Sport Fishing

Summertime, and the living’s easy…

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Ok, so maybe summertime doesn’t give most of us reprieve from long hours and a constant barrage of emails, but it sure seems to make those things more tolerable. And if you’re wise enough to take some time for yourself and get outside, you can almost feel the stress melt away. Personally, I can’t think of a better way to accomplish this than a trip to Lake Erie, Ohio’s greatest natural resource.

Gabriel Lake Erie 2016-06-23

The view from my temporary office at Stone Lab on Gibraltar Island near Put-in-Bay, Ohio.

I admit to some bias, as I’m writing this from beautiful Gibraltar Island while teaching the Lake Erie Sport Fishing course at Stone Lab. But there really is something for everyone up here on the north shore. How about a trip to Cedar Point, recognized as one of the best amusement parks in the world?  If adrenaline isn’t your thing, how about visiting one of the many local wineries popping up along the Lake Erie shore?

Into history? Come to Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island and check out Perry’s monument and learn how pivotal this part of Ohio was in the War of 1812. And make sure to stop by the Aquatic Visitors Center run by Ohio Sea Grant & Stone Lab. If you come on a Wednesday, make time to take the tour of Stone Lab and say hi to us. The tour runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the $10 fee supports student scholarships.

And of course there’s the fishing and boating. There’s a great resource available from our friends at Coastal Management that lets you find all the public access spots along the lake. Don’t have your own boat? Check out the Lake Erie Charter Boat Association website to find a charter captain, or call in to your destination county Visitor Bureau (like the Ottawa County Lake Erie Shores and Islands office) to see who they recommend, or get a ton of other ideas. Local bait shops are great sources of information too.

If none of these ideas suit you, don’t forget to consider the beautiful beaches, swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, paddleboards, parasailing, sailing, camping, bird watching and so many other opportunities that await you here along Lake Erie’s shore. Do yourself a favor – make the quick drive north this summer. Sometimes the water is all you need to cleanse your soul.

Tory Gabriel is the Extension Program Leader & Fisheries Outreach Coordinator for the Ohio Sea Grant College Program.

Ahoy! Sea Grant goes to the Mid-America Boat Show

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What do you get when you combine the Ohio winter doldrums with a growing interest in boating and watersports? A ready-made audience at the Mid-America Boat Show.

Amidst freezing cold winds and heavy snowfall, Ohio Sea Grant Educators and thousands of others made their way to the IX Center in Cleveland for the Mid-America Boat Show a few weeks ago. It is an annual tradition, having taken place for over 25 years, bringing together water lovers, boaters, adventure seekers, and all facets of the boating industry to learn, buy, sell, trade, and catch up.

Boat Show 2016 #1 2016-02-18As one of the many educational exhibitors at this event, Ohio Sea Grant was thrilled to be able to teach about the importance of a healthy Lake Erie to the Boat Show 2016 #2 2016-02-18many visitors that attended. Stationed next to a singing pirate and personal watercraft simulator, we had some stiff competition. However, neither could stand up to the fright, ick, “Oh geez! That’s a live snake!” factor of our Stone Laboratory snakes and the al“lure” of tying your own hook for catching walleye. These were two of the many activities available to kids and adults at our Lake Erie information hotspot. Show wanderers could spin a prize wheel to be asked questions about general Lake Erie topics, decorate a fish to add to the #loveyourlake twitter campaign, sign up to be a clean boater, and peruse a selection of outreach materials and goodies rivaling the collections of the Library of Congress.

Boat Show 2016 #3 2016-02-18As you might imagine, visitors were mainly concerned about invasive species, harmful algal blooms (HABs), and actions they can take in their everyday life to reduce their footprint, houseprint, or boatprint on the lake. Below are some of the simple tips for keeping Lake Erie healthy that we shared with boat show visitors…they can apply to you as well…

  • Clean, drain, and dry your boat when you move it to different waterways.
  • Pick up trash as you see it and responsibly dispose of or recycle your own items.
  • Take aquarium pets and plants back to the pet store or offer them to a school if you no longer want them.
  • Reduce or eliminate the fertilizer you place on your lawn.
  • Plant a rain garden at the end of your driveway or near your gutter spouts to reduce the amount of water running off of your property.

