After coming across the recent fish consumption advisory update in Illinois yesterday, I thought I’d post this link for the other 49 states. Illinois is of particular interest to me since I live and fish here, obviously. But if you’re interested in the state of fish in your state, you can check out the list of fish consumption advisories by state at the Environmental Protection Agency’s website. The numbers are grim. Of those tested, about 30% are contaminated. That’s something like 12 million acres.

You also may want to be aware that the fish you purchase can also pose a risk. Kids are most vulnerable, but pregnant women should really avoid eating anything containing PCBs and mercury, among other nasties, because it can adversely affect fetal development. Some of these chemicals seem to have delayed development as a specialty, so it’s best just to cross some fish off your menu for 9 months or so.

The Natural Defense Council Guide to Mercury in Fish gives a long list of the fish you can buy in the grocery store with the fewest problems and the ones that tend to contain higher amounts of problem chemicals. It also points out the safe fish that are still not a great choice because they’re being too heavily fished. It’s an interesting list to peruse. Just remember that you can’t go by that list with the fish you catch. You’ll need to look at your state information at the EPA link above to see if the levels are dangerous in the water where you caught it.

I was encouraged to see the list and find that pollock, tilapia and wild caught salmon are on the list of those with the least mercury in them since we tend to eat a lot of them. You’ll want to make sure your salmon is wild and not farmed, as the farmed variety tends to contain PCBs and you don’t want that. Haddock, flounder, scallops and shrimp are on the list with the least mercury, but the site warns that they’re overfished and may be fished with methods that are terrible for the environment, too.

Lots of good and familiar (and yummy) fish are on the medium mercury contamination list that recommends 6 or less servings a month. Cod, halibut, lobster, snapper and tuna (fresh and canned chunk light) are among those, with some also overfished and fish in environmentally irresponsible ways. For the high mercury fish, the report suggests 3 or fewer servings a month. This includes canned albacore tuna and yellowfin tuna, as well as mackerel, grouper, bluefish and sea bass. And I didn’t know this, but apparently we’re supposed to completely avoid orange roughy, marlin, king mackerel, shark, swordfish, bigeye tuna, ahi tuna and tilefish. Apparently those delicious fish are basically stewing in a mercury bath and even one meal is risky, according to this report which used FDA and EPA information to compile the data.

Tuna is also apparently the way most Americans end up ingested mercury, probably because tuna is such a popular food, and the canned variety is easily affordable and can be used in a variety of ways, even eaten right from the can.

How Much Does it Take for a Mercury Warning?

Fish with low amounts of mercury are those found in waters that contain mercury at the ratio of somewhere below 0.09 parts per million. High levels are considered between 0.3 and 0.49 parts per million. Fish in waters that contain more than 0.5 parts per million are the ones you should always avoid. That might not sound like much, but personally I’d really like there to be no highly toxic mercury in my fishing water. The US has been issuing mercucy fish consumption advisories since 2003, as well as tips on how to prepare fish and how to clean fish to minimize things like chlordane and PCBs in your meals.

If it’s in the water, it’s in the ground and the things that grow there and the rain that falls hither and yon. It’s just a bad situation all around. And a preventable one or at least one that can be minimized, which is what makes it a wee bit annoying. Coal power plants burn coal to make power, and the smoke contains the mercury that burns out of the coal. Yet little is done to minimize this, though it’s quite an achievable aim because smaller incinerators that also put out mercury have proven that it can be curtailed.

Chlorine plants are also top causes of mercury in the water because apparently they send about 50 tons of the stuff into the air each year. It’s just considered “lost” by the plants because they don’t know exactly how it happens, and the EPA doesn’t really seem to care about finding out. I’ll bet if you live near one of these places, where the mercury level in the air is outrageous, you’re interested in finding out, aren’t you? Auto scrap plans contribute up to 12 more tons of that thanks to the light switches in cars that melt and release their mercury when the vehicles are being recycled. Vehicles are no longer manufactured with mercury in them–apparently since 2003 when people got angry about it. But look at all the older cars out there. A fix would be to just remove the switches very quickly before recycling the car. A few states are working toward this requirement. Let’s hope that idea spreads far and wide.

