Category: Fishing

Michigan: significant maintenance work completed at Reedsburg Dam in Missaukee County

Significant maintenance work completed at Reedsburg Dam in Missaukee County; DNR will slowly raise water levels

Visitors to the Reedsburg Dam and flooding this fall will notice the many structural upgrades that have been completed to increase safety and ease of operation. With that work finished, the area again will provide the rich and diverse outdoor recreation experiences that regularly draw anglers, birders, waterfowl hunters, kayakers, campers and other outdoor enthusiasts to this site in Missaukee County, Michigan.

The decision to upgrade the Reedsburg Dam stemmed from a broader evaluation of several dams managed by the Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division. A 2016 inspection of the Reedsburg Dam – one of the largest structures on the division’s list – showed the structure to be in fairly good shape, but with some priority actions needing to be addressed. Read more

Fishing

Boston Whaler Introduces Family Oriented 240 Vantage

EDGEWATER, Fla.— Boston Whaler has unveiled the newest member of its award-winning Vantage series: the all-new 240 Vantage. Whaler President Nick Stickler introduced the model during a Facebook Live event, in which members of the boat’s development team were on hand to demonstrate key features and functionality.

“The 240 Vantage is incredibly versatile and customizable,” said Stickler. “We call it the ‘Swiss Army knife of boating.’ Just like our new 280 Vantage, the 240 is ideal for boaters who want to take advantage of everything the water has to offer.”

The 240 Vantage is well suited to a wide range of activities, including fishing, cruising, beaching, water sports, entertaining and more. Conversation-friendly seating can be found throughout the boat, from the plush bow lounge seats to the convenient foldaway aft seat. Across from the captain, you’ll find Whaler’s innovative portside lounge seating, which converts to multiple positions: facing forward, facing aft, or laid flat to serve as the perfect napping spot. Read more

Fishing

Yacht Owner Gets $100,000 Fine for Hawaii Island Coral Damage

(Honolulu) – The dropping of the Formosa’s anchor on coral in Kailua Bay on Hawai‘i island in October 2018 has resulted in the luxury yacht owners being ordered to pay $100,000 to the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), which will go to supporting coral reef management and restoration in West Hawai‘i.

The State Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) voted last Friday to approve the settlement agreement with the Formosa Wealth Management Group (FWM), owners of the 197-foot luxury yacht. DAR informed the board that a prosecution against FWM could provide difficult because it operates under a foreign flag.

DAR’s submittal to the BLNR showed the vessel violated Hawai?i Administrative Rules by breaking and damaging approximately 431 coral colonies of stony coral and approximately 150-square feet of live rock, when the Formosa dropped anchor in the Kailua Bay Zone of the Kona Coast Fishery Management Area. Read more

Fishing, General

Michigan: Delta County Fish Kill Blamed on “Black Liquor” From Paper Mill

Officials with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said a recent fish kill along the southern reaches of the Escanaba River at Gladstone was the result of a pipe failure at Verso Corporation’s Escanaba Paper Mill.

“We have been sampling and monitoring the river at numerous points since this incident occurred,” said Tom Asmus, who monitors compliance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program for EGLE in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Under the Clean Water Act, the program controls point source discharges of pollutants to waters of the U.S. “All indications are that the environmental conditions in the river have recovered.”

The fish kill, which affected at least a dozen species, was reported Sunday Aug. 9 to EGLE and Michigan Department of Natural Resources personnel, who responded the following day.

Dead fish – including northern pike, bass, walleye and other sportfish – were found by anglers and personnel from the two state agencies downstream of Verso’s paper mill, specifically, from Dam No. 2 to the mouth of the river at Lake Michigan, a distance of roughly 3 miles. Read more

Fishing

NFWF Announces More Than $640,000 in Grants to Reduce the Impacts of Derelict Fishing Gear

Grants from the Fishing for Energy program will support innovation and comprehensive management of derelict fishing gear to protect and restore the quality of marine and coastal habitats

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced $643,500 in grants to support strategies that reduce the impacts of derelict fishing gear to marine and coastal environments and navigational safety in Alaska, Florida, Maine and Washington. The grants will generate $226,500 in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $870,000.

