The eelpout fish has its own festival this coming weekend, beginning today and running through Sunday. Headquartered in City Park in Walker, this is one of the few fish based festivals that is not entirely about the fish. For many people, this festival is more about the social events.

So how do you catch more eelpout? You need to know more about this unusual fish. Eelpout are freshwater cod that live in the deeper areas of lakes during the summer in an effort to avoid the heat. They only come to the surface during the colder winter months. In Laker Superior, Eelpout have been found at depths of more than 1000 feet. Apparently, there is nothing too deep for the eelpout.

Basically, you will not find eelpout during the summer months at all. Like bears, they almost seem to hibernate in the dark crevices of a lake. They are the ultimate cold water species among fish.

In addition, eelpout eggs are always extremely large because of the fact that they have to sit at the bottom of the lake for so long before hatching. Embryos naturally have a lot of food in the eggs so that they can grow and survive within the egg for long periods of time. However, even deep in the lake, these eggs do tend to be eaten before they hatch due to the high calorie content. Therefore, fishermen often find these brownish green eggs in other species of fish that they catch later in the season.

If you want to catch an eelpout, the best thing to use is live bait. Some fisherman have effectively used liquid scents, rattle baits, and lures that glow, because as an alternative to live bait, these items do attract many eelpout by making up for their rather limited sight.

If you would like to participate in the Eelpout festival, it is held on Walker Bay in Leech Lake every year. It can be a good choice for the kids, providing live entertainment. This festival could easily be a family affair.

The rivers are in pristine condition, and fishermen are turning up on the Northwest coast in droves. With all of the boats popping up on every major river, I would guess that steelhead fishing is pretty good right now, which means that rivers might be a little bit overcrowded. So locals may want to fish their own more secluded niche, preferably in the same area. However, even with the crowds, fisherman seem to be catching more fish than you might expect.

Weather for This Weekend

Rain will break on the Northwest coast Wednesday and Thursday, and you can expect light rain on Friday and Saturday. The Reginald Kennedy of Eureka’s National Weather service reports that you may see a small rise in wind, but it shouldn’t be too bothersome on the rivers. Next Monday, you can expect a stronger front to drop in, and this front may stay til Tuesday.

More Steelhead in the Trinity

Numbers have been lagging the past few years, but it appears that steelhead have returned to the Trinity River in record numbers this year. Mary Claire Kier of the Department of Fish and Game Trinity River Project reports that 4002 wild adult steelhead have returned to the river this year. Last year, only 2027 returned.

The Chetco River is Decent

Reports show that the river is now below 1000 cf’s and the fish are described as being “extremely spooky.” Boat traffic is particularly heavy on this river, and you may not see the fish you want. Small bait or puff balls seem to be the most effective bait right now, but you should watch out for trees in certain areas according to river officials.

Smith River

Boat traffic has been light so far and the fish are abundant. The river is getting low, but fish seem to be sticking around for the long haul. This week, most fisherman report getting bites one day and no bites the next. With reports of rain this weekend, many fisherman are hoping for more bites in the weeks to come.

Eel River

Darren Brown of Garberville’s Brown’s Sporting Goods reports, With the rain we had, the river came up 8 to 12 inches and colored up a bit. The river should be in great shape heading into the weekend. So far, the fishing has not been optimal on this river.

Van Duzen: Your Best Bet?

The Van Duzen has seen plenty of fish already, and according to regulars, anglers are doing extremely well. The creek is described as being a little bit cloudy, but the river looks good. On Wednesday, CF levels rose, peaking at 600 CF’s. This is by far the best looking river so far.

How Much Damage Does This Really Do?

Experts estimate that the methods previously used by FirstEnergy killed 46 million adult fish and millions more eggs that would have spawned even more fish. According to Sandy Bihn, leader of the Western Lake Erie Waterkeeper Association, Now these numbers will go way down.

Some activists hope that other similar plants will be closing down in the near future, or preferably changing their ways and investing in safer technology that specifically protects the countless fish who have been sacrificed in the past. However, this is not without cost.

The Cost of Closing the Plants

Because of the FirstEnergy closing, company officials say that 80 people will lose their jobs when all of the coal burning generators at the plant near Toledo are shut down. One non-coal burning generator will remain open. Of course, activists and others would rather see the plant make the necessary modifications for environmental friendliness, nobody wants these 80 people to lose their jobs.