Mercury is also used in PVC production, gold mining, batteries, dental fillings, some medical applications and other things. Phasing it out wherever possible seems like a dandy idea to me. Especially since it’s far from a hopeless situation. Apparently, in time it becomes far less dangerous as it will settle in the water and remain in places like the bottom of riverbeds. That means fish won’t be consuming it in their daily hauls and they’ll be safer for us to eat.

Photo: redjar

The Illinois Department of Health issued a fish consumption advisory with update information less than 2 weeks ago. It’s a mercury warning, folks. Just when you thought you could eat fish for your health, hey, maybe you shouldn’t. Take heart, though. There have been mercury warnings in place for many of our bodies of water for a long time. It’s just than some new ones have been added today.

The mercury warning means that it’s advisable to have locally caught “predator” fish no more than once a week. These are the fish that eat other fish, and so are managing to get even more contaminated. It’s a bit like you deciding to be a cannibal and eating all your neighbors who just got food poisoning. The next cannibal to eat you is in for a world of hurt. The fish you need to watch for are bass (white, spotted, hybrid striped, striped, smallmouth and largemouth), walleye, flathead catfish, sauger, muskellunge, saugeye and northern pike. Limit your intake of those to the recommend amounts (or below) and you may be able to enjoy that fish dinner.

In some cases, you should have fish no more than once a month, but that’s thanks to a really fun thing called PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls. People who fish for white bass out of Lake Depue should only enjoy their bounty once a month because of PCBs.

Every year, Illinois tests water samples from about 40 spots in the state, looking for those PCBs, pesticides, random dangerous chemicals and mercury. Now, you can eat fish all week and be fine. It’s not an acute illness that you’ll typically have, but the long-term effects of mercury exposure and exposure to the substances found in fish from contaminated areas are what get ya. It’s especially dangerous for kids who are still developing.

How to Clean Fish and How to Prepare Fish to Reduce Your Risk

Be sure to get all the skin off, and cut away any fatty spots you find. That helps get rid of the chlordane and PCBs. Also, avoiding frying your fish. I know, I know. I’m sorry. That’s the recommendation. When you fry fish, it’s sitting in oil and its own juices. And the best way to avoid letting your fish dinner stew in pesticides and chemicals that might be cooking out of it is to cook it in away where the good stuff, I mean the fat, can run away from the fish. Bake or broil on top of a pan that lets fat drip down into another pan. Or grill it so it drips away.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to prepare fish to reduce the amount of mercury in the things. You lower your ingestion of mercury by simply eating fewer mercury-marinated fish.  

If you want a breakdown of the condition of the fishing holes near you, as well as advice about how often the fish you catch are safe to eat, you can find it in this document from the Illinois Department of Health.

Photo: rick

My dad is a big fan of longtime TV fisherman Bill Dance. After watching some fishing videos featuring Bill, I’ve figured out why. He’s got that folksly good-old-boy twang in his speech, and obviously knows how to catch a fish or two. Despite all that, I don’t think I’d want to get in a boat with the man, or go anywhere potentially dangerous! These Bill Dance bloopers speak for themselves.

I’ve watched these Bill Dance fishing videos several times, and I find myself practically in tears. My dad apparently owns the complete set of Bill’s bloopers on a multi-DVD set. Yes, there are that many funny fishing videos worth watching that it take several DVDs!

Here are three fishing videos, all howl-worthy. There are some repetitions, but there are some you don’t want to miss on each fishing video. The first one is a fishing blooper clip that takes excerpts from the show. The fishing video one is a musical montage of several strung together. The third is another set of clips. They’re all worth repeated vieweings, whether you like funny fishing videos, or just funny videos about anything!

#1: Bill Dance fishing bloopers–this is the best visual quality fishing video

#2: Fishing videos montage

#3: Fishing video blooper clips–I dare you not to laugh

Achievable Concepts produces some excellent helpers for physically challenged anglers.

Fishing Harness: The harness goes around the waist and over your shoulders with adjustable straps. You cast, then put the pole into the holder that’s attached to the straps. It holds the rod while you can turn the reel, and pull that big one in one-handed.

Strong Arm: This leather forearm wrap-around lets you hold the rod without much hand strength or grip. It essentially straps the handle to your forearm. You can be one with the fishing pole, as it’s an extension of your arm.

