1. AB CAN: Massive fish-trafficking ring stopped.
> “A 2-year undercover investigation into the illegal trafficking of 12,000 lbs of whitefish and walleye in northern and central Alberta has led to 80 charges against 33 people.
> “Fish were allegedly trafficked after being illegally killed in Lesser Slave Lake and nearby Winagami Lake. The investigation revealed a network of illegal killers and buyers of fish.”
2. MN: Some shallow lakes might get “winterkill” again.
Thx to all the slush and deep snow on top of the ice in the northern part of the state. Down in the Metro, not so much.
If you’ve never heard of a “winterkill” it’s when fish suffocate from a lack of dissolved oxygen from decaying plants and other dead aquatic animals. Looks bad, but is completely normal and often necessary.
Btw if your favorite little gem suffers from a winterkill, come back in 4-ish years and you might just find some of the best fishing you’ve ever had for bigger-than-average fish….
3. ND: Devils Lake and Stump Lake creel survey out.
Some interesting info on the # of “angler hours” and fish kept from each species in Brad Dokken’s write-up here.
Thought it was interesting that overall fishing pressure was down, but:
> Clerks encountered anglers from 32 states besides ND and a few from CAN. More than half of the anglers interviewed on Devils Lake (50.3%) were nonresidents. In the last survey, 41.5% of the anglers interviewed were non-residents…. That’s been creeping up every survey.
Does that mean us out-of-towners are scaring all the locals off? My guess is a bunch are hitting some of the other flooded, freshwater-shrimp-stuffed gems right there nearby that fly under the radar…. 😉
4. MN: $20K for the biggest fish caught…
…at the Fishing for Ducks tourney on Mille Lacs Feb 15:
> …the largest Ducks Unlimited event in the nation. Last year about 4,000 people attended enjoying fishing, food, prizes and music on the frozen lake. …raised $200K [!] for wetlands conservation.
Awesome cause that dishes out over $100K in cash + prizes.
Hope they get more than 1 car there.
7. WI: Lake Monona and Starkweather Creek slapped with…
…a fish-consumption advisory. ‘Cuz fish were found to “contain hazardous chemicals known as PFAS, found in some firefighting foam and various consumer products.” Sounds…delicious?
8. New Freedom Tackle Blade Bait is out.
Looks filthy good:
Can be rigged 3 different ways, including:
> …the ability to rig the double hook on the top of lure head and lock it into place on the custom design hook notch. This allows anglers to tap the nose of the lure on rocky bottoms without the fear of hang-ups…a preferred presentation for whitefish and lake trout through the ice.
Got ’em in stock now right here.
9. WV: Clendenin rebuilding local economy with trout.
The area’s still recovering from a nasty flood in 2016. They’ve dumped 1,350 lbs of rainbow trout into the Elk River hoping “it will bring more fishermen into the area, and that will help revitalize the local economy.”
10. CO: Endangered humpback chub making a comeback?
One of 4 endangered native species in the Colorado River system they’re trying to keep walleyes away from. #NomNomNom
> …now lives in 5 isolated pockets from the Grand Canyon up to central UT. Officials believe those stable populations are enough to stave off extinction, for now. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed reclassifying the fish from endangered to threatened.
Honestly, my first thought = would love to pull one on a Lindy Rig ’round here in Sept or Oct:
