A fishing tournament with a twist will be held this weekend in Lunenburg County.
The LaHave River Salmon Association is hosting a Chain Pickerel catch-and-keep tournament Saturday in Wentzells Lake.
The association is partnering with Coastal Action, who will be hosting presentations during the tournament at the MicMac Rod and Gun Club.
The presentations will discuss water quality and invasive species of the LaHave River, habitat restoration projects and a question and answer session on river siltation for land and homeowners.
The fishing tournament will be held from 9 a.m until 1 p.m and the presentations are scheduled from 10 a.m until 2 p.m.
The release from the LaHave River Salmon Association is below for more details.
LaHave River Salmon Association
The LaHave River Salmon Association is battling a new enemy that is threatening the very existence of the remaining Atlantic Salmon in their River. Chain Pickerel have entered the main branch of the LaHave River coming down the North Branch of the River from Sherbrook Lake.
This new threat is an invasive species that is a killing and eating machine. The pickerel prey on anything that swims in the water or on the water making survival of our native salmon and trout very difficult. Pickerel can spawn more than once a year making for a huge population of nasty inhabitants.
Shawn Feener who is doing his master research on invasive species in Wentzells Lake has reported as many as three salmon smolt in the stomach of one pickerel. Smolt is the stage of a salmon that leaves the river and heads to the ocean to grow and come back as a Salmon or Grilse. LRSA was always concerned about predators killing fish once they reached the ocean, now they have to worry about predators in the river as well.
To bring awareness to the problem the LRSA board of directors is having an awareness day on Saturday July 27 from 10-2 at the Rod and Gun club on Wentzells Lake. Here you learn about invasive species, as well as all the projects that Coastal Action is doing in habitat restoration. There will be demonstrations on how to fillet and cook chain pickerel and a free barbeque.
Starting at 9 there will also be a pickerel catch and keep tournament until 1pm.
