East:

Bay City anglers are being very cautious after eight anglers fell through the ice a few days ago. The recent weather patterns and high winds seriously deteriorated the ice and extreme caution is necessary. A few anglers are fishing near the water discharge or Hot Pond near Jones Road for good counts of walleye. A 12-pound walleye was reeled in yesterday. Ice is not safe near the Boy’s Club or near the marina in Sebewaing.

Around Bay Port the ice has melted and open water is everywhere. Some perch action is taking place on Mudd Creek.

High winds blew out the majority of water in Port Huron and Port Sanilac and the warm temperatures melted the ice. There is no safe ice at this point. Cooler temperatures are moving in overnight and by the weekend angling activity could be much improved.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City, and 1st and Main-Bay Port.

Southeast:

A mixed bag of weather this past week has created varied conditions for southeast anglers. The water is very high in many areas and anglers need to use extra caution.

Around the Gibraltar area, anglers are getting out in boats or fishing off docks for good action on perch. Shiner minnows on tear drops, wax worms, and wigglers are producing decent results. Near the Rock Wood area, anglers fishing near the Metro Park Marina are pulling in nice catches of yellow perch and blue gill on shiner minnows. The Huron River is extremely high and raging, and very dangerous at this point.

In the Monroe area, recent strong winds have angling activity at a standstill. The ice has melted and the water is wide open.

Anglers are reeling in a few perch around the Rawsonville Bridge and off of Ford Lake when using shiners, pike minnows, wigglers and mousies.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe, and South Street Tackle-Belleville

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Southeast:

Some ice fishing is taking place around the Metro Park Marina and boat launch near Rock Wood. The ice is safe and fishing is good for pan fish and large size perch. A 13-inch perch was reeled in today off of the marina area. The ice is about 4-6 inches all around the Rock Wood area. Spikes are the bait of choice with many anglers buying small teardrops and wax worms. Many canals around Gibraltar and Grosse Ile have decent ice ranging between 4-6 inches.

Off of the Monroe area, the ice was frozen, however yesterday with the west winds the water blew out and busted up the ice. There is open water about 160 yards off the shore. Anglers use extreme caution. No activity is taking place at this point.

Belleville and Ford lakes have approximately four inches of ice. Blue gill activity is good near Sandy’s Marina. Popular baits include Emerald Shiners, mousies, spikes, wax worms, pike chubs and minnows.

Edison Lake is giving up crappie, blue gill, perch and pike.

Independence Lake near Pinckney is very good for crappie and the park is open with the ice averaging 11-inches thick.

Kent Lake is frozen and good ice-fishing is taking place.

Near Chelsea, Four Mile Lake has 6-8 inches of ice and blue gill fishing is decent.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

Ice fishing is taking place around the Bay City and Sebawaing areas. Anglers are jigging with minnows and perch catches are decent. Ice ranges from 4-6 inches. Linwood Road to Palmer Road is a hot spot for perch on minnows. The Bay Port area is receiving snow currently halting angling activity at this point. Perch action has been decent when anglers can get out. There is still plenty of open water, use caution.

All of the ponds around Port Huron are frozen but the thickness certainly needs to be checked before heading out. There is open water near Portage Street.

Lexington anglers are fishing off of the boat ramp in 6-7 feet of water for brown trout. Ice is not safe at this point.

Information providers: Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City, and 1st and Main-Bay Port.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Southeast:

Around Algonac and the Fairhaven area, anglers are catching a few blue gill, crappie, and perch by the Raft Bar and in the boat wells near Bouvier Marina. Some small pan fish are being caught near the Brandenburg Memorial Park as well. Minnows and bugs are working well. Some big bass have also been caught ice-fishing, but use caution the ice is only 4-inches or so thick.

Overall anglers in the southeast and downriver areas will find pretty much no activity taking place due to the weather conditions. Anglers are anxiously awaiting safe ice. Near the Metro Park Marina, some anglers are fishing from shore for perch.

Near Belleville area, Ford and Belleville lakes still have plenty of open water. Near Sandy’s Marina some anglers that are staying close in to shore are getting limits of blue gill and crappie on spikes, wax worms and mousies.

