New Commercial Bill HB 5553

This is good news for sportfishermen HB 5108 would have allowed commercial netting operations to take game fish

Recently, Rep. Amos O’Neal (Lake Erie walleye fishing charterSaginaw) introduced HB 5553, a bill that would modernize the commercial fishing industry and keep gamefish out of commercial nets

Rep. O’Neal introduced this bill after months of work with MUCC. 

This bill contrasts with HB 5108, which would set minimum quotas for state-licensed anglers to take gamefish. 

MUCC supports HB 5553 and looks forward to working with legislators over the remainder of the session. 

The legislature goes on spring break next week before returning after Easter to finish the budget.

Marquette to Muskegon: Cruise ships bring big tourism dollars to the Great Lakes

The Pearl Mist cut through the smooth water of Muskegon Lake on a cloudy early June morning.

Six decks lined with dozens of private balconies towered over Heritage Landing as about 200 people walked down a ramp ready to explore the small lakeshore town that’s bursting with local art, breweries and cultural landmarks.

This was the first cruise ship to dock at Muskegon in two years.

The Pearl Mist, Great Lakes Cruise Ship

The Pearl Mist Cruise Ship

Muskegon is one of 27 Great Lakes ports that is welcoming passengers back after cruises were grounded for two years due to the pandemic. Pent-up demand and the growing popularity of Great Lakes cruises are making this a record-breaking year and bringing millions of dollars to local communities.

“We’re seeing this bounce back that we’ve been seeing in all of the leisure travel business,” said Dave Lorenz, chair of Cruise the Great Lakes and Vice President of Travel Michigan.

International effort underway to make hi-res charts of Great Lakes

It’s both surprising and then again understandable how little is known of the underwater topography of the Great Lakes. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Coast Survey, less than 15% of the lake floors of the Great Lakes have been mapped using high-resolution technologies.

NOAA absolutely has charts available for almost all of the U.S. portions of the Great Lakes, but much of the detail of those maps are little more than educated guesses about what lies below, produced on a macro-scale. Near-shore waters, especially those close to major ports, important passages, shipping lanes, and interesting areas  like Lake Superior’s Stannard Rock have been scanned, measured, and plotted more or less extensively. However, the depths across much of the open water vastness of the lakes may be little more than a sounding taken and recorded decades ago and only on a macro scale.

Stannard Rock Lighthouse, Lake Superior

Stannard Rock Lighthouse, Lake Superior

Sonar technology to measure depths has only been available for 50 years or so and GPS technology wasn’t widely available until the mid-1980s. Until then soundings were taken the old fashioned way – basically lowering a weight on the end of a cable. Vectoring positions required triangulating off of known shoreline features (if shore was visible), using sextants or perhaps directional radio signals. Realistically, most areas hazardous to navigation, such as the Superior Shoals about 50 miles north of Copper Harbor, Michigan were found the really old fashioned way – by boats or ships running into them.

The technology to map vast areas of the lake at a relatively high-resolution now exists. Underwater topography, with equipment capable of detecting shipwrecks, pipelines, significant boulders, or rocky outcrops can easily produce charts over large areas with soundings taken less than 10 meters apart, much less in zones with prominent features.

An international partnership between a non-governmental organization in Ontario called Waterlution, and Northwestern Michigan College is using this hi-tech equipment to bridge this information gap. As the project progresses the knowledge of the depth, shape, and composition of the bottoms of the Great Lakes will provide  foundational data elements necessary to better understand, sustainably develop, conserve, and manage coastal and offshore natural resources.

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From experienced to beginner, Detroit is a great place to fish

Detroit is known for many things. Shaping the modern auto industry. The birth of Motown music. Diehard fans rooting on their Lions, Pistons, Red Wings and Tigers.

Ranked the No. 5 fishing city in the country.  Detroit is home to some of the most diverse and plentiful fisheries in the country, including walleye, bass, perch, crappie, northern pike, channel catfish and muskie.

Cathrine Lake Erie Walleye aboard the Stray Cat

Walleye fishing trip Stray Cat Fishing Charter

Last year, licenses purchased by anglers and hunters generated over $66 million for the Michigan Game and Fish Protection Fund. The fund is the DNR’s largest revenue source and is critical to its conservation work. Fishing and hunting equipment sales raised an additional $32 million to support wildlife and natural resource management.

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Great Lakes research vessels collect information on fish populations

GREAT LAKES, Mich. (WLUC) – If you’re at a Great Lakes port this season, you might see one of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ large fisheries research vessels conducting annual fish surveys.

DNR Fisheries research vessel

DNR Fisheries research vessel

The public is encouraged to visit the vessels when in port and talk with the crews about their work. To ensure the safety of all, anglers and boaters are asked to give research vessels and their deployed sampling gear plenty of space when on the water.

“The staff on these vessels are working on a wide variety of studies to better understand Great Lakes fish communities, population sizes and habitats,” said Gary Whelan, DNR fisheries research manager. “Their work and the knowledge gained are essential to supporting current and future fisheries management.”

