BeenThereDoneThat.
Dad-burn-it Captain.... NO SPOT BURNING!!!!


Sweet dreams Mopars.

. Lol. I’m awake bud , for now 😜 that lake has some nice eyes in it for sure. Have taken some nice ones and a few nice muskies , did pretty good on Crappies last year besides 1/2 drive vs 1 drive to Pymie . Hopefully will have good reports from both lakes this year.

Steve, I'm looking out my window at the snow, blowing and, continuing to accumulate. I think, for the time being, I'll just close my eyes and dream of good fishing to come.

I'm such a wus, Stupid old age.

Yeah snowing here also ground white probably 1” so far ... we will be in Richmond Va. in 2 weeks for NASCAR Race hope drivers are not making snow angels .... lol

It's been a few years Steve, but I can still remember waking up the first morning of trout season, with snow nearly collapsing my canvas tent.   Ummm, keep that trout thingy under your hat.... OK? 

Oh yeah , I can remember a few of those days also. Haven’t been on a trout stream for years though . Back when the kids were in their early teens , in their 40’s now don’t tell them I told you their ages now. 😜👍. Anyhow I used to drop them off at their favorite trout stream and I would go to Tamarack with my little Jon boat fish for about 5-6 hrs and pick them up on my way home. Good memories !!

If I could go back and stay at a point in time, it would be those days, for sure.

Hey did I tell ya about my new 'past time' Ice Sculpting!!!

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My wife says I should stick to basket weaving or maybe, something safer like tieing bobber stops. 😕

Lol .... I believe you have found your calling bud 😜👍. Has he whispered any fishing tip to ya .....☃️☃️

Yep, in a very low tone he grumbled... no spot burning!!!

I'm still here off and on Mr Hook.
Its interesting to me that back in November of 2017, when I sent my email to the Fish Commission ( see the thread Gizzard/Shad Lake Wilhelm) 
 
Porktown advised me:
 
"Your response was very emotional based, and rather demeaning.  You should really proof read what you are sending to people, that you are asking for something.  Write as if you are writing to someone you respect (parent, boss, teacher, ect).  Better things happen for you, when you treat others with respect. "
 
Well guess what. There are the biologists 'assessing' the lake 5 months later after 8 YEARS of ignoring it.
And I also leaned that my 'rude and demeaning' email made it to the EPA and the lake has been given a partial grant to do studies on the tributaries that feed the lake as per phosphorous levels entering the lake from neighboring farms.
 
With that being said, I have been at the lake on a regular basis and the shad die off after ice off was pretty slim compared to Pymatuning.
Yes I understand, Pymatuning is a much bigger lake.
 
I didn't see the pictures of the huge walleye on Facebook that the biologists netted from Wilhelm until late Thursday night and I went to the lake right after work on Friday hoping to catch them there and ask them some questions but, unfortunately, they had packed up and headed out.
I did, however, catch the park manager coming out of his office (we are on a first name basis now since I have spoke with him so many times!) and he filled me in on what had gone on this past week with the netting.
 
So then, those walleyes are beauties!
Geez oh man!!!
But that doesn't surprise me at all as how they are so well fed.
What I am more interested in is the number of Gizzard Shad that they netted this week,(if you zoom in on the picture you can see crappie and a some gizzard shad in the tub at the biologists feet) and when they come back to do the muskie netting later, how many they get then, and then finally, when they electro shock and assess the bass population.
I am so looking forward to the full assessment report of the lake.
Oh, and there's Bowfin in the lake too.
Another point to ponder.
So thats my two cents.
 
If anyone wants to get involved, the Park Manager is a super nice guy and welcomes anyone that has an interest.
 
 
 
 

So you don't have to go back to the original thread:
 
 
Sent an email to the park office a few months ago per the shad problem at Lake Wilhelm and when the next biologist report was due to be conducted:
Took awhile but finally received a ('canned') reply:
 
Monday, November 27, 2017 7:00 PM
 
Dear Mr. MikesDad,
 
Thank you for the question regarding our next scheduled survey in Lake Wilhelm. I’m the fisheries biologist responsible for managing the fishery populations in Lake Wilhelm. We anticipate conducting another routine lake sampling survey either next year or if not by 2019. Again, like most of our lake surveys that are  conducted annually this will depend on staff availability and our prioritization of other lakes that are to be sampled over the next two years. Due to the size of this impoundment it requires combined efforts both our Area 1 and Area 2 fisheries management offices to effectively sample and access the status of the lakes fish population. For the past three to four years our office has been concentrating its efforts primarily on our musky lake populations. Results of this survey work, along with other information, was used to update the Musky Management Plan in making some necessary changes to our stocking program. I see much of this musky targeted sampling work winding down at this point, given the plan was recently finalized, which should provide us the opportunity to return back to many of our Area 2 lakes that haven’t been sampled in the past 8 to 10 years.
 
Thanks for the question.
 
Regards,
Brian A. Ensign| Fisheries Biologist – Area 2
Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission
172 Fish Hatchery Lane | Tionesta, PA 16353
Phone: (814) 755-3890 | Fax: (814) 755-3452
Email: bensign@pa.gov
 
And my reply:
 
 
Dear Mr Ensign,
 
2004,  2010 and then maybe in 2019 for the next biologist report?
 
Hmmmm…..sounds to me like, “Maybe if we ignore the problem it will go away”.
( as in Gizzard Shad/Fish and Boat Commission)
 
Yes, of course I know that the fish commission has increased the number of walleye and musky ‘fingerling’ that they have been stocking in Lake Wilhelm to try to address the bio-mass of gizzard shad.
 
I also know the growth rate of the above mentioned fingerling. ( as I am sure that you are aware as well)
I also know the growth rate and lifespan of the Hybrid Stripped Bass that would certainly help alleviate the problem at Lake Wilhelm.
What weren’t caught by anglers, would die off in 7 years.
But no, we can’t have Hybrids in the lake.
 
Yes, I understand. You cannot upset ‘the balance’ of the lake by introducing Hybrid Striped Bass, as I was told by a “Fish Cop” at the launch one when I suggested it to him about 6 years ago.
Like I told him……”Upset the ‘balance of the lake????”
“What is the balance NOW??!!”
He replied, “Well, we’ve seen this before. It will take care of itself.”
Really now.
Enough said.
 
Good luck on your concentration on the Musky fisheries in the area and the management of them.
I’m sure that that is important to some people and great for publicity and public funds for the Fish Commission.
 
Really can’t blame you for putting off the biologist report for Lake Wilhem.
Who would want to spend days over there pulling those stinking, slimy Gizzard Shad up in the nets by the thousands and then have to publicly deal with the issue once it is made known??
 
Thank you for the ‘canned’ reply Brian.
Take care.