The Strikefighter: This is another great product for those with limited use or no use of one hand. It comes in a sitting or a standing model. The Strikefighter holds the rod for you while you run the reel with one hand, but it’s more than just a rod holder. The special thing about this adaptive fishing gear is that you can actually move the rod while you’re reeling in the fish, if you can move your legs. It straps around your waist with a part of it going down to one leg. Shift your weight from foot to foot, lift up that leg and you can actually play with the fish you’re reeling in and come very close to simulating what you would do if you were holding the rod. Someone in a wheelchair could get a similar effect by raising that leg up a little.

Ty-All: This little device assists fisherman in tying knots. It can be used by anyone but is especially helpful for people who need to tie on lures one-handed.

Fishing Pole Holder: This fishing pole holder clamps directly onto a wheelchair, whether it’s a standard or a sports wheelchair, and can also be used on a fishing chair, lawn chair and whatever chair you choose to sit in and fish. It’s a handy holder for when nothing’s biting, but it’s also good for holding the rod while you reel in a fish.

Electra-Mate: This electric fishing reel is designed for adaptive fishing for people who need to be able to reel in with the push of a button. The 312HS weighs less than 30 ounces  and costs less than $400. It’s designed to power the Penn 320GTi.  The THE450-PTH is designed for the Penn 4500 SS and 5500 SS Spinfisher Spinning Reels and costs less than $300. For either model, a $120 battery pack is required, as well as your own Penn. Both these models have remote, waterproof, push-button control, they’re fine to use for both freshwater and saltwater sportfishing, and they can be attached very quickly. They let you set the drag, play the fish and reel it in one -handed.

Where the Electra-Mate really stands out among electric reels and electric fishing reel systems is in the light weight and design. Others like a Daiwa electric fishing reel or a Shimano electric reel are designed more for bottom fishing and dragging heavy fish up through hundreds of feet of water. The Electra-Mate was designed with the disabled angler in mind, so it has all the features you’d want in an affordable solution for one-handed fishing.

The OH 4

Another great product that’s not fishing specific but could certainly come in handy on a fishing trip is the wheelchair cup holder from OH 4 Industries.

This cup holder will fit almost any wheelchair, stadium chair, or any chair that has an armrest. Because it’s not designed to fit just one style, it’s easy to put on and take off with velcro straps and foam grip pads. It’s less than $30, shipping included, and has more to offer than just about any cup holder I’ve ever seen.

Because of its slotted design it can hold coffee cups with handles on the side just as easily as cans, glasses or bottles. They’ve even thought about those sweating containers by leaving the bottom partially open. You won’t have to mop condensation out of the bottom of the OH 4 wheelchair cup holder.

For the handicapped fisherman (or fisherwoman), this can just make fishing with a beverage (is there any other kind of fishing?) a little bit easier. Then the one that got away won’t have gotten away because you had a cup or can in your hand. Of course, that might mean you have to come up with another excuse for why you didn’t bring in a record fish, but for some people, that’s half the fun.

Electric fishing reels and electric fishing reel systems make easier work of hauling in those big ones. That’s not to say that when you’re fishing, electric reels make it EASY. You still have to know what you’re doing and have a familiarity with your fishing tackle. Your magical and masterful fishing technique still comes into play. You just don’t have to have the power to crank the reel to pull the fish in.

Electric fishing reels are good for deep sea fishing and situations where you expect to have a lot of weight on the end of the line. Some of the top brands are Daiwa electric fishing reels and Shimano electric fishing reels. They’re especially useful for bottom fishing, where you expect to have to pull a lot of weight a long distance. Even smallish weights can exhaust your hand, wrist and forearm thanks to the drag you experience over a long distance. Pulling a 20 pound fish up through about 20 feet of water can be taxing if the fish has a lot of fight. But pulling a 20-pound fish up through 800 or 900 feet of water is best done with an electric reel.

