DNR issues ice danger warning for parents (2005-11-22)

DNR issues ice danger warning for parents (2005-11-22)
Ice is beginning to form over some of the smaller ponds in the Minnesota
and it worries state water safety officials.

"With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, parents need to strongly warn
their children to stay off any frozen bodies of water, especially when
there is no adult present," said Tim Smalley, Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) water safety specialist. "There is a saying among water
safety professionals that 'when your child is near the water, you should
be near your child.' That saying holds just as true for ice."

The DNR recommends a minimum of four inches of new clear ice for walking
and small group activities on the ice. "There is no way that any ice in
Minnesota is near being walkable at this point," Smalley said. "With the
unusual fall weather we have had, it's hard to predict when folks can go
out without taking a risk."

The DNR recommends people call a local bait shop or resort to check on
conditions before heading out on the ice.

Over the last 10 years, 62 people died in Minnesota ice related
accidents, 12 of the victims were children age eight or younger. The
highest number of fatal ice accidents on record occurred during the
winter of 1982-83 when 22 people died.

The DNR has free ice safety publications including brochures titled
"Danger Thin Ice" and "Hypothermia the Cold Facts,' a wallet-size card
listing recommended ice thicknesses, a 12-inch by 18-inch poster that
graphically illustrates recommended ice thicknesses and plans to make a
set of ice self-rescue picks.

To get this information, call the DNR at (651) 296-6157 or toll free
1-888-MINNDNR (646-6367). People can also order information from the DNR
at info@dnr.state.mn.us by requesting the ice safety information packet.

Rainbow Trout And Steelhead To Get Separate ESA Listing

GRANTS PASS, OR-After once thinking that rainbow trout and steelhead
should be grouped together for endangered species listings, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced it will
distinguish the two species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

NOAA, which oversees efforts to restore the 10 groups of steelhead
protected under the ESA, has formally proposed to adopt a different
policy for designating populations for protection-one that's not based
entirely on genetics and the ability to breed together. The new policy
would also take physical and behavioral differences, like those between
rainbows and steelhead, into account.

NOAA's decision, if formally approved in December, would prevent the
need to list healthy populations of rainbow trout as a threatened or
endangered species along with struggling populations of steelhead in the
same rivers, or make exceptions to those listings.

Alewives Established In Champlain

MONTPELIER, VT-Fisheries biologists recently announced that the alewife,
a nuisance fish that's plagued the Great Lakes, appears to have
established itself in Lake Champlain.

Alewives are native to the Atlantic Ocean but can cause serious,
negative changes in freshwater ecosystems to which they're introduced.

Biologist say the alewives are likely to outcompete smelt, the dominant
Champlain forage fish, and the offspring of walleyes and yellow perch.
Alewives also prey on young perch and lake trout.
The invaders were discovered in Poultney's Lake St. Catherine in 1997.
In 2003, one or two alewives were found in Missisquoi Bay by Quebec
researchers, prompting Vermont to start a search of Lake Champlain.

Bernie Pientka, a state fisheries biologist, says researchers running a
fish-sampling program in the lake this summer caught three juveniles and
one adult alewife in the main lake and the northern section known as the
Inland Sea.

Since the discovery, biologists are asking anglers to take extreme care
to not accidentally spread the alewives - which can be mistaken for
baitfish - to other Vermont waters.

Georgia Plans Holiday Trout Stockings

CLARKESVILLE, GA-Before the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, the
Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division
will stock eight popular streams. Although the state's stream trout
season ended Oct. 31, these eight streams are part of a long list that
remain open for year-round trout fishing.
Streams to be stocked with 9-inch trout include the Chattahoochee River
(Gwinnett County and Helen), the Tallulah River (Rabun/Towns counties),
Panther Creek (Habersham/Stephens counties ), the Broad River (Stephens
County), the Lake Hartwell Tailwater (Hart County), the Lake Blue Ridge
Tailwater (Fannin County), Holly Creek (Murray County) and West Armuchee
Creek (Walker County).

Anglers must possess a current Georgia fishing license and a trout
license to fish in these waters and to possess trout. There is a daily
limit of eight.

For information on holiday trout stocking, contact stocking coordinator
Perry Thompson at Lake Burton Fish Hatchery, (706) 947-3112

States Agree To Salmon Stocking Reductions

LANSING, MI-Lake Michigan fisheries management agencies recently agreed
to implement a 25 percent stocking reduction of chinook salmon in Lake
Michigan beginning in 2006. As part of the agreement, 3.2 million
chinook fingerlings will be stocked next spring by Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan and Wisconsin agencies, representing a reduction of more than 1
million fish from 2005.

In other salmon news, the number of endangered winter-run chinook salmon
returning to spawn in the Sacramento River continues to increase and now
exceeds 15,000 fish, according to the California Department of Fish and
Game (DFG). The DFG says this number is based on surveys it conducted
this past summer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The DFG says
this preliminary estimate is the highest since 1981, and continues the
trend seen since the mid-1990s.

The New CITGO Bassmaster Northern and Southern Tours

The New CITGO Bassmaster Northern and Southern Tours

Somewhat lost in the recent excitement of the new Bassmaster Elite
Series has been the complete revamping of the former Bassmaster Opens in
2006 into a 10-tournament circuit that will serve as a lucrative feeder
system into the big leagues of bass fishing.

The pros on their way up will find the new Bassmaster Northern and
Southern Tours to be a far better venue for earning money and building a
career in this sport. With five tournaments in each division, a pro can
enjoy 10 chances at the $75,000 top prize (up from $50,000 in the Opens)
and a piece of an overall payout totaling more than $3 million.

"This is not just another name for the Opens," BASS tournament director
Trip Weldon said. "We think we've really improved things.

"For one thing, the payouts are improved. And for the non-boaters, we
dropped the entry fee to $350. One good thing about it is the Tour
anglers can fish both Tours if they want to. It starts in the south,
runs four events, have one northern, another southern and then four in
the north.

Weldon added that the Tours will be covered in BASS publications, on
Bassmaster.com and highlights may appear on BassCenter on ESPN2.

The Tours, which have a $1,500 pro entry fee, will send six anglers to
the 2007 Bassmaster Classic (three from each division). In addition, 10
pros from each division qualify for the Elite Series.

"It will be the feeder system for the Elites," Weldon said. "Right now,
we're in a transition year for Elite qualifications. By the way, we're
extremely pleased with the entries in the Elite Series so far. Having
said that, when you look at 2007, there are only two ways to get into
the Elite Series. That's through the Tours or those Elite anglers
re-qualifying."

Media Contact:
Bass Communications
(407) 566-2208