Foster Clean-up

[CrappieJohn]

Fishin Minnesota.com is sponsoring a clean-up day at Foster-Ahrendt Lake on January 2, 2005. Time will be from noon until about 4 pm. We are hoping that pro and field staff can become seriously involved as well as the general public.

Right now Matt Johnson, Corey Bechtold and Dan Thiem have committed as well as myself. Removal of the trash we collect has been taken care of. Bags are taken care of and I am working now to get some gloves and maybe some treats.

It is intended to be a clean-up session for about an hour and a half, with fishing to follow. With several of the pro staff already going to be there, mini- educational talks are very possible and we may even have some tackle hand-outs available for kids with parents.

With that being said, I'd like to invitew anyone who would like to join in and help out to come along. Interested parties can contact me thru this thread or by e-mail. We'll be happy to have all those who want to help do so! Anyone is welcome!

[gadabout]

Sounds like a great plan. I Will be there and I will see if I can drag out a couple of bud's also. Love fishing Fosters in the winter. Broiled trout in the Middle of winter, close to home is just too much to pass up.

[CrappieJohn]

Welcome to the site! Glad to see new names and maybe even put a face with it. If you'll click on the TSJigs in my signature you can send me an e-mail. I'll bank your addy and mail you when things get firmed up some.

Thanks for the response and again....welcome to fishingminnesota.com.

[Uncle Grump]

Tom

Put me on the "definite maybe" list - I will try to be there if possible.

UG

[CrappieJohn]

You are officially on this list, UG. Mind ytou I had to start a new list to accomadate that catagory, but you are down!

[uffdapete]

I'll put it on the calender but need to make sure of my availability first.

[CrappieJohn]

Thanks Wes...I'll put you in with Grump. With the weather we are having we may need waders to do this. lol

[CrappieJohn]

Cub Foods has committed to the trash bags. In speaking with the manager I found out that their budget is tight like everyone else's right now and that all donations, regardless of which organization is seeking one, are limited to 25.00. The city has agreed to the removal issue, so we will go with Cub for the trash bags and I want to give them a hearty thanks! We will be receiving a case (50) of commercial trash bags so we should be able to get rid of a lot of trash with that number of bags.

[FOOT]

Tom, I haven't been to Foster's for some time. Where is all the trash and where is it coming from? Don't get me wrong I'm not disagreeing with you I'd just like to know. Not sure if I'll be up North or not that weekend but if not I be there and try and bring some friends.

[CrappieJohn]

Foot....Foster get a remendous amount of traffic on it once the ice is safe. The date set is actually the last day of the X-mas break for the Rochester school system and a good one to target the trash left behing from use during that week/10 days of vacation. It is not just kids either. There are a lot of adults who go there with the 12 ers and seem to think that the empties can set on the ice and not bother anyone. Gas cyclinders get to be a problem as well. Basically the time-frame just described is the busiest week of the winter season, but near the end things get filthied up again.

Litter costs everyone. The biggest loser in this problem is the environment. I'm just trying to get a few people together to do a little to help the situation out there before it gets froze into the ice and sinks in the spring.

[FOOT]

Tom, I aplaud your idea. I will make every effort to be there and bring some additional help. I'll let you know in future posts if I succeed in getting help. We need more people and ideas like yourself.

[MURPHFISHER]

Crappie, put me in the possibly column as well. I would like to come down for the cause and meet you all, but the lure of the final Sunday of regular season football is strong for me. Good thing I have the new technology to record the games in HD. I will confirm or deny my presence as the date approaches. I will also need some serious coaxing to get on any ice.

[Down to Earth]

Don't worry MURPH after the Packers beat up on the Vikings the week before the Vikes won't be worth watching. You'll be even more depressed/upset at the current football situation in Minnesota you will need a Sunday afternoon on the ice.

I know its not the football forum, but I couldn't resist. Sorry.

[CrappieJohn]

I want to stress here that I am not looking for commitment as much as I am to just get a bunch of the gang together and do some cleaning up, AND THEN FISH for a couple hours.

I'd like to see some community involvement with kids, just so that they learn that it is OK to take a small plastic bag with them when they go fishing (open water or on the ice)and take a minute to fill it. If every one did this, there would be very little litter along our waterways. I'll be posting a notice for this event at Gander and am going to contact John Weiss at the PB to see if he will mention it in the sport's column the Thursday before the event as a public service.

I am not certain how much I can offer, but Culprit has graciuosly committed some handouts for kids who are there helping and JR's Tackle, a site sponsor here, is sending some stuff too. Depending on the public's response, the handouts may be limited to the younger children involved.