The projects supported by the four grants will result in fishing gear innovations and comprehensive management techniques that prevent the negative impacts of derelict gear on the environment, and decrease the threats it poses to key species. This work supports the management of derelict fishing gear that results in a continuing and long-term plan and efforts for dealing with the gear.

The grants were awarded through the Fishing for Energy program, a partnership between NFWF, Covanta, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program. This year, additional funding was provided by Shell Oil Company and through community service funds arising from a federal environmental prosecution. Read more

Fishing

Secretary Bernhardt Announces Historic Expansion of Hunting and Fishing Opportunities on Public Lands

New hunting and fishing opportunities across 2.3 million acres at 138 national wildlife refuges and nine national fish hatcheries

SAGINAW, MI – Continuing the Trump Administration’s unprecedented efforts to increase recreational access on public lands, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt announced today at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge the historic opening and expansion of over 850 hunting and fishing opportunities across more than 2.3 million acres at 147 national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries. This rule is the single largest expansion of hunting and fishing opportunities by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) in history.

“On the heels of President Trump signing the most significant conservation and recreation funding in US history, providing nearly $20 billion over the next 10 years to fix and conserve the American people’s public lands, the Trump Administration has now made an additional 2.3 million acres accessible to new hunting and fishing opportunities,” said Secretary Bernhardt. “We continue to take significant actions to further conservation initiatives and support sportsmen and women who are America’s true conservationists.”

The final rule opens or expands 859 hunting and fishing opportunities (an opportunity is defined as one species on one field station in one state). On top of last year’s expansion of 1.4 million acres for new or expanded hunting and fishing opportunities, this proposal would bring the Trump Administration’s total expansion to over 4 million acres nationwide.

“The Trump Administration and Secretary Bernhardt have made access to public lands for hunting and fishing and other outdoor recreation a priority beginning day one. Hunting and fishing are a part of our American history, and we continue to ensure we provide opportunities for these activities which epitomize our American heritage,” said Service Director Aurelia Skipwith. “Furthermore, we have maintained our commitment to promoting good government by reducing the regulatory burden by working with states to facilitate these outdoor activities.”

This rule increases the number of units in the Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System open to public hunting to 430 and those open to fishing to 360. The rule also formally brings the total number of National Fish Hatchery System units open to hunting or sport fishing to 21. Read more

Fishing, Hunting

State of the Great Lakes Report Online

Engaging future generations of water stewards, Michigan’s actions to protect drinking water and the impact of high lake levels across the state are among the topics featured in the annual State of the Great Lakes report, released this week by the Office of the Great Lakes (OGL) in conjunction with Great Lakes and Fresh Water Week.

The report looks at significant issues that affected the Great Lakes and Michigan’s residents in 2019. It also recognizes accomplishments in protecting and restoring water resources for public use, recreation, fish and wildlife, and commerce.

“Michigan and its community partners are committed to supporting restoration efforts that will keep the Great Lakes fishable, swimmable and drinkable today and in the future,” said Liesl Clark, director of the Michigan Department of the Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). “It’s imperative that we continue to build collaborations to achieve significant water improvements for the benefit of generations to come.”

The State of the Great Lakes report includes features about new offices within EGLE responsible for climate, environmental justice, and clean drinking water; new lead and copper and PFAS standards for drinking water; work to halt Asian carp from advancing into the Great Lakes; research into harmful algal blooms; student and community water literacy programs; Soo Lock expansion developments; high water impacts around the state; and the status of cruising on the Great Lakes. Read more

Fishing

POMA and Mossy Oak Announce Pinnacle Award Winners

Johnstown, PA – The Professional Outdoor Media Association’s (POMA) 2020 Pinnacle Award honorees were announced by Jake Meyer, Public Relations Manager at Mossy Oak, during POMA’s Virtual Conference on Tuesday, August 11. Mossy Oak has been the presenting partner of the Pinnacle Awards since the program’s inception in 2008, and this year they were joined by Duluth Pack.

