Our friends at the ECHO Lake Aquarium & Science Center are asking members of the Lake Champlain and Vermont communities to take some time completing their new survey . This survey is an opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas about Lake Champlain and tell them a little about how you spend your time and how you use social media.

Burlington Boatyard is one many local lake stewards (LCI, LCSC, Outdoors Magazine to name a few) that understand the essential role social media plays in promoting environmental and ecological awareness in both our local lake community and other watersheds around the country. We ask that you take a moment to provide your insight, opinions, thoughts and concerns with ECHO via this survey, and appreciate your continued support for all of us who strive to make positive impacts on Lake Champlain and beyond.

Media Summary

“Will Fish For Fun” Kids Derby is an open fishing derby for kids up to the age of 14 from anywhere or from any means. Our goal is to give them a connection with nature. This is a free event with no restrictions. The grand price is a Lifetime Vermont State Fishing License (for the oldest age group only). It is held and headquartered at the Burlington boat house every year, the Saturday after Labor Day (September 12th this year). Fishing is limited to the Burlington Waterfront from shore. Only kids are allowed to fish, and parents are encouraged to coach by all means. There is a coaching crew but our coaches can get overwhelmed very quickly. People who are interested in becoming coaches can apply directly with the Event Organizer, Pete Thayer (send requests to “therocknvt@yahoo.com”).

The derby kicks off at 8am, rain or shine, and ends at 11:30am. We are happy and proud to have Charlie Papillo from WVMT Radio’s “The Charlie and Ernie Show” on AM620 weekdays early morning, not only hosting our derby, but also helping us promote the event and gain sponsorship, and in general keeping the kids smiling.

If you and your children would like to participate, go to the website www.willfishforfun.com, and click on the Contact Us page to fill out the information for each child (we need it for t-shirt and pole sizes). Once the information is submitted, you will receive an email containing your registration paperwork, which you will need to bring on the day of the Derby.

Last year we had a moving line with over 100 kids in it for over an hour. Need to get’em kids fishing. We have given away over 300 fishing poles since our start 2 yrs ago and we hope to be able to buy and give away that many this year alone. We are doubling the bait order, which is partly donated by Hog Island Bait in Alburg, so nobody will go wormless. Junior’s Italian, which has been supporting us since our 1^st derby, is also donating again this year.

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Please take a moment to read this BoatUS release below, regarding on the water safety and your wake. you may also follow BoatUS on twitter, at @BoatUS.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., August 26, 2009 – Boat wakes – those long, frothy, V-shaped waves trailing from the stern of a powerboat as it slices through the water – have a sinister side.  When other vessels encounter them, they can hurt people. They can make people angry, and they can bring the wrath of law enforcement, for good reason.

Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) recently looked into the issue of boat wakes by combing through the insurance claims case files, where swampings, broken teeth, and back injuries are found. “You avoid being the recipient of gestures from other skippers by using a little common sense and courtesy,” says BoatUS Director of Damage Avoidance Bob Adriance. “This means coming completely off plane when you enter a no wake zone or anywhere your wake could compromise the safety of other boats,” he adds.

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Gerry Hartley, a friend of ours here at Burlington Boatyard and an avid Lake Champlain fisherman, has started his own blog about some great fishing experiences he shares with his wife Cathy and the many fishing friends he has made over the years.

His most recent story and pictures describe his time out on the UVM research vessel Melosira, where many are learning valuable information about the health and issues of Lake Champlain water quality and its fishery.

Please consider reading more from Gerry on his blog, here.

Please take a moment to visit the blog of our friends at Lake Champlain International to read more on recent findings of Blue-Green Algae Bloom in the Missisquoi Bay:

Blue-Green Algae Bloom Detected in Missisquoi Bay

All those who are taking part in outdoor activities in and around the area should read more about the precautions to take while doing so.

Enjoy your weekend!

-The BBY Crew

This weekend, Burlington Boatyard is volunteering for Lake Champlain International as they hold the 28th Annual Father’s Day Fishing Derby on Lake Champlain. As one of many proud LCI sponsors, we have had the chance to be involved in a variety of ways, from the hustle and bustle of prepping the equipment heading out to the twelve weigh stations, to the headquarters tasks like recording every fish caught and constant follow up with those volunteering out on the road. But, aside from the hands on tasks that need attention, we are fortunate enough to experience the deeper meaning of what an event like this does for the community.

What brings excitement to a competitive derby angler? Prepping your boat, tackle and mapping the hot spots the day before? Having multiple lines hit while trolling your “secret” locations on Lake Champlain? Battling it out with the big one in anticipation of what’s on the end of your line, and if it’ll be the one that lands you the top spot on the board? Yes, all this and more is what typically runs through the mind of those who take part in a derby of this scope and involvement. However, with the LCI Father’s Day Derby, there are many more thrills and excitement that revolve around family, friends and community.

Father’s get a chance to spend a weekend with their kids teaching them about the sport of fishing, or experience all over again the feeling they had when catching their first “big one”. Friends take to the lake and see firsthand the positive effects the lamprey treatment initiatives have had on the revitalization of Lake Champlain when they have bigger and healthier fish on their line. Lake communities teem with activity, as well as local charities are benefited with programs like Share the Catch where residents can donate food items by dropping them off at any of the twelve LCI weigh stations. What happens during this particular derby is unique, and without a doubt focuses on benefiting the conservation, education and celebration of the wonderful resource that is Lake Champlain and its community.

We are lucky to be a part of the some 80 volunteers it takes to facilitate an event of this size and intricacy, and with 5500 anglers coming to Vermont from over 30 states, that is no simple task. We meet members of local businesses, fellow sponsors, our boaters and their families, learn about event planning and the list goes on. Most importantly though, we are able to take a few days to experience all the great things taking place around the Vermont lake communities with an organization that continues to dedicate their time and resources to making Lake Champlain a better place in the present, and for the future.

Good luck to all the LCI anglers this weekend and happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there!

-The Burlington Boatyard Crew

Be sure to stay in touch with LCI by becoming a fan on Facebook, following them on Twitter, reading their blog and contributing to the forum, and watching more on YouTube.

You may also stay connected with BBY on our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and forum.

This past Saturday’s Free Fishing Day in Vermont surely went over well in promoting both the sport of angling and the need to support the state’s wildlife initiatives. We encourage you all to read this piece from the Rutland Herald, written by Peter Hirschfeld of the Vermont Press Bureau.

State celebrates fishing tradition with free fishing day

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach him to love fishing, feed the state’s wildlife coffers for a lifetime.

On Saturday, the state of Vermont opened up its abundant waterways to anyone with a line, a hook and some bait. Unlicensed residents, and even out-of-state visitors, were free to go fishing without risk of sanction in what wildlife officials here say is the best fishery in New England.

“The whole concept is designed to give folks an opportunity to get out and enjoy fishing at least once during the year to discover how much fun it is, how relaxing it is and how great it is,” says John Hall with the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife.

The promotion, which is part of this weekend’s Vermont Days, isn’t without ulterior motives. Hall says his department hopes that many of those first-timers will take a liking to the pastime and purchase a $20 resident license (the cost is $41 for nonresidents).

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department derives the lion’s share of its annual operating budget from license sales and federal taxes on fishing and hunting equipment. That revenue had until recently been on a steady decline. In 1987, Hall said, the state sold about 160,000 fishing licenses. In 2005, the figure hit an all-time low of 118,000. Since then, Hall says, sales have risen modestly, up to about 122,000 in 2008.

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Our friend Gerry of Fairfax, VT put together some cool videos from his recent Salmon and Trout fishing trips on Lake Champlain. It’s always a pleasure to see our users sharing their experiences us and the community, as it is a testament as to just how much there is to do out on the water.

We encourage you to send along your pictures, videos or stories about your boating and angling experiences this season.

And now, for the feature presentations…

Fishing Lake Champlain, Trolling for Browns and Salmon. We caught smaller fish this day but did loose a nice brown at the back of the boat. Probably 3 pounds, the biggest fish of the day. It’s always a riot fishing Lake Champlain aboard the Razzle Dazzle.

Gerry and Cathy trolling Lake Champlain Vermont for Landlock Atlantic Salmon and Brown Trout. A great day on the water. We went eight for nine, only loosing one fish. We ended up with four Salmon and four Browns.

Greetings Lake Champlain enthusiasts! Spring is upon us and many boaters are already out navigating across the waters of the big lake. In spring it’s usually the fishermen who are first willing to endure the cold weather to cure their cabin fever. I pride myself in being one of the first few anglers to launch following ice-out. This year I was on the lake targeting lake trout and salmon during the last week of March. Believe it or not, I was catching some dandy lakers trolling just a few feet from the edge of the melting ice on Cumberland Bay. The lake trout fishing has been outstanding. As of this writing, May 1, 2009, my charters have landed 171 trout. Many fish where in the ten-pound range and the largest weighed in at just over thirteen pounds. I fish for Lake Champlain’s Seneca Lake strain of trout in 50 to 80 feet of water even in the early season. The Atlantic salmon fishing has been great too. The spring run in the tributaries brought in a good stock of salmon accessible to riverbank and fly fishermen. Those of us who trolled for salmon just after ice-out on the broad water in spots like Sandbar on the Inland Sea and Willsboro Bay on the main lake also did very well. The key to good salmon fishing in spring is finding slightly warmer water temperatures. The bass and pike fishing heated up in the rivers as well by the last week of April.

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Well, as many of you know by now, one of the world’s best ice fishermen, Dave Genz, is coming to Vermont this January to spend time with local anglers who wish to learn more about every aspect of the sport. On the contrary, many of you haven’t heard about me, Shawn Hayes, and I want to use this blog post to share a bit more about who I am, what I do, and my relationship with fishing and being a close friend with “Genzy”.

For years now I have run my own charter service out of Lake Champlain and Bomoseen, am a member of many Prostaffs, and try and give back to the outdoor community as much as possible. In having my hand in many opportunities to promote angling and the outdoor lifestyle, I have been fortunate enough to know and work closely with Dave Genz, and value this more than I can put into words.

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