Big Indiana Bass

Technology vs. Culture

I find sociological issues with fishing pretty fascinating. One we can probably all relate to is the advent of technology and its relationship with our fishing. When the "little green box" first came out there was talk of how fisheries would be decimated as the little guys didn't stand a chance...and no, that was before my time (I'm not that old). But I have been around for lots of other technological advances in fishing. Things like paper graphs, then LCD's and now side-imaging units. Don't forget pH and color meters, and remember the discussions when the AquaVu first hit the market? Each advance has had its doomsayers.

So is it any wonder that this would also occur in other fishing cultures around the globe? I found this neat study concerning the introduction of sonar into the Turkish fishery culture: Situating Technology: Confrontations over the Use of Sonar among Turkish Fishermen and Marine Scientists. On the surface it appears that similar arguments arise about the use of technology, but the deeper question of how people relate to technological advances and the adjacent issue of how a culture can be changed by this technology is pretty fascinating. If everything we ever had to learn in school could somehow be related back to fishing in some aspect, learning would have been much easier. In truth, I did always try to think of assignments in terms of a fishery based perspective...it helped :)   

Hey Gamers

It's winter, and that means not much more than the occasional ice fishing trip if conditions allow. So after you've inventoried all your tackle yet again, highlighted the Bass Pro Catalog for new baits and cleaned your rods and reels up, what's left? Head on over to the FishNet Game site and download a free demo version of many popular online fishing games. I took a crack at the FlySim 1.5 demo and thought it was pretty cool. I finally got to the point of being able to direct and properly (more or less) execute a fly cast and get my small nymph out into the current seams. Didn't help me catch anything but a good way to pass the time. Everything appears to be safe...Nothing took control of my computer or erased my hard drive. It also was no problem to uninstall after testing, so pick one out and go for it. Spring will be here before you know it.

The Replacement Hook Manual

Here's a new one I hadn't seen before. You've got a bunch of crankbaits sitting in your box and you're not sure what type or size hooks are on them. You'd like to know so you can replace them with a fresh set of trebles. Then you need to pop on over to the Replacement Hook Manual by VMC. Simply scroll down the list of manufacturers until you find the company you're looking for and then click on the appropriate link. You'll get a .pdf table showing the factory size and style hooks as well as a recommended replacement VMC treble hook. Seems like a handy little tool to have bookmarked. That said, I replace most all of my treble hooks on all my baits with equivalent or slightly upsized Gammi round bend trebles.   

Water Anomalies

Who knew that a drop of water could be so complex? Actually, we've referred to several different water characteristics on this site before as being the driver for things like turnover, stratification, thermal upwellings and even the reason why your baits will (or won't) suspend depending on lake temperature. Rich Ziert has forwarded this cool link to me that goes into some great detail on water anomalies. The site "Water Structure and Science" by Martin Chaplin from the London South Bank University is filled with cool graphs and facts, especially within the links to tons more. So while this won't be everyones "cup of tea", if you have an hour to kill and are snowed in like we are and want to learn more about water characteristics than your friends ever care to hear :) check the site link out.

The Bass Blotch Mystery

That's the title of the latest article by Ralph Manns over on the BFHP. You can link to the article here. If you've fished around Indiana much, you've probably run into this phenomenon a time or two. It seems more prevalent on certain lakes than others. This past year I noticed one lake in particular that had a very high incidence of bass with these black blotches. They look almost like fingerprints on a basses body. Sometimes on the tail or fins and other times on the mouth. I actually have pictures showing the condition on bass here in Indiana going back to the late 80's [pic (upper left) of me with a bass from L. Lemon from around 1990 - click to enlarge], so it's certainly not a new occurrence. If you're still not certain of what I'm referring to, take a look at this blurb from the TN Wildlife Resource Agency. They refer to the anomaly as hyperpigmented melanosis. The fish in the picture has a more extreme case.

Ralph makes some interesting observations, though I'm not certain I agree completely with them. That's the inherent problem with anecdotal evidence. I'll be very curious to see what Auburn U. comes up with in their studies. I was noticing this blotching on bass enough last year that I made a call to our state pathology lab. It is located up at Purdue University and is where all fish forensic studies for the state take place. I was able to speak with one of the lead pathologists at the lab concerning the blotching and he mentioned 3 possibilities. One was the trematode parasite Digene. For more information than you probably care to have on the Digene life cycle and trematodes in general, see this West Virgina University PowerPoint presentation.

The second suggestion was some type of chemical or environmental contamination. This would be hard to track down though without extensive and expensive water quality parameter testing. Ironically enough this particular lake was one of only 9 in Indiana to be selected at random by the EPA for its 5-year revolving National water testing program. They took samples early last summer and I'm hoping to be able to get my hands on the full report sometime later this year or next.

The final possibility suggested was 'unknown', that being we simply don't know what is causing the blotching. Not a very satisfying answer but certainly a practical one. They said I was more than welcome to bring a bass or two harboring this blotching to their labs for testing if I'd like. Unfortunately the testing runs several hundred dollars, so I chose to hold off on pursuing that avenue. I think this year I'm going to try and take detailed notes from this lake. I'll document total fish caught, number showing the blotching, size and weight of bass with the blotching as well as a general location of the blotching for each fish. It might give some clues to the mystery, particularly if this is a seasonal occurence which might be more in line with the Digene theory. And if I stumble across an extra couple hundred dollars, I may even just run some fish up to the path lab in West Lafayette.

Fishing for Food

There is a very interesting article in the most recent issue of "Fisheries" magazine. It's a human dimensions article dealing with one of fishings sociological issues, that of subsistence fishermen. The article is entitled Searching for Subsistence: In the Field in Pusuit of an Elusive Concept in Small-scale Fisheries. It can be found midway through the publication on page 592 (page 20 of 52). It is a decent sized download at just over 5MB in case you have dial-up. It examines some of the definitions, stereotypes and self-descriptions of subsistence anglers and starts laying the foundation for future research. I found it particularly interesting because of the many comments and observations I hear from other anglers of subsistence fishermen in our neck of the woods, most notably from bank anglers and river anglers chasing smallmouth bass. I think it will be particularly interesting once studies progress enough to start dealing with the management implications associated with the perceived problem.

Water Weigh-Ins: Ouch

I've reported a time or two on the water weigh-in method. You can track down those posts in the archive section, probably under 'tournaments'. I'll have to check myself. Anyway, I just got hold of the newest Catch and Release study, this one coming from Jamison, Bettoli and Redding from Tennessee Technological University. "Physiology and survival of tournament-caught largemouth bass" goes into good depth comparing water weigh-ins vs. standard weigh-ins, and the bottom line is that water weigh-ins offered no better post-release mortality stats than traditional tournament weigh-ins. Post-tournament mortality averaged 32% across all events and water temps which is nearly identical to historical (traditional) results. As expected, mortality was positively correlated to fish size and water temps. The authors surmise that perhaps this level of mortality is an inescapable base level regardless of technique in warm waters (>27 deg. C).

As was also pointed out, another study I've written of coming out of Texas showed that despite this apparently high level of mortality, it still might only compose a small fraction of a body of waters total mortality of largemouth bass (annual mortality) and subsequently have little overall impact on the larger population. That would have to be determined individually though for each body of water.

So this is only one study, and like everything else research related, we can't jump to any immediate conclusions. However, if future studies tend to support this current piece of research, water weigh-ins could arguably be nothing more than a good "perception" move on the part of tournament organizers. Ultimately I'd have to wonder how many groups would invest the time, money and effort to change to a water weigh-in method given the lack of any better outcome.   

Desperate Times?

I received an invitation in the mail yesterday to sign up for a subscription to In-Fisherman magazine. I was a past subscriber and reader for about 8-10 years through the mid and late 90's. I was also a long time subscriber to their smaller specialty publication Walleye-Insider for about the same length of time, from the mid 90's until about 2003-2004. Both have been a great source of information, and In-Fisherman has been just cutting edge stuff ever since I can remember. But I really lost interest after they sold out to Primedia and ultimately saw Al and the boys move on. To me, the characters and their personalities were as much a part of the magazine as was the information provided. They had a unique style to article writing that no other magazine had, at least none that I have seen before.

