A floating fishing gazebo? What a great idea! We’d love to hear your comments on this one!

We received an e-mail from someone with the quotes below in it. We haven’t been able to find the original source but would sure like to know where it came from.

If you know who owns this gazebo and the quotes that go with it, please let us know so that we can attribute the quotes appropriately.

Floating Gazebo E-Mail Quotes

"I was going to build the Gazebo on the edge of my dock down by the lake but I thought ….I might just as well build the deck with floats on it and I can then take it out fishing too. It has a 15,000 pound capacity. The deck is 18 feet x 18 feet with 12 plastic foam filled dock floats that are 4 feet x 4 feet by 18 inches high."

"The Gazebo is a 10 foot hexagon with a table and chairs inside. Under the table is my trolling motor so I can take it out to my favorite fishing hole. The trolling motor is remote controlled wireless so I can be fishing outside and operate the motor. On the top of the table I have a LOWRANCE Fish-Finder with depth sounding sonars and temperature gauge.

"I have two electric winches with 40 pound anchors.  I have also built in a water pump so I can clean the fish right on the spot. Now I can relax and fish while my wife can sit and relax."

Northern pike in Colorado’s Rifle Gap Reservoir can swim a little easier after discovering that they won’t meet the same fate as those poor pike in Lake Davis, California.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) said a 2006 paper that included a proposal to make killing northern pike caught in the Rifle Gap Reservoir mandatory, was turned down in the early stages of review. The proposal also included an additional option to kill the northern pike in the reservoir through “chemical reclamation.”

When the paper surfaced on the DOW Web site in June 2007, it angered a number of fisherman including members of Western Slope Anglers, fearing that the poisoning would completely destroy fishing in the lake.

The proposed poisoning and mandatory kill rule were proposed in the paper after it stated that the northern pike population had dramatically increased to the point where it was threatening other species. The paper also stated concerns that pike could find their way into the Colorado River and harm endangered species.

An unsigned e-mail sent to the Post Independent, where this story originally appeared, said that the thought of killing a lake with poison had shocked sport fisherman in the area – even trout fisherman.

In a letter of response DOW said it has no intention of poisoning the lake and that some anglers failed to understand the document’s place in the bureaucratic process. DOW currently encourages the mandatory removal of pike from the lake in an effort to re-establish the walleye population. It says the lake isn’t large enough to support both of the predatory species. The lake also supports rainbow and brown trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass and yellow perch.

A spokesman for DOW, Randy Hampton, said DOW hasn’t ruled out considering mandatory pike killing or chemical reclamation if it becomes necessary in the future, but also said that any such action would be brought to the public for review first.

You have to wonder sometimes what the world is coming to, when researchers start suggesting mandatory killings and the poisoning of entire lakes, in an effort to kill off one of evolution’s most efficient predators (and one of the fiercest fighting freshwater game fish) – the northern pike.

Mother nature might not take kindly to such tactics.

For more information please see original story: DOW says there’s no plan to kill fish at Rifle Gap

We had seen this monster pike photo floating around the Internet for awhile but couldn’t find the source of the photo or the weight of the fish – until now.

Turns out the lunker pike was landed in the Netherlands by 27-year-old Ewout Blom of Ijmuiden. A hatchery manager at a Dover sole farm near Amsterdam, Blom loves to fish for big pike and he caught his fish of a lifetime with this one.  While he never mentioned the name of the actual lake in the story, he did tell the story, along with the actual length, weight and lure the monstrous pike was caught on.

The king Esox  measured 127 cm and weighed in at 42.9 lbs. The fish was caught when the water was quiet on a perch pattern Super Shad Rap.

We found the true story about the big pike on the Pike Anglers’ Club of Great Britain (PAC) Web site in the article archives of their Pikelines Magazine – available to members of the club.

PAC encourages members to contribute to the magazine, which has top pike anglers covering all aspects of the sport of pike fishing including pike tackle, pike fishing tips and advice, pike fishing news, stories etc.

The main PAC Web site also has all kinds of information for pike fishing aficionados including the latest pike fishing news, articles, pike photo galleries, sections on pike facts, history, science, a message board for members and more. They even have a pike fishing blog at http://pacnews.blogspot.com/, that links to more regional pike fishing blogs.

If you’re heading for Europe, and you know where you’ll be, check out the regional blogs. Who knows, you might be able to sneak away for a little pike action on your trip!

The Pike Anglers’ Club of Great Britain was formed in 1977. Their Web site says:
 
"The PAC works continually for the benefit of all pike and pike anglers, we seek only to further the opportunities for pike fishing, whilst preserving all that pike fishing is all about. We strive to protect pike from persecution by those who do not understand, or choose to ignore, the facts about the important role the pike plays in the balance of nature. We also work to promote pike conservation through safe practice by anglers."

We like their attitude!

Northern pike fisherman won’t be happy to hear about what’s been happening in the mountains of Sierra Nevada, California recently.

UC  Davis Fear and Fishing in Lake Davis – Northern Pike Documentary Video Preview

Government workers began pouring toxic chemicals into Lake Davis on Tuesday Sept. 23, 2007 in an effort to kill off all northern pike. Over 16,000 gallons of the poison Rotenone were destined to end up the 7-mile long lake. Dead fish began washing up on the shore within hours of the poison distribution.

