Category: Fishing

2014-2015 Michigan’s Living Resources patch, featuring the threatened lake sturgeon, now available!

Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) are a unique fish species found in Michigan. These fish primarily inhabit large river and lake systems in the Mississippi River, Hudson Bay and Great Lakes basins. An important biological component of the Great Lakes fish community, lake sturgeon are listed as a threatened species in Michigan and as either threatened or endangered by 19 of the 20 states within their original range in the U.S.

lake sturgeon patchLake sturgeon, the only sturgeon species common to the Great Lakes basin, are the largest freshwater fish native to that system. Lake sturgeon can be considered a near-shore, warm-water species preferring water temperatures in the range of mid-50 to low-70 degrees Fahrenheit and depths 15 to 30 feet (although sturgeon in the Great Lakes are often found at greater depths). Lake sturgeon are benthivores, which means they feed on small invertebrates such as insect larvae, crayfish, snails, clams and leeches they find along the bottom of lakes and rivers. Read more

Fishing, Wildlife

DNR’s Academy of Natural Resources gives teachers valuable “been there, done that” experience

Given a choice, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources would enroll every student in the state into a class on natural resources. Since that’s not exactly practical, DNR educators have come up with a more feasible alternative: educate the educators.

 

The DNR’s Academy of Natural Resources, now in its seventh year, enrolls teachers into a week-long crash course on natural resources. The idea is to provide the teachers with a broad overview of natural resources that they can use in their classrooms.

 

“We have 50 to 60 teachers enrolled in the academy each summer, and that translates into potentially reaching thousands of students,” said Kevin Frailey, who leads the DNR’s education efforts. “We do a lot of short-term education programs with teachers on a regular basis, but research shows that the more times we make contact with these teachers, the more information they’ll retain.Academy participant poses with lake trout netted on Higgins Lake.

 

“The academy is a unique chance to totally immerse teachers in natural resources for a week and really maximize our efforts and their learning opportunities.”

 

Teachers say it’s a strategy that works. Cindy Fitzwilliams-Heck, a professor at Ferris State University who first attended the academy as a student, returned to the academy this summer to obtain focus group feedback from the teachers attending the program. Read more

Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife

More than 19 million fish stocked this spring create plenty of opportunity

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources today announced the final totals from its spring fish-stocking efforts. The DNR’s Fisheries Division stocked a total of 19,382,390 fish that weighed 383 tons and consisted of 10 different species and one hybrid. To complete this task, it took nearly 400 stocking trips to 739 stocking sites, with drivers traveling more than 100,000 miles over the course of 2,168 hours, using 17 specialized stocking trucks.

“It was another outstanding spring stocking season that will bring significant benefits and fishing opportunities to Michigan,” said Ed Eisch, acting DNR fish production manager. “Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our staff, fish were reared and delivered to stocking sites in excellent condition. The numbers produced and stocked were right on target for almost all areas.”

The number and type of fish stocked vary by hatchery, as each location’s ability to rear fish varies because of water supplies and temperature. In Michigan, there are six state and two cooperative hatcheries that work together to produce the species, strain and size of fish needed by fisheries managers. These fish must then be delivered at a specific time and location for stocking to ensure their success. Each hatchery stocked the following fish this spring: Read more

Fishing

Public opinion sought on proposed bass fishing regulations

boy holding a bass on Lake St. ClairIn order to get public input on proposed regulations to expand Michigan’s bass fishing seasons, the Department of Natural Resources has announced an online survey and public meetings throughout the state in July. For the past year the DNR’s Fisheries Division has been working with the Warmwater Resources Steering Committee (a public advisory group) to discuss possible expansion of bass seasons.

The regulation expansion options being discussed would increase fishing and harvest seasons. Under all options, bass populations would still be protected and include a winter no-harvest season, 14-inch minimum size limit and daily possession limit.

To gauge public opinion, both anglers and non-anglers (particularly lake property owners) are encouraged to complete the DNR’s bass regulations survey, available here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BassRegs. The goal of this survey is to determine the level of support for increasing angling opportunities for largemouth and smallmouth bass through changes to existing fishing seasons.

