Friday - northwest 9-19 knots - fishable
Sat - due south - 13-18 knots - doable, but not fun
Sun - southwest 20-40 knots - not safe
Printable View
Friday - northwest 9-19 knots - fishable
Sat - due south - 13-18 knots - doable, but not fun
Sun - southwest 20-40 knots - not safe
It was the right call! Hate that it happened but i can tell you Mike and I were out all day yesterday in 25 knots and it was nasty and destroyed. Most of the lake is mud and unfishable. The lake is so low that we actually put the boat on a sandbar 5 miles from shore and were lucky to get it off thanks to the big waves that rolled us back into 2' of water.
As Cliff mentioned reschedule next year earlier so the lake can show off its exceptional Smallie fishing!
Derek
I don't think it was just a wind issue. Water levels have declined so fast there's no way of knowing where you can run safely with any kind of chop.Quote:
Originally posted by mbbuck1
Friday - northwest 9-19 knots - fishable
Sat - due south - 13-18 knots - doable, but not fun
Sun - southwest 20-40 knots - not safe
There has been some wild swings in levels all over the great lakes. GBay is 12 inches below datum recorded in 1964. This is scary stuff. Looking forward to spending a week there next year to figure out the lake and see it at its best.
I think that it is rediculous that this tournament was cancelled due to water levels. If anything , the CSFL should have moved locations. Plenty of water out there. Bell river would have been a location where the low water levels would not have been an issue at all. I know that there were people who came to St.Clair to practice for this event, spent time from their famalies, spent their money and now have nothing to look forward to. For some reason I dont believe that the low water levels had anything to do with the tournament being cancelled. I have to believe that there is more to this story. I dont think that St.Clair has anything to prove when it comes to showcasing the lake. It has proved itself time and time again. Its nice when the lake gets tough and guys really have to work for the win. Total BS in my opinion.
Marty, there is no more to the story. Andy talked to several of us who were on the lake yesterday before this decision was made and the decision to cancel was not an easy one to make as he really wants to bring the CSFL to St.Clair.
IMHO The lake is toast right now and would not be a good place to be this weekend!
As for water levels, it hasn't been this bad for quite a few years, Derek wasn't the only one to get hung up on some sand, I got my boat on the sand getting out of the marina, slowed down behind another boat and the bow grabbed bottom and pushed me to the right. And that was with the wind blowing in, an east or south wind will empty that channel.
I understand that you got stuck in the sand. That happens. It is a regular occurance in that channel. I see someone stuck there all the time. Maybe im way off target but the decision to cancel the tournament should have been to move the location of take off. I honestly believe that it was cancelled due to the high winds which limited the practice for those who were going to fish along with the fact that when the lake gets like that the fish dont just jump in the boat. Can't change the fact that the tournament has been cancelled, but i would have to say that I have never heard of such a thing and I'm quite surprised.
I have to agree with Marty, if water levels are the only reason, there were definitely other options available. I’m not implying that there were other reasons, it is what it is. I counted 20+ links from this directory alone and I am sure there are more not listed on there.
http://ontariomarinas.notjustfishing...-marinas.shtml
Not all are marinas mind you, but it’s not as though MBMP was the only venue. And even at last minutes notice I highly doubt that ALL of them would have willingly thrown away the extra business in mid Oct. Especially on a day when most hunters or late season boaters would have stayed at home.
I feel bad for my partner who drove down yesterday from Brantford to fish this. He was as stoked as I was! Just didn’t feel right that I was the one who let him know after he was already down.
Funny thing, is him and his son own/operate a marina at the mouth of the Thames that would have been more than adequate at last minutes notice. And I am sure they would have been happy to host if given the opportunity.
I’m honestly surprised that more venues haven’t looked at operating out of the Lighthouse Cove area. No shortage of docking / ramps. And there’s a clear path directly into the lake making it ideal for live release, and little fear of running up on sand…
All in all I am sure this was a very tough decision on CSFL’s part. From a business standpoint, he’s now forfeited 2 events worth of income, so I am sure that the anglers are not the only ones feeling the sting on this decision. I’ll definitely fish next year absolutely! Late Sept is a great time to be out there. You don’t get as many of the Oct Giants, but I guarantee there will be no shortage of 19-21 + bags. And that’s great fishing anywhere you go!
Aric
Low water levels and high winds can be a dangerous combination. No responsible organizer would have run that event.
It's a difficult decision as it was and waiting another day after everyone has arrived would have been worse. It is most likely there will be a small craft warning from the US side and an advisory from the Canadian side. If this happens both days would be cancelled anyway.
With all the information in hand it was a very tough but good decision.
Oh absolutely I totally agree! Just saying that many fealt it was more than just low water levels. Because if that's all it was there were other options. But 30-50 km/hr winds, thats another story! If Andy cancelled a day on Quinte in weather less severe then this was a no brainer. But low water levels are only affected in Mitchells Bay because there are other facilities available that aren't as affected given they are around deeper water rather than a swamp! lol...IE Belle River...
Making arrangements for another venue at the last minute isn't all that easy. It would require approval, site inspection, and maybe insurance approval. Even if another site was found the weather forecast would likely cause cancellation anyway.
I'm not sure why some people think there is an ulterior motive here. Extreme weather or low water or not enough time to change venues seems like pretty good reasons to cancel an event. It might be disappointing but unfortunately that's tournament fishing or any other outdoor sport that requires cooperation from mother nature.
