Highly portable, lightweight kayak with MirageDrive 180 propulsion system is perfect for touring, exploring and fishing on the go.

OCEANSIDE, Calif. (May 17, 2021) – Kayak fishing fans who like to travel light are going to love the latest addition to the ever-growing Hobie fleet. The all-new Mirage Lynx kayak is a sleek, lightweight and rugged platform designed specifically for anglers and outdoor enthusiasts who want the flexibility and versatility to load and launch their vessel with minimal effort on a moment’s notice.

Hobie, the leading manufacturer of premium kayaks and watersport products, looked to minimize weight and maximize fun with Lynx’s clever configuration. With a hull weight of just 45 pounds, the 11’ long by 36” wide Lynx boasts a 350-pound capacity yet is easy to transport, rugged, fast, and exceptionally stable. A hard-shell spin-off of Hobie’s proven inflatable 11 design, the Lynx features ACE TEC construction for rigidity and durability, a removeable rudder system for optimal steering control, and a premium MirageDrive 180 propulsion system with Kick-Up Fin technology that affords maximum control with forward and reverse pedaling, even in shallow water. A V-hull entry, wide bow, and innovative waterflow tunnel system combine to ensure ultimate maneuverability allowing kayakers to push back into lilies, stick-ups, reeds, mangroves and shallow pockets inaccessible to others, while keeping hands free to execute that perfect cast or frame up the ideal photograph.

“This really is a fun and practical kayak,” says Morgan Promnitz, Hobie’s Director of Fishing Development. “In addition to touring and exploring, it’s a great option for pursuing inshore species such as redfish, snook, sea trout, stripers, bluefish, summer flounder and other sporty or tasty fish species, especially in back bay waters. Freshwater anglers will also find it an ideal platform for chasing bass, trout, walleye, pike and panfish. It’s absolutely perfect for anglers who take a minimalist approach and bring along only a couple rods plus a tackle bag. Still, if you want to load it up with gear, it comes H-Crate-ready and has additional bow storage with Bungee tie downs. This boat also sports scupper holes for a live well or live bait tank and comes ready to install fishing electronics and a Power-Pole® anchor system. The Lynx is easy to transport and that is what makes it so exciting to me; you can slip it off your vehicle and carry it under an arm like a surfboard or use one of our kayak carts to get it to the water’s edge. Load one on top of another for transport because the flat profile allows you to stack several Lynxes on your roof racks!”

Intelligently designed for both user comfort and battling the elements, the new Mirage Lynx has a low profile for added stability but its elevated and breathable mono-mesh fabric seat improves visibility while keeping kayakers cool, comfortable and above the spray in a moderate chop. A seatback storage pouch makes it easy to keep important items like car keys, wallets and cell phones in a dry bag within reach.

The new Lynx platform also includes molded-in tracks for mounting accessories, an EVA standing pad, and ample cargo room that can be utilized for a variety of applications. The Hobie H-Bar standing support can easily be added for maximum stability. For the ultimate package, effortlessly add more accessories by upgrading to a Hobie H-Rail mounting platform with integrated, patented RAM® Hand-Track™. Hobie’s optional Sail Kit and Bimini Sunshade can also be added using the accessory mount. Aside from its feathery light weight, additional features like ergonomic handles and loading pads make transporting the Lynx hassle free. Read more

Next time you catch a trout or salmon, remember to check for a clip on the adipose fin – that small, fleshy fin behind the dorsal fin. It could be worth $100.

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

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. Anyone catching and wanting to keep an adipose fin clipped fish should turn the head into a local drop-off station in Michigan.

Randy Claramunt, Lake Huron Basin coordinator with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, said the DNR relies on the help of anglers to supplement the marked and tagged fish program.

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

Grand Prairie, TX (May 5, 2021) – Frabill has blown up the Magnum Bait Station and increased its capacity from nineteen to thirty quarts of live bait storage. The Extra-Large 30-Quart Frabill Magnum Bait Station is unlike any other portable live well.

Planning and design of the Frabill 30-Quart Magnum Bait Station were carried out with the precision of convenience. A complete update and upgrade from the original. The 30-Quart Station has an array of new features crafted with the utmost thought and consideration. It received the honor of “Best in Show” at the 2019 ICAST Show in Orlando, Florida.

Built much like today’s top branded heavy-duty molded coolers, the 30-Quart Station has an injection-molded base with a heavy-duty non-slip bottom. One inch of commercial-grade foam insulation controls the temperature even in extreme conditions. A waterproof and airtight gasket creates a perfect seal between the lid and well to keep bait healthy and lively regardless of the weather. Read more

Accident Results in Death at MLF Series event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir

Advisory for Thursday, April 29

WHAT:
MLF confirmed Thursday afternoon that there was an accident resulting in a fatality at the Toyota Series at Sam Rayburn Reservoir event in Brookeland, Texas. The anglers’ family has been notified.

WHERE:
Toyota Series at Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Umphrey Family Pavilion
5438 RR 255
Brookeland, Texas 75931

NOTES:
A co-angler competing at the Toyota Series event at Sam Rayburn Reservoir died Thursday after falling from the boat. The boat was not running when the co-angler entered the water.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) recovered the body of the deceased co-angler Thursday afternoon. The incident is currently under investigation by the TPWD and San Augustine County officials. Officials have not yet released the name of the anglers involved. Read more

Starting this week, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will begin evaluating the Lake Superior splake fishery through a special study using marked fish. Splake, which are a hybrid cross between lake trout and brook trout, have been stocked in Lake Superior most years since 1971, with annual stocking since 1990.

