FISH TALES

BLUEWATER ANGLERS NEWSLETTER www.bluewateranglers.com

SPRING 2017

2017 BLUEWATER ANGLERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Nine directors were elected for the 2017 – 2019 term at the January 10th Bluewater Anglers General Membership Meeting. There are three new directors ... Dino Evangelista, Harry Harris and Linda Miller, and six returning directors ... Ross Bishop, Al Dezort, Jo-Anne Eves, Ralph Eves, Frank Turnbull and Jake Van Rooyen. The 2017 Bluewater Anglers Executive was chosen during the January 13th Board of Directors meeting. Dick Bornais - President Ed Holubowicz - 1st Vice President Gary Mitchell - 2nd Vice President Bob Daly - Treasurer Lou Dallaire - Secretary The remaining 2017 Board of Directors and their primary areas of responsibility are - Ron Allison (Media Coordinator) - John Barneveld - Ross Bishop (Shoreline Clean Up Coordinator) - Al Dezort (In-House Events Coordinator) - Dino Evangelista - Ralph Eves (Membership Coordinator) - Jo-Anne Eves (Membership Coordinator) - Paul Heckley (Newsletter Editor, Salmon Derby Co-Chair, Club Photographer) - Harry Harris - Stefan Jackson (Website Coordinator) - John Klazinga (Kids Training Day Coordinator) - Linda Miller (FACEBOOK Coordinator) - Kevin Thompson (Ice Derby & Family Fun Fishing Derby Coordinator, FACEBOOK Coordinator) - Frank Turnbull - Jake Van Rooyen (Hatchery Manager, Gov’t Liaison)

CLUB ACTIVITY CALENDAR For April - July 2017

April 11 General Membership Meeting April 15 Shoreline Clean Up April 22 Club Spring Derby Apr 28-May 7 Bluewater Anglers 2017 Salmon Derby May 17 Salmon Derby Awards Night May 27 Kids Training Day June 13 General Membership Meeting July 8 Family Fun Fishing Day (Goby Derby)

Pick up a copy of the Listing of Events 2017 at the next General Membership Meeting. Check the Bluewater

Anglers website for current information on upcoming club events at www.bluewateranglers.com/events.html.

APRIL GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Tuesday, April 11, 2017 Point Edward Arena & Community Centre

210 Monk Street Doors open at 7:00 PM

Meeting starts at 7:30 PM

AGENDA Hatchery Update

Salmon Derby Update Shoreline Cleanup Spring Club Derby Kids Training day

Fishing Report

GUEST SPEAKERS / TOPICS

Joslyn Leung, Angling Outfitters (Woodstock) will do a presentation on optimizing

your electronics (GPS and Fish Finders) plus a Q & A session.

Tony Degasperis, Action Fishing Adventures & Hotfish Lures will share his experiences regarding

Salmon, Rainbow trout, Lake trout and bait fish in Lake Huron/Georgian Bay ... what the MNRF is stocking

plus a Q & A session.

HATCHERY REPORT The hatchery has slowly filled up with fish that will be ready for release in mid/late April. Once again this year we will have a great crop of Ganaraskas rainbows. At present there are over 40,000 in the hatchery. The spring release will see about 30,000 stocked and the remaining 10,000 to 12,000 smaller fish will be kept until fall. Chinook salmon, as most of you know, will be in short supply for this year. The fish we have are being pushed as hard as possible with food to increase their survival once they hit the wild. The approximately 10,000 salmon in the hatchery will be stocked in mid-April. The approximately 6,000 Brown trout held over from the fall stocking are going to 70 grams or larger for spring stocking. The 25,000 Browns started in December are progressing well and will soon be ready for larger tanks. We received a new batch of 50,000 Ganaraskas rainbow trout eggs on March 22nd. This will keep the hatchery busy for the summer months. This summer should be a lot quieter than the last couple of years since there are no major projects planned. The iron removal pilot study will start in June. This project will be carried out by the Lambton Water Center, part of Applied Research & Innovation Lambton College. The four school mini-hatcheries will release their Salmon along with our fish this spring. They are progressing well and in some cases their fish are larger than our fish. The January fin-clipping was a very impressive day. With 34 volunteers, we clipped the 45,000 rainbows between 9AM and 3PM. We had a lot of new faces show up for the day. It was great to see some of our younger fishermen step up and assist in the preparation of the next generation of fish that they will catch. Great job everyone. Jake