However, FirstEnergy and others have stated that if they were to make these changes, it would cost $100 million and electricity rates would significantly spike. However, for the fishing community, this could be an almost immediate improvement. With the rate at which fish are able to spawn, Charter Captain Dave Spangler thinks that A lot of those fish are primarily bait fish, and there will be many more walleye that can get by during spawning.

In this case, two commercial fisherman based in Hawaii thought that they had caught a 300 pound Marlin, which would have been a very profitable catch. However, they weren’t as lucky as they thought. The struggling Marlin left its own scent in the water, attracting a great white shark, who had a much easier time taking in a trapped Marlin.

The great white shark, or at least what was believed to be a great white, circled their boat for an hour off the coast of Hawaii, before they were able to return to shore. Addison Toki and Dominick Gaballo did experience some excitement to be fair, stating Talk about jaws, this is the real deal right here!

Great white sharks, especially around something like a boat, is a rare sight around Hawaii period, especially this time of year. Seeing them is rare, and one actually circling the boat is even more rare. This particular shark took a bite of the propeller, and many veteran fisherman consider this a once in a lifetime experience, if you ever experience it at all.

Obviously, this is a scary concept, especially if the shark decides to take more than a test bite. However, generally speaking, this is not as dangerous as you might think.

According to reports from the Guard, more than 18 feet of snow has fallen in the past few weeks, though they do not have an exact measurement at this time. According to officials, “This is more quantity than can be handled.”

At least 3 buildings have collapsed or partially collapsed because of the snow, and six homes are severely stressed by the heavy, wet snow. It has been 3 weeks now of unrelenting snow, leaving some residents staying in shelters and others staying with family members. Some have also been staying with other residents. Cordova spokesman Allen Marquette has also stated that officials are ready to set up a pet shelter.

Mayor Jim Kallander has stated, “We have no alternative but to declare an emergency. It became a life-safety issue.”

There are no roads open to the town, in part because of the heavy snowfall and rain that has made road conditions extremely treacherous. Workers can only get there by boat or plane. No injuries have been reported so far luckily, but bad weather has prevented Guard from even flying in in certain cases.

Over 70 guard were able to get in by Ferry Sunday, and about 50 will clear roofs, boats, roads, and other areas. Officials say that guard will be there for 2 weeks to lend help where they can. This will continue to be an ongoing operation for as long as necessary though.

Today’s classes started later than usual to account for the weather. However, officials have stated that parents need only send students if they are comfortable venturing out into the weather. Most residents seem to be taking other approaches to transportation, walking, skiing, or snowshoeing to get from place to place.

Held for the first time on Lake Simcoe, the first official Perchin for MS was a huge success. Next year, they are hoping to see an even bigger turnout as the word gets out. It’s definitely a worthy cause, and you can help people in need. How can you really go wrong with that?

The first year got 78 teams from Ontario and the United States, and $4000 was raised for MS awareness and research. According to an avid angler and conservation officer who happens to suffer from MS, “I started this event because I wanted to promote education and awareness around MS and I thought what better way to do than through a fishing derby.”

This man, Poirier, knows the limitations of MS, and he knows all too well the need for supportive family and friends around you. He continues, “the goal of the event was also to raise a bit of money for MS, and I am pleased to announce that thanks to some generous monetary donations we raised almost $4000 that will go directly to the MS Society of Canada.”

Most of the anglers involved were from the GTA, but others came from Owen Sound and Niagara as well as Muskoka, Halliburton, and Ottowa. There were even a fair number from the US who were eager to participate and test their skills. Some were recreational ice fishers, and many from the US were actually competitive.

Whether you are an amateur or more of a professional mind, this anglers society wants you. They want your involvement, your help, and most of all, your money obviously. Companies are getting involved, far exceeding anybody’s expectations, and more people are coming together all the time.

Mr. Rafael, the would be record breaking fisherman, and his crew used nets to catch bottom dwelling fish, and they inadvertently happened to catch this particular fish. When they docked though, federal fishery enforcement agents took control of the giant tuna. The reason was simple, despite what you may think.

The boat Rafael was on did not actually have tuna permits, and fisherman are only technically allowed to catch tuna with rod and reel by law. The fact that it was an accident had no bearing. Rafael didn’t need a bigger boat, just a better permit and a rod and reel with the intent to specifically fish for tuna. Going out on his particular expedition, anyone could admit that he had no way of knowing what was coming.