So this offer is for a 1 year subscription (8 issues) for just $10. And don't answer yet, cause they'll also throw in a free camo cooler if I order now! Regularly a $39.92 value if purchased on the newstands. Are they making any money at that price? I remember when my little Walleye-Insider subscription was that price. Has circulation dropped off so much that they need to make such discounted (74%) offers? Or are they willing to try and make up for thinner margins with an increase in subscribers that they hope to attract with the lower price?

I'd love to see actual circulation numbers from say 20 years ago through today. I'm guessing they've dropped off quite a bit. The Internet has really changed the face of information transfer. Our society is more and more one of instant gratification - I want my info and I want it now! I wonder if sitting down and reading through the articles, flipping the pages is something reserved for the older folks of my generation and the one before it? Are all fishing magazines feeling the same pinch?

So for me, I won't end up restarting my old subscription. I so strongly relate the escapades of Al and the boys to the magazine, that it doesn't maintain the same allure it once had now that they're gone. I know first hand both the benefits and the pitfalls of having a person or persons so strongly associated with a single endeavor. Enjoy it while it lasts, but be prepared to move fast when things head south, or risk certain decline.

Weekend Fishing Show Wrap-up

As promised, albeit very late, my observations from the show. Again, it was very cool to meet several of the readers from the site. Probably the "neatest" part of the show for me. I had lots of copies of DNR lake reports at my booth which drew quite a bit of attention. Also had lots of graph screenshots printed out and spent some time explaining those, too. Had my Triton on a for sale ad but no offers there (LOL). Also brought a bunch of extra baits (don't we all have more than we need?) and was able to get rid of most of them. Can't really tell though from looking in my garage.

Got to spend some time browsing around and talking with some of the other vendors during the slow times. Here are some highlights:

Most interesting new bait seen: A swimbait in the Red Shad - Hooked-Up Baits booth. I believe they said it was a Fred Ward creation though I could have heard that wrong. They didn't have any to sell, but they were pretty neat. Probably a knock-off of the Bassstrix that is getting all the attention on boards these days. Like a long Sassy Shad but super soft plastic, a hollow tube body right where the swimming action should come from and some really good graphics. It came in several sizes.

Most Interesting Tackle (Hardware) Item seen: A couple custom built spiral wrap rods from 'JB Custom Rods'. They got as lot of attention about 3 years ago, but they never really seemed to take off. It is a typical baitcast rod, but the after the first guide which is mounted upright on the top of the blank like you would expect, the  next several wrap aorund the blank leaving all the rest to lie under the blank like a spinning rod. Part of the advantage with this type setup is that under heavy pressure, it is very common for a rod blank to torque to one side basically twisting the blank via pressure through the guides. In many cases, you will also end up with the line being drug against the blank because of this. SPiral wrapping eliminates these problems. It is one of those deals where I'd want to try someone else's spiral-wrap rod first before actually purchasing one of my own since you rarely find this set-up in a stock production model from a large manufacturer.

Best Fishing Trip seen: A trip to Lake Erie to chase pig smallies aboard the "Erie Quest". Loads of big smallies from the big lake rigging soft craws or large minnows. Get several guys to go in on a trip together to cut the cost to some crazy low figure. Everbody comes home having caught 3 and 4 pounders, probably larger!

Something I couldn't live without (ya, right): A nice hand-tied bluegill streamer from Wildcat Creek Outfitters. A big, fuzzy weighted bug with an olive-green feather tail tied full and vertically like a rudder to increase apparent size. I see so many baby bluegill hanging around the docks of one particular lake I fish, that those bass just have to eat this thing! I'll report later this spring when I finally get to try it out.

Coolest thing I'll probably never try: Fishing out of a kayak. Eagle Creek Kayaks was there with a full display, and their booth got the attention of a lot of the stream fishermen. They look nice and sleek; I can picture cruising down the river in one of those things, but I don't think I'd ever buy one, because I can also see me trying to keep rod, tackle and sanity in check as I head for a set of rapids sideways while still fighting some big smallmouth heading thother way. I'd be toast.

