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Official Publication of the S.O.N.S.

THE Bucket

VOLUME 16 • ISSUE # 10OCTOBER 2019

WORKING TO IMPROVE FISHING AND THE FISHERY OF LAKE ERIE FOR 38 YEARS SINCE 1981

S.O.N.S. PHONE NUMBER 814-453-2270 (ALSO FAX NUMBER) sonslakeri@aol.com • www.sonsoflakeerie.org

SONS HOST FISH FRY AT EMMAUS SOUP KITCHEN

On Friday, September 13th, th i r ty - two SONS of Lake Erie volunteers gathered at the Emmaus Soup Kitchen in Erie where together with the Emmaus staff under the direction of Sister Mary Miller prepared and served f ish dinners for over 200 people. This is the fifth year in a row that we have provided this fish dinner. The fish for the event were donated by fishermen who participated in the Erie PA Sport Fishing Association S u m m e r S l a m Wa l l e y e Tournament. To the right are some photos from that day. Note: Out of respect for the individuals that receive their meals at the Emmaus Soup Kitchen, we do not publish photos of them.

NOTICE The November meeting will be held one week earlier on November 18th due for those who would like to go deer hunting.

FISHING CONTEST WINNERSThe final results of the Members Only

SONS Perch and Walleye event were compiled as follows:The Largest Perch in the Senior Division

entered by Rick Makowski weighed1lb. 10 oz.The Largest Walleye in the Senior Division

entered by Dan Tome weighed 10 lb 5 oz.The Largest Walleye in the Junior Division

entered by Skyler Fitzpatrick weighed 7 lbs 13 ozAll of the winners were invited to our October meeting where they will be presented with laser engraved plaques which were sponsored by Sports Writer Mike Bleech and Jackets embroidered with SONS logo and their winning accomplishment and a gift certificate to the weigh in station where the fish was recorded.

REMINDER- MANDATORY LIFE JACKETS REQUIREDNovember 1 through April 30 Beginning in 2012, the following

regulation was established:a person shall wear a Coast Guard approved personal flotation device (PFD or life jacket) during the cold

weather months from November 1st through April 30th while underway or at anchor on boats less than 16 feet

in length or any canoe or kayak.

J O I N A F R I E N D T O D A Y !MAIL TO: S.O.N.S., PO BOX 3605, ERIE, PA 16508

Renew New

RECORD OF MEMBERSHIP 2019Name _______________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________

City ____________________________________ State ___________ Zip________________

Phone _________________________________ Date _______________________________

$5.00 ADULT $4.00 SENIOR CITIZEN (over 65) / JUNIOR (under 16)

2019 MEMBERSHIP PINIf you would like to have a 2019 S.O.N.S. member pin, you can pick one up at one of the upcoming events or our meetings. If you would like one mailed to you, send $3.00 to the S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie PO Box 3605 Erie, PA to cover mailing costs.

STEELHEAD ALLEYThis photo taken on October 13 by Fred Ralph shows anglers lined up on the wall at Walnut Creek

DISASTER AVERTED On September 4th, while preparing fish at our Annual Outreach Fish Fry, Rich Smith’s apron caught fire from the flames of the deep fryer. Fortunately, it was immediately extinguished and Rich did not get burnt. While thinking how serious this could have been, we thank God that it was not. At our September meeting a few of our fish cooking crew decide to have fun with Rich and presented him with a specially designed anti-fire apron and other safety gear. The apron was equipped with an aluminum heat shield and smoke detector. He was also given fireproof gloves, safety glasses, and a box of baking soda to put on the grease fire. We can laugh now!

SONS VERSION OF THE “VILLAGE PEOPLE” SONS volunteers Jack Klapthor, Mary Runser, Rich Muse and Larry Lipinski mimic the YMCA trademark of the singing group (The Village People” at our habitat building project

FOR SALE: Canoe: 14 ft fiberglass excellent condition includes 2 paddles asking $150, call Gary at 814-602-8060C o t t a g e o n C r o o k e d C r e e k i n N o r t h Springfield, PA Call David at 814-882-2927. More information and photos can be seen on line at http://www.infotube.net/search_detail.php?photo=1&Adnumber=264667

WANTED: Old photographs of Erie’s Waterfront-Ships, Boats, Buildings, Fishing, and Fishermen, Railroads etc. Call Jerry at 814-452-6291. I would like to borrow and scan them for my slide presentations.

