In the third “Release the Mother!” season, which took place from the beginning of boat season on the 1st of May until the first ice on 30th of November, not only a competition, where participants sent in their applications with fish that they caught and released, but also many other public activities has taken place. This season, contest and “Release the Mother!” activities gathered a record number of participants and new participants, and also “Release the Mother!” regular – LVM lakes – were joined by the popular Burtnieks, Alūksne, Babīte lakes and Seda Ponds, from all of which applications about caught and released fish were received. This year contest received applications from 37 anglers from all over Latvia, the number of those who didn't get to catch their “contestant” is three times larger; the total length of fish (pikes + perches) that were registered for the contest – 77.65 metres. During the 7 month period 14 metre or longer pikes with a second chance were registered; all together more than 260 different size pikes and around 200 perches were released. For the contest pikes that are longer than 65 cm qualify as valid, together 69 pikes, and 30 perches longer than 35 cm. The leaders in the number of pike applications are Babīte Lake and “Vecupenieki” complex – 35 applications, Lake Lielauce –26, Kaņieris – 21, Alūksne Lake – 21, Gulbju Lake – 10, Burtnieks – 4, Tērvete Reservoir and Seda Ponds – 2. (Picture of the largest pike of the “Release the Mother!” contest caught by Normunds Ikomass – 123 cm)
Largest catches and their submitters
The biggest pike total length – 8.47 metres with 11 fish – author Mārtiņš Tihanovs
This season crowned 10 winners in the nominations of 3 longest specimens and largest total length of pikes and 2 longest specimens and total lengths of perch. The largest pike – 123 cm, as a compensation from nature and Alūksne Lake for long-term effort, was caught by angling expert and “Release the Mother!” instructor – Normunds Ikomass. The 2nd largest pike in this season also is from Alūksne Lake – by local Juris Ozoliņš – 120 cm. Fly-fishing enthusiast Arturs Suhomiro his record pike – 115 cm – as a huge sensation was tricked with a fly on the 2nd June at Babīte Lake – during five months this pike gave away only two positions and is the 3rd largest of the season. Altogether, competition received 14 “gold”, above 1 metre, applications of pikes; 15 “silver” pikes, from 85 cm to 1 metre; and 32 “bronze” – from 70 cm to 85 cm. In the competition of the total length of fish, largest caught and released total length of pikes was registered by Mārtiņš Tihanovs – 8.47 metres with 11 fish (aver. 77cm); 2nd largest total length went to Inguss Ozoliņš – 6.94 metres with 7 fish (aver. 99.15cm!); third total length to Modris Skulte with 6.48 metres and 8 fish (aver. 81cm). To make the scene about carnivorous fish more complete, competition also took applications of perches and zanders.
2nd largest perch caught and released at Lielauce Lake by Artūrs Veidemanis
No zander was registered for the competition, nature has given them restaurant level meat..., however, perches – the number of them has been impressive – altogether 30 huge perches has been released to take care of the next generation! Two largest ones are 42 cm long from two anglers – Artūrs Veidemanis and Edgars Kukušs, but from the same rich LVM Lielauce Lake. Largest total lengths of perch – for Edgars and his team-mate Matīss Rušs. Most of perches registered for the competition were caught on silicone lures, others were caught on jerk or rotating lures.
Summery weather and dynamics of applications
The application table of competition “Release the Mother!” 2018, reveals this season’s “cornerstones” in underwater and above water worlds and allows to make some conclusions about the locations of angling, time, weather and techniques. The boating season began with heat and draught that had not been experienced in May for a long time, which meant low water level and quick water heating and water blooming. The carnivorous fish seemed being confused from it all. The applications to the competition came in in waves – first dates, in the middle of month and at the end. In June, with the change of weather, the carnivorous fish became more active – applications were received during the whole month. In the first days of July, still in the cold and big winds, they could be tricked with flies or jerk, but when the heat returned, applications continued to come in, but with the smaller average size of fish. August, in a sense of catch success, by contestants was evaluated with the average grade of 6.3. First – the epic “show” of Matīss Rušs and Edgars Kukušs at Lielauce Lake during the Mammadaba angling championship – the large number of caught and harmfully released perches. Next surprise – Normunds Ikomass during an expedition angling, in seemingly hopeless – due to heat and water blooming – at Alūksne Lake, got a hold of several huge pikes, the largest one was registered for the competition – 123 cm! Normunds didn't hide his opinion – Alūksne Lake has good perspectives especially for the big-bait angling technique, which must be tested in the future. In august two more metre long pikes were registered from Burtnieks and Babīte lakes.
Twice caught and released pike this year only one – from Kaņieris Lake
September came with a little sensation – during the event of “Learn and educate” pike caught and released by Mārtiņš Tihanovs hooked for him once again, at the same place, two weeks later and granted him a victory in the Mammadaba competition! In the September, the youngest contestant – Cedriks Andris Griķis – registered his first fish in the contest, a 76 cm from LVM Kaņieris Lake; higher catching activity was at the end of the month.
We previously wrote that in October record in the number of large fish was broken, and also the old hypothesis about the autumn “gold” period was confirmed – 7 pikes, bigger than metre, were registered, the first catches came also from Seda Ponds – on trimming hooks, jerk and also “big-bait” lures. November with draught and east winds with low water level, and rather early ice crust delivered only four applications, from which the last one was a “gold” pike from LVM Tērvete Reservoir caught on natural bait. Only in 6% of cases applicants have specified rainy weather when fish was caught, but most of the fish were caught during “vacation” weather. Considerably larger part of trophies was caught with big lures. Most of the pikes in summer were caught in morning and evening hours, in autumn this difference disappears.
“Release the Mother!” in other informative events
Simultaneously to the “Release the Mother!” competition, in collaboration with the Fish Fund, Latvijas Valsts meži, Burtnieks region, agency ALJA and recreation place “Vecupenieki” educational events “Learn and educate together with “Release the Mother!”” were organised, in the popular science lectures. During these events we explained the existential validity of “Release the Mother!” movement – educating anglers about the questions of ichthyology, hydrometeorology, ornithology, climatology, study of local history, geology, history and other, a foundation was made for a new understanding about fishing as a hobby and fishermen, who take care about their future catches by fishing environmentally friendly. Events took place in 5 most popular Latvian lakes all through the season – Burtnieks, LVM Lielauce, Alūksne, LVM Kaņieris and Babīte lakes. Environmentally friendly angling instructions were organised and 15 popular science lectures were captured (all video-lectures available at www.atlaidmammu.lv). In collaboration with the TV show “Makšķerē ar Olti” four stories about environmentally friendly and sustainable fishing were created at the LVM lakes together with supporters of the contest’s 3rd season and guests (all stories www.mammadaba.lv).
On the December 15 at the Client Centre of JSC “Latvijas valsts meži” (in Rīga, Vaiņodes street 1) the autumn months’ and whole season’s winner ceremony and the celebratory season closing ceremony took place. Contest “Release the Mother!” in year 2018 was supported by SIA Ieroči, FishBon, Eholotes.lv and Golteenn. Information about “Release the Mother!” 4th season will be released in the new year, just to make it exciting we can reveal that an expansion is possible, and also changes in the rules of competition, but the main idea will be the same – release the mother!