News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Bass anglers give cold
response to warmwater regs
Bag limits to end on three major rivers
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
Bud Hartman can sense 55 years of
progress beginning to unravel.
As one of the original members of
the Oregon Bass and Panfish Club in
1958, Hartman, of Portland, fought
for the state’s first ever bag limits
on bass fishing to protect the species
from overharvest.
On Sept. 4, the Oregon Fish and
Wildlife Commission approved sport
fishing regulations for 2016 that in-
cludes removing bag limits on all
warmwater fish — including bass,
walleye, crappie, panfish and catfish
— in the Columbia, John Day and
Umpqua rivers, leaving Hartman de-
flated.
“I’ve been at the forefront of mak-
ing sure these fish have the right to
exist in Oregon,” he said. “As of last
Friday, I felt like all of these efforts
we put in have all been in vain.”
Hartman, who attended the com-
mission’s meeting in Seaside, said he
felt his arguments against ending bag
limits on warmwater fish fell on deaf
ears.
He isn’t worried the fisheries will
become overly degraded, but said it
simply sends the wrong message to
anglers.
“To me, it devalues the resource,”
Hartman said. “It says to the angling
public that (these fish) don’t mean
anything.”
Eighteen percent of Oregon fish-
ermen said they consider themselves
tive when smolts migrate in colder
water.
primarily warmwater anglers, accord-
On the other hand, northern pike-
ing to a 2006 survey by the state De- minnow prey on smolts year-round,
partment of Fish & Wildlife. Another Fleming said, and bass have actually
26 percent said they fished for warm- helped decrease pikeminnow num-
water species at some point during bers in the river.
the past year.
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When it comes to bass fishing, Or- porting this decision-making,” Flem-
egon has become a world-class desti- ing said.
nation. Last year, Bassmaster Maga-
Fleming, who has guided fishing
]LQHUDQNHGWKH&ROXPELD5LYHUWK trips on the John Day for 27 years,
in its list of top 100 places to fish for said the vote to remove bag limits on
bass in the U.S., while Field & Stream warmwater fish was thoughtless. He
Magazine also named the John Day doesn’t expect his business to suffer,
5LYHUDVWKHEHVWVPDOOPRXWKEDVVULY though he said the fishery, along with
er in the West in its May 2015
rural communities, will all be impact-
issue.
ed.
Lonnie Johnson, conservation di-
“The word will get out that you
rector for the Oregon Bass Angler can’t find anywhere to fish on the
Sportsman Society, or B.A.S.S., said John Day unless you have a boat,”
since most bass fishermen are catch- he said. “The summer traffic will die
and-release only, and removing bag down.”
limits might open the doors to a po-
The new rules are part of
tential cottage industry.
an effort to simplify warmwa-
“We’re very concerned about ter and trout fishing regulations
what’s the writing on the wall here,” statewide.
Johnson said.
Other changes adopted by the Fish
ODFW has said the proposal is & Wildlife Commission include elim-
meant to lower the rate at which bass inating the April trout opener and
prey on native salmon and steelhead removing bag limits on non-native
smolts, especially in the John Day brown and brook trout in streams,
5LYHU ZKHUH ULVLQJ ZDWHU WHPSHUD with a few exceptions.
tures have lured smallmouth bass
Johnson said Oregon B.A.S.S. will
higher into the watershed.
work with other groups to figure out
But Steve Fleming, of Mah-Hah what their options are moving for-
Outfitters in Fossil, cited an ODFW ward.
study from 1999 that concluded
“Needless to say, it’s very frustrat-
VPDOOPRXWK EDVV DUH QRW PDMRU SUHG ing,” he said.
ators of spring chinook and steel-
———
head smolts in the John Day, since
Contact George Plaven at gplaven@
the bass are not particularly ac- eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0825.
Prineville man
arrested after another
man found dead in car
A 39-year-old man
from Christmas Valley
was found dead in a ve-
hicle early Thursday, and
Crook County authorities
say a 25-year-old man has
been arrested.
Crook County Under-
sheriff John Gautney said
in a statement that James
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a gunshot wound around 5
a.m.
According to the As-
sociated Press, Michael
Donovan, of Prineville, is
being held without bail at
the Crook County Jail on
investigation of murder
and other charges.
Prineville man thrown from
EXOOGLHVDW3DXOLQD5RGHR
A Prineville man died
after he was thrown from
a bull and stepped on at
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deo.
The Crook County
Sheriff’s Office reports
58-year-old
contestant
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was competing in front of
family and friends Satur-
day afternoon when the
incident occurred.
