I constantly scower the internet for interesting fish stories and it goes without saying, this one definately deserved a spot on my site. In the fall of 2008, biologists with the California Dept. of Fish & Game found a massive dead Salmon. The fish was 51" long and utilizing formulas with it's girth, was an estimated 90 pounds when alive! The location where the fish was found was a tributary of the Lower Sacramento River, called Battle Creek. Most avid fisherman who pay attention to fishing related news throughout the entire country, have long been aware of the collapse of the west coast's Salmon fishery. A fish like this can really sadden a person to see what has been lost. My personal feeling is that a fish like this inspires me to pay more attention to the very real issues regarding habitat loss and overharvest. It is very eye-opening if you do some research. I know when I began to do a bit of self study on the topic, I was astonished (in a bad way) at the data. I know many of the rivers now see less than 10% of historical numbers return. And the Columbia River has 80% of the total fish count hatchery-bred.
Brent McGlone's Maumee River Lake Sturgeon!
When I first heard Brent had caught a huge Lake Sturgeon in the Maumee River, near Toledo, Ohio, I was like everyone else and said, "yea right". When this picture showed up on the front page of The Toledo Blade all doubters were proved wrong. This catch is beyond words. The fact that it was a Lake Sturgeon makes it unique enough, let alone that it was caught in the Maumee River and that it was so large. Absolutely every aspect of this catch is phenominal. I don't even know how I'd get myself to fish again if I had such an amazing catch. Without a doubt, you'd never catch a larger fish in local waters. To put this catch in perspective, at the time of the catch, the ODNR had never had a documented catch of a Lake Sturgeon in the river. We can only hope Brent's catch is an indication that the species is on the rebound. If you ever happen to be lucky enough to catch one, get a quick photo and release the fish. They are an endangered species in Ohio and much of the Great Lakes. The ODNR requests a phone call at 419-625-8062 or 216-352-6100. This is the most significant NW Ohio catch in my lifetime.
Adding more stories soon, busy getting site on this new template.
Tim "Doc" Lange's Ohio River Albino Catfish
Most people, including myself, would be excited to catch a 23 pound catfish. Add to the fact that Tim caught this big cat and it was an albino, and you are talking about one unique catch! Tim and his wife are very successful catfish tournament anglers who also run www.hookedoncatfish.com. They have been long time link partners with my site and really know what they are talking about when it comes to targeting big catfish. Stop by the site and you will see what I'm talking about. So back to this neat catch, I came across it on the OGF forums and Tim was nice enough to let me post it here. Tim has caught several albino catfish so who says lightning can't strike twice. I am a big fan of the odd or surprising catches and this one is not only cool for what it is but also the size. My only personal experience with an albino fish was a Bullhead, caught by my brother circa 1996. To this day, mad I didn't take a picture of it. It was a very neat looking fish. I know some stocked lakes put albinos in for novelty, but catching one in the wild where nature allows very few albinos to grow to adult size, is an accomplishment, very nice catch Tim!