HATCHERY OPEN HOUSE Saturday, March 18th & Sunday, March 19th

The Bluewater Anglers’ Fish Culture Station (... hatchery) was a busy place on Saturday, March 18th and Sunday, March 19th. The hatchery was open to the public for our annual Hatchery Open House. Over 1,100 people took the opportunity to visit and see what we are doing in the big brown building under the bridge. We were happy to see so many young families and kids. It is encouraging to see the level of public interest and support each year.

The winners of the Hatchery Open House draw prizes, donated by Feige Denture Clinics, were ... #1 – Korbin Lockhart (Shakespeare rod & reel combo), #2 – Mike Mabey (rod & reel combo & tackle box), #3 – Laura Lee (tackle box, lures & Fish Crisp mix).

SHORELINE CLEAN UP Saturday, April 15, 2017

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM Spring is here ... and it is time to do some spring cleaning. Come down to the hatchery at 9:00 AM on Saturday, April 15th and help clean up the shoreline between downtown Sarnia and the Point Edward treatment plant. Our annual shoreline clean up is one of the ways the Bluewater Anglers try to help improve the fishing experience in our community. Bring your gloves and wear sturdy footwear. We will provide the garbage bags. There will be hotdogs, pop and coffee at the hatchery around 11 AM. We hope to see you on Saturday, April 15th. Bring your family and friends! For further information, contact Ross Bishop (donaldrbishop@hotmail.com or 519-541-9673).

CLUB SPRING DERBY Saturday, April 22, 2017

FISHING START TIME 12:01 am Saturday April 22, 2017

ENTRY FEE / TICKETS / INFORMATION Bluewater Angler Members are free. Just show up. Non-Members need to buy a $10 derby ticket. Tickets will be available at the April 11th General Membership meeting, and at The Outdoorsman and Buck’s Baits until 5:30pm Friday April 21, 2017.

ELIGIBILITY / TEAMS This event is for both boat and shore anglers. Boats - All people fishing must either be a member or have a ticket or the boat will be disqualified. Shore - All shore fishers must be a member or have a ticket.

BOUNDARY Boundaries are the same as those for the Bluewater Anglers Salmon Derby … in the St. Clair River south to the south end of Fawn Island ... in Lake Huron east to the harbour at Grand Bend and north to the trailer park north of Lexington, Michigan.

WEIGH IN Weigh-in is at the hatchery between 2:00 pm-2:30 pm. You must be in line by 2:30 pm or your fish will not be weighed. Limit of one entry per category per person.

ELIGIBLE SPECIES Walleye, Rainbow trout, Brown trout, Lake trout and Chinook, Atlantic (1) and Coho salmon. Please Note: The St. Clair River is Zone 19 and the season is closed for Atlantic salmon all year. Lake Huron is Zone 13 and the season is open for Atlantic salmon all year, within the stated limit of 1 fish.

PRIZES Cash prizes will be awarded for the 5 heaviest eligible fish entered in each category. Shore Category Boat Category First: $100.00 First: $100.00 Second: $75.00 Second: $75.00 Third: $50.00 Third: $50.00 Fourth: $25.00 Fourth: $25.00 Fifth: $25.00 Fifth: $25.00

NOTE: A bonus $100.00 prize will be awarded to the Bluewater Angler member who enters the biggest fish.

A minimum of 5 draw prizes will be made from derby entrants that are present at the weigh in.