FISH USA TO HOST BBQJoin Shimano and FishUSA for the ‘Reel Fun BBQ III’ on Friday, Oct. 25, 2019 from 3PM to 6PM at the FishUSA Pro Shop 6960 West Ridge Road in Fairview.

Enjoy a free serving of Avonia Tavern chicken wings while you take advantage of exclusive, in-store Salmon & Steelhead savings!

Sign up to win a Shimano Stradic CI4+ Spinning Reel & G. Loomis E6X Steelhead Spinning Rod Combo. You can also enter our Casting Competition, with the new Shimano Stradic FL Spinning Reel for a chance to win a $100 FishUSA Gift Card!

PLEASEDON’T LITTER.

PFBC OFFERS STREAM FISHING SAFETY TIPS

With the advent of the Steelhead Fishing season the PA Fish Commission posted the following safety tips on their web site---Fishing is fun, no doubt about it. There are many ways to do it. Many people fish from a boat, others fish from the shoreline, and some wade. Wading can be dangerous, especially if you can’t swim. Remember, drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death in the United States. You can protect yourself by wading safely. These tips should help you be safe when you wade.

Never fish alone. In an emergency, having someone around who can help is always best.

Wear a life jacket. WEAR IT! Life jackets float. You don’t. Many styles have pockets where you can put your fishing stuff. A life jacket will also help keep you warm.

Use a wading stick or staff. An old ski pole works well. A heavy stick will work, too. Some tackle stores even sell wading staffs.

Footwear is important. In the past, wading shoes and boots with felt soles were recommended. However, with the introduction of whirling disease, didymo (algae), and other communicable fish diseases and invasive aquatic organisms, this type of footwear should not be used. Instead, rubber-soled footwear is recommended with many new, high-traction versions made specifically for wading available.

Carry a whistle. You can use the whistle to call for help. You can also use the whistle to tell your fishing buddy where you are.

If you are wading with a staff, cross the current facing upstream. Lean on the staff as if it were a third leg.

Shuffle your feet. When in water over the top of your feet, don’t pick up your feet. Lift them up just a little and shuffle along the bottom.

Take one step at a time. It isn’t a race, so go slowly. You will scare fewer fish that way, too.

Waders and hip boots will not “pull you down” as many people think. If you fall in, immediately bend your knees to trap air in your waders.

Stay on your back with your feet down-stream and your knees bent. Work your way slowly to shore. Don’t panic. Your life jacket will keep you afloat. If you don’t know how to swim, you should learn. It’s your best protection when you are on or near the water.

Lastly, have some extra dry clothes. A dry sweatshirt and sweat pants sure feel good after you have taken a swim. Besides, if you have clothes to change in to, you can keep fishing!

WICKED TUNA

Grandson Jonah Beauton, age 22, poses with this 500 lb Blue Fin Tuna that he landed after a 2 hour fight off of Gloucester, Mass. Jonah was part of the crew of a boat working the same waters as the show “Wicked Tuna”.

UPCOMING EVENTSPA Steel Head Association’s Fall Run Banquet

Saturday, October 26thThe Colony Banquet Hall, 1014 West 12th Street

Doors open at 3:00 PM, dinner at 5:00 The cost is $20 for adults, $10 for children. Tickets may be purchased at the Elk Creek Sport Store, FishUSA, Poor Richard’s Bait and Tackle, Fly & Tackle Shop

at Folly’s End Camp Ground or Steelheader’s board members.

FRIENDS OF FISH FOUNDATION

CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE SONSFor the last 17 years in a row the Fr iends of Fish Foundat ion, a Philadelphia based philanthropic organizat ion, has again made a significant contribution to the S .O.N.S . o f Lake Er ie . To ta l contributions from this generous foundation over the last 17 years have exceeded $200,000. Sadly for us, this will be the last of these donations b e c a u s e t h e fund has been liquidated and t h e b a l a n c e in it has been distr ibuted to other organizations like us.

Over the years we have used their generous donations to accomplish s ign i f icant pro jects , inc lud ing land acquis i t ion at Trout Run, a handicapped accessible ramp at the North Pier, fishing access at the Liberty Pier, hatchery up grades including upgrades to our electrical system and lighting and repairs to our water intake for the hatchery, and last year we used it for an engineering study to build a fishing platform on the north end of the Holland Street pier which is now moving forward. We are very grateful for the years of generosity and wish the founder, president, and our friend, Bruce Garland, and his family, good health, happiness, and success in their future endeavors. Our goal is to hold this last generous donation and apply it to a long lasting improvement to the Lake Erie fishery.

