access Site in the Paradise Valley. The vandalism included driving over 12 signs, the visitor kiosk, five windscreens surrounding the latrines, and several sections of jackleg fencing, as well as ramming the iron ranger fee-collection box, which was set in one cubic yard of concrete.

Paden Andersen, 21, of Livingston was caught and charged with felony criminal mischief for the vandalism. He was ordered to pay restitution of $7,330 and his hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges were revoked for a minimum of 24 months or until restitution is paid in full. It ultimately cost FWP about $10,000 to replace the signs, kiosk, fencing, and windscreens, and to reset the fee collection box.

In another case, on Dec. 26, 2009, Chase Glueckert of Helena left his vehicle overnight in a day-use only area at Spring Meadow Lake State Park in Helena. The security guard with the company that locks the gates nightly tried unsuccessfully to locate the car’s owner, recorded the vehicle’s license plate number, and locked the gate. Glueckert, 18, returned later to find the gate locked, so he drove through a fence to get out of the lot.

After game wardens caught up with Glueckert, he admitted to driving through the fence and was convicted of criminal mischief. He paid a fine of $335 and restitution of $250 to replace the damaged fence, and his hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges were revoked for 24 months.

More recently, on March 27, Helena game wardens received a tip that campers at Black Sandy State Park on Hauser Reservoir north of Helena were attempting to hill climb with a vehicle, damaging vegetation on the steep hillside. Although the violators had left the site, wardens caught up with Jonathan McCausland, 29, of Manhattan, who was charged with criminal mischief and pleaded guilty. He was fined $135 and his hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges were revoked for 24 months. The site will require recontouring, regrading and revegetation.

The law also was used in an Aug. 24, 2009, incident at the Greycliff Fishing Access Site on the Madison River. John Andrew Whitney, 20, of Bozeman shot up and destroyed a metal latrine door at the site, and was later fined $200 and ordered to pay restitution of $550 to replace the door. His hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges were revoked for 24 months.

“Unfortunately, these crimes are becoming more common and replacing or repairing damaged public property costs FWP, and therefore Montana sportsmen and women, tens of thousands of dollars each year,” said Regional Warden Captain Sam Sheppard. “I hope this makes someone think twice about destroying public property and the consequences of losing hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges.”

Anyone who witnesses a natural resource crime or has information about a crime is encouraged to call TIP MONT, a toll-free hotline at 1-800-TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668). Callers can remain anonymous or confidential and may be eligible for a reward upon conviction of the individual(s) responsible for the crime.

For more information about TIP MONT visit http://fwp.mt.gov/enforcement/tipmont

Turkey hunting can be a dangerous sport

Reported by Casey Roman

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - More hunters are taking up the sport of hunting turkeys in our area. With more guns in the woods, the number of shot gun related accidents have increased.

Last year, 3 people died while turkey hunting in North Carolina and 40 other people were injured. A handful of these injuries came from Columbus, Pender, Robeson and Brunswick counties.

Many accidents happen when a hunter tries to "stalk" his prey. Hunters should call the turkey from a seated position and allow the bird to come to them. When hunters "stalk" or "chase," they can easily become unaware of what's around them. Often they shoot at the sound of the gobble, which turns out to be a fellow hunter.

Lieutenant Matt Long with the North Carolina Wildlife Commission said stalking is the least successful and the most dangerous method of hunting.

The hunter who is calling will be the first to see the other hunter. "His job, in order to protect himself, is to say in a quiet voice, 'Hey, I'm not a turkey. Don't shoot!'" said Lt. Long.

Unlike other animals, turkeys can see color. Hunters are not required to wear blaze orange which easily identifies them in the brush.

"If the hunter wore blaze orange, he would never kill a turkey," said Lt. Long. "The turkey would see the color and go the other way."

Still, hunters forget that even a red bandanna or a white t-shirt turns them into a colorful moving target. Those are the same colors found on the bird.

"A hunter is looking for red, white, blue and black," said Lt. Long. "Those are the colors of the turkey and if he sees them, he's going to key in on them and say, 'There's a bird' and get ready to shoot."

Hunters can only hunt male turkeys and use a shot gun or a bow.

Turkey hunting season starts Saturday, April 10th and last until May 8th.

Inaugural Idaho Wolf Hunt Ends

by J.R. Absher

Idaho’s history-making hunting season for gray wolves officially ended at dusk last Wednesday, March 31, with 185 wolves killed by hunters, 35 animals shy of the 220 statewide quota.

Wildlife officials immediately offered words of praise for the historic hunt, claiming it effectively demonstrates that states can responsibly manage a species the federal government spent millions of dollars over the last 15 years restoring in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

Cal Groen, director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, said it should also dispel fears that giving hunters license to kill wolves would threaten recovery less than a year after the animals were removed from the endangered species list.

“I think this shows that we’re going still going to have a healthy wolf population that can be a part of our landscape,” Groen said.

In Montana, hunters killed 72 wolves during its inaugural two-month season in 2009, while wildlife agents killed another 145 found harassing or preying on livestock. In Wyoming, where wolves remain under federal protection, agents killed 32 wolves, and in Idaho, another 138 were killed by wildlife agents.

A report issued in March by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found more than 1,700 wolves roaming the region, compared to 1,650 the previous year. The number of breeding packs increased from 95 to 115.

In addition to contributing to the successful management of wolves in the two states, the hunts also added considerable revenue to agency coffers, something that’s always welcomed in the current era of ever-tightening game department budgets.

Idaho sold 31,393 wolf tags for its 2009-2010 season, generating $497,304 for wildlife conservation. In Montana, where 15,603 wolf licenses were sold, a total of $325,916 was brought in.

Plans are already underway for Idaho’s 2010-2011 wolf season. Potential changes include allowing hunters to kill a second wolf in certain zones, adjusting season length, changing zone boundaries, decreasing tag fees for non-residents and allowing hunters to use electronic predator calls. The state hopes to decrease the wolf population to a target number of about 500 animals.

Montana game officials plan to assess all the harvest information and other data collected through the year prior to proposing any changes for its 2010 hunting season quotas.

Dismal Swamp bear hunt could expand Just one bear killed in refuge during past four years By R.E. Spears II

The price for bear hunting in the Great Dismal Swamp could drop this year if Refuge Manager Chris Lowie gets his way.

If history is any indication, however, the bears have little to fear, even if the lower fees have the desired effect of bringing in more hunters.

That’s because in four years of sanctioned two-day bear hunts within the swamp, the hunters have taken just one bear — and that one was an illegal kill, because the bear was smaller than allowed, Lowie said Thursday.

“It’s a tough place to hunt,” he explained. “We consider the conditions to be fairly rigorous.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began opening the swamp to bear hunters for two days each November back in 2006. Each year, a lottery is held, and 50 hunters’ names are randomly drawn. Each selected hunter is allowed to bring one guest along, for a total of 100 hunters. Those hunters are allowed to roam the refuge for two days in search of their prey.

The agency sets a 20-bear limit in order to protect the population, he said.

The program was started as a way “to provide a recreational opportunity in line with the purpose of the refuge,” Lowie said.

But the interest in the hunt has fallen off each year from the beginning, he added, noting that for the last couple of years the full complement of 100 hunters was not reached.

Since the hunt is recreational in nature and not designed to control the bear population, there has been no resulting increase in the refuge’s estimated bear population of about 300 animals, Lowie said.

Conversely, the refuge is open for 13 days during October and November for deer hunting, and there is no lottery system for hunters who wish to participate. Last year, the agency permitted more than 400 hunters, who killed about 80 deer, down from the normal take of about 135 animals, he said.

“It was real wet last year,” he explained. “It was real tough hunting.”

Hunters are allowed to drive along the refuge’s roads to get access to various parts of the swamp, and they can use car-top boats to cross the ditches, but they are not allowed to use any other motorized vehicles.

The bear hunts are especially hard, he said, because dogs are not allowed, and bear-baiting is prohibited. Also, for many of the hunters who are chosen in the lottery system, it is their first time hunting in the swamp.

In an effort to increase participation in the bear hunt this year, Lowie has proposed cutting the fee in half, to $25.

“Reducing the hunt fee to $25 is one strategy to increase hunter participation and improve the overall quality of the bear hunt program,” he said. “Another strategy will be to conduct a second lottery to backfill unsold permits.”

Interested hunters can apply for the hunt starting on July 1. A period of public comment on the proposal to cut the fee is in effect until May 8. Comments can be submitted by email to greatdismalswamp@fws.gov or mailed to Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, 3100 Desert Road, Suffolk, VA 23434.

Weekend flounder take looking to be plentiful

Saturday should be a wonderful start for our local fishing weekend. And it won't really matter if we've got spring fever or summer heat.

Reports about good flounder fishing started trickling in already the very first day the New York state season opened last Thursday.

Skipper Dave Paris of Sheepshead Bay's Capt. Dave, fishing in about 10 feet of water in Jamaica Bay around the Marine Parkway Bridge, even calls it very good. Earlier this week, his crew actually counted 70 flatties brought on board by only 16 anglers. The pool winner measured 17 inches. That count, of course, went down after complying with the state's two-fish, 12-inch minimum.

Flounder are also being taken around Long Island such as out of Captree and in the Shinnecock and Quogue Canals at the East End. As expected, Jack's Bait & Tackle on City Island is geared up with bait and rental skiffs for western Sound floundering.

Everyone agrees that sandworms and bloodworms work well, as do mussel and clam combos. The trick is to be heavy-handed with the chum.

Meanwhile, don't forget that we've got until April 30 to enjoy some blackfishing. Brooklynite Joe Lefkitz's 6-1/2-pounder won the pool over the two dozen or so blackies taken early this week in about 60 feet of water off the Jersey coast.

As for this weekend's events, Friday is when freshwater anglers will be celebrating the spring trout season with First Cast festivities in the Catskills town of Roscoe.

Fun starts at 7:30 a.m. when intrepid souls are welcome to try their skills in the chill waters of Junction Pool where the Beaverkill and Willowemoc rivers meet. The public's also invited over to nearby Livingston Manor to meander through the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum exhibits. The traditional two-headed trout dinner (actually now a $45 prime rib feast) at Roscoe's Rockland House restaurant tops off the day. Reserve your spot by calling (609) 498-4139.

Also C Friday, the DEC holds its annual Spring Family Fishing Day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Long Island's Belmont Lake State Park. Loaner rods and free bait are available, allowing everyone a taste of fishing for the approximate newly stocked 4,000 trout. Meantime, the Sportfishing, Hunting and Outdoor Expo at the Aviator Sports Center at Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field goes all weekend. Get there today by 5 p.m. and catch a seminar about small boat tuna fishing. Or tomorrow at 1 p.m. hear about tuna fishing from party boats. These are among daily hour-long topics that you can view at www.ny-outdoor-expo.com.

All things fly fishing happening at Saturday expo

“Fly fishing is the most fun you can have standing up.” — Arnold Gingrich
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — The 12th annual Western Colorado Fly Fishing Exposition is back again Saturday, April 10, in Grand Junction. The event is sponsored by the Grand Valley Anglers Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Federation of Fly Fishers. The Expo will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel located at I-70 and Horizon Drive. Doors open at 9 a.m. and the Expo runs until 4 p.m.

In recent years, the event has been geared toward introducing young people to fishing. There will be fly-tying instruction for kids all day, casting instruction, casting contests with many prizes including fly rods and reels, and special youth programs. Admission to the Expo is free and kids are provided a free T-shirt.

In addition to youth activities, the Expo will feature:

• Some of the best fly tyers from Colorado and the West demonstrating their skills.

• Hourly fishing programs on subjects such as fishing the Roaring Fork Valley, youth fly fishing, fishing in Idaho, fishing photography, and fishing the Uncompahgre River.

• Raffles, vendors, silent auctions, youth and adult door prizes.

• BBQ lunch at noon.

• Casting instruction/equipment demonstrations/contests.

There will also be a banquet, program, and auction Saturday night at the DoubleTree. This year's program is titled “Family-FlyFishing-Fun.” Advanced reservations are needed to attend the banquet. Cost is $25

For more information, contact mccallsr@gmail.com or call Pat and Carol at 434-3912 or Steve at 210-7941, or visit www.grand-valley-anglers.org.
GO & DO
What: 12th annual W. Colo. Fly Fishing Expo
When: Saturday, April 10, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Where: DoubleTree Hotel, 743 Horizon Drive
Cost: Free
Info: 434-3912

Will there be a salmon fishing season this year? Decision next week

Will there be a salmon fishing season this year? Decision next week

By BOB NORBERG
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Fishery regulators will begin debating Monday whether to allow sport and commercial salmon fishing in Northern California this year, following fish counts in the Sacramento River system that were the lowest in years.

No matter which way the Pacific Fishery Management Council leans, however, it is likely to be controversial.

“There are some guys thinking we shouldn’t go fishing, because if their predictions are as wrong as last year, it could harm the fishery,” said veteran Bodega Bay fisherman Chuck Wise. “But if their science indicates there are fish to catch, we should go fishing, we need to do that.”

The council is considering three options, including a full season, a partial season and none at all, which would be a ban on commercial fishing for the third consecutive year.

The debate centers on the predictions made by the state Department of Fish and Game that forecasts there will be 245,000 chinook salmon returning to the Sacramento River system next year, well above the threshold set by federal regulators.

However, the same model predicted a healthy return this year, but the number of returning salmon, 39,500, was the lowest on record.

It throws substantial doubt on how the predictions are made.

“We don’t understand what is going on well now, we don’t understand the system and we don’t understand what has changed,” said Bill Sydeman, president of the Farallon Institute for Ecological Research.

If the state predictions are too high, a season could substantially harm the fishery, said Zeke Grader, president of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations.

“If suddenly we find out they over-predicted, we could be paying for it for years to come,” Grader said. “For a charter boat operator, commercial boat or a fish processor, they are out of business, their job has been eliminated.”

The council will begin its discussions on Monday at its annual meeting in Portland, Ore.

The three options address the sport and commercial season from Monterey as far north as the Canadian border.

The first option for commercial fishing on the North Coast would provide a season from the Matole River in Mendocino County to Monterey from July 15 to Aug. 29 and for the month of September.

Sport fishing on the North Coast, which began April 3, would be allowed to continue through Nov. 14.

A second option has a season from the Matole River to Point Arena open only in September, a season from July 15 to Aug. 29 from Point Arena to Monterey, and a season from Point Arena to Pigeon Point for the month of September.

In that option, sport fishing is allowed from April 3 to 30 and from July 1 to Nov. 14.

A third option closes Northern California totally for commercial fishing. Under this option, sport fishing would close April 30.

Grader said he believes there is substantial support by fishermen for the third alternative, closing the season again out of caution.

“There is uniform feeling there is not enough fish to justify it or chance it,” Grader said. “They are concerned if they went, would it do permanent damage rather than wait it out another year.”

The Fishermen’s Marketing Association of Bodega Bay will meet on Saturday to vote on the issue, said Chris Lawson, the association’s president.

“There are guys who feel we should not go until the spawning meets the 120,000 fish floor and others are saying they are offering us a season, we need the money and we should take it,” Lawson said.

Further confusing the issue are the experience of sport fishermen, who started fishing on April 3 and have reported good catches.

“They are doing good out of Bodega Bay, they are doing good out of Monterey,” Lawson said. “The Sea Angler was back at the dock yesterday at 11:30 a.m. with their limit of fish.”

Fishing report for April 8, 2010 by David J. Ehlers

What’s biting in area waters:

St. Lucie County: Guide Charlie Conner reports black drum, sheepshead, snapper and sand perch can be found around structure, docks and bridges. Shrimp — either live or dead — will work best. Area beaches continue to provide whiting and pompano along the surf. Mackerel are still holding around the Fort Pierce Inlet and channels. Spotted sea trout and redfish are hitting live shrimp and DOA Shrimp along oyster bar edges and grassy flats. Dolphin up to 12 pounds and plenty of sailfish are hitting trolled ballyhoo in 150 to 200 feet.

Martin County: The Snook Nook in Jensen Beach reports ladyfish and sheepshead have been hitting live shrimp around the spoil islands north of St. Lucie Inlet. Bluefish are hitting spoons along area beaches north of the inlet, along with good numbers of pompano, whiting and jacks to the south. Sailfish continue to chase down trolled ballyhoo in 80 to 200 feet. Snapper and grouper are hitting both live and dead bait on the shallow reefs from 30 to 60 feet.

Northern Palm Beach County: Fishing Headquarters in Jupiter reports kingfish are moving through in good numbers. Frozen sardines, live bait and jigs are all working well to entice a strike. Kings are ranging in size from 10 to 30 pounds feeding in 60 to 80 feet north of the Jupiter Inlet. Sailfish continue to hit trolled ballyhoo in 80 to 200 feet. Pompano fishing also has been excellent recently, along with bluefish and blue runners from area beaches. Bluefish, pompano, and Spanish mackerel were caught on cut bait and jigs from the Juno Beach Pier this week.

Southern Palm Beach County: The Sea Mist III reported kingfish, mutton, mangrove and yellowtail snapper on the Thursday trips. Anglers on the Lady K drift boat caught kingfish and a few cobia Wednesday along with a variety of snapper. Sailfish are being reported in 80 to 120 feet hitting trolled ballyhoo along with a few dolphin weighing in up to 15 pounds. Look for blackdrum and sheepshead around area bridges and along seawalls. Snook are hitting live bait and jigs at the Lake Worth spillway when the locks have been flowing.

Freshwater Lakes: Peacock bass are being caught on live shad around area bridges and docks through out the Ida and Osborne chain. Largemouth bass up to 8 pounds are hitting jigs flipped among the hydrilla mats in deeper water along the northern Osborne lake. Lilly-pads around the Lake Clarke Shores area and along the Palm Beach Canal have been excellent targets for locating smaller bass with greater numbers. Soft plastic jerkbaits and 7-inch worms in watermelon color seem to do the trick.

Lake Okeechobee: On Thursday, the lake was 14.75 feet above sea level. On the south end of the lake, the rim canal and dynamite holes are holding bass along with a few speckled perch. Top water plugs are working well early in the morning with crank baits, live shiners and plastic worms enticing the bass throughout the day. Specks have been hitting minnows and jigs near ledges and drop-offs.

Rod, Gun & Game: WNY Inland trout streams prime fishing By Forrest Fisher

Trout are such beautiful fish to simply look at. Western New York inland trout streams were nearly in early summer condition going into last weekend, with mostly clear water flows. Dozens of cars lined roadways where trout-stocked waters crossed the highway, while anglers using anything from puddle boots to chest high waders lined the stream on both sides of the bank in some places.

At Wiscoy Creek in Pike and along East Koy Creek in Gainesville, there were large numbers of anglers seeking to enjoy the warm, sunny weather last weekend, with a fishing road in hand and no snow in sight. While fly rod anglers using scuds, midge flies and stone flies were among opening weekend anglers testing the clear waters, there were more anglers using spinning rods with light lines casting small Mepp’s and Vibrax spinners, as well as the usual variety of natural baits with bobbers and sinkers.

DEC offers that if you are not planning to keep your catch, to please practice catch and release using lures, like spinners, that are trimmed to trailing just one hook (instead of the usual treble). One spinner that really works well on the inland WNY trout streams is a CP-Swing, size two or three, in silver or gold, though angler preference is usually silver for clear water. The lightweight body of this lure allows the blade to hover with a minimum of current. With such clear water that is already low for this time of year, lure “lift” is important performance characteristic to keep in mind.

It was great to see so many families fishing last weekend, with some moms joining the mix with rod and reel in hand, too. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! The recent beautiful spring weather has allowed many anglers to enjoy the great inland trout fishing opportunities available to us. At one of the more popular local WNY inland trout streams, Ischua Creek in Cattaraugus County near Franklinville, DEC has been conducting an angler use survey. The survey covers fishing effort, angler catch rates, angler opinions and an assessment of the new catch and release section. A decision will be made by May about whether to keep or remove the catch and release regulation on Ischua Creek. The DEC is welcoming all public comment on the C/R regulation in the meantime.

From April 1 through Oct. 15, 2008, DEC fisheries staff counted anglers on the stream and interviewed anglers to learn where they were fishing. They asked what anglers were catching and were seeking to gather angler opinions on trout stream management issues. Anglers were surveyed four days per week in April, May and June and two days per week in the July through October period. The survey was also part of an evaluation of the stream’s catch and release regulation section. At the same time, DEC conducted an electro-fishing survey in the catch and release section to estimate trout populations.

Through the course of 702 angler interviews, 53 percent (372) of which were conducted in April, anglers evenly split between the two stocked stream sections (mouth to Pierce Hill Road and Pierce Hill Road to Franklinville) with 333 and 301 interviews, respectively. Some 68 interviews were conducted with anglers using the catch and release section. Overall, 56 percent of anglers interviewed rated their experience as satisfactory, while 44 percent rated it as unsatisfactory.

In the catch and release section of Ischua, 43 percent of anglers interviewed rated their fishing experience as satisfactory, while 57 percent rated it as unsatisfactory. Sixty one percent of anglers interviewed were fishing with bait, while 24 percent were using artificial lures and 15 percent were fishing with flies. Of the 425 interviewed anglers that were aware of the catch and release section on Ischua Creek and had an opinion, 388 (91 percent) said they approved of the regulation.

The majority of the anglers interviewed were residents of Cattaraugus County (54 percent), with the next largest number coming from Erie County (27 percent). Only four percent of the anglers interviewed were from outside DEC Region 9, including 24 non-residents. A total of 915 trout were caught by anglers interviewed in the survey, of this total, 726 (79 percent ) were reported to have been released and 188 were creeled. The breakdown by species of trout caught was 742 brown (81 percent released), 172 brook (74 percent released) and one rainbow. Nearly all the fish examined during the survey were hatchery trout.

When interview data was expanded for all anglers and the season as a whole, DEC estimated that angler effort was 15,464 hours (6,601 trips), or 206 hours/acre of stream, considered “moderate” fishing pressure in New York State. The estimated catch of trout for the entire season was 12,595 fish, of which 9,985 (79 percent) were brown trout and the remainder was brook trout. A total of 11,160 brown trout and 2,200 brook trout were stocked in Ischua Creek in 2008. For the stream as a whole, the catch rate for brown trout was 0.59 fish/hour and for brook trout it was 0.14 fish/hour.

In summary, two of the five objectives for the catch and release regulation were met in Ischua Creek for 2008. DEC takes into account poor survival of stocked brown trout, low wild trout numbers and surplus brook trout stocking. The objective for angler catch rate might also be considered to have been met. For anglers interviewed on the stream overall, there appeared to be very strong approval of the catch and release regulation section (91 percent), regardless of whether the anglers had fished in that section or not. The results of the angler use survey do not give strong support for either keeping or for removing the catch and release regulation.

DEC will make a decision to keep or remove the “Catch and Release Section” by May 2010, as regulation changes for 2012 need to be submitted by that time. The Region 9 Fisheries office has been meeting with angler groups during the winter and are still soliciting angler input by e-mail and standard mail to gather input on whether to keep or remove this regulation.

If you wish to comment on the Ischua Creek regulation, send to Region 9 Fisheries Manager, NYSDEC, 182 E. Union St. #3, Allegany, NY 14706 or e-mail at fwfish9@gw.dec.state.ny.us.

Spring crappie fishing

At Chautauqua Lake, the black crappie bite in the southern basin has started in the creek and marina channels, with nearshore areas providing locals with best action after dark. As usual, small tube jigs with floats or minnows have worked well, with DEC reporting some fish taken to 13 inches in length. As spring continues to evolve early this year, the crappie bite may really heat up in Arnolds Bay and farther south in Burtis Bay. The south basin islands are viable hotspots, too. Last weekend, those anglers that did not find crappies, did find lots of nice size yellow perch on the weedline, with some fish going to 11 inches.

Steelhead action tops

Steelhead anglers are still finding large numbers of steelhead in our WNY tributary creeks, with some up to 41 inches! Most fish are the usual 25 to 26 inches and four years old. Some are finished spawning and are already dropping back towards Lake Erie.

Mike Todd of DEC suggests that steelhead will usually not strike when actively spawning. He adds, “If anglers observe active spawners, they should take care to avoid these fish and take special care not to disturb the redds (gravel nests) as natural reproduction helps our incredible steelhead fishery.”

Smaller creek water levels were dropping through last weekend and were reaching the low to clear stage. After the rains through early this week, water color will smudge and still be fishable if rains diminish by this coming weekend. Anglers can use a variety of baits/lures for spring steelhead such as egg sacs, egg pattern flies, small hair jigs tipped with grubs, minnow patterns, bugger patterns, nightcrawlers/worms and minnows.

Buffalo Creek, Cayuga Creek, Cazenovia Creek, 18-Mile Creek, Clear Creek, Silver Creek, Walnut Creek, Mud Creek and Delaware Creek are amongst local smaller-stream Lake Erie tributary favorites. The large stream favorite is Cattaraugus Creek. Good luck to all!

Firearms interest rising

A new National Shooting Sports Foundation poll conducted by Harris Interactive found that more Americans are target shooting now than six months ago, and that “home and personal defense” were the main reasons Americans recently purchased firearms.

The poll also showed that 43 percent of respondents, which equates to nearly 98 million people, expressed some level of interest in participating in the shooting sports or hunting. According to Steve Sanetti, NSSF president, “Last year was a banner year for lawful firearm sales, and the results of this poll suggest the desires for personal security and recreation were drivers of most of those purchases. The poll also reaffirms something we’ve known for a long time, that many millions of Americans want to try target shooting or hunting and are just waiting for an invitation from an experienced shooter to go to the range or afield. So, firearms owners should make that invitation and share the enjoyment of recreational shooting or hunting with someone eager to go.”

The online survey was conducted March 16-18 by Harris Interactive, which performs periodic surveys for NSSF on shooting and hunting participation. The questions were asked of general population adults ages 18 and over.

In general, findings from the NSSF/Harris poll include that some 18.4 million Americans “currently participate” in handgun target shooting and 14.8 million in rifle target shooting, an increase from the 16.8 million and 13.9 million, respectively. That participation in the shotgun sports of “skeet/trap” and “sporting clays” was 4.2 million in each of those categories. That in response to a question about why Americans made their most recent firearm purchase, 40 percent of respondents said “home protection” followed by 36 percent citing “personal protection.” Target shooting (30 percent) and hunting (28 percent) came next.

Continuing, the main barrier to people going target shooting more often? “Cost of ammunition” was cited by 50 percent of the respondents, followed by “not enough free time” (43 percent). The survey highlighted the power of a personal invitation to motivate an individual to go target shooting or hunting as some 45 percent of respondents said an “invitation from friend or family” would most encourage them to participate, ranking this personal interaction far ahead of all forms of advertising.

Once invited by a friend or family member, respondents said they would want to shoot a handgun at the range (77 percent), shoot a rifle at the range (69 percent), go plinking (55 percent), fire shotguns at clay targets (54 percent), take a self-protection class (54 percent), go hunting for various game species, which was cited by an average of 25 percent of respondents. For more about the shooting sports and firearm safety, visit nssf.org.

Bassmaster Elite to Smith Mountain Lake

In postcard-pretty southern Virginia, Smith Mountain Lake promises to fish as good as it looks during the April 15 to 18 Evan Williams Bourbon Blue Ridge Brawl. The lake’s beauty, however, has nothing to do with the amount of looking that Bassmaster Elite Series professionals will be doing. Most pros will be busy watching for bass on their way to, or already on, spawning beds. It’s not a long drive from WNY. Look for bassmaster Matt Spahr, WNY native from Pavilion, to score well here.

Outdoor Calendar

April 8: Handgun Permit Class, Gander Mountain Lodge, 5:30 p.m., call 778-9431.
April 8/13/15: Firearms Hunter Training, Tonawanda City School, 150 Hinds Street, Tonawanda., must pre-register, call 695-5501, must attend all sessions.
April 9/11: NYS Firearms Hunter Safety Education, West Falls Conservation, 55 Bridge St., West Falls, 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. on April 9, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. on April 11, call Art Segool to register at 662-5657.
April 10: Sportsman’s Swap Meet, Alden Rod & Gun, 12 County line Rd., Alden, free admission, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., call 937-7324.
April 10: US Coast Guard Aux Safe Boating and Jet Ski Class, McKinley Mall, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., call 681-3889.
April 11: John Long fund-raiser and dinner, Niagara River Anglers, St. Joe’s church hall, Military Rd., Niagara Falls, call 731-4780 for informatio.
April 12: West Falls Conservation, monthly meeting, 55 Bridge St., West Falls, call 652-4650.
April 15: Southtowns Walleye monthly meeting, David Woodworth, 7:30 p.m., Armor Fire Hall, Hamburg.
April17: Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper Spring Shoreline Sweep, 9 a.m.-noon, need lots of volunteers, fun day, time flies by, visit: http://bnriverkeeper.org/get-involved/cleanups.
April 24-25: NYS Youth Turkey Hunt weekend (for 12-15 year olds with guardian).
Calendar Items: email Forrest Fisher at nugdor@yahoo.com

New world fishing

On Tuesday, April 6, Elite Series pro Kevin Short fished a watershed lake in central Arkansas live on Bassmaster.com.

If you had a chance to catch some of the Live Fishing Show that aired on ESPNOutdoors.com and Bassmaster.com on Tuesday, all I can say is "Thank You" for clicking on and viewing. Hope you learned something from being "in the boat" with me that will help you catch more fish your next time on the pond.

For those who missed it, you might be asking, "What could possibly be so great about watching K-Pink catch a couple of bass?"

Kevin Short live fishing online webcast
Rob RussowKevin Short was rather proud of this fish he caught during his live fishing show.
The neat thing and truly unique aspect of the whole experience was the fact that you, the viewer, could watch over my shoulder, think of a question regarding what I was doing, and send that question through your keyboard and across the invisible airwaves to a laptop on the back deck of my BassCat.

Rob Russow (hereby dubbed R2) could read the question and I could answer your question all within a matter of a few seconds. Pretty dang sweet, that technology thing.

How does all that work? I have no freakin' clue. But work it did and it worked well, too. I was blown away when R2 told me we had received over 400 comments and questions throughout the course of the day. Absolutely amazing.

I talked so much on Tuesday that my throat was sore Tuesday night. Not sure that I've talked that much ever while fishing. It's pretty hard to concentrate on answering a serious question while I'm seriously trying to concentrate on whether that was another rock my Jewel football jig bumped up against or a bite from another 6 pounder.

Try it the next time you're out with a buddy. Have him ask you a serious question and work on giving him a serious answer, without putting a bunch of "er's" and "um's" in it like I did (gotta work on that), and see how well you do with it. Kind of tough.

I hope this is just the tip of the iceberg for live fishing over the internet. I'm not going to go all out on the limb and say that shows of this type could be the future of fishing edu-tainment, but shows of this type could just be the future of fishing edu-tainment.

Hell, I ain't scared. This could well be how we watch fishing in the near future. And what's wrong with that? The only thing better than what we saw Tuesday would be standing on the deck of the BassCat with me — and you were dang close to that. With the interactivity of the Q & A, this type of programming has the potential to be a monster; just a monster, I tell ya!

There are a few things technically that need to be ironed out. Hey, this is pretty groundbreaking stuff that we're doing here. Sure, we saw the Kyte cameras in action last year at Oneida, during the postseason, and then again during this year's Classic, but that's a different animal. Most of the Kyte clips are short, one way, we-shoot-you-watch bits.

We're not talking hour upon hour of streaming video here. Very cool, but very one sided. With the interaction from viewers that we saw Tuesday, we've leaped ahead by light years in outdoor programming. Light years.

No longer do we have to wonder how long it took to catch all those fish. What happens and when it happens during the day, is what you see. No retakes. No cuts. No editing. No staging. It is what it is and that's all it is. Want a "real" reality show? You watched the realest you can get on Tuesday. Period.

Was the show perfect? Not by a stretch. We need some hardware improvements in the form of wireless mics, which will most likely be resolved before you see the next one. We also need to be able to archive the shows for future viewing. After all, not everyone has the luxury of sitting around watching 5 or 6 hours of fishing; the boss might walk by or something.

That and the fact that not everyone who wants to watch sits in front of a computer all day long is another reason to have the shows available for viewing on demand.

My buddy Driller, who's a welder (go figure on the name), most likely would have watched every single minute, but he wasn't able to see a second of the show. He's a perfect example of the thousands of potential viewers not able to watch a live show during a work day. These are things that will come with time and probably a short amount of time, at that.

Will this make fishing shows on boob tube obsolete? I'm not going that far. I will say that the producers of taped shows need to take notice, though. Just might be a new kid in town. (Not me, the live thing.)

It's a brand new world out here.

For more info on Kevin Short or to contact Kevin, check out his Web site at www.kfshort.com.

Santa Rosa sets fees for Navarre Fishing Pier

Anglers interested in fishing at the new Navarre Fishing Pier can start lining up next week to get their annual fishing passes.

The Santa Rosa County Commission unanimously approved a schedule of user fees for the new Navarre Fishing Pier this morning. That includes annual passes for: adult, $240; seniors, $225, and youth, $200.

Originally, the proposed fee schedule included a family pass for $500, but pier manager Dorothy Slye pulled that idea off the schedule because of the potential complication such a pass could create, including what constitutes a family.

"It could take literally hours to register people," she said. Slye said she will continue to work on the family pass and possibly present a workable idea for that in the future.

Although the shop at the pier is not yet complete, the passes will be available starting next week at Sandy Bottoms beach shop, located at 8228 Gulf Blvd., Navarre Beach. Slye also owns Sandy Bottoms.

For daily use of the pier, an adult will pay $7, while those seeking only to walk on the pier will pay $1. Discounts are provided for anglers who are 6 to 12 years old, senior citizens or members of the military. Disabled veterans would be allowed to fish for free.

The pier is expected to be complete and open by summer.

Hunters set their sights on spring turkey season Gail Reynolds For the News-Leader

Beginning with this weekend's youth hunt and the regular spring season opener eight days later, hunters throughout the state will be talking some serious turkey.

Missouri's regular Spring Turkey Hunting season officially opens April 19 and runs through May 9 — bringing out hunters to gobble up the opportunity to harvest two wild turkeys for their family fare during the big birds' mating season.



"We'll have more turkey hunters in the woods during the spring turkey hunting season than in the fall," says Mike Brooks, Missouri Department of Conservation outdoor education center supervisor based in Bois D'Arc. "And this spring season marks 50 years of modern turkey hunting in Missouri."


According to the MDC, Missouri's modern spring turkey hunting began in 1960 with a three-day season (in 14 counties), during which 698 hunters took 94 turkeys.

Today, the seasons (spring and fall) involve all 114 counties in the state and more than 150,000 hunters — with more than 55,000 turkeys killed annually.

During the spring hunting season, which coincides with the annual wild turkey breeding season, hunters set their sights on bearded turkeys only, Brooks explains. "The only birds that are legal during the spring turkey season are the male birds or female birds with a beard. The bird has to have a beard to be legal."

During the spring firearms turkey season, allowable hunting methods (according to MDC regulations) include the use of a shotgun with shot not larger than No. 4 and a longbow or compound bow. All hunters using a shotgun must affix the "Be Safe" sticker to the receiver of their gun so that it will be in their line of sight when shooting.

Safety should be top priority

Hunters targeted on harvesting a wild turkey are most obviously aiming for a hit, rather than a miss.

In order to achieve optimum success, Brooks advises hunters to remember that when hunting turkeys with a shotgun, the lethal zone for a turkey is its head and neck.

Because of the popularity of spring turkey hunting, Brooks reminds hunters that safety is a top priority.

"The main thing hunters need to know when staying safe in the turkey woods is that they must positively identify their target and never shoot at sound, color or movement in the woods," Brooks says.

Hunters should protect themselves by wearing full camouflage clothing while in the woods, according to Brooks, and should never wear the colors of the wild turkey — red, white, blue or black.

"While blaze orange is not required for turkey hunting, it's a good idea to have some blaze orange — a cap or hat — to wear while moving in the woods," Brooks says, "because you really don't have any idea who else is out there and you don't know their credentials as a hunter."

Newcomers begin

With safety precautions set in place, hunters throughout Missouri will be setting their game sights on turkey come dawn of opening day.

Michelle Rudd of Billings hopes to be among them.

"I've never gone turkey hunting and I thought I'd try it this year," says Rudd, who will be accompanied by her husband and hunting-mentor, Richard.

Michelle, who has been hunting deer for the past six or so years and finally bagged one this past 2009 deer season, has some apprehensions in reserve, though.

"I figure I could barely hit the body of a deer, let alone the head of a turkey," quips Michelle, who hopes to achieve success so that she can add to the family food supply.

Learning the breeding cycle of the wild turkey can help achieve that success, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation.

"In principle, spring turkey hunting is not difficult," the NWTF states in the turkey hunting tips portion of its Web site.

"Find a gobbling turkey in the pre-dawn darkness and set up nearby. As the sun starts to break the horizon, let out a few hen yelps and sit at the ready. When the bird flies down and walks within 30 yards, take him."

Are you ready for opening day of fishing season? ( RI )

DEM stocks

80,000 trout

in waterways

Get those flies, worms, lures and other fishing gear ready. Fishing season opens on Saturday, April 10, at 6 a.m.

Officials of the state Department of Environmental Management's Division of Fish & Wildlife said it is expected that in excess of 20,000 first day anglers will line the shores and waterways of ponds, streams and rivers throughout the state on opening day to try their luck.

They'll have plenty of targets. DEM has stocked waterways with 80,000 hatchery-raised brook, brown and rainbow trout with an average individual weight of one and one-half pounds, up from 60,000 that were placed in waterways last season.

Cass Pond in Woonsocket and Slater Park Pond in Pawtucket will be open for children only for the first two days of the fishing season. A fishing derby for children in Woonsocket is being held at Cass Pond on opening day.

A 2010 fishing license is required for anglers 15 years of age and older wishing to catch fish. Fishing licenses and the Trout Conservation Stamp are available and both can be obtained at any city or town clerk's office or authorized agent such as bait and tackle shops and Benny's.

License fees remain at $18 for Rhode Island residents and current members of the Armed Forces, $33 for a combination hunting and fishing license, $35 for non-residents, and $16 for a tourist three-consecutive-day license. Anglers over 65 must have a license, which for them is free, but do not need a trout stamp. The license is also free for anyone with a 100 percent disability.

The following area locations have been stocked with trout by DEM:

Burrillville - Branch River, Chepachet River, Clear River, Lapham Pond, Peck Pond, Round Top Brook, Round Top Ponds, Tarkiln Pond and Wallum Lake.

Cumberland - Abbott Run Brook, Blackstone River, Silvy's Brook and Silvy's Pond.

Foster - Dolly Cole Brook, Foster Green Acres Pond, Hopkins Mill Pond, Shippee Saw Mill Pond, Ponaganset River and Winsor Brook.

Glocester - Chepachet River, Peeptoad Brook and Spring Grove Pond.

Lincoln - Aldrich Brook (Butterfly Pond), Blackstone River, Manville Memorial Park Pond, Olney Pond and Upper Rochambeau Pond.

North Providence - Geneva Brook and Pond.

North Smithfield - Tarkiln Pond.

Scituate - Dexter Pond and Pawtuxet River Hope Mill Dam.

Smithfield - Mowry Pond and Woonasquatucket River.

Pawtucket - Slater Park Pond.

Woonsocket - Cass Pond, Sylvester's Pond and Harris River.

Conway Tours

M W Aragao
Ollys Pizza

Rockaway Opening Day fishing contest in memory of well-loved local anglers

ROCKAWAY - Potbelly's Riverside Caf�© is running its second annual Spring Fishing Contest from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 10, in conjunction with the opening day of trout fishing in New Jersey.

The contest is dedicated to the memory of Phil Barbato, who with his brothers ran a fishing contest in Rockaway that attracted thousands of anglers each year; and Scott Dock, a borough resident and avid outdoorsman who recently passed away.

Potbelly's and several other merchants and fishermen in the borough have donated enough funds to purchase 30 tagged rainbow trout in the 3-4 pound range and supply prizes and gift certificates for the lucky anglers who catch them and present them to the weigh-in station set up outside the restaurant that is located just above the river on 26 East Main Street.

This year, according to Potbelly's co-owner and contest organizer Rob Grow, there will be two top prizes offered.

Barbara and Jim Stopa, Dock's sister and brother-in-law, purchased a six-pound rainbow in Dock's memory for the contest. The angler who catches this lunker will receive a $100 pre-paid credit card as his prize.

