THE COMPASS ROSE
Edition 8 – June 1, 2008
“Dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of all sport fish species on Lake Erie through education & association”
General Notes
The EPSFA directors have been busy soliciting sponsors and preparing for the two summer
tournaments. We are pleased to announce that locally owned company; FISHUSA.com has
agreed to host the 3rd annual Pro-AM event. They have also agreed to provide a 10%
discount to all current EPSFA members.
We are still making progress with the Brown Trout program and we should see some Browns
being released in the spring of 2009. These fish will return in 2010 as 15”-20” fish. By 2010 or 2011, we should see 100,000 Brown
Trout being stocked in the PA waters of Lake Erie.
The Walleye Challenge is just around the corner. This 2nd annual event will be held at Shades Beach. This facility has a nice
pavilion area, boat launch and play ground. This is a family event and we hope you bring some family and friends. The event acts
as a fundraiser for the EPSFA and Brown Trout program. See the website for more details and entry forms. Tickets are required if
you plan to attend the picnic following the weigh-ins.
Hope to see you all at the Walleye Challenge on June 28th.
By: Capt. Pete Alex
On the Local Front
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The PFBC has approved to provide around 40,000-45,000 Brown Trout fry to the 3-C-U and WCC in an effort to start an official Brown
program. These two organizations will raise these fish to smolt size and released in the spring of 2009. The goal will be to reach
100,000 between these two organizations and the PFBC. This is good news and will start the program we have been working hard to
achieve.
The fuzzies are flying… This usually means the Walleye fishing begins and the Perch will conclude their near shore spawns.
EPSFA Member Ralph Eades and crew won the Niagara Pro-Am tournament held recently in Olcott, NY. Ralph and crew also finished
10th in the Orleans County Pro-Am held out of the well known Oak Orchard fishing port. These two finishes allowed them to win the
“Best of The West” in the Am Division. Needless to say they had a great two weeks of fishing in Lake O.
EPSFA members Pete Alex and crew (Mike Hinkel, Kevin McClean and Jim Kocsis) won the Professional division of the Orleans
County Pro-Am held out of the well known Oak Orchard fishing port. They bested a field of 36 Pro Teams. Friday they finished 5th
overall in the Orleans Big Fish Friday by weighing their best 3 fish. 41 teams competed in the Friday event.
EPSFA member Shawn Jones caught and won the overall Big Fish prize at the Orleans County Pro-Am event. He was fishing aboard
the “Pacific Time” captained by EPSFA member Todd Pavlik and crew. The fish weighed a whopping 30.43# and was caught on a
Dreamweaver Fuzzy Bear “Ludington Glow”. The fish was the only tournament fish they boated that day but as they say, “if you are
only going to catch one, make it a BIG ONE”. That was one HUGE June fish.
Fish USA is now offering a 10% Discount to ALL EPSFA Members
The EPSFA is proud to announce the joining of FishUSA.com as our host sponsor for the 2008 Pro-Am. As our host sponsor they are offering a
10% off discount to all of our personal and business members.
To Use your Discount online:
Shop throughout the fishusa.com website and place all the items you want into your shopping cart. Upon
checkout you will need to enter your member number in the coupon box. Your member number is listed on the Member ID cards you were
mailed several weeks ago. Once the system validates that your name and information is the same as what is registered with the EPSFA you will
receive an adjusted balance in the shopping cart system.
To Use your Discount in the Store: Simply give your Member ID card to the FishUSA associate when you are ready to checkout.
Please do not “loan” your member number to someone else so that they can receive this discount. If you know someone who could make good
use from this discount have them contact us for a membership application so they can enjoy the discount…
Pennsylvania Fish Licenses are now available on-line, by Kevin McClean
PA fishing licenses are available instantly online through www.state.fish.state.pa.us. Click on Permits and Forms, then fishing. Once you’re in
the outdoor shop just fill out the quick and simple form, pay with a credit card, and print out as many copies as you need. You can print copies to
keep in the boat, the truck, your fishing vest, or even your tackle box. This is a great option for the avid fisherman who might tend to lose his in
the water while trying to net “The Big One”!
