East Lake Fishing Derby!!!!

[auecker]

Several non-profit organizations will be holding what we believe will be the premier fishing derby in Oregon and perhaps the Northwest. The derby will be held on Saturday July 11, 2009 at the East Lake Resort. All the details will be on the official derby web site which will be accessible by Monday May 11th. The web address is www.lapinerocksderby.com (http://www.lapinerocksderby.com) .:meme:THE GRAND PRIZE FOR THE ANGLER CATCHING THE SPECIALLY TAGGED BROWN TROUT IS $25,000.00 !!!

NO, you are not seeing things. That is $25,000. The Prize for the largest fish (of any species) is $1000. There will be many other prizes and awards.


The registration fee for the derby is $75.00 per angler and there is a 250 angler limit for the derby. For more information, please call the La Pine Chamber of Commerce at 541-536-9771, or myself, the derby chairman at 541-610-6387.

[Wingmaster]

The link doesn't work.

[Klamanite]

The link doesn't work.

All the details will be on the official derby web site which will be accessible by Monday May 11th. The web address is www.lapinerocksderby.com (http://www.lapinerocksderby.com)

Not 'til the 11th.

[Hunter56787]

Sounds like a fun derby, I Hope that everyone that goes has a GR8 time!

I booked a camp & dock space @ East Lake Resort for a later date...

[CoyoteBrownTrtHntr]

Interesting...............
What a rat-race that will be!:passout:

[auecker]

As stated, the web site is not scheduled to be complete and operational until Monday, May11 2009. If you have specific questions or wish to reserve a spot, please call either the chamber of commerce at 541-536-9771 or you can call me direct at 541-610-6387. In response to the Rat Race comment, we are taking every precaution and will be providing a number of special services that we believe will avoid the Rat Race issue to the extend possible. Limit of 250 anglers on a 1000+ acre lake and valet service provided for tow vehicles and boat trailers.

[RiverJohn]

Wife & I will happen to be there that weekend. Not really for the Derby, but maybe I will cough up the $75.

Anyone else going say hi or send a pm.

Love that lake !!!

:meme:

[auecker]

:excited:We have secured all the necessary permits from all the agencies requiring them for this derby. ODFW has indicated that they would not be able to plant a brown trout as they are not available. We will instead be planting a large Rainbow trout as the tagged fish for the derby. We wanted you to know this right away. We do not think that this will have any negative affect on the derby. As we have updates and when the website is up, we will let you know.

Thanks

[bwild]

Interesting...............
What a rat-race that will be!:passout:
:agree:

[Wingmaster]

East can be hectic with 50 boats, glad I'll be hitting it in June. Kind of interested why you chose East for the derby, not Paulina or??

[CoyoteBrownTrtHntr]

Wingmaster,
You took the words right out of my mouth.........why East Lake? Very curious as to why this "little" 1000 acre lake was chosen. Especially for a BIG fish derby. Why not the "famous" Paulina or Wickiup? With a 250 angler limit, you figure 2 to 3 people per boat, that is between 83 and 125 boats on the water!!!!! I've NEVER seen that many boats at East at one time.
No offense and just my opinion, but I will make sure I go out of my way NOT to be at East Lake that weekend.
Best of luck with the Derby.......
CBTH

[bwild]

East can be hectic with 50 boats

Agree with that. And since this derby is a big fish derby, and the largest type of fish in that lake are browns, this severely cuts down the area of that 1000 acres that will be fished to more like 250 or even less. I agree with Coyote that Wickiup or even Crane (since the marked fish will be a large rainbow) would be more appropriate. Much larger area where people won't be on top of one another. But then, they do the Cultus derby as well, and that's not a huge lake. But, when you're fishing for lakers, they can be more spread out and not as concentrated as browns.:twocents:

Please don't get me wrong. I'm all for good causes and charities and hope this derby goes well and you raise a lot of money for your cause. :flowered: But, I will be avoiding East Lake with that much pressure put on those fish.

[hookjawfreak]

WOW! :passout:

I have to say that I am pretty shocked at this whole thing going on at our beloved East Lake. After targeting the big browns at East for many years I can say that the lake is on a heck of an upturn in the brown trout population the last couple of years which I atribute largely to the fact that people have become increasingly aware of the mercury dangers present in the any of the larger fish. This has in effect created a catch and release "trophy" fishery for most concious anglers. The premise of this event is obviously a catch and kill situation to claim a prize and given the mercury, the end result is going to be many quality brown trout that go into the garbage. I agree that many other lakes in the area would be far more suitable for an event like this and if it were happenning anywhere besides East I would not only support it, but I'd sign up and have a great time. I am all for the cause, but I'm affraid this makes me a little sick to my stomach.

I also agree that despite any efforts to keep the rat-race factor in check, there will be some real issues here. I've seen enough rat-race issues on East and other lakes when they become over populated with boats and tensions run high. Add money to that mix and it could get ugly. I don't think I've ever seen east with over 50 boats. :twocents:

Is it too late to pick another lake???


Dan McAllister

[high desert]

Very well put hookjawfreak. I think this is an all around bad idea. I fish Paulina and East Lake at least once a week during the summer and I will defenitely avoid East Lake and Paulina on that weekend. If it was held at Wickiup or Crane I would sign up. Wickiup is much better suited to handle that number of people and boats. I am glad I know which weekend the derby is on, because I would not be happy if I went up there and ran into that mess.

I especially agree that most, if not all of the big fish caught are going to end up in the garbage.

I am very surprised that none of the agencies contacted for permits to hold the derby did not think of the waste that will occur due to the mercury levels.

[bwild]

WOW! :passout:

the lake is on a heck of an upturn in the brown trout population the last couple of years which I atribute largely to the fact that people have become increasingly aware of the mercury dangers present in the any of the larger fish. This has in effect created a catch and release "trophy" fishery for most concious anglers. The premise of this event is obviously a catch and kill situation to claim a prize and given the mercury, the end result is going to be many quality brown trout that go into the garbage.

Is it too late to pick another lake???


Dan McAllister


:applause: Your're right, Dan. I didn't even think about the mercury. I remember 3 years ago, I caught a 28 inch brown at East that absolutely engulfed my lure. It was bleeding profusely from it's gills. So bad that I had to kill it. But it was really hard for me to do this because I knew that if it's over 16", you're stronly advised not to keep the fish from East because of the dangerous mercury levels (see ODFW fishing regs). I felt like I was wasting a fish and it made me sick to my stomach. Instead of throwing it in the trash, I used it as crab bait because it was the only way it would sit well with me (and I still felt funny about it).

Have I caught fish and kept them before? Yes. I'll keep a 12 or 14 incher if I know I'm going to have it for dinner that night. Have I accidentally killed larger fish due to the hookset or lure type? Yes. This is expected to happen in fishing. Heck, two of my larger browns I've caught were both injured mortally by the lure, thus forcing me to keep them. Do I care if people keep fish? As long as they're not wasting the fish, absolutely not. But, 99.2% of the time, I'm releasing everything. I just feel a derby like this will do a lot more harm than good, especially at a lake of this size. :twocents:

[Wingmaster]

I really felt hesitant about throwing around my opinion on this, but without a doubt I agree with the "could you please choose another lake" group. Good points guys.

"Several non-profit organizations" - mind sharing the groups that stand to gain from the event?

[auecker]

The website is up and running now and the names of the non-profit groups are listed there. As a point of clarification. This is not just a "big fish derby" This is a derby to catch a tagged fish with the prize of $25,000. There is a big fish $1000 prize as well. This is also an event designed to involve families and as such there are family activities planned in the area. The East Lake location was chosen because, if we want to give an angler the best chance to catch the $25,000 fish we certainly do not want to have the derby in the larger lake such as Wickiup. WE WANT someone to catch that fish! As far as the Mercury issue is concerned? Again, the derby is not focused on catching a limit for the fry pan. It is focused on promoting sportsmanship and an opportunity to fish in one of the most beautiful areas of the state and also a chance to spend time with other sportsman and their families.

[CoyoteBrownTrtHntr]

Multiple Non-Profit Groups huh? Let's do a little math for this derby, shall we. At $75 a buy in and a 250 angler limit, that generates $18,750 for the derby. If the Grand prize for the biggest fish is $1,000 and other prizes total another $1,000 let's say, then that leaves $16,750 going to the funding of the Huntington Road Lighting Project which pays for approximately 3.5 out of the 5 lights you're trying to implement.
What I want to know is, WHO is coming up with the $25,000 Grand Prize money??? If they have $25,000 to just give away, why not give it to the Huntington Road Lighting Project/City of La Pine to pay for (almost) all the lights from the get go???
CBTH

[auecker]

Multiple Non-Profit Groups huh? Let's do a little math for this derby, shall we. At $75 a buy in and a 250 angler limit, that generates $18,750 for the derby. If the Grand prize for the biggest fish is $1,000 and other prizes total another $1,000 let's say, then that leaves $16,750 going to the funding of the Huntington Road Lighting Project which pays for approximately 3.5 out of the 5 lights you're trying to implement.
What I want to know is, WHO is coming up with the $25,000 Grand Prize money??? If they have $25,000 to just give away, why not give it to the Huntington Road Lighting Project/City of La Pine to pay for (almost) all the lights from the get go???
CBTH

The answer is simple. We have purchased an event prize insurance policy. If you want details, please call my office at 541-536-1718 and ask for Art.

[bwild]

Again, the derby is not focused on catching a limit for the fry pan. .

Correct. It's not focusing on the frying pan at all. IT IS focused on harvesting trophy fish. And potentially, harvesting A LOT of trophy trout. Trophy Trout that take time to grow to that size. In order to weigh them in, they will more than likely have to be killed. Because of the health warning on page 16 of the ODFW 2009 Fishing Regulations, it states "AVOID eating brown trout 16" or larger", they'll be killed and then what.