And anyone can suffer from hand and wrist fatigue after hitting a great spot and pulling in large fish after whopper after doozie, or while shark fishing. If you have issues with hand and arm strength or an injury, these electric reels can take the pressure off while letting you still enjoy some time fishing. Some of the most heavy duty reels can add some weight to your rod, though, and can be a slight challenge to cast if you have strength issues. You may end up with some muscled forearms and biceps just from casting them. Fortunately, the battery packs are separate and not also hooked onto the rod. Or soon your arm would be so muscular you wouldn’t need that electric reel, even if you hooked a small whale.

Electric Fishing Reels for the Handicapped

There are some electric reel manufacturers who also produce electric fishing reels for the handicapped anglers or those who have difficulty gripping and cranking a standard reel. These reels that are designed for adaptive fishing tend to weigh less than those designed for deep sea fishing trips, to make it easier for anyone to cast them. You do want to take care at first because the added weight on the rod may be an issue still.

It doesn’t matter how heavy or light the catch might be. For those whose physical limitations prevent them from being able to crank a reel or pull in a fish on their own, electric fishing reels can let them enjoy fishing without having to ask for help or have someone take over when they’ve reached the most exciting part–pulling in the day’s catch.

Adaptive Fishing Rods

Fishing rods for electric reels for the handicapped are typically just standard rods. Most electric fishing reels can be mounted on almost any rod, though a few manufacturers create them for specific rods. Some fishing rods for the handicapped are adaptive, and make it easy for people who have trouble gripping, or who have only one hand, to enjoy fishing. Manufacturers realize that not all disabled anglers will use electric reels, but may not be able to hold a rod and crank a reel at the same time, so they’ve created rod holders that allow people to handle rods hands-free. On this listing of adaptive fishing equipment and rods for disabled anglers you can find some of the more popular rod styles used in adaptive fishing today like the Electra-Mate.

There are a number of electric fishing reels for sale today to help everyone enjoy fishing. These reels come in a variety of prices ranges and sizes, depending on the ways they’ll be used. New electric fishing reels start at around $500 and only zoom up from there, so they are an expense but a worthwhile one if you enjoy fishing.

Budget Electric Fishing Reels for Sale

For those with a small budget, used electric fishing reels are a good option. Look at places like eBay and online discount fishing stores. You can find almost anything in the world you could possibly want at eBay. But if you want to pay as little as possible and actually win the item you want, read these tips on winning fishing equipment on eBay. You’ll raise your chances of getting a really great deal.

Another less expensive option is to find a converter. You can find some companies like Fish Winch that sell electric fishing reel drives for about $300 that will convert a variety of Shimano reels, Penn and Daiwa reels into electric fishing reels.

*Kids and Fish

By the way, kids and fishing go together well, and for smallish, sleight kids who want to go after regular-sized fish, the idea’s sometimes kicked around to use electric equipment. But the reels cost hundreds of dollars, and most kids I’ve gone fishing with, including myself when I was of the young persuasion, are perfectly happy with a stick, a string and a hook on the end of it. Just get some light sport fishing tackle, or yes, a plain old cane fishing pole, and they will have fun. If they catch a fish bigger than they are, you can always just grab their ankles.

Photo: gnr

If you haven’t been fishing for a long time (and maybe even if you have) the phrase sport fishing tackle might seem a bit intimidating. What does it include? Are there special types of equipment that many fishermen (and women) have that you don’t? If Roland Martin could peek into your tacklebox, would he laugh or weep into his fishing hat? With most hobbies, jobs and tasks, the right tool for the right job is good advice. There are so many options, you might not even know where to begin.

What is Sport Fishing Tackle Anyway?

Rods, reels, lures, floaters, sinkers, fishing line and anything piece of equipment you use to fish. When I was a kid, I always thought the tackle was all the fishing hooks with 3 and 4 prongs. I thought that because, and remember I was little, they looked liked they could really tackle that fish. Hooks are tackle, but only one item under the broad definition. All of the equipment you use in the act of fishing is considered tackle. So yes, even the lucky hat and the vest and the cooler full of adult beverages could technically be called tackle if you consider them absolutely necessary fishing equipment, but we won’t include them for our purposes here.

Saltwater or Freshwater?

You’ll find tons of equipment that’s labeled either saltwater or freshwater. The good news is that if you’re only going to fish in ponds and rivers, you’ve eliminated at least half of the hard decisions right off the bat. If you’re only in the market for sea fishing reels, however, you can ignore the freshwater side of the shop. Don’t agonize over whether sea fishing rods might actually be better even if you’re saltwater fishing, or if freshwater lures might really be what the ocean fish prefer, 2 to 1.