THE FISHING REPORT
™ Perch fishing has started and has been fair to great. Currently, fish are being caught straight and east and west of
town in 25-40 f.o.w. Many Perch being caught are large. Minnows, as usual, is the preferred bait. However, when
the perch are in shallow they can be easily caught with minnow imitating jigs, twister tails and marabou jigs. White
seems to be the best color.
™ Lake Trout have begin to scatter from the shallow waters. Best fishing has been from McCords Point to the NY
line. Keep your program near the bottom. Recently, a 25# fish was caught aboard EPSFA members boat. The
boat is owned by Shawn Jones and the fish was caught by a guest angler. The fish is designated for the wall.
™ Walleye fishing has started and has been fair to good. Evening, night and early AM has been the best. Fish are
being caught from Powell Ave. west to the OH line. Several limits have been reported by anglers fishing between
10 and 30 f.o.w. The recent heat should increase the Walleye activity and we should continue to see a eastward
migration of fish thru PA waters.
™ No recent Steelhead activity has been reported.
Seeing Through the Eyes of a Fish, Tips to Catch More Fish.
We humans tend to view things just one dimensionally through our own eyes or the way we imagine everything should look to us. If only we
could see through the eyes of a fish, we could understand a lot more about our quarry and catch more fish! With the help of scientific
knowledge, we can now imagine how to look through the eyes of a fish, or at least understand how fish see what we have to offer them,
including artificial light sources from underwater fishing lights. The following tips should no doubt help you catch more fish and understand
how fish see and why they often refuse our baits and lures or wildly go after lures and baits that have the fish-attracting power of underwater
fishing lights.
1. Choosing the right lure colors: Lure colors vary from crude oil black to bright neon, ‘Vegas style light colors that stop you in your tracks
and then draw you in as if memorized by a mythical spell. As anglers, we often choose lure colors based on how we see them instead of how
the fish see them. Did you know fish see differently than humans? We humans cannot see as many light spectrums (frequencies) as fish. Fish
see the standard light frequencies that we see as well as infrared and ultraviolet frequencies (UV). The standard “visible” light spectrum for
humans is 700 nanometers (abbreviated nm) to approximately 400 nm and known as ROYGBIV, which stands for (R), orange (O), yellow
(Y), green (G), blue (B), indigo (I), and violet (V). The higher the frequency the deeper it will travel in the water column. In nanometers,
lower numbers have higher frequencies of light that penetrate the water column deeper than higher frequencies of light. For example, Red 700
nm, orange 630, yellow 550, green 500, blue 450, violet 400 represents the spectrum of light that penetrates shallowest to deepest. Standard
light is pure white, but shined through a prism the light separates into the individual colors above. The absence of all frequency of light is
black. Black, technically is not an actual color, as it has no frequency. Because fish see ultraviolet light, (UVA) which is just beyond the violet
frequency at 400nm to 320 nm, it can penetrate to depths greater than 500 feet. Scientists have proven that many species of fish, especially
salmonoids, use UVA light to find their prey. Ultraviolet light’s main source comes mainly from the sun and to a lesser degree, other stars.
