articles from May, 1998 newsletter:

** President's Message
** 30th Annual Meeting
** Need a Boat?
** Virginia and Bob Daggit
** DNR to improve public accesses
** Fact Sheet
** Summary of 1997 Lake Vermilion Creel Survey
** What do muskies eat?
** Summer programs planned at the Laurentian Environmental Center
** Fourth Annual Hydro-Bike Run
** Club efforts to combat P.W.C. noise show promise
** Personal watercraft may threaten Lake Vermilion loons
** DlD YOU KNOW?
** Got a water question?
** Shoreline habitat
** "El Nino" Winter Data
** Could Minnesota produce the new world muskie record?
** White Pines in Minnesota
** BUFFER STRIP




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President's Message
I read somewhere recently that three-fourths of the earth's surface is water and one-fourth is land. So the conclusion I draw from this is that we are meant to spend three times as much time fishing as we spend mowing the lawn. Sounds like the perfect plan for a Vermilion summer and one we can all savor as we count the days to the fishing opener.
But before the fishing season opens, club volunteers will already be busy with several spring projects. As the spring spawning run begins, volunteers will be at the Pike River Hatchery and at the Sunset Creek Spawning Area. Other members will service our lakewide navigation lights and check on the club's day-use picnic sites. Spring also brings the awarding of our conservation scholarships and the recognition of key volunteers at our annual appreciation dinner. Preliminary plans are under way for summer activities water testing; the loon census; and the 30th annual membership meeting, set for August 15 at Fortune Bay Resort.
Watch for the July issue of our newsletter. We'll bring you up-to-date on our water testing and scholarship programs, plus we'll preview the annual meeting and the fourth annual Hydro-Bike Run.
In the meantime, be sure to use every minute of the fishing time that's allotted to you...and keep your lawnmowing time to a minimum. Have a great summer!
Paula Bloczynski



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30th Annual Meeting is Saturday, August 15
Mark your calendar and plan to attend the 30th annual meeting of the Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion: Saturday, August 15, 6 p.m. at Fortune Bay Resort. This is our one big gathering of the year and is a good opportunity for members to hear how the club is doing and make suggestions for the coming year.
Back for the fourth year, the club's popular ~Hydro-Bike Run," to benefit the scholarship fund, will also take place on Saturday, August 15. Call directors Rick Pearson or Steve Anderson if you would like to participate as a rider or as a sponsor.
Watch for our summer newsletter with more details about the annual meeting and the Hydro-Bike Run.




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Need a Boat?
Once again this year the Sportsmen's Club will put up for bids a boat and motor combination which has been on loan to the Department of Natural Resources. We purchased the unit new in April of 1996. The DNR has used it in their Large Lake Creel Survey on Lake Vermilion for the past two fishing seasons. Both boat and motor are in good shape and have been well cared for. The boat is a 16-ft. Crestliner "Kodiak" fishing boat; the motor is a 25-hp. Mariner long shaft, manual start. The boat and motor will be sold as a unit (without a trailer), and will be available for inspection at Jack Sparks' residence, 1753 Everett Bay Road. If you want to take a test spin, please call Jack at 218-753-4341 and make arrangements.
You must be a Sportsmen's Club member in order to bid. Sealed bids must be received by Jack Sparks by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3,1998. Mail or deliver your bid to: Jack Sparks, 1753 Everett Bay Road, Tower, MN 55790. Bids will be opened at the regular meeting of the Sportsmen's Club Board of Directors on June 3, 1998, at 7:30 p.m. There is a $1,750 minimum bid required, and the Board of Directors reserves the right to reject any and all bids.




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Virginia and Bob Daggit
Lake Vermilion and the Sportsmen's Club lost a very good friend on March 24 when Bob Daggit died. Bob had battled a myriad of medical problems for many years, armed with a strong positive attitude and nurtured by the loving care of his wife, Virginia. Inquiri'es about his health would always elicit a forceful "fantastic!" from Bob, and it was truly inspiring just to be around him and experience the infectious quality of his drive and optimism.
Bob was a member of the Sportsmen's Club from the time he and Virginia moved to Birch Point in 1974. He was an active and productive member of the club's Board of Directors for many years and ably served as the club's president from 1983 to 1986. He spent countless hours as a volunteerat the hatchery, on the loon census, with the marker buoys and navigation lights. But the contribution he made that we remember most vividly was the tireless leadership he provided for the club's efforts to influence the funding of a new wastewater treatment plant for Tower-Soudan. Construction of that plant was finally funded and begun in 1986, ending years of lake contamination.
We extend our sincere sympathy to Virginia, to sons Bob and Joe Daggit and to the grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. And we thank Virginia and the family for designating the Sportsmen's Club as a recipient of memorial tributes to Bob.
- Paula Bloczynski