If you do one or the other, it’s simplified for you. Not that you still won’t have a squillion choices–you will. But you’re likely to enjoy the choices a bit more now that you’ve eliminated an entire category of sport fishing tackle.

If you plan to do both, then it really comes down to whether or not you want to invest in two complete sets of tackle or if you want some items to do double duty. Figuring this out involves knowing the difference between freshwater and saltwater tackle.

Fishing Rods and Reels

Saltwater equipment has to be able to stand up to the corrosive effects of salt. The metal used on the rods is thicker and designed to resist corrosion, which makes sea fishing rods a bit heavier than freshwater rods. Also, the variety of fish you might catch in the ocean tends to span a much larger weight range, so the heavier rods also withstand a bit more weight and abuse. If you’re purchasing new fishing equipment, there’s no reason not to choose a rod designed for ocean fishing. But if you already have a freshwater rod that’s strong and easy to clean, so that you can make sure you get all the corrosive saltwater off after each use, then there’s no need to run out and buy a rod that’s similar but packaged as an ocean rod.

If you buy a rod and reel combo, then once you make your choice your work is done. If you want to purchase the reel separately, then take note of the difference between sea fishing reels and freshwater reels. Because of the salt water, a good reel for sea fishing should be sealed. Use a reel that’s not sealed and get some salty water in there . . . and you won’t be using that reel much longer. It should be anodized to resist corrosion on the outside, too. If you must use a freshwater reel, say on an impromptu trip you don’t want to have to buy new equipment for, absolutely do not let it get dunked into the water. And be sure to hose everything off when you’re done to get rid of all traces of salt. For regular ocean fishing, a reel designed for it is best and will likely last you much longer.

Lures

Is a lure a lure by any other name? Saltwater fishing lures tend to be bigger and longer. They’re often more shiny and brightly colored, though you can find dull or eye-popping bright lures among both types. And of course the hooks are steel and treated to avoid corrosion, where freshwater lures are probably just chrome plated, since they don’t have deal with all the damaging salt.

Just like rods and reels, you can use any type of lure. If you use freshwater lures in salt water, clean them thoroughly when you’re done so they don’t corrode.

Live Bait

There is a difference between saltwater and freshwater bait. You can use dead or live bait for either, typically. Live bait has the advantage that the bail will wiggle and squirm, drawing attention. Saltwater bait is typically saltwater fish or sea life of some kind. Shrimp, clam, herring, sardines and pinfish are commonly used, both dead and alive. Some fish prefer certain types of bait–just like we all different favorite foods, I suppose.

Freshwater bait, on the other hand, starts with the good old fishing worm. Buy them in a bait shop or dig them up yourself. Some people even farm worms just to have bait. Red wigglers are one of the more prized bait worms, but if you find a nice bit of ground that’s full of worms, those will work just fine, too. Of course, freshwater fish have their favorites, too. Trout like grasshoppers, where carp seem to eat anything, since a number of recipes are available to make carp bait from bread crumbs and a number of other ingredients. Fish is often used as fish bait, with small shad and other tiny specimens popular for things. Larvae, clams, mussels, crawfish, leeches and scads of other little creepy creatures make great freshwater bait, all depending on the fish you’re after.

Types of Fishing

This comparison of saltwater and freshwater sport fishing tackle is really designed for the pole fisher, but there are so many other types of fishing out there.  Even with a rod and reel there are different types of casting, different ways to fish, different techniques and methods to use to go after certain fish in certain areas, whether you’re fishing the sea or the neighbor’s farm pond.

If you plan to fish in the ocean more than occasionally, then it pays to buy a sea fishing rod and reel, and have equipment that you know won’t boil like a slug when some salt sits in it. If you’re chiefly a saltwater fisherperson, then  your equipment, provided you’re doing the same type of fishing like fishing from a spot out in the water or fishing from the bank, should transfer pretty well. It might be heavier and bigger than you need, but you’ll be able to use your tackle without worry that you might damage it.

Photos © radcarper