Four Mile Lake near Chelsea has 4-inches of ice and anglers are doing well for pike, blue gill and perch. But anglers need to use extreme caution since the ice is questionable.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Blue water Bait-Fair Haven; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

Bay City received a major snow storm this week that has pretty much halted any angling activity. Ice is not safe at this time.

Bay Port anglers are pulling in limits of perch while ice fishing on Mudd Creek and around Sebawaing.

Port Huron angling is very limited this week and ice fishing is about a week away. Around Port Sanilac the ice is busted up pretty good near the shoreline and about six brave soles hav set up ice shanties. Yesterday a few anglers reeled in some steelhead on spawn bags and Emerald shiners.

Harbor Beach received up to 4-inches of snow this week putting the cabash on angling activity. Also the snow is packed up on the ice leaving the lake very questionable.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City, and 1st and Main-Bay Port.

They are catching a few bluegills and perch by The Raft and in the boat wells of Bouvier Marina.  There are also reports of a few small fish being caught on the ice by Brandenburg Memorial Park‎.

We are now selling Emerald Shiners. To schedule a wholesale delivery or pickup, please call (810) 794-9942.

East:

Bay City anglers are ice fishing on the cuts for perch. The Saginaw River has no ice due to dredging that is currently taking place. Near Linwood some shore ice is forming and some fishing is taking place in the shallow waters.

A few steelhead are being caught around Sanilac and Lexington.

Grindstone Harbor is giving up a few brown trout when anglers take the time to bust up the ice near the shoreline and drop a line using crawlers.

Steelhead action is decent off of Port Huron near the city building. Anglers are getting best results with minnows, crawlers, Red Eye spoons and flatfish. The Black River has some ice forming and anglers are in a transition mode since the launch ramps will shortly be taken out for the winter. A few anglers are drilling holes from the docks and fishing for perch, and good size blue gill.

Harbor Beach anglers remain in a transition period, ice has formed, but anglers need to use extreme caution before venturing out.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach, and Michigan Sportsman-Bay City.

Southeast:

Algonac anglers are heading out to ice fish behind The Raft in Anchor Bay. Use caution when attempting to take to the ice. The temperatures are fluctuating rapidly.

Anglers fishing the canals around Gibraltar, Grosse Ile, and Horse Island are pulling in a few perch. Off of the Rock Wood area warm waters are flowing from the Edison Power Plant and providing some perch and blue gill action for shore line anglers fishing near the Lake Erie Metro Park boat launch and marina. Shiners and wax worms seem to work best. The Huron River is decent for perch on Hot-N-Tots. Belanger Park in River Rouge has slowed, but anglers are getting a few perch on shiners.

Off of the Monroe area angling action is really slow. Thin ice is starting to form on most bodies of water, however with the warmer temperatures that could all change by the weekend. Some walleye action is taking place off of Luna Pier and the State Park.

Around the Belleville area, Ford and Belleville lakes have open water due to warmer weather this past week. Perch, blue gill and crappie action is good under the Belleville Bridge and near the paper mill. Independence Lake has 3-4 inches of ice and some brave anglers are attempting to ice fish.

Around the Fairhaven area not much ice has formed, maybe 2 ½ inches in the canals and on the Bay. The ice is certainly not safe at this point. A few anglers are fishing from docks or shore and pulling in a few perch and blue gill.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Blue water Bait-Fair Haven; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

A few walleyes are being caught in the North and Middle Channels via jigging. Some perch is being caught in the cuts along the shore but the ice is not yet safe so be careful.

Southeast:

Angling activity is down to a minimum in the southeast due to weather conditions. So far no ice has formed on any southeast inland lakes, the Detroit River or Lake Erie as of yet. Overall anglers are waiting for ice-fishing and safe ice.

A few anglers around the Rock Wood area are pulling in some yellow perch around the Lake Erie Metro Park boat launch on small minnows. Metro Park Marina has decent pan fish activity when using wax worms. The Huron River is giving up some crappie on minnows, but overall activity is slow.

