I'm fishing an old dammed river that flows off a large lake here were many boats are run daily. I recently noticed the oil on the surface of the water in the pond after a busy weekend on monday morning. At first it looks like a scent was used but there's no one there. Since it didn't go away like scent does i figure its the two stroke oil from the boat engines thats the run off from the lake into the river into my pond. There are no power boats on my pond at all. I know the oil isn't as bad as the gulf but it has to be hurting the wild life??? Any thoughts??

Do you think the oil can be hurting the fishing?

A few years back we purchased a Briggs & Stratton 5hp four stroke outboard. Were kind of going green were we can. I figure we can eliminate the two stroke oil. I know this is a touchy subject but someday everything will be four stroke, even the dirtbikes are changing over too a little at a time. The two stroke oil is taking its toll on land too.

I remember being thoroughly disgusted on year when my pop and I took the boat out to Lake Meade along the Colorado one year during Memorial day weekend, and there was a HUGE line of oily mucky blackness all long the bottom of the boat because of all the crap going into the water off all the boats. And not just oil and run-off, but also just plain exhaust. 

Go green will probably apply to boats one day too...

Toyota Prius Auqian anyone?

We have had tar balls on the beach ( Atlantic Ocean ) here for the 30 years that I've fished this area.  Year by year that situation has lessened quite a bit due to technology.  I have only seen a reduction in fishing due to "overfishing" and not complying with regulations.