No Asian carp environmental DNA found after additional testing in Lower Fox River

MADISON, Wis. -- Additional tests for Asian carp environmental DNA in the Lower Fox River have come back negative, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources officials said.

Bob Wakeman, aquatic invasive species coordinator for DNR, said the additional tests were requested after one out of 200 sample collected in June and July from the Lower Fox River tested positive for silver carp. The latest round of testing - by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - included collecting 200 additional samples from the Lower Fox River on two days of sampling in the weeks following the initial results.

"We're pleased that the results came back negative and it's a good indication there are no live silver carp in the river," Wakeman said. "We're particularly grateful to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their work in carrying out the water sampling and analysis. Through continued monitoring and the preventive efforts of Wisconsin anglers, waterfowl hunters, recreational boaters and commercial partners, we hope to keep Asian carp out of Lake Michigan."

Asian carp pose significant ecological and economic threats to the Great Lakes region and its fishery because they eat voraciously and compete directly with valuable native fish for food. Asian carp species including bighead and silver carp were introduced into the southern United States in the 1970s.

The tests for eDNA are extremely sensitive and can detect genetic material shed in mucus or excrement from fish as well as from birds that have eaten the fish elsewhere. Contaminated bilge water also can carry traces of the fish and the latest negative results suggest the source of eDNA from the summer sampling originated from a temporary source.

While the genetic fingerprints are clear enough to identify specific invasive carp species, the eDNA testing program relies on multiple positive samples over time to indicate the likelihood of live fish. The single positive result among 1,950 samples from Wisconsin tributaries to Lake Michigan in June and July followed by the negative results returned this week recalls a similar situation in 2013. Then, a single positive sample from the Sturgeon Bay area was followed by all negative results.

In addition to the federal eDNA monitoring, DNR fisheries team members conduct a variety of netting, electroshocking and trawling operations in state waters. To date, these efforts have not captured any Asian carp in any waters of the Lower Fox River, Green Bay or Lake Michigan.

DNR encourages anglers and others to review Asian carp identification materials, to report any sightings of Asian carp and to make sure that bait buckets don't inadvertently contain the fish because young Asian carp resemble popular bait species. Photo identification tools and more information on Asian carp can be found on DNR's website, dnr.wi.gov, by searching "Asian carp."

GBAGLSF Announces February Speaker

Our February Speaker will be Dale Stroschein, perhaps one of the areas most
recognized fisherman. Dale prides himself on educating fishermen who want to
learn how to fish in Door County and Green Bay waters. Dale has fished the
Pro Circuit for 12 years and has been a Charter Captain for more than 20 years.
Come early to see this great speaker, seats will fill up fast. Don’t forget the meeting is on WEDNESDAY this month.

Meeting WEDNESDAY
Feb. 16th 7:00 PM
STADIUM VIEW SPORTS BAR & GRILL
1963 HOLMGREN WAY – GREEN BAY WI

If you have questions about fishing the Bay of Green Bay – this will be a good one. Guests are afforded free admission but once you get a taste of what’s goin’ on – you’ll want to be a member. Plus there’s a raffle where you can win some great fishing gear.

The N.E.W. Sport Fishin’ Show

March 4-5-6, 2011

ShopKo Hall, Green Bay

The N.E.W. Sport Fishin’ Show covers it all, from stream trout to lake trout, pan fish to bass and salmon in addition to muskies. The anglers of Northeast Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula enjoy an unrivaled variety of fishing opportunities! Tons of tackle, destinations, boats and motors and seminars makes the FISHIN' SHOW the sure cure for cabin fever! The Fishin' Show continues to offer the best where-to, when-to and HOW-TO info for the thousands of multi-species anglers who attend annually.

DNR Public Meeting - Green Bay Great Lakes Spotted Musky Management Plan

December 2 – DNR Fisheries Staff will present the Draft Green Bay Great Lakes Spotted Musky Management Plan from 6-8 p.m. in the Auditorium at the Brown County Central Library, 515 Pine St., Green Bay. The purpose of the meeting is to review and get feedback on the draft management plan for the Green Bay muskellunge fishery and re-establishment program. The draft management plan identifies fisheries objectives, strategies and management recommendations to achieve the previously established goals for the fishery. For more information, please call David Rowe (920) 662-5480 or Mike Donofrio (715) 582-5050.

Green Bay Great Lakes Spotted Musky Management Plan Meeting

December 2 – DNR Fisheries Staff will present the Draft Green Bay Great Lakes Spotted Musky Management Plan from 6-8 p.m. in the Auditorium at the Brown County Central Library, 515 Pine St., Green Bay. The purpose of the meeting is to review and get feedback on the draft management plan for the Green Bay muskellunge fishery and re-establishment program. The draft management plan identifies fisheries objectives, strategies and management recommendations to achieve the previously established goals for the fishery. For more information, please call David Rowe (920) 662-5480 or Mike Donofrio (715) 582-5050.

