|
|
|
In the media: Milltown pike help feed the hungry in Billings PikeMasters helping fish during dry times PikeMasters celebrate Christmas in May at Lake Elmo Featured news:  Bob Hart caught the new Montana State Record walleye on Nov. 18 while fishing at Tiber Reservoir.  new state record walleye By BRUCE AUCHLY Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks On Saturday, Nov. 17, Bob Hart, of Missoula, caught his first walleye, a 14-incher. On Sunday, Nov. 18, for his second walleye, he broke the Montana state record. Hart, 46, caught a 17.75-pound walleye at 7:15 a.m., Sunday, on the north shore of Tiber Reservoir southeast of Shelby. The fish measured 35 inches long with a 22-inch girth. The previous state record – 16.63 pounds and 31.5 inches long – was caught January 2000 in Fort Peck Reservoir. “We were just sitting on shore fishing with a minnow and a weight to keep it on the bottom,” Hart says. He had the five-inch minnow at about 20 to 30 feet when the walleye struck. It took about 15 minutes to land, Hart says. He had 6- or 8-pound test line on his reel. “I said ‘Ohmigod,’ and called my friend to get the net,” says Hart, who was fishing with Gordon Smedsrud of Shelby. The pair immediately took the fish to Shelby. “It took us a while to find a certified scale in Shelby on Sunday morning,” Hart says. Fortunately Taylor’s Hardware Store was open. The fish was then taken to a local taxidermist. So how does a fish grow that big in Tiber, not known for extremely large walleye? “There is a very abundant forage fish, cisco, in Tiber for a large fish,” said Dave Yerk, fisheries biologist for FWP. During previous netting surveys, Yerk and his crew have sampled a 14-pound walleye from Tiber. As for Hart, a life-long fisherman, he has caught bigger saltwater fish – a 180-pound marlin – but no freshwater fish even close to this one. Now, several friends are offering to take the fish off his hands. No dice, Hart says. “I think I’ll hang it in my office,” says Hart, sales director for Blue Cross-Blue Shield. in Gartside Reservoir Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has released tiger muskellunge in Gartside Reservoir, near Crane south of Sidney. According to Mike Backes, Region 7 fisheries technician, "This release is an experimental stocking to reduce stunted panfish numbers, that may result in an increase in average panfish size. A second goal is to provide a trophy fish opportunity for local anglers. The average sized tiger muskellunge will be 8 inches in length when stocked. We expect to release 750 juvenile tiger muskellunge." Anglers need to recognize the difference between Northern Pike and Tiger Muskellunge. Both species are present in the reservoir and are similar in appearance, size and behavior. Harvest regulations are different for each species so anglers need to understand the identification differences in the fish and the harvest regulations. Identification information will be posted around the reservoir, which illustrates the differences between the two species. The regulations allow for the harvest of 10 Northern Pike per day and 10 in possession. The statewide Tiger Muskellunge regulation allows for 1 per day and 1 in possession that must be over 40 inches in length. Anglers that are unsure of which species they have caught, should release the fish back into the reservoir. The release of tiger muskellunge is basically a catch and release angler opportunity given the 40 inch length regulation.
Tsunami fishermen's relief The Montana PikeMasters voted to donate $250 to help the Tsunami Fishermen Relief Fund at a recent meeting and to spread the word about the fund in hopes that others will donate, too. The relief fund was created by Father Mariusz Zajac, a Catholic priest from Carrot River, Saskatchewan, after catching the provincial record walleye and the new world ice fishing record walleye at 18.3 pounds through the ice of Tobin Lake. Zajac had heard that Indian Ocean fishermen lost their boats, nets and livelihoods in the big tsunami waves that hit the area in December of 2004. As Zajac was interviewed by the media for his record walleye, he figured he'd put the interviews to good use to help others and, hence, created the relief fund at the local credit union. Donations will go directly toward buying boats, nets and other equipment for the fishermen in India to help them rebuild their lives. The Montana PikeMasters also decided to donate web space on its site to help spread the word about the fund. To learn more and to find out where you can donate to help the cause, go to: www.pikemasters.com/tsunami/
"I am a self taught artist, a year or so back after an extended hiatus," Hechesky said. "I try to convey in my art my love and respect for the outdoors, especially fish. I paint these fish as biologically correct as possible, noting their environment and prey. "I've fished from Florida to Canada, the vast Atlantic to trout streams one could step across,. Ohio farm ponds, all the Great Lakes," he said. "The diversity and beauty of North America's game fish is truly a joy, and at times awe inspiring experience that I'll never outgrow. Hopefully, I've embodied that passion in my art." Prints are $29.95 each, plus shipping, which varies and are signed and numbered. Originals are available on some pieces. All Hechesky's current works can be seen on his Web site by going to: www.donhechesky.com.  in fly fishing for pike Have fly rod -- will fish for pike! That could be the slogan of Missoula's Neal Coté. Coté specializes in fly fishing for northern pike, working the waters of western Montana, traveling across the state to test the big pike of Fort Peck Reservoir and going far beyond. For example, the picture of a big pike hitting a smaller pike on the end of his line on the PikeMasters home page was taken while Coté was fly fishing for pike in Canada. He has started his own northern pike