ALEXANDRIA, Va.,  – This summer, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asked the public how much ethanol it wanted to be added to the nation’s gasoline supply, and recreational boaters as well as many other owners of gasoline engines and vehicles spoke up against increasing ethanol volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). On Friday, EPA set the 2018 RFS at 19.29 billion gallons, a 0.05 percent increase over the 2017 standard. Signed into law in 2005, the RFS requires an increasing amount of biofuels, such as corn ethanol, to be blended into the gasoline supply. Read more

Newington, NH – Today the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) became the first unit to field the U.S. Army’s new M17 and M18 Modular Handgun System. The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st ABN DIV (AASLT) began fielding the new handguns today at Fort Campbell, Kentucky under the command of Col. Derek K. Thomson.

“What a great day,” said Thomson. “To witness modernization firsthand as my soldiers became the first in the Army and this storied division to fire the new pistol is an absolute honor.” Read more

“It could have been much worse”

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), the nation’s largest advocacy, services and safety group for recreational boaters, estimates that more than 63,000 recreational boats were damaged or destroyed as a result of both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, with a combined dollar damage estimate of $655 million (boats only). These numbers are strikingly close to 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, which remains the single-largest industry loss with more than 65,000 boats damaged and more than $650 million in estimated losses.

Breaking down the 2017 season storms, Hurricane Irma damaged or destroyed 50,000 vessels with approximately $500 million in recreational boat damage. About 13,500 boats were damaged or lost costing $155 million in boat damage as the result of Hurricane Harvey. Read more

Gull Lake access siteThere are two large inland lakes in southwest Michigan, both of which are profiled in this month’s edition of Reel in Michigan’s Fisheries. Gun Lake is featured first, or keep reading for Gull Lake.

Located in both Barry and Allegan counties and spanning 2,680 acres with a maximum depth of 68 feet, Gun Lake features two basins, east and west, separated by a large point on the northeast side of the lake. It is very popular with anglers who take advantage of bass fishing opportunities there and its good access.

“The lake is next to the Yankee Springs State Recreation Area,” explained local fisheries biologist Matt Diana. “There is a public access site there for boats and shore fishing opportunities. There’s also a County Park ramp on the southwest shore of the west basin that offers additional access.” Read more

Native to Europe and parts of Asia, brown trout were introduced to Michigan – one of the first states to import them into North America – in 1883 and they now thrive statewide. Though they are often thought of as denizens of Up North, brown trout are more tolerant of warmer water temperatures than other trout species. As a result, browns have become the principle target of anglers in many rivers across the state, ranging from Michigan’s best-known trophy waters to small, marginal trout streams in southern Michigan.

Brown trout provide good fishing in many, mostly northern Michigan, inland lakes. Anglers use a wide variety of methods, from fishing with live bait on the bottom to trolling with minnows or artificial baits. In the Great Lakes, brown trout can offer outstanding sports in the early spring – often before other species begin to bite – to anglers who wade, fish from piers with live bait or artificial lures, or who troll in largely inshore water with imitation minnows or other plugs. Browns are often taken in conjunction with coho in the spring or incidentally with other salmon during the summer.

Brown trout in streams – especially large specimens – seem to be photo-sensitive and are usually more cooperative on rainy or overcast days. Though they will take all manner of live bait as well as spinners or artificial minnows, brown trout are a favorite of fly fishermen, many of whom pursue them after dark during notable insect hatches, especially the giant Michigan mayfly (Hexagenia limbata). But large streamers and big splashy surface flies, such as mouse patterns, produce well, too.

Some of Michigan’s best known trout streams – such as the Au Sable, the Pere Marquette and the Manistee Rivers – are noted for their brown trout fisheries. Inland brown trout lakes include Higgins, Burt, Mullet, McCormick (near Atlanta) and Bear (Kalkaska County). Read more

state record lake herring held by Michael Lemanski

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wednesday confirmed a new state-record fish for cisco (formerly known as lake herring). This marks the second state-record fish caught in 2017.The fish was caught Friday, June 9, at 10 a.m. by Michael Lemanski of Florence, Wisconsin, on Lake Ottawa in Iron County in the western Upper Peninsula. Lemanski was still-fishing with a homemade jig. The fish weighed 6.36 pounds and measured 21.8 inches. Read more

NMMA saw a win for the recreational boating industry last week as a bill that would have allowed for year-round sales of higher blends of ethanol was defeated and won’t get a vote in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee this year. This is good news for the industry and follows countless meetings and discussions NMMA had with with key Senate offices to ensure they knew of the damaging impacts of E15 on marine engines. NMMA also activated the industry’s grassroots platform, Boating United, resulting in thousands of boaters throughout the country adding their voice to the issue.

Politico reported on Thursday that both Environment and Public Works Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Sen.Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), author of the bill (S. 517 (115)), said it lacked the votes to get out of committee despite having five members as co-sponsors. Read more