Green Bay Area Great Lakes Sportfishing Club October Speaker

Greg Ellison of Traxstech will speak about boat rigging.. This could be a very interesting topic and good for new boat owners as well as old seasoned owners looking for an update.

The meeting will be held on Thursday night, October 21, at 7:00 PM at the Stadium View Sports Bar & Grill located at 1963 Holmgren Way in Green Bay.

Moving beyond PCBs: improving water quality in the Lower Fox River and Green Bay

Public has until July 26 to comment on the draft Total Maximum Daily Load

MADISON - The public has an opportunity to comment on a new report that explains efforts to improve water quality in the Lower Fox River and Lower Green Bay and tributary streams. Fourteen water bodies in this watershed do not currently meet water quality standards.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, in conjunction with local stakeholders, has developed what is basically a “pollution budget,” for the Lower Fox River Basin and Lower Green Bay. Known as the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), the plan establishes the total amount of phosphorus and total suspended solids that water bodies covered by the TMDL can receive and still meet water quality standards.

A public informational hearing to learn about the draft TMDL and to provide oral comments is set for July 12, 2010, in Grand Chute. People also may submit written and electronic comments through July 26, 2010, with details provided below.

“This is an important step forward in cleaning up the Lower Fox River and Green Bay,” says Bruce Baker, DNR’s top water quality official.

“In order to improve water quality, all sources of total phosphorus and total suspended solids will need to be reduced,” Baker says. “DNR will work together with stakeholders to find solutions and reduction strategies to meet the water quality goals of the TMDL in concert with the cost effective framework that is in the proposed phosphorus rules.”

The TMDL document details the amounts of phosphorus and total suspended solids each of those waters can receive and still meet water quality standards, and identifies the reductions needed from each source of those pollutants, says Nicole Clayton, DNR coordinator for the lower Fox River TMDL project.

“Once we determine the total amount of a pollutant a body of water can receive and still meet water quality standards, we can calculate needed reductions from specific sources,” she says.

Phosphorus is a naturally occurring nutrient that also is found in soils, livestock manure, commercial fertilizers and wastewater discharges. It fuels algae and plant growth, sometimes leading to excessive levels of both. Total suspended solids include small particles of materials such as soil and leaves that get washed into streams and make the water look muddy and cloudy and degrade habitat for fish and other aquatic life. These pollutants reach rivers and streams from polluted runoff from farm fields, barnyards, residential yards and wastewater treatment plant discharges.

DNR developed the TMDL with help from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a private consultant, the Cadmus Group, Inc., and with feedback from science, technical and outreach teams including various stakeholders groups and the public.

The goal for Lower Green Bay is to improve water clarity to support a diverse biological community and expand the area of beneficial bottom-dwelling plants. To meet established targets, a certain percentage reduction is needed in different types of pollutants. Upon reaching these goals the local streams and Green Bay will have better dissolved oxygen levels, less turbid water, and fewer algae blooms. This is expected to improve habitat for fish and aquatic life and improve recreational opportunities, Clayton says.

The public informational meeting begins at 1 p.m. Monday, July 12, at the Grand Chute Town Hall, 1900 Grand Chute Blvd.

As part of the review and submittal process for TMDLs, a 30-day public comment period runs through July 26, 2010. People may submit written or electronic comments to Nicole Clayton at the DNR, WT/3, 101 S. Webster, Madison, WI 53703 or nicole.clayton@wisconsin.gov.

People can view the draft TMDL report and formal public notice on the DNR website.

Lake Michigan Outdoor Fishing Report

Southern Lake Michigan Fishing Report: January 25, 2010

Kenosha Co.
No report.

Racine Co.
The Racine harbor is still iced over, with reports of 6 inches in Reefpoint Marina. There are some large open areas near the docks, though, so please use extra caution if you venture out. Anglers in the marina have been catching brown trout on spawn. The Root River is open from the Horlick dam through Colonial Park, but flows are very high.

Milwaukee Co.
In Milwaukee open water anglers fishing the Menomonee River at the MMSD offices have been catching a few northern pike, and brown trout have been taken on spawn by anglers fishing the river under the Hoan bridge. Most of Oak Creek is ice-free, but the water is high and muddy after the rain this past weekend.

Ozaukee Co.
In Port Washington open water anglers have been catching browns and occasional rainbows near the power plant discharge. Both spawn and crankbaits have produced fish.

Sheboygan Co.
No report.

The Southern Lake Michigan Fishing Report is updated twice per week from March 1 to December 1 each year. This report is a copy of the fishing report we post on our fishing hotline at (414) 382-7920.

