Ed Buric

tomorrow!!

Thai and Tie was only intended to be a play on words and yes this is all about the social ties of smallmouth fishermen and women. Ties are not required Ed Buric

THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW!

Wow only 2 weeks,I didn't realize it was that close.I look forward to seeing every one there. Ed Buric

OK northerly suburban guys,let's fill Tom's restaurant and show me that we need to do this more often.

It is now only a week away.

I just read a report that most of the boat ramps in Chicago are unusable due to the low water levels.They are to add bridge decking to extend them but I am not sure when that will be completed.Rich is right that most lake front fishermen fish from shore and move around either on foot or by bicycle.Within the next few weeks the coho should be moving into the shore around the Chicago and a few weeks after that the smallmouth should begin moving in. I have been sailing and power boating lake Michigan for many decades and there is no way I would take a 17 footer out at this time of the year.Lake Michigan can turn deadly very quickly this time of the year and help may not be readily available I am sure this is not what you would like to hear but that is the way it is.

As I said before "how can it get any better"

February 20 (Wednesday) at 7 PM. “Tie & Thai” event. ISA fly fishing aficionado and restaurateur Tom Loo will host our February meeting at Thai Garden, 225 West Golf Road in Schaumburg. This will be a great opportunity to try some of Tom’s Thai cuisine and chat about fishing. A great opportunity for some of our north side members to attend! Tom has agreed to donate some of his flies and Tim Urbanowicz has agreed to donate some of his "Eric Baits" as raffle prizes. So besides great Thai food, fantastic raffle prizes and just an enjoyable evening with fellow smallmouth fishermen, how can it get any better? See you there. [view map] Ed Buric

Welcome aboard Jim. I look forward to meeting you there.

Yeah but I was afraid that Jude would sue me if I were to post it.

the picture

Where is Jude's picture?

HA!

Ground hog with biscuits and gravy?

For those of you that find this interesting,I suggest you attend our February meeting which will be held at Tom's Thai restaurant

got it.

No I do not

I can pick them up tomorrow afternoon

I just found this and I believe it should be of interest to everyone that uses a watercraft Sorry for the delay in my response to all of your correspondence. But we wanted to sit down internally and really hash out some of the issues brought up by the paddling community. Here are some decisions that IDNR hopes will ease some concerns. First, the Department is going to continue with the Water Usage Stamp as suggested by the paddling community. Each water usage stamp will be assigned to the watercraft and not the individual. We are going to issue the Water Usage Stamp through the Point of Sale system because it is much easier on the consumer and more efficient then sending them to the department. I know that identity theft was a big concern for many paddlers but we have been working within the Point of Sale system for years and have not had a problem of identity theft. Also the Water Usage Stamp will not go into effect until July 1, 2013. That means that all expired registrations and new purchases would not be required to purchase the Water Usage Stamp until July 1, and the Department is going to honor all existing registrations until they expire. Another major concern from the paddling community was the sticker. Another major concern was the adhesive. IDNR is currently reviewing the adhesive to make sure that it will work on canoes and kayaks. Also the Water Usage Stamp will not be required to be placed on the outside of the watercraft. The Water Usage Stamp will be allowed to be placed on any visible surface on the inside of the boat which should reduce the amount of wear on the sticker. This should also help paddle boarders as well as the sticker can be placed anywhere on the paddleboard as long as it is visible. Another concern was the ability for IDNR Law Enforcement to track down abandoned or stolen watercraft. Each Water Usage Stamp will have an individual number assigned to the stamp which allows the Conservation Police to track lost and stolen. I hope that this helps in alleviating some of the concerns. I have attached another letter to pass along to the rest of the paddling community. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, Michael Stevens Office of Legislation below is what is written in the attached letter: ================================= The Illinois General Assembly passed the “DNR Sustainability Bill” (P.A 97-1136) on December 7, 2012. This piece of legislation was vital to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), following 10 years of cuts totaling over 50% of the department’s general revenue budget. Passage of this bill will help us hire critical staff to maintain state parks, fix aging infrastructure, speed up regulatory functions, and make a bigger difference in the lives of everyone who utilizes the abundant natural resources in the State of Illinois. The Sustainability Bill includes a section regarding the Water Usage Stamp. Starting July 1 2013, the Water Usage Stamp will be required yearly for any individual operating a non-powered vessel within the State of Illinois. IDNR raised the price for non-powered vessels from the $6 every three year registration to the $6 Water Usage Stamp annually. The department also removed the requirement to title non powered watercraft. The elimination of the Certificate of Title and registration of non powered watercraft will help the IDNR significantly reduce the backlog of watercraft registrations which currently takes up to three months. The new method of processing the Water Usage Stamp will be more convenient for those who use non-powered watercraft, and more efficient and cost-effective for IDNR. The Water Usage Stamp will be available at IDNR’s “DNR Direct” point-of-sale vendor locations. Non-powered vessel owners will be able to go to any IDNR point-of-sale vendor (sporting goods store, Wal-Mart, etc.) and purchase a Water Usage Stamp over the counter. The retailer will ask the owner for his/her: Name and Address Date of Birth Social Security or IDNR customer number Hull ID numbers (optional) Make, model, and color of the vessel The previous years’ registration number (optional) The Water Usage Stamp can then be affixed to the watercraft. Currently DNR is testing the adhesives to make sure that the Water Usage Stamp will adhere properly with non powered watercraft. To help alleviate the concerns of paddlers the sticker may be placed on any visible surface inside of the non powered watercraft to reduce the damage by rocks and debris. This will be a simple and easy way for the paddling community to register their watercraft and benefit boat owners who can now register their watercraft immediately instead of waiting up to 3 months under the old system. The Water Usage Stamp will reduce the number of watercraft registration the IDNR must process each year, will eliminate a confusing and lengthy watercraft registration process for non-powered vessels, and will support IDNR boat safety and enforcement initiatives that help make water-based recreation in Illinois enjoyable for all users. I hope that this gives you some useful background information regarding the Water Usage Stamp. If you have any questions or need clarification, please contact Michael Stevens with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources at (217) 785-0073. Yours in conservation, Marc Miller Department of Natural Resources

I can do Thursday

A pair of pants would also be nice

Give 'em hell,Jude

14 members did show up this morning for an enjoyable breakfast with even more enjoyable comradery and some very interesting conversations. Ed B

TOMORROW