Category: Fishing

Michigan: successful fall fish stocking season creates more angling opportunities

Anglers will soon benefit from the 624,205 fish, which collectively weighed 7.8 tons, that were stocked by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources at 85 locations across the state.

“It was another outstanding fall fish stocking season that will provide enhanced fishing opportunities throughout Michigan,” said DNR fish production manager Ed Eisch. “When added to our successful spring and summer stocking efforts, that brings the total for 2022 to more than 17 million fish stocked in Michigan’s waters.”

The number and type of fish stocked vary by hatchery, as each facility’s ability to rear fish differs because of water supplies and temperature. In Michigan, there are six state and three cooperative hatcheries that work together to produce the species, strain and size of fish needed by fisheries managers. These fish must then be delivered at a specific time and location for stocking to ensure their success. Most fish in Michigan are stocked in the spring.

Fall 2022 fish stocking consisted of four species of fish: brook trout, Eagle Lake and steelhead strain rainbow trout, walleye and muskellunge. Read more

Fishing

Walleye season change on the lower Saginaw River in Bay and Saginaw counties starts Jan. 1

Dec. 28, 2022
Effective Jan. 1, 2023, the possession season for walleye will be open year-round on the lower Saginaw River in Bay and Saginaw counties from the mouth of the river, upstream to West Center Street (Douglas G. Schenk) Bridge.

The same regulation is in effect on the Lake Huron waters of MH-4 (see page 20 of the 2022 fishing guide) including Saginaw Bay. The daily possession limit for walleye remains at eight walleye with a 13-inch minimum size limit on these same waters.

The Michigan Natural Resources Commission approved this regulation Dec. 9, 2021, to increase fishing and harvest opportunities on the Saginaw Bay walleye population. Prior to this new regulation, the season used to close March 16 and reopen the last Saturday in April.

For current regulations, anglers are encouraged to view and refer to the digital version of the fishing guide at Michigan.gov/DNRDigests. The fishing guide and other helpful resources also are available by downloading the new Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app.

The DNR manages Michigan’s fisheries resources for current and future generations by making scientific, research-based decisions and regulatory recommendations. Regulations are one tool the DNR uses to implement management strategies to protect, conserve and improve Michigan’s fisheries. Learn more about these efforts at Michigan.gov/Fishing.

Contact: Jeff Jolley, 989-686-2678

Fishing

Michigan: DNR Welcomes 12 New Conservation Officers

Class photo: Members of Recruit School #11 pose with academy and executive staff from the Michigan DNR Law Enforcement Division on the state Capitol steps Friday in Lansing. In January, the 12 probationary conservation officers – 11 men and one woman – will continue their training by rotating county assignments to receive real-life experience in handling fish, game, recreational safety, general criminal and other situations.

One of the most selective law enforcement academies in the state, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Academy hosted graduation Friday at the Michigan State Police Training Academy in Lansing, welcoming 11 men and one woman into the ranks of some of the most highly trained law enforcement professionals in Michigan.

Fifteen candidates initially were selected from nearly 400 applicants to be a part of Recruit School #11 – the DNR’s 23-week training academy that stared July 10. Read more

Fishing, Hunting

Tips to decrease impacts to fish when catch-and-release ice fishing

SALT LAKE CITY — Winter weather has descended on Utah, and if you are planning to go ice fishing this winter and want to release the fish you catch, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is offering some tips to help decrease stress and increase survival for the fish.

Minimize the air exposure time for the fish.

Just like hot temperatures and warm water can have impacts on certain fish species, freezing weather can also be tough on fish.

Anglers have to remember that even though they are ice fishing, the fish they are catching are living in water that is not frozen — which means that the water temperature that the fish are experiencing is often warmer than the temperatures they are exposed to coming out of the water.

“If an angler is fishing on a particularly cold day, pulling a fish up through a hole and exposing them to freezing conditions can be stressful to a fish,” DWR Sportfish Coordinator Randy Oplinger said. “The water that remains on sensitive areas — such as the gills or eyes — can begin to freeze and this can cause damage to a fish. So, it is best to minimize exposure time and to release the fish as quickly as possible after catching it.” Read more

Fishing

Gill Nets May Return to Michigan Waters

The proposed decree — given the stamp of approval for and negotiated by the Michigan DNR — places millions of feet of indiscriminate, lethal gill nets into waters that have not had them in decades. West Grand Traverse Bay saw its lake trout fishery collapse in 1979 due to overfishing from gill nets. The fishery took decades to recover.

Stay tuned to MUCC communications as MUCC reviews and provides more comments regarding the proposed decree. Our legal team is reviewing the proposed decree and will have more robust written comments in the next few weeks.

Please sign up at our Policy Action Center to ensure you receive up-to-date information on this issue.