Green Bay Fishing Report: January 26, 2010

Volk's Reef

Volk’s Reef has had some activity over the last week with anglers fishing for perch and whitefish. Most perch are being caught in 15-20 feet of water with a few anglers finding some very nice sized fish. The best action has been on waxworms or minnows.
Bayshore Park

Anglers have put in a lot of time on the ice in the areas between Bayshore and Red River. Anglers are seeing whitefish and some nice catches of perch. Most anglers have been fishing in 10-30 feet of water. Anglers that are having the best luck on whitefish are jigging a Hali or Swedish pimple tipped with either a minnow or waxworm.

Little Sturgeon Bay
There has been a lot of pressure for perch over the last week. Anglers have reported that fishing slowed a bit, but there are still some nice perch being caught. Most anglers have been jigging or setting tip-ups for perch. Whitefish action continues to be good from Henderson Point to Limekiln Road with the best action in 10-30 feet of water. Jigging continues to be the most successful approach for whitefish.

Sturgeon Bay
Anglers have been fishing in front of the State Park. Perch have made up most of the catches, with some nice fish around 10 inches being caught. Anglers have been jigging minnows for the best results.

The Green Bay Fishing Report is updated once a week until October 31, and then again during the ice fishing season.

Port of Green Bay Webcam

Hey! Why not check out the web cam at the mouth of the famous Fox River in Green Bay, WI. The Fox is well known Nationally for it's Walleye, Musky, Catfish and so much more as it runs up to the Depere Dam. It has been the home of many recognized tournaments. The "Cam" is located near the Green Bay Yacht Club and you can get a perfect view of the Leo Frigo Bridge (formerly Tower Drive Bridge) as well.

There are those that say on certain very dark nights you can see a mysterious glow coming from above the Lambeau Field area.

Click Here to view Webcam

Input session planned on Fox River & Lower Green Bay “Area of Concern”

DNR and US Environmental Protection Agency to host

GREEN BAY - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the United States Environmental Protection Agency will host a public input session for the Lower Green Bay and Fox River Area of Concern on Thursday July 23rd from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Center Auditorium.

In the 1980s, Lower Green Bay (out to Long Tail Point and Point Au Sable) and the Fox River below the De Pere Dam were listed as one of 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern by the International Joint Commission of Canada and the United States.

Areas of Concern are places where contaminated sediment, poor water quality, or habitat problems affect the use of the waterway such that it needs priority attention. Goals or targets must be set, and then met, for each of the problems before the area can be considered restored. The end goal is for all of the Areas of Concern to be restored and protected so that they can be “delisted,” or removed from the list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern.

The purpose of this public input session is to share information about problems in the Area of Concern and restoration goals (known as “delisting targets”) that have been developed to address them. Input received at the session will be included in the Lower Green Bay and Fox River Area of Concern delisting targets report that will be finalized in the summer of 2009.

Problems identified in the Lower Green Bay and Fox River Area of Concern are related to: fish and wildlife habitat, populations, health, and consumption advisories. Other populations including plankton (free floating plants and animals) and benthos (bottom living plants and animals), nutrient pollution and undesirable algae, beach closings, aesthetics, and restrictions on drinking water and dredging.

Identifying the restoration goals for each of the problems is only one step in removing Lower Green Bay and Fox River from the list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern. “The process will take time and commitment, and like most of the other Areas of Concern, restoration is still in progress, “ said John Perrecone, RAP/AOC Program Manager for the US EPA Great Lakes National Programm Office. Of the 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern designated in the United States and Canada, only three have been delisted and two more are considered in recovery.

VHS fish disease found in smallmouth bass from Green Bay

MADISON – Test results returned Thursday show that VHS fish disease has been detected in smallmouth bass from Green Bay, state fisheries officials report.

The deadly fish disease was found in smallmouth bass from the bay in 2007, so this is not a new species nor location with VHS. It does show that the disease is active this year and underscores the need for anglers and boaters to take steps to prevent its spread, says Mike Staggs, Wisconsin’s fisheries director.

“This is an important reminder that VHS is still out there and that we all need to take steps to prevent it from spreading to new lakes and rivers,” Staggs says. “That includes not moving live fish, draining water from your boat and equipment, buying your bait in Wisconsin and following rules for using leftover bait.”

“It’s particularly important that anglers and tournaments that target smallmouth bass in Green Bay diligently take the prevention steps and consider additional measures, like disinfecting live wells that were holding smallmouth bass.”

The three smallmouth bass from Sturgeon Bay were sent to the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Madison earlier this spring for testing after anglers and DNR staff observed a high percentage of smallmouth bass with open skin lesions. DNR received word Thursday that VHS had been isolated from the fish.

