#1304976 - 04/04/1102:29 PM
DEP RULES ABOUT ZEBRA MUSSELS IN LAKES LILLY AND ZOAR
BASSMANinCT
Member
Registered: 03/19/02
Posts: 1107
As this year's Tournament Director for the Southern CT Bass Anglers, I just want to open up for discussion about the new Tournament Packet that Bill Foreman sent out.
For starters, my first question is: Do you need to apply these "signature rules" for tournaments on Lilly or Zoar or Twin Lakes? I am specifically meaning the signature forms for participants.
Next, when I visited the DEP website as instructed for the forms, I could not locate them at all. Also, when clicking on the links for the CGS (Connecticut General Statues), none of the links are working.
Lastly, I will be bringing this topic to the attention of our fishing club at our regular monthly meeting. I want to assure the DEP that we as a club want to do our part in keeping the Zebra Mussel out of Connecticut's waters, but the system you have placed on our club for compliance does seem to be quite harsh! I do not think it justified to hold our registration for tournaments as threat to compliance, and feel that you have singled out the tournaments unjustifiably, when we are a very tiny portion of the users of Connecticut's fresh water lakes. For example, at our smallest waters, with access as few as 5 boats on a permit to a maximum of 100 in larger waters of Candlewood Lake, you are singling out a very small portion of the users with our equal right to use those waters with the same privileges as any public user.
Also, in keeping with your new rules for tournament participants must sign off on in order to participate, you create an issue where the tournament permit holder is responsible for full compliance by participants. Many times, these tournaments are events for non-profit fund raising, and this signature would require the holder to turn away needed funds if a participant refuses to comply. This I find unfair and too strict a requirement, when compared to the general public users of the lake as a whole. You may find that the whole permit system avoided by organizations in the future, when organizations find that it is hurting their fund raising efforts to comply with getting a permit and risking losing a permit for turning away paying participants who choose not to comply with a signature.
I invite all fisherman and members of this message board to participate in this discussion. Give your two cents worth.
"A bad day of fishing is better than a great day at work!"
#1305000 - 04/04/1104:08 PM
Re: DEP RULES ABOUT ZEBRA MUSSELS IN LAKES LILLY AND ZOAR
[Re: BASSMANinCT]
EnCon Police Moderator
Registered: 03/01/04
Posts: 3899
This entire zebra mussel issue is new to us and as of right now we are treating all invasive species the same. That means we are looking for mussels, weeds, etc. on all boats, not just tournament boats.
I forwarded your post to Bill to get his take on your concerns. Either I'll post his response or he may post himself.
I got the paper from Bill also . The first thing I said was what a pain in the butt getting everyone to sign . I could see asking everyone if there boats had been on any of those lakes and if they said yes THEN have them sign to say that the boat had been cleaned in a proper manner before going in to another lake I think this would make things alot easier on everyone involved JUST MT 2 CENTS Heck in Maine we see the WEED POLICE all the time . Everytime my boat comes out of the water up there it gets checked for weeds and sometimes depending on the body of water I even take off the trolling motor prop and clean out the crap from under it
Edited by thefinaltimeout (04/04/1104:21 PM)
Maine The Way Life Should Be and is going to be for me and the dogs before to long
#1305240 - 04/05/1104:04 PM
Re: DEP RULES ABOUT ZEBRA MUSSELS IN LAKES LILLY AND ZOAR
[Re: BASSMANinCT]
EnCon Police Moderator
Registered: 03/01/04
Posts: 3899
I got this back from Bill today:
Note that the tournaments only have to do the self-certification when they are fishing one of the water bodies that have suitable water chemistry to possibly host zebra mussels. From the letter that was sent to all directors:
…However, certain water bodies that host open water fishing tournaments do have water quality characteristics (sufficient calcium concentrations) that may make them susceptible to colonization by zebra mussels. These waters are: Ball Pond Batterson Park Pond Beseck Lake Candlewood Lake Hatch Pond Lake Housatonic Mudge Pond Silver Lake Squantz Pond Lake Wononskopomuc
Beginning this year (2011), there will be several additional requirements for open water fishing tournaments fishing the water bodies susceptible to possible zebra mussel colonization…
As for singling out tournaments, organizers and participants need to remember that tournaments are a very visible activity that can take up significant resources at boat launches (parking, launching, take-out, weigh-ins). Due to the discovery of zebra mussels in Lakes Lillinonah and Zoar, there is an heightened awareness concerning the need to prevent their establishment in additional water bodies, and tournaments are a very noticeable (and sometimes contentious) activity that is now seen as one of the vectors for further transmission. These new requirements (if properly complied with) removes tournaments from the list of vectors to be concerned about, and hopefully diffuse the some of the contentiousness associated with tournaments. This will help protect access for tournaments at a number of water bodies in CT including Candlewood Lake.