From the Chatham Daily News, yesterday.
http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/2012/...l-the-water-go
How low will the water go?
Randy Hope isn't a boater but the mayor of Chatham-Kent is very concerned about the low water levels in the Great Lakes and rivers and streams.
Lake St. Clair, for example, is 42 cm, or 17 inches lower today, than it was at the same time a year ago and the level continues to drop. The lake is 39 cm below its long-term average.
Hope told The Chatham Daily News if levels continue to drop - or don't reverse the trend - the municipality could lose financial revenues from marinas, tourists and water recreational sports equipment sales.
"Sure the water levels are a major concern,'' said Hope, a member of the Great Lakes Mayors Committee, representing more than 15 million residents in cities across the Great Lakes region.
The mayors group is asking the International Joint Commission, a bi-national board that advises the U.S. and Canadian governments on boundary water issues, to further investigate engineering options to raise lake levels in order to compensate for human activities, notably dredging in the St. Clair River over the past decade.
Chuck Southam, a water resources engineer with Environment Canada in Burlington, told The Chatham Daily News Thursday current water levels of the Great Lakes are all below their respective 1918-2011 period-of-record averages.
At the beginning of October, he said, the levels of all the Great Lakes were all significantly lower than they were a year ago.
The latest six-month forecast of the probable range of water levels on each of the Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair indicates that the levels on each of the lakes will likely remain below average throughout the current forecast period and possibly into next spring.
If dry conditions persist, said Southam, the levels of Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron could start setting new record monthly lows this month.
He said levels will fall close to, but remain above the period-of-record monthly lows levels on the remaining lakes.
Southam said lake levels are weather-related. If dry conditions persist low levels will persist.
"But a big rain or snow event can have a big impact,'' he said. "A very wet spell could help pop levels up again.''
Roman Krzewina, owner of Waterway Camp near Mitchell's Bay, is feeling the full impact of low water in Lake St. Clair.
There is little or no water in the canals leading from his camp to the lake.
"It's a very bad situation,'' he said. "I've lost all kinds of business.''
Krzewina said the few waterfowl hunters he does get have to drag their boats through the shallow canal water to reach the lake.
The camp owner has applied for a permit to dredge.
The beachfront at Mitchell's Bay is attracting considerable attention this fall from local residents and tourists.
There is dry sand for several hundred feet out from the shoreline where there was once water. And the amount of dry land is growing week by week.
"I don't know where the water is going,'' said John McClennan, owner of Seven Winds Marina in Port Franks on Lake Huron. "Somebody's gobbling it up somewhere.''
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is predicting November and December water levels in Lake Huron and Lake Michigan will match 1964's record low and set new record lows in 2013.
A message on the website of the Bluewater Ferry that runs between Sombra and Marine City, Michigan on the St. Clair River says that due to low water it's not currently able to take vehicles weighing more than 80,000 pounds, including large coach buses.
Low water levels can cause constraints on the size of cargos carried by ships on the lake, says Robert Lewis-Manning, president of the Canadian Shipowners' Association.
He said many shipping companies are used to managing cargo loads through the year as water levels change.
"What's unusual is how early in the year we've seen it,'' he said.
Karen Alexander with the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation said there has been a cycle of high and low water levels since record keeping ban in 1918.
"Right now we we're in a very extended low period,'' she said. "The length of time the lake has remained low has never happened before.''
She said potential reasons include climate change leading to lower rainfall, as well as ongoing evaporation in winter because of less ice cover.
The impact of low water levels includes extended lakeshore property as water recedes, the build up of sand dunes and migration of vegetation and coastal wetlands, she said.
"It's actually very healthy for the coast to go through these changes,'' she said. "What's not known is the long-term impact climate change will have on the water level cycle.''
Along the 2,500 miles of the Mississippi River, signs of the country's worst drought in 50 years can be found at almost any point.
Near Memphis, the river is about 13 feet below its normal depth. In Vicksburg, Miss. it's more than 20 feet below.
Overall, the river is about 13 feet below normal for this time of year - that's 55 feet below last year's flood level.
The levels have forced barge, tugboat and towboat operators to drastically change how they move goods up and down the river.
And, as the river dries up, it gets narrower and shallower. Shippers are having to load less cargo on boats for fear of running aground.
The $180 billion barge, tugboat and towboat industry transports just about anything that comes in bulk. Closing the river to traffic could lead to losses of more than $300 million a day.
bob.boughner@sunmedia.ca.
With files from Paul Morden of the Sarnia Observer.
Great article. There is another from the Packet Times in Orillia.
For years we have been warning about the low water levels of Georgian Bay as a precursor to a larger scale disaster in the Great Lakes. It is only now that Lake Michigan is effected that any attention or cause for concern has been voiced by our politicians on both sides of the border.
It's good to see it is finally getting so much attention however late it may be.
Maybe they will fill in the St. clair and Detriot rivers.... Put the plug back in the tub so to speak. lol
Too much dredging is definitely a major cause, cannals are way overdredged apparently. Population growth within the watershed and all the related draw with that makes the issue hard to fix and realistically it will just get worse.
I think it was a good call. Safety of the anglers (no matter how stupid we are) and the safety of the fish is most important. I wasn't looking forward to stuff'in my boat in this cold weather. Thanks Andy and good call!