Have you caught a trout or salmon in Michigan that had an adipose fin clip? If so, it could contain a tag with valuable information.

Through mass marking assistance by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, several Great Lakes states, including Michigan, mark popular gamefish like steelhead, Chinook salmon, Atlantic salmon, brown trout and lake trout.

The adipose fin – a small, fleshy fin behind the larger dorsal fin – is found on only a few fish, including trout, salmon and catfish. Most trout and salmon with an adipose fin clip also have a coded-wire tag in their snout. The tag is small, like the tip of a lead pencil, so it must be removed by lab technicians. If anglers catch an adipose fin clipped fish, they should turn in the head at a local drop-off station in Michigan.

“We have creel clerks at some ports, but there are several areas where we don’t have staff, including on river systems with unique fisheries, such as Atlantic salmon or steelhead,” said Randy Claramunt, Lake Huron Basin coordinator with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “To get enough tag returns to learn about these species, we need the help of our anglers to voluntarily turn in heads.” Read more

Calling all lake associations, watershed groups, nonprofits, and local and tribal units of government! The Michigan Clean Boats, Clean Waters program is offering grants to support aquatic invasive species outreach efforts. This funding opportunity is available to organizations dedicated to boater education about aquatic invasive species and protecting Michigan’s waterways.

This is a competitive funding opportunity, and complete applications will be ranked based on eligibility, project significance and overall strategy. Read more

Striking form, extreme capability, and ruggedness are the hallmarks of this next-generation open-array radar

Nashua NH- October 26th, 2021 – Raymarine announces Cyclone™, the newest range of open-array radars, conceived and crafted to give mariners the confidence to tackle the harshest conditions, gain distinct advantages in the hunt for fish, and safely navigate busy waterways. All-new Cyclone radars are available in 3-, 4- and 6-foot arrays and two high-power output options for each size. Each model features innovative detection technologies, including Cyclone Bird Mode, that elevates Cyclone into a class all its own.

INSERT VIDEO – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhTJwV05E0o

Cutting-Edge Design Read more

Project preproposals are due Nov. 12

The days are getting cooler, the leaves are beginning to change and the salmon are starting their annual spawning runs – all signs that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is preparing for Chinook and coho salmon egg takes.

Managing Michigan’s world-class fisheries is dependent on egg takes each fall. Salmon return to the rivers and streams where they were hatched or stocked. To aid in annual egg collection, the DNR has strategically placed weirs in rivers with high concentrations of spawning salmon.

DNR facilities begin operations in mid-September and complete the process in late October for all Pacific salmon egg takes. Though the egg collection work is scheduled, the DNR team will act only when there are sufficient numbers to indicate the fish are ready. Conditions can vary day to day.

DNR staff conduct egg takes not only to support Michigan’s yearly fish production goals, but also to assist other Great Lakes states in meeting their fishery needs. This season, portions of Michigan-collected eggs will be directed to Illinois and Indiana. Read more

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife annually stocks 54 lakes and reservoirs with saugeye, a fast-growing and popular game fish. A hybrid cross between a sauger and a walleye, saugeye offer Ohio anglers the chance to catch excellent table fare and the occasional trophy fish.

Three Division of Wildlife state fish hatcheries produce and stock about 25 million saugeye annually. These fish reach a catchable size in one to three years depending on where they are stocked. The state record saugeye was caught in 2004 at Antrim Lake in Franklin County. It weighed 14.04 pounds and measured 30? inches long. The fish are active year-round and will particularly engage with artificial lures and live bait during the fall and spring months.

“The fall is an excellent time to catch saugeye because they are feeding heavily to bulk up for the coming winter,” said Rich Zweifel, the Division of Wildlife’s Inland Fisheries Program Administrator. “Saugeye are often caught in shallow water, so be sure to consider its clarity when choosing your fishing methods. A good time to fish for saugeye is at sunrise and sunset when they are most active.” Read more

Acclaimed nautical photographer and mariner, Onne van der Wal, refits what may be the most beautiful Grand Banks 32 on Earth.

Born in the Netherlands and raised in South Africa, Onne van der Wal took to the seas at a young age. Early, indelible memories were forged sailing aboard his grandfather’s boat in Holland. Later, working as a commercial fisherman from the port of Hout Bay throughout his teenage years, van der Wal’s love for the ocean compounded. “I liked the vibe of being at sea and catching fish,” he recalls. “Growing up, there were always boats in the family and all our vacations revolved around boating, sailing and fishing.”

As van der Wal grew into a young man, his passions for the sea and for boats matured with him. He became an acclaimed sailor and entered the 1981 Whitbread Round the World Race on Flyer, leaving the competition in his wake. His artful photographs depicting scenes from his maritime adventures became widely published, paving the way for van der Wal to combine his two loves – boating and photography – into a vocation.

Today, Onne van der Wal lives in Jamestown, Rhode Island, where he and his wife, Tenley, own and operate a gallery showcasing his work, which has been published in boating and sailing magazines and other forms of media over the past 35 years. A machinist by trade, van der Wal also enjoys working with his hands. Boat restorations have allowed him to throw this skill into the mix of a life well lived. He completed a well-publicized restoration of a 1972 Pearson 36 sailboat named Snoek a few years ago and is currently wrapping up the refit of a 1986 Grand Banks 32 trawler, Snow Goose.

“I’ve been keen on trawlers since my teenage years in Cape Town,” van der Wal says. “We had a lot of fun with Snoek, but my wife isn’t a sailor at heart and we were ready for something different.” Van der Wal says he was fortunate to find the solid Grand Banks 32 under his nose in Jamestown before it was even listed for sale. “We bought it and put it on the hard, where I spent six months restoring it last winter. It’s simply much better for photography than a sailboat; it’s more comfortable with more room and more daylight. Tenley and I just love it.” Read more