Recent studies and reports have concluded that the health of Biscayne Bay is at a tipping point. The ecosystem is threatened by nutrient pollution from storm-water runoff, sewage pipe breaks, septic tanks, fertilizers, plastic pollution and other contaminants.

The pollution is killing seagrass and coral and driving off fish.

The bay also is suffering from hyper-salinity due to a lack of freshwater. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reported that the damage is so bad that it soon will be irreversible and it will be impossible to restore the bay to its original state.

Biscayne Bay is vital to our economy. Miami-Dade County’s annual GDP is over $100 billion, and a large part of it stems from real estate, trade, and tourism, all of which depend on a healthy environment. A study by the Downtown Development Authority reported the taxable value of the downtown’s property including the waterfront is $39 billion.

Trade and tourism produce an estimated $43 billion annually and over 23 million tourists visited the county last year. Hence, one of the key actions of the 100 Resilient Cities – Resilient 305 plan is to protect the health of Biscayne Bay and our waterways.

In 1974, the Florida Legislature passed the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve Act. Later, the Miami-Dade County’s Biscayne Bay Management Plan was approved. And years later came the Biscayne Bay Partnership Initiative. These have been good faith attempts to protect the bay, but they have been either too slow or shelved. The difference this time is that we have no time; the situation is dire.

The county has created the Biscayne Bay Task Force it is our last shot.

Seagrass loss in the Julia Tuttle Basin. (Photo: Miami Dade County DERM Restoration & Enhancement Section) Read more

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — With the 2020 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk just weeks away, bass fishing enthusiasts can celebrate 50 years of the Classic and relive the early days of the tournament with the new Retro Lure Giveaway presented by Plano. One lucky winner will receive a set of rare collectible antique lures from Rebel, Cotton Cordell, Heddon, Lazy Ike and B Lures, plus a Plano 777 Tacklebox just like those used by anglers at the first Bassmaster Classic on Lake Mead.

While today’s anglers vary their equipment based on the fishery and boast a garage packed with tackle, the 24 competitors in the first Classics were only allowed to carry-on four rods and reels and 10 pounds of lures when they boarded a charter flight not knowing where competition would take place.

“We were given an official Plano tacklebox and had a weigh-in before the Classic even began,” said Bobby Murray, who won the first Bassmaster Classic in 1971. “If the tacklebox weighed more than 10 pounds, then (B.A.S.S. Founder) Ray Scott would open it up and take the lures he wanted to keep.”

The winner in the Retro Lure Giveaway presented by Plano will not have to worry about giving up any of these prized lures. In addition to rare lures and the Plano 777 tacklebox, for those who want to keep their collectibles in pristine condition, this incredible prize package also includes a new Plano Edge tacklebox as well as giant package of brand-new lures from Bandit, Bomber, BOOYAH, YUM, War Eagle and more. Read more

FISHING SPOTS

New Fishing Area for Michigan Anglers

The Elk Forest purchase provides public access to Walled Lake, a spring-fed, 44-acre double sinkhole lake. A smaller lake and pond are nearby. Adventurers also will enjoy the addition of more than a mile of the Black River, a top-quality trout stream, and a half-mile of Hardwood Creek.

Outdoor enthusiasts know that the rugged, 108,000-acre expanse of Michigan’s Pigeon River Country State Forest is one of the state’s premier destinations to connect with nature. Three world-class trout streams ramble through forests and wetlands at the heart of the state’s elk range.

What could be better than that? More of it.

A Department of Natural Resources land deal valued at more than $2 million finalized last month adds the Elk Forest at Black River, a stunning, 597-acre parcel in Montmorency County, to Michigan’s public lands. This ecologically important area is surrounded on three sides by existing state-managed land and will become part of the Pigeon River Country State Forest, known to many as “the Big Wild.” Read more

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers that changing ice conditions could require removal of fishing shanties before required removal dates. This is a possibility every year, as all shanties must be removed once ice can no longer safely support them.

People venturing onto the ice should use extreme caution as temperatures begin to rise or fluctuate. The repeated thawing and refreezing of ice weakens its integrity, decreasing its ability to support additional weight of people, snowmobiles, ORVs and shanties. Deteriorating ice, water currents and high winds increase the probability of pressure cracks, which can leave anglers and others stranded on ice floes or at risk of falling through the ice. Read more

Grab a fishing rod and enjoy some of the finest fishing Michigan has to offer during the 2020 Winter Free Fishing Weekend. This year’s weekend will be Saturday, Feb. 15 and Sunday, Feb. 16. On those two days, everyone – residents and nonresidents alike – can fish without a license. All other fishing regulations still apply.

Additionally, that weekend the DNR will waive the regular Recreation Passport entry fee that grants vehicle access to Michigan’s 103 state parks and more than 1,300 DNR-managed boating access sites.

Several locations will host official 2020 Winter Free Fishing Weekend events perfect for the whole family, including: Read more

This year’s sturgeon season on Black Lake (Cheboygan County, Michigan) ended at 1:40 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 – not quite six hours after the day’s 8 a.m. start.

The fishing season, which included spearing or hook-and-line fishing, was scheduled to run Feb. 1-5, or until the harvest quota had been reached. This year’s allocation of sturgeon for Black Lake anglers was seven fish, although Department of Natural Resources officials set a harvest quota of six fish to reduce the risk of over-fishing.

There were 472 registered anglers on the ice Saturday, the highest total since the inception of the open sturgeon fishery. People of all ages again participated, and from a number of states.

According to the DNR, three of the six sturgeon harvested were males ranging from 44 to 60 inches in length, and 16 to 51 pounds in weight. The three females ranged from 47 to 75 inches long, and 19 to 100 pounds in weight. Read more