The Pinnacle Awards honor content creators for remarkable achievement in traditional outdoor sports-focused communications, including writing, photography/illustration/art, and broadcasting as well as content focused on wildlife conservation.

“The outdoor media has always been a key part of what we do,” stated Toxey Haas, founder and CEO of Mossy Oak. “We started our company with their help and we’ve grown it with the same. They’re our business partners as well as our friends.”

“We’re proud to sponsor the Pinnacle Awards to recognize the best of the best every year,” Ben Maki, Mossy Oak’s Chief Marketing Officer, added. “It’s an important way to reward excellence in outdoor journalism and encourage more in the future.”

 

2020 POMA PINNACLE AWARD WINNERS

Art/Photography:

Winner – Keith Crowley “Danger in Yellowstone”, Hawke Optics – Hawke Life

Outstanding Achievement – Keith Crowley, “Falls Bear”, Hawke Optics – Hawke Life

 

Book:

Winner – Richard Bernier, “Gleanings from 50 years on the Whitetail Track for Reviewers”, Big Whitetail Consultants

Outstanding Achievement – Kristine Houtman, “Why Women Hunt”, Wild River Press of Oregon

 

Broadcast:

Winner – Nick Hoffman, “Nick’s Wild Ride – Full Curls and Float Planes”, Outdoor Channel

Outstanding Achievement – Ryan Gresham, “The 24-Hour Antelope”, YouTube

 

Conservation:

Winner – Michael Fernald, “The Land Between the Lakes”, NWTF TV

Outstanding Achievement – Paul Wait, “Hunter Recruitment”, Delta Waterfowl Magazine

 

Magazine:

Winner – Shane Townsend, “Fly for a Try: A Day on Scotland’s Famed River Tay”, Hatch Magazine

Outstanding Achievement – Tom Keer, “A Bunny Pulpit”, Outdoor Life Magazine

 

Newspaper/Web:

Winner – Ken Perrotte, “Mentor Young Hunters”, Fredericksburg Freelance Star

Outstanding Achievement – Phil Phillips, “Antis Cry to Close Hunting as Grizzlies Expand Range”, NRA’s Hunters’ Leadership Forum website Read more

Fishing, Hunting

Florida: Red Tide Minimal on Florida Coast

The red tide organism, Karenia brevis, was observed at background concentrations in one Southwest Florida sample over the past week. Additional details are provided below.

  • In Southwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was observed at background concentrations in one sample from Manatee County.
  • In Northwest Florida over the past week, K. brevis was not observed.
  • Along the Florida East Coast over the past week, K. brevis was not observed.

Patchy Trichodesmium blooms continue to persist in offshore waters of Southwest Florida, based on recent satellite chlorophyll imagery provided by USF and NOAA. Over the past week, this alga was present at trace levels in a few inshore samples from Florida’s East coast. This alga blooms each year, has not been shown to be toxic in Florida’s waters, and often resembles sawdust but can change color as it decomposes. For more information, please see recent posts on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/FLHABs) and information about Trichodesmium on our website (https://myfwc.com/research/redtide/general/trichodesmium/). Read more

Fishing

Utah Cites 60 for Quagga Mussel Violations During Pioneer Weekend

SALT LAKE CITY — Law enforcement officers and technicians for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Utah State Parks had a busy Pioneer Day weekend, working to prevent invasive quagga mussels from spreading throughout Utah.

Statewide, Aquatic Invasive Species technicians inspected 15,709 boats and performed 367 hot-water decontaminations from Friday to Sunday. DWR conservation officers issued 60 citations. Most of the citations were issued for failure to stop at an inspection station, and some were for infractions of state rules to prevent the spread of invasive species, like failing to pull drain plugs.

Technicians inspected a total of 1,572 boats at stations in the Lake Powell area from Friday to Sunday. One hundred forty-eight boats were decontaminated and 11 citations were issued. Last Pioneer Day weekend at Lake Powell, technicians and officers inspected 1,219 boats, performed 115 decontaminations and issued 29 citations. Read more

Fishing
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