(Submitted by Jill Bartolotta, Extension Educator for Ohio Sea Grant)

Endnotes:

al“lure”: Chis Pluntz, Pro Anglers. 2009. Tying hooks – Building Walleye or Trout Spinner Baits and Crawler Harnesses. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g19jh0cB4oA.

#loveyourlake: Twitter. 2016. #loveyourlake. Website: https://twitter.com/hashtag/loveyourlake.

HABs: Ohio Sea Grant. 2014. Harmful Algal Blooms. Website: https://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/research/issues/habs.

(Photo credits: Ohio Sea Grant)

The Lake Erie Resource

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Lake Erie Resource #1 2015-08-06

In most years there are more fish caught out of Lake Erie for human consumption than all of the other Great Lakes combined! (Photo: Ohio Sea Grant)

Lake Erie is arguably one of the most important lakes in the world. It’s the southernmost, shallowest, and warmest of all the Great Lakes, which makes it the most productive. While power generation is a major use of Lake Erie water, the most important may be that it serves as drinking water for 11 million people. It’s also an unmatched recreational resource for Ohioans as over 30 million people live within a day’s drive.

While fishing is king in the “Walleye Capital of the World,” people come from all over to enjoy boating, beaches, sailing, diving, birding and a variety of other outdoor activities. This amounts to around $11.5 billion and 117,000 jobs annually from the eight Ohio counties bordering Lake Erie. This is more than a quarter of the tourism revenue for the entire state.

In order to keep reaping the benefits of the resource, we need to keep taking care of the resource. With that in mind, Ohio Sea Grant has identified six critical issues that we’re working on to make sure we sustain a healthy Lake Erie.

  1. Sedimentation and dredging: When we get big rain events, we get a lot of dirt flowing into Lake Erie. Shipping lanes get full and need dredged, which comes at a big cost and can stir up toxins that have settled to the bottom.
  2. Phosphorus and nutrient loading: With the sediment comes the phosphorus and other nutrients. It can come from agriculture, urban runoff, combined sewer overflows, over fertilized lawns and a handful of other sources. It’s basically fertilizer for algae.
  3. Harmful algal blooms (HABs): When there’s too much phosphorus and the water gets warm in mid to late summer, we see major blooms of blue green algae, aka cyanobacteria, that can produce very powerful toxins. You shouldn’t swim in the blooms, and definitely don’t ingest it or let your pets drink it. If it gets in drinking water supplies it can be difficult to treat, which was the cause of Toledo’s issues last summer.
  4. Dead zones: As the algae and other living things die and break down at the bottom of the lake, vital oxygen gets used up. Sometimes this can cause pockets of no oxygen where fish and other aquatic life cannot survive.
  5. Aquatic Invasive Species: There are dozens of plants and animals that have been introduced to Lake Erie. They often out-compete our native species. This can cause irreparable damage to the ecosystem and cost millions of dollars to try to combat.
  6. Climate Change: We’ve seen more intense storms more frequently, and warmer temperatures more often. This can make the other issues even worse.
Lake Erie Resource #2 2015-08-06

Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island. (Photo: Ohio Sea Grant)

Despite all of these issues, Lake Erie is still Ohio’s greatest natural resource and a great place to visit no matter how you prefer to enjoy the water. So how can you help keep the critical issues in check?

  • Use phosphate-free lawn care products.
  • Regularly check your septic system. Damaged septic systems can contaminate nearby waters.
  • Reduce the amount of water you send to the water treatment plant. Install low-flow toilets and rain barrels.
  • Plant native plants along shorelines and ditches. These plants can filter out fertilizers and are essentially maintenance-free.

