FWIW--This effort could provide funding for improvement of salmonid habitat:

BASS TAKES LEADERSHIP ROLE IN NOAA

Open Rivers Initiative: Dam Removal Funding Could Provide Major Fishery Benefits


CELEBRATION, Fla. - BASS/ESPN Outdoors and the American Sportfishing Association will lead a coalition to support a new grant program called the Open Rivers Initiative, which is designed to provide funding to communities for removal of obsolete and derelict stream barriers such as dams.

Conservation director Noreen Clough will represent BASS and Gordon Robertson, vice president of the American Sportfishing Association, is representing the nonprofit organization.

The Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the exciting new initiative Aug. 31 at the White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation in St. Louis, Mo.

There are currently more than 2 million small dams and other barriers blocking fish passage in the United States. Removing obsolete low head dams and other blockages has thus far opened hundreds of miles of vitally important habitat to fish that rely on migrating through rivers to spawn. Dam removal also has boosted local economies by dramatically improving recreational fishing opportunities. By coming forth with a new funding source to remove more dams and barriers, NOAA has responded to one of the more important fisheries management problems in the United States.



“The Open Rivers Initiative can make a much-needed contribution to our nation’s overall aquatic health,” Clough said. “Old dams not only block fish passage and prevent spawning, they greatly diminish the amount of good habitat rivers could be providing for a variety of fish species. Recreational anglers around the country have seen the dramatic turn around fish populations have made after dam removals.”



Clough and Robertson will head a coalition that includes BASS, the American Sportfishing Association, the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Berkley Conservation Institute and Trout Unlimited, under the umbrella of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, which brings leading conservation organizations and grassroots partners together in support of conserving fish and wildlife and their habitats, and ensuring access to places to fish and hunt.
For complete details, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit http://www.bassmaster.com

KJ,

We need stuff we can fight about and ultimately morph into a religous debate and name calling session. Try to keep up with the spirit of the forum and not be such a do gooder

So what's the best hook to use for bass?

KK,
You should try smallmouth on a 4 wt. They put trout to shame. Except maybe Kamloops that might be a tie.

I should have known better...but hey, the way salmon and steelhead fishing is going, it's a good thing we've got bass, right? And they're protected as a gamefish under the federal Black Bass Act, but then again so are steelhead...

So, when BASS announced that they would be involved in this Dam removal issue, did they come riding into the press conference on a monster truck with strobe lights flashing, smoke rolling across the floor and girls in hot pants holding sponcer signs ??? Or did they tone it down and just wear there O'BOY OBERTO jerky shirts, throw out a quick pitch for the Banjo minnow and call it good ???

BR-- ESPN is in the entertainment biz-- they play to their audience.

King-- I used to agree with you wholeheartedly on smallies, but I've caught rainbows and smallies about the same weight on consecutive casts in Lake Roosevelt, and I'm beginning to believe they're about the same. I'm leaning toward the idea that fight is more based on water temps. Catch a steelie when it's really cold (or really warm) and they dog it. Same with smallmouth in my experience. Having said that, I had what I believe was a smallie hit so hard it tripped the bail on my spinning reel AND break the lip on a #7 Shad Rap-- the only time I've had that happen.

Any more, I like 'em all, from catfish to kings.

Keith

I fish a few lakes in the Okanogan with big trout and smallmouth . In the same water temp the small mouth make the trout look wimpy. You can tell by the hit what you have. The trout however can fight longer.