So, the fish that will more than likely be kept to see if they could potentially win the derby is going to be larger than 16". So that brings the point that once these fish are killed, what do you do with them? Now you can't tell people what they can and can't eat. It's just a warning and people can do what they want to do. But of the 250 fish that will potentially be caught and kept to see if they win the Grand Prize, only 1 will win. So that's 249 fish that, more than likely, will be larger than 16". I can all but assure you that those 249 fish will go to the dumpster.

I think your heart is in the right place, auecker. I do. And I don't think a fishing derby is a bad idea. But not at East Lake. :twocents:

[auecker]

Correct. It's not focusing on the frying pan at all. IT IS focused on harvesting trophy fish. And potentially, harvesting A LOT of trophy trout. Trophy Trout that take time to grow to that size. In order to weigh them in, they will more than likely have to be killed. Because of the health warning on page 16 of the ODFW 2009 Fishing Regulations, it states "AVOID eating brown trout 16" or larger", they'll be killed and then what.

So, the fish that will more than likely be kept to see if they could potentially win the derby is going to be larger than 16". So that brings the point that once these fish are killed, what do you do with them? Now you can't tell people what they can and can't eat. It's just a warning and people can do what they want to do. But of the 250 fish that will potentially be caught and kept to see if they win the Grand Prize, only 1 will win. So that's 249 fish that, more than likely, will be larger than 16". I can all but assure you that those 249 fish will go to the dumpster.

I think your heart is in the right place, auecker. I do. And I don't think a fishing derby is a bad idea. But not at East Lake. :twocents:

I undestand and respect your concerns. It should be noted that in order to conduct this derby we are required to submit the details of the derby with the number of participants as well as the projected impact on the lake. All these factors must be within the parameters set forth by the ODFW. We have been in constant contact with the local field office of both the ODFW and the Forest Service and they are on board. I suspect that if there were serious concerns with regards to the fish being taken, they would not consider granting the permits. I only tell you this to let you know that we are extremely concious of the potential environmental issues and I encourage you to look at the derby website listed above and you will find that the rules and regulations of the derby are quite well defined.

[SilverBullets]

I also agree this will be a weekend to avoid East Lake This will have an impact for sure...it's really sad to think about. Who can we contact with respect to voicing our concerns with this event? Paulina and East lake are truly gems, and for this to even be considered is hard to believe.

[CoyoteBrownTrtHntr]

BWILD,
I couldn't agree more. I would be in full support of a fishing derby ANYWHERE OTHER than East Lake!

Silver Bullets,
I'm right there with ya Brother! Who can we contact or write to voice our concerns over this very serious matter? Even if this goes thru (which would be an absolute shame) I would want to go down as someone who voiced my displeasure over such an event where it appears the responsible parties hosting this derby are putting the almight $$ over the precious and delicate trophy brown fishery that is currently going on at East Lake.

Auecker,
It's obvious we will never agree on this issue. You say you "understand and respect our concerns", but are you really hearing what we are trying to communicate here? Trophy sized trout (primarily brown trout which the State of Oregon doesn't even stock on a regular basis anymore; look at the ODFW website for 2009 stocking schedule) of 18+ inches or greater will be harvested and weighed in at your derby. According to your derby rules, each angler is allowed to weigh in one fish. If all 250 anglers choose to keep a fish and weigh it, that is 250 mercury filled trophy sized trout that will be turned into crab bait, rot in a dumpster, feed the osprey, get tilled into the garden, etc. Surely the anglers entering this derby would be smart enough NOT to eat these fish and would have read this years Fishing Regulations which clearly outline on page 18 a Health Advisory for East Lake stating "AVOID eating brown trout 18" or Larger, HIGH Mercury Levels ALL Species"! In summary, 250 trophy sized trout will be WASTED because of this derby's focus on the $1,000 prize of catching and weighing the biggest fish for the day. Let's face it, the $25,000 is a LONG shot. It's the same thing Golf Tournaments of this nature put on. $100,000 prize awarded to the Hole in One for the day. I think everyone knows how often those happen......
Please don't take these facts personally, Auecker, as they are not verbal attacks by any means. East Lake holds a VERY special place in my heart and the thought of 250 trophy sized trout going to WASTE sickens me to no end.
All I can say is I hope the ODFW, USFS, and Marine Board look at the bigger picture and reject this proposal.
Ryan Daniels (CBTH)

[dirty bird]

I also have to agree that a trout derby is a bad idea. Our trout already have problems. The most prolific fish in Central Oregon is the thai chub. They are non native and compete with trout for food. Look at what the introduced fish have done to Crane Prairie. (Bass, Sticklebacks and whatever else is there) This was once a world renowned fishery. Where have all of the once famous hatches gone? They are being eaten by these introduced species. Look at the millions of brown bullhead in Wickiup. How is this going to play out? Or the bass in Davis? I remember seeing 15 lb rainbows swimming in the channels. Now we see big bass and fewer trout. Trout take a long time to grow big. We do not have and endless supply.
I do have an idea. What about a derby targeting the thai chub? If we could remove a 1000 lbs or so it would improve the habitat instead of taking from it. The winner could be for the most pounds. If you must proceed you should disperse the pressure. What about including all the lakes and not just one? My :twocents: is that East is a poor choice for all of the reasons mentioned in the previous posts. Or what about a bass tournament? Or kokanee? These hold up well to heavy pressure and trout don't.
I do commend you for trying to do something for the community. I am just not sure this is the right thing. These are just my opinions. I am not always right. I wish you the best in getting this figured out.

[Bigkntry]

I agree with RD, Dan and Bwild and the others on this one. What are they going to do with those trophy fish after the are weighed eat them??? I think not since they are high in mercury.PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE pick another lake so at least the fish they kill can be eaten....dont spoil the trophy fishery for the sake of killling fish and a prize. Let them go to live and grow bigger "Catch and Release" made this lake folks. Or if you are dead set on this and cant be swayed at least take a picture of the fish next to a tape measure with a special east lake derby tag issued the day of the derby and let them go after they smile for the camera. I really think this is a huge mistake ! !

My two cents

[Beaglehunter]

There seems to be a lot of tension in the air about this. Just a thought that might keep these fish from being thrown into a dumpster or whatever. Why not have a few official weigh in people that could have a radio and get called by the person who catches a big fish and weigh and measure the fish, then release it back in the water to live another day.:twocents:

[marshworm]

Can't help myself, gotta throw the paddle in the water on this one.
I don't and won't fish derby's. If I had the majic wand I would eliminate all of them but this is the land of the free and the home of the brave...so to each his own and the right to disagree...respectfully voice opinons to all.

Trout fishing derby's that target the payout for the biggest or most are definetly on the bottom of the stringer.

Trout fishing derby's that are held to benefit non fishing activity's have no place in the tackle box.

Trout fishing derby's that provide no alternative other than the killing of the fish to be scored are about as good as a dull hook.

Trout fishing derby's that are held in Oregon that allow the proceeds to find their way out of Oregon are related to the Tui Chub.

Trout fishing derby's that allow or provide any individual with personal or private gain are as bad as can of dead worms.

The trout fishery in Oregon belongs to all of us to use and enjoy. We all get something different out of it. We all have those special lakes that we are emotional about and want to protect for all the right reasons. We all can make good cases against having a derby on our special lake. Diamond Lake is where I grew up and nothing can fire up the old outboard quicker than when I hear of derby's on Diamond, especially in the late fall when the big rainbows are the most vulenerable. I don't know what the answer is but I do believe that the purpose of big trout being on this earth is not for somebody to put a bounty on them. They are too noble a creature for that to happen to them and that boat don't leak!

[fishin' is livin']

How 'bout a "Best Photo" contest, Photograph your catch, release, and have a panel of judges choose the appropriate photo to represent the event AND the fishery. It could be posted throughout the region, demonstrating that THIS TOWN promotes catch and release. I think you will get a bigger bang for your buck, and save the fish from the dumpster. (remember...long term investment,i.e public relations, will shine on you down the road....) just my two and a half cents.

[BigSteelyHead123]

How 'bout a "Best Photo" contest, Photograph your catch, release, and have a panel of judges choose the appropriate photo to represent the event AND the fishery. It could be posted throughout the region, demonstrating that THIS TOWN promotes catch and release. I think you will get a bigger bang for your buck, and save the fish from the dumpster. (remember...long term investment,i.e public relations, will shine on you down the road....) just my two and a half cents.

Exactly what I was going to say.
Biggest fish photo.
Must have date on camera for photo.
I think if it's a catch and kill kinda thing I won't be attending.
East Lake is my favorite lakes to fish.
I go there every year multiple times and agree with everyone that the brown trout population is increasing and big fish are numerous. Why go out and kill that to raise a small fund for something that fish habitat and restoration doesn't benefit from.

Let's change this to a C&R derby. :cool:

[LQQKASTAR]

Exactly what I was going to say.
Biggest fish photo.
Must have date on camera for photo.
I think if it's a catch and kill kinda thing I won't be attending.
East Lake is my favorite lakes to fish.
I go there every year multiple times and agree with everyone that the brown trout population is increasing and big fish are numerous. Why go out and kill that to raise a small fund for something that fish habitat and restoration doesn't benefit from.

Let's change this to a C&R derby. :cool:


Everybody here seems to have great idea's. but most seem to be missing the point.

this derby has been planned, people have paid their money.

Once people pay and have entered, you cant change the rules..period!

your only chance at changing this event is to shut it down with all moneys refunded.
if the sponser(s) of this event did that, there would be A huge surge against that from the people who planned vacation days off, got reservations, ect.

I dont live near there or fish in lake's, but reading these post above and being involved in tournaments myself, it's my beleif that the tourney wont be called off or changed in any way.

so here's some idea's
Make sure they play the rules!

enough out houses?...D.E.Q.

can the roads handle that much traffic....O.D.O.T.

can you show A negatine impact on the fish and/or local wildlife O.D.F.W.

You get the picture.