The vessels are based out of Marquette, Alpena, Charlevoix and Harrison Township harbors.

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DNR and MSU celebrate 20 years of lake sturgeon research and management

For the past 20 years, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Michigan State University have focused on lake sturgeon management, hatchery production, research and outreach at Cheboygan County’s Black Lake.

To celebrate this milestone, the DNR and MSU invite the public to attend an event celebrating lake sturgeon restoration efforts on May 7 at the Black River spawning site at 11 a.m. before continuing at the Black River streamside research and hatchery facility at 1 p.m.

Lake Sturgeon

Lake Sturgeon

The event will showcase the restoration work of this iconic species, recognize the important contributions of partners and raise public awareness of lake sturgeon. Attendees will have a chance to observe fisheries staff collect data from spawning lake sturgeon as well as go on a hatchery tour. Additional activities will recognize the contributions of agency, academic, industry and citizen partners who have made sustained sturgeon renewal efforts possible.

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Great Lakes shipping season photo contest

It’s not the warmer part of the year in Northwest Indiana without iron ore freighters and other ships moving slowly off in the distance in Lake Michigan.

The Great Lakes Seaway Partnership is celebrating the start of the Great Lakes shipping season by running a photo contest. Boat enthusiasts are encouraged to submit their best photos depicting Great Lakes shipping.

Winners can take home a cash prize of up to $500, a gift package and recognition online and in social media.

Freighter in the St Lawrence Seaway

Freighter in the St Lawrence Seaway

 
This year, the Great Lakes Partnership wants photographers to focus on “highlighting the people who make Great Lakes shipping possible — whether that’s on the docks or on a ship,” 
 
The intention is to highlight the trade of more than 160 million metric tons a year of commercial cargo across the Great Lakes region, which is home to 107 million people and 40% of the trade between the United States and Canada. The region encompasses eight states in the United States and two provinces in Canada and would be the third-largest economy in the world with an annual gross domestic product of $5.5 trillion if it were its own country.

Lake Erie Committee Sets Yellow Perch and Walleye Allowable Catches for 2022

Ann Arbor, MI— Lake Erie fishery managers from Michigan, New York, Ohio, Ontario and
Pennsylvania—meeting as the binational Lake Erie Committee (LEC)—agreed to a total
allowable catch (TAC) for 2022 of 14.533 million walleye and 7.185 million pounds of yellow
perch. Walleye are allocated by number of fish and yellow perch are allocated in pounds.
These TACs represent an increase in walleye from 12.284 million fish last year and an
increase for yellow perch from 6.238 million pounds of fish. Specific allocations of both
species are presented below by jurisdiction.
The LEC makes TAC decisions by consensus of the members. The LEC’s TAC
recommendations are produced after extensive, lakewide biological assessments, analyses,
discussions, and consultations with stakeholders. The recommendations are consistent with the
status of Lake Erie’s fish populations, taking into the account the goal of stable harvest. The
individual state and provincial governments implement the TACs in their jurisdiction in
accordance with their respective regulations and management objectives.

Stray Cat fishing charter

WALLEYE: Guided by the Walleye Management Plan, which was developed in consultation
with the Lake Erie Percid Management Advisory Group (LEPMAG), the LEC set a 2022
lakewide walleye TAC of 14.533 million fish, an 18% increase over the 2021 TAC of 12.284
million fish. The increased TAC reflects continued strong recruitment and high population
levels over the last several years. The Province of Ontario and the states of Ohio and Michigan
share the TAC based on a formula of walleye habitat within each jurisdiction in the western
and central basins of the lake. Under the 2022 TAC, Ohio will be entitled to 7.428 million fish,
Ontario 6.258 million fish, and Michigan 0.847 million fish. Jurisdictions in eastern Lake Erie
are outside of the TAC area, but harvest limits are set consistent with lakewide objectives.

YELLOW PERCH: The yellow perch fishery is divided into four management units (MU), which
generally correspond to the western, west-central, east-central, and eastern basins of Lake Erie. The
LEC has strived to maintain sustainable harvest while responding to changing abundance. The
proposed TAC represents differences among the management units in abundance and biomass.
Guided by the Yellow Perch Management Plan (YPMP), the LEC has finalized TAC decisions
for each management unit as follows: The TAC in MU 1 will increase to 3.038 million

Perch Fishing Charter Lake Erie

pounds. The TAC in MU 2 will decrease to 0.537 million pounds. The TAC in MU 3 will
increase to 3.082 million pounds. The TAC in MU 4 will increase to 0.528 million pounds.
In making these recommendations, the LEC relied on the YPMP, which was also developed in
consultation with the LEPMAG, and provided the technical foundation for the LEC’s
decisions. The plan established harvest policies aimed at maintaining population and fishery
sustainability for each MU using a stakeholder driven process. Each harvest policy was
extensively evaluated using simulation modeling with data inputs from fishery-dependent and
fishery-independent sources. The YPMP was designed to ensure fishery sustainability and
quality to satisfy conservation and maintain socio-economic benefits.

