Using a Moonshine raspberry carbon spoon lure this past weekend, an angler from Ortonville, Michigan, turned in a new state-record fish!
Luis Ricardo Hernandez Martinez was troll fishing with Capt. Bobby Sullivan of Icebreaker Charters on Lake Michigan near Ludington early Saturday morning, Aug. 7, when he caught a Chinook salmon weighing in at 47.86 pounds and measuring 47.5 inches.
“I never expected a catch like this would happen,” Martinez said. “It’s possible for anyone if I can do it! I would like to extend a great ‘thank you’ to Capt. Bobby, as it was he who made this catch possible for me.”
Captain Sullivan added, “Luis did an amazing job, executing perfectly everything I asked him to do in order to bring this fish in.” Read more
VERNAL — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will once again be treating several streams in the High Uintas in an effort to help restore native Colorado River cutthroat trout.
In 2019 and 2020, DWR biologists treated the Potter and East Fork Carter Creek areas on the north slope of the Uintas with rotenone. Rotenone is a natural substance that comes from the roots of a tropical plant in the bean family. It’s a respiratory toxin to fish, but isn’t dangerous to people, pets or other wildlife, especially in the extremely low quantities that biologists use to treat the streams. A series of two or three treatments is standard protocol for effective cutthroat trout restoration, so biologists will treat this area again, for a third and final time, in late August 2021.
Why are rotenone treatments done?
In addition to increasing the diversity of angling opportunities, these project treatments will help the native fish. Habitat loss, breeding with non-native trout and competition from non-native trout have caused dramatic declines in native cutthroat trout populations around the West, leading to concerns about the species’ future.
“As the trustee and guardian of wildlife in Utah, we’re conducting Colorado River cutthroat trout restoration activities across the fish’s native range,” DWR Regional Sportfish Biologist Bryan Engelbert said. “The activities will protect the species, while also providing people with great areas to fish for these native fish.”
Upcoming rotenone treatments in the Uintas
From Aug. 17-25, the DWR will chemically treat the following locations with rotenone:
East Fork Carter Creek above the Sheep Creek canal
Ram, Mutton and Bummer lakes
West Fork Carter Creek above the Sheep Creek canal
NEWTOWN, Conn. — NSSF® the firearm industry trade association, marked a milestone achievement when firearm and ammunition manufacturers topped $14.1 billion in contributions to the Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund since its inception in 1937.
“This is truly a remarkable win for wildlife conservation,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF’s President and CEO. “This fund has been responsible for the restoration and recovery of America’s iconic game species, including the Rocky Mountain elk, whitetail deer, pronghorn antelope, wild turkeys and a variety of waterfowl. It is also responsible for funding the recovery and conservation of nongame species, including the American bald eagle, reptiles, fauna and conservation lands that allow them to thrive. The firearm industry is proud to perform such an important and vital function to ensure America’s wildlife remains abundant for future generations.”
The Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund, commonly known as the Pittman-Robertson fund or Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax, is a tax paid by firearm and ammunition manufacturers on the products they produce. The excise tax is set at 11 percent of the wholesale price for long guns and ammunition and 10 percent of the wholesale price for handguns. The excise tax, paid by manufacturers and importers, applies basically to all firearms produced or imported for commercial sales, whether their purpose is for recreational shooting, hunting or personal defense. The tax is currently administered by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) in the Department of the Treasury, which turns the funds over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
USFWS then deposits the Pittman-Robertson revenue into a special account called the Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund, which is administered by the USFWS. These funds are made available to states and territories the year following their collection. Read more
Mike Clark and a team of fisheries professionals watched the weather forecast for late June and knew it meant serious problems for the more than 7 million salmon being reared in the Columbia River Gorge National Fish Hatcheries.
Each day the weather forecast for the Pacific Northwest brought increasingly dire predictions. What started as 104 degrees soon became a forecast of 108 degrees. Then 111 … 115 …. 117 degrees.
The numbers were unfathomable for the normally temperate Pacific Northwest. If they came true, they would exceed previous all-time record highs for many areas by almost 10%. Clark, manager of the Columbia River Gorge National Fish Hatchery Complex, and the staff knew it would have a pronounced impact on the water temperature and the juvenile salmon at hatcheries in the complex.
