Dugger

Slipped the canoe into the Upper Niagara this evening and picked some of the slower pockets and "mini bays" for pike and panfish. Had a hoot with pike in the 25 inch to 32 inch range on my favvy el cheapo plugs. Went 4 for 5.

 

The Bluegills were in thick in spots and on the ultra light they sure put up a scrap, gorgeous fish. Some of them were very large but wary of my line and jig. While the Bluegills were schooling and chasing the mini tubes I noticed their brethren, the Pumpkinseeds, were still on their spawning beds. I also caught some beauty Rockies of an impressive size off buddy's dock.

 

"Black bass" fry were everywhere in the shallows and I didn't see any bass on nests so bring on the bass season here next Saturday!

 

Cheers, friends and be safe this weekend!

So this week on the World Fishing Network an episode of The Joy of Fishing is all about the sturgeon.

 

The show opens with programme regulars and biologists tracking and capturing what i think they said were Green Sturgeon, a threatened species in the US and Canada.

 

Fine, great to see something different on a "fishing show" that actually talks about conservation. This "good feeling" didn't last long as what was about to unfold still has me shaking my head.

 

Ten minutes or so later the the show switches to a cooking segment where they are cooking STURGEON STEAKS!!!!!  I was flabbergasted and didn't know whether to laugh or cry!!! It was like a horrible punchline to a sick joke! I thought I was watching Family Guy or The Twilight Zone or looking at a The Far Side cartoon

 

"It's a real meaty fish, that's why I like sturgeon" they gloated, as they dip the thick fillets in hot oil.

 

They were White Sturgeon steaks ( I am praying to jesus), a species that is listed as endangered in some Oregon waters and whose general population in the western US is under intense pressure from overfishing, poaching, degraded spawning areas and dams, like those on the Columbia. Some areas do hold fishable populations but they too are under these same pressures.

 

They may as well as been frying up Dodo steaks or Passenger Pigeon breasts as far as I am concerned. This is why we have a thing called a Big Mac to eat so we don't have to go out an wreak havoc on a dwindling species for food.

 

In 15 or 20 years people will look back at this programme with a sense of horror the same way we do today watching whales getting harpooned.

 

The programme ended with a guy fighting a massive white sturgeon to the boat that I am sure took over an hour but they showed us the fight in 2 minutes of course. It was a disgusting dark comedy of errors as the Skipper and Gilligan wrestled with the gentle giant to the boat... again and again. The guy fighting the 6 foot behemoth had no clue how to hold a rod and it finally snapped.

 

Fish mortality rates have been a hot topic here at OFF of late and I am sure that this fish did not survive being treated like a bag of garbage.

 

I sent the show an email sharing my low opinion.

 

Just because it swims in "our" waters does not give us the right to put further stress and pressure on a great fish like these ancient giants that will one day be gone. This is the problem with "fishing shows", all flash, no redeeming qualities and in the end the fishery suffers as it sends out the wrong message.

 

The Joy of Fishing brings me no joy.

 

... and that, my friends, is my two cents worth.

Hello friends, been jigging since early April and caught plenty o black and white crappies, drum, perch, buegills, pickerel (in season mind you ).... nothing that will change the course of history but sweet after a very long winter... from shore using 1/16 oz mini tubes and from the boat using 1/8 oz tubes.... just to feel the hits as the jig falls, line on the index finger, is pure heaven, the drum are both over 22 inches, I am trying to leave them alone as they begin to spawn soon, but once they are done (when the water is about 65° F - the surface is 60°F right now) they will strap on the feedbag as they settle into a summer pattern of sitting on humps late into the night near deeper water. Anyhuuu, enjoy the pics and more to come as the 2013 season unfolds!

 

Good luck to all, be safe and have fun.... oh, and go barbless!

excited to share this report with my friendly fellow fishers....

Jigged last night for 6 hours on the windless river, I was the only guy out there (everyone was at the piers) and MY GOD WHAT A NIGHT!!!

This can be a difficult river to fish, Hydro controls the current and that can affect water clarity and temperature (the river actually reverses each day). No current and the fishing slows down for most species. I would hate to drive from afar to fish this river and show up to only find that all the conditions hadn't lined up and the fishing was lousy. It is a very unique waterway, Chippewa Creek/Welland River.

Last night there was current... for a while.

As soon as the 3 inch Gulp Minnow on an 1/8 oz head gone to the bottom BOOM!!!! For whatever reason, massive Freshwater Drum were on the prowl!!!

Back to the Drum in a moment....

Last night was another mixed bag event. A river pike, some Rockies, White and Black Crappies and 6 Channel Cats between 14 and 18 inches. I caught some explosive river Smallies.... my god what fun they are on light tackle. Even a cutie Largemouth came to the boat around 1 am.

I jig the depressions in the river bottom that have a "rise" at the down current end which may go from 14 feet up to 9 feet. Last night jigging in the dark on these humps produced some of the largest Freshwater Drum I have caught in 18 years here. I battled 7 behemoths and landed 6. The lost one was a massive beast that snapped the line (sadly) after brushing Zebra mussels.

I cannot say enough good things about these Drum. They are a gorgeously magnificent fish, indigenous to Ontario, and they truly fight like a bulldog. I would argue that tail is one of the most powerful in freshwater angling in Niagara, for its size. Deep powerful lunges, huge water "boils". Last night it was crazy!!

The Drum landed last night measured 24, 24, 25, 25, 26 and 30 inches.

The sad news is that around 10:30 pm, Hydro "shut off" the current and the Big Boys vanished, scattered. It was like being at a party with friends in the basement, music playing, good times rolling, then mom comes downstairs and turns on the light and yells "Ok, party over!!!!!!!".

I was fit to be tied! I still managed fish but it just wasn't the same. The Channels were caught after this and the Crappies. I swear I had on a 14 inch White Crappie (looked like a huge frying pan!) but it "flung" the hook. The White Crappie has a massive, paper-thin Tarpon-like mouth (see photo)....

It was a lot of fun, here are some pics for your viewing pleasure. The Drum photos are of a 24, 25 and the 30 incher (my personal best I have been trying to reach for a while).

Cheers! Crimp those barbs!!

any OFFers have the new Pflueger President 6900 series or Supreme XT? Thinking about grabbing one for a light rod (6 lb test) - not sure which specific model it would be - and curious what the reviews are

thanks!