Licensed To Reel

Fish & Boat Commission Changes Lake Erie

Regulations, Elects New Officers at Quarterly Business Meeting

July 12, 2011

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) today approved several changes to Lake Erie regulations, moved four lakes to the list of approved trout waters open to year-round fishing, and established an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to collect American shad eggs from the Potomac River. Also, Commissioners elected Robert Bachman, Ph.D., as the new board president and Steve Ketterer as vice president.

At the start of today’s meeting, Executive Director John Arway presented awards to several individuals. Commissioner William Worobec was recognized for his outstanding leadership and dedication while serving as board president from July 13, 2010, to July 12, 2011. Director Arway honored Waterways Conservation Officer Larry Furlong for being named Pennsylvania Boating Officer of the Year by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. Also, Mark Hartle, chief of the PFBC Aquatic Resources Section, was recognized for his work co-authoring a white paper on managing water releases to Delaware River tributaries from N.Y. City water supply reservoirs.

As part of the Lake Erie changes, Commissioners approved a proposal to allow for adaptive creel limits for walleye and yellow perch based on the annual quotas established each spring by the Lake Erie Committee, which consists of fisheries managers from Pa., Ohio, N.Y., Michigan and Ontario, Canada. Under the new rules, the PFBC will set daily limits by April 15 of each year, before the onset of each fishing season. The change will allow the PFBC to apply regulations in a timely manner, synchronized with the condition of fish stocks.

Also, Commissioners approved a recommendation to establish a Lake Erie cast net permit for sport anglers who want to harvest emerald shiners and spottail shiners, which are popular baitfish. The $10 permit allows anglers to take a combined species daily limit of 200. In addition, Commissioners approved a recommendation to increase the number of commercial seine licenses for Lake Erie from 10 to 40.

In other action today, Commissioners voted to approve:

A recommendation to change the designation of four lakes from approved trout waters to approved trout waters open to year-round fishing. The four lakes include Lake Luxembourg in Bucks County, Laurel Lake in Cumberland County, Muddy Run Recreation Lake in Lancaster County, and Sweet Arrow Lake in Schuylkill County.

A five-year agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to collect American shad eggs from the Potomac River during the spring spawning runs of 2012 through 2016. The eggs will be used by the PFBC as part of its effort to restore American shad to the Susquehanna, Lehigh and Schuylkill rivers.

A recommendation to allow anglers to fish Lehigh County’s Leaser Lake once the dam is rebuilt and the lake refills. PFBC staff had originally recommended closing the lake to all fishing until June 18, 2016, but now believes a catch and release policy will provide recreational angling opportunities while still developing a high quality fishery. The catch and release regulations will apply to all species except trout, which will be stocked in the lake beginning in 2014.

A final rulemaking order imposing a closed season on river herring in the Delaware River and Delaware Estuary; the Lehigh and Schuylkill rivers and their tributaries; and the Conowingo Reservoir on the Susquehanna River. The changes are being made in cooperation with N.J., N.Y. and Delaware as part of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s interstate management plan for shad and river herring, which states that the river herring population remains at a depressed level.

A change to the section limits on Spring Creek in the Borough of Bellefonte, Centre County, which will open up approximately 350 meters (1/5 mile) to public angling from the High Street Bridge to the Lamb Street Bridge.

An amendment to the regulation for the National Saltwater Angler Registry required by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to clarify that an angler is compliant if he meets the registration requirements of another state, such as N.J. NOAA requires the registration from anglers who target shad, striped bass and river herring from the Delaware River below Trenton Falls or in the Delaware Estuary.

A complete copy of the meeting schedule and the full agenda for the meeting can be found on the Commission’s web site at www.fishandboat.com/minutes.htm.

The mission of the Fish and Boat Commission is to protect, conserve, and enhance the Commonwealth’s aquatic resources and provide fishing and boating opportunities. For more information about fishing and boating in Pennsylvania, please visit our website at fishandboat.com.