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(PHUJHQF\
Services and sheriff’s
deputies responded to
the scene and attempted
life-saving measures for
45 minutes, according to
the Associated Press.
The rodeo was shut
down for more than an
hour.
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that Perry’s daughter Bai-
ley posted on the news
organization’s Facebook
page.
She said the day was
hard for many and a shock
for her, but that her dad
died doing what he loved,
which not many people
get to do.
Pro Saw
Shop and
a Whole
Lot More
Debbie Ausmus
245 South Canyon Blvd.
John Day, OR 97845
OPEN WED. & THUR.
9 am - 5 pm
541-575-1113
24 hrs/7 days wk
debbie.ausmus@
countryfinancial.com
City man for violation of
burning restrictions.
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mond woman for speed-
ing; report of domestic
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bile Home Park.
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man for speeding.
• Grant County Sher-
iff
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ported on Trafton Lane.
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• Prairie City ambu-
lance
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a person with breathing
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Justice Court
CANYON CITY –
The Grant County Justice
Court reported the follow-
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• Failure to properly
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• Violation of the ba-
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Marie Bruce, 53, John
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• Driving without head-
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• Driving while sus-
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ly M. Wyant, 24, Prairie
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PROPERTY CLEANUP,
DRIVEWAYS, PARKING
LOT REPAIRS
Bruce Ward
MOST Y
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DRIVEW st less
co
repairs ad of
lo
than a l
grave
Sunrise
Construction
CCB#189765
V ETERANS :
Did you know there may be VA benefits available for
you as a result of your spouses’ military service?
See your Grant County Veteran Services
Officer today for more information,
located at Grant County Court House.
Call 541-575-1631 for an appointment
Open: Mon, Wed, & Fri 10am-4pm by appointment.
FAMILY
HEALTH
Treatment and Surgery of Foot
and Ankle • In-Grown Nails
Bunions • Warts • Gout
Corns & Callouses
Diabetic Foot Screening
Foot Odor • Athletes Foot
Treatment for pain in feet, shins,
heels, knees, lower back. Custom
molded orthotics.
MICHAEL RUSHTON, DPM
Podiatric physician & Surgeon
541
1664 4
5 41- - 620-
62 0-166
Dr. Rushton is Preferred Providerfor Lifewise and Blue
Cross/Blue Shield and a Medicate participant.
Our thanks goes out to the
fire crews for their work on the
fires. We are very grateful to
the OTEC, CenturyLink and
ODOT crews for prompt
restoration of the services.
Also, a special thanks to the
bridge crew for the prompt
bridge restoration.
Jerry and LaRue Daake
A TTENTION G RANT C OUNTY
ÓnÎäÊ£ä̅Ê-Ì°]Ê>ŽiÀÊ
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OFFICE HOURS: EVERY OTHER TUESDAY
02662
bation for 18 months, or-
dered to have no contact
with the victim and to pay
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court dismissed one count
of fourth-degree assault.
• Anthony Scott Steele,
Circuit Court
50, pleaded guilty to pos-
CANYON CITY – session of methamphet-
The Grant County Circuit amine, and was sentenced
Court reported the follow- WRMDLOIRUGD\VDQG
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hours of community ser-
• Earl Mcnally Binger YLFHDQG¿QHG
Jr., 49, pleaded guilty to
Dispatch
harassment. He was sen-
John Day dispatch
tenced to bench proba-
tion for 12 months and 16 worked 135 calls during
hours community service, the week of Aug. 31-Sept.
6. Along with the various
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• Christopher S. Wil- WUDI¿FZDUQLQJVWUHVSDVV
liams, 47, pleaded guilty LQJLQMXUHGDQLPDOVQRLVH
to second-degree disor- FRPSODLQWV DQG MXYHQLOH
derly conduct. He was complaints, these calls in-
sentenced to bench pro- FOXGHG
bation for 18 months and
• John Day Police
40 hours of community
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service, ordered to have theft in the Hillcrest area.
no contact with the vic-
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tim or entry into the Dirty ported on Front Street in
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The court dismissed one
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count of menacing.
with property damage re-
• Jose Fabian Huer- ported in the 200 block of
ta-Lopez, 32, pleaded North Canyon Blvd.; ar-
guilty to harassment. He rested a John Day man on
ZDV VHQWHQFHG WR MDLO IRU a Grant County warrant.
60 days and bench pro-
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02131
C OPS & C OURTS
Arrests and citations in
the Blue Mountain Eagle
are taken from the logs of
law enforcement agencies.
Every effort is made to re-
port the court disposition
of arrest cases.
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The doctor speaks Spanish - El Doctor habla Espanol.