Finally, the Best Fishing related Science thing: Here we have a tie. Item number one is a fishing reports database that loads onto your PDA or similar device from Prologue Systems. Seems like everyone is carrying one of these things now days, and this program allows you to record catch data and specifics in near "real-time". Of course I'd drop mine in the water on the first trip (if I had one) while trying to log data, but the idea and portability is cool none-the-less.

And the second cool science based fishing item - Euro Carp tackle setups. Life on the bank sure has changed since the days of "cow bells" attached to the end of your rod and a forked stick (LOL). We're talking bait-runner reels, electronic bite indicators, counter-weighted line tensioners, custom aluminum "rod pods". Even the actual rigs used to catch the carp themselves. Hair rigs with baiting needles designed to stick in the fishes mouth based on the way a carp feeds, which is largely an inhale/exhale type action repeated several times. Specially formed weights to hold bottom in all conditions, method feeders to attract the carp to your bait in the first place. And we think bass fishing has progressed to a highly technical level. I could get into this carp fishing just for all the science related stuff alone (LOL).

So there is my wrap-up report. There will be more shows upcoming, one even this weekend. I'll keep filing similar reports from any of the shows I'm able to make. Oh ya, in case you've still read this far, here's a bonus...The best overall lake for the next couple years as recommended to me by the District biologist - Brookville  ;~)  You heard it hear first!

Thanks Everybody!

Kind of late and I'm worn out, but wanted to post a quick "Thank You" to all who stopped by the Big Indiana Bass booth at the ISC Expo this weekend. Was a pleasure to meet and talk with everyone. I'll give a full report in the next day or two. 

Weather and the River

That was the topic header I received for the Annual Friends of the White River meeting that was being held tonight in Indianapolis. Awfully appropriate given everything happening the past couple days. It was actually chosen because of their special guest speaker tonight, Steve Bray, Chief Meteorologist for WISH-TV Channel 8. Unfortunately with my drive and getting everything ready for setup tomorrow for this weekends show, I wasn't able to attend. I'm sure he had a lot of interesting weather stuff to discuss this year with the drought all year and now this flood situation.

This title is also appropriate because it reminded me of another piece I had written concerning historical flow changes on the White River over the past 75 years. I've added the article, Historical Overview of White River Flows to the articles section of the website midway down on the right sidebar. Some interesting stuff that you might not normally think about when you're out on the river fishing.

Back on the river and "The Friends", if you fish on any portion of the White River, or live in any of its watershed area you should consider joining this very worthwhile organization. They have done a whole lot for the river since the fish kill up on the west fork. They are also very active in youth programs with everything from on-the-water classroom programs, several kids fishing days, and their most recent Youth Advisory Council (YAC). Check out their website and consider making a donation.

What of the Fish?

Well, the dams appear to be holding. Water outflow has come down slightly from its peak overnight, all good signs. No new deaths or injuries to report that I'm aware of. So my curiosity turns to what will happen to the fishery, both below the dams and within the lakes they form? Following along with Richard's comment in the last post, you would think this would be a heavily studied area of fisheries research, but a browse through the literature suggests otherwise. There are some specific studies on ability to hold in certain current, nest and egg viability, etc., but not much on wholesale destruction or "100-year" flow impacts. What little I could find has been researched on smaller trout streams. If they are any indication, the populations will be seriously depleted if not nearly wiped out entirely. But things will rebound fairly quickly, 3-5 years. I'll post some study links, but the first signs will be the early reports from the tailwater anglers in a few weeks when water levels get back to somewhere near normal.

• Effects of Floods on Trout in Sagehen Creek, California
• Effects of Floods on Brook Trout Populations in the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia
• Recovery of Standing Crop and Production Rate of a Brook Trout Population in a Flood-damaged Stream
• Response of a Brook Trout Population and Instream Habitat to a Catastrophic Flood and Debris Flow