[taprice]

I must side with the rest of the guys on this one. I too love East Lake and fish it a minimum of 30 to 40 times a year. I am very concerned about damaging a very fragile fishery. The thought of a possible 250 trophy browns being wasted makes me feel very sad inside.
I love this lake and all the browns in it. I take care in releasing as many trout as possible at East. In 9 years of fishing this lake and catching 100's of browns over 16" I have only not been able to release 2 of those fish.
I am sorry won't be there either for the derby

[gottafish]

I must side with the rest of the guys on this one. I too love East Lake and fish it a minimum of 30 to 40 times a year. I am very concerned about damaging a very fragile fishery. The thought of a possible 250 trophy browns being wasted makes me feel very sad inside.
I love this lake and all the browns in it. I take care in releasing as many trout as possible at East. In 9 years of fishing this lake and catching 100's of browns over 16" I have only not been able to release 2 of those fish.
I am sorry won't be there either for the derby
I agree, This is a shame What a buch of crap . Why dont they just fish the bass out of Davis instead.

[hookjawfreak]

Everybody here seems to have great idea's. but most seem to be missing the point.

this derby has been planned, people have paid their money.

Once people pay and have entered, you cant change the rules..period!

your only chance at changing this event is to shut it down with all moneys refunded.
if the sponser(s) of this event did that, there would be A huge surge against that from the people who planned vacation days off, got reservations, ect.

I dont live near there or fish in lake's, but reading these post above and being involved in tournaments myself, it's my beleif that the tourney wont be called off or changed in any way.

so here's some idea's
Make sure they play the rules!

enough out houses?...D.E.Q.

can the roads handle that much traffic....O.D.O.T.

can you show A negatine impact on the fish and/or local wildlife O.D.F.W.

You get the picture.

Well, based on a conversation I had with Ted Wise (local ODFW biologist involved with managing East Lake), There are no approved permits at this point. He shared the sediments of that many of us have expressed and encouraged me to exhaust recources in seeing about making changes to this event. According to him, approval must be granted from ODFW, the state marine board, the forest service and possibly the fed's given the fact that East Lake is part of the Newberry National Monument. I feel that the mercury levels which create the "wasted fish" scenario, could easily be overlooked by some of these entities who might not be completely familiar with the mercury situation. My intent is to make sure that all who are involved with giving approval for the permit have a clear understanding of this. I would be pretty surprised to learn that they have started to accept money from participents if final permits are not in hand.

I really hate the wet blanket that I am involved with casting on this event, but this is something that I, and clearly many others feel strongly about. I fish many lakes in this beautiful state and East is my very favorite. I encourage anyone who is in favor of this event to let their voice be heard, because at this point it would seem that we have an overwhelming majority opposed to it.

Who knows if it is already to late to put a stop to this event, but we can certainly raise public awareness and possibly curtail the damage to some degree.

[BigSteelyHead123]

Well, based on a conversation I had with Ted Wise (local ODFW biologist involved with managing East Lake), There are no approved permits at this point. He shared the sediments of that many of us have expressed and encouraged me to exhaust recources in seeing about making changes to this event. According to him, approval must be granted from ODFW, the state marine board, the forest service and possibly the fed's given the fact that East Lake is part of the Newberry National Monument. I feel that the mercury levels which create the "wasted fish" scenario, could easily be overlooked by some of these entities who might not be completely familiar with the mercury situation. My intent is to make sure that all who are involved with giving approval for the permit have a clear understanding of this. I would be pretty surprised to learn that they have started to accept money from participents if final permits are not in hand.

I really hate the wet blanket that I am involved with casting on this event, but this is something that I, and clearly many others feel strongly about. I fish many lakes in this beautiful state and East is my very favorite. I encourage anyone who is in favor of this event to let their voice be heard, because at this point it would seem that we have an overwhelming majority opposed to it.

Who knows if it is already to late to put a stop to this event, but we can certainly raise public awareness and possibly curtail the damage to some degree.

Maybe if everyone opposed to it wrote them an email as I have...
Just click that link on the first post and there's a way to contact the LaPine Rocks Derby..

[bwild]

Who knows if it is already to late to put a stop to this event, but we can certainly raise public awareness and possibly curtail the damage to some degree.

Exactly.:applause: I have contacted ODFW as well and raised my concerns. We shall see what happens.

[Bigkntry]

Exactly.:applause: I have contacted ODFW as well and raised my concerns. We shall see what happens.

I too will be on the phone with ODFW on Monday bright and early and voice my concerns

[clarkman23]

Our trout already have problems. The most prolific fish in Central Oregon is the thai chub. They are non native and compete with trout for food.
so are Brown Trout...



seriously though, to those who want this to take place at some other lake....which one? A lake that actually DOES have native fish in it? regardless of size (of the lake), IMO, that would be worse than having it on a lake that is full of nonnative fish...that said, I can't see the whole thing being a good idea...goes back to the whole ODFW credo of "increase angler opportunity" even at the expense of wild, sustainable fisheries...

2 cents worth,
Randy

[Old Coot]

Clarkman, my suggestion for an alternate lake would be Huron, Erie, or Loch Ness. If you want something within driving distance, try Shasta.

Marshworm, I am firmly entrenched in your camp. I hate to see our dwindling angling resource further decimated so that a few folks can financially benefit. If, in fact, this lake is to be mined by competition anglers so that LaPine can install a few street lights, it is obscene. Even worse is that the website implys that this is to become an annual travesty.

You want streetlights? Do what we did in my neighborhood. Form a Local Improvement District, bancroft the improvements, and pay for the lights yourselves over a 15 year period if you can't swing a few hundred bucks each right up front.

Trout and Kokanee tournaments in Oregon should be banned in my opinion.

John Coffey
Ranter

[rockthief]

"It is focused on promoting sportsmanship and an opportunity to fish in one of the most beautiful areas of the state and also a chance to spend time with other sportsman and their families"

this is a joke, right? There is nothing sporting about this derby. Auecker tell us hos this promotes sportsmanship. Anyone can fish that lake and we do not need a special opportunity. We can also spend time with other sportsman and families easily and often. This has to be a bad dream or a belated April fool's joke. Have you tried grantwriting for the monies for your streetlights? What else have you done to gain the funds? Have you considered a local bond issue over several years. This derby is an outrageous idea and there is nothing sporting about it.

How many times are those fish going to be handled by the time they are weighed? Dead, that is what we will have is a mess of dead fish. Ya gonna use them for rose fertilizer or just leave them to rot? Whoever thought of this ought to volunteer for STEP or some such organization and put some real effort into the sport or clip fins at a hatchery. This idea is an abomination.

[marshworm]

In casting my curosity "net" on the net I found myself re-thinking my position on fishing derby's being held in Oregon and honestly found myself unable to change my previous thoughts about about them posted here.

There is a long "stringer" filled with trout derby's that have taken place in Oregon for years. For example to list a few, in the Sublimity area the police agency's hold a "derby" for youngsters of single parent families. There's a pike minnow derby at Cultus Lake. I even found out about a Blackbird derby held for years at my beloved Diamond Lake! What a surprise this was. Sounded like a well run "family orientated fun time".
These are just a few and I am sure there are many more I didn't "catch".

My point is all of the derby's I read about had one thing in common. Not one of them has caused a "birdnest" of comments like we are having now.
This tells me that ALL of those other Oregon Trout derby's are run correctly and/or for an acceptable purpose. Think about this and ask yourself why there has been nothing negetive about them?

As for changing my thinking on derby's I grudingly can accept a kokanee derby as the kokanee and their habits are vastly different than those of trout, however they should be restricted to certain sized lakes.

Unchanged is my dissappointment that Kokanee Power has scheduled a derby at Diamond Lake in late September. The holding of any trout fishing derby on any lake in Oregon in the late fall certainly will raise questions as to it's intended purpose and the lengths that an organization will go to ensure it's existance.

The derby at East, under the conditons in which it is being held is absolutely unacceptable.

I applaud all on both sides of this issue as I am sure they all have good personal intentions and I truely believe looking at the number of readers of this post that it is clear what should happen concerning the derby's in question.

[hookjawfreak]

In casting my curosity "net" on the net I found myself re-thinking my position on fishing derby's being held in Oregon and honestly found myself unable to change my previous thoughts about about them posted here.

There is a long "stringer" filled with trout derby's that have taken place in Oregon for years. For example to list a few, in the Sublimity area the police agency's hold a "derby" for youngsters of single parent families. There's a pike minnow derby at Cultus Lake. I even found out about a Blackbird derby held for years at my beloved Diamond Lake! What a surprise this was. Sounded like a well run "family orientated fun time".
These are just a few and I am sure there are many more I didn't "catch".

My point is all of the derby's I read about had one thing in common. Not one of them has caused a "birdnest" of comments like we are having now.
This tells me that ALL of those other Oregon Trout derby's are run correctly and/or for an acceptable purpose. Think about this and ask yourself why there has been nothing negetive about them?

As for changing my thinking on derby's I grudingly can accept a kokanee derby as the kokanee and their habits are vastly different than those of trout, however they should be restricted to certain sized lakes.

Unchanged is my dissappointment that Kokanee Power has scheduled a derby at Diamond Lake in late September. The holding of any trout fishing derby on any lake in Oregon in the late fall certainly will raise questions as to it's intended purpose and the lengths that an organization will go to ensure it's existance.

The derby at East, under the conditons in which it is being held is absolutely unacceptable.

I applaud all on both sides of this issue as I am sure they all have good personal intentions and I truely believe looking at the number of readers of this post that it is clear what should happen concerning the derby's in question.

Very well put, Marshworm! :applause:

[dckkllr]

Many of you have mentioned removing bass from central Oregon lakes as they are an introduced non-native species, yet you seem to forget that brown trout are also an introduced non-native species. As much as I enjoy angling for both these species it would not hurt me in the least bit to see them go in order to help the species which are here naturally. :flowered:

[bwild]

Many of you have mentioned removing bass from central Oregon lakes as they are an introduced non-native species, yet you seem to forget that brown trout are also an introduced non-native species. As much as I enjoy angling for both these species it would not hurt me in the least bit to see them go in order to help the species which are here naturally. :flowered:

By your rationale then, East Lake should be killed off completely as no fish occurred there naturally until fish were introduced back in 1912 (see attached link). http://www.eastlakeresort.com/default.aspx?p=13

So, if you're not sad to see this lake go, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it. Although, I think you will have a lot of people disagree with you (including myself).

