The VHS fish virus

Source: AVMA Media - utilized by http://tinyurl.com/2cmcbf,

http://tinyurl.com/2mprbj and others.

US - Veterinarians and biologists are alerting anglers, aquaculture
operators, fish dealers and boaters to a deadly virus that has
recently killed thousands of freshwater fish in and around the Great Lakes.

Known as viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), the virus has been
detected in eight Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces, and
affects 39 different species of fish. Several of the species affected
are favorites of freshwater fishing and are important in the
aquaculture industry, including largemouth and smallmouth bass,
crappie, bluegill and perch. The virus poses no threat to humans or
seafood, but it is easily spread among fish and could have a
devastating impact on fish populations.

There is no known cure for the virus, which causes bleeding of the
fish's tissues, including internal organs.

A federal order issued by the United States Department of
Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in
November 2006 prohibits the movement of affected species from state
to state unless the fish are tested for and documented as being free
of the virus.

"This federal order has put a stop on the movement of fish worth many
millions of dollars," said Dr. David Scarfe, assistant director of
the American Veterinary Medical Association's Scientific Activities Division.

"Aquatic veterinarians are rallying to help aquaculture producers in
testing and issuing certificates of veterinary inspection to
demonstrate that their fish are free of VHS."

In the meantime, anglers and boaters are urged to take the following
steps to prevent the spread of the virus:
* Do not move live fish or fish eggs from one body of water to another.
* Drain all water from bilges, bait buckets, live wells and other
containers while leaving the landing or the shore.
* Dispose of leftover bait in the garbage, not in lakes or ponds.
* Clean, wash and disinfect your boat, bilges and all equipment using
a bleach solution at a suggested strength of 1 cup of bleach per 10
gallons of water.

Open water bass fishing

When most people think of summertime bass fishing, they think of chunking spinnerbaits and plastic worms along brush and weed lines. Don't get me wrong, those tactics can work... sometimes, but there are times when conditions are perfect for an open water bite.
We fished a small 800-acre reservoir that doesn't have a lot of habitat for largemouth bass. The fish in this lake have adapted to the conditions and feed primarily on shad and other prey fish in open water. On overcast days with a breeze, these fish begin actively feeding near the surface. We fished an open water hump that quickly dropped from 15 to 27 feet. The fish were stacked up around 20 feet, and we could see large schools of shad on our graph. Every few minutes, the bass would herd and school of baitfish to the surface and the top of the water would erupt with a flurry of activity. Whenever that happened, a well placed cast would produce a hit. It didn't matter what you would throw in front of them, they would hit it. Once the sun came out from behind those clouds, however, the bite ended. Here is a nice 3 lb fish I caught on an Excalibur ghost minnow. I'm not sure why I look so pissed in the picture, I was actually in a pretty good mood.

Bassin' in da Moonlight

The light of the full moon strained to pierce through the dense cloud cover. I peered skyward, cursing the cloud bank that had settled in front of the moon, blocking the light that might penetrate the depths and increase the chances of a fish seeing the bait. As I swatted away the bugs and gnats that had been feasting on my ankles and wrists, I questioned what I was doing out on a 26,000 acre reservoir in the middle of the night. Virtually blind, and operating only on feel and sound, I cast out into the darkness of the night. It wasn't long before my question was answered. The 10-inch texas-rigged power worm entered the water with a loud ker-plunck, quickly sinking towards the bottom 16 feet below. The instant I closed the bail, the end of the rod was slammed into my sternum, knocking me breathless. "There's one!!!", I shouted as I set the hook. But there was no need to set the hook on this fish. The bass had engulfed the large plastic worm on the drop, and was quickly heading towards heavy timber not far away. "REEL!!!", cried our fishing guide, "Don't stop reeling, just REEL!!!". I leaned back and started cranking as fast as I could, trying to get the fish close to the boat before it wrapped me in a tree. I'm used to playing a fish (especially large fish) and using the drag to fight the fish, but this was different. I was using 30 lb. Sunline, which is guaranteed not to break, so I started horsing the fish in. When the bass realized what was happening, it shot towards the surface and launched itself into the night air. As it reentered the water, all we could see in the darkness was a spray of foam and frothy water on the surface. "That sounded big." our guide said. It turned out to be an understatement. The fish was big- not huge, but still a personal best for me. After we landed it, we estimated it between 6 and 7 lbs. The crazy thing is, it was just a typical Lake Fork largemouth bass.