Additional public input will be gathered via a series of public meetings. Dates, times and locations include: Read more

Fishing

Missouri Corn Growers Push for More Ethanol at the Fuel Pump

GW:  A friend has a new boat motor and the owner’s manual states Seafoam fuel treatment must be added to counter-act the alcohol level in the fuel.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Are wise consumers of gasoline being pushed to use a fuel that doesn’t work in their boats, lawn equipment, and other small engines? A June 24 statement from the Missouri Corn Growers Association (MCGA) blames current high gasoline prices on volatile markets and calls for more ethanol at the gas pump to lower gas prices. However, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) says that smart consumers have learned that corn-based ethanol has not lived up to its expectations as America’s green fuel and that higher ethanol blends – those being encouraged by the MCGA – are incompatible with outboard boat motors, generators, lawn mowers, motorcycles, and so many other engines. Read more
Fishing

After Recreational Fishing Protests Feds Adjust Misleading Economic Information

Corrected figures show commercial sector shrank by $2.3 billion in 2012

Washington, D.C. – After significant objection from the recreational fishing and boating community, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has taken steps to correct a key fisheries economics report that misleadingly indicated that the domestic commercial fishing industry in the United States was significantly larger than the recreational fishing industry. When imported seafood, which is not regulated or managed by NMFS, is removed from the equation, the corrected data show that the recreational fishing industry is actually $7.9 billion dollars larger than the commercial fishing industry. Furthermore, the corrected data show that the domestic commercial fishing industry actually decreased by $2.3 billion in 2012. Read more

Fishing

Beat those Mosquitoes

By Glen Wunderlich

If you have that outdoor bug – a hankering for fresh air and sunshine – there’s one ready to have you, too:  the mosquito.  Here are a few options to keep them from biting and  bugging you.

Years ago, the rage was bug zappers.  They did a fine job killing flying insects at night, but the trouble was that only about 2 percent of them were mosquitoes.  Turns out that mosquitoes are not attracted to light.

Then came the Mosquito Magnet® powered by a 20-pound propane cylinder that produces carbon dioxide and a secondary attractant and sucks the buggers into a trap.  It’s effective and expensive costing from $400 to over $1,000 and is as portable as a boat anchor.  Anyway, rumor has it that they’ll be outlawed soon by the government as a contributor to global warming, climate change or for causing mosquitoes to be doomed to endangered species status.

Popular choices are lotions and sprays containing DEET.  Just how safe this stuff is on our skin remains questionable at best, however.  Do you really trust a concoction of chemicals that will literally melt plastics and painted surfaces?  Yuk!

A safer alternative for the skin is Natrapel, which contains no DEET, but frankly it doesn’t last as long as DEET and is not recommended for clothing.

Spending time on the patio or in the garage, where the wind can’t blow the bugs off course, I’ve relied on a totally effective, inexpensive appliance called ThermaCELL.  It’s used as a mosquito repeller in your backyard or away from home and creates a 15 x 15-foot zone of protection.

  • Repels mosquitoes, black flies, no-see-ums and other flying insects
  • Registered with the EPA
  • No open flames or hot wax; safe to use
  • Comfortable: No smelly lotions, sprays, or oils
  • Convenient: Compact, portable, and easy to carry

Read more

Fishing, Hunting

ThermaCELL..a Great Gift For Father’s Day

Got skeeters?  Make ’em go away!

Bedford, MA- It’s not too late to shop for a Father’s Day gift, so quit “bugging” your dad, and go out and buy him a ThermaCELL mosquito repellent appliance.

ThermaCELL has a variety of perfect gift ideas ranging from $25-$40 that has kept millions of satisfied customers depending on their products in order to enjoy the outdoors.

ThermaCELL’s line up of mosquito repellent lanterns, backyard torch or the repellent appliance is sure to be the perfect gift for your dad whether he’s in the field hunting, on the water fishing or in the comfort of a lawn chair in his own yard.

The repellent in ThermaCELL is a synthetic copy of a naturally occurring insecticide found in certain types of chrysanthemum flowers. The repellent is virtually odor free and does not spook game. Read more

Fishing, General, Hunting, Wildlife
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