04. 27. 22

Great Lakes research vessels collect information on fish populations

Posted in: Just for Fun, News

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.

read more

04. 17. 22

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

Posted in: Just for Fun, News

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.

read more

04. 14. 22

Shipwrecks You Can Paddle to in Lake Michigan

Posted in: Just for Fun

If you find yourself fascinated by shipwrecks, it may surprise you to learn just how many shipwrecks you can find around Michigan. Lake Michigan, alone, is said to be the final resting place of at least 1,500 shipwrecks with many dating back to the 1800s.

Novadoc shipwreck

Novadoc shipwreck near Pentwater Michigan

The great news is there are a number of shipwrecks along Michigan’s coast and even in some of Michigan’s smaller channels that can be visited by paddle boat. The website storymaps.com lays out all of Michigan’s shipwrecks and lists them by difficulty and whether or not they can be reached by paddle boat. Here’s the only con: the provided interactive map only uses latitude and longitude coordinates to identify the shipwreck. There are no town names, state park names, lake names, or anything else that would guide a novice paddle boater to the right location.

See the map here.

04. 08. 22

Great Lakes shipping season photo contest

Posted in: Just for Fun, Lake Erie, News

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.
04. 05. 22

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

Posted in: Fishing Reports, Lake Erie, News, Perch, Walleye

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.

04. 02. 22

DNR Trout Stocking Clinton and Huron River

Posted in: Fishing Reports, Just for Fun, News

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.
03. 31. 22

2022 WIll be another great Walleye season

Posted in: Lake Erie, News, Perch, Walleye

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. 

03. 29. 22

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Society tells history through shipwrecks

Posted in: Just for Fun, News

SAULT STE. MARIE — For the last 40 years, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society has sought to teach the people of Michigan the history of the lakes that surround them.

The society was founded in the 1970s with the goal of telling the stories of the many shipwrecks dotting the lakebed, and through those shipwrecks, tell the history of the Great Lakes.         

In 1972, a group of scuba divers in Michigan were searching for shipwrecks off the coast of Whitefish Point, near Paradise in the Upper Peninsula. Using just whatever scuba equipment they could find and a sonar set, this small group of divers discovered four different shipwrecks in one day.

219 foot steamer built in 1888 in Bay City Michigan

John V. Moran circa 1888

“So after discovering those wrecks at once, one thing led to another. So this organization started its history by actual scuba diving shipwrecks that to our knowledge no one had ever seen before,” said development officer Sean Ley, who has been a member of the shipwreck society since the 1980s. “At about the same time, Whitefish Township, which is in Chippewa County, applied to the National Register of Historic Places to get the Whitefish Point light-station on the National Register.”

With the historic lighthouse as their point of operations, the society began cataloguing as many shipwrecks as they could. Most of them came from the waters of Lake Superior.

read more

                                                                                                      

03. 28. 22

Divers find pristine shipwreck lost in 1899

Posted in: Uncategorized

“Not a railing is missing,” said Rich, a master diver and former Holland City Council member. “The mast is standing. The ratlines are standing. The anchors are in position. There’s even glass still in the windows.”

“The only thing missing from this wreck is the smokestack.”
The last voyage of the J.V. Moran
Prior to July 8, the last time anyone saw the Moran was Sunday, Feb. 12, 1899.
The 214-foot steamer, built in 1888 in Bay City, was only 11 years old when it took its final voyage — a routine, Muskegon-bound dash across an ice-covered lake that left Milwaukee at noon Feb. 9 carrying a cargo of flour, animal feed, peas, oil cake and miscellaneous freight.

John V. Moran now rests in 365 feet of water

The last time anyone saw the Moran was Sunday, Feb. 12, 1899. Now she sits on the bottom of Lake Michigan

The Crosby Transportation Co. had owned the ship for less than a year. The $50,000 cargo was the largest the Moran had yet carried. The flour on board, 9,550 barrels of it, was of a select brand destined for Amsterdam.

At some point in the voyage, ice punched a hole in the hull and the ship began to flood. As water began to overwhelm the pumps, Capt. John McLeod, fearing a boiler explosion, ordered the crew of 24 into the lifeboats.
219 foot steamer built in 1888 in Bay City Michigan

John V. Moran circa 1888

Thankfully for the crew, the Moran had been paced across the lake by her sister steamer Naomi, which heard the distress whistle. The ship pulled alongside about 12:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 10, and took the stricken vessel’s crew aboard in -30 degree weather.

The Naomi tried for several hours to tow the ship, which was sinking by the stern. When that proved to be futile, everything of value was stripped, the cargo was transferred or thrown overboard and the Moran was abandoned to her fate.

read more

07. 22. 21

Walleye Fishing Report Lake Erie Michigan 07-21-2021

Posted in: Fishing Reports, Lake Erie, News

Lake Erie walleye fishing in the Western Basin is almost as good as it was in June. Weather seems to mess up the fishing for a day or two after a storm or large rain event.

Lake Erie walleye fishing charter

Greg with a beautiful Lake Erie walleye caught aboard the charter boat Stray Cat near Monroe Michigan

Not as many shorts but sometimes a few more weeds than I like while trolling especially after a storm. Been using wiggle warts, on and near both the Michigan and Ohio dumps, especially on the north side of them. North of Fermi has produced as long as there have been no East or North East wind that push’s weeds in.  Warts back from 60 to 80 ft. back with speeds from 2.8 to 3.0 mph

« Previous Page
Next Page »