KIDS TRAINING DAY Saturday, May 27, 2017

10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

The Bluewater Anglers’ annual Kids Training Day will be held at the Bluewater Anglers’ hatchery in Point Edward on Saturday, May 27, 2017. Club volunteers will show the kids some basic fishing techniques; including rod and reel selection, proper casting techniques, knot tying, fly tying, kayak fishing, boating safety … and more! Each kid will get a chance to catch a fish from the hatchery pond. Bring the whole family … kids, grandkids, great grandkids. Bring a friend or neighbour and their kids too! We hope to see a large turnout.

Our event will be supported by the Kids, Cops & Canadian Tire Fishing Days program. Come and see displays by the OPP & RCMP Marine units, Canadian Coast Guard and Lambton Children's Safety Village. Prizes will be available for the kids. Hotdogs and pop will be available courtesy of the Point Edward Optimists. Pre-registration is required so we can accommodate as many kids as possible. First preference will be given to children who have not participated in the last 2 years. You can sign up your kids, grandkids or neighbours’ kids (recommended 6 - 12 years of age) by contacting Jo-Anne Eves at 519-383-0873 or r_gary_1217@outlook.com. Registrations will not be accepted before May 14th.

IN MEMORIAM

FREDERICK (FRED) JOHN MAXFIELD November 6, 1930 – December 19, 2016

Fred had a love for fishing, hunting and the outdoors. Fred was a Life Member of the Bluewater Anglers.

Fred and his wife Ardis have been long time members & supporters of the Bluewater Anglers, and

sponsors of the Bluewater Anglers Salmon Derby.

BLUEWATER ANGLERS 2016 BUDGET SUMMARY

The following charts provide a high level summary of the Bluewater Anglers 2016 budget. The following charts outline our main sources of income and expenses.

The Salmon Derby continues to be the club’s biggest source of income. The 2016 Salmon Derby was very successful and generated a profit of $17,400 vs. $20,125 in 2015. Compared to 2015, ticket sales were down 3.4%, revenues were up 6.8% and expenses were up 14.6%.

BLUEWATER ANGLERS WEBSITE www.bluewateranglers.com

The Bluewater Anglers website has undergone a

significant modernization and upgrade, much like our hatchery. Check out the new and improved Bluewater

Anglers website for current information on club activities. You can also visit us on FACEBOOK.

SARNIA BOAT RAMP CONTINGENCY PLANS The 41st Annual Salmon Derby starts at 12:00 AM on Friday, April 28th and ends at 3:00 PM on Sunday, May 7th. The removal of the old Sarnia Bay boat ramps and the delay in building the new replacement boat ramps is a concern for anglers fishing out of Sarnia during the Salmon Derby. Thanks to Dave Brown at Bridgeview Marina, plans have been made to help address the problem. Bridgeview Marina Boat Ramp: Anglers fishing out of Sarnia will have to use the single boat ramp at Bridgeview Marina until the new boat Sarnia Bay boat ramps are completed in June or later. The boat ramp is located at Bridgeview Marina at the end of Venetian Boulevard across from Purdy’s Fisheries. Improvements will be made to the boat ramp and the dock at Bridgeview Marina to make the launching and loading of boats easier. Two attendants will be present to assist with traffic control and launching & loading of boats. Vehicles & trailers will park on the grass in front of Purdy’s Fisheries. Free Dockage at Bridgeview Marina: In an effort to ease traffic & congestion at the boat ramp, Bridgeview Marina will provide free dockage for all 2017 Salmon Derby participants during the 10 day derby. Boats will be docked in the secure 100 – 800 dock area located beside the Holiday Inn Golf Course. Bridgeview Marina will provide stacking for anglers who do not want to leave their boat in the water during the derby. A free lift into and out of the water is available if your boat is too big to use the Bridgeview Marina boat ramp. The gas docks at Bridgeview Marina will be open during the Salmon Derby. Contact Bridgeview Marina (1-800-265-0330 or 519-337-3888) to get your free dock for the Salmon Derby. Sarnia Weigh Station: Due to the ongoing construction around Sarnia Bay and the decision to dock boats at Bridgeview Marina, it has been decided to move the Sarnia weigh station from Sarnia Bay Marina to the Bridgeview Marina parking lot on Venetian Boulevard for the 2017 Salmon Derby. The parking lot is located beside Venetian Village. The weighs station hours will be the same as usual (NOON – 8:00 PM daily except NOON – 3:00 PM on Sunday, March 7th).