[BigSteelyHead123]

By your rationale then, East Lake should be killed off completely as no fish occurred there naturally until fish were introduced back in 1912 (see attached link). http://www.eastlakeresort.com/default.aspx?p=13

So, if you're not sad to see this lake go, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it. Although, I think you will have a lot of people disagree with you (including myself).

:yeahthat: Exactly...

[hookjawfreak]

I'd like to say a little more about the importance of the brown trout population in East. Most of us know that East and Paulina are naturally void of any fish at all, so I have to agree with BWild that there is no place for a "non-native" argument in this thread. The fact is that through tremendous effort so many years ago the lake was stocked by the community of Bend, and has been managed for over 80 years to provide incredible recreation opportunities for generations. Try telling Jim Teeny that the browns in East don't count because they are not native. (He developed his no famous Teeny Nymph at East in the 70's, while targeting the trophy browns).

East has a massive tui chub population which would completely take over the lake if not for the brown trout population. The chubs are in check right now, but would undoubtedly run amuck if something happened to the brown trout population. There is a balance at work here and it is a delicate balance at that. The browns in East are FAT and growing quickly thanks to their veracious appetite for chubs.

But... the main reason that the browns of East Lake stand out above others for me is the incredible colors they develop. I have inquired with local biologists as to why this is and no one can tell me (mercury, perhaps?). After fishing trophy browns in many bodies of water it is clear that on average the browns of East are a cut above in their humble beauty.

Check out this incredible specimen I caught and RELEASED in JULY of 2007. How'd ya like to see a few of these guys go into the dumpster or get tilled into the garden... borderline criminal? At 26 inches, this fish would not likely win the derby, but if any contender caught it, it would surely be killed...

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/cropped_for_print.JPG

[bwild]

I love that fish, Hookjaw. That is probably the most amazingly colored brown trout I've EVER seen. To know that a fish like that could be thrown into the dumpster would be a travesty.

[HawgFiend]

bwild,
Who should we contact at ODFW to express our concerns?

[Hunter56787]

Okay people I realize I'm in the wrong pew. Beings that I'm recovering from congestive heart failure and this is my first chance to get out of town and go fishing I'm looking at this as a great opportunity to meet a few iFishr's that I know all iFishr's are respectable and courteous fishing people. No matter where you go in a buoy 10 situation your going to have an issue with someone, the big difference is being the respectable fishermen we are we can shrug our shoulders, shake our heads and meander off the other direction. A hundred boats on a 1000 acre lake gives each boat 10 acres and I don't think any of us are floating around in a semi size boat that needs 40 acres to turn around. I think, and I'm probably wrong like I normally am according to all the people that know everything, but I think we can make the best of this and we can all have a good time. I have my reservations for East Lake and if you move the derby I guess I'll just write my donation off to the charity and have the lake to a select few fishermen. Enjoy your day's fishing wherever you go.

Ross

[troutbound]

It is focused on promoting sportsmanship and an opportunity to fish in one of the most beautiful areas of the state and also a chance to spend time with other sportsman and their families.
How is throwing a trophy size fish in the dumpster "promoting sportsmanship"? Would you have a hunting derby that 300-400 class bull elk were killed so their antlers could be cut off and let the carcass lay and rot? please don't let many years of catch and release conservation go to waste over some lights.

[SilverBullets]

I really don't think the lake size is what the main issue is here. You can bet it will be an interesting day on the water though. You're right, i-fisher's are a good bunch, and for the slaughter of trophy browns in a lake where it is advised not to eat them is just plain wrong and needs to be addressed. Only a few will benefit from this, but it will effect this fishery for the rest of us for years to come. I hope the powers to be step up to the plate and do the right thing...

[wapiteaser]

How many of you would be grouching if it was a Kokanee derby? Not many I bet. Eating one brown trout over 16" is not going to kill you. You can smoke it or do whatever you would like to do with it. Maybe ODFW is setting the 16" limit in an effort to have people return those fish regardless of mercury content. You would have to eat a lot of 16" fish to notice anything. Then it would probably be 30 years down the road and you had forgot about it. You have a better chance of getting hit with lightning on East than dying eating a fish over 16". Maybe eliminating some from the competition chain will let the smaller fish grow and become the new trophies. Good luck with you event and I vote go for it.:applause:

[Wingmaster]

Wapiteaser, I have absolutely no doubt that a kokanee tournament at East would be recieivng the same type of bad publicity as this big fish contest!

Perhaps a lake with a 25 kokanee limit, no special regulations on heavy metal contamination (BTW I would be taking the blatant, scientifically-based mercury warning a little more seriously :flowered:), and the facilities to meet the demand of so many anglers/support crew might actually get a good turnout and happy fishermen.

Like many have expressed, if this was held at a number of other lakes some of the state's best fishermen would be endorsing it, entering, and telling their pals to do the same.

East is just too fragile of a fishery (ecosystem for that matter!) to allow this type of activity (even for just one day IMHO).

[bwild]

Eating one brown trout over 16" is not going to kill you. You can smoke it or do whatever you would like to do with it. Maybe ODFW is setting the 16" limit in an effort to have people return those fish regardless of mercury content.

So, why would ODFW even put up a Health Advisory in the Fishing Regulations for this lake. You're interpreting what you think is the real reason for ODFW putting up this warning. IMHO, I presume they're stating this mercury warning as a public service to ensure the safety of sportsmen like you and I. It is a warning, which means you can take heed of it or not. If something states "AVOID eating brown trout 16" or larger", I'm going to release everything that's 16" or over to prevent wasting a fish (obviously there can be extenuating circumstances where a fish over 16" may not be revivable).:twocents:

[mandinga]

East Lake is not a great place to have the derby, but there are far worse places they could have picked.

The biggest concern I see is the future of this derby. If it is successful and some people catch monster browns, people will be lining up next year to get a spot. If ODFW is unresponsive, the future of East Lake may include at least one derby for year.


Regarding the $25,000 prize money...
Auecker said "The East Lake location was chosen because, if we want to give an angler the best chance to catch the $25,000 fish we certainly do not want to have the derby in the larger lake such as Wickiup."

Is that really the reason? The real reason is the beautiful browns in this gem of a lake. There are plenty of smaller lakes to hold this derby at. If you think we're buying this argument, then you are sadly mistaken. This board is full of intelligent individuals who see right through your propaganda. Just be honest and say that you want people to hold up huge brown's at your weigh in...so that you can publish the photo's online or in an advertisement. Honesty is always the best policy around here ;)

[BigSteelyHead123]

How many of you would be grouching if it was a Kokanee derby? Not many I bet. Eating one brown trout over 16" is not going to kill you. You can smoke it or do whatever you would like to do with it. Maybe ODFW is setting the 16" limit in an effort to have people return those fish regardless of mercury content. You would have to eat a lot of 16" fish to notice anything. Then it would probably be 30 years down the road and you had forgot about it. You have a better chance of getting hit with lightning on East than dying eating a fish over 16". Maybe eliminating some from the competition chain will let the smaller fish grow and become the new trophies. Good luck with you event and I vote go for it.:applause:

I think fishing derbys in general are bad for fisheries.
Except maybe in lakes that only have 10" stocker trout... for example Foster
Lake. Then i don't really have a problem. But there should NOT be derby's held at trophy fisheries! To me this is the same thing as havning a fishing derby in an all native steelhead stream! :passout:

[Klamanite]

Well, at least to up to this point, this thread hasn't spiraled out of control as do most subjects similar to this. This is a good discussion and I'd like to see it continue as there a lot of valid points that still need consideration :applause:

It would seem that East Lake is regarded with the same amount of high esteem as Diamond Lake does. Many people came to the rescue of Diamond to restore it back to it's original state. Definitely not the same circumstances here, but the passion for East is quite similar. The native vs. non-native fishery doesn't really apply here either as East was devoid of all fish until the early plantings. Does that mean we should not respect what has been there for nearly a century? Brown trout are very higly regarded as a game fish, though maybe not by everyone. They are a beautiful fish, very intelligent and difficult to catch on a regular basis. East lake is fast becoming a destination for die-hard Brown trout fisherman in addition to the anglers who already frequent it for Kokanee and Rainbows. I believe part of this is because those of us that do frequently fish for Browns are better than 99% C & R fisherman. I have yet to keep/kill a single brown (knock on wood) from ANY lake. If it is table-fare you are after, there are many, many better choices out there than Brown trout. I certainly won't impose my beliefs on any of you that you should release all of the fish you catch, that is a personal choice for each individual. With that said, it was mentioned earlier that "eating a Brown over 16" out of East won't kill you". Then why the warnings from ODFW? How many people that read that are going to feed those trout to their children? Some will, most will not which brings us to the point of this discussion. A catch and kill derby does not need to happen at East Lake!! There are many ways to still conduct a derby without killing every fish entered. There has been a C & R derby for each of the last two years on Klamath Lake with specific provisions to ensure the release of the fish and still have a viable contest. Why has this method not been considered? If it has, why was it rejected?

"A hundred boats on a 1000 acre lake gives each boat 10 acres and I don't think any of us are floating around in a semi size boat that needs 40 acres to turn around."

Guess what, when fishing for Browns, long-lining is the order of the day. I fish a minimum of 300' setbacks and have been as far as 450' depending on the application. Couple that with the targeted fish being concentrated in several key areas, not spread out evenly across the lake as you seem to think, and that will, not might be, a huuuuge problem. Ironically enough, the tagged fish will be a Rainbow, yet the biggest fish that will come out of East will be a Brown. Two very different methods of angling for two separate species of fish. What to do??? Long-line stickbaits for Browns and the $1,000 prize, or lake-trolls, needlefish and power bait for a single rainbow? Odd set-up for sure :confused:

I understand the rationale for the derby, there's nothing wrong with that. But I don't think wasting any species of fish is a really well thought out plan. Will it raise funds for LaPine? It most certainly will........But at what cost??

