Anglers who catch walleyes in deep water should carry and learn how to use deep-water release devices to prevent fish deaths.

Walleyes are moving away from their spawning locations into deep water. Anglers reeling them up from depths of 25 feet or more can cause barotrauma in walleyes. Barotrauma is when the gas in a walleye’s swim bladder, which help control buoyancy, expands, forcing eyes to bulge and bladder to push out of its mouth. If the fish is released in this condition, it is unable to get back down to its depth.

Lake McConaughy, Merritt Reservoir and Elwood Reservoir typically are the reservoirs where this can be an issue.

Daryl Bauer, fisheries outreach program manager with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, said Nebraska anglers are not aware of deep-water release devices. Instead, he said, they use hypodermic needles to release the gas from walleye suffering from barotrauma, which he said there is no research to show it is effective in saving the fish.

A blog written by Bauer discusses this issue and includes a video on how to deep-water releasing of fish. View it at magazine.outdoornebraska.gov/2014/11/deep-water-mortality/.

Key Message:

NOAA Fisheries is requesting comments on a petition for rulemaking to establish a year-round 10-knot vessel speed limit in the Gulf of Mexico and other vessel-related mitigation measures in an area referred to as core habitat by the petitioners. Rice’s whales are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

NOAA Fisheries received the petition pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act from the Natural Resources Defense Council, Healthy Gulf, Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, and New England Aquarium. The petitioners are requesting that we utilize our authorities under the ESA and MMPA to establish a “Vessel Slowdown Zone” to protect Rice’s whales from collisions with vessels and noise pollution.

NOAA Fisheries seeks public comment on the petitioner’s request. NOAA Fisheries is not issuing a proposed rule at this time. NOAA Fisheries will consider all comments and available information when determining whether to accept the petition and proceed with rulemaking.

Comments are due by July 6, 2023

Summary of the Petitioned Action:

The petition proposes a year-round 10-knot vessel speed restriction within waters between 100 meters (m) and 400 m deep from approximately Pensacola, FL, to just south of Tampa, FL (i.e.,

from 87.5° W longitude to 27.5° N latitude) plus an additional 10 kilometers (km) around that area (referred to in the petition as the “Vessel Slowdown Zone”). Read more

New for 2023: Whitewater® hats, gaiter, and gloves sure to please anglers of all walks

Muskegon, MI – Fishing is like baseball. No angler looks fully in uniform without a proper lid. For some, that’s flat-brimming a Richardson tucked down to the darn near eyebrows, while others like the Texas-bred relief pitcher look with the brim bent into an upside-down “U.”

Of course, that’s all just looking the part, but good hats do serve to protect the top of your head, keep the sun out of your eyes, and prevent hair from flying all over while rooster-tailing to a hot spot at over 6000 RPMs.

If you’re into hats like we are, you need to add these cool caps to your collection. There’s the Whitewater Watermark Hat with its front Blue Bell panel, white mesh back paneling, woven Whitewater logo patch, and adjustable snapback design, the perfect lid for flat-billing it… Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)

Inland trout season has begun, as well as another season of high hopes.  One year ago I was introduced to the majesty of the Rifle River State Recreation Area and its superb fishery.  The park is located on the upper reaches of the Rifle River within the Au Sable State Forest in Ogemaw County – a relatively short jaunt from Mid-Michigan.  The camper is packed, the reservation has been made, and hopefully the brown trout will find a way to the cast-iron skillet’s sizzling, melted butter.

Eating Like a King

Yeah, butter.  Over the years many of us have been led to believe that butter’s fat content is bad for one’s health.  However, if a person buys into the logic of the Ketogenic diet, it’s the kind of food that can be substituted for cooking oils – many of which are inherently detrimental to health.  Oh, and that wily and wild brown trout?  They are rich in healthy oils and B vitamins and are at the top of my list of tasty consumables.

Never have I seen brown trout alongside fish options at any local market.  There’s the phony crab meat engineered by mad scientists, and plenty of fish sourced from places untrusted for reasons of pollution and handling.  Reading and understanding labels are important and necessary, but the highly sought-after trout in our rivers and streams has no label.

Fresh Michigan Brown Trout

No doubt, Michigan has its own precautionary warnings about fish consumption.  The Au Sable River Watershed – downstream of the Foote Dam in Iosco County has a “Do Not Eat” advisory, for example.  To find out if there is risk from chemical contamination in fish, check out the Eat Safe Fish in Michigan brochure online for specifics.  Like most things in life, moderation is key.

*  A study conducted in year 2020 found that brown trout contained more healthy fish oils (EPA and DHA) than salmon – another Michigan fish rich in nutrients.  Brown trout also contains selenium, iron, iodine, calcium, vitamin A, D and B12, as well as high amounts of protein.

*  Omega-3 fatty acids present in fish are helpful for human development – particularly for brain and eye function.

Eliminating sugar in our diets is a difficult challenge, but worthy of any effort to minimize its detrimental effects on the body – especially when it’s a main source of energy in so many foods.  The Keto diet switches the burning of sugar to burning fat to sustain ourselves.

There’s always a struggle between what our tongues have to say about what we put in our mouths; in fact, it is “the” struggle so many of us face.  However, when we can find solace in good blood pressure readings that reflect dietary intake, it’s reason enough to carry on.  Plus, catching your own healthy food can be exciting, as well.

Alexandria, VA- On April 18, 2023, U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) introduced the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act (S. 1185). If enacted, this legislation would prohibit federal land management agencies, namely the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management, from banning the use of traditional tackle and ammunition on public lands unless such action is supported by the best available science and state fish and wildlife agencies. Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives earlier this year, led by Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.).

The bill ensures that sportsmen and women’s access is not unjustly prohibited and that anglers throughout the United States can depend on the performance and affordability of lead. Protecting traditional tackle is crucial for ensuring that anglers can continue to enjoy the sport.

The bill was introduced in response to a recent FWS rule that would ban traditional tackle on some National Wildlife Refuges.

“The sportfishing industry is grateful to Senators Daines for introducing the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2023,” said ASA President Glenn Hughes. “Decisions about the tackle anglers are allowed to use must be based on science, not emotion. This bill will uphold state fish and wildlife agencies as the proper authorities to make science-based determinations around lead fishing tackle.” Read more

14-year-old John Amico takes a top award in CCA Florida STAR saltwater tournament

Martin County, FL (April 18, 2023) – For 14-year-old angler John Amico of Palm City, Florida, persistence finally paid off, to the tune of a $25,000 scholarship presented by the CCA Florida STAR Tournament and Realtree Fishing.

Eleven different species of saltwater fish are eligible for entry during the youth portion of the tournament. Amico won the scholarship after submitting more than 90 entries during the 2022 event. The Florida STAR is the crown jewel of Florida’s Coastal Conservation Association, and it lasts from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Amico joins thousands of other kids each spring in competition for the scholarship. “I’ve been trying to win for four years now,” he said. For each catch and submission, an angler earns another chance at winning a scholarship prize. The more entries, the better the chance. Amico fished with his parents, Rhett and Alicia, and his mentor, Bob Pelosi, nearly every day of the summer tournament in a quest to submit the maximum number of entries. Read more