In Lake Superior, the DNR stocks splake in Munising, Copper Harbor and occasionally in Keweenaw Bay. Splake are stocked with the intent to create nearshore fishing opportunities in smaller bays of Lake Superior, where some fisheries are available year-round. This study will help fisheries managers understand the percentage of stocked fish caught by anglers, home range of splake, and harvest metrics such as harvest rates and size at harvest by year and location. Knowing how successful the DNR’s splake-stocking efforts are allows for the best management of Lake Superior fisheries.

Anyone catching a splake should inspect it for missing fins or a jaw-bone clip, which indicate it has been marked. Marked fish then can be reported at Michigan.gov/EyesintheField, where anglers can provide information such as species, length, weight, sex, and date and location caught. Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)

Michigan’s trout opener has arrived, just like it has so many times before on the last Saturday of April.  Purists and worm drowners alike revere the experience of chasing the scale-less fish that inhabit the colder waters of our north country.  For me it’s been over 50 years since being introduced to the crafty  art of hooking the line-shy creatures, but one opener stands out among dozens.

The routine would involve camping along Houghton Creek near Rose City and going after brown trout.  The day before, a friend and I arrived at the private-land site prepared to set up our tent, only to discover that a DNR vehicle had already parked near the river.  An apparent confrontation had developed with the law officer and none other than my two brothers in-law and one of their friends, who were to be among the small group of campers.  I had to stick my nose in.

Upon approach, I couldn’t help but notice a slew of fishing rods and reels atop the official’s car.  Being the day before the opener, things didn’t look good for the boys.  The officer informed me that he had been down to the shore and found all of the rods propped up along the bank with lines in the water.  He added that he had also found these suspicious characters nearby, but not actually holding onto the rods.  Trouble was there was nobody else around.  He wanted a confession but none seemed forthcoming.

Hold on, now.  That mess of rods and reels didn’t look familiar to me – kind of run down and old – not the kind of equipment I thought any of them owned.  And, that’s what I said.  But, the wise patrolman noted aloud, “Look.  These guys were down there.  Nobody else.  There’s worms on the hooks and they have worms in their coolers.”

The older of the two brothers in-law was doing all the talking.  And, thinking.  “Well, you know there are different kinds of worms,” as if to confuse the obvious.  Without hesitation, the sly officer piped back, “Yeah.  And, they don’t all crawl on the ground.”  And, with that bit of wisdom he backed out of there with the dubious bounty.

Of course I had to know what was really going on and as soon as the dust cleared, I found out.  Sure enough, my extended family was guilty and up the creek without their stuff.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, a person has a great chance to give to the cause of sustaining one of our greatest natural resources:  lake sturgeon.  And, it sounds like fun!

Volunteers are needed in Cheboygan County now through early June to stand guard as mature lake sturgeon head upstream to their spawning sites along the Black River.

The Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon for Tomorrow is working in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and tribes to protect the fish from being illegally harvested during the six-week spawning season.

“For over 20 years, the annual Sturgeon Guarding Program has proven that people serving as sturgeon guards watching over the river have virtually eliminated poaching, while helping to ensure the protection and reproductive success of the species,” said, Mary Paulson the guarding program’s volunteer coordinator. “It’s a unique and rewarding experience to witness these majestic fish swimming up the Black River, and to be a key player in safeguarding one of Michigan’s most valuable natural resources.”

Volunteers are assigned shifts along the river to stand watch and report suspicious activity to the DNR conservation officers who also are patrolling. The program also uses aerial surveillance to monitor the area.

The monitoring activity, designed to protect the fish, is also an opportunity to get involved in natural resource management and has drawn volunteers ranging from families, church groups, Scouting groups and students to artists such as photographers.

Individuals or groups interested in volunteering should contact Jim and Mary Paulson at 989-763-7568. Volunteers also can register online at sturgeonfortomorrow.org/guarding-program.php or search online for Sturgeon for Tomorrow, Black Lake Chapter.  See the post below this one for more details.

Volunteers are needed in Cheboygan County now through early June to stand guard as mature lake sturgeon head upstream to their spawning sites along the Black River.

The Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon for Tomorrow is working in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and tribes to protect the fish from being illegally harvested during the six-week spawning season.

Sgt. Mark DePew, who leads DNR Law Enforcement Division’s efforts on the river, said, “This program, that protects this iconic species when they are most vulnerable, is a model of how agencies and the public can cooperate to get needed work accomplished.”

The lake sturgeon, which can weigh up to 200 pounds and live to be 100 years old, is listed as a threatened species in Michigan, with any sport fishing being closely regulated.

“For over 20 years, the annual Sturgeon Guarding Program has proven that people serving as sturgeon guards watching over the river have virtually eliminated poaching, while helping to ensure the protection and reproductive success of the species,” said, Mary Paulson the guarding program’s volunteer coordinator. “It’s a unique and rewarding experience to witness these majestic fish swimming up the Black River, and to be a key player in safeguarding one of Michigan’s most valuable natural resources.” Read more

Ever-popular cross-over kayak now more versatile than ever for fishing, touring, exploring and fun.

OCEANSIDE, Calif. – Kayak fans who want to add more versatility and fun to their outings are sure to love the latest round of upgrades to the ever-popular Hobie Mirage Compass kayak series. Hobie, the leading manufacturer of premium kayaks and watersport products, upgraded the series late last year to incorporate enhanced versions of its signature MirageDrive, the original, patented, kayak pedal propulsion system.

The entire Mirage Compass line, one of the most versatile hulls in the Hobie lineup, now features the MirageDrive 180 propulsion system, allowing the kayak to move both forward and backwards with full power. The upgrade provides better access to tight pocket waters holding big fish plus improved, instantaneous boat control and positioning for a quieter approach. It also allows for more efficient lure presentation and gives anglers an added edge when hauling hawgs from sticky places. Read more