As TrophyCatch heads into the last months of Season 10 and the 10-Tag Celebration, eight more prized fish are still swimming in Florida lakes and the FWC is offering clues about where to find them. These new tagging maps of the remaining lakes could lead lucky anglers to the pink-tagged bass.

Through Florida bass telemetry and tagging studies, FWC biologists have found that where a largemouth bass is tagged and released can frequently coincide with where an angler catches the same bass weeks, months or even years later. Based on these patterns in bass behavior, TrophyCatch is releasing “tag zone” maps for the remaining eight waterbodies, showing the areas where the prized bass were tagged and could potentially be caught.

Dale Dew, who caught the first 10-Tag bass, was within yards of where the fish was released with its pink tag in Lake Griffin. Of course, these hints come with a caveat: while bass can be predictable, there are many exceptions to their typical home range patterns and some bass are not homebodies at all. In contrast to Dew’s catch, the second reported 10-Tag bass was caught by RJ Crawford in Newnans Lake over three miles away from where it was tagged. Thus, these new hints don’t eliminate water in which a 10-Tag bass might be found but should be treated as higher-probability areas. View each of the ranges on the maps located on the 10-Tag Celebration web page. Let’s see how many can be found! Read more

Alewife, small prey fish that reach 2 to 9 inches in length, are experiencing a seasonal die-off in Lake Michigan, an event that frequently occurred 20 to 60 years ago but has been rare in recent times.

Not native to the Great Lakes, alewife migrated from the Atlantic Ocean into the Great Lakes through the Welland Canal in the 1920s.

Alewife spend most of the year in deep, cold waters. In the spring and summer, they migrate to nearshore areas to spawn and search for food. Some alewife come out of winter in a weakened state and don’t tolerate changing conditions such as large temperature swings. The combination of poor over-winter condition, temperature changes and spawning stress cause the die-off.

“The die-off is larger than normal this year and something we have not seen in years,” said Jay Wesley, Lake Michigan basin coordinator for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “We are seeing the die-off extend from Muskegon all the way up to Cross Village and out to the Beaver Island complex.” Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)

During a recent fishing trip to the South Branch of the AuSable River in Crawford County, I came upon a sign posted at the Chase Bridge landing in bold text:  This section of the AuSable is prone to sustained spikes in water temperature above 68 degrees.  If the water temperature is at or above 68 degrees, please consider not fishing!  Survival of our trout depends on this.  I had to learn more.

Since it was a catch-and-release, flies-only section of the quality stretch, a person would not be permitted by law to keep any fish anyway.  (An exception is made for youngsters, so check the rules.)  The sign urged anglers to go somewhere else under such conditions.  Obviously, one would need a thermometer for testing purposes.  However, in this instance an alternative was provided right on the sign by virtue of the QR codes related to various portions of the river.  By scanning a particular code with a smart phone, one could not only get the current water temperature at Chase Bridge, but other places along the river.

The idea of not fishing to protect trout during hot months – and particularly the hottest parts of a given day – seems to make sense, because trout are more prone to expiring after putting up a fight.  Playing a fish (or, toying if you will) to exhaustion can turn an angler’s thrill to a lethal situation for the fish.  Some countries have outlawed catch-and-release fishing altogether, regardless of water temperature, because of this.

A recent study by Idaho’s Department of Fish and Game, however, concludes that not fishing does not protect a significant number of trout during hot months in some waters.

While the study indicated that more trout caught when water temperature above 73 degrees F died after release, it also indicated that anglers were able to catch a lot fewer trout when the water temperature was 73 or higher, because fish simply quit feeding.

In colder water, the mortality of tagged and released fish was lower, but anglers caught a lot more fish, so the overall mortality was higher.

As we approach another hot spell this week, it’s important to understand that warming water will soon follow.

Here are some suggestions for those compelled to fish in questionable conditions.

*  Subdue fish a quickly as possible by using heavier leaders and tightening any drags, if applicable.

*  Do not remove the fish from the water.  Unhook the fish in the net or water and limit the process to 10 seconds or less.

*  If using a net, allow the fish to be submerged in it for a minute or longer, if the above step lasts for more than 10 seconds.

*  Release the fish in an area where it can be observed while recovering.  If necessary, hold the fish by the tail – never by its midsection.  If the fish ends up on its side or tumbles, it must be held upright until it regains its balance.

*  If the trout does not recover and regulations allow for harvesting, then keep it.

In summary, keep a stream thermometer on hand for critical temperature measurements.  Fish for trout in early mornings or late afternoons.  Another obvious alternative is to fish for warm-water species such as bass or panfish in other waters.

If your plans include swimming, especially along the Great Lakes, be sure to brush up on beach safety before anyone goes near the water!

