Maine Ice Anglers Newsletters

253 North Dexter Road, Dexter, ME 04930

March 2003 Newsletter

Jim Nicholas, Pres.	John Walen, V. Pres.
(207) 924-5082

MIAA has finally got off the ground and is starting to take shape. It has been a real struggle and there have been difficulties encountered and overcome as we proceed. Trying to organize this association and engage in needed actions with the Legislature, IFW, and our membership has been a handful. Communications with membership is improving and we are working on it everyday. Please be patient!! All member that have an e-mail address and wish to be included on our e-mail list, please send your address to: pjsbait@kynd.net

Meetings: Our last meeting was held at the Moosehead Trail Trading Post and was well attended. We appreciate owner / member Jim Spraggins for the use of his new store as a meeting place. At that meeting, the six committees were established and members were assigned to committees they were interested in. Each committee has four positions. There are still some openings on several committees so if anyone has an interest please call Jim or Tim for available positions. The committees are:

Manufactures: Roger Pelletier (465-3420) and Tim Jackson (933-2219) (2 empty positions).
Retail Bait Sales: Josh Green (395-4825) and Jennifer King (2 empty positions).
Fishermen: Jim Castodio (924-3841) and Mike Lamereau (784-8212) (2 empty positions).
Wholesale Smelt (handlined): David Lamoreau (784-8212), Clayton Burton (997-9671), Will Daggett (652-2513) (I empty position).
Wholesale Shiners: Roland Bush (327-2227) and John Whalen (474-1215), Hoss Holbrook (782-1249) (I empty positions)
Wholesale Smelt (net): Rusty Millet (583-6063), Bruce Steeves (655-3303), Scott Horne (4539205), and Terry Pratt (796-2967).

MIAA' President & V. President meet with John Boland and Peter Bourque at IFW on 3-18-03. A general presentation about MIAA's purpose and mission was discussed and details were worked out as to process and procedures for future meetings. It was apparent that IFW will work with us as an organization to address problems related to the icefishing sport. It was a very positive meeting and MIAA leadership believes that a co-ordinated well planned initiative will bare good results. Therefore, the committees are encouraged to develop their work groups, develop a long range plan, decide a plan of action and bring that plan together and present it to the leadership of MIAA. A meeting will then be arranged with IFW and the MIAA committee and leadership will present the entire plan to IFW. MIAA intends to request that Deputy Commissioner Jacques be present at these presentations, so each committee must have a reasonable, concise, and sharp presentation.

This past weekend, V.P. Tim Jackson worked at his Jack's trap booth at the Sportsman' Show. He had a portion of his booth allotted to an MIAA membership drive and fundraiser. Tim, son Tyler, and Jamie Greene (The Bait Shop-Winthrop) answered questions, provided information, and good PR for all folks interested in MIAA. In excess of 40 new members were signed up and the raffle raised over $300.00. Two new notable members signed up this week: Conservation Commissioner Pat McGowan and IFW Dep. Commissioner Paul Jacques!! The winner of the $300.00 sporting goods package was Greg Stevens of Gardnier. Congratulations to Greg and a very large thank you to Tim, Tyler and Jamie. Thank You!

Long Pond and Pike It seems that forever, Long Pond was the premiere salmon lake in the Belgrade Lakes chain. It has been closed to ice fishing for as long as anyone can remember because of the tremendous open water salmon fishing. Now things have changed. Northern pike are the dominate fish in the Belgrade Chain and salmon are relegated to being "Pike feed". It is the view of many, including MIAA, that additional fishing pressure on the Northern Pike would be advantageous to salmon survival. A recent discussion between an MIAA member and a "high level" IFW official indicated that winter pike fishing on Long Pond was not an unreasonable idea. Another MIAA member found a reference to a very large pike caught in Great Pond with a 5 LB Brown Trout in it's gut. Dwayne Rioux then wrote an article about this fish eating story and the Long Pond fishing initiative. The paperwork has been submitted to Commissioner Martin requesting that a public hearing be scheduled for the opening of Long Pond to ice fishing in January 2004. Responses to the article Dwayne Rioux wrote has been mostly negative and we can plan on a sizable opposition group from camp owners when this hearing is convened. They have advised Rioux that they (camp owners) don't want their "winter wonderland" spoiled by icefishermen. This 2714 acre lake belongs to all sportsmen and we should take every opportunity and make every effort to protect and expand our available resources. Every ice fisherman should pay attention to the Long Pond issue, write letters of support to the Dwayne Rioux article, and be prepared to speak at the hearing when it is scheduled. This resource belongs to YOU!!

Wassookeag Lake Clean-up: A few MIAA members arrived at the lake and spent several hours cleaning up litter, wood blocking, and general trash in areas where ice fishermen had been. It's amazing how many cigarette butts one finds at one of those smelt holes.

Odds and Ends: Mailing of newsletters and general MIAA information will be limited to one mailing per address even if several members are living at same address. Please share the mailing with family members ... Thanks.
MIAA is looking for another Treasurer. Contact Jim or Tim if interested!! Thanks Cathy for your help.

Next MIAA meeting will be on April 21, 2003 at the Moosehead Trail Trading Post ill Newport. Store is located 1/2 mile west of Exit 39 of 1-95. Take Rt. 100 west towards Pittsfield. Time: 6pm