Night-fishing can be fantastic, especially on a lake that receives a lot of daytime pressure. In some ways, heavily pressured fish populations are similar to white-tailed deer, they have become creatures of the night. Bass are visual predators by day and in clear water, but at night, they utilize their lateral line to sense the movement and vibration of prey. I you haven't been night-fishing, give it a try. You might just catch the bass of a lifetime.

Gear used: Citica 200D reel. 7 ft heavy action rod.
Line: 30 lb test Sunline
Bait: Culprit 10 inch worm, blue flake color, texas-rigged on 3/0 Gamakatsu hook with 3/8 oz. weight

Giant Northern Pike

I've heard from a reliable source (a Canadian fisheries biologist), that this is a real, unaltered picture of a northern pike. The fish probably was caught in northern Saskatchewan. There's only one question: When are we going?!

When is Ice Safe?

Every year people drown because they step out on thin ice and fall through. So when is the ice thick enough to support walking - and fishing?

You need a minimum of 5 inches of ice under your feet to even consider going for a walk on the lake.

There is no universally safe ice thickness. Each body of water has certain properties that affect how much ice is considered safe. Use common sense, and ask people who have more experience than yourself how much ice is required for safe conditions.

Wear a personal flotation device, better yet a one piece insulated floating suit

Don't fish alone, and let someone know where you will be and when you will be back.

Test the ice in front of you with an ice spud or an auger

Be very wary of river ice, because current makes ice thickness vary quite a bit

Snow is a great insulator, and as such it can make the ice strong, but it can also prevent it from freezing. When fishing on snow covered ice, pay close attention, the snow can hide weak spots and cracks that you would otherwise see.

Slush indicates decaying ice

Always carry a nylon rope and a few large nails, they can provide the grip you need in case you fall through the ice and can't grab on to the edge. Face the direction you came from, kick out with your legs, or use your nails to grab on, and roll off as far as you feel is necessary to be safe again, do NOT stand up immediately, you will likely just fall through again. (self-rescue technique)

If you see someone fall through, do not run toward them, rather extend a rope or an object that they can hold onto.

Again, there is no universal set of rules for how thick ice has to be for safe fishing, but as a rule of thumb, these are "minimum requirements" you should memorize:

2 inches of ice is extremely dangerous, do not even attempt to walk on ice this thin

4 inches of ice may be sufficient to walk and go ice fishing

5 inches may be enough to support snowmobiles ( do not park them close to one another)

8 to 12 inches may be enough to support cars or small pickups ( do not park them close to one another)

15 inches may be enough to support medium trucks ( do not park them close to one another)

Fishing show at Rock Financial Showplace!

The Ultimate Fishing Show is coming to Rock Financial Showplace in Novi, January 12-15. Tickets are $9 for adults and $4 for the kids. Check out the link for more info.

The family and I are going Saturday afternoon, so if anyone else is interested in going let me know!

Texas Bass Classic tournament

Here's a recent article about a huge bass tournament that's going to be taking place on one of my district's lakes next spring. (Note: I am listed as an "aquatic grass biologist". LOL! I'm not sure what that is, but it's not what I am... which is a fisheries biologist) A few weeks back, I got to go fish with a professional guide and an outdoor writer. It was cold and the fishing was slow the day I was there, but it was fun nonetheless. As you can see in the sonar pic below, the bass were down there (the large arches under the schooling shad), but the cold front had turned off the bite. On the bright side, I got to meet a few bass pros later in the evening. Free fishing and free food- you can't beat that!
Here's the website for the tournament itself: http://www.toyotatexasbassclassic.com/