More information will be available at the April 11th

Bluewater Anglers General Membership Meeting, and on the Bluewater Anglers website (www.bluewateranglers.com).

HIGHLAND GLEN BOAT RAMP

The boat ramp at the Highland Glen Conservation Area located just northeast of Blue Point is popular for small boat operators wanting to access the Blue Point – Kettle Point section of Lake Huron. The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority (SCRCA) has announced that effective April 1, 2017 it will be implementing user fees for the Highland Glen Conservation Area. The vehicle entry fee will be $5 per day or $60 for the season. The boat ramp fee will be $10 per day or $120 for the season (includes the vehicle entry fee). Payment will be done by the MacKay Pay system, either by phone, app on smart phone or on their website. For more information, go to https://www.scrca.on.ca/locations/highland-glen-conservation-area/. The Authority will be operating the area the same as before, and the fees collected from the ramp will be used to make future improvements.

The SCRCA are planning to make some much needed upgrades to the boat ramp area this spring/summer. These include the addition of a new walkway on the opposite side of the current walkway, the old dock uprights will be removed, the seawall adjacent to the parking lot will be repaired and the seawall directly in front of the ramp will have the armour stone placed back up to protect the wall. The new and old dock/walkways will have bumper protection.

41st ANNUAL SALMON DERBY

April 28 - May 7, 2017

We are anticipating a great 41st Annual Salmon Derby. Some exciting spring fishing is just around the corner! Based on the encouraging derby results from the past few years, we are looking forward to some good fishing and another successful derby. The derby format, rules and prize structure are pretty much the same as last year. The Village of Point Edward continues to be the Salmon Derby corporate sponsor donating the $5,000 cash prize for the largest salmon entered in the derby. Koolatron is our second corporate sponsor again this year providing the 20 Daily Draw prizes plus 10 additional prizes. We are happy to have our regular major Derby sponsors back again this year plus a few new major sponsors. Thanks to all the Salmon Derby sponsors! The generosity of our sponsors is what makes our derby so successful.

2017 SALMON DERBY PRIZES

2017 SALMON DERBY SPONSORS

Our sponsors are the reason that the Salmon Derby is so successful each year. We appreciate the continued generous support.

Please support our sponsors when you make your purchases.

THE KAEDEN BROWN FOUNDATION

donated $1000 to the Bluewater Anglers. The funds will be used to enhance the Bluewater Anglers

kid’s programs and the Salmon Derby kid’s prizes.

More information on The Kaeden Brown Foundation can be found at www.thekaedenbrownfoundation.com.

ATLANTIC SALMON IN LAKE HURON

Atlantic salmon have been showing up in small, but increasing, numbers during the spring Salmon Derby and the fall shore fishery in front of the Bluewater Anglers hatchery. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) has being stocking a small number of Atlantic salmon at Lexington, Thunder Bay River and Au Sable River in Lake Huron during the past 4 - 5 years. The closest stock out point, just up the lake at Lexington, has received around 20,000 fish per year. If you are fortunate enough to catch an Atlantic salmon, the MDNR would like to hear about it. Fish stocked at Lexington, Thunder Bay River and Au Sable River have coded wire tags in their heads and missing adipose fins. Anglers are asked to save the head, put it in a plastic baggie, and document catch information (included length of fish, date, fin clip and angler name) before taking it to a coded wire tag drop-off point. Anderson’s Pro Bait in Port Huron is the local drop-off point. They will accept the frozen heads and send them to the MDNR. The Bluewater Anglers will also collect the heads and take them to Anderson’s Pro Bait. The following articles on Atlantic salmon stocking efforts

in Lake Huron were copied from the Michigan DNR

website.