That meant there was a lot of work with little margin for error as the heat dome settled in from June 25–29.
Fortunately, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Fish and Aquatic Conservation staff and partners at the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs and Yakama Nation were ready for the challenge.
“This was a huge effort in some demanding weather conditions,” Clark said. “It took a lot of people pulling together in extreme weather to protect an important and very delicate resource. This year was particularly significant because of some juvenile wild spring Chinook salmon we had at Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery, which are incredibly important to our tribal partners.”
When the week was all done, the numbers were staggering: Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery (NFH) in the Columbia Gorge recorded an air temperature of 122 degrees with a reading of 160 skin-blistering degrees on the pavement on June 28.
Despite the hazardous heat, staff and partners worked together to safely transfer 348,000 spring Chinook salmon safely from Warm Springs NFH, and release another 7.15 million juvenile upriver bright fall Chinook salmon eight days ahead of schedule so they could make their way out to the Pacific Ocean before river temperature hit the danger range. Read more
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is investigating a common carp mortality event on Lake Orion in northeast Oakland County that started during the week of July 19 and was reported by residents using the DNR’s Eyes in the Field website. The only species involved is adult common carp, and the number killed thus far is between 250-500 fish.
Fisheries Division staff from the Waterford office visited the lake July 23 and collected common carp samples for analysis. These samples will be analyzed by the Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory at Michigan State University. The DNR expects some initial findings to be available during the week of Aug. 2, with a complete set of results by first week of September. The DNR will make the final results known to the public when available.
“Typically, when you see single-species mortality events, the cause is usually a specific fish pathogen and is often a virus,” said Gary Whelan, Fisheries Division Research Program manager. “Fish kills involving one type of fish are usually not associated with a water quality issue, as water quality issues affect the entire fish community. In this case, the affected fish are common carp which are very tolerant of poor water quality. Thus, it is even more unlikely to be a water quality issue.”
Common carp, native to Europe, were introduced to Michigan in the late 1870s-1880s as a food fish and were widespread in Michigan by the 1890s. They are a naturalized member of our fish community and are found throughout the state. Read more
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Going “Up North” always carries with it a certain excitement and this time would be no different with one exception: This adventure would include my great-grandson, 11 year-old Landon. The youngster lives the city life in a suburb of Detroit and outdoor experiences are somewhat limited. My objective has always been to introduce him to various aspects of Michigan’s great outdoors, but for the most part we’ve spent our time together near my home in Shiawassee County. While it’s always fun (and, almost Up North), camping and fishing in a remote area adds to the anticipation of the great unknown.
Last year, I made a new camping checklist, as I unpacked from an excursion and put things away. That made packing rather simple, even though I packed enough gear – including a small jon boat – to stay for a month. Rustic Ess Lake State Forest Campground in Montmorency County became our chosen destination. Because these camp sites cannot be reserved, I could only hope we’d find a site within the 27 available. We did!
To my delight, we would be the only campers in area of smaller sites on our Tuesday arrival. We located the perfect site overlooking the lake, where we would carry the boat to the shore without aid of the boat launch available.
We gathered enough wood for a campfire and settled in for a quiet night, as I fiddled with my AM radio to scan distant signals through the eerie atmospheric haze caused by wildfires in Canada. A far-away coyote serenade completed the scene, although my snoozing partner missed the spooky vocals.
The next day Landon would be able to hold up his end of the boat, as we navigated the downward slope of the hill to the water with the oars, anchors, and fishing gear within. My innate cheapness meant there would be no electric or gas motor; I was the only means of propulsion and that’s the way I’ve wanted it with the tiny, lightweight boat. It also means that no boat registration is required and that makes me feel like I’m getting away with something. Ah, the silver lining.
I had already heard the unmistakable calls of loons and alerted Landon of their presence, while describing their unique water take-off involving frantic wing beats across the water’s surface before lift-off. Not only did Landon witness the unique ascent of a loon, but it had begun its flight with a fish in its mouth.
We caught a few small panfish but the youngster was having difficulty with the open-faced spinning reel I bought for him. Snarls with the fishing line prevented both of us from angling (a word Landon learned on this trip), so hooked him up with a spare rod and closed-face Zebco 33 reel. Those familiar with the Zebco brand may frown on their quality, because plastic models today are somewhat inferior. However, this American-made Zebco 33 was purchased years ago and I had taken it apart, cleaned and lubricated the gears, and finished the renovation with new line. Frustrations were behind us thanks to the more user-friendly Zebco.