Anglers fishing on the Detroit River from Belanger Park in River Rouge are pulling in some nice perch on shiner minnows and a perch rig. Perch are averaging 11-inches.

Ford and Belleville lakes are frozen but not safe and there is open water. A few anglers are fishing from shore for pike, crappie and perch. Wax worms and pike minnows seem to do the trick.

Fairhaven anglers are in a transition period and no angling activity is taking place currently and so far no ice has formed.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Blue water Bait-Fair Haven; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

Off of the Bay City area some anglers are fishing from shore and breaking the ice by tossing a log tied to a line and fishing for perch. Some boats are getting out near the mouth of the river and pulling in a few perch. Ice is forming, but definitely not safe.

Lexington anglers are doing well from shore for pike and perch and minnows are abundant.

Slow activity taking place off of Port Huron for Coho, steelhead and a few brown trout. Red eye spoons seem to work decent and some anglers are casting twisters for good results on walleye. The Black River is producing some decent catches of brown trout, steelhead and some walleye which are in their winter pattern.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron, and Michigan Sportsman-Bay City.

The bait store is closed for the season, but bulk winter bait will be available soon for delivery! Check back soon for prices.

East:

Port Huron harbors are giving up a few perch and steelhead, but overall activity is fairly minimal due to weather and a majority of the population hunting. The water is very dirty due to high north winds, so anglers fishing for steelhead, Coho and walleye need to fish close to the wall where the fish are hunkering down.

Off of the Linwood area perch fishing is still good on most of the channels and cuts.

No activity is taking place around the Bay City area mainly due to ice forming on the Saginaw River. The ice is not safe to venture out on yet.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood, and Michigan Sportsman-Bay City.

Southeast:

Adverse weather and windy conditions has limited angling activity in the southeast.Any fishing being done is mostly from shore and spotty at that around Rock Wood, Flat Rock, and Gibraltar. The Huron River is producing steelhead through out Rock Wood and Flat Rock. Action on the Detroit River is pretty bleak due to the weather one or two boats braved the conditions to venture out.

Monroe anglers are experiencing the same situation as cold weather takes hold and is keeping anglers from getting out on the water. Some skim ice is forming on shallow bodies of water and streams. A few more weeks of cold weather and ice fishing should start up. Very limited fishing is taking place around the St. Clair Shores area. Some small fish are being caught when using jigs. Canals are starting to form thin ice, but not safe to walk on yet.

It’s a slow go for anglers on Ford and Belleville lakes mostly due to adverse weather. Anglers that are braving the weather are pulling in a few crappie, perch and walleye.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St.Clair Shores and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Winter Prices Coming Soon! Some of the items that will be available this winter are wax worms, spikes, and mouses.

East:

Off of Caseville and Port Austin the lake trout have arrived early.

Off of the Port Huron area, a few perch and steelhead are still in the harbors. Some Coho, walleye and steelhead are close to the break wall due to murky waters. The activity is fair to good. The Black River and Mill Creek are both producing a few steelhead.

Good salmon action continues at Harbor Beach the fish are active inside the harbor.

Off of Tawas and Oscoda whitefish are starting to show up on Saginaw Bay.

Perch fishing remains good around the Bay City and Linwood areas when fishing around the marinas, and throughout the cuts and channels. No word on walleye at this point.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City, and Angler’s Rod & Sport-St. Clair.

Southeast:

Gibraltar and Grosse Ile anglers are doing fair to good for crappie, perch and blue gill when fishing off docks or throughout the canals. The Detroit River is giving up some walleye on jigs or hand lining with Rapalas.

Near Rock Wood, shore fishing for yellow perch is decent around Metro Park Marina and the Metro Park Boat Launch. Shiners and wax worms are working well.

The Huron River is giving up decent to good catches of steelhead throughout the River system including around Flat Rock, Rock Wood, and South Rock Wood. Near La Beau Park is a good location and between the two dams in Flat Rock is a good spot. Jigs or wax worms floating under a bobber are working well. Below the spillway anglers are using spawn, Hot-N-Tots and Rooster tails. Pan fish are also plentiful on the Huron River in the Flat Rock area using bombers and minnows.

