Muskegon River anglers should be on the lookout this spring for Michigan Department of Natural Resources personnel collecting walleye eggs below Croton Dam, which is in Newaygo County.

Electrofishing boat crews will collect walleye starting as early as the week of March 27 and concluding by April 14. The date these collections begin will depend on water temperatures, the presence of ripe fish and other factors. Most work likely will be completed from the last week of March through the first week of April. Five days of electrofishing are planned, with four of those being egg-take days.

“This adult population consists of mostly stocked fish,” said Ed Pearce, DNR fisheries technician supervisor who coordinates the egg take. “The Muskegon River has the largest run of walleye in the Lake Michigan watershed south of Green Bay.”

Electrofish sampling usually begins at Croton Dam each day at about 8:30 a.m. and proceeds downstream to the Pine Street access site. If more eggs are needed, additional collections may occur downstream to the Thornapple Street access site.

Anglers who wish to avoid the walleye collection activities should fish downstream of the Pine Street access site. The DNR asks everyone to use caution when fishing near the electrofishing boats, and anyone wading will be asked to exit the water when a boat approaches and during electrofishing work. Read more

It used to be that we went looking for sargassum.

Find a weedline of this gold-brown floating stuff and you find mahi, sailfish, wahoo and maybe even marlin. The gamefish hung on the weeds, which formed in the current breaks, because it was full of baitfish.

Now, sargassum is coming looking for us.

A massive blob of sargassum thousands of miles long is headed to Florida, the Caribbean and eventually the Gulf of Mexico, scientists say.

While a little sargassum is great for fish and fishermen, a whole bunch of it is bad for not only anglers but for the massive tourist trade generated by beaches from the Caribbean to Florida and Alabama. Read more

KENNESAW, Ga.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Yamaha Rightwaters™ continues its support of Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) by powering six jon boats with Yamaha F6 outboards in Stephen C. Foster State Park. The outboards give visitors the opportunity to fish, birdwatch and explore the Okefenokee Swamp, the largest blackwater swamp in the U.S.

Yamaha Rightwaters™ supports the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) by powering six jon boats with Yamaha F6 outboards in Stephen C. Foster State Park. The outboards give visitors the opportunity to fish, birdwatch and explore the Okefenokee Swamp, the largest blackwater swamp in the U.S. (Photo: Business Wire)

“Stephen C. Foster State Park allows visitors to experience the Okefenokee Swamp not just by land, but also by boat,” said Jeff Cown, DNR Director of Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites Division. “From our dock and boat ramp on Jones Island, boaters can explore more than 15 miles of day-use water trails. Thanks to these Yamaha Rightwaters outboard donations, more visitors now have access to the beautiful Okefenokee wilderness.” Read more

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 10.15-pound smallmouth bass caught in the Ontario, Canada waters of Lake Erie in November 2022 was a 16-year-old female, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The record fish is the only known 10-pound smallmouth bass caught in a Great Lakes state or province.

On November 3, 2022, Gregg Gallagher of Fremont, Ohio, caught the 10.15-pound smallmouth bass while fishing in Ontario provincial waters of Lake Erie. That fish was larger than the previous Ontario record, a 9.84-pound bass caught in 1984, and larger than Ohio’s current smallmouth bass record, a 9.5-pound fish. The new Ontario provincial record was weighed soon after the catch on a certified scale in Port Clinton. Read more

If you spent any time on the water last year, chances are you saw Michigan Department of Natural Resources fisheries management units busily completing more than 270 fisheries surveys across the state. Specifically, crews completed 172 surveys of Michigan’s inland lakes and 99 surveys of Michigan’s streams.

The surveys are useful for tracking inland fisheries populations, evaluating stocking efforts to increase angler opportunities, or addressing concerns from anglers throughout the year.

Collecting key data on one of Michigan’s world-class fisheries is critical for successful management of our diverse fisheries resources. So just what are crews looking for?

According to Jim Francis, DNR Fisheries Division Lake Erie basin coordinator, surveys fall into three categories:

1. 1. Evaluating management actions.
   2. Understanding status and trends.
   3. Finding answers to new questions or concerns.

Read more

Since the inception of The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Vessel Turn-In Program in late 2022, the FWC has received 28 applications from owners of at-risk or unwanted vessels. The first two vessels removed through this program were removed from Pasco and Pinellas County in early March.

VTIP is a key component of Florida’s derelict vessel prevention program. This voluntary program is designed to help owners dispose of their unwanted at-risk vessels before they become derelict. Upon approval of an application, VTIP will take a surrendered vessel and dispose of it at no cost to the boat owner. Removing the vessel before it deteriorates into a derelict condition will prevent legal ramifications for the vessel owner, protect Florida’s valuable seagrass resources, marine life and human life, safety, and property, and save Florida taxpayers money. Read more

The following industry insight is courtesy of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA).

Alexandria, VA –  – The American Sportfishing Association(ASA) released the 2023 Economic Contributions of Recreational Fishing: U.S. Congressional Districts report, an update of previous data collected by ASA in partnership with Southwick Associates. The data reflects angler participation and economic impacts across all 50 states and the country’s 435 congressional districts.

America’s 52.4 million anglers contribute $148 billion in economic output and support 945,500 jobs across the entire country, while also contributing $1.8 billion towards conservation. While jobs supported include the manufacturing and sales of fishing equipment and gear, recreational fishing also supports jobs in additional industries, such as hotel lodging, restaurants, charter boat trips and more. Read more