Gubernatorial candidate John Kasich has 104 days until the fall election, and he recruited Lake Erie experts to tell him what is needed to improve sport fishing along Ohio’s North Coast.
Republican candidate for Ohio governor John Kasich learned the Lake Erie walleye population has been in a slump in recent years during a meeting with the Lake Erie Charter Boat Association.Meeting on Wednesday with members of the Lake Erie Charter Boat Association at The Pond, a local fisherman’s resort, the guides’ list of concerns seemed staggering.
"I have some knowledge of the area, but these people have spent a lifetime on the lake and do business up here," Kasich said. He may not have expected the earful he got from LECBA President Rick Unger and a handful of local fishing guides.
The Lake Erie walleye population has been in a slump in recent years, said the guides. They had a litany of water woes that have helped cause poor fish production, from invasive species to the Bayshore Power Plant killing young fish, open-water dumping of contaminated Maumee River dredge material, heavy phosphate loading from agricultural sources, fish-eating cormorant and commercial fishing abuses.
The fishing guides shared their worries about Asian carp and a movement to build wind turbines on productive Western Lake Erie fishing reefs. They said there is a need for a closed spring fishing season to protect spawning fish.
Kasich, a member of Congress for 18 years, said he had never been invited to the Port Clinton area, dubbed the Walleye Capitol of the World.
"But I know we can drive a lot of change," he said.
Out and about: The NRA National Smallbore 3-Position Championships run through Sunday at Camp Perry, the Ohio National Guard facility west of Port Clinton. . . . The Castalia Hatchery in Erie County is constructing a new trout production facility and will close the hatchery to tours and visitors through Sept. 11, except for lottery winners of trout fishing outings on Cold Creek. . . . Boaters and anglers at Buckeye Lake will find a renovated North Shore boat launch ramp with extra parking, a recently completed $625,000 project.
Lake and Trails camp: After an outstanding turnout for its spring fishing camp, Lake and Trails Organization is taking reservations for the Youth Outdoor Camp on Sept. 30-Oct. 3. It is held at FFA Camp Muskingum on the shoreline of Leesville Lake in Carroll County. The shooting sports are in the spotlight at the fall camp. To reserve a spot or for information, e-mail Karen Metzger at Karenlakeandtrails.org.
Manage wild deer: The Quality Deer Management Association has a course from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at West Holmes High School in Millersburg to help farmers, landowners and hunters learn to reduce deer densities and build big bucks for hunters. To register, call 330-231-1965 or 419-308-8368. The course is free and lunch is provided.
Mercury on rise: Canadian researchers report mercury levels are on the rise in Lake Erie’s walleye after two decades of steady decline. Federal, provincial and University of Toronto researchers speculate the increased levels of mercury in fish have been provoked by invasive species, primarily zebra and quagga mussels and round gobies.
Women hunters increase: Far more men are hunters, but more women took up hunting in 2009, reports the National Sporting Goods Association. The ranks of female hunters jumped 5.4 percent