DNR Trout Stocking Clinton and Huron River

Approximately 4,900 adult trout were stocked by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in the Clinton River (Auburn Hills), Huron River (Proud Lake Recreation Area) and Spring Mill Pond (Island Lake Recreation Area) in southeast Michigan. These fish are retired broodstock from Michigan’s state fish hatcheries.

The Huron River, downstream of the Proud Lake Dam, was stocked with 1,900 brown trout and 1,400 rainbow trout, all ranging in sizes from 13 to 19 inches. Spring Mill Pond was stocked with 380 brown trout and 540 rainbow trout, also ranging in size from 13 to 19 inches.

DNR Trout Stocking Clinton and Huron River

DNR Trout Stocking Clinton and Huron River

In addition, 200 yearling rainbow trout were stocked in the Huron River and 300 in Spring Mill Pond. Anglers should be aware that some portion of these yearlings will at first be smaller than the minimum size limit of 8 inches.

Special regulations apply for anglers interested in targeting these trout:

  • The Huron River at Proud Lake Recreation Area is closed to fishing from Oct. 1 through March 31. From April 1 through April 29, anglers are limited to flies only, catch-and-release fishing. The exception is that children under the age of 12 during this time period may keep one trout that meets the 8-inch minimum size limit and is under 12 inches.
  • Spring Mill Pond at Island Lake Recreation Area is closed to fishing March 15 to March 31. From April 1 through April 29 anglers are limited to artificial lures only, catch-and-release fishing.
  • On both bodies of water, beginning April 30, all baits are allowed, and anglers may keep up to five trout over 8 inches, but only three over 15 inches.
  • The Clinton River was stocked with 650 brown trout averaging 17 inches at Riverside Park in Auburn Hills. The Clinton River is open to trout fishing all year, and anglers can keep up to five trout over 8 inches, but only three over 15 inches.

2022 WIll be another great Walleye season

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Lake Erie anglers can expect world-class walleye fishing opportunities to continue during the 2022 fishing season following years of strong hatches, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Lake Erie maintains its title as The Walleye Capital of the World thanks to science-based management guiding regulations that conserve and ensure long-term angling opportunities across Ohio’s waters.

Additionally, a strong yellow perch population in Lake Erie’s west zone will provide good fishing in 2022, while low catch rates are expected to continue in the central and east zones.

Lake Erie walleye and yellow perch fisheries are managed through an interagency quota system. Each jurisdiction regulates its catches to comply with annually determined safe harvest levels that ensure sustainability. The most recent quotas were announced on Friday, March 25.

Walleye

The walleye daily limit on Lake Erie is six fish per angler with a 15-inch minimum length limit. Walleye hatch success has been exceptional for six of the past eight years. Anglers will mostly catch abundant 2- to 4-year-old-fish ranging from 15 to 22 inches. Larger fish from 2015 and earlier hatches will provide chances to reel in a Fish Ohio qualifying walleye (minimum 28 inches).

Abundant young fish will show up in the catch and range from 9 to 14 inches, with an increasing number of 2-year-olds reaching 15 inches as the season progresses. Anglers are encouraged to release these sub-legal fish with as little handling as possible so they can contribute to the future fishery.

The Stray Cat Charter Boat

The Stray Cat

Yellow perch

Yellow perch abundance in the west zone from Toledo to Huron was above average in 2021 and is expected to remain strong in 2022, supported by consistent hatch success. The 2021 season occasionally provided good fishing in the west zone and should again in 2022. The best success is anticipated during July through mid-August during warm-water periods, and again during mid-October through November as adult perch move to shallow water to feed.

Lake Erie’s central zone from Huron to Fairport Harbor continues to experience low yellow perch abundance, primarily driven by poor to moderate hatches during the past decade. Conservative quotas continue to be set each year. In the east zone from Fairport Harbor to Conneaut, catches have been similar to the central zone with a slightly larger adult population. Catch rates are expected to remain low during the 2022 season, except for times such as late fall when adult perch congregate in larger schools near harbors.

Perch Fishing Charter Lake Erie

Yellow perch daily limits for each zone remain as described in the 2022-23 fishing regulations until May 1, 2022. Any adjustments in daily limits will be announced at wildohio.gov and on an insert printed for Ohio’s fishing regulations brochure before May 1.

Lake Erie fishing reports, information on Lake Erie research and management programs, fisheries resources, maps, and links to other Lake Erie web resources are available at wildohio.gov. The current fishing regulations can be found on the HuntFish OH app, at wildohio.gov, or locations where fishing licenses are sold.

The mission of the Division of Wildlife is to conserve and improve fish and wildlife resources and their habitats for sustainable use and appreciation by all. Visit wildohio.gov to find out more.

ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov