GLF

Green Bay (AP) -- Sharpshooters are starting to kill some double-crested cormorants on selected islands in Green Bay now that the large fish-eating birds have rebounded after being virtually wiped out during the 1970s. The effort to shoot about 900 cormorants started last week to control the growing population and to provide bird carcasses for research. Government crews are also planning to coat the birds' eggs with corn oil to prevent hatching at nearly 6,000 nests, nearly half of all the nesting sites in the bay from the city of Green Bay to near Peninsula State Park in Door County. There are an estimated 12,880 cormorant nests in Green Bay, Wisconsin DNR officials said. Sharpshooter plans call for marksmen under contract from the U.S. Department of Agriculture using shotguns and .22-caliber rifles with silencers to shoot 550 cormorants on Cat Island in the southern end of Green Bay. They are also to shoot 50 cormorants on Jack Island and 300 cormorants on Little Strawberry Island, just west of Peninsula State Park. Tom Hauge, director of the agency's Bureau of Wildlife Management, emphasized the DNR has no intention of wiping out the bird and is conducting a thorough environmental assessment to guide cormorant management after this year. "We think that cormorants are like some other species in Wisconsin," Hauge said. "At some fundamental level, we have to ask, 'How many cormorants do we really want on the Great Lakes?" A Great Lakes survey in 1970 found only 89 nests, according to the USFWS, after exposure to DDT nearly wiped out the bird. But making it illegal to kill the cormorant without a permit and banning DDT paved the way for a comeback of the bird, and Gov. Jim Doyle signed legislation last month requiring the DNR to administer a program to control the cormorant population.

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- An infestation of zebra mussels in a Virginia quarry has been eradicated, marking what biologists and environmental experts believe is the first successful extermination of the notoriously invasive species in open waters. The small black-and-white striped mussels, native to eastern Europe, are voracious eaters, gobbling up large amounts of plankton -- the same food many native freshwater fish need to survive. They also pose a threat to utility companies by clogging industrial pipes. "I'm not aware of any other successful eradication," said Hugh MacIsaac, a zebra mussel expert at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research in Canada. "That's quite impressive." The zebra mussels were discovered in the United States in 1988 in the Great Lakes, after apparently being carried in a trans-Atlantic ship's ballast water. They have been found in 398 lakes nationwide, as far west as Kansas and as far south as Louisiana, the U.S. Geological Survey said. They were first found in Virginia in a Prince William County quarry in August 2002. "The economic and environmental damage that they can cause is tremendous," said Ray Fernald of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. To eradicate the creatures, Aquatic Sciences L.P., of Orchard Park, New York, injected the quarry with thousands of gallons of potassium chloride solution over a three-week period beginning in late January. The solution does not pose a threat to the environment or humans, Fernald said. The eradication process cost about $365,000, Fernald said. Water quality at the quarry and in nearby landowners' wells will be monitored for the next two years, he said. While the technique could be replicated in smaller bodies of water, the approach would likely fail in a region as large as the Great Lakes, said Phil Moy, an invasive species expert at the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute. "The cost would just be prohibitive," he said. Making eradication more difficult is the zebra mussels' ability to reproduce very quickly, said Thomas Horvath, a professor at the State University of New York in Oneonta who has been studying zebra mussels for about 15 years. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute did have some success in 1999. They began manually pulling the mussels from Lake George in New York. Since then, the population has declined dramatically, but has not been completely eradicated, said Sandra Nierzwicki-Bauer, a Rensselaer professor who directs the removal efforts. "You're not going to necessarily get every single last one," she said. "But our goal was initially to go in and to remove the bulk of them. And we did that." Amy Benson, a fisheries biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, cautioned against celebrating too soon because the zebra mussels could be back next year. "Mother nature has a way of surviving," she said.

Thanks for the report Mark. You will get them next time.

You are out fishing with your fishing partners, and are going to run 8 lines. What would you run? Down riggers, divers, lead core, etc, etc, etc. I realize time of year needs to be factored into the the equation. What would you run spring, summer, and fall? Also, what baits would you run on your lines?

You are out fishing with your fishing partner(s), and are going to run 6 lines. What would you run? Down riggers, divers, lead core, etc, etc, etc. I realize time of year needs to be factored into the the equation. What would you run spring, summer, and fall? Also, what baits would you run on your lines?

You are out fishing with your fishing partner, and are going to run 4 lines. What would you run? Down riggers, divers, lead core, etc, etc, etc. I realize time of year needs to be factored into the the equation. What would you run spring, summer, and fall? Also, what baits would you run on your lines?

Some states allow you to fish with 3 lines per person. If you was out fishing by yourself in one of these states with a 3 line limit, what would you run? Down riggers, divers, lead core, etc, etc, etc. I realize time of year needs to be factored into the the equation. Seeings how it is only 3 lines, what would you run spring, summer, and fall? Also, what baits would you run on your lines?

Not all of the states have a 3 line per person limit. If you was out fishing by yourself in one of these states with a 2 line limit, what would you run? Down riggers, divers, lead core, etc, etc, etc. I realize time of year needs to be factored into the the equation. Seeings how it is only 2 lines, what would you run spring, summer, and fall? Also, what baits would you run on your lines?

Head South and fish around Big Sable Point! This is the best place to fish on Lake Michigan in the fall.

Where are the reports from the tourney?

Thanks for the report Tom!

Thanks for the report!

If you do not like "supporting member" for a user title, you should be able to change it to what ever you like. Its in your UserCp under profile options I think..... Let me know if you have questions.

Thanks for the report Josh!

Thanks for the report Matt! Do you think the lake being stirred up on Thursday had anything to do with the fishing being slower?

I would like to wish all of the mother's on the board and all of the members wives, a Happy Mother's Day. I hope you have a Great day today. p.s. Can I go fishing today?

I would drop them a check, but for a boat like that, it would bounce to the moon

1st hint. Its not on Lake Michigan.

Thanks for the report Josh!

I have added a web cam section. There is a link to it in the top navbar and, in the site navigation block on the home page. You must be a member of the site and logged in to view them. The web cams are listed by state. If you know of a web cam over looking one of the Great Lakes that I missed, please let me know the link and I will get it added. Thanks, Mike

While limit catches of 40 yellow perch are being caught the traditional way in Lake Erie, the Mid-Ohio FoodBank of Columbus on Monday snared 200 pounds of tasty perch fillets compliments of the legal system. As part of being found guilty in a Cuyahoga County court on charges related to illegal commercial fishing, Port Clinton Fisheries, Inc., Wholesalers and its owners, Richard Stinson and Orville "Lee" Stinson, were ordered to donate the perch as restitution and pay $160,000 in fines. The fine and restitution signal the latest resolution involving 14 commercial fishermen, two fishing companies and three wholesalers. All were indicted by a grand jury last year on felony counts related to racketeering after evidence indicated the fishermen and fish companies had been taking yellow perch beyond their quotas and selling them to the wholesalers. Several fishermen and companies have pleaded guilty and been hit with fines totaling $356,000. Some cases are pending. Spurred by the cheating, the Ohio Division of Wildlife began tightening reporting and other restrictions on commercial netters May 1. Yellow perch sells for about $13 a pound when available in the supermarket, putting a $2,600 value on the fish given to the food bank.

LUDINGTON - The U.S. Coast Guard has installed a green lens at the Ludington lighthouse to prevent boat collisions with the adjacent breakwall, but the plan is getting mixed reviews from boaters. Nine boats have hit the harbor's north and south piers since 2004. Some captains say the green light - which was installed this week - will be easier to distinguish from other background lighting near the Lake Michigan waterfront. "I think it's a good idea," George Freeman, captain of charter boat Free Style, told the Ludington Daily News. "When you approach from the south, the white light has a tendency to blend in with the lights" elsewhere, he said. Mike Gnatkowski, captain of the Equalizer, agreed the green light was a good idea but said it might confuse some boaters. Either way, he said, charts make clear that boats entering Ludington harbor should be on a 90-degree course - which wasn't the case for the boats that have struck the breakwall. Craig Coleman of Captain Chuck's Great Outdoors, a local sporting goods store, said the change probably wouldn't help. "Green means go - go right to the breakwall," Coleman said. "Right on top of it. I don't like it. It's going to be dimmer. I like the old strobe." The light was dimmed in recent years when it was switched to solar power. Many boaters have said the change made the light harder to see. Tom Rau, a retired Coast Guard senior chief, said the biggest culprit in the collisions isn't poor vision, but excessive speed. "The only thing that will stop those collisions is people bringing back the throttles," Rau said.

Madison,Wisconsin – With the regular fishing season set to open Saturday, May 6, anglers are urged to take steps to avoid accidentally spreading aquatic invasive species in lakes and rivers to more waters. Despite boater surveys showing that 80 percent of boaters say they take the necessary steps to prevent their spread, in 2005 zebra mussels and Eurasian water milfoil were documented in 31 new waters, a typical rate of introduction in recent years. “The good news is that boaters are changing their behavior – 80 percent are complying based on our 2003 boater survey, up from 39 percent in a similar survey in 1994,†says Ron Martin, who coordinates invasive species management efforts for the Department of Natural Resources. “The vast majority of Wisconsin’s 15,000 lakes and 44,000 miles of streams don’t have the aquatic invasive species,†he says. “But 20 percent of 600,000 boaters not complying is still a problem, and new infestations are a problem. All it takes is a couple of careless boaters and more waterbodies become infested.†More than 160 invasive aquatic species have entered the Great Lakes over the last 150 years and some are spreading to inland waters where they can affect lake ecosystems and hamper recreation. The major way they spread is aboard boats and boat trailers, and in bait buckets and bilge water. The most common and problematic invasive species in Wisconsin waters are the Eurasian water milfoil, a plant that grows thick mats just below the water’s surface that can interfere with boating and swimming, and zebra mussels, a small but prolific mussel which can disrupt ecosystems, clog boat engines and utility intakes, and whose sharp shells can cut the feet of beachgoers.

HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania Game Commission officials late last month announced that they, along with officials from the U.S.D.A's Wildlife Services, would soon begin a program to sustain and protect a historic nesting colony of great egrets and black-crowned night-herons - two state endangered species - on Wade Island, in the Susquehanna River. However, this long-considered, last-resort option comes at the expense of the double-crested cormorants encroaching on this relatively unique nesting site. "Wade Island is home to the state's largest nesting colony of black-crowned night-herons and great egrets, both of which are on Pennsylvania's endangered species list," said Dan Brauning, Game Commission Wildlife Diversity Section supervisor. "It isn't clear what brings these colony nesting birds to Wade Island, which has been recognized as an Important Bird Area by Audubon Pennsylvania. Perhaps it is good food resources in the Susquehanna River or it's proximity to the Chesapeake Bay. Whatever the reason, no other place in the state comes close when comparing the number of nesting sites of these magnificent birds. "Unfortunately, cormorants - also colony nesters - have invaded the night-heron and egret nesting area, and the nesting activity of the cormorants has increasingly become a concern. While cormorants were at one time rare in Pennsylvania, populations have steadily increased since the early 1980s and they have never been considered a candidate for the state's species of concern list." Brauning noted that, during the mid 1990s, up to 1,000 cormorants were regularly seen at Presque Isle State Park in Erie. Since then, their population has continued to expand and they are now common throughout the Commonwealth. In fact, populations of double-crested cormorants have been increasing rapidly in many parts of the U.S. since the mid-1970s, and their abundance has led to increased conflicts with various biological and socioeconomic resources, including recreational fisheries, other birds, vegetation, and fish hatchery and commercial aquaculture production. Currently, more than 100 night-heron and 150 great egret nests are on Wade Island. Cormorants were first confirmed nesting on Wade Island in July of 1996. At that time, only a single nest was found. Since then, though, the number of cormorant nests on Wade Island has increased dramatically. In 2005, 59 cormorant nests were confirmed. "Unfortunately, there is a limited number of nesting sites on Wade Island," Brauning said. "This is a particular problem for great egrets, which prefer nest locations similar to those used by the cormorants. Therefore, we are taking steps to initiate a culling operation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services to remove up to 50 cormorants using specialized air rifles and/or suppressed .22 caliber rifles." USDA Wildlife Services has obtained all of the necessary permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct this operation under the direction of the Game Commission. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources owns Wade Island and has provided approval for this operation. All culled cormorants will be turned over to the Game Commission for disposal. "During this operation, extreme care will be taken to not disturb the endangered species nesting on the island," said Harris Glass, USDA Wildlife Services Pennsylvania State Director and wildlife biologist. "The exercise will be stopped immediately if it is perceived that activities are threatening the nesting of egrets or herons." To ensure public safety, the Game Commission will provide law enforcement assistance or arrange for assistance from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission throughout the operation. The equipment that will be used is designed to reduce any risks and it will be used in the safest manner possible. Brauning noted that studies have shown that when nesting cormorants encroach upon colonies of other nesting birds, including both black-crowned night-herons and great egrets, they reduce the amount of nesting space for those other nesting species. In addition, cormorants have been known to take over egret nests and also kill trees as a result of their nesting activity. Several other cases found that cormorant droppings on the leaves and branches of nesting trees apparently caused egrets to abandon colonies. "In addition to the competition for nesting sites, cormorants also may compete with the herons and egrets for food in the local area around Wade Island," Brauning said. "All three birds feed on fish and while cormorants usually dive deeper than herons and egrets for their food, scientists believe that the feeding areas of the three species likely overlap in the shallow depths of the Susquehanna River." Brauning stressed that culling a portion of the cormorants was not the first option explored. He noted that in 2004 and 2005, the agency attempted to encourage nesting by egrets and night-herons on neighboring islands. However, that effort was met with limited to no success. For more information on this initial effort, please see "News Release #20-04" in the "Newsroom" of the agency's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us ). "Trying to lure some of Wade Island's herons and egrets to a nearby island was unsuccessful," Brauning said. "Egret 'decoys' were placed on an island that neighbors Wade Island with hopes of attracting some birds away from the growing cormorant population. The use of decoys will continue, but such efforts generally provide only mixed success and may attract cormorants as well. Other methods to control the success of the cormorant nests (oiling of eggs, use of poles and high-pressure sprays) are not possible on Wade Island, because of the nest height. "Therefore, lethal removal of the cormorants was determined to be the safest, least-disruptive, most cost-efficient and promising control method." support of this conclusion, USDA Wildlife Services also has considered all available management options and the adverse effects associated with those options. Wildlife Services has determined lethal control to be the most appropriate management option and does not foresee any significant negative impacts to the other wildlife or the public from this option.

COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio boaters will again benefit from free safety inspections conducted during the month of May by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Watercraft and its boating partners, the U.S. Power Squadrons, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and some local marine patrol units. The inspections are aimed at increasing boating safety awareness in observance of National Safe Boating Week, May 20-26. “These free safety inspections are held at boat ramps across the state to ensure that boating remains a safe recreational pastime on the state’s waterways,†said Mike Quinn, acting chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft. Watercraft safety inspectors do not issue citations, but instead provide completed written inspections that allow boat owners and operators to make recommended improvements to the safety equipment on their boats. Officers and inspectors look for properly working equipment such as fire extinguishers, horns, navigational lights, distress signals and an adequate number of approved life jackets that are of the proper style, size and fit for any passengers who are likely to be aboard a particular boat. A limited number of floating key chains that are ideal for carrying a watercraft registration will be distributed to boaters whose vessels undergo the safety inspections. In addition, beginning May 19, watercraft officers will distribute a limited number of wrist bracelets inscribed with the words “Wear Your Life Jacket†to boaters they observe on the water who are properly wearing a life jacket. The North American Safe Boating Week campaign began in 1957 and continues to increase boating safety awareness by encouraging boaters to always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket of the proper type and size, to take an approved boater education course, to participate in a free watercraft safety inspection and adopt other safe boating practices. An estimated 3 million Ohioans enjoy recreational boating each year. Recreational boating in Ohio contributes an estimated $2.1 billion annually to the state’s economy and supports the fulltime equivalent of an estimated 19,000 jobs.