NSSF, ASA, SOBA, USFWS and Washington Department of Natural Resources partner to continue providing boating and fishing access.

NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, in partnership with the American Sportfishing Association, the Washington Department of Natural Resources, States Organization for Boating Access and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has released another film in the “Partner with a Payer®” series — a collection of videos highlighting the importance of wildlife conservation and management. The latest video, “Waterways for All: Improving and Expanding Public Fishing and Boating Access,” showcases the work being done to continue providing public boat launches and public fishing piers throughout the United States.

To fund these conservation efforts, the Sport Fish Restoration Act authorizes a small federal excise tax on certain items — 10 percent on fishing equipment; 3 percent tax on electric boat motors, tackle and fly boxes; import duties on tackle, pleasure boats and yachts; and a portion of the federal gas tax that is attributable to motorboats and small engines. Since 1952, these excise taxes have contributed and distributed more than $11.3 billion (over $17 billion when adjusted for inflation) to individual states. Together, these excise taxes fund public boat ramps, fisheries projects and aquatic education, providing countless public outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the United States of America. Read more

Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. today unveiled the world’s first hydrogen-powered outboard for recreational boats along with a prototype fuel system integrated into a vessel that the company plans to further refine for testing later this year. The effort is part of Yamaha’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality: deploying multiple technology solutions.

Yamaha joined forces with Roush to develop the fuel system to power the new outboard and collaborated with long-time boat builder partner Regulator Marine to build a boat suitable for testing the prototype outboard. Together, the companies plan to begin testing the protype for viability on the water in the summer of 2024.

“Yamaha is exploring all possibilities to achieve carbon neutrality, and we’ve made commitments for our operations to be carbon neutral by 2035 and our products to become carbon neutral by 2050. That goal within the marine market can only be reached through an approach that leverages multiple solutions. We believe hydrogen is a viable method of achieving these goals,” said Ben Speciale, President, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. “Yamaha wants to be a leader in this space, and we encourage others in the marine industry to become involved as we look for ways to build infrastructure and new policy around innovations.”

By working with Roush on the fuel system engineering, Yamaha gains the benefit of more than two decades of hydrogen systems integration and research.

“When you look at Roush’s history with hydrogen, it ranges from land speed record vehicles to spacecraft. A lot of that knowledge we’ve acquired over the years we are now applying directly to this Yamaha project,” said Matt Van Benschoten, Vice President, Advance Engineering, Roush. Read more

GW: The best fishing experience ever might just be in Utah!

With shifting weather patterns and unstable ice conditions around the state, some anglers may think there are no opportunities for fishing this winter. However, streams and rivers can provide a great fishing experience during the winter, as well. Here are a few great fishing options for this time of year.

Blacksmith Fork River

Located in northern Utah, between Hyrum and Hardware Ranch, the Blacksmith Fork River is a nice, small stream that is easy to wade. It is not heavily fished and is managed so anglers can catch a lot of fish. It is also a good spot to catch a cutthroat trout (Bear River subspecies) for the Utah Cutthroat Slam or a hard-fighting brown trout. There is currently an overabundance of brown trout in Blacksmith Fork River, and the current fishing regulations allow anglers to keep an additional four brown trout caught there. Read more

Feb. 2, 2024

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is announcing the cancellation of the 2024 Black Lake sturgeon season, which was scheduled to start Saturday, Feb. 3.

A harvest limit is set for each Black Lake sturgeon season. With the current marginal ice conditions and depletion of ice on Black Lake, there is concern of excessive harvest with the inability to effectively track harvests with limited DNR personnel on the ice.

“In addition to protecting the lake sturgeon population, the safety of anglers and staff is critically important,” said Randy Claramunt, DNR Fisheries chief. “We encourage all anglers across Michigan to use extreme caution while on the ice, as we have been experiencing above-average temperatures.”

This is the first time the Black Lake sturgeon season has been canceled. It is too soon to determine whether this cancellation will influence the harvest limit next year.

Part 411 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act grants the DNR the authority to cancel the season.

Contact: Tim Cwalinski (DNR Fisheries), 231-340-0276 or

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is continuing a successful program begun in 2021 to keep boating access sites plowed at more than two dozen popular Upper Peninsula ice-fishing locations.

Two Ishpeming locations – Lake Angeline and Deer Lake – are among the latest to join the list of locations being plowed this winter.

Various local partners have agreed to assist the DNR with the program to ensure access to ice fishing opportunities in the U.P. are available consistently during snow conditions.

The nearly 30 locations – situated across 10 of the U.P.’s 15 counties – are DNR boating access sites managed for recreational boating. Read more