In an ongoing effort to create more protections for visitors, Land Use Order 5.1.6 now prohibits people from accessing the water from a state-managed beach when risks to human health and safety are present, such as active rescues, severe weather events, waves more than 8 feet high and other public hazards. These closures will be publicized via on-site signage and/or communication by a DNR employee, such as loudspeaker announcements. Read more

In response to a draft rule published Thursday, June 9, by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service that will prohibit lead fishing tackle on certain National Wildlife Refuges, the American Sportfishing Association released the following statement from Vice President of Government Affairs, Mike Leonard.

“The sportfishing industry usually welcomes the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) periodic announcements to expand fishing access in National Wildlife Refuges, but this new proposed expansion comes with a significant caveat that undermines the good will these announcements usually generate. The entire foundation of USFWS and its management of our fish and wildlife resources is meant to be based on specific data and science, yet the proposed rule would arbitrarily ban lead fishing tackle in several refuges based on unfounded and overgeneralized assumptions.

ASA fully supports science-based conservation and our industry has a long record of making changes and sacrifices for the betterment of the environment. That’s not what we have here. This proposal provides no evidence that lead fishing tackle is harming any specific wildlife populations in the proposed areas. Anglers should have the option of choosing non-lead tackle alternatives, but it is important to recognize that these alternatives generally come with the tradeoff of higher cost or poorer performance. Read more

Baltimore County Angler Breaks Record Held 44 Years

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has confirmed Logan Kuhrmann of Essex is the new state record holder for common carp (Cyprinus carpio carpio) in the state’s Chesapeake Division. Kuhrmann, 24, caught the 49-pound carp June 4 while bass fishing in the Susquehanna Flats area of the Chesapeake Bay.

Kuhrmann was using a spinning tackle with a plastic worm and thought at first he’d hooked either a flathead or blue catfish. After a few minutes, the enormous carp was hauled onto the boat and into the live well.

“We’ve seen some really big ones up in the Flats but we’ve never seen one this big ever,” Kuhrmann said. “The bass fishing wasn’t great but this made my week.” Read more

Editor’s Note: Today, our fishing expert Frank Sargeant answers a question that has confused many of us who aren’t familiar with fishing in the West: What the heck are hoot owl restrictions?

If you’re a southern bass and panfish angler, it’s safe to say you’ve never heard of “hoot owl” restrictions on fishing. But for western trout anglers, they’re currently a bone of contention in some waters.

While a lot of conservationists would disagree, the Idaho Department of Game and Fish (IDFG) just released a study that says “hoot owl” restrictions on summer trout fishing—that is, closing down fishing on many streams when water temperature rises during the hottest part of the day—do not protect a significant number of trout during the hot months, at least in some Idaho waters.

The idea of hoot owl restrictions is that trout caught between 2 p.m. and midnight are stressed and then plunged back into water that is already stressing them simply by being too warm and too low in oxygen. Many fish released in the warmer water don’t make it.

Trout do best at temperatures from 70 F down. Brook trout are the most delicate of trout species, thriving only in water from 44 to 64 degrees. Rainbows and browns do best at temperatures from 44 to 67, but still do some feeding up to 73. After that, it’s survival mode.

While the study indicated, as expected, that more trout caught when water temperature above 73 degrees F died after release, it also indicated that anglers were able to catch a lot fewer trout when the water temperature was 73 or higher—the fish simply quit feeding.

In colder water, the mortality of tagged and released fish was lower, but anglers caught a lot more fish, so the overall mortality was higher.

Read more

While fishing with cut bait recently in Berrien County, Michigan, an angler from Hobart, Indiana, caught a new state-record fish: a flathead catfish weighing in at 53.35 pounds and measuring 48 inches!

Lloyd Tanner was fishing the St. Joe River, a tributary of Lake Michigan, in the early-morning hours of Sunday, May 29, when he reeled in the record-breaker.

This fish beats the previous state-record flathead catfish – 52 pounds, 46.02 inches long – caught in 2014 by Dale Blakley, of Niles, out of Barron Lake in Cass County.

Tanner’s fish was verified by Jay Wesley, Lake Michigan Basin coordinator with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

A passion for catfish

“I’ve been fishing Michigan for almost 30 years,” Tanner said. “What draws me to Michigan is fishing for big catfish.” Read more

Contact: Jessica Holley-Roehrs (ORV), 517-331-3790; Sierra Williams (fishing), 517-230-8788 or Ron Olson (Recreation Passport), 517-243-1477

Free fishing, off-roading and state park entry – enjoy it all during Michigan’s ‘Three Free’ Weekend June 11-12

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources encourages everyone to take advantage of “Three Free” Weekend – Saturday, June 11, and Sunday, June 12 – two full days when residents and out-of-state visitors can grab a fishing rod, ride the off-road trails and visit state parks and boating access sites, all free of charge. Read more