This will be the government’s second attempt to trump mother nature and exterminate northern pike from the well-known trout fishing reservoir situated in the back country 150 miles northeast of Sacramento.

The first poisoning attempt began in 1997, but the voracious pike reappeared after 18 months. Officials are worried that the northern pike could decimate not only all the trout and salmon in Lake Davis, but also in the Sacramento River system.

A new chemical formulation of the aquatic insecticide Rotenone, which has been used to successfully kill off pike in other reservoirs, was used for this round of poisoning. Officials previously tried eradicating the pike through over fishing, explosions, electric shocks, traps and nets, but all failed to kill off the hardy predators.

Over $20 million has been spent since 1989 to eliminate northern pike from the area, but despite the fact that an estimated 65,000 pike have been killed, the toothy predators keep coming back.

Officials are confident they will get all the pike this time.

For more information on the northern pike poisoning please visit the links below: 

The results of the Survey of Recreational Fishing in Canada, produced every five years since 1975 by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Canada, are now in for 2005.

The most comprehensive assessment of recreational fishing in Canada and the seventh in the series, the survey reports that 3.2 million anglers participated in some type of recreational fishing in Canada in 2005.

"This survey highlights that millions of Canadians and tourists continue to enjoy recreational fishing in Canada’s oceans, rivers and lakes every year, and Canada’s New Government is committed to ensuring that our future generations can also enjoy activities like recreational fishing," said The Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. "That is why we are taking action to conserve, protect and improve Canada’s vast water resources, through initiatives such as our new National Water Strategy announced in Budget 2007."

Angling participation rates however, continued their downward trend in most provinces and territories in Canada. This was thought to be due to changing lifestyles and other forms of recreation which compete for leisure time.

The survey also found that more than half of Canadian anglers were in the age range of 45-64 and that the average number of days fished over the course of the year was 13. Also of interest was the fact that foreign and Canadian non-resident anglers continued to show their love for fishing in cool, clean Canadian waters, making over two million trips to Canada in 2005.

It is estimated that over 215 million fish of all species were caught in Canadian waters in 2005 but only 72 million of those fish were kept, indicating that anglers in Canada understand and appreciate conservation and the importance of the catch and release program.

Resident Canadian anglers caught 157 million fish and foreign anglers caught 54 million, followed non-resident anglers. Walleye passed trout in 2005 as the most caught species for the first time in the survey’s history. Other top species were perch, bass and northern pike.

Anglers in Canada contributed an estimated $7.5 billion to the local economies in 2005. This was up 12 percent from the estimated $6.7 billion that was spent on fishing and related activities in Canada in 2000. Total investments directly related to recreational fishing in Canada in 2005 accounted for approximately $2.5 billion.

The Survey of Recreational Fishing in Canada is produced in cooperation with the fisheries and licensing agencies of all provinces and territorial governments in Canada.

To download the full survey results please visit the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Web site at:

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/communic/statistics/recreational/canada/2005/index_e.htm

Cabela’s Incorporated (NYSE: CAB), the World’s Foremost Outfitter(R) of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, announced today it has reached an agreement to purchase S.I.R. Warehouse Sports Store, a Winnipeg-based specialty retailer that for generations has supplied hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor merchandise to Canadian outdoorsmen and women.

S.I.R. was founded in 1924 by Sydney Isaac Robinson and has grown into one of Canada’s leading outdoor outfitters through its mail-order operation and 44,000-square-foot retail store in the heart of Winnipeg’s busiest shopping district. A family-owned and operated business, S.I.R is headed by Earl Robinson, son of the company’s founder, who serves as president.

"S.I.R. has long been a tradition for many outdoor enthusiasts in Canada in much the same mold as Cabela’s," said Dennis Highby, Cabela’s President and Chief Executive Officer. "This acquisition will allow us to accelerate growth of our retail, catalog and Internet business in Canada, and though we already have a loyal customer base in Canada, we expect significant growth in Canadian business as a result of this transaction."

"S.I.R.’s facilities will become the headquarters for our Canadian operations," Highby said. "And S.I.R.’s employees, who we expect to retain, will become our first Canadian employees."

Cabela’s, founded in 1961, has a similar family-oriented history and tradition. Dick Cabela and his brother, Jim, built the company from a small mail-order operation to a world-wide multi-channel retail operation, selling merchandise through mail-order, a Web site and a growing chain of destination retail stores. Cabela’s went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2004.

Cabela’s currently has thousands of catalog and Internet customers in Canada, but this would be its first Canadian retail operation. The purchase price has not been disclosed.

"In Cabela’s 45-year history of continued growth, we’ve developed a reputation for unsurpassed customer service, value and an industry-leading selection of quality products. S.I.R. customers can expect the same," Highby said.

The purchase, which Cabela’s expects to close in 30 to 60 days, will be Cabela’s second announced venture in Canada. The Sidney, Neb., -based company plans to build one of its trademark destination retail stores at the proposed Lac Mirabel development in Montreal.