House votes in favor of Great Lakes protection
Outdoors notes
By a vote of 395-7, the U.S. House overwhelmingly passed a bill that will go a long way in protecting the Great Lakes and other U.S. waters from invasive species introduced by ballast water.
Invasive species have wreaked havoc on Great Lakes fish and wildlife.
The zebra mussel has eroded the base of the food chain. The round goby has consumed the eggs of smallmouth bass. The Eurasian ruffe has competed with yellow perch and other fish and feeds on the eggs of desirable sport fish such as lake whitefish.
Recently, Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, a non-native pathogen, has led to massive fish kills. In all, invasive species threaten the sport fishery of the Great Lakes.
The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2007 (H.R. 2830) represents a major step in the right direction.
Key date: Illinois Free Fishing Days will be held June 6-9. Organizations interested in receiving educational and promotional materials as part of an Illinois Free Fishing Days event should contact Gary Watson at (217) 782-9990. During Illinois Free Fishing Days, anyone may fish without a sport fishing license, inland trout stamp or salmon stamp.
Fishing update: The catching is excellent on many bodies of water.
Fox Chain: The walleye bite continues on a high note, especially on Channel lake and Lake Marie. A few smaller muskies have been taken by bass and walleye fishermen on Lake Catherine. Bluegill action on Petite and Fox Lakes is excellent.
Fox River: Smallmouth bass action picking up with some very nice fish being caught near Batavia and Elgin.
Lake Michigan: Capt. Bob Jenkins tells me he's scoring big time on perch and coho out of Waukegan. For information, call (888) 4CPT-BOB.