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DNR to improve public accesses
The DNR Trails and Waterways Office in Tower has announced plans to upgrade and repair several public accesses on Vermilion during the upcoming summer and fall. Ann Bjorgo, supervisor of the Tower office, attended a winter board meeting of the Sportsmen's Club and reviewed her agency's plan to improve public accesses, focusing on the upgrading, repairing and monitoring of existing sites only. Board members concurred that several sites were in need of attention, but agreed that no new sites were needed at this time. Sites being given priority this year will be those on Everett Bay, Norwegian Bay and at Moccasin Point.
Trails and Waterways will take responsibility to keep DNR sites maintained on a weekly basis and hope to work closely with residents if concerns develop. Neighbors of the DNR sites are encouraged to call Trails and Waterways in Tower (753-6256) if they notice any problems.




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Fact Sheet
Lake Vermilion, St. Louis County
Public Water Access Program

In 1996 there were 758,666 registered boats in the State of Minnesota.
In 1995 a survey was conducted by the University of Minnesota to find out what improvements boaters would like to see in the State Public Access Program. The main recommendations are listed below: Funding for the program is derived from: Lake Vermilion -- In 1996 a creel census was completed on Lake Vermilion, conducted by DNR, Fisheries. A percentage of anglers are interviewed on the lake throughout the season. The results of the 1996 survey are indicators of how fishermen access the lake. (These numbers are very consistent with previous years.) In 1992 public meetings were conducted in regards to improving public access on Lake Vermilion. At that time it was agreed by the participating groups and individuals that access improvements would be focused on existing sites. As a result of this work, all the sites on the lake were inventoried and needs were determined for maintenance and development.
Lake Vermilion has been identified as a significant statewide water resource, in need of Public Water Access improvements.




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Summary of 1997 Lake Vermilion Creel Survey
The Department of Natural Resources, Section of Fisheries, conducted a creel survey on Lake Vermilion during the summer of 1997. Creel survey is a scientific method of obtaining estimates of fishing pressure and fish harvest from a series of boat counts and angler interviews. Creel survey on Lake Vermilion is conducted as part of the state Large Lake Program and is scheduled for two consecutive years out of every six years. The 1997 creel survey was the second survey of this two-year cycle. Previous creel surveys were done in 1984-85, 1990-91 and 1996. The creel survey included boat anglers fishing from May 10 through September 30.
There were an estimated 488,887 hours of fishing pressure by boat anglers during the survey period. The fishing pressure was slightly above the historical average for the six years creel surveys have been conducted (Table 1). Fishing pressure increased considerably from 1996, a year of relatively low fishing pressure.
An estimated 76,107 walleye weighing 69,466 pounds were harvested by boat anglers during the survey period. The walleye harvest was above the historical average and had increased considerably from a low 1996 harvest. The walleye harvest in pounds was slightly above the safe harvest target established for the lake. The primary reason for the increased walleye harvest was a strong 1994 year class of walleye (3 years old) entering the fishery. About 44 percent of the harvested walleye were from the strong 1994 year class. Many small walleye from a strong 1995 year class (2 years old) were also caught during the survey period, although they were too small for most anglers to keep. By late summer, walleye from the 1995 year class had grown enough that some anglers began to keep them. The walleye harvest rate for the survey period was 0.156 fish/hour fished, the highest harvest rate observed since 1985 and considerably higher than the 1996 harvest rate. The walleye harvest rate was considerably higher in East Vermilion than in West Vermilion, mainly because the 1994 year class is exceptionally strong in East Vermilion. The average length of harvested walleye was 13.80 inches, the smallest walleye size observed in the six creel surveys to date. The small size of harvested walleye was due to dominance of the population by small walleye from strong 1994 and 1 995 year classes. Poor reproduction in 1992 and 1993 also meant lower than average numbers of 14-16 inch walleye were available to anglers.
Harvest of bluegill, northern pike and yellow perch were each near their respective historical average. Harvest of black crappie, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass were well below average. The low crappie catch was due to the declining influence of a strong 1987 year class and the lack of strong, younger year classes entering the fishery. Harvest of smallmouth bass has declined since the first creel surveys were done in 1984 and 1985, possibly reflecting a decline in the bass population. Poor reproduction in 1992 and 1993 also contributed to the low smallmouth bass harvest. The low largemouth bass harvest probably reflects a population decline due to the lack of a strong year class in the population. An estimated 1,044 muskie were caught during the survey period, most of which were released. The largest individual muskie caught by an interviewed angler was 48 inches, although larger muskie were reported caught on non-interviewed fishing trips.
I would like to thank the Lake Vermilion Sportsmen's Club for providing a boat and motor for the survey. l would also like to thank Shamrock Marina for providing dock space during the survey. l would especially like to thank the anglers of Lake Vermilion for their cooperation during the survey. If anyone has any questions about the creel survey or Lake Vermilion fish populations please feel free to contact me at our Ely office.
Duane Williams,
Large Lake Specialist for Lake Vermilion Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, Section of Fisheries
Phone Number: 218-365-7280