Fishing

Montana: scientists use Infrastructure funding to reconnect historic waterway

by Tim Stauffer, Northern Region

December 8, 2022 – For the first time in more than 100 years, the Warm Springs Creek and Clark Fork River in west-central Montana will connect to create a passageway for native trout migration and improve the overall watershed health in the region.

This project is one of many ongoing restoration projects on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest that uses infrastructure funds to meet major goals to benefit native fish populations in the region.

Over the last 10 years, the Forest has worked closely with private, state and federal partners on stream improvement projects, and a major goal of that work is to reconnect Warm Springs Creek to the Upper Clark Fork River. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided the Forest Service with $5.5 billion and the authority to tackle the most pressing issues facing our natural resources and associated infrastructure, such as trails, roads and bridges. Read more

Fishing

Grow your appreciation for Michigan’s inland lakes with Introduction to Lakes Online course

Lakes hold a special place in our hearts – no matter if you’re a Michigander born and raised, or a visitor to the Great Lakes State – and can provide an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Visiting natural areas can improve mood, reduce stress and boost immune systems.

Whether you live on a lake, frequent a secret fishing spot or escape the daily grind on a camping trip to a serene lake in the woods, lakes provide irreplaceable benefits to our mental and physical health and deserve our appreciation and attention.

Michigan State University Extension is offering a unique opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of inland lakes with enrollment in the Introduction to Lakes Online course, a nationally recognized, award-winning, six-week class in a convenient, self-paced online format. The course is designed for anyone who has a passion or curiosity for inland lakes, including lakefront property owners, local government officials, lake managers and educators. Course instructors include MSU Extension educators and state agency personnel.

Registration and course information

The course kicks off Jan. 10, and runs through March 3. Registration is open now through Jan. 8, with an early-bird discount of $95 per person if registered by Dec. 19. Scholarships are available. Registration information is available on the Introduction to Lakes Online course webpage.

Since the course was first offered online in 2015, more than 1,500 people across the country have taken it. Participants consistently praise the content and interactions they have with instructors and other students. Read more

Fishing

Valley Tieless Fishing Tackle’s EZ Clasp

Valley Tieless Fishing Tackle’s EZ Clasp Is a Simple Solution to Tying Lures and Terminal Tackle on Your Line

TIPLER, Wis. (Nov. 8, 2022) – Attaching lures and other terminal tackle securely to your fishing line is foundational to successful angling. Yet for many, the process can be as difficult as threading a needle in poor light. It doesn’t have to be that way anymore. Valley Tieless Fishing Tackle has a simple solution – the EZ Clasp and EZ Clasp Mini.

The EZ Clasp and EZ Clasp Mini are ideal for casual anglers, the visually handicapped, young and novice anglers, people with large hands, the elderly experiencing age-related sight problems – or anyone who desires a quick, easy, and effective way to attach terminal tackle to their fishing line.

The EZ Clasp has two great benefits. First, it is easy to attach to 8-10 lb.-diameter braided line using the tieless end. No fishing knot is required! And second, it is also easy to attach a lure, barrel swivel, or similar terminal tackle using the EZ Clasp end, which allows for a lure or terminal tackle to be attached without the complicated clasp. Presto! You’re done quickly and efficiently. It also makes it easy to quickly change lures. And using the EZ Clasp will not adversely affect the lure’s action. Read more

Fishing

Ohio: Mussel Survey of Olentangy River Yields Two Endangered Species

Live snuffbox mussel discovered in the Olentangy by Dr. Hoggarth in September of this year.
Original freshly dead specimens of the snuffbox mussel Epioblasma triquetra discovered by Dr. Hoggarth in the Olentangy River in June of this year.

Mussel Survey of Olentangy River Yields Two Federally Endangered Species
First survey of the scenic river in more than 30 years.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – In the first survey of its kind in more than three decades, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Natural Areas and Preserves (DNAP) Scenic Rivers Program has discovered two federally endangered mussel species in the Olentangy State Scenic River. The survey, funded by the Scenic Rivers Program, was conducted this summer.

“It’s exciting when we find wildlife in our Ohio waterways that we thought were gone, especially considering the decline of the freshwater mussels,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz said. “These surveys and discoveries like this, help us take the necessary steps to protect these species and their habitats.”

The last survey was done in 1990. Dr. Michael Hoggarth of Otterbein University conducted that survey and the most recent one. He and his team focused on the Olentangy River from the headwaters to the confluence with the Scioto River. In July, they found two shells of recently deceased freshwater mussels at a location on the Olentangy River in Marion County above Delaware Reservoir. The shells indicated there may be living specimens of the federally endangered snuffbox Epioblasma triquetra. When the group returned in September, they found a living specimen of the snuffbox and a freshly dead specimen of the federally endangered rayed bean Villosa fabalis. The last time either was found in this section of the river was at least 60 years ago. Read more

Fishing, Wildlife
1 … 37 38 39 40 41 … 138