"Again, the derby is not focused on catching a limit for the fry pan. It is focused on promoting sportsmanship and an opportunity to fish in one of the most beautiful areas of the state and also a chance to spend time with other sportsman and their families."

But the focus of the derby is to catch and kill a fish that is recommended to not be eaten. So what is the focus.........Fertilizer?? A couple of hero shots for the website? There are better ways to address this and still have a successful event :twocents:

[bwild]

:applause: Bravo, Klamanite! Bravo :applause: Very well written.

[HawgFiend]

How many of you would be grouching if it was a Kokanee derby? Not many I bet. Eating one brown trout over 16" is not going to kill you. You can smoke it or do whatever you would like to do with it. Maybe ODFW is setting the 16" limit in an effort to have people return those fish regardless of mercury content. You would have to eat a lot of 16" fish to notice anything. Then it would probably be 30 years down the road and you had forgot about it. You have a better chance of getting hit with lightning on East than dying eating a fish over 16". Maybe eliminating some from the competition chain will let the smaller fish grow and become the new trophies. Good luck with you event and I vote go for it.:applause:

Thanks wapiteaser, where did you get your medical degree again? Oh wait, you're a developmental biologist right? You specialize in prenatal cognitive development right?
As I'm guessing you are approximately 65-years old, you probably should worry more about your prostate than methyl-mercury accumulation. But the uneducated angler who would otherwise harvest these fish and feed them to his pregnant wife and young children should definitely take note. Consumption of fish with high methyl-mercury levels is associated with numerous neurodevelopmental disabilities. Also, several postnatal syndromes are linked to consumption fish with elevated mercury levels.
I will even do something wild...something virtually unheard of on a forum...cite my sources (and they're not Wikipedia!!!).
Castoldi AF, et al. Human developmental neurotoxicity of methylmercury: impact of variables and risk modifiers. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2008 Jul;51(2):201-14.

Soldin OP, et al. Thyroid hormones and methylmercury toxicity. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2008 Winter;126(1-3):1-12.


Davidson PW, et al. Mercury exposure and child development outcomes. Pediatrics. 2004 Apr;113(4 Suppl):1023-9.


Lucchini R, et al. Neurotoxic effect of exposure to low doses of mercury. Med Lav. 2002 May-Jun;93(3):202-14.

[marshworm]

Good post Klamanite!
I also am pleased with the continued civility of this post. It is a remarkable testimonial to the respect shown to others by honest, hard working Oregonian fisher people who care deeply about the fantastic fisheries we are blessed with in this state.

Could it be the general underlying issue here is with the derby's that have sprung up the past year or so? We all can make a strong defensible case for not having the type of trout derby's being held by Lapine Rocks and Kokanee Power on our favorite lake. Maybe we should be thinking and talking more about the potential long term effect of not only these derby's but with their success will surely come more derby's held on more lakes and what happens then? Where does it stop?

I can see this growing completely out of control. Hopefully with enough of us voicing our concerns the ODFW will step in and carefully look at these two latest trout derby situations so they do not have an adverse effect on the trophy trout resource found in many lakes througout Oregon. In doing so they would be meeting their obligation to protect and manage the resource for the enjoyment of all.

[moknots]

[quote=dirty bird;2535940]I also have to agree that a trout derby is a bad idea. I do have an idea. What about a derby targeting the thai chub? If we could remove a 1000 lbs or so it would improve the habitat instead of taking from it. The winner could be for the most pounds.
quote]

BRILLIANT!! Not a derby fan, but I like the sounds of your's a lot better!

[bwild]

Hawgfiend,

C'mon man. Keep it civil. THere are a few posts on here that I don't agree with as well. But take the high road. People are entitled to their opinions.

I know you're passionate about this as well as a lot of people. And I applaud you for that. Just keep it civil.

Thanks in advance.

[HawgFiend]

I apologize for the sarcasm but stand by the science. :flowered:

[Bigkntry]

Klamanite,
Job Well Done ! ! ! I agree with your thoughts

[Hunter56787]

Well, at least to up to this point, this thread hasn't spiraled out of control as do most subjects similar to this. This is a good discussion and I'd like to see it continue as there a lot of valid points that still need consideration :applause:

It would seem that East Lake is regarded with the same amount of high esteem as Diamond Lake does. Many people came to the rescue of Diamond to restore it back to it's original state. Definitely not the same circumstances here, but the passion for East is quite similar. The native vs. non-native fishery doesn't really apply here either as East was devoid of all fish until the early plantings. Does that mean we should not respect what has been there for nearly a century? Brown trout are very higly regarded as a game fish, though maybe not by everyone. They are a beautiful fish, very intelligent and difficult to catch on a regular basis. East lake is fast becoming a destination for die-hard Brown trout fisherman in addition to the anglers who already frequent it for Kokanee and Rainbows. I believe part of this is because those of us that do frequently fish for Browns are better than 99% C & R fisherman. I have yet to keep/kill a single brown (knock on wood) from ANY lake. If it is table-fare you are after, there are many, many better choices out there than Brown trout. I certainly won't impose my beliefs on any of you that you should release all of the fish you catch, that is a personal choice for each individual. With that said, it was mentioned earlier that "eating a Brown over 16" out of East won't kill you". Then why the warnings from ODFW? How many people that read that are going to feed those trout to their children? Some will, most will not which brings us to the point of this discussion. A catch and kill derby does not need to happen at East Lake!! There are many ways to still conduct a derby without killing every fish entered. There has been a C & R derby for each of the last two years on Klamath Lake with specific provisions to ensure the release of the fish and still have a viable contest. Why has this method not been considered? If it has, why was it rejected?

"A hundred boats on a 1000 acre lake gives each boat 10 acres and I don't think any of us are floating around in a semi size boat that needs 40 acres to turn around."

Guess what, when fishing for Browns, long-lining is the order of the day. I fish a minimum of 300' setbacks and have been as far as 450' depending on the application. Couple that with the targeted fish being concentrated in several key areas, not spread out evenly across the lake as you seem to think, and that will, not might be, a huuuuge problem. Ironically enough, the tagged fish will be a Rainbow, yet the biggest fish that will come out of East will be a Brown. Two very different methods of angling for two separate species of fish. What to do??? Long-line stickbaits for Browns and the $1,000 prize, or lake-trolls, needlefish and power bait for a single rainbow? Odd set-up for sure :confused:

I understand the rationale for the derby, there's nothing wrong with that. But I don't think wasting any species of fish is a really well thought out plan. Will it raise funds for LaPine? It most certainly will........But at what cost??

"Again, the derby is not focused on catching a limit for the fry pan. It is focused on promoting sportsmanship and an opportunity to fish in one of the most beautiful areas of the state and also a chance to spend time with other sportsman and their families."

But the focus of the derby is to catch and kill a fish that is recommended to not be eaten. So what is the focus.........Fertilizer?? A couple of hero shots for the website? There are better ways to address this and still have a successful event :twocents:

I have never fished for brown's, don't even know what to use to target a brown, but I can tell you this if you need 450' of line behind the boat to catch a brown you must be one of the 10% of the fishermen that catch 90% of the fish. My point was that I thought we all could get along but it sure looks like you want to throw rocks at a glass house. I don't intend to do any different fishing at East Lake that I do at any other lake. My personal belief is you only catch what you will eat that day, so at best for myself and a fishing partner we normally will only keep 3 fish and this is providing that they are 12" or less. I have not looked at the out of state regs to verify that there is a 16" minimum size limit on East Lake and if that is the case I only need to keep 2 fish. I can see very clearly there apparently is quite a number of questionable personalities on what I thought was a very respectable fishing forum. I didn't feel I even had a chance of winning a thing at this derby, my thought was I might meet a few people that are interested in maybe making a few future fishing trips. Perhaps that was just a dream. I just honestly feel that there are a lot of good people that would respect and take care of this lake and any other lake and then there are a few that have posted here that would run anything they thought they could into the ground. This is my last post on ifish for the time being..................................

[Wingmaster]

Hunter56787, If you stay updated on the trout fishing board you'll see that people often list open seats and tips for many different waters across the northwest.

This derby is aimed at those who know how to target large brown trout (the largest fish in East).
Its completely obvious they want to target browns especially since the founders of the event wanted to release a tagged brown trout but had to settle for a rainbow.

Also you should check out the mercury warning for East Lake, especially with your health condition you mentioned earlier. Servings of trout from the lake should be limited.

Best of luck to you in you future fishing adventures!:cheers:

[Klamanite]

I have never fished for brown's, don't even know what to use to target a brown, but I can tell you this if you need 450' of line behind the boat to catch a brown you must be one of the 10% of the fishermen that catch 90% of the fish. My point was that I thought we all could get along but it sure looks like you want to throw rocks at a glass house. I don't intend to do any different fishing at East Lake that I do at any other lake. My personal belief is you only catch what you will eat that day, so at best for myself and a fishing partner we normally will only keep 3 fish and this is providing that they are 12" or less. I have not looked at the out of state regs to verify that there is a 16" minimum size limit on East Lake and if that is the case I only need to keep 2 fish. I can see very clearly there apparently is quite a number of questionable personalities on what I thought was a very respectable fishing forum. I didn't feel I even had a chance of winning a thing at this derby, my thought was I might meet a few people that are interested in maybe making a few future fishing trips. Perhaps that was just a dream. I just honestly feel that there are a lot of good people that would respect and take care of this lake and any other lake and then there are a few that have posted here that would run anything they thought they could into the ground. This is my last post on ifish for the time being..................................

