Only 2,000 boats hit the lake each year because the only fish thriving in the sludge were carp and bullheads. In 1989, local, state and federal governments, scientists and citizens stepped in and launched a $7 million restoration project. What happened? The 1989 restoration project was intended to remove sediment and nutrients from the lake and keep them out by improving wetlands. Fishing has improved greatly, he said, but water quality is hit or miss. A new dredging project, estimated at...

There s a big shallow lily pad field up there, and a friend of mine caught a bunch of good fish on a frog in the pads the other day, he said. Hopefully, the view from the lodge was a sign that our annual fishing sojourn would be successful. This time, the fish got the hook. The fish, which looked to be about 6 pounds, maybe bigger, had gotten wrapped in the pads and had gotten free of the Scumfrog s hooks. In a nearby boat, we heard a scream from Ron Garavelli and turned to see his rod...

It's time for anglers who put their equipment away last fall to be sure the reel is oiled and hooks are sharpened on jigs and lures -- Saturday is the opening of the fishing season for gamefish in most of Wisconsin. Biologists report that 2006 surveys showed the West Branch of the Sugar River, Elvers, Token, Mount Vernon, German Valley and Vermont creeks do not have as high of a density of trout as does Black Earth Creek, but they still offer good fishing opportunities, with the majority...

York County is fixing a 1980 oversight that has left its boating zone rules unenforceable. York supervisors are expected to fix the problem next month with a new county ordinance that allows boaters who create wakes to be ticketed and potentially fined for a misdemeanor up to $250. The word on the waves was that the county's "No Wake" zones - posted on signs and buoys in several rivers and creeks to keep boats at slow speeds - couldn't be enforced. But when the county tinkered with a...

Veterans Groups Urge Full War Funding By Nathan Burchfiel CNSNews.com Staff Writer April 20, 2007 (CNSNews.com) - The leaders of two large national veterans' organizations on Thursday called on Democratic leaders in Congress to offer a war funding bill free of withdrawal timelines and "pork barrel" spending. Veterans Groups Urge Full War Funding By Nathan Burchfiel CNSNews.com Staff Writer April 20, 2007 (CNSNews.com) - The leaders of two large national veterans' organizations on Thursday...

A couch potato is defined by the OED as "a person who spends leisure time passively or idly sitting around, especially watching television or video tapes. Sure, Atkins diet proponents say that potatoes have a fairly high carbohydrate count, but they also recommend regularly eating steak or bratwursts, so I'll forgive them for the potato thing. They're afraid that the image of a slovenly fat guy slouching on his sofa, watching Baywatch reruns is going to have a negative impact on the image...