The first angler who presents one of the other tagged fish will have that fish prepared by the chef at Potbelly's as the main course for a dinner for four at the restaurant.

Prizes of fishing equipment and merchants' gift certificates will also be awarded to anglers catching tagged fish.

Outlook is good for morning fishing Tampa, FL

For the remainder of the week there will be a steadily improving early-morning bite and the late-evening bite the goes the opposite direction - diminishing in intensity and duration.

The weather is absolutely perfect for fishing right now with water temperatures in the lower to middle 70s, winds weak to moderate, bright sunny days, and a steadily diminishing fishing pressure factor - due to the beginning of the snowbirds' seasonal northern migration.

There is no real major daily feeding migration over the next few days, but by this weekend the early-morning bite will become the major feeding migration of the day.

Anglers should be on the water by safelight and be ready to set the hook just before sunrise. The peak period occurs from 8 to 9 a.m. and should reach a four or five on a scale of one to 10. This rating could easily reach a much higher number today because of the cold front scheduled to arrive.

The evening bite will be very good today and the better of the two choices, but today is the last of what was an excellent evening bite over the past four days. The rating today should break the midpoint on the 1-10 scale and even higher when the barometric pressure begins to drop later today.

The evening angler should be on the lake by 6:30 p.m. and in position at their favorite hole by 7 p.m. The bite should last at least a few hours and decrease every day over the next three days.

Right at sundown tonight, do not be surprised if you reach a limit in much less time than you're used to lately. Running top-water baits through feeding-area vegetation should produce some fantastic bass strikes.

The midday part of the angler's day today and throughout the rest of the week will be mostly unproductive with fish-forming migrations centered around the sun's rising and setting.

Fishing flash

Lake Istokpoga's level is currently at 39.32 feet above sea level. The FWC, assisted by Highlands County aquatic-weed control managers, conducted a five-area hydrilla aerial-treatment event and should be providing maps and information at all the boat ramps on the lake. If you don't find maps and info at your boat ramp, use the contact info at the end of this article to request that maps and info be provided at your ramp. One phone call should be all that is required.
FWC Largemouth Bass Research Study Program has tagged largemouth bass in 30 lakes throughout the state. The tag is yellow in color and is attached just in back of the dorsal fin. On the tag is a telephone number, e-mail address, a tag number and reward value to be reported to the FWC by e-mail or phone.

The FWC is also working with a website called BountyFishing.com to gain additional information on Florida's big bass catches. E-mail: TagReturn@MyFWC.com, or call FWC Tag Return Hotline at 800-267-4461. Mail address: LMB Tagging Study, 601 W. Woodward Ave., Eustis, FL, 32726
FWC Five Year Fishing License Special. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) offers this special license offer to say thank you to all the anglers who have worked with industry partners; such as when we all buy tackle, fishing licenses, boat fuels, etc.

The special five-year license bonus program will be offered to the first 3,000 anglers, who will receive a stocked tackle box and fishing accessories for their $79 five-year fishing license.

Tournament news

The Monday Morning Lake Jackson Black Bass Fishing Tournament is open to the public and launches every Monday morning at 8 a.m. with weigh-in at 1 p.m. Entry fee is $10 per boat with a "winner-take-all" payout. One person or two per boat, three legal (more than 14 inches) bass per boat, and one bass over 22 inches per angler. For information, call Paul Tardiff at 863-385-8007 (home) or 863-273-4062 (cell).

The Wednesday Morning Black Bass Tournament will be on Lake Antorpe, April 14, and next week's event, April 21, is on Lake Reedy. Launch time is 7:30 a.m. and weigh-in time is at noon. Entry fee is $30 per boat to be paid at the ramp. For complete information, call Paul Tardiff, home: 863-385-8007, cell: 863-273-4062, or Dwight Ameling 863-471-3305.

Your lake manager's contact information

Clell Ford, Lakes Management Specialist, Highlands County, 4434 George Blvd., Sebring, FL 33875. Phone: 863-402-6545, E-mail: Cford@hcbcc.org

Vicki Pontius, Parks and Recreation Director, Highlands County, 4344 George Blvd., Sebring, FL33875. Phone: 863-402-6812, E-mail: Vpontius@hcbcc.org

Steven Gornak, FFWCC, Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Sub-Section, Division of Habitat and Species Conservation, 3991 S.E. 27th Court, Okeechobee, FL 34974. Phone: 863-462-5190; Mobile: 863-697-6256, E-mail: steven.gornak@myfwc.com

Erica Van Horn, FFWCC, Invasive Plant Management Section, 2001 Homeland Garfield Rd. Bartow, FL 33830, Phone: 863-534-7074, E-mail: erica.vanhorn@myfwc.com

Dave Douglass is a bass fishing guide; visit HighlandsBassAngler.com for complete information, secretary of the Florida Freshwater Fishing Coalition Inc online at FLFFC.org. Cell: 863-381-8474, Email: davidpdouglass@hotmail.com

Fishing Report: Destin, Navarre, Pensacola Beach Inshore Fishing Guide Report

Spring has finally sprung here on the northwest panhandle. The last ten days have been picture perfect days for fishing and the fish have responded very well. The most prominent catch has been the Sheepshead; they are right in the middle of their spawn and are in big numbers around the passes right now. These fish are great table fare and are a blast to catch on light tackle. They can be a bit difficult to catch at times, but when you get your game on - it’s all over.

As for tackle; I like using seven foot heavy action spinning rods, Penn 4400 reels, 20 pound test Stren super braid, Carolina rigged with the appropriate amount of weight with no more than 18 inches of 20 pound test fluorocarbon leader and a #2 Gamakatsu light wire live bait hook.

The bait of choice is live shrimp; I prefer shrimp over crabs. These fish will swallow shrimp whole, but tend to bite the crab and spit out the shell, making it hard to set the hook. If you can’t get live shrimp go for the frozen shrimp, as a last resort you can try fiddler crabs. There’s one thing for sure you are not going to catch many fish on artificial baits, so if you want to be catching make sure and line up the live bait for your fishing trip.

The water temperature is still a little low for this time of the year and this has held off the Spanish mackerel and Jack Crevalle, but it won’t be long before they start to show up. The beach is holding a lot of oversized Red Fish, these fish are a ton of fun when you can find them and they’re hungry. This is all sight fishing, you have to find the fish and cast to them. They are in too shallow of water to try and catch them any other way. My bait of choice for these monster fish is a SPRO bucktail jig. The ¾ ounce prime jig in the Magic Bus color is by all means my favorite lure.

Pompano had an early run, but have slowed way down over the last 5 or so days. The water temperature needs to warm up a little more and these fish should show up in big numbers. I have caught a few, but nothing like what it should be right now.

The slot red fishing in the bay has really picked up over the last few days. It went from catching one every now and then to catching 10 on last Saturday’s trip and 15 on today’s trip . Half of those being good keeper sized fish and the other half being undersized, but soon these slots will be feeding in high gear.

The Speckled Trout bite hasn’t started yet, there are a few being caught occasionally, but we need a few more days of this 80 degree weather to get these fish interested in feeding on a regular basis.

Fishing is a lot more fun than barbecues, watermelon and baseball combined!

I know one thing for sure - You ain’t going to catch’em sittin’ on the couch!!
So get out there, take a kid fishing and have a Blessed Day!
Professional Fishing Guide
Capt. Eddie Woodall
Full Net Fishing Charters L.L.C.
850-936-8203
www.fullnetcharters.com

A special thanks to my sponsors:
Blazer Bay Boats, Yamaha Outboards, SPRO Fishing Tackle, Gamakatsu Hooks, Big Bite Baits Inc. Lee Fisher Bait Buster Cast Nets, Pure Fishing Select Anglers Program, Berkley Gulp, ABU Garcia, Shakespeare Fishing, All-Star Rods, Penn Reels, X-Tools, Seven Strand, Johnson, Fenwick, Stren, Berkley, Spider and Pflueger.

©Full Net Fishing Charters 2010

Jim Morris’ fishing report for April 8 Dayton OH

Hot spots

Cowan Lake: Crappies, crappies and more crappies. Anglers are filling the parking lot at South Shore Marina. Cowan is one of the few lakes with no size limit, so it seems to be attracting more anglers. And, interestingly, a number of crappies in the 10- to 12-inch range are being caught. Use minnows and fish the dropoff in front of the marina, fish the north side around wood and try the sailboat cove. Fishing for channel cats has been good on the east end of the lake, mostly with nightcrawlers. Several saugeyes have been caught by crappie fishermen using minnows.