Near the Monroe area, fishing overall is slow, however anglers are doing ok at night for walleye around Sterling State Park near Detroit Beach, Stony Point, and off of Luna Pier casting stick baits, with bombers the popular choice.

Off of the St. Clair Shores area some perch are being caught off the docks. Otherwise, weather conditions have been adverse and minimal angling activity is taking place. Some skim ice is forming on several canals within the area.

Belleville Lake anglers braving the cold weather are getting out in boats and getting limits of perch, walleye and blue gill. Minnows, wax worms and night crawlers are working well. A good location is near the Denton Road Bridge. Ford Lake is decent for walleye near the dam and Rawsonville Road.

No angling activity in the Fair Haven area this week due to adverse weather conditions. Not a sole on the water.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Blue Water Bait-Fair Haven; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Little Dipper Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Southeast:

Algonac anglers basically have awful angling this week due to weather conditions.

Downriver the perch action has slowed this week due to weather. Anglers that are getting out are finding decent action at Fox Island, throughout the Gibraltar canals, near the Livingston Channel and around the cross-dyke. Perch fishing from shore is decent off Horse Island and Metro Park. Flat Rock and Rockwood anglers are doing well on the Huron River. Steelhead are all over due to perfect water conditions and the ladder has been repaired and opened as well as the dam. Jigs and wax worms floating under a bobber are working well and Rooster Tails are very hot in no particular color.

Monroe anglers are finding a few perch off of Bolles Harbor. Walleye activity is decent on the lower Huron channel and casting off Luna Pier with jointed bombers.

Around the St. Clair Shores area perch action is hit or miss on the Belle River, but the action is pretty good in the South Channel. Walleye action is decent on the Detroit River jigging or hand lining.

Belleville anglers are finding decent crappie and walleye activity on Ford and Belleville lakes using big minnows. Perch action is decent on wax worms, minnows, and pan fish worms near most bridges. Bass are biting like crazy and ranging between 4 ½ to 5 ½ pounds, fish are hitting on big minnows, rubber worms, really just about anything. Get the bait right out in front of them and they will bite.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Little Dipper Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock, and Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac.

East:

Lexington Harbor is producing some nice perch catches, fish are plentiful. Minnows are the bait of choice. The evening hours seem to produce smaller size fish, while the early morning hours are giving up larger size fish.

Port Huron anglers are seeing more and more steelhead this week. On average, fish are ranging from 8-10 pounds. Some lake trout and splake are in the mix as well. Good choices of bait include Red Eye spoons and crawlers. Orange is the hot color. A new run of walleye is apparent, however fishing is slow. Mill Creek is giving up a few steelhead, small in size and salmon is over.

Harbor Beach anglers are getting a few salmon from shore inside the harbor on spawn. No boating activity due to weather. A few walleye are also hitting off the break wall.

Bay City has good perch fishing all over Saginaw Bay, in and around the cuts and the channels of the Saginaw River. Perch rigs and minnows are working nicely.

Off of Linwood perch are biting in the cuts around the marinas, near the Spark Plug, in the shipping channels. Perch are plentiful but small in size. Walleye activity is minimal.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; and Michigan Sportsman-Bay City.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Southeast:

Good perch action for anglers fishing near Rockwood, Gibraltar, Trenton, Grosse Ile, Monroe, and Luna Pier. Further south good perch action around Toledo Beach, and if you are headed north good locations include Fair Haven, St.Clair Shores and Grosse Pointe.

Anglers near Rockwood this morning pulled in steady buckets of yellow perch. Good action in the channels around the Lake Erie Metro Park, Horse Island, near the mouth of Lake Erie and the Huron River in 8-10 feet of water and off of the weed lines. Shore fishing around Metro Park and Pointe Mouille is good for crappie and blue gill. Monroe anglers are finding good perch action around the Sputnik Buoy, W-Can, buoys 1 and 2, near Luna Pier and around Toledo Beach. Evening hours seem to be best.