Table 1. Historical fishing pressure and fish harvest for Lake Vermilion.
  1984 1985 1990 1991 1996 1997 Average
Fishing Pressure
in Angler Hours		 378,212 359,634 521,106 567,285 399,415 488,887 452,423
Fish Harvest
in Numbers
Black Crappie 3,784 3,275 6,663 15,371 1,262 2,116 5,412
Bluegill 13,140 11,553 42,213 60,478 25,390 27,832 30,101
Largemouth bass 1,116 466 2,003 3,579 196 319 1,280
Muskie 0 0 0 0 29 55 14
Northern pike 7,153 8,613 6,047 9,153 5,735 7,491 7,365
Smallmouth bass 9,346 8,233 6,432 7,234 3,242 3,231 6,286
Walleye 61,873 57,701 78,378 68,465 50,900 76,107 65,571
Yellow perch 8,477 7,006 3,890 4,325 5,769 7,168 6,106




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What do muskies eat?
Muskie were successfully established in Lake Vermilion through a stocking program that began in 1984. The muskie population has done well and the lake is quickly gaining a reputation as a quality muskie fishery. A number of people have expressed concern that the muskie introduction may have a negative impact on other fish species, particularly walleye. They are concerned that muskies will eat substantial numbers of walleye and reduce the walleye population. It certainly is wise to be cautious about introducing a new species into a lake, as such introductions are sometimes detrimental to the native fish community. The introduction of muskie into Lake Vermilion was done only after meeting stringent criteria for new muskie introductions and a thorough review of the possible consequences. Based on all the information available, it was decided that introducing muskies would provide a new trophy type of fishery while having a minimal impact on other species. Since the introduction of muskie, there has been no major change in the walleye population or in the populations of other species. The 1997 assessment net catch of walleye was one of the highest on record for Lake Vermilion.
The decision to introduce muskie into Lake Vermilion was based in part on the abundance of tullibee and white sucker in the lake, species that are known to be preferred prey items for muskie. Research has shown that muskie prefer prey without sharp spines, such as tullibee and sucker. Perch have also been shown to be an important prey item, probably because they are small enough that their spines are not a factor and because they are found in stands of aquatic vegetation that muskie also inhabit. Walleye have not been known to be a major forage species for muskie, even in lakes with abundant walleye populations. Although muskie will certainly eat walleye occasionally, the numbers eaten are minor compared to other natural mortality and angler harvest.
A research project was recently conducted in Wisconsin that looked at the feed habits of muskie. Stomach contents were examined from 1,092 muskie captured in 34 Wisconsin lakes from July 1991 to October 1994. The muskie were captured throughout the open water season by trapnetting, electrofishing and angling. The muskie stomachs were flushed with water to disgorge the contents without injuring the fish. The captured muskie ranged in size from nine inches to 46 inches. Based on the number and size of consumed food items, yellow perch and white sucker were, by far, the most important fish species consumed by muskies. Only five walleye were found in the 1,092 muskie stomachs examined. Sunfish, crappie and various minnow species were eaten more frequently than walleye in the study lakes. Tullibee were not common in many of the study lakes and therefore were relatively unimportant as food items. However, previous research has shown that tullibee are important food items for muskie in lakes where they are abundant, such as Lake Vermilion. One interesting aspect of the study was that researchers found that muskies would feed on crayfish in lakes with a high population of rusty crayfish. Since the eastern portion of Lake Vermilion has a high population of rusty crayfish, it is likely that muskie there will also feed on crayfish, although probably not enough to decrease the rusty crayfish population.
It is important to understand that muskie and walleye have co-existed in many lakes across the northern United States and southern Canada for centuries. In fact many of the premier muskie lakes in the region are also excellent walleye lakes. This would not be possible if muskie decimated walleye populations as is sometimes suggested. The most important strategies for maintaining walleye populations are to protect habitat, preserve water quality and prevent over-harvest. If anyone has questions about muskie or other fish species in Lake Vermilion please feel free to call me at our Ely office.
Duane Williams,
Large Lake Specialist for Lake Vermilion Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, Section of Fisheries
Phone Number: 218-365-7280



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Summer programs planned at the Laurentian Environmental Center
The Laurentian Environmental Center (LEC) is owned and operated by the Mounds View Public School District, and is located off Highway 53 between Cook and Virginia. With an ideal location for outdoor skills education, the LEC offers a chance for youth to experience activities that may well become lifelong pursuits. Here is information about three of their summer programs for youth: