Category: Fishing

MI DNR creel clerks collecting angler information this winter

As the winter fishing season gets under way, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers that DNR staff again will be interviewing them about their fishing trips. The DNR appreciates anglers’ cooperation in obtaining these critical data for fisheries management.

Fisheries Division creel clerks will ask anglers, through brief interviews, about how long they fished, what species they targeted, what they caught, and where they live. In a few instances, the clerks will ask to measure or weigh fish and take scale samples to gather key biological information about anglers’ catches. Read more

Fishing

Sportfishing Industry Angered by Last-Minute U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ Director’s Order

New U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service policy on lead fishing tackle blindsides
recreational fishing community
January 23, 2017 – Alexandria, VA – On the day before President Obama left office, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued an edict to phase out the use of traditional fishing tackle on the hundreds of thousands of square miles of public lands under its management.

Director’s Order No. 219 will, “require the use of nontoxic ammunition and fishing tackle to the fullest extent practicable for all activities on Service lands, waters and facilities by January 2022, except as needed for law enforcement or health and safety uses, as provided for in policy.”

Scott Gudes, vice president of Government Affairs for the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), the trade association that represents the recreational fishing industry, issued a statement of behalf of the industry.

“The sportfishing industry views this unilateral policy to ban lead fishing tackle, which was developed without any input from the industry, other angling organizations and state fish and wildlife agencies, as a complete disregard for the economic and social impact it will have on anglers and the recreational fishing industry,” said Gudes. Read more

Fishing

Key Senator Calls for New Commission on Americans Outdoors at Interior Confirmation Hearing

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) called for a new Commission on Americans Outdoors during Interior Secretary-designate Ryan Zinke’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee January 17. “Will you use this opportunity to look ahead another generation and ask the question ‘What outdoor recreation opportunities will our children and grandchildren have?'” asked Sen. Alexander. “I think you’re in a wonderful position to do a follow-up to the Commission on Americans Outdoors. This is the 30th anniversary of that report; a generation has passed and it’s time for the next look.”

Secretary-designate Zinke expressed interest and stressed the importance of attracting millennials to their great outdoors, saying, “We have to look at new ways of incentivizing younger millennials to experience the parks, to experience the outdoors, to teach them the value of our public lands…In many cases, I would argue it’s better than being in front of a TV, watching video games.” Read more

Fishing, Hunting

Michigan Awards $3.5 Million to Battle Invasives

Truckbed full of frogbit
With the help of volunteers, cooperative invasive species management areas remove tons of invasive frogbit from Michigan’s waterways each year. Photo courtesy Huron Pines.

Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program funds 17 projects across the state

Michigan departments of Environmental Quality, Natural Resources and Agriculture and Rural Development today announced that 17 grant projects will share $3,507,907 in funding through the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program – an initiative launched in 2014 to help prevent and control invasive species within the state.

Read more

Fishing

The NRA Foundation To Auction Diamondback NRA Airboat This March

FAIRFAX, Va. – The NRA Foundation proudly announces it will auction a one-of-a-kind Diamondback airboat this March on Gunbroker.com. All proceeds from the auction will benefit The NRA Foundation in their efforts to protect and improve the future of the shooting sports.

The special edition airboat features custom NRA wraps on the sides of the hull and rudders, custom seats inserts, panels and trim, Rhino non-skid hull interiors, custom powdercoat color, seat shells, webbing and center panel. The airboat comes with a painted single 5,200-lb. trailer with easy load ramps with rollers and custom XD wheels. Read more

Fishing, General

2017 lake sturgeon season on Black Lake to begin Feb. 4

2017 lake sturgeon season on Black Lake to begin Feb. 4 at 8 a.m.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has announced that the 2017 lake sturgeon fishing season on Black Lake (Cheboygan County) will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4. All anglers must register to participate in the lake sturgeon season.

The 2017 total recreational harvest limit for Black Lake is seven lake sturgeon. However, to reduce the chance of exceeding the harvest limit, officials will close the season when one of two scenarios occurs:

Once the sixth fish is harvested, or

If five fish have been harvested at the end of any fishing day. Read more

Fishing

Michigan DNR Battling Grass Carp in Lake Erie Basin

Michigan Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist Cleyo Harris makes an incision into the stomach cavity of a grass carp so the fish can be tagged with a transmitter.

An acoustic transmitter is shown being inserted into the stomach cavity of a grass carp. Blood is also being drawn from the fish to use in determining whether this carp was capable of reproducing (diploid) or sterile (triploid).

An incision on a grass carp is being sutured closed after a transmitter has been placed into the stomach cavity. Once suturing is complete, the fish is released.

Talk to anyone familiar with Michigan’s invasive species and you’re likely to hear their concern about carp – voracious, prolific, invasive carp.

News of electric barriers and fish flying into boats by the dozens may sound like a big fish story.

However, while they are sizable creatures, there is nothing exaggerated about the ecological and environmental damage that would occur if bighead and silver carp were ever to enter the Great Lakes.

Therefore, a good deal of attention is being paid to the work done by researchers and biologists in the Great Lakes states and Canada to help stop invasive bighead and silver carp from moving through the Chicago Area Waterway System toward Lake Michigan. Read more

Fishing

Lake Sturgeon Management Plan for Michigan’s Black Lake

Several agencies recently finalized a management plan for lake sturgeon in Cheboygan County’s Black Lake, with the goal of attaining a population of naturally reproducing lake sturgeon. Here, Michigan Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist Tim Cwalinski holds a sturgeon from the Black River./

A collective effort among agencies dedicated to the restoration of lake sturgeon populations in Michigan has produced a management plan for the species in Black Lake (Cheboygan County). Read more

Fishing

Senate Unanimously Passes Outdoor REC Act

In an early holiday gift to the outdoor recreation community, the U.S. Senate unanimously and without amendment passed the Outdoor REC Act! The bill was led by Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) with a total of 15 cosponsors. The bill unanimously passed the House November 14, where it was sponsored by Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) and received bipartisan support, with 13 Republican and 12 Democrat cosponsors.

The bill will formally assess and analyze the outdoor recreation economy in the United States – which supports an estimated 6 million jobs and generates $646 billion in economic activity annually. Congress’ action is necessary to make sure the outdoor economy receives official government recognition for years to come. Federal agencies play an important role in outdoor recreation, managing lands and waters which host more than a billion recreation visits each year. The Outdoor REC Act will help shape good choices in allocating federal funds through the budget process and in investing private funds which enhance recreation on public lands and waters.

The bill now moves to the President’s desk, where it awaits his signature.

To read more, including text of the bill, click here.

Fishing, Hunting

Michigan: DNR Stocks Muskellunge into 12 Waterbodies

DNR employee hoisting new full of fingerling muskellunge

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently stocked 25,740 muskellunge fingerlings into 12 waterbodies located throughout the state in an effort to further enhance Michigan’s world-class fisheries.

Michigan is home to two strains of naturally reproducing muskellunge, Great Lakes and northern. The DNR has been rearing muskellunge in its hatcheries since the 1950s. While the hatchery program initially focused on the northern muskellunge strain, it has shifted focus in recent years to the Great Lakes strain, as it is native to Michigan and widely distributed in waterbodies throughout the Lower Peninsula and eastern region of the Upper Peninsula. Read more

Fishing
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