The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Ohio anglers urged to take survey, make suggestions

New pool at 'The Heights' opens
5/27/12
Huber Heights suing consultant for more than $50,000
5/26/12
4 arrested for OVI at Kettering checkpoint
5/26/12
Man found dead at bar; police seek suspect
5/26/12
Turner adopts role for Romney campaign
5/26/12
> More headlines

By Jim Morris 12:55 AM Sunday, May 8, 2011

If there is a way to improve fishing in Ohio, who better to ask for suggestions than those who participate — the state’s anglers.

The Ohio Division of Wildlife has begun its fourth annual online survey. It takes five to 10 minutes to complete. Just visit ohiodnr.com/creel to get started.

“We have found this to be a good tool for public feedback,” said Scott Hale, administrator for inland fisheries. “I think sometimes people don’t realize that we are always looking for public input. They can take the survey or call us at any time. We welcome their suggestions.”

I took the survey the other day and found it comprehensive, especially since there is a place at the end to offer any suggestion you might have to improve Ohio fishing.

That gave me the opportunity to pass along a suggestion I heard from an area bait dealer: Stock yellow perch in some of the lakes. It will create more interest and draw more anglers than most other species. They are fun to catch and people love to eat yellow perch.

The survey, Hale said, will draw between 3,000 and 4,000 responses.

“A lot of the questions are the same as what we ask with our creel surveys,” Hale explained.

The survey will run through Sept. 30 and can be taken one time only per household.

For more information, visit wildohio.com or call (800) WILDLIFE.

Stopping the spread of invasive species

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been stressing the need for people to use preventative measures to keep from spreading invasive species from one body of water to another.

Here are the agency’s suggestions:

• Remove any visible mud, plants, fish or animals before transporting boats.

• Eliminate water from equipment before transporting (empty live wells, drain bilges, minnow buckets).

• Clean and dry anything that came in contact with water (boats, trailers, equipment, clothing, dogs, etc.).

• Never release plants, fish or animals into a body of water unless they came out of that body of water.

Yes, even the minnow bucket should be emptied and rinsed out with tap water.

A few years ago, I saw one-quarter of a drop of Lake Erie water under a microscope. Present were 12 tiny zebra mussels that were too small to be seen without the microscope.

If you put Lake Erie water in your minnow bucket and then decide to stop at an inland lake on your way home, the first minnow you use could be carrying tiny organisms. And if you eventually decide to dump out the bucket of water and minnows into that inland lake, you probably are starting the invasion of zebra mussels, quagga mussels or some other invasive species.

Pros at Erie

You might get a good idea about walleye fishing on Lake Erie this year by checking the results of the National Guard FLW Walleye Tour tournament next weekend, May 12-14. Of course even the pros might have trouble catching walleyes if the weather doesn’t cooperate. For information, visit wired2fish.com.

Outdoors columnist Jim Morris can be reached through his website at www.examiner.com/outdoor-recreation-in-dayton/jim-morrisor by email at sports@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Share this article