Ultraviolet light causes some objects to glow, or become “fluorescent” upon contact. Molecules in the object gain energy on contact with UV
light and then release the energy in the form of visible light. This glow is what some fish look for when searching for food. This information
can help anglers in many ways. Choosing lures for different depths or presentation is easy if you can remember the ROYGBIV chart. Since
red is the first color to disappear or turn black in the water column and violet is the last color, you should choose colors based on the depth
you plan to fish and amount of available light. You should also choose to fish with underwater fishing lights that create an artificial light
source that attracts fish to your offering. The most powerful underwater light is the UV Trophy Torch. The UV Trophy Torch does not seem
bright to the human eye because its light source emits a wavelength of light we cannot see. As seen by the illustration above, UV penetrates
the water column to as much as 500 or more feet, depending on water clarity, plankton bloom and intensity of the UV light. UV rays come
from our sun, as well as stars throughout the galaxy. Unlike a standard light source, the UV light will travel horizontally underwater just like
the sun's UV rays travel vertically through the water column. In other words, your UV Trophy Torch, Diamond Light & Glow Light Wand
will produce UV light waves that will travel in all directions underwater. That is the power of using UV light and lures that reflect UV light -fish can see it from great distances. Armed with this knowledge, savvy tackle manufactures have incorporated UV enhancing materials into
their color dies to create better, brighter lure colors that fish see from greater distances. You can also use this science to your advantage and
learn to choose lures enhanced with UV “brightener” or “enhancer.” To do this you can artificially produce a visible UV light with a black
light. While the black light does not perfectly match the UVA spectrum, it comes close enough to the light spectrum we humans can see. You
should also choose colors based on your presentation. Contrast can be a powerful way to attract fish. Also, consider that each lure presentation
actually has three presentations at once. Since fish can see up, down and horizontally, your color choice can look different depending on the
amount of light that reaches the area of lure directly in line with light frequencies. As an example, if you were for halibut fishing in shallow
water and the bottom was light colored sand, a black lure on the bottom would create a contrast for a fish looking down. It would also create a
contrast if the fish were looking up, with the light shinning down. Horizontally the black would blend into the water but still create contrast.
Therefore, I choose lure colors based on my intended presentation to maximize their ability to be easily seen by fish. Before choosing lures
and even flies, I use a AA battery-powered black light to examine how the lure colors reflect UV. To see the effects of this powerful colorselecting tool, put the black light close to the lure and watch for a glow-like appearance. For best results turn out the lights and pick the lures
that glow super bright. It should also be noted that any glow lure enhanced with glow pigment will reflect UVA light. Glow lures have
chemical compound that stores light and releases it until gone, giving the lure an artificial light source. While speaking at fishing clubs I often
ask anglers to bring in their tackle boxes. With lights turned out, I can usually pick out 3 or 4 out of 5 of most anglers’ favorite lures. Lures
not picked are always dark and used for special light conditions or presentations. Using a UV enhanced lure also makes it easy to take
advantage of all three possible lure presentations because the lure will reflect light making it visible to the fish at all angles.
New for 2008!!! The EPSFA will be crowning the
Fishing Team of the Year
This award is given to the team with the best combined score from both tournaments. A prize of $ 250.00 plus team
jackets (4) will go to the winning team from each division. The entry fee will be $50.00 per team and there must be a
minimum of 10 teams within each division. You must be entered for this event prior to or at the same time as the Walleye
Challenge entry. For more information visit www.epsfa.com. Partial proceeds will benefit the 3-C-U to assist in the EPSFA
Brown Trout program.
2008 Walleye Challenge
The EPSFA 2008 Walleye Challenge will be held on Saturday, June 28, 2008. I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to all of
the teams that sent their entry form in by the June 2, 2008 Early Bird Deadline! This year’s event is shaping up to big quite a
success. Just a reminder that all captains competing in the Walleye Challenge are required to report to the parking lot directly in
front of The Sloppy Duck Saloon / Bay Harbor Marina by 5:15 am on Saturday. There will be volunteers set up at 4:45 am to
take any last minute Teams or Members entering the tournament. All captains that signed up prior to the Captain’s Meeting
were emailed a confirmation letter with a disclaimer. This disclaimer form MUST BE SIGNED AND BROUGHT TO THE
CAPTAIN’S MEETING. We will have extra forms on hand but please try to bring this form already filled out. This will make the
Captain’s Meeting go quicker.