There's a buzz on Lake Huron - in part thanks to Atlantic salmon

(http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10364_53405-387813--,00.html)

Michigan's reputation for Atlantic salmon is growing day-by-day - in part by the top-notch opportunities available in the St. Marys River - but also due to the expanding opportunities in Lake Huron. In the early 2000s when the Lake Huron Chinook fishery was declining, managers began noticing one species was returning to angler's creel at a better rate than other stocked fish. These fish were Atlantic salmon stocked in the St. Marys River by Lake Superior State University (LSSU). Those in charge of the Lake Huron fishery really paid attention to the value Atlantics brought to the region. With LSSU stocking between 25,000 and 35,000 each year reports were consistently arriving of fish caught in Lake Huron (courtesy of creel surveys) as they migrated throughout the lake. They'd start their journey back to the

St. Marys River in July and August and be ready for spawning each fall. These good returns kept the DNR managers thinking about rearing them again in a state fish hatchery and enhancing stocking efforts both in the St. Marys River and at experimental stocking sites in Lake Huron. Atlantics are very different from Chinooks, although they are much more finicky during the rearing process and take significantly longer to get to stocking size (a year and a half). But once they're out the door they tend to thrive much more quickly thanks to a diverse diet and the fact they'll feed on anything they can find; including terrestrial invertebrates, gobies, smelt, shiners, etc. "We started an Atlantic salmon task force group within DNR Fisheries Division," explained Tim Cwalinski, a fisheries biologist out of Gaylord. "We sat down and started working with the Platte River State Fish Hatchery to figure out how many the DNR could experimentally raise." The experiment wasn't a success overnight as it takes time to hone fish rearing skills - especially for a new species - and the Platte River State Fish Hatchery is an entirely different environment than LSSU's hatchery on the St. Marys River. This includes warmer water than the river provides and overcoming issues with fungus and disease. "The goal was to rear enough fish at Platte to double the number in the St. Marys River," said Cwalinski. "LSSU was rearing the maximum amount they could, but if we could rear 100,000 to 200,000 fish we could double the Upper Peninsula stocking effort and select a few sites on Lake Huron to see if the success observed from the St. Mary's stocking could be duplicated at other sites in the Lake Huron basin." The first few years of the program the DNR was trying to get through the experimental rearing phase of rearing Atlantic salmon at the Platte River State Fish Hatchery. There were some growing pains and hurdles, but Platte quickly excelled at rearing Atlantics and has consistently produced bigger fish with less disease issues. So starting in 2013 the Lake Huron managers decided the rearing aspect of the program was on the right track, and the DNR needed to examine stocking windows and locations more closely. "We put prospective stocking locations through a specific set of criteria," said Dave Borgeson, supervisor with the DNR's Fisheries Division in Gaylord. "We didn't want them spread too thinly so we limited the stocking locations to Lexington, Alpena/Thunder Bay River and Oscoda/Au Sable River as these were spots we had creel surveys and

we could use a creel clerk to help analyze the results. We also figured if we selected rivers the fish could return in late fall and produce river fisheries and enhance anglers' access opportunities to fish for them. Throughout their range, Atlantic salmon are highly valued for the stream fishery they produce." Determining effectiveness of Atlantic salmon stocking is critical to its future with the DNR. This is where anglers come in! "We're asking anglers - when they catch an Atlantic, especially one that has a clipped fin - to report it to us," explained Cwalinski. "This allows us to start seeing not only if the fish are surviving, but where they're coming from in terms of stocking site and years." The department has been marking the Atlantic salmon it rears and stocks to assist in their management. Fish stocked at Lexington, Thunder Bay River and Au Sable River all have coded wire tags in their heads and have missing adipose fins. Anglers are asked to save the head, put it in a plastic baggie, and document catch information (included length of fish, date, fin clip and angler name) before taking it to a coded wire tag drop-off point. Fish stocked at other ports can have several combinations of fins clipped or missing - they too should be reported by anglers to their local DNR fisheries biologist. Reports on all Atlantic salmon catches are valuable to us," Cwalinski said. "But we do run into the problem of proper identification of Atlantics so that's something we're working on with anglers right now. Because of this, photos of the fish caught are important." Atlantics are often misidentified with other available sportfish, including Chinook salmon, brown trout or steelhead. Cwalinski explained that at times anglers could be catching them and not even realizing it. A new section of the DNR's website hopes to help with that issue by providing better descriptions and visuals of how to tell an Atlantic salmon from its salmon counterparts and various trout species. The Identifying Great Lakes Salmon & Trout: Atlantic, Chinook, Coho, Rainbow (Steelhead), Brown website will hopefully help anglers on the Great Lakes with identification issues - as well as information on how to report catches of any of them. As stated previously, Lake Huron's Atlantic salmon reputation is rapidly growing as anglers feel the hype that

