LOG BOOKS – MYTHS, MISCONCEPTIONS, AND THE FACTS
In January of this year, I took over as the National Research Director for our club and began working on summarizing all of the log pages that had been collected from our members in 2004. Based on previous years, I figured it wouldn’t take me too long to enter the information in a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet that I could send to the Ministry of Natural Resources. Boy was I wrong. Thanks to the OMNR/MCI Log Book program, started last year by my predecessor, Victor Beacham, with the cooperation and support of OMNR biologists Steve Kerr and Mike Butler, you the members inundated me with more than 1700 pages of angling records. That’s more than double the number of records ever received before, easily setting a new record for the club … but we all know records only exist to be broken! In going through the process to record all of the data electronically, a couple of general observations jumped out at me and I thought I should try to clarify a couple of points about the log program. First and foremost, it is critical that everyone understands that log pages need to be filled out on every trip – not just when you catch fi sh. I know that nobody enjoys logging those days when you get skunked but one of the most important measures that come from our data is the “CUE” or Catch per Unit Effort.” In other words, how much time it takes to catch a muskie on any given body of water. Naturally, if you only tell us about the trips where you catch something, you l ook good! But we all know that even the “P rofessionals” have days when they don’t even get a follow. It’s just as important that you log those days as the days you get to write about the three fish you caught in an hour when the bite was “ON!” Use one page for each day of fishing. Yes, I want you to log all the time you spend on the water, but, God forbid, you go for a couple (or more!) days with no fish, please don’t write one ent ry for more than one day and tell me you caught nothing the whole time. In order for the information to be useful, we need to know specific dates for your fishing. Location, location, location …. It’s not just important when you’re buying a house, it’s also important when you’re filling out your log! I DON”T want GPS coordinat es, I don’t want to know any kind of details, but “Ottawa River” covers a lot of water and if you could break it down a little bit, that would be a big help. If you’re willing to identify that you were fis hing in the “Lower Ottawa River” – i.e. that portion of the river between the Chaudiere Falls and the Carillon dam, that gives the biologists enough information for them to get more useful results from the data. Your secrets are safe with us. First off, the ONLY information that is recorded is the members name, membership number, date they fished, body of water they were fishing on, how many rod hours they recorded (more on that later), how many muskie they caught, the lengt h of the fish and any notes about Lamprey or Lymphosarcoma. That’s it. All the other stuff about lures, water depth, water temperature – frankly, I don’t care. I’ve got MORE than enough work putting the required information in the spreadsheet and the OMNR doesn’t want any more. In fact, when the data is sent to the MNR, all of the names and membership numbers are removed. The only reason I want names and numbers is to allow me to figure out the Angler Awards. All of the members received pins for their First, Tent h, Twenty-fifth, Fiftieth, One Hundredth and Two Hundredth release of a muskie 36” or larger. In addition we award pins and certificates every year to those members who catch and release a 50” or larger, or a 54” or larger muskie. Help me avoid duplication of data. If you are fishing with another MCI member and they keep a log, please, only log the fish that YOU catch. If your partner is NOT a member, then by all means make sure that (1) you record that there were two (or more) anglers and that your Total Rod Hours will reflect that. (2) if any of the non-members catches a fish, record it on your log sheet. Tell me if you want your log pages back. Down at the bottom of the log page there is a line for you to indicate whether or not you would the Chapter Release Director to return the log pages to you. If
you indicate you want them back, no problem; … but please be patient. If you don’t want them back they will be disposed of properly, so don’t worry about seeing them on any of the message boards. Last but not least, please, make it legible. I’d be the first to admit my handwriting sucks – add in a cold wind, rain and a good muskie chop and it can get downright ugly. However, when you get home to a warm meal and cold … refreshment, please consider looking over the log and maybe crossing a few “T’s” and dotting a few “i’s” so that we will be able to figure out that it was member “X” that caught that 56” monster … especially if your partner forgets that he’s not suppos ed to log your fish! As a minimum, please make sure the Membership number is correct and clear – I can figure out the rest, but names can be a challenge. Finally, and most importantly, I’d just like to say “Thanks” to all those members who took the time to record and share their angling records. In this day and age of computers and dat abases, the value of good data is increasing dramatically. One of the best things that we can do for our sport is to make sure that biologists with the Ministry have the data they need to make informed decisions about the fishery. Participation in the log program is a quick and easy way for all of us to provide that valuable data and to ensure our grandchildren will have a shot at a “Fifty” someday. Chris Purdy MCI National Research Director mci-nrd@sympatico.ca
SPECI AL NOTES FOR S AINT JOHN RIV ER ANGLERS
MCI No. If you are an MCI Member, please contact James MacDonald (JMA CDONALD@MCCAIN.CA) to obtain your membership number. CHAP TE R Enter “S JR” if you are a member, or a guest of a member in a tournament. Otherwise, please enter “N/A” BODY OF WATE R Use the following zones. If other location, please specify. Upper SJR (Zone 1) – Above Grand Falls, including Glazier and Baker Lakes, and Maine wat ers Middle SJR (Zone 2) – Mactaquac Dam to Grand Falls Lower SJR (Zone 3) – Below Mactaquac Dam
Please send all forms to: SJR MCI c/o Gordon Yamazaki 509 Aberdeen St. Fredericton, NB E3B 1S4 or by email SJR.MCI@hotmail.com
SEA LAMPREY WOUND ON FIS H
LYMPHOSA RCOMA ON NORTHERN PIKE External signs of these tumors include prot ruding growths on the flank, fins, and head that are several centimeters in diameter and have irregular surfaces. Tumors vary in color from grayish-white to pink or red depending on the amount of vasculature associated with the mass. Young tumors are usually more white and as they mature and grow, they must attract blood vessels to supply their nut ritional demands. Photo and information from http://www.state.me.us/ifw/fishing/fishlab/ vol4issue12.htm