Anyone who is not competing in the tournament and would like to donate a few hours and volunteer to help out with the
tournament should give me a call at 602-8436.
RULE CHANGE FROM 2007: All boats will be allowed to head out on the lake after the Captain’s meeting is over, however,
no lines can be put in the water until 6:30. DO NOT SIT IN THE BAY AT WALNUT CREEK. The PA Fish and Boat Commission
will cite the EPSFA if too many boats are sitting blocking other boats!
HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE THERE!!!
2008 FishUSA Walleye and Steelhead Pro-AM Team Tournament
The 2008 Pro-Am will be held on August 2-3, 2008 with a Mandatory Captain’s meeting on Friday, August 1st at 6:00 pm. Please
check your confirmation letter for the location of the Captain’s meeting. More information for the ProAm is available by visiting
www.epsfa.com.
Boaters Safety
Consistent with, the Coast Guard's 48th annual report, Boating Statistics 2006, indicates that 70% of reported deaths
occurred on recreational boats where the operator had not received any formal boating safety instruction. On average,
approximately 700 people die in recreational boating accidents each year. It is the belief of boating safety experts that
requiring recreational boaters to have boating safety instruction could save numerous lives each year. source
USCG. This was a survey done by Anheuser Busch in 2007. For the complete survey go to
www.alcoholstats.com/mm/docs/4495.ppt
With fishing season rapidly approaching, here are some interesting morsels to stimulate chat and nourish intellect on your boat
Biggest record fish
On April 21, 1959, Alfred Dean caught a 2,664-pound great white shark off the coast of south Australia. Amazingly, he subdued this monster — the heaviest
record fish ever listed by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) — in only 50 minutes on 130-pound line.
Oldest fishing record
In May 1865, Dr. C.C. Abbot caught a 4-pound, 3-ounce yellow perch while fishing a lake near Bordentown, N.J. His fish later was certified as an IGFA alltackle world record, a record that has stood 142 years, longer than any other.
Best prize for a record fish
In March 2006, fishing during the Texas Carp Challenge, angler Al St. Cyr landed a 43.13-pound, state-record common carp in Austin's Town Lake. That fish
earned St. Cyr a $250,000 payday from the American Carp Society, the largest prize ever for a carp fisherman in the U.S.
Highest price paid for a fishing lure
Tracey Shirey, a collector from South Carolina, paid $101,200 for an 1859 copper fishing lure, a record price for an American fishing collectible at auction.
The 10-inch-long saltwater lure was made by gunsmith Riley Haskell of Painesville, Ohio, in the 1850s. Its spinning, double hook was the first patented hook
in the U.S.
Please support the businesses and manufacturers that are helping us to reach our goals as an association
Al Cramer Motors
Bruce McIntyre Charters
Buckets Charters
Captain Rick’s Perch Fishing
10215 West Main Street; Northeast
(814) 725-4507
(412) 778-4137
(814) 725-7325
(814) 838-8294
www.ridgebackrattler.com
DCI Exterior Products
Evanoff Financial Advisors, LLC
Fish, USA
New Castle, Pennsylvania
(724) 656-8144
The Renaissance Center – Suite 1400
(814) 461-7898
901 West 12th Street
(814) 459-7800
Gary Sitter Insurance
J and C Boat Maintenance
Northstar Charters
4267 West Ridge Road
(814) 464-1109
North Huntington, Pennsylvania
(724) 863-8868
(412) 721-8169
Painting by Wayne
Pittsburgh Downriggers
Something Catchy Charters
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
(412) 603-0070
(412) 603-0070
(814) 922-7951
Vision Quest Sport Fishing, LLC
(814) 725-0694
The EPSFA is a club member of the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council.
Erie, PA Sport Fishing Association
PO Box 7245; Erie, PA 16510
www.epsfa.com
If you have anything you would like to contribute to our newsletter please forward it to [email protected].
Erie, PA Sport Fishing Association
PO Box 7245
Erie, PA 16510
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