Check out ohioseagrant.osu.edu for more information, or contact me if you have questions. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and I hope to see you up here on Lake Erie!

(Submitted by Tory Gabriel, Fisheries Outreach Coordinator, Ohio Sea Grant College Program)

Ohio Sea Grant and Lake Erie Nature & Science Center continue long-time partnership in Northeast Ohio

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What covers nearly 10,000 square miles, many of them comprising parts of eight Ohio counties in northern Ohio? In addition to creating a natural land/water boundary of over 310 miles in length, Lake Erie is a key focus area for Ohio Sea Grant and the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center (located in Bay Village, Cuyahoga County).

“The partnership between the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center and Ohio Sea Grant has been alive and well for nearly 30 years and continues to be an important relationship for a Center so close to Lake Erie,” says Darci Sanders, The Center’s Director of Education. “The expertise of Sea Grant staff is the perfect match to increase the effectiveness and efficacy of programming provided by our own talented staff.”

Lake Erie Day #2 2015-04-16

Photo: Ohio Sea Grant

Ohio Sea Grant’s focus on research, education and outreach for the Lake Erie region is a great fit for the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, which offers high-quality nature, environmental and science experiences through school field trips, preschool, family, scouting and planetarium programs, nature hikes, and a variety of exhibits connected to its expansive wildlife rehabilitation program.

The Center’s staff and Ohio Sea Grant are working on hands-on informal science information sessions for 2015 that will feature experts on a variety of Lake Erie topics. Most recently, they hosted a workshop for faculty from Cleveland and Columbus that provided information, curriculum and supplies for teaching about aquatic invasive species in the classroom.

Family Fishing Day 2015-04-16

Photo: Ohio Sea Grant

On May 17, Family Fishing Day, children ages 6 and up and their families can enjoy a morning learning the basics of how to cast, where to fish and what kind of fish they’ll catch in Lake Erie. May 23 is Lake Erie Day, part of the Year of Clean Water Celebration, where visitors can celebrate all things Lake Erie. Ohio Sea Grant staff will be on hand to offer their expertise and interactive activities on aquatic invasive species, harmful algal blooms, boating and water recreation, beach safety, Lake Erie water snakes and more.

For more information, please contact Ohio Sea Grant Extension Educator, Sarah Orlando.

Sign up now for Lake Erie Sport Fishing Class & Workshop

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Go to school to learn how to fish? You bet!! Enhance your fishing skills this summer with the following credit and non-credit sport fishing courses at Stone Lab on Gibraltar Island in Lake Erie:

Lake Erie Sport Fishing – June 15-21 (KNSFHP 1140.05/2.0 undergraduate credit hours)
1-week, for-credit Course at Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island in Lake Erie

Stone LabThis one-week course is an introduction to techniques and equipment used in Lake Erie sport fishing combining Lake Erie angling trips (extensive on-water training) with lectures that include related aquatic science information. Students are required to live in Stone Laboratory housing on Gibraltar Island. Click here for complete information, including course description, syllabus and tuition/housing costs and fees. Register soon!

Lake Erie Sport Fishing Workshop – August 29-31
3-day, non-credit Workshop at Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island in Lake Erie

Sport Fishing Workshop 2014In this non-credit workshop, you will learn technical concepts used by experienced Lake Erie anglers through personal instruction and fishing experience aboard Stone Lab’s vessel R/V Gibraltar III. Bypass empty water and increase fishing effectiveness by learning gamefish behavior and seasonal movements,  strategies using specialized gear, recognizing feeding patterns and selecting tackle and gear. Walleye fishing will be the primary activity; however, time will be allotted for smallmouth and largemouth bass, panfish and yellow perch. Deadline to apply is June 27. Workshop fee is $450. Cost includes room and meals for two nights and three days. Click here for complete information about the workshop, including description, agenda and application process.

(Submitted by Tory Gabriel, Fisheries Outreach Coordinator, Ohio Sea Grant College Program)