Now we were actually catching some fish. Rock bass, small mouth bass and bluegills were hungry for worms. Oh, we tried different artificial lures at first, but with no takers, so it became all hooks and bobbers. And, that’s all it took for the competitive nature in both of us to make a game of catch and release; although most of the fish were under sized; it didn’t matter to us one bit.
Before departing the camp, I wanted to offer Landon an opportunity to learn what it was like to be the “motor” and to my surprise, he agreed. I shoved him off alone and coached from shore, but for some unknown reason, the oars were not cooperating anymore. He kept his cool and somehow managed to get the rowboat back to shore, where we jointly appreciated the end to a cumbersome experiment.
No doubt, a seed was planted and nurturing it will most likely become a life-long mission for the young man. And, that’s how we pass on our great outdoor heritage.
Surplus land sales are a regular part of the DNR’s public land strategy
Lake frontage, trail access, small lots to extend a neighborhood lot – these types of acreage and more are available in the next round of surplus land auctions from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. After careful consideration of properties it manages on behalf of Michigan residents, the DNR has selected 97 that are much better suited for private ownership and is preparing those for sale via online auctions in August and early September.
Land is available mainly in central/northern Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula in the following counties: Alcona, Allegan, Benzie, Berrien, Chippewa, Clare, Genesee, Huron, Kalkaska, Kent, Lake, Mackinac, Mason, Mecosta, Menominee, Midland, Newaygo, Roscommon and Saginaw. Several of the largest parcels are in Clare, Lake and Menominee counties.
Fourteen online auctions, featuring available land parcels by county, are scheduled:
Low-profile watercraft teams Hobie’s famous MirageDrive® 180 propulsion system with a versatile featherweight fishing and touring platform that turns on a dime.
OCEANSIDE, Calif. – Anglers and outdoors enthusiasts who relish a grab-and-go lifestyle are going to absolutely love Hobie’s new Mirage Lynx. A sleek, lightweight, stable and rugged platform, it’s intelligently designed to provide the flexibility and versatility necessary to load and launch with minimal effort at a moment’s notice. Coupled with the power of Hobie’s one of a kind, patented MirageDrive propulsion system, its low-profile, flat-bottom design really drives to the heart of the matter with powerful performance, superior speed, amazing maneuverability and ease of transport unmatched in its class.
Hobie, the leading manufacturer of premium kayaks and watersport products, aimed to minimize weight while maximizing transport and fishing efficiency with the Lynx’s unique design…and they nailed the bullseye. With a hull weight of just 45 pounds, the 11-foot long by 36-inch-wide Lynx boasts a 350-pound capacity and is light enough to easily take anywhere. A hard-shell evolution of Hobie’s proven and popular inflatable 11 design, it features Hobie’s 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 a smooth ride, ultimate maneuverability, and stability that allows kayakers to push back into lilies, stick-ups, reeds, mangroves and shallow pockets inaccessible to others, all while keeping hands free to execute that perfect cast or frame the ideal photograph.
The new Mirage Lynx platform also includes molded-in tracks for mounting accessories, EVA standing traction pads, and ample bow and cargo room with bungee tie downs 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 position 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 weight, additional features like ergonomic handles and loading pads make transporting the Lynx hassle free. It even comes with a two-piece paddle for back-up propulsion or squeezing in a little upper body exercise.
“Lynx owners enjoy the versatility and flexibility of this addition to the Hobie fleet,” says Morgan Promnitz, Hobie’s Director of Fishing Development. “Whether you want to portage it between remote fishing and touring waters or simply drop it in a lake or river close to home, you can just grab it and go. From a fishing perspective, it’s an exceptional choice for pursuing smallmouth bass or trout in river conditions where maneuverability is key to success, on backwaters where poking silently onto the flats reveals tailing fish, and bays, harbors or even the open ocean due to its impressive ability to stay on schools of feeding lunkers despite wind and current. I also love the transducer cavity included on the Lynx that allows for quick installation of a fish-finder despite the low-profile design. This really is a fun and practical watercraft.”
