RIVERTON, WY — Hi Mountain Seasonings, the leading manufacturer of homemade jerky and sausage kits, Western-style seasonings, and brines, offers an incredible selection of brining mixes for fish. Brining is a simple yet often overlooked process that enhances the flavor and moisture content of fish filets, resulting in juicy, tender, and flavorful dishes.

Bringing science into the kitchen, Hi Mountain Seasonings explains the magic behind brining. When salt is dissolved in water, it dissociates into sodium and chloride ions. These ions diffuse into the food, with the chloride ions attaching to the protein filaments in the fish, giving them a slight negative charge. As a result, the filaments repel, allowing the sodium-rich water to enter the fish, adding moisture and the delicious flavor of the brine. This technique ensures that the filets remain moist during cooking.

To make the brining process even more convenient, Hi Mountain Seasonings offers a variety of brining mixes. Their Alaska Salmon Brine Mix, Wild River Trout Brine Mix, and Gourmet Fish Brine Mix are specifically designed for fish, while the Game Bird & Poultry Brine Mix and Brown Sugar Brine Mix cater to other meats and poultry. Each kit contains two packets of brine mix, making one gallon of brine each, for a total of two gallons. With a suggested retail price of $9.99, these brining mixes are a cost-effective way to elevate your culinary creations. Read more

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has closed the boating access site at Black River Lake in Gogebic County indefinitely, and the public is advised to avoid the area and the soft soils that have been newly exposed, due to draining of water from the impoundment.

Since June 28, the DNR has been receiving reports of extremely low water levels within Black River Lake. This impoundment, approximately 10 miles southeast of Ironwood, was maintained by a water control structure on the lake’s north side. During an on-site investigation, DNR Fisheries Division staff determined that the water control structure experienced a partial failure, with one of the lower stoplogs breaking, causing the impoundment to slowly drain.

“Upon inspecting the dam, it appeared the lower stoplog(s) failed, and that was the cause of the drainage. Upon further investigation of the downstream area below the dam, sediment was not observed to have washed into the floodplain or caused erosion of the streambanks, indicating that this was not a quick flooding event,” said Jennifer Johnson, DNR fisheries biologist. “During the site visit, I spoke with locals who described the impoundment as being 10-15 feet low over the course of three weeks. It is likely that the stoplog(s) completely failed around June 24 or 25, which coincided with a heavy rainstorm.” Read more

A substantial fish kill, affecting all species in the lake, has occurred at Big Indian Recreation Area south of Wymore in Gage County.

Angler reports prompted Nebraska Game and Parks Commission biologists on July 1 to visit the lake, where they observed numerous dead fish of all species. Dissolved oxygen was tested, confirming extremely low levels in the lake caused the fish kill.

“Unfortunately, many water bodies are susceptible to summertime fish kills given the right sequence of weather events,” said Tony Barada, a Game and Parks fisheries assistant administrator.

Extreme heat and sunshine earlier that week at Big Indian likely contributed to a large algal bloom that subsequently died back during the cooler temperatures and cloud cover that followed. When algae die, the bacteria that consumes it also consumes oxygen. When the algal die-off is excessive, it can cause fish kills. Read more

Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that Michigan signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Illinois to cosponsor the construction of the Brandon Road Interbasin Project. This milestone agreement with the Biden Administration unlocks $274 million in federal and $114 million in state funding for the first of three phases of the $1.15 billion project that will prevent invasive carp and aquatic nuisance species from entering the Great Lakes.

“Today’s agreement will help us get shovels in the ground as soon as possible on the critical Brandon Road project,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “The Great Lakes are the beating heart of Michigan’s economy, and Brandon Road will help us protect local communities and key industries, including fishing and boating, that support tens of thousands of good-paying jobs. I am grateful to Governor Pritzker in Illinois, the Army Corps of Engineers, and our champions in Congress for their long-term partnership on this monumental task. Together, we will get the job done so we can protect our lakes and power economic growth for generations to come.” Read more

“Chevron” case highlights real example of the threat to fishing and hunting in America

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of a group of fishermen fighting against government overreach. The fishermen asked the courts to overturn the Chevron doctrine to stop a National Marine Fisheries Service rule that requires the herring industry to pay for the costs of observers on fishing boats.

“This case is the perfect example of a threat to our fishing and hunting heritage in the real world, and we are thankful that the Supreme Court rightly overturned these unnecessarily burdensome regulations,” said International Order of T. Roosevelt Executive Director Luke Hilgemann. “Government overreach is a serious threat to anglers and hunters. We must continue to remain vigilant against these threats by being active in courtrooms and legislatures around the country. IOTR will always fight on the side of your right to fish and hunt.” Read more

Seeing a ferocious strike from a giant largemouth bass as it blows up on a topwater frog is one of the most thrilling moments in fishing. To witness the power and aggressiveness on full display sends a collective shiver down the spine of any passionate angler; it’s also one of the most consistent ways to catch big bass throughout the hot summer months. But to consistently get those bites—and convert them into releases—you need to understand the methodology behind the technique.

Breaking Down the Bite

Sometimes getting a trophy bass to hit the frog is the easy part. Hooking the fish means also having an understanding of how they eat and why. Read more