Rafael has been interviewed in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) enforcement division, who state that he caught the tuna at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. He has disputed this idea. Rafael states, “They didn’t catch that fish on the bottom. They probably got it in the mid-water when they were setting out and it just got corralled in the net. That only happens once in a blue moon.”

However, the pride of catching a fish that big is not the only thing that Rafael has had taken away from him. Selling a fish like that would actually bring in quite a bit of money. A 754 pound tuna recently sold for $396,000. You can imagine how much a fish over 100 pounds heavier would sell for. Unfortunately, the NOAA has no responsibility or intention of sharing the profits of this fish with the fisherman who actually caught it.

Monica Allen, a deputy director with the NOAA fisheries has stated, “This rule is important to the conservation of this unusual fish that is severely depleted and managed internationally by more than 48 nations. Because they are slow to mature and reproduce, rebuilding this species population is a lengthy and difficult process.”

You do have to be careful about other predators. For example, while you might want to learn to respond properly to a bear when in Alaska, but when in Guatemala, you might want to worry a little more about alligators and crocodiles. These creatures can get into the thousands when it comes to weight, and there are villagers who believe that feeding them on a regular basis will keep them from eating people, dogs, or farm animals.

Unfortunately, this just keeps the land based creatures coming back and associating humans with foods. Actually, there’s not much you can do except for try to move in different directions a lot, as crocodiles and alligators have a harder time changing directions like that. However, if you try freezing like you would with a bear, you are going to become alligator/crocodile bait.

However, the fishing is something to be rivaled. If you make the commitment to go down and stay safe, Guatemala offers a variety of fish such as marlin, dorado, and many other species. The best part is that there are plenty of big companies and boats willing to give you a real deal that includes accommodations that really aren’t too bad for what you’re paying.

Even if you stay in lower accommodations or even the boat to save a little money, the reality is that it’s all about the fishing. If you are looking for the real bang for your buck, Guatemala is without question the place to go right now.

In Amarillo, TX, a group called the Fly Guys are specifically reaching out to war veterans, reeducating them and teaching them how to work in the area of custom fly rods. According to founder Kyle McAdams, “They’re actually constructing something that they’ll be able to use later on, on the river and then ultimately pass down and hand down to their kids and things like that.”

Veterans have been taught how to build lightweight fly rods so far, which they can use on a planned trip to Cimarron, New Mexico. Each veteran is given a beginner rod building kit, which comes with reel seats, grips, guides, threads, and other things that are necessary to build a basic rod. This gives them the feel of things, and it brings participating veterans together with a sense of community, giving participants something to be proud of according to custom rod instructor Austin McWhorter.

Veterans who have “graduated” from the programs with new rods have stated that it feels “gratifying” to catch fish with something that they made with their own hands, and many have reported being treated well by everybody.

It currently costs veterans a total of $80 to buy a quality tying vise and $125 to buy a whole fly rod kit. $25 buys fly tying materials, which may become more expensive or cheaper with experience, with many being able to find different shops. However, this is just meant to be a start. However, all of these materials can last up to a year for many veterans.

Currently, Fly Guys is being sponsored by groups including the Brown Automotive group, Amarillo National Bank, Budweiser Distributing Company, Top Notch Outfitters, Travelers Oil Company, Southwest Honda, Marble Depot Incorporated, and Dennis M Plunk DDS, all of whom McAdams states that Fly Guys and the veteran participants could not do without.

It measured a total of 7 feet and 4 inches, effectively bigger than Glover herself, who only stands 5’3 ¼. A retired receptionist who previously worked in a beauty salon, Laverne Glover used chunk bait with a 5’6 seeker hook and 80 pound spectra line. She wanted a big fish, but never knew she would get a monster, which apparently she knew right away when it started tugging.

“I was so shocked and I was trying to stay composed, you know, not just scream.”

LaVerne Glover used both hands and had to “really raise it up.” It took a total of 45 minutes, and she didn’t do it on her own. The whole boat had to help her to haul the fish in. However, it was close to making records. There have been bigger, but not by much. Technically, the scales were closed the day that LaVerne caught it, which can make a rather significant difference.

However, the Glovers aren’t protesting, just proud to have caught a fish so large. The Glovers have long been involved in fishing as a couple. LaVerne actually gave it up between childhood and when she married Bob. However, the Glovers have been able to bring back 150 pounds of fish, which will be feeding their small family for a while.