So everyone knows....The Rochester Park and Recreation Dept applauds efforts such as this to help them keep up with the litter problem. With limited funding they are really not able to battle this problem. As a fishing community here, we can give back to what this dept. and the dnr have given for us. Our actions there, or anywhere for that matter, will speak much louder than words I can offer. We'll be teaching the younger kids to help keep things clean and to take the garbage home that you bring and to pick up something that someone else was unkind eneough to leave behind. And maybe, just maybe, there will be a couple of those dolts who are too lazy to clean up after themselves on the ice to witness this activity. Often times it is the unsaid, but seen that trips the trigger.

[uffdapete]

I'll put it on the calender but need to make sure of my availability first.

------------------------------------------------------------

Looks like Sunday afternoon will work now. I had to wait and see about a run to the MSP airport, but that'll be Sat.

[CrappieJohn]

Ok guys...There was a notice of this event in the Rochester paper on Thursday, sports section. I am working on getting some tv notice as well. A notice was posted at Gander. I have the bags from Cub in hand, but as far as treats we are not going to get any. the economy has hit Cub hard like every one else. The bags they donated and are much appreciate. I am going to contact the Park and Rec again next week to confirm this with them and see if gloves might be gotten from them in lieu of bags. I have some tackle handouts here and am putting those together.

It is supposed to be much warmer during the time this takes place and hopefully we will see a good turn-out from the public sector. I have e-mail addys from a few of you and will be contacting you directly regarding this.

I'd like to take a minute and thank those of you who have stepped up to help out. I'd also like to tell all of you to have a great holiday season. Merry Christmas guys!

[Down to Earth]

Tom,

Is there a place where someone could build a fire? If so I could bring some firewood, some dogs, and probably a pan of bars.

Andy

[CrappieJohn]

I have not seen any fire rings near the water, but I know that shoreline fires are common out there. I have a smokie Joe grill I can bring too.

[Dan Thiem]

I don't know about if it's a big secret or not, but the stock truck just had their big hose stuffed in a hole at Foster's. Should be quite a few pellet poppers to be had out there

[CrappieJohn]

Ooooooooooh yummmmmmm. I used to keep a few for the smoker, but don't anymore. c/r all the way out there. I go out there for the practice.

[Down to Earth]

This is great news for me. I'll need all the help I can get. Along that line what should I be looking to bring for bait? Will waxies work or do I need minnows or something else? Thanks.

[CrappieJohn]

Waxies, minnows and gulp work well on these fish. I like to jig them with a swedish pimple tipped with a piece of gulp grub. They don't hook so deep that way and can be released easy.

[Down to Earth]

Tom,

What do you need me to bring on Sunday?

Andy

[CrappieJohn]

Andy...I'd bring the shortest spinning rod of light action you have and a pair of gloves for the clean-up along with another to fish with. Dress accordingly.

[Down to Earth]

Tom,

I'm sorry I meant food wise. I know we talked about the possibility of hotdogs, bars/cookies, etc...

I will have to look through the bucket and see what I have for fishing. My stuff is pretty archaic. If I start ice fishing more I will have to inquire on the ice fishing forum about where I will need to start. I did get some GM certificates from some of my work staff. May have to make a trip over there and pick up a hand auger and maybe a spinning rod outfit. Thanks.

[CrappieJohn]

My food search went south, so we'll vacate that idea unless people want to bring a snack.

[Jim W]

I'd personally would like to give a "hats-off" to Crappie Tom for organizing this event. First, events aren't easy to organize and secondly, it is for a wondederful cause.

Also, the more we can instill such action, behavior and attitude in all of us fisherman, the less "Clean-ups" in the future!

Good luck with the Clean up and Thanks Tom!!!

Jim W

[Dan Thiem]

Jim, I agree. Thanks Tom.

Geeze, between this and the Backwater Brawl I wonder when he gets time for a little Mrs.Crappie

[CrappieJohn]

Ok Guys....Here's the plan.

I will be at Foster at 11:00 am. The clean-up will begin at noon. Bags will be handed out and everyone will pick an area and go for it. Extra bags will come to the lake with us. As the bags get filled, they will be brought to the NE corner of the lake itself. At about 1:15 we will cease the pick-up and begin to shuttle the filled bags to the paeking lot near the green gate. They will be picked up on Monday morning by the Rark and Rec Dept.(a big Thank You! to you guys).

When all of the trash is at the lots, we will start talking fishing! I have some tackle handouts from Culprit Baits that will be given to kids with parents to start. If enough are left, the grown-ups can get a sample. Jr's Tackle has donated a bunch of stuff, but it has yet to arrive and I cannot say what all they have tossed in. Cub Foods has donated the bags. To all of thee entities I want to offer my sincerest of thanks. Letters reflecting this generosity will be sent shortly.

