The USFWS is inviting everyone to get out their gear and join in on a fishing trip June 8-10 in the Chicago Waterways - Round Goby Roundup '99. Not only will the trip allow people to enjoy the fun of fishing, but it may help locate the leading edge of distribution for the aquatic nuisance species the round goby information which could help slow the spread of this potentially harmful fish.

Participants must provide their own boat, fishing gear, and bait. Small worms on #12 or 14 hooks fished on the bottom are recommended. Anglers will be asked to provide information on the amount of time fished, and whether they catch round goby, and if so, the capture location. If anglers catch a round goby, they should kill it, place it in a plastic bag and contact Pam Thiel at the Baymount Hotel at the corner of 127th Street and Cicero Avenue, (708)597-3900.

The round goby has known populations in all of the Great Lakes, and has made its way into the Illinois Waterway, a series of man-made canals and natural rivers connecting the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers to the Great Lakes. The round goby, a bottom-feeding species, is known for its aggressive feeding and defensive behavior. The goby is a soft-bodied fish, identified by its fused pelvic fins. Despite its small size, most commonly ranging from 3-to 6-inches in length but capable of growing to 10 inches, its rapid reproduction and aggressive feeding behavior threaten populations of native fish. It has received national attention since increasing populations could seriously impact the sportfishing industries on the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basin, as well as upset the natural balance of the ecosystem.

To date, round goby have been collected about 15 miles inland from Calumet Harbor on the Calumet River and in the turning basin inside the lock on the Chicago River. Locations that anglers are requested to monitor are on the Calumet-Sag Channel and Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal downstream from the Alsip municipal boat landing and the Chicago River downstream from the lock and the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal. --See map below--

Resident & non-resident fishing licenses now available by phone.

Available now is the option to purchase your Wisconsin fishing license over the phone. Does your state offer this service? Are stores that sell resident and non-resident licenses in your state getting more difficult to find? Are those stores open when you want that license?

Wisconsin's program should be no big deal. It's 20th century technology that's been available for decades and our DNR agencies are just playing catch-up - or at least they should be. License sales are down nationwide.