Indian Lake: Saugeye fishing is still going strong, but now the crappies have turned on. Anglers are getting saugeyes mostly from boats around the donut harbor, off of the south bank and around Dream Bridge. They are using jigs tipped with bass minnows and vibrating or rattle baits. Crappies have been hitting minnows, jigs and waxworms in shallow water, 1-2 feet deep. They are also around the lily pads. Plenty of catfish are being caught on nightcrawlers and cut bait.

Other lakes

Grand Lake St. Marys: Crappie fishing has improved, but it's more difficult this year with the new 9-inch size limit. Plenty of 8-inchers are being caught and going back in the lake for future fishermen to catch. Fish shallow on sunny days and about 4 feet deep on cloudy days. Catfish are still biting on cut bait and nightcrawlers. Bluegills have been hitting waxworms around docks.

C.J. Brown Reservoir: Walleyes up to 6 pounds have been caught in the spillway. They are also being caught over the old roadbed on Vib-E's and jigs tipped with bass minnows. Keeper crappies are being caught in and around the marina on minnows and waxworms. You are likely to get a yellow perch while you are fishing for crappies. Fish the north end of the lake with nightcrawlers to catch catfish.

Clark Lake: Anglers continue to catch the stocked rainbow trout on Power Baits, waxworms and small spinners.

Paint Creek: Crappie fishing has been fair, which is pretty good considering the Army Corps of Engineers dropped the lake to winter pool last week so work could be done on new docks. It should be back at summer pool this weekend with all ramps open. The best crappie fishing has been just off the banks on the north end of the lake. They have been hitting minnows and black/chartreuse or blue/chartreuse jigs. Bass have been hitting jig-n-pig off of the rocky points. Spillway for fishing for saugeyes, catfish, crappies and bluegills has been very good.

Rocky Fork: Bass fishing has been very good. Use crankbaits or jigs and work the points. Crappie fishing has been fair, but saugeye fishing has been slow. A few bluegills have been caught on waxworms in the coves. Anglers are still catching stocked rainbow trout in an area near the docks at the campground. Use Power Baits, waxworms, Roostertails or Mepps.

Lake Loramie: Crappie fishing has been good with most being caught in brush near the banks on minnows and jigs. Pearl white has worked best on sunny days, black or purple on cloudy days. Saugeye fishing in the creek has been slower, but should improve when rain fills it up again. Plenty of catfish have been caught on nightcrawlers and tiger worms. Bluegill fishing is just getting started. Bass have been caught on crankbaits and spinners around wood near the banks.

Caesar Creek Lake: Once the Army Corps of Engineers settles on a water level, the fishing should improve. Crappies are in brush, but deep, probably 10 to 15 feet. Saugeyes have been hitting jigs tipped with bass minnows on the flats and in shallow water around the Wellman ramp. The north pool ramp will be closed for the next month due to restroom construction.

Acton Lake: Fish for crappies in shallow water with minnows. About 40 percent have been keepers (9 inches or larger). Saugeye fishing has been slow. A few bass have been caught on jig-n-pig. For catfish, use nightcrawlers, cut bait or bass minnows.

Rush Run Lake: They are still catching stocked rainbow trout on waxworms, inline spinners and Power Bait. Catfish have been hitting nightcrawlers and cut shad.

Maumee River: With water levels back to normal in clearing water, the walleye fishing has been excellent. The best areas have been Bluegrass Island, Buttonwood and up river to Jerome Road. Floating jig heads and brightly colored twisters and jigs have worked best. For Maumee River information, visit maumeetackle.net or wildohio.com.

Sandusky River: The run is close to its peak with outstanding fishing for walleyes reported. For information, visit wildohio.com.

Lake Erie: Walleye fishing has been outstanding near shore in the Turtle Creek area, around all of the reefs in the Camp Perry Range and all over Maumee Bay. Use jigs tipped with shiners fished close to the bottom. For Lake Erie information, visit wildohio.com or call (888) HOOK-FISH.

Outdoors columnist Jim Morris can be reached through his Web site at www.tinyurl.com/ylh2rol or by e-mail at sports@Dayton
DailyNews.com.

Send us your photos

Are you proud of that big fish you or perhaps your youngster caught? The Dayton Daily News is accepting photos of local people and their prize catches. Send them to sports@DaytonDailyNews.com for a chance to be featured on Jim Morris' fishing report.

Flood affects fishing season opening Public urged to be cautious on opening day

PROVDIENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is urging the public to exercise caution on opening day of the fishing season.

The beginning of the 2010 trout and general freshwater fishing season begins Saturday, April 10.

The recent flooding has left dangerously high water levels, and fishermen are asked to be selective in choosing where to fish. There is also limited footing access to some stretches of rivers. Cold, quick water currents may be hazardous as well.

The DEM is recommending that anglers fish at ponds rather than in rivers statewide. The flooding has also lead to temporary changes of the trout stocking locations.

The following locations will not be stocked:

* Ashaway
* Pawtuxet
* Flat
* Fall River
* Parris Brook
* Frenchtown Park in East Greenwich

Steven Hall, chief of DEM’s Division of Law Enforcement said, “People should make an extra effort to take personal safety precautions, such as not standing too close to the shoreline and being aware of their surroundings, so that they can enjoy a safe ‘opening day’ fishing experience.”

Hall urges boaters to wear life jackets. Fishing licenses and the Trout Conservation Stamp can be purchased at any town clerk's office or authorized agent.

A list of stocked ponds and other information of interest to anglers can be found on DEM's website.

On the fly: Hunting the water wolf Kirk Webb Special to The Aspen Times Aspen, CO Colorado

BASALT — The Roaring Fork Valley is home to some of the finest trout fishing on the planet. Anglers from across the globe and from all walks of life flock to our valley in search of large rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout.

Who can blame them? The fly-fishing along the Fryingpan, Roaring Fork, Colorado and Crystal rivers is truly exceptional. Overlooked though, are the warm-water fishing opportunities we have within a short drive. In-the-know local anglers often make the short drive toward New Castle and Rifle to fish Harvey Gap and Rifle Gap reservoirs in search of the elusive water wolf, also known as the northern pike.

These voracious predators are truly the barracudas of the freshwater world. They're sleek, long fish with huge appetites and equally large teeth. The northern pike in these reservoirs diet on yellow perch, stocker rainbow trout and crayfish. Many of the pike caught here exceed 3 feet in length and I've personally seen a small handful of fish that will push the 40- to 48-inch barrier.

Due to the large size of these fish and the large flies needed to imitate their food sources, much bigger and stouter gear is needed. I prefer to fish rods in the 7- to 9-weight category. An 8-weight is the ideal all-around rod weight to use, except during times of low, flat water when a 7-weight is preferred; 9-weights are used during windy weather or with larger, heavier flies.

Pike have rows of sharp teeth and because of this, heavier leaders are needed to prevent getting your fly bitten off. Knottable wire in the 20-pound class is often used, though I prefer to fish heavy fluorocarbon tippets of 03X (25-pound). The fluorocarbon tippet provides more invisibility as well as giving flies more freedom of movement.

Local fly shops carry assortments of pike flies in a variety of lengths and colors. Most of my flies are commonly in the 4- to 5-inch range, with my favorite color combos being green/white, green/yellow, red/yellow, purple/orange and lastly black/purple.

This report is provided every week by Taylor Creek Fly Shops in Aspen and Basalt. Taylor Creek can be reached at 970-927-4374 or taylorcreek.com.

Training of a hunting dog involves aspects of socialization By STEVE ROGERS — Into The Outdoors

One of the most important aspects of training a quality hunting dog is making sure the dog is well socialized and used to all aspects of life in a human world. To keep up with Maci’s training, my wife and I decided to bring her along on our spring break trip to see my brother in Iowa. Traveling long distances was something she was going to need to get used to.

We packed up the car early on a Monday morning. Naturally, Maci proceeded to get more and more excited as we carried luggage to the car. Each trip from the house to the car and back just increased her excitement to an almost uncontrollable level. When we started to move her kennel, she really hit the roof.