Contact

Eric Levis

717.705.7806

[email protected]

Lake Erie, Presque Isle Bay (Erie County): As conditions allowed, anglers were releasing smallmouth bass up to 4 pounds in 15-25 feet in the main lake, and smallmouths on tubes, grubs and soft and hard jerkbaits in the bay. Northern pike were hitting in the bay. Perch were reported on shiners. The night bite on walleyes along the Erie shoreline began last weekend.

Allegheny River, Allegheny Reservoir (Warren County): River anglers caught brown trout up to 6 pounds and walleyes last weekend. The Red Bridge area of the reservoir was yielding smallmouth bass up to 5 pounds and walleyes.

Allegheny River (Venango County): Before conditions turned high and muddy, local anglers released smallmouth bass up to 16 inches on tubes.

Justus Lake (Venango County): Crappies, rock bass, largemouth and smallmouth bass and bluegills were reported on small fatheads under floats near shoreline wood.

Oil Creek (Venango County): Prior to this week'sblown-out conditions this week, trout were rising to grannom caddisflies.

French Creek (Erie, Crawford and Venango counties): Before rainfall blew out the stream, bowfins up to 26 inches were released, along with a few bullheads.

Pymatuning Reservoir (Crawford County): Anglers caught nice crappies off the causeway in high water Wednesday evening. Butch and Helen Marietta of Hunker won the recent Keystone Bass Buddy Circuit tournament with six fish totaling 23?? pounds. Jim Lambert of Wexford caught the 5??-pound tournament lunker. Numbers of walleyes from sub-legal to 25??-inches, 7 pounds were reported on crankbaits, Hot-n-Tots, and jigs and crawlers drifted on the bottom in 15-22 feet. Crappies also were hitting on tube jigs and minnows near brush piles and ledges. A few perch and white bass were reported, and a couple of muskies were landed by shore anglers near the dam.

Conneaut Lake (Crawford County): Large muskies were sighted in recent weeks. Carp were plentiful. A decent bass bite and a few small northern pike were reported.

Tamarack Lake (Crawford County): Crappie catches were sporadic in recent weeks, with few big fish reported.

Woodcock Lake (Crawford County): Walleyes were hitting mornings and evenings in recent weeks. A 46-inch muskie also was reported.

Sugar Lake (Crawford County): Largemouth bass up to 19 inches were released.

Canadohta Lake (Crawford County): Walleyes up to 20 inches were caught by anglers slow-trolling jointed crankbaits and worm harnesses in four feet of water.

Lake Arthur (Butler County): Citation-size crappies caught last weekend included a 1-pound 5-ounce, 13??-incher by Rich Moyta of Coraopolis, and a 1-pound 7-ouncer and a 1??-pounder by Val and Ron Raehn, respectively. Another angler caught 30 keepers in two days. Water was in the low 60s Monday.

Lake Wilhelm (Mercer County): Crappies, bluegills and walleyes were hitting along with largemouth bass in mixed sizes.

Crooked Creek Lake (Armstrong County): Bluegills were reported, with some limits taken.

Shenango Lake (Mercer County): Despite high water, perch and bluegills were hitting in shallow water in the back of bays. The tailrace was yielding walleyes.

Neshannock Creek (Mercer County): Prior to thisBefore the blow-out conditions this week, week's blown-out conditions, caddisflies and march browns were hatching.

Allegheny River (Allegheny County): Shore anglers at the mouth of Deer Creek caught small catfish Tuesday, and a 30-inch walleye was landed below Lock 3 in Cheswick. Conditions Thursday were high and muddy.

Ohio River (Allegheny County): Shore anglers were catching walleyes and flathead catfish on live bait below Dashields Dam and at Montour Run in high, muddy conditions.

Youghiogheny River, Youghiogheny Reservoir (Fayette, Westmoreland counties): Fishable conditions were reported in the outflow in recent days, but rainfall rendered tributaries unfishable. Meadow Run was stocked with trout Tuesday. Walleye catches were reported in the reservoir.

Spring Creek (Centre County): Water was higher than normal and a little off-color Wednesday. Hatches included sulphurs (size 14, 16), tan caddisflies (14, 16) and midges.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11140/1147989-358-0.stm#ixzz1Mw0Aot8D

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has confirmed the presence of whirling disease in a delivery of 8,000 commercially produced rainbow trout stocked in several Western Maryland streams. These fish are safe to consume, as the disease does not harm humans.

"While we believe this event represents a low risk, DNR considers the health of Maryland's trout streams and populations a key priority," said Fisheries Service Director Tom O'Connell. "Our goal is to eventually raise all stocked trout within DNR hatcheries. We are currently developing several new opportunities to expand our hatchery resources, which will allow us to rigorously monitor and control fish health issues."

On May 11, DNR staff observed suspicious behavior in fish that had been stocked in the North Branch Delayed Harvest Area, Evitts Creek, Jennings Run and Sidling Hill Creek. They immediately ceased stocking activities and took samples for testing. Results of this sampling confirmed the presence of whirling disease.

The whirling disease parasite was introduced into the eastern United States from Europe in the late 1950s and is currently known to exist in 24 states. It was first discovered in Maryland in 1995 in the North Branch Potomac River. Although harmless to humans, the parasite can be fatal to trout and is particularly harmful to rainbow trout. DNR is continuing further testing to investigate this outbreak and working with the vendor in question to determine why potentially diseased fish may have been delivered. DNR will accept no fish from this vendor pending the results of this assessment.

DNR established an ongoing disease monitoring program on trout streams in 2007. Although whirling disease was introduced to several watersheds in fall 2006, test results have shown that it has not become established in any areas except the North Branch of the Potomac River. Regular monitoring and Maryland's past experience and enhanced understanding of the disease life cycle suggest that the risk of disease to wild trout populations from this introduction may be low. However, as a precaution, DNR biologists will conduct additional disease sampling of adults and sentinel fingerlings over the next several years.

DNR hatchery resources cannot meet all the demand for stocked trout, so commercially produced fish are used to supplement spring trout stocking. Vendors that supply fish to the State are required to be certified disease free for three years. In order to meet spring stocking goals, DNR is reallocating rigorously tested DNR hatchery produced fish originally slated for fall stocking.

DNR annually stocks approximately 328,000 fish for the spring trout season. DNR reminds anglers to help prevent the spread of disease and invasive organisms by cleaning boots and equipment thoroughly after fishing. Most importantly, do not move fish from one stream to another or discard carcasses in streams or on stream banks.

A brochure on whirling disease is available at dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/pdfs/wd_brochure.pdf.

wo years, $21 million and nearly 300,000 cubic yards of sediment have passed since Allegheny County and the Army Corps of Engineers, with some financial help from the state, began restoring North Park Lake. With a few exceptions, primarily located in and around the Irwin Run tributary, the project is in its final stage and the lake is slowly refilling.

Don't rig up the fishing tackle -- the lake remains a slowly rising vat of milk chocolate-colored sediment, reaching depths of 6-8 feet at the dam and backing up as far as the boat launch. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission recommends that public fishing resume Jan. 1, 2012. The first stockings of non-game fish occurred a couple of weeks ago, and the agency plans to restock warm-water game species for permanent residency beginning in February 2012. Limited seasonal stockings of trout would follow.

The Army Corps has completed the project's primary goal, removal of 76 years of sediment that had shaved 10 feet from the lake's maximum depth and turned 15 acres of open water into gooey, weed-choked swamp. Allegheny County has finished some tributary and landside improvements including anti-siltation measures on Pine Creek and North Branch Pine Creek. Further improvements are pending on Irwin Run, near or above the boat launch area.

In addition to the uncovering of the original stumps left in the lake bed when it was created, Fish and Boat crews have built dozens of fish habitats specific to the spawning and cover needs of baitfish and game fish of various sizes. PFBC biologist Rick Lorson suggested that savvy anglers might take note of their placement before they're covered with water.

"Or mark their locations on your GPS units," he said. "Those structures, regardless of what type they are, mimic the preferred habitat of the fish species they were placed there for."

Plant life, it's believed, will most likely repopulate itself in proportions reflecting the increased acreage of deeper open water. When stocking of game fish resumes, PFBC intends to plant fingerling and young adult populations of largemouth bass, bluegills, channel catfish and white crappies. North Park Lake is a shallow, warm-water fishery with relatively low dissolved oxygen content, not ideal for cold-water trout. Limited seasonal trout stockings will precede each opening day.

The return of North Park Lake provides a rare opportunity for wildlife biologists to create a new waterway. As current murkiness settles, the water will take on the "new lake effect."

"Prior to the draining, the [lake's] nutrients were bound to the sediment," said Lorson. "The 'new lake effect' occurs when the lake is refilled and the nutrients dissolve and disperse through the lake. Years 5 through 10 will be the best time for that lake in terms of reproduction and growth. Survival will be high."

Below the dam, the sediment problem on Pine Creek continues. Despite some siltation barriers placed in the drained lake bed by the Army Corps, mud that washed into the creek covered miles of creek bed.

"It buried the bug life," said Lorson. "Pine Creek was certainly impacted, and it will take several years of high water and storm flows to wash out that sediment."

That didn't stop PFBC from stocking trout in the creek during the past two years, although none were planted in the stream section below the dam in 2010. Stocking there resumed this year.

"Dry fly anglers are not going to have as much activity for a while," said Lorson. "They may want to work with something imitating a terrestrial. The fishing gets better farther down the creek."

Tom Walsh, who leads the Pine Creek deflector-placement project for Penn's Woods West Trout Unlimited, said he fished the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only section Thursday with little success.

"The creek is pretty silted up. When you wade, you kick up a lot of mud," he said. "But the fish stocked there seemed to be holding up well. Those we caught fought well and seemed to be healthy."

About 10 rock and log deflectors placed by the group, usually in slow shallow stretches, act to narrow the creek and hasten the current, sweeping out siltation, carving deeper channels and improving habitat. The project, which began before lake restoration impacted the creek, is expected to be a big help during Pine Creek's slow return to normal.

Friday, April 29, 2011

By Deborah Weisberg

Presque Isle Bay (Erie County): Crappie and perch were hitting in the head of the bay. Perch were spotty off the north and south piers. Crappies also were reported in Misery Bay and Long Pond in the lagoons, with emerald shiners the ticket. The bass bite started to pick up, with a couple of anglers releasing smallmouths and largemouths up to 5 pounds. Suckers and smallmouth bass were in the west side tributaries.

Allegheny River (Warren County): High flow kept anglers off the river again this week.

Jackson Run (Warren County): Anglers were catching golden rainbow trout on this small tributary of Conewango Creek.

Chapman Dam (Warren County): Numbers of trout were reported in this popular impoundment.

Pymatuning Reservoir (Crawford County): Crappies, perch and bluegills were reported in Stewart's Bay. Nice catches of walleyes, including limits, were reported before dusk last weekend, with jigs and minnows or 3- to 4-inch stickbaits productive. Walleye anglers caught some muskies from shore. Chris Kusta of Arona caught a 41-inch, 26-pound 12-ounce muskie on a Sonar while walleye fishing. The winning size in a local walleye tournament was 28 ?? inches.

Conneaut Lake (Crawford County): Crappies and bluegills were reported, along with northern pike on shiners along weed edges in Mammoth Bay.

Tamarack Lake (Crawford County): A decent crappie bite was reported.

Woodcock Creek (Crawford County): Nice catches of stocked trout on butter worms were reported.

Allegheny River (Venango County): High, muddy water shut down fishing this week.

Justus Lake (Venango County): Good trout fishing was reported last weekend. Ryan Williams of Franklin caught a 19 ??-inch smallmouth bass on a white spinnerbait.

Shenango Lake (Mercer County): High, muddy water kept anglers off the water this week.

Lake Wilhelm (Mercer County): A good bluegill and crappie bite continued near Sheakleyville Bridge and Launch No. 3, with Twister tails or split tails tipped with maggots or wax worms the ticket.

Lake Arthur (Butler County): As water warmed to the mid 50-degree mark, crappies were biting in the shallows. Largemouth bass up to 20 inches and hybrid striped bass around 22 inches were reported. A 49-inch muskie was released Saturday. The northern pike bite slowed.

North Fork of Little Beaver Creek (Beaver County): As conditions allowed, anglers were catching trout on pastebaits and red worms.

Bessemer Lake, Cascade Quarry (Lawrence County): Good trout-fishing was reported at both, offering an alternative to high muddy streams.

Allegheny River (Allegheny County): High conditions kept anglers off the river again this week.

Northmoreland Lake (Westmoreland County): Stocked trout and sunfish were reported in recent days.

Cowanshannock Creek (Armstrong County): Numbers of trout were reported, with one angler releasing dozens on a spinner.

Crooked Creek Lake (Armstrong County): The outflow was yielding crappies on minnows. Numbers were good, but most were less than 8 inches.

Glendale Lake (Cambria County): A decent crappie bite was reported.

Wilmore Dam. Hinckston Run Reservoir (Cambria County): Panfish action was on the slow side.

Hinckston Dam (Cambria County): Yields of perch were reported.

High Point Lake (Somerset County): Crappies 9 to 15 inches were hitting minnows. Bass up to 18 inches were released near shore.

Spring Creek (Centre County): High, muddy conditions were reported mid-week, but streamer and crawler patterns were catching trout. Water was in the low 40s.

Report your catch to [email protected] . trim here if necessary, please leave bylineInclude angler's name, age (for children), place of residence, species, size, body of water, date of catch and phone number (not for publication).

First published on April 29, 2011 at 1:04 am

Catch and release" is part of the language of modern angling. But if caught fish are not liberated correctly, "released and deceased" might be a more correct phrase.

A 2005 study of game fish mortality after release, conducted by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources' Fisheries Section, concluded that while catch and release has become an effective management tool to both increase recreation and sustain fish populations, fish survival after release can be jeopardized by extended play time on the line, hooking location, duration of exposure to air and the use of live bait. Bait poses a higher risk, the authors wrote, because fish are more likely to swallow it.

Fishing professionals maintain that since anglers, fortunately, intend to continue recreational fishing in a world of pressured fisheries, it is important to handle fish with care before and during release.

"Releasing a fish with maximum chance of survival is largely common sense," said Jim Martinsen, communications director for Sheldon's Mepps Lures in Antigo, Wis. "Handle it gently; get it back into the water as quickly as possible."

Big fish, Martinsen said, present a special challenge for safe release, an important consideration since large, mature fish often contribute heavily to the species' annual reproduction. Some states have "slot limits" requiring anglers to release fish larger than, and smaller than, a median "slot" size, protecting young fish and robust breeders.

"In general, the reproductive value of large fish is established by all the fisheries studies that support slot limits. I like slot limits, but their effectiveness depends on safe release of big fish," Martinsen said. "Big fish can be injured by their own body weight. We get photos sent in ... often they'll show an angler holding a big muskie or pike with the belly hanging way down, distended. You need to support the weight of the fish to prevent injury. "

Another risk to handling big fish is that the gills offer a handy grip, which Martinsen said can seal a fish's doom.

"Holding a fish by the gills is like somebody grabbing you by the lungs," Martinsen said. "That will kill a fish quicker than anything. With a big fish, it's better to not even lift it out of the water. Reach down with pliers and remove the hook alongside the boat or shore."

Martinsen, who has worked in the fishing industry for 25 years and fished all across North America, said unhooking the prize is only one step in the process of successful release.

"You need to be aware of the condition of the fish as you prepare to release it," he said. "If it appears stressed, you can revive it by holding the head into the current to allow water to pass through the gills. In still water, hold it by the tail and move it back and forth. That will freshen the fish and most times he'll snap to it and swim away."

Anglers often overlook the fact that their tackle selection, before the catch, can influence the survival of released fish. Fisheries biologists recommend matching tackle strength to the size of fish you expect to encounter. Landing fish on tackle that is too light requires a long, extended fight, which can exhaust a fish that is otherwise uninjured.

Despite the cautions, catch and release does work when done correctly. A cooperative 30-year study of Atlantic salmon hooking mortality conducted by fisheries agencies in Russia, Europe and North America found that when anglers follow the correct "code of practice," survival rates of caught and released salmon are "very high and can approach 100 percent."

The Leggetts Creek Bassmasters Club headquartered in Scranton, Pa., reports that members caught 955 bass in tournaments during 2009, and that 947 (99.16 percent) survived release. The club did not report how, or for how long, it monitored released bass. Biologists' studies indicate that most released fish that succumb do so within the first 24 hours.

"I think people are becoming more sensitive to their impact on the environment," Martinsen said. "As they do so, they're realizing 'I don't need to keep all these fish.' The fun of fishing is putting a bend in the rod."

Shrimp have been discovered in the Monongahela River -- but don't grab the cocktail sauce just yet.

David Argent, California University of Pennsylvania

California University of Pennsylvania biologist Bill Kimmel holds one of the shrimp found in the Mon River.

Click photo for larger image. They're not the jumbo kind listed on restaurant menus, but a smaller cousin known as grass shrimp. They were found by scientists trawling the bottom of a 40-mile stretch of the Mon from Fayette City to the West Virginia line in recent weeks.

"We're really scratching our heads about it," said David Argent, a California University of Pennsylvania biology professor who captured the tiny, translucent crustaceans at Point Marion and at the mouth of Little Redstone Creek in Fayette City. "But wow, it's really neat ... the last thing we expected to find."

The discovery is significant because the species, known as Palaemonetes kadiakensis, is native to the Mississippi River basin -- of which the Mon is a part -- and an indication of good water quality, Dr. Argent said. More than half of the 11 shrimp he caught carried eggs.

Benthic or bottom trawling has never been performed before on the Mon, so how long the shrimp have been there is anyone's guess, but Dr. Argent said capturing such a small number suggests they are relative newcomers, and only beginning to expand their range in the Mon's improving water. He said he has ruled out that the shrimp were planted, like the tilapia that surfaced in Braddock this month.

"I showed them to my colleague Bill Kimmel, and we think they're the real deal," Dr. Argent said. "They've probably never been seen this far north before, although they've been in the drainage for a hundred million years."

Something similar occurred in Lake Erie, said Ed Masteller, a biologist specializing in benthic communities and a professor emeritus at Penn State University's Behrend College.

"I found a few grass shrimp in Erie when I came here in 1967, then I didn't see them for years until they started showing up again in large numbers, kind of like mayflies, when the habitat improved enough for them to reproduce," said Dr. Masteller, who had even considered trying to raise grass shrimp in Erie, as an academic experiment, several years ago. "It was exciting to me, because they seem to be indicators."

Dr. Argent found the Mon River shrimp in eelgrass, a plant with one-inch blades seen undulating in the water, and native to the Mon but seldom found in the Allegheny and Ohio. "We also got a lot of little bluegills, rock bass, smallmouths and spotted bass in the same eelgrass, so it appears it's a kind of nursery area," he said.

Tucked up underneath their legs, six of the shrimp had eggs, which on their two-inch long, nearly transparent bodies appear as tiny green dots.

Dr. Argent said he's trying to figure out how the shrimp got to Pennsylvania. They could have "hitchhiked" in the ballast water of a boat that had been to the Gulf of Mexico or some other coastal area where shrimp are more at home, or they might have alternately swum and drifted up on their own. The Mon flows north through West Virginia. Shrimp power themselves with their tails and have big eyes and long antennae that help them forage, mostly for plankton and other microscopic matter. Their translucence helps them elude predators.

Although grass shrimp are more common to brackish or estuarial water, Dr. Argent said "the temperatures and habitat on the Mon are suitable enough for them. They like a silty habitat, which the Mon certainly has. You can stand on Mount Washington and see sediment plumes where the Mon mixes with the Ohio."

As bottom dwelling filter feeders, grass shrimp would survive over the long term only by being able to withstand the heavy metals and other toxins embedded from the region's industrial past. "The only way to really know how much pollution they're absorbing is to mash them up and study their tissue, and I have no interest in doing that," said Dr. Argent, who has the shrimp, pickled, in a jar in his lab. "They wouldn't be attempting to breed if conditions in the river were that poor, chemically or otherwise."

Though they are edible, it would take a thousand of the tiny shrimp to make a meal, he said.

Equally encouraging are the other species Dr. Argent's trawling operation yielded, including a big bounty of Johnny darters and a significant number of channel darters and silver chubs, which are both state-threatened species.

"Out of the 3,000 fish we caught, 1,000 were Johnny darters, and 454 were channel darters, which are indicative of good water quality," Dr. Argent said. "We wouldn't have expected to get many Johnny darters 20 feet down in the river, because they're more of a riffle or shallow pool species, but then again, we've never explored with benthic trawling before."

The only disappointment was the absence of larger fish, although Dr. Argent said trawling at night might have produced more. "It could be that the bigger ones saw the trawl coming and got out of the way," he said.

He expects more surprises when he bottom-trawls again this fall, enlisting some of his students in the process. Other benthic studies are slated for the Allegheny and Ohio rivers, since the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission wants to gauge the impact of sand and gravel dredging on those rivers. Dredging is a 100-year-old practice that has come under closer environmental scrutiny in recent years.

First published on August 23, 2006 at 12:00 am

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06235/715487-113.stm#ixzz1LLtF5qFi

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is encouraging anglers to visit the upper Owl Creek Reservoir in Schuylkill County and harvest as many fish as they can before the lake is drawn down this spring and construction begins to repair the facility.

“Removing all harvest restrictions provides additional recreational opportunities for anglers and can help reduce the number of fish that could potentially be stranded when the water level drops,” said Dave Miko, chief of the PFBC Division of Fisheries Management. “Once the draining of the upper lake begins, all public access to the facility will be prohibited.”

The upper and lower Owl Creek reservoirs are owned by the Borough of Tamaqua and are scheduled to be rebuilt by the summer of 2012. The lower reservoir has already been drawn down. The two reservoirs drain into a class A wild trout stream.

Yesterday, the PFBC lifted all seasons, sizes and creel limits on the upper reservoir in anticipation of the drawdown, which will begin as soon as the borough receives approval from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The temporary modification will remain in effect until further notice but in no event will it remain in place after January 1, 2012. All other rules and regulations remain in effect.

The mission of the Fish and Boat Commission is to protect, conserve, and enhance the Commonwealth’s aquatic resources and provide fishing and boating opportunities. For more information about fishing and boating in Pennsylvania, please visit our website at www.fishandboat.com.

Harrisburg, PA – Get out your shiny lures and round up your fishing gear. Cabela’s and supporting sponsors announced today Wanna Go Fishing for Millions?, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win millions of dollars in cash and prizes by enjoying one of America’s favorite pastimes – fishing.

Cabela’s is tagging hundreds of fish in selected waters in states that have Cabela’s retail stores – including Pennsylvania - and every one of them is a winner. Among the winning fish, there are grand prize winners that may qualify for additional bonuses based on the winning angler using or wearing sponsors’ products when they catch a tagged fish.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is Cabela’s state partner and will tag fish in select waters, which will be publicly announced on May 14, the official start of the contest. The contest runs through July 14.

PFBC Executive Director John Arway said the timing of the contest is perfect because it will coincide with the PFBC’s Fish-for-Free Day on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, giving vacationing families more incentive to try fishing.

“The contest creates a fantastic opportunity to promote all the fishing opportunities we have in Pennsylvania to first-time anglers on our Fish-for-Free Day,” he said. “On this day, we will hold special events at many of the selected contest waters. We will have exhibits, fishing instruction and tips, free publications and more.”

“The contest – and in particular the Fish-for-Free Day – promises to be fun and exciting for all levels of anglers,” Arway added. “Now when someone is fishing and feels that tug on their line, they will be thinking ‘Am I reeling in a million dollar prize?’”

Fish-for-Free Days allow anyone (resident or non-resident) to legally fish. No fishing license is required to fish on these days. All other fishing regulations apply. The second Fish-for-Free Day is Labor Day, Sept. 5.

Winning is as easy as baiting a hook. Go to the PFBC’s website for contest and Fish-for-Free information at: http://fishandboat.com/fishformillions.htm. Anglers need to pre-register and hit their local lakes between May 14 and July 14 for their chance at winning a fish worth $2.2 million.

The mission of the Fish and Boat Commission is to protect, conserve, and enhance the Commonwealth’s aquatic resources and provide fishing and boating opportunities. For more information about fishing and boating in Pennsylvania, please visit our website at www.fishandboat.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS

PFBC – Eric Levis, 717.705.7806, [email protected]

Cabela’s – Matt Kettler, 308.255.2965

A Texas company has paid a total of $208,625 in three settlements in lieu of fines and civil damages to the Fish and Boat Commission as a result of the company’s pollution of Clearfield County’s Alex Branch and Little Laurel Run in 2009 and 2010.

EOG Resources, Inc. agreed to pay the settlements following investigations by PFBC waterways conservation officers and the Department of Environmental Protection which determined that the substances the company released were deleterious, destructive or poisonous to fish.

Alex Branch and Little Laurel Run are both designated as high quality waters under DEP regulations.

The settlements reached with EOG involved three separate pollution incidents.

During the period of August 25, 2009, through October 30, 2009, EOG allowed fluid from a pit to enter a spring located at the Sykesville Hunting Camp on Alex Branch and its tributaries. EOG paid $99,125 for this incident. Approximately $40,000 of the settlement has been placed into a PFBC dedicated fund for the annual purchase of limestone sand at Parker Dam State Park.

Local sportsmen’s organizations have historically bought the sand, which is applied each year to Laurel Run immediately upstream of the Parker Dam inlet by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The limestone sand helps neutralize the water quality within the impoundment, which allows the PFBC to manage the waterway as an approved stocked trout water.

On October 10 and 11, 2009, EOG allowed well wash fluid containing surfactant to enter Alex Branch and its tributaries. Surfactant is a chemical wetting agent which reduces surface tension and aids in the drilling process. EOG paid $10,000 for this incident.

During the period of June 3, 2010, through August 16, 2010, EOG allowed gas and a mixture of fresh water and well flowback water to flow into Little Laurel Run. EOG has paid $99,500 for this incident.

Earlier this month, the PFBC introduced a new toll-free hotline for the public to report suspected pollution incidents or fish kills. The number – 1-855-FISH-KIL (1-855-347-4545) – provides the public with a way to quickly alert PFBC staff to suspected environmental incidents.

Settlement monies are deposited into the PFBC’s Fish Fund.

The PFBC relies almost entirely on fishing licenses, boat registrations and federal funding tied to fishing and boating to support its mission. It receives no funding from the state’s general fund.