Thank You and Good Fishing, Bruce!

SONS MEMBER WRITES BOOK

SONS Member Gary Larsons h a s w r i t t e n a book titled H A R B O R Y A R N S . T h e b o o k w h i c h w a s just recently published, s is a short, easy read, tales about a fictional “l itt le cove” fishing village, filled with hard-living scallywags, drunks, and liars. It’s about 100 pages long, i l lustrated by his son, and available by order from bookstores, through Amazon, or he will have copies to sell for $13 You can call Gary at 716-307-5815.

SONS BUILD FISH HABITAT AGAINSince 1995 the SONS of Lake Erie has been in a continuing partnership with the Habitat Unit of the PA Fish and Boat Commission and the PA DCNR. This year on October 9th Twenty five SONS volunteers gathered at the West Boat Launch at the Presque Isle Marina along with Ben Page, leader, and five members of the PFBC Habitat team. We were joined by 12 sixth graders and two faculty members from Fairview. Together we attached precut brush to 60 pre-assembled short vertical plank fish habitat structures. The structures were loaded onto two specially equipped boats by a high lift supplied by Presque Isle State Park.

The boats which were operated by the PFBC team and crewed by some of the students from Fairview transported the structures to an area on the north side of the Marina Lake and placed in about 12 ft of water. (See Map Below)

This year the PFBC purchased 60 pre-built vertical plank habitat structures which were already staged in the parking lot. In other years we assembled the structures on sight with materials provided by the SONS. These pre-assembled structures cost $80 each and were paid for through our Lake Erie Stamp monies. The structures were weighted down with eight concrete blocks.

See shaded area on the drawing above for the structures’ rough location. This is a section of the Presque Isle Bay Habitat map. The shaded gray area shows the area in the Marina Lake. A map showing all of the locations where structures have been placed since 1995 and their GPS coordinates can be seen on the PFBC web site at https://www.fishandboat.com/

Resource/Habitat/Documents/lakePlans/presque_isle.pdf There is also a link on our web site - sonsoflakeerie.org.

Since 1995 this partnership with PFBC and DCNR has placed 659 fish habitat structures in and around Presque Isle Bay. We also financed the placement of rubble mound reef type structure in Stink Hole in Presque Isle Bay.

You can also get more information about the Habitat Program from the PFBC web site at:https://www.fishandboat.com/Resource/Habitat/Documents/lake_fish_hab.pdf

Above is a screen grab from a Youtube video made by the PFBC Habitat team in 2018. The video shows fish population around a fish

habitat in Presque Isle Bay. You can see the video at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7IGRcE6cx8&feature=youtu.be

Top Left: 6th grade students from Fairview. Top Middle and Right: Students and SONS Volunteers attaching brush to structures. Bottom Left: DCNR back hoe loading habitat onto boat. Bottom Middle: PFBC team and students transporting structures. Bottom Right: crew placing load of structures into north end of Marina Lake

“A Replenishing species”

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGMONDAY, OCTOBER 28TH

7:30 P.M.THE POLISH FALCONS CLUB

431 E. 3rd Street, Erie, PA

S.O.N.S. of LAKE ERIE,SAVE OUR NATIVE SPECIES, INC.PO BOX 3605 ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA 16508

A not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization

“The Bucket” published monthly by the S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie

VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 10OCTOBER 2019

TiMe DATeD MATeRiAl NONPROFIT ORG.US POSTAGE PAID

ERIE PAPERMIT NO. 480

TIDEWATERFISHING BOATS

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Fishing Report: Summer has passed and the so will walleye fishing even though some are being caught. Perch were being caught in the Lake as well as off of the piers throughout the bay. Steelhead are lining up at the mouths of the streams. More rain is need to get the fish to move upstream.

Outdoor Writer Mike Bleech will present thoughts on his experiences while Steelhead fishing on Lake Erie Tributaries and present the awards to those anglers who submitted the

largest perch and walleye in our summer fishing event.

NOTICEThe November

meeting will be held one week earlier

on November 18th due for those

who would like to go deer hunting.