Depending on how many are actually present for the handouts, we'll hit the lake and punch some holes as soonas the handouts are gone or everyone has gotten some. Those with augers are encouraged to bring them and help anyone who needs a hole opened. The fishing will be kept simple so that those who are new to the sport really have a chance to catch something. Fishing licenses ARE required for those fishing and for those who are with a child who is fishing. You may not keep any trout if you do not possess a trout stamp. Every effort should be made to help kids get into this.

The length of time spent fishing is up to the individuals participating. The closing time for this event will be 4PM. At that time we should gather on the ice and I will offer my thanks to all in attendence. It will be heartfelt!

I want to take a minute to thank Rick and FishingMinnesota.com. This site is a phenominally powerful broadcast medium and is no easy place to keep organized. The people who call this site home...readers, members, staff and Rick....make things like this enormously successful because the true spirit of the fishing world is brought out where everyone can be made aware of it. This is not a CrappieTom event...it is a FishingMinnesota.com event and I just thought it was time to get the ball rolling in this area. The clean-up in Duluth was a huge incentive to do the same here. And hopefully we can be looking at just the first of many to come in the future. Again, a big thank you to Rickand Fishingminnesota.com and to all who have committed to spending some time to help with this endeavor.

The intention here is to help police an area that gets degraded in a big way from garbage. It is not how much we can collect in a given amount of time that will be at issue, but rather that a community effort can come together out of want and respect for what we are so blessed to have...right here in our back yard. Kids need to be started in a positive direction when they enter the world of being the fisherperson. One aspect of that primary education is that by taking a simple plastic bag with them when they hit the water and picking up just a little of what someone else has left, a big step has been taken toward a cleaner environment. And people, we are all custodians of our living space. Together and singly. This day is meant as a together day with the garbage and a together day while fishing.

For those who do not know me: One of my things is just doing it. I have this belief that if you go out fishing for a couple hours, take a bag with you....just one of those t-shirt bags we all get our groceries in....and toss some garbage in it. If you see someone throw something on the ice or shore, don't say a word. Just go pick it up when you are ready to leave. While the person may not "get it" if you are the only two on the water, belive that they will most certainly look guilty if there are thirty out there. Let your action speak, not words. It works! Trust me.

This is going to simple, to the point and hopefully fun for all who jump on board... and I hope there are a bunch. Remember that the lake and all involved on Sunday will be rewarded immediately, but the true benefactors to this effort will be those who learn to do this from start and continue to do so for years to come.

I'll see you all at NOON on Sunday. For those who want to meet earlier and cabitz until then, feel free to stop up and chat. And any extra tackle that anyone may want to bring for those who have none, please....bring it as a day-loaner! I'll have a couple or extra rods along. Until then.....stay dry. Oh yes.....dress accordingly. If it is wet, dress for it even if it is warm. warm/wet=cold!

[CrappieJohn]

As I sit here this morning, the wind is howling and has changed directions from south to west. The skies are as clear as gin and the temps have come down some. What is bothering me is the forecast for Saturday and Sunday. At ten last night the weatherman painted an ominous picture. A degree or two this way and we'll be wrapped in ice. Go the other direction a degree or so and we can see possibly heavy snow. Neither of these situations are good for what is planned, but what takes precedence is safety. I do not want to see people travel with ice or heavy snow on the roadways. And while the ice will still be safe after the melting we had, any heavy snow just might be the infamous straw and we do not want to create any "situations". With snow we would not be able to see the trash and with ice we would not be able to just pick it up.

Should the weather do us a deed and we cancel, we still have options. One would be to wait until warmer weather in the spring, the other may be to hold this event the foloowing week and maybe on Saturday to allow those football fans to moan and groan on Sunday. lol Personally I'd go for the weekend following since the tackle that has been donated is specific to ice fishing in large part. And, of course, I am open to ideas regarding a re-schedule if we need to. If any of you have suggestions feel free to pass them along here so everyone interested says in the loop.

I would ask everyone to keep an eye on this thread tomorrow and into tomorrow evening...maybe even check it Sunday morning early....say by 9AM. I'll be watching the weather events closely and , since I like close to the lake, I'll be checking the condition of the ice too. If safety cannot be an assumed thing, we will cancel and go to plan "B" and decide early next week which option we are going to exercise. I do not want to vacate this venture, so there will be an option. Whatever is decided upon, safety has to be a priority! Stay in touch with this thread!