DNR biologists in the Peshtigo area are now sending down a smallmouth bass found dead near the mouth of the Oconto River in Green Bay for DNR fish health specialist Sue Marcquenski to assess whether VHS is possible, in which case the fish would be sent on for testing. A citizen had reported seeing many dead small mouth bass in this area within the past couple of weeks.

So far, preliminary results from VHS tests on several waters statewide have not found the disease, meaning VHS has not been detected elsewhere in the state beyond the Lake Winnebago and Lake Michigan systems.

VHS fish disease is not a human health threat but can kill 37 different species of fish, including trout, musky, bass and bluegill, and it caused large fish kills in some Great Lakes waters in 2005 and 2006. The disease was first detected in Wisconsin in 2007 in fish from the Lake Winnebago system and the Lake Michigan system; tests since then suggest the disease hasn’t spread beyond those waters.

Anglers inadvertently moving infected live bait is a main way that VHS fish disease can spread; VHS can also be spread through VHS-contaminated water.

More information about VHS and steps to prevent it can be found online: VHS and You: Keeping Wisconsin's Waters Healthy.

Watch for Great Lakes invaders moving inland, group told

Green Bay - University of Notre Dame professor David Lodge has some advice for inland lakefront property owners worried about unwanted organisms invading their seemingly isolated waters: Keep an eye on the Great Lakes.

"The Great Lakes are a beachhead - just the first stopping point for species arriving in North America," Lodge told a group of about 400 people who are gathered in Green Bay this week for the 31st annual Wisconsin Lakes Convention.

"If you want to know what's coming next," he said Thursday, "look at what's already in the Great Lakes." [Full Story]

Source: JSOnline

Northeast Wisconsin Sport Fishin' Show

By: John E. Durben

The Northeast Wisconsin Sport Fishin' Show was held in Green Bay, WI. on March 6 - 8 at Shopko Hall. Many of the regular vendors from previous years were set up at this event hoping to sell their products. There were a number of speakers providing seminars which included: Bob Mehsikomer, "Ranger Rick" Krueger, Tasmin Kaliska, Mike Mladenik, Lee Haasch, Andrea and Amy, and Jason Gaurke to name a few. As one who has attended or worked these Shows for a good number of years now, one could see that the current economy is taking its toll on these sporting events too. It appeared to me that the traffic was down some this year.

These two young ladies took a minute off from handing out free drink tickets for the Tilted Kilt in Green Bay so that I could snap this photo. It's the first time I've seen them here and I heard a lot of positive comments.

The Wisconsin DNR had their fish wagon set up as they normally do. In past years they collected fish from the Fox River by the Dam however they were unable to do that this year. I was told these fish came from the Hatchery in Wild Rose, WI.

The Green Bay Area Great Lakes Sport Fishermen (GBAGLSF) sponsors a Trout Fishing outing each year for Special Olympians in the surrounding Counties. The participants are bused to the National Guard Armory in Green Bay where they each catch a few nice Trout. GBAGLSF volunteers clean and bag up the fish and they are sent home with each individual ready for the frying pan. In addition to the fish, the Olympians are treated to a lunch and beverages also served by GBAGLSF volunteers. Pictured above is my wife Mona and I selling tickets at the Sport Show. Proceeds from the Raffle goes toward funding this worthy annual event.

GBAGLSF members Bob Gorecki and Robert Stark are pictured at the Show selling subscriptions for Great Lakes Angler Magazine. The Club was to receive a percentage of each subscription sold.

(Note: Click on photos to enlarge)

Freshwater Estuaries

Freshwater Estuaries occur where rivers and Great Lakes water mix in shallow wetlands located near the mouth of a river. These water resources are important components of surrounding communities. They support abundant fish and wildlife, offer recreational opportunities, contribute to water quality, and provide economic benefits.

Wisconsin’s Freshwater Estuary Initiative is an effort to increase awareness and promote stewardship of Wisconsin’s Great Lakes freshwater estuaries. The initiative involves the University of Wisconsin-Extension, Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and a diverse network of partners. Several exciting projects are included in this collaborative effort. Examples include the establishment of a National Estuarine Research Reserve on Lake Superior, an assessment Wisconsin’s Great Lakes freshwater estuary needs, and conservation of Green Bay’s coastal wetlands. (Read More)

Discovery of natural reproduction may change bay musky stocking

GREEN BAY -- Indications the Great Lakes strain of spotted muskies have successfully spawned in Green Bay have been detected by the Department of Natural Resources, a discovery that could impact future musky stocking locations, said David Rowe, DNR fisheries biologist.

Biologists and musky anglers have been looking for signs of natural reproduction ever since the DNR began marking and stocking spotted muskies in the lower Fox River and the bay in 1989. [Full Story]

Source: Wausau Daily Herald