Not sure what glass houses I'm throwing rocks at, Could you please clarify? I personally don't have a problem with derby's, while some others may. I do have a problem targeting a fish that will be wasted at the end of the day because it is unfit for consumption. I would love to take part in a derby that targets Brown Trout if it had provisions in place to protect the fishery or at the very least, target a fish that is usable in some fashion other than crab bait or fertilizer. If you have never fished for Browns, or have any idea how to catch them, then the idea of 450' feet of line out will certainly make some of us seem crazy. That is not the norm, I said "in certain applications", not all. The norm for me is 300', less for some, more for others. If you want to take part in the derby, then more power to you. Winning obviously isn't what motivates you and that's o.k. However, the anglers that are out there to win are going to kill and weigh the biggest Brown the can in hopes of taking home the prize. That's where the problem lies. The smaller fish you want to consume are just fine for that. The bigger fish and potential derby winners that have spent several years maturing and absorbing mercury from the waters of East Lake, should not be consumed for obvious health reasons. With the premise of this derby being the largest fish caught, what do you suppose will happen to each and every entry, winner or not? Where else can you go hunting or fishing and kill a fish or an animal, then let the carcass go to waste because it cannot be eaten, and you knew that before you ever caught or killed it!!! Some don't want the derby at all and I do agree with some of the rationale. For me, I would be happy if they would modify the rules that would mandate a catch and release format so the bigger fish will not be wasted. I will not participate either way because the tactics that I employ would end up in a miserable day of tangles for myself and other fishermen. On a larger body of water.......You bet :thisbig:

I suppose if you think we are running this into the ground just for fun, you are sorely mistaken. This is probably the most friendly portion of this entire site. If disagreeing with you is considered un-friendly, then I'm thinking internet forums probably aren't the place for you. It's o.k. to disagree without taking it personal. If you don't agree with me, I can live with it. But I'm not going to quit posting because of it. Good luck in the derby if you decide to enter and enjoy your time at East. It is a very special and beautiful place :flowered:

[bwild]

I suppose if you think we are running this into the ground just for fun, you are sorely mistaken. This is probably the most friendly portion of this entire site. If disagreeing with you is considered un-friendly, then I'm thinking internet forums probably aren't the place for you. It's o.k. to disagree without taking it personal. If you don't agree with me, I can live with it. But I'm not going to quit posting because of it. Good luck in the derby if you decide to enter and enjoy your time at East. It is a very special and beautiful place :flowered:

Exactly! And this really has not been fun for me makeing these posts. I've been opposed to this derby for what Klamanite just stated. If it was conducted differently, encouraging a C&R forum as to not waste these fish, I'd probably be in support. I still probably wouldn't sign-up, due to the fact of the tactics Klamanite stated as I approach brown trout fishing very similarly to him. Paying $75 and potentially getting my line tangled often with other anglers is not how I'd want to fish a derby. But, that's my thoughts and opinions. Nothing personal. If you choose to participate in this derby, that is your choice. And like Klamanite stated, East Lake is a very beautiful and special place. You will enjoy it.

[auecker]

Due to legitimate concerns for the Brown Trout population in East Lake and in an effort to be the best stewards of the resource, it has been decided that the following changes will be made to the derby rules.
1. The tagged “target fish” will be either a rainbow trout or a kokanee. It will not be a brown trout.
2. The largest fish prize will be awarded for the largest rainbow trout or kokanee caught. Brown Trout are not allowed to be entered for this prize.
3. We ask all anglers to practice catch and release on any Brown Trout caught during the derby.

It is now and has been our goal to be sensitive to the anglers of the state. We have listened and above is evidence that a thoughtful and well articulated argument on an issue that is important to us all can result in good things happening.

[Lou]

Due to legitimate concerns for the Brown Trout population in East Lake and in an effort to be the best stewards of the resource, it has been decided that the following changes will be made to the derby rules.
1. The tagged “target fish” will be either a rainbow trout or a kokanee. It will not be a brown trout.
2. The largest fish prize will be awarded for the largest rainbow trout or kokanee caught. Brown Trout are not allowed to be entered for this prize.
3. We ask all anglers to practice catch and release on any Brown Trout caught during the derby.

It is now and has been our goal to be sensitive to the anglers of the state. We have listened and above is evidence that a thoughtful and well articulated argument on an issue that is important to us all can result in good things happening.
That is a big change, I am not coming as the lake is just to small
for the amount of pressure it will have. Good luck to those who
do enter!

[CoyoteBrownTrtHntr]

Auecker,
I commend you for listening to our concerns afterall. I was worried that our efforts were falling on deaf ears, but I was wrong. You and the derby committee have come to an outstanding way to eliminate the problem we had with the derby and I applaud you for that! THANK YOU SO MUCH for taking our Beloved Brown Trout out of the equation!!!!!
:applause::applause::applause::applause::applause: :applause::applause::applause::applause::applause: :applause::applause::applause::applause::applause: :applause::applause::applause::applause::applause: :applause::pray::pray::pray::pray::pray::pray:
:meme::meme::meme::meme:
Best Regards,
Ryan Daniels (R.D.)(CBTH)

[marshworm]

Auecker,
Many thanks to your group for your decision concerning the Brown Trout fishery at East Lake. Your group has made the right decision given all the circumstances and particular conditions surrounding the Brown Trout in East Lake.

I wish you well in your derby and hope it meets your expectations.

[auecker]

I want to personally thank you for your concerns. I would hope that we can move beyond this issue and all look forward to what we think will prove to be an enjoyable event. I wanted to add that we have also decided to limit the number of boats while maintaining the 250 angler limit. We will make the boat limit decision persuant to ODFW recomendations to that effect.

Again, Thanks :meme:

[bwild]

Aeucker, THANK YOU!!!! :applause:

I and I think a lot of iFishers will agree with me that you and the City of La Pine took our concerns very seriously. I am very grateful that you altered your derby because of these concerns. I truly feel that you have made this much more of a "win-win" situation for all parties involved. It is a testament to your openness and willingness to be flexible that I think will help this event thrive. I know it's a lot of work to put an event of this magnitude together. To alter it for the reasons you have, I commend you.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the derby (it's my 1st wedding anniversary and my wife would kill me :wink:), However, I fully intend on making a donation of what your derby registration fee is to your cause. I hope that your derby is a great success and that you can help install the lights to help make the city La Pine an even better community!

THANK YOU!

[Wingmaster]

Aeucker, thanks! I hope it is an enjoyable event for all!:flowered:

[hookjawfreak]

Aeucker, you are my hero! :flowered:

I thank you so much for being willing to listen to the concerns of so many of us and make alterations accordingly. That's really what makes these forums such a wonderful thing. I offer 100% support to your event and wish you the best of luck. I run a simple little website highlighting the great fishing opportunities in central Oregon and I will promote your event and put up a link to direct my readers your way.

I appreciate all who have been able to engage in this conversation without engaging in personal attacks. The Trout Board is truly filled with some of the most respectable anglers around. :applause::applause:

Long live the beautiful brown trout of East Lake!!!:meme:


Dan McAllister

[SilverBullets]

Aeucker,
Thankyou for listening to our concerns, and going above and beyond the call of duty to make this a very special event. Best of luck with the derby, it sounds like it will be a great time. You and the City of La Pine are hero's in my book!:applause::flowered:

[leadeyedbugger]

Can someone explain to me why the brown trout are so much more important the the rainbow trout and kokanee??????
And yes i target brown trout alot...and spend alot of time on east lake, this just seems a little weird to me.

[Klamanite]

Aucker, you and the rest of the tournament committee are to be commended for your willingness to listen and react to the concerns raised here. You all have my deepest respect and thanks for the positive changes made to the 2009 East Lake Fishing Derby :applause:

I too thought this was going to be very divisive and I am extremely pleased to see this issue come to and end with a result that is mutually agreeable to all parties. I am happy to see that you have made some changes to protect the Brown Trout of East Lake from being wasted and are still able to hold an event that will be a benefit to the residents of LaPine. My hope is that you will raise enough money to fund the lighting project and have an event that everyone can look back on and be proud of. You are indeed, good stewards and your actions reflect that :applause:

I will also donate the amount of the entry fee to help your cause.

Best of luck with your event :flowered:

FYI....... Hookjawfreak has a pretty nice site to peek at if you like fishing for big trout :whistle:

trophytrouthunter dot com ------- Google it :D

[Klamanite]

Can someone explain to me why the brown trout are so much more important the the rainbow trout and kokanee??????
And yes i target brown trout alot...and spend alot of time on east lake, this just seems a little weird to me.

Have you read any of the previous posts?

It's not that they are more important per se, the larger Browns which would be killed and weighed for the derby, should not be consumed due to high mercury levels. The smaller Kokanee and Rainbows don't pose the same threat because they have spent far less time in the lake and have had less exposure to the mercury. The emphasis on this debate was on the waste of fish, not which species was more important., If you start at the beginning it will make more sense.

[BigSteelyHead123]

Due to legitimate concerns for the Brown Trout population in East Lake and in an effort to be the best stewards of the resource, it has been decided that the following changes will be made to the derby rules.
1. The tagged “target fish” will be either a rainbow trout or a kokanee. It will not be a brown trout.
2. The largest fish prize will be awarded for the largest rainbow trout or kokanee caught. Brown Trout are not allowed to be entered for this prize.
3. We ask all anglers to practice catch and release on any Brown Trout caught during the derby.

It is now and has been our goal to be sensitive to the anglers of the state. We have listened and above is evidence that a thoughtful and well articulated argument on an issue that is important to us all can result in good things happening.


:applause::applause::applause:

[marshworm]

Can someone explain to me why the brown trout are so much more important the the rainbow trout and kokanee??????
And yes i target brown trout alot...and spend alot of time on east lake, this just seems a little weird to me.

I'll try.
The brown trout in East Lake are not more important than any othe game fish that swims in the lake. They are however extremely large and exceptionally colorful. Their importance is in the eye of the beholder. While I admit the colors on the browns I have seen posted here are truely breathtaking I personally think there is nothing more beautiful than a Diamond Lake rainbow or a silver sided koke.

Each fish in itself is a true gem. The fact that the derby was going to potentially cause the waste of a lot of big browns is why it appeared that the kokes and bows in East Lake were going unmentioned and easily viewed not as important.

I truely believe that those of us that voiced our concern, were using the Brown Trout as the vehicle to show our displeasure with the wasting of any game fish or animal in Oregon regardless of its species.

Hope this helps.