fly tying business -- Bite Me Flies -- and has them in the Bob Wards stores of western Montana. They are also available directly from Coté. He offers Epoxy, Dumb Bell and ConeHead Patterns along with special pike leaders made of steel and titanium. Prices are $6 each or $72 per dozen for his Epoxy patterns and $4 each or $54 per dozen for the Dumb Bell and ConeHead patterns. Steel fly leaders cost $2 each while titanium fly leaders cost $4 each. For shipping, add $2.50 for orders up to a dozen flies, $8.50 for two to five dozen flies and $18 to $22 for orders of six to 20 dozen. For more information on pike fishing with flies or to order his pike flies, contact Coté at mrpikemt1@yahoo.com. begin to solve mystery By Ken McDonald FWP Fisheries Division Special Projects Bureau Chief There are about 18,000 miles of prairie streams in Montana but few state fisheries biologists could say for certain what’s in them. The contents of these 4,200 warm water prairie streams were only an educated guess until this summer when Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks fisheries crews began to survey these waters. FWP randomly selected 305 sites in 240 drainages in the Great Falls, Billings, Glasgow and Miles City areas this summer. It wasn’t unusual for the crews to find little water in some streams or no fish. But at 122 sites with both fish and water, FWP crews collected valuable data that will begin to help biologists better understand Montana’s vast prairie ecosystem. Funding for the stream survey work comes from the federal State Wildlife Grant program, a temporary funding program that many hope will become a permanent offering for fish and wildlife conservation. Survey teams were hired for 4-6 months to range over huge expanses of eastern Montana prairie. Each study focused on a 300-meter stretch, a length slightly longer than a football field. First the site was logged into a Global Positioning System for an exact geographic location for future reference. Then the teams used fine nets to pull all of the fish out of a reach of stream to identify, measure and count them before releasing them again. In a few cases, unusual specimens were preserved for additional study to ensure they are being accurately identified. The depth and width of the water and water quality were measured and the materials on the bottom were examined. In all, FWP examined 39,827 individual fish and identified up to 10 different species at the average site. Most of these fish were “minnows” or small species with catchy names like the brook stickleback, goldeye, emerald shiner, shorthead redhorse and sand shiner. A total of 32 different species were encountered during the summer and 25 of them were native to Montana. What good are these mini-fish and why care about them? While they are not the typical sport fish, they are valuable components of the prairie ecosystem and an important food source for sport fish such as sauger, pike and walleye, as well as for herons, king fishers and other opportunistic predators. These species are well adapted to the warm, muddy, boom-and-bust conditions of the prairie, with unique adaptations that allow them to survive. Caring about these tiny fish makes us more aware of their habitat, too. A prairie stream that is dry in August may be important for spawning when it is flowing with spring runoff. If a dry wash is viewed as having value as a fishery, a needed local improvement such as a road crossing might be built in a way that meets the community’s needs and retains access for fish for spawning in the wet parts of the year. In addition, the information we’re gathering will contribute to understanding how the life-cycle of these prairie minnows affect the larger, more popular species that depend on them. The numbers are staggering. Nearly 40,000 Montanans took part in or assisted in teaching an educational fishing event this year and about 10,000 individuals graduated from a hunter education or bowhunter education course in 2003, according to statistics tracked by Montana, Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Another 300 youngsters took a voluntary trapper education course. Hagengruber said the largest angling event in 2003 was the FWP & Walleyes Unlimited Great Falls fishing day in June, with about 2,000 participants. Hunter education classes in Billings, Kalispell, Missoula, and Great Falls regularly enroll as many as 300 students per fall or spring session. “Thousands of young people a year are learning about angling and hunting, gun safety and conservation in the state,” said Dave Hagengruber, FWP’s angling education coordinator. “These kids gain new skills and confidence and learn about positive recreational alternatives that they can pursue the rest of their lives.” Another attention grabbing statistic is the hours of instruction youngsters receive. For instance, -- teachers involved in the “Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs” program reported 8,000 classroom hours of teaching about fishing and Montana’s aquatic resources. -- the 1,700 instructors for the hunter and bowhunter education programs volunteer about 25,000 teaching-hours annually and teach about 500 classes a year. -- volunteer fishing instructors spent almost 12,000 hours this year providing instruction at youth fishing events. “The time donated by teachers and volunteer instructors in the hunter education and aquatic education programs is valued at more than $500,000,” Hagengruber said. FWP’s hunter education and aquatic education programs are paid for by federal dollars which FWP matches with time donated by its volunteers. That means the state does not have to use cash or hunters’ license dollars for this program. Details on FWP’s Hunter Education, Bowhunter Education and Aquatic Education programs are available on the FWP home page at www.fwp.state.mt.us, click on Education, or call 406-444-9736
|
|
|
|
