Access issues the big focus behind new fishing study

A recent angler access study by the American Sportfishing Association and Responsive Management reveals some surprising views by fishing enthusiats, private landowners and professional fish and wildlife managers who make decisions regarding fishing access.

Interviews for the 2010 Angler Access in the U.S. Report were completed with more than 4,000 landowners and more than 4,100 recreational anglers. This is the first study of its kind to include landowners that have water on, adjacent to or running through their property to document their assessment of angler access.

The most important finding is that two-thirds of anglers access most of their fishing (freshwater and saltwater) from public lands with about half of those anglers primarily fishing from private boats. The five major findings in the study are:

• Public lands are important to anglers as a means to access places to fish.

• Angler access is tied to boating access.

• Fish and wildlife professionals are concerned about angler access.

• While liability is an important issue for landowners, a landowners' privacy is the most important reason why they don't open their land to more people.

• Landowners are generally unaware of the many programs that agencies and organizations have to help them create access on their property.

Nice catch: This could be a pot of gold for a Chicago angler. Michael Skidmore of Chicago has been selected as the winner of the Early Times Kentucky Whisky "Reel in a Million" contest. Skidmore, 49, was randomly chosen from more than 10,000 entries for a chance to reel in a tagged bass that could change his life forever. He's already on Lake Erie in Buffalo, NY, for a chance to catch a tagged bass worth $1 million.

Local fishing report: I know I take a negative stance at this time of the year, but I can't help myself. Snagging for salmon starts again Friday at the Lincoln Park Lagoon, Jackson Park, Waukegan Harbor, and the Winnetka Power Plant discharge area.

I realize that for many this is only way they can get some salmon for the table, even though many of the fish are not quite that good when cooked.

Lake Michigan: Perch showing up again near Lake Forest in 40-55 feet of water.

Fox Chain: Excellent crappie angling on Petite Lake, especially at the channel mouths. Pistakee Lake crappie good as well. The muskie action has slowed somewhat on Lake Catherine but picked up on Channel Lake.

Fox River: Slightly better smallie action at Geneva and Batavia. Crappies holding just inside side channels above the Route 176 bridge.

Mike Jackson can be reached by e-mail at angler88@att.net. His radio program is heard from 6-7 a.m. Sundays on WSBC, AM-1240.