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Nashville, Tenn. – Gov. Bill Lee and fishing icon Bill Dance today announced a new initiative to improve and enhance Tennessee lakes, increase visitation and honor Dance’s legacy with the creation of Bill Dance Signature Lakes. TWRA and the State of Tennessee will invest $15 million in improvements both above and below the water at 18 lakes which bear fishing legend Dance’s stamp of approval. Tennesseans will benefit from increased stocking, habitat and fisheries management, as well as improved access for fishing and boating. The collaborative effort between Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tennessee State Parks and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development seeks to solidify Tennessee as the heart of fishing in the southeast and drive economic activity across the state.

Tennessee is home to half-a-million acres of lakes and 1.7 million people who fish according to the American Sportfishing Association. Bill Dance Signature Lakes touches 39 counties including 22 at-risk or economically distressed counties, and is an important step in helping those communities create new revenue streams through increased visitation. Fishing generates $1.2 billion in economic impact annually and supports 7,480 jobs across the state.

This initiative to improve public facilities and habitat at lakes across Tennessee comes at an important time as many of the state’s lakeside communities were devastated by severe weather over the weekend.

“Bill Dance is a tremendous advocate for our Tennessee rural communities and we are thrilled to partner with him,” said Gov. Lee. “The Bill Dance Signature Lakes highlights the importance of lakeside tourism with premier fishing opportunities and we believe this project is especially important as communities recover from the recent storms.” Read more

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources-owned Little Mud Dam on Backus Creek and Denton Creek Dam on Denton Creek, both in Roscommon County, are scheduled for removal this winter and next spring.

A recent inspection of both dams found their water-control structures are in need of extensive upgrades. After evaluating the structures’ deficiencies and age, their future maintenance needs, the estimated cost of dam replacement and the surrounding wildlife habitat, the DNR has decided to remove the two dam structures and restore the waterways’ natural water flow.

“The Wildlife Division is responsible for many water-control structures similar to these dams. They can be very expensive to repair, replace and maintain over time,” said Keith Fisher, DNR wildlife biologist. “When we have an opportunity to restore habitat to its natural setting in addition to saving maintenance dollars for other projects, it is a win-win for all involved.”

Historically, both Backus Creek and Denton Creek were active waterways for beavers and were frequently obstructed by beaver dams. These natural dams created small floodings in the areas currently known as the Little Mud Lake Flooding and the Denton Creek Flooding. They provided excellent habitat for a variety of wetland wildlife species. However, as local beaver populations declined in the 1940s and 1950s, so did the wetland habitat and biodiversity.

A hunter is hospitalized after his boat sank on Webster Lake this morning.

At approximately 11:16 a.m., Kosciusko County Dispatch Center was contacted by a residential alarm company after they were alerted to an unauthorized residential entry to a home on Webster Lake.

Despite frigid temperatures and wind gusts forecast to reach up to 50 miles per hour, Trenton Stackhouse, 27, of Milford and Darick Stiles, 27, of Warsaw, set out to waterfowl hunt on Webster Lake near Epworth Forest.

After getting underway, the men quickly realized the conditions were too difficult to overcome.

The men attempted to gather their decoys and return to the boat ramp, when large waves overtook their jon boat and it began to sink. Read more

The Michigan departments of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and Natural Resources confirmed a report of didymo, a nuisance freshwater alga, in a stretch of the Upper Manistee River in Kalkaska County. Also known as rock snot despite its coarse, woolly texture, didymo can grow into thick mats that cover the river bottom.

The Manistee River finding marks the first detection of didymo blooms in the Lower Peninsula. In 2015, extensive mats of didymo were found on the Michigan side of the St. Marys River near Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula.

“Didymo can attach to fishing equipment, wading gear and other hard surfaces and be moved to new waterways,” said Bill Keiper, an aquatic biologist with EGLE’s Water Resources Division. “With each new detection, it becomes more important for people who fish, wade or boat to clean boats and equipment, including waders, after each use.”

Anglers who have encountered didymo-infested streams in the western or eastern U.S. know that rock snot is more than just a nuisance.

“Didymo has potential to be a nasty nuisance species in Michigan’s cold-water fisheries,” said Samuel Day, a water quality biologist with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. “Unlike the harmful algal blooms that plague areas of the Great Lakes due to warm temperatures and excess nutrients, didymo blooms form in cold, low-nutrient streams that most folks would generally consider pristine and great habitat for trout. Didymo can become a problem when it blooms, covering streambeds and reducing habitat for macroinvertebrates, which are important food for fish.” Read more

ELIOT, Maine (Dec. 3, 2021) — Lure color selection is always a hot topic when it comes to any type of fishing. In ice fishing, one that is different that can be extremely productive when nothing else is firing them up is a selection of glow-in-the-dark jigs. When you add that special glow to the best ice fishing jigs ever made – Al’s lures – it’s a special combination that is sure to rapidly fill your cooler with tasty winter fish filets.

“After listening to what ice anglers will do to draw attention to their lures under the ice, Al’s ice research team developed four glow-in-the-dark colors for our popular Goldfish, Lil’ 49er, and Helgy ice jigs,” said Mandy DeBuigne, who along with husband Jeff own Al’s Goldfish Lure Company. “The results have been phenomenal, and our customers love the product.” Read more

RACINE, Wis.–– Humminbird has elevated its already best-in-class ICE HELIX lineup with even more intuitive Humminbird technology and a brand-new premium ice shuttle design, available on the all-new ICE HELIX 7 G4 and ICE HELIX 9 G4N models.

“The Humminbird ICE Shuttle was completely redesigned to create the best ice fishing experience possible,” said Humminbird Brand Manager Matt Cook. “The design was based on the experience and input from many accomplished ice anglers and guides, and the end result is a shuttle that is loaded with features and custom options for anglers to make the ICE HELIX their own.”

Additionally, the new ICE HELIX 7 G4 delivers an upgraded HD display, extended runtime, and the new Humminbird ICE Shuttle, along with industry-leading CHIRP sonar, Interference Rejection and built-in GPS and mapping capabilities.

Humminbird Ice Shuttle

The new Humminbird ICE Shuttle will help anglers keep gear and equipment within arm’s reach, while providing a platform that can be customized to how they fish.

• Master Power Switch: Easily turn power on and off, without disconnecting the battery.
• Quick-Connect SAE Power Cables: Power your ICE HELIX and optional accessories using quick-disconnect leads and charge the battery without removing any connections.
• Large Carry Handle: The large handle is designed for easy carry, even while wearing winter gloves easy.
• Modular Design: With multiple 1?4″-20 mounting points, you can customize the shuttle with the accessories you need, right where you need them.
• Dual Rod Holders: Keep your rods organized and secure while on the ice, in transport or storage.
• Transducer Cup: The moveable transducer cup also provides cable management to dial in cable length for varying ice thickness and fishing scenarios.
• Battery Protection: Keep your battery secure and out of the elements.
• Compatible with HELIX 7, 8, 9, and 10 CHIRP models
  • Included on all ICE HELIX G4/G4N models

Humminbird ICE HELIX 7 G4

The new ICE HELIX 7 G4 models now include the new Humminbird ICE Shuttle, a 15Ah Norsk lithium battery, and a higher resolution HD display (1024 x 600).

Cook mentions, “The ICE HELIX 7 G4 The ICE HELIX 7 G4 is a powerful fish finder in a popular screen size. And when the ice melts, the All Season model includes everything you need to use it on a boat.” Read more

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