If any clubs conducting tournaments feel that they would prefer to avoid the additional paperwork, they can contact me (860-424-3868) to alter their schedules and permits so that they only fish waters that are either not conducive to hosting zebra mussels or already are known to have zebra mussels.
Additionally, note that we are in the process of adding the zebra mussel materials relevant to tournament anglers to the tournament page on our website. I have also passed on the information concerning the non-functional links on the main invasive species page.
Thanks,
Bill
Bill Foreman 860-424-3868 CT-DEP Inland Fisheries Division william.foreman@ct.gov
Registered: 01/30/11
Posts: 265
Loc: Earth I Think
I think the self certification is a responsibility entrusted to us by the authorities monitoring the Invasive Species. It may be an additional pain running a tournament but those that don't wish to jump on board in helping to protect our waters and keep them open for our pleasure probably shouldn't be on board in the first place.
As far as those participating in a charitable event and don't wish to comply are probably those mentioned in the Candlewood Lake Report who would only serve to give residents on the lake more reason to try to stop us from participating on the lakes we fish.
Last year I was on a lake. We were drifting by some docks. The property owner came out flipping a lid. Describing what we as fisherman do to destroy the waters.
I identified my self as a State Law Enforcement Officer once I got a word in edgewise 10 minutes later. Then I got an ass chewing for not doing enough to stop the boats that do stupid stuff that make us look bad.
Now we can't blame clubs and tournament venues, the individual public are just as much if not more to blame. I believe that club members and avid anglers understand the issues and go the extra yard to help reduce the problem.
Complying with the DEP or agency trying to enforce this issue is only doing us a favor by placing us in a more responsible area of fishing in the public eye. The public and authorities, knowing that we belong to a club that go the extra yard to show we care about the waters we fish and the public that shares the waters with us will hold us in a more respectful view and will most likely be less demeaning towards a club member when they see us fishing.
In conclusion, the problem is not solely our fault but we are part of the problem and the first to have a finger pointed at. The authorities pursuing this are working keep the waters open for us to fish. Our failure to assist or comply will simply have the body of water closed not only to us but all boaters.
Don't hold your farts in! They travel up your spine to your brain and that's where shitty idea's come from!
Its an interesting topic. I've seen the damage the zebra mussles have done on Lake Michigan. Its so serious, its hard to get your head around the kind of biological impact an established population will create.
If ever there was a case where aggressive SELF REGULATION by fisherman was approriate - this seems like a good place for fishermen to start.
Its about protecting the resource we all enjoy as diligently as possible. The unfortunate hard part is that there is no way for CTDEP to prevent this, they don't have the resources or the mandate.
Either we do it ourselves, or it doesn't get done.
It only takes one fisherman not following best managment practices for prevention of the spread of the Zebra Mussels and EVERYONE looses.
""Happy Talk" . . . . . Because it has worked so well thus far"
"It is not necessary to change; survival is not mandatory" - Edward Deming
"Unless we start to focus everything on this, our targets will soon be out of reach" - Greta Thunberg January 2020
"I spent most of my dough on booze, broads and boats and the rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard.
Team Man Made Climate Change is Real.
"Such change demands on our part a serious and responsible recognition not only of the kind of world we may be leaving to our children, but also to the millions of people living under a system which has overlooked them" - Pope Francis September 2015
#1305798 - 04/07/1108:43 PM
Re: DEP RULES ABOUT ZEBRA MUSSELS IN LAKES LILLY AND ZOAR
[Re: BASSMANinCT]
KWK
Member
Registered: 01/27/03
Posts: 4607
Loc: TN
There are certain lakes in upstate New York(no need to name names due to the subject matter)that require 1,2 or all three actions on you,the boat owners part, prior to launch 1) proof of a trip through a hot water car wash(receipt:dated) 2)visual inspection of trailer,tow vehicle and the livewell 3) one lake, I have fished for 20 plus years now has a boat cleaning station with a hose and a catch basin similar to a car wash,bio major students from a couple of colleges man this launch 24/7 for 3.5 months,with the ocassional warden showing up if enforcement is required .Excessive?Maybe... Invasive,expensive and time consuming? Yes...necessary,more than likely. Say Hello to the future ct. Homeowners with money invested WILL start pushing for these measures(Draconian? perhaps,sign of the times? Absolutely)...be forewarned,launch fees will increase due to measures such as these here,it is inevitable.
Previous Topic
Index