[auecker]

Aucker, you and the rest of the tournament committee are to be commended for your willingness to listen and react to the concerns raised here. You all have my deepest respect and thanks for the positive changes made to the 2009 East Lake Fishing Derby :applause:

I too thought this was going to be very divisive and I am extremely pleased to see this issue come to and end with a result that is mutually agreeable to all parties. I am happy to see that you have made some changes to protect the Brown Trout of East Lake from being wasted and are still able to hold an event that will be a benefit to the residents of LaPine. My hope is that you will raise enough money to fund the lighting project and have an event that everyone can look back on and be proud of. You are indeed, good stewards and your actions reflect that :applause:

I will also donate the amount of the entry fee to help your cause.

Best of luck with your event :flowered:

FYI....... Hookjawfreak has a pretty nice site to peek at if you like fishing for big trout :whistle:

trophytrouthunter dot com ------- Google it :D

I would like to thank you personally for your willingness to donate to our fund raiser. I would also like to extend to you a personal invitation to stop by my office the next time you are in La Pine and I will buy you a cup of coffee. :applause:

[Two Fister]

Aeucker, you are my hero! :flowered:

I thank you so much for being willing to listen to the concerns of so many of us and make alterations accordingly. That's really what makes these forums such a wonderful thing. I offer 100% support to your event and wish you the best of luck. I run a simple little website highlighting the great fishing opportunities in central Oregon and I will promote your event and put up a link to direct my readers your way.

I appreciate all who have been able to engage in this conversation without engaging in personal attacks. The Trout Board is truly filled with some of the most respectable anglers around. :applause::applause:

Long live the beautiful brown trout of East Lake!!!:meme:


Dan McAllister

Wow. So everybody that was screaming about fish getting thrown in the dumpster doesn't give a damn about a rainbow getting thrown away? That's totally and completely unforgivable. I guess as long as it's not your preferred target species who gives a carp (ifish edit). I'm shocked that folks on the trout board would be so selfish and short sighted.

Make it catch and release or move it to Paulina where big fish can at least be consumed without fear of mercury.

I'm really disappointed in the members of this board being so species focused.
TF

[sweeper]

Wow. So everybody that was screaming about fish getting thrown in the dumpster doesn't give a damn about a rainbow getting thrown away? That's totally and completely unforgivable. I guess as long as it's not your preferred target species who gives a carp (ifish edit). I'm shocked that folks on the trout board would be so selfish and short sighted.

Make it catch and release or move it to Paulina where big fish can at least be consumed without fear of mercury.

I'm really disappointed in the members of this board being so species focused.
TF

[leadeyedbugger]

Ok....then why not have the same kind of a derby at Crescent....No worries about mercury there

[sweeper]

Wow. So everybody that was screaming about fish getting thrown in the dumpster doesn't give a damn about a rainbow getting thrown away? That's totally and completely unforgivable. I guess as long as it's not your preferred target species who gives a carp (ifish edit). I'm shocked that folks on the trout board would be so selfish and short sighted.

Make it catch and release or move it to Paulina where big fish can at least be consumed without fear of mercury.

I'm really disappointed in the members of this board being so species focused.
TF


Page 18 of the regs states "Avoid eating brown trout 18" or larger". So the only rainbows over 18" thrown in the dumpster would be those caught the people who don't know the regs or can't read.

[Klamanite]

Wow. So everybody that was screaming about fish getting thrown in the dumpster doesn't give a damn about a rainbow getting thrown away? That's totally and completely unforgivable. I guess as long as it's not your preferred target species who gives a carp (ifish edit). I'm shocked that folks on the trout board would be so selfish and short sighted.

Make it catch and release or move it to Paulina where big fish can at least be consumed without fear of mercury.

I'm really disappointed in the members of this board being so species focused.
TF

My gosh, don't you people read, or do you just pile on at the end of a long thread? The rainbow will be planted prior to the derby and not subjected to the lifetime of mercury exposure that the Browns have :passout:Therefore it can be consumed at the end of the derby. A big brown cannot, so it would be wasted. This is NOT SPECIES SPECIFIC. This is a unique issue at East that only affects the fish that live there for a long period of time...........BROWN TROUT
Also, it was suggested that the derby be made catch and release which would eliminate all of the previous concerns. Ultimately the derby committee decided on their own to remove the Brown Trout from the competition.

Lighten up a little, not everything being discussed about this matter has been posted here and likely will not. Suffice to say, you appear to have come into this a little late, maybe if you go back and read what has already been posted you wouldn't be so quick to jump all over it.



Ok....then why not have the same kind of a derby at Crescent....No worries about mercury there

Great idea, count me in on that one. Crescent doesn't have the same set of issues that East does :applause:

Page 18 of the regs states "Avoid eating brown trout 18" or larger". So the only rainbows over 18" thrown in the dumpster would be those caught the people who don't know the regs or can't read.

No clue what you're trying to say here, proof reading would be helpful.

[marshworm]

Two Fister,
Gotta compliment ya guy!
Thanks for speaking up and letting your thoughts be known.
I understand where you are coming from. Good point.

Close to 2000 have read this post. Wonder what all of them think of these fishing derby things in general?

Be interesting to know now wouldn't it? :whistle:

[Two Fister]

Page 18 of the regs states "Avoid eating brown trout 18" or larger". So the only rainbows over 18" thrown in the dumpster would be those caught the people who don't know the regs or can't read.

Hey Sweeper,
I can read. Pretty good too when I concentrate real hard.

Like I was concentrating real hard when I read the second column in the health advisories section of the regs on page 18 where it clearly states that East Lake is classified as "High Mercury Levels - All Species".

See that's the kind of detail you learn to pick up when you spend 20+ years as a Hazardous Materials Consultant.

Mercury is one of the few compounds I am really frightened by. HawgFiend spells it out perfectly. It will mess you up and the damage to kids is significantly worse. It doesn't matter that the mercury in East is naturally occurring...any large fish in East should not be retained. I've caught lots of rainbows larger than 18" in East and several Atlantics larger than 20". None of those fish should be consumed. Any fish larger than 18" is piscivorous at least part of the time. The bioaccumulative toxin (BAT) effects of mercury are readily passed to any higher level predator. Browns may be worse, but any higher level predator is still impacted. The bioaccumulative nature of mercury is not specific to Brown Trout.

What this whole thread comes down to is that a few vocal folks don't want to see German Brown Trout (a non-native species) impacted. They don't care about anything else. That's total BS. You either care about a fishery or you don't. Anyone applauding the waste of species other than German Brown Trout doesn't give a damn about East Lake.

I happen to care very deeply about East Lake and don't want to see it impacted for a project that could be funded through a wide variety of county, state and federal programs. It would take less paperwork to get streetlights through a grant than it would through this fiasco.

If you're going to have a retention derby, Oregon Fish and Wildlife regulations specifically require that the fish that are retained be properly utilized. See Page 8 # 10 of the Fishing regs which specifically prohibits "Wasting fish, shellfish or marine intertidal invertebrates". If you catch fish and retain them specifically for the purpose of winning a prize but do not eat them, you are in violation of ODFW regulations. How this promotes sportsmanship and environmental stewardship is beyond me. It was beyond most of the folks on this thread until Brown Trout were given a stay of execution. If you throw them in the dumpster you'll be violating ODFW regulations. Whatever you do, just don't feed them to your kids. They don't deserve to have their health and lives messed up by your short sightedness.

Again, this whole thread is extraordinarily disappointing.
TF

[Klamanite]

Hey Sweeper,
I can read. Pretty good too when I concentrate real hard.

Like I was concentrating real hard when I read the second column in the health advisories section of the regs on page 18 where it clearly states that East Lake is classified as "High Mercury Levels - All Species".

See that's the kind of detail you learn to pick up when you spend 20+ years as a Hazardous Materials Consultant.

With the uncanny ability for detail that you apparently possess, you still seem to still skim over some of the points that have already been addressed, or intentionally omitted because they don't fit your position. Pg 18 on the regs also reads (you left this part out), "avoid eating Brown Trout over 16" inches" None of the other species are addressed in this manner. Clearly you are educated in the area of Mercury contaminates so your points are taken. However, the recommendations clearly state that any of the other species can be consumed in moderation. For the specifics, please go to pg 18 of the current ODFW regulations.

Mercury is one of the few compounds I am really frightened by. HawgFiend spells it out perfectly. It will mess you up and the damage to kids is significantly worse. It doesn't matter that the mercury in East is naturally occurring...any large fish in East should not be retained. I've caught lots of rainbows larger than 18" in East and several Atlantics larger than 20". None of those fish should be consumed. Any fish larger than 18" is piscivorous at least part of the time. The bioaccumulative toxin (BAT) effects of mercury are readily passed to any higher level predator. Browns may be worse, but any higher level predator is still impacted. The bioaccumulative nature of mercury is not specific to Brown Trout.

I know the mercury content is not specific to any one species, but the "avoid eating" warnings are. I'm not a scientist, nor will I pretend to be one, but the studies that have been done point specifically to the Brown Trout as far as non-consumption is concerned. If you have a different study of these circumstances that has been done that proves otherwise, I would be very interested in reading it.

What this whole thread comes down to is that a few vocal folks don't want to see German Brown Trout (a non-native species) impacted. They don't care about anything else. That's total BS.

Again, already been addressed several times. The non-native argument has no place here as East Lake was devoid of any species until it was planted in July of 1912. Killing off the entire lake would be the only solution to that argument.

http://www.eastlakeresort.com/default.aspx?p=13 (http://www.eastlakeresort.com/default.aspx?p=13)

You either care about a fishery or you don't. Anyone applauding the waste of species other than German Brown Trout doesn't give a damn about East Lake.

No one has ever applauded the waste of any species. The other species need not be wasted. Your own person interpretation of the mercury warnings would indicate that they would be treated the same as the Brown Trout. Unless you have a different study to back that assumption, it is just that, a personal interpretation.


I happen to care very deeply about East Lake and don't want to see it impacted for a project that could be funded through a wide variety of county, state and federal programs. It would take less paperwork to get streetlights through a grant than it would through this fiasco.