Normally, when we travel close we let her sit in the back seat, but on an extended trip she was going to have to learn how to ride in her kennel. When I told her to “kennel up” she looked at me like I was crazy. I could almost hear her thinking that, I don’t ride in that thing! I get the back seat.

Well, she lost that particular argument and soon we were off. She whimpered and whined for about 15 minutes and then rode quietly for the rest of the trip. It was one more little victory for a trainer and his dog. She always surprises me at how quickly she adapts to a situation. It is a quality I am very thankful for.

Once in Iowa my dog, Maci, and my brother’s dog, Bailey, ran and created the normal ruckus that two pups less than a year old do when they see each other. They have been together one other time and I was convinced that they remembered that last outing because they took off from right where they left off at Christmas. It was fun to watch them play and wrestle. It was obvious that in their own way they were trying to decide which of these two dogs was going to be the Alpha and which one was the Beta.

My brother is also training his dog to be a hunting dog. He mentioned to me how awesome the dog park was in Ames was for socializing. Well, as soon as I heard the words “Dog Park” I rolled my eyes. That was something that yuppies in the suburbs do. No real man would take his dog to a park. I further was convinced I was in the right when I found out that nonresidents had to pay a $7 a day fee to use the park.

“What? I don’t think so.” It was bad enough to consider taking my dog to a crazy park like that. It was even worse to think I was actually going to pay that kind of outrageous fee. And to top it all off, I was informed that I would remove any dog waste left behind by my dog with the environmentally friendly doggie bags and place the aforementioned device into the environmentally friendly dog waste stand pipe that led to the environmentally friendly dog waste disposal tank underground. What is this world coming to?

After we happily paid the $7 fee at city hall, we pointed the car south and headed for the dog park. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. Once we arrived I scanned the 8-acre fenced-in yard. It kind of reminded me of a prison yard. I half expected to see orange jumpsuit-wearing convicts pumping iron. As we walked through the first safety gate, I was overwhelmed at all the signs. There was a smaller 2-acre park for little dogs. But, they were more than welcome to use the bigger park, just please be aware that a small dog might become injured by a big dog and enter at your own risk. Basically, they were saying my big dog might eat your little dog, so stay on your side. Other rules jumped off the signs and gave me an instant headache.

Luckily, we were the only ones there at the time. We proceeded through the second safety gate and unleashed Maci. She burst forward like a shot from a gun. She was able to run as fast as she wanted and did just that. I was quite impressed by her speed and enjoyed her just running for the fun of it.

Soon, another car pulled up. Out came a typical 30-something white collar male with a dog that must have weighed a thousand pounds. Just great. Now I’ve got the little dog the sign was talking about. I was sure that this brute would not look where he was sitting and squish Maci. Of course, as soon as he made it through all the entry gates, Maci perked her ears up and went to check things out.

She sniffed and he sniffed back. Then they parted ways and each returned to their previous play. My interest was piqued. So much so that we actually came back to the park later that same day. Well, if I paid $7 I was surely going to get my monies worth.

The second outing was packed with other dogs. Big ones, little ones, fat ones and slow ones. Some were sporting dogs and some were show dogs. It was like seeing a real life version of those posters vets have in their office waiting room that shows all the many different breeds. Only, I saw them all in front of me.

Maci did a fantastic job of socializing. There were no fights or bickering. Just lots of playing, sniffing and running around. This was actually sort of fun, though I might not yet admit it.

On the way home, I reflected back on my first dog park experience. I thought it was quite awesome. The socializing was an experience that will definitely yield positive results later. I will probably take her to other similar facilities around here as well. The vast mix of people, animals, and situations were great for her training. I might just even buy my own environmentally friendly doggie bags to keep with me.

Spring turkey hunt growing in popularity in Carlton County

What is fast becoming one of the most anticipated hunting season openers of the year in Carlton County is about to begin. Next Wednesday, April 14, at approximately one-half hour before sunrise, the spring turkey season will officially get under way.

According to Corey Schneberger of the Carlton County Cutters Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, successful lottery winners will have the opportunity to try their luck at a sport he called “one of the most exciting I’ve experienced.”

Schneberger said birds that are true wild turkeys (as opposed to tame birds illegally released into the wild) are illusive and skittish enough to make their pursuit a true challenge for hunters.

Though wild turkey hunting has long been a mainstay in southern Minnesota and surrounding regions, Schneberger said Carlton County has only had an official turkey hunting season for the past couple of years, and interest continues to grow heading into the 2010 season.

The number of turkey hunting licenses is limited throughout the state in order to regulate harvest and distribute hunting pressure. Prospective hunters must first apply to become part of an advance lottery drawing.

Carlton County is part of permit zones 156 (south of Highway 210 and west of I-35) and 183 (east of I-35), which include parts of Pine and Aitkin counties as well.

Minnesota has both a spring turkey hunt and two fall hunts. The spring season includes time periods running from April 14-18, April 19-23, April 24-28, April 29-May 3, May 4-8, May 9-13, May 14-20, May 21-27; the first fall season runs Oct. 13-17; and the second fall season runs Oct. 20-24.

Some 15-30 permits are issued by lottery for Zone 156 for each of the spring hunt time periods, and 5-25 are issued in Zone 183, with the larger numbers reserved for late May.

Hunters are limited to taking one bearded turkey per season using a 20-gauge or larger shotgun, muzzle loader, No. 4-diameter or smaller fine shot or legal bow and arrow.

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 76 permits were issued in Zone 156 during the 2009 season and hunters registered a harvest of 29 turkeys for a success rate of 38 percent. In Zone 183, 42 permits were issued with a harvest of 16 turkeys, for a success rate of 38 percent.

Applications for the fall turkey hunting lottery will be available beginning in mid-June, and the deadline is the last Friday in July. For more information, contact the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources at www.dnr.state.mn.us.

Conservation Congress to meet Monday

Wisconsin residents will be able to nominate and elect local representatives to the Wisconsin Conservation Congress and express support or non-support for a range of advisory questions on conservation and natural resources management issues at the Congress' spring meetings held in every county of the state on April 12 starting at 7 p.m.

The county meeting is held jointly with the Department of Natural Resources Spring Hearings.

For those unfamiliar with the Wisconsin Conservation Congress, it is a statutorily established advisory group to the state Natural Resources Board on all natural resource issues.

"In Dodge County, the joint DNR and Conservation Congress annual county meeting will be held at the Horicon City Hall, in Horicon," said Dale Maas, chair of the Dodge County delegation.

At the meetings, citizens will have the opportunity to comment and register their support or non-support for congress proposals that someday could become the rules that regulate fishing, hunting, trapping, and other outdoor recreation activities in Wisconsin. They may also submit resolutions addressing conservation needs or concerns they observe.

This year the Conservation Congress will seek public input on 36 advisory questions on a range of topics, some of which include:

n A proposal to reduce lead in fishing tackle used in Wisconsin waters.

n A proposal to allow the hunting of fox and coyote over bait.

n A proposal to lower the crossbow eligibility to 55.

n A proposal to allow a sports license to be issued for gun or bow deer hunting.

n Numerous statewide and local suggestions for enhancing fishing opportunities on n Wisconsin's lake and rivers.

n Various proposals relating to black bear hunting.

n Proposals to require captive cervid farm owners to reimburse DNR for expenses relating to animal escapes and require double gates on cervid farms.

"Conservation Congress advisory questions originate from citizens with good ideas" said Ed Harvey, Chairman of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. "If resolutions presented at the county level meetings are supported, the resolution is advanced to one of the Congress' study committees and the Congress Executive Council for consideration.

"Each year, there are over 200 resolutions submitted locally, not all pass, but the ones that do begin their journey to become a rule, policy or legislative change in the subsequent years," Harvey said. "It is a true grassroots process that empowers the citizens of this state to shape natural resources policy."

Anyone submitting resolutions must submit two copies of their resolution types or neatly printed on 8 ½ by 11 inch white paper.

In addition to the Congress advisory questions, the county meeting is also reserved for the election of delegates to the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. To vote for Congress delegates, one must be 18 and provide identification along with proof of residency in the county.

"There will be two seats up for election, in Dodge County in 2009," said Dale Maas. "Any citizen of the county, who is a Wisconsin resident and is at least 18 may be nominated to the congress for two or three year term. Nominees must be willing to volunteer their time and represent their local citizens on natural resources issues."