surrounds this species and its fighting ability. But there's still much work to be done by the department to continue to understand the best way to rear, stock and track the success of Atlantics. "We've still got to deal with their top predators - being lake trout, walleye and cormorants - and what that means when we stock them," Borgeson explained. "And we also have to maintain a fine balance when we look at stocking windows related to water temperatures, maturity levels, available forage, and other issues." But the DNR will persevere as it consistently sees great angling reports and improved catch rates - which could mean great things for Lake Huron ports that are desperately looking to recoup a little of what they lost with the collapse of the Chinook fishery. "We're not going to see a complete turnaround - but little-by-little we'll see improvements with the growth in steelhead fisheries, through the lake trout boom, by coho and pink salmon opportunities, from the burgeoning walleye population coming up from Saginaw Bay, and then if you throw Atlantics in there - it's all part of the puzzle that's helping to create a buzz around Lake Huron," said Cwalinski. If you'd like to learn more about targeting Atlantic salmon in Michigan, check out their page on the Michigan Fish and How to Catch Them website.

Identifying Great Lakes Salmon & Trout: Atlantic, Chinook, Coho, Rainbow

(Steelhead), Brown (http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-

10364_18958-387053--,00.html) Anglers on the Great Lakes have the opportunity to catch a variety of fish species - including many different salmon and trout. Often times these species can look very similar to one another. Below are some tips for identifying the most commonly caught Great Lakes salmon and trout species. Atlantic Salmon Identification Two dorsal fins including one adipose fin (unless clipped), and 45 to 49 caudal peduncle (base of tail) scales. Caudal peduncle (base of tail) is generally narrow and tapered. Adults sometimes have X-like black spots on sides, mostly above the lateral line. Narrow pointed, vomerine tongue with four to six small teeth. Protrusion of upper lip usually extends to rear edge of eye or only slightly beyond. Dark

pectoral fins, caudal fin (base of tail) may be slightly forked and nine or 10 rays in anal fin.

The interior of the mouth of an Atlantic salmon is entirely white. Adult Atlantic salmon are graceful fish, deepening rearward from a small pointed head to the deepest point under the dorsal fin, then tapering to a slender caudal peduncle.

BLUEWATER ANGLERS AND OFAH MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

The Bluewater Anglers are an affiliated club of the Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters (OFAH). Membership in the Bluewater Anglers includes membership in Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters (OFAH) since all members of an affiliated club must also be members of OFAH (www.ofah.org). Members can choose between a “basic” OFAH membership which includes the personal insurance and OFAH benefits but not the Ontario Out of Doors (OOD) magazine or the “full” OFAH membership which includes the personal insurance and OFAH benefits plus the Ontario Out of Doors (OOD) magazine. You can join the Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters (OFAH) at a discount rate through the Bluewater Anglers. If you have a current Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters (OFAH) membership through another club or organization, then you only need to pay for your regular Bluewater Anglers membership. Complete the form below to become a Bluewater Anglers member or to renew your current membership. More information about membership benefits can be found at www.bluewateranglers.com/membership.html and www.ofah.org. Contact Ralph & Jo-Anne Eves (519-383-0873 or r_gary_1217@outlook.com) for more information.

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