For a lightweight platform, the Lynx features some serious technology and is easily accessorized. It’s ACE-TEC construction, for example, sees a foam core coated in fiberglass and then finished in plastic, which makes it super tough, nearly unsinkable and easy to repair if necessary. Intelligently designed for both user comfort and battling the elements, 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 stash items such as sunscreen or a jacket so they’re always within reach.
“This kayak is like a stand-up paddle board with a MirageDrive and a seat that you can customize to fit your specific fishing needs,” says professional kayak angler Kristine Fischer. “It’s super stable, lightweight and at home anywhere from small creeks to big water. Just throw it in the back of your truck or secure it to your car roof and head off to fish a remote river, take it down to the coast, or hit your favorite reservoir. I love that for anglers it’s a blank canvas you can really make your own. Rig it however you want and head on out. Hobie couldn’t have done this any better.” Read more
A striking fish with a sail-like dorsal fin and slate-blue coloration, the Arctic grayling was virtually the only native stream salmonid (a fish of the salmon family) in the northern Lower Peninsula until the population died off nearly a century ago. Three factors contributed to the grayling’s demise in Michigan: habitat destruction, unregulated harvest and predation/competition from nonnative fish species.
Since 2016, the Michigan Arctic Grayling Initiative – comprised of the Michigan DNR, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and more than 40 other partners – has worked to bring this locally extinct species back to Michigan.
Late this past spring, the DNR received the 2021 year-class of brood eggs from Alaska. A year-class is a group of fish raised from the same year’s egg-take – in other words, fish that are the same age. The eggs from this year-class will help establish a brood population in Michigan.
How do fish eggs get from Alaska to Michigan? Very carefully. They were transported to Michigan by plane as the carry-on luggage of a Michigan State University researcher. Upon arrival, they were kept at the MSU lab in East Lansing before the final leg of their journey to Oden State Fish Hatchery in Emmet County. The fish are growing well after hatching, and mortalities in this group have been remarkably low.
The 2021 year-class is not the first to make the trip from Alaska to Michigan. In 2019, the DNR received another class of Arctic grayling, and they continue to thrive at Marquette State Fish Hatchery. The fish are growing well with very few mortalities. The next class is planned for May 2022, when the DNR and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game will collect eggs from Alaska’s Chena River.
The initiative to return Arctic grayling to Michigan waters could not have been possible without help from local and state partners. The DNR has received incredible support from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game; even though the agency temporarily paused its Arctic graying rearing program, staff there organized and executed the 2021 egg take, collecting eggs from wild stock in the Chena River specifically for Michigan’s reintroduction efforts.
When will you see Arctic grayling in Michigan waters? The first fish from Michigan’s Arctic grayling broodstock are expected to be available for reintroduction in 2024 or 2025. Read more
LITTLE ROCK – The heat of summer often leads anglers to large rivers and the promise of large catfish and an extended period of fish activity thanks to current keeping surface water moving and slightly cooler than in backwaters and reservoirs. But traveling on a river like the Arkansas can be a daunting task for people who don’t know what all those buoys and channel markers mean. How do you know which side of the buoys to stay on when traveling up or down a river?
Remember the 3 R’s of boating: “Red right returning.” It applies in Arkansas and all over the nation.
Whether you are paddling a canoe, chugging along in a john boat, zipping by in a bass boat or cruising on a houseboat, this simple rule will keep you in the right place – in the channel where it’s safe.
Returning means coming upstream from the ocean or the mouth of the stream. Keep the red buoys on your right as you travel upstream. That means the green buoys will be on your left.
If you are going downstream, just reverse this. The red buoys will be on your left, green buoys on your right.
Buoys are found in many sizes and shapes. Just the red and green ones mark channels. Others are white and are for information. This may be directions to a facility, for controlled areas like no-wake zones, and to identify underwater dangers like rocks or dams. A buoy with black and white vertical stripes marks an obstruction; don’t travel between it and the shore or bank.
also includes molded-in tracks for mounting accessories, EVA standing traction pads, and ample bow and cargo room with bungee tie downs 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 position 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 weight, additional features like ergonomic handles and loading pads make transporting the Lynx hassle free. It even comes with a two-piece paddle for back-up propulsion or squeezing in a little upper body exercise.