Agreed. There are a great many ways to fund a project that would have far less impact.

If you're going to have a retention derby, Oregon Fish and Wildlife regulations specifically require that the fish that are retained be properly utilized. See Page 8 # 10 of the Fishing regs which specifically prohibits "Wasting fish, shellfish or marine intertidal invertebrates". If you catch fish and retain them specifically for the purpose of winning a prize but do not eat them, you are in violation of ODFW regulations. How this promotes sportsmanship and environmental stewardship is beyond me. It was beyond most of the folks on this thread until Brown Trout were given a stay of execution. If you throw them in the dumpster you'll be violating ODFW regulations. Whatever you do, just don't feed them to your kids. They don't deserve to have their health and lives messed up by your short sightedness.

In a previous thread as well :passout:
We (those who opposed the original format) wanted the derby format changed to be catch and release only so none of the species would be impacted. However, the derby committee decided to eliminate Brown Trout from the competition. If you still have an issue with that, then you should take it up with the committee directly.

Again, this whole thread is extraordinarily disappointing.
TF

Not if you disect it objectively :flowered:

[RiverJohn]

I love East Lake & Agree with most all of you -

Practice release of the Browns

They are very long lived trout that shouldnt be consumed, toss them back possibly even for the next person to catch & release.

The shorter lived Kokes are great table fare and little threat of mecury.

Last year (at East) I watched a guy Kill a larger Brown trout, take several photo's then admit he was not going to even eat the fish !!!! :mad::passout:


I hope to see any iFishers there ! We are staying in the lakeside cabins.

John

[hookjawfreak]

Hey Sweeper,
I can read. Pretty good too when I concentrate real hard.

Like I was concentrating real hard when I read the second column in the health advisories section of the regs on page 18 where it clearly states that East Lake is classified as "High Mercury Levels - All Species".

See that's the kind of detail you learn to pick up when you spend 20+ years as a Hazardous Materials Consultant.

Mercury is one of the few compounds I am really frightened by. HawgFiend spells it out perfectly. It will mess you up and the damage to kids is significantly worse. It doesn't matter that the mercury in East is naturally occurring...any large fish in East should not be retained. I've caught lots of rainbows larger than 18" in East and several Atlantics larger than 20". None of those fish should be consumed. Any fish larger than 18" is piscivorous at least part of the time. The bioaccumulative toxin (BAT) effects of mercury are readily passed to any higher level predator. Browns may be worse, but any higher level predator is still impacted. The bioaccumulative nature of mercury is not specific to Brown Trout.

What this whole thread comes down to is that a few vocal folks don't want to see German Brown Trout (a non-native species) impacted. They don't care about anything else. That's total BS. You either care about a fishery or you don't. Anyone applauding the waste of species other than German Brown Trout doesn't give a damn about East Lake.

I happen to care very deeply about East Lake and don't want to see it impacted for a project that could be funded through a wide variety of county, state and federal programs. It would take less paperwork to get streetlights through a grant than it would through this fiasco.

If you're going to have a retention derby, Oregon Fish and Wildlife regulations specifically require that the fish that are retained be properly utilized. See Page 8 # 10 of the Fishing regs which specifically prohibits "Wasting fish, shellfish or marine intertidal invertebrates". If you catch fish and retain them specifically for the purpose of winning a prize but do not eat them, you are in violation of ODFW regulations. How this promotes sportsmanship and environmental stewardship is beyond me. It was beyond most of the folks on this thread until Brown Trout were given a stay of execution. If you throw them in the dumpster you'll be violating ODFW regulations. Whatever you do, just don't feed them to your kids. They don't deserve to have their health and lives messed up by your short sightedness.

Again, this whole thread is extraordinarily disappointing.
TF

Here's my take....

I have spent many hours over the last few days writing letters and making phone calls to the ODFW, USFS, OMB, local newspapers, the organizers of this event, and several other entities in an effort to raise public awareness and hopefully help to make some changes to this event. It was becoming clear to me that the organizers had put a lot of effort into making this event a good thing for the community and had very good intentions. The powers that be from the state who are involved with granting permits for this event were clearly seeing no legal reason to deny permits, and I was getting a little nervous that despite a lot of effort by myself and others this event was going to fly as it was. It was clear that the event organizers were acknowledging the opposition and wanted to make some changes to improve the public's opinion. I was pushing for a change in venue or a rule change to promote catch and release. Changing the venue seemed like it was out of the question given all of the logistics that were already in place, so I was moving in the direction of collecting info on how other C&R trout fishing derbies are run. A great example is the yearly event on Klamath Lake which just happened about a month ago. They issue a special measuring tape the morning of the event and each angler must present a digital or Polaroid photo of the fish caught. It sounds so simple, but it seems to work without any noticeable degree of controversy. I forwarded the regs for the K Lake derby to the organizers of this event yesterday morning, but they had already implemented the rule changes we see posted in this thread. I would still like to see this thing become a C&R event, and who knows, it's still nearly 2 months out. The organizers seem to be very reasonable people and are concerned with making this a clean and happy event for everyone. I had not suggested or considered just removing brown trout from the competition, so when I read this as their solution I had to scratch my chin.

My personal conclusion was based on this... I employ methods when fishing East Lake that target predator fish (fish who eat other fish... I fish with minnow imitations). The predator fish in East are the ones most likely to have the higher concentrations of mercury compared to the fish that eat mostly bugs. When a brown trout hits 16 inches its diet shifts from primarily bugs to primarily other fish and the mercury levels start to sky rocket. In my thousands of hours of fishing East with my methods, I have caught less than 10 rainbows with the biggest being around 18 inches. In that same time I have caught (and released) thousands of brown trout which average at 18-20 inches with many of them going 24 inches or better. Rainbows are just not nearly the flesh eaters that browns are and that is a fact. Take a look at the photos on display in the resort. I know that an overwhelming majority of these photos are brown trout and rare is a big rainbow posted. I know that there must be some big rainbows in the lake, but based on my knowledge they are not at all common. Perhaps there are some who employ specific tactics to target big rainbows who could chime in here, but I don't know. Given my deductions, I chose to praise the organizers for making a big step towards reducing the waste factor I was concerned about by at least 95%, if not close to 100%. I will be surprised to see a rainbow or kokanee (the only two fish involved in this event) over 20 inches caught the day of the event, and based on my understanding of the mercury warnings and the diets of these fish I see no reason not to consume fish like these in moderation.

In my opinion, if some people are still sick over the current conditions of this derby you should do something more about it than create sour posts on this thread. Respectfully jump in and work with the organizers through productive communication. I was prepared to get involved with finding a source for custom measuring tapes and hopefully getting them donated to the cause or even offering personal funds to help pay for them (as were several other of my friends including Klamanite, Bwild, and CBTH). As I see it now, there is very little likelihood for wasted fish in this event or anything that I can see that will have a negative impact of the well being of our beloved East Lake so I choose to back down and support the derby.

This is by no means a selfish matter of protecting one species of fish. My aim is true and I LOVE EAST LAKE!

Dan McAllister

[marshworm]

The health advisory has been on East Lake for several years. We all knew about it, understood it, accepted it and went about our fishing lives accordingly with out any discussion whatsoever. ODFW has managed the fishery appropriatley and everything was cool and then all of a sudden Newberry Crater starts rumbling.

In my opinion the real issue is not the mercury levels, or which fish or lake is more important, or who can read and understand the regs, or which species of fish or lake is each ifishers pride and joy, the ONLY issue here is for the first time at East Lake someone is offerring us the opportunity to pay a fee which gives us the specific right to go out on East Lake and kill the biggest fish we can catch so that we have the opportunity to win prize money.

Dressing it up with all the personal, financial, family, sportsman and community benefit "derby verbage" does not change the bare fact of what we are required to do to win the prizes offerred.

Good luck to all that choose to particapate in the derby. I wish you the best day imagineable on a truely magnificent lake. Please don't get so entangled in the catching that you miss out on the fishing.:pray:

[steelheadstlkr]

I disagree with one comment made earlier!! Brown trout are very tasty fish to eat as long as they are around 14 inches!! :) They are meat eaters and that makes them less fishy than a rainbow I believe. But even saying that I only keep one or two for one dinner on a two or three night trip when fishing the Deschutes or similar rivers and release the rest. One of my favorite things when camping in the summer is fresh river brown trout, elk steak and bacon, oh my mouth is watering.

Very well done guys resolving this situation and now with all of this talk I think I will plan a trip out to East Lake :D

[AWoods]

This reminds me of the saying "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". I am sure that had these issues come up with the event planners, another better suited lake would have been chosen. Or even better a plan to pay for some streetlights that doesnt leave a dent in one of Oregon's premier trout fisheries. I think its morally objectionable to have the lake pay the cost for some streetlights.

Here's an idea, isnt event insurance used to help event planners recover their costs when said "event" is cancelled? Didnt they say they purchased this insurance?

[RiverJohn]

Wow. So everybody that was screaming about fish getting thrown in the dumpster doesn't give a damn about a rainbow getting thrown away? That's totally and completely unforgivable. I guess as long as it's not your preferred target species who gives a carp (ifish edit). I'm shocked that folks on the trout board would be so selfish and short sighted.

Make it catch and release or move it to Paulina where big fish can at least be consumed without fear of mercury.

I'm really disappointed in the members of this board being so species focused.
TF

Only the older Browns have Mercury levels of concern. Everyone that fishes East lake already knows this. I eat the Rainbows and Kokes that I keep from East lake.

Since Browns are excluded from the derby - what is your beef ?

:shrug:

[Bigkntry]

Auecker,
I want to thank you and all the folks involved in the derby for listening to everyones concerns and make a well informed decision based on the community and others input. Way to go..........you get a A+ in my book and good luck with your event and I hope you raise a ton of money. :meme::meme::meme:

Thanks again

[fish-on-bend]

I normally reserve the tin foil hat award for the main forum, but after nearly 100 posts, I think its time.:wink:
http://philzimmermann.com/images/TinFoilHatArea.jpg