The Detroit River is producing good catches of walleye on big minnows near the bottom end of the river, off of Celeron Island and near the Trenton Power Plant. Anglers are hand lining with number 9 or 11 jointed Rapalas. Chartreuse is the hot color and fishing at night seems to be the best choice.

Anglers around the St. Clair Shores area are seeing walleye, perch and musky pick up. Perch are active around the Nine Mile Tower, Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. Musky are doing well around the south shore, and the south, middle and north channels are giving up nice catches of walleye jigging.

Off of the Fair Haven area, angling action continues to be on the slow side but picking up. Perch activity in the Bay is plentiful but the fish are small in size. A few walleye are biting near the middle channel and anglers are vertical jigging with big minnows.

Information providers: Blue Water Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; and Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores.

East:

AAA Tip: Sanford Lake west of M-30 in Midland County under US-10. Due to construction on the bridge, boat traffic underneath will be limited to a single channel now through the winter months. The channel will be clearly marked but may vary.

Anglers around Port Huron have mixed fishing conditions. Off of Port Sanilac and Lexington silver fish activity is poor, but fair to good catches of perch and pike can be had out of Lexington. Near the boardwalk and city building good action for walleye on crawlers and the Black River is producing fair counts of steelhead on spinners.

Off the break wall at Harbor Beach the walleye action is good. The salmon run is just about done as conditions are rated poor.

Near Bay City, perch fishing is good using minnows on the Saginaw Bay in and around most of the Islands. Perch action is good in the cuts off the Quanicassee River and near the Vets Bridge on the Saginaw River.

Information providers: Frank’s Place-Harbor Beach; Great Lake Outfitters-Port Huron, and Michigan Sportsman-Bay City

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Photo gallery: Harsens Island
Take a look at Harsens Island with Free Press outdoors writer Eric Sharp in the Free Press photo gallery.

Southeast:

Off of Rockwood near the Lake Erie Metro Park, yellow perch, walleye and blue gill are in good numbers close to shore. Good action for perch at the mouth of Lake Erie and the Huron River in 8-13 feet of water. All around Gibraltar the yellow perch and walleye action is good. The bottom section of the Detroit River is giving up nice catches of walleye jigging with big shiners.

St. Clair Shores area, the perch are active in good numbers near the shoreline. Nice sized musky are plentiful on Lake St. Clair around the north and south channels and anglers fishing the Detroit River are also doing well near the mouth of the Detroit River and fishing further south up to and past the Ambassador Bridge.

Algonac anglers are scarce on the waters due to weather conditions and the water is really dirty.

Near Monroe recent weather has caused for some extremely rough waters limiting anglers in boats. Perch fishing off of the Bolles Harbor pier is decent. Some nice walleye are biting off of Stony Point and Luna Pier where anglers are wading and casting out in 10-12 feet of water with good results.

In the Belleville area, angling action is minimal due to wind, rain and frost. Both Ford and Belleville lakes are giving up some crappie and perch on minnows, pan fish worms, and small grubs.

Around the Fair Haven area, weather has slowed activity a bit. Walleye are biting near the Sturgeon Hole and the North Channel on jigs and big minnows in 60-70 feet of water. Blue gill are hitting on wax worms off of Harsens Island.

Information providers: Blue Water Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

AAA Tip: Sanford Lake west of M-30 in Midland County under US-10. Due to construction on the bridge, boat traffic underneath will be limited to a single channel now through the winter months. The channel will be clearly marked but may vary.

Off of Linwood, perch action is good in around the channels, marina’s and out near the shipping channel near the Spark Plug. Perch are small in size but plentiful.

Off the Port Huron area, walleye are hitting on crawlers with a light line working the current. The Black River is producing nice size steelhead in the 8-10 pound range and anglers are using spinners with good results. A few Kings remain in the Black River. Off of Port Sanilac and Lexington, silverfish activity is slow. Some perch and pike are biting around Lexington, quantities are small but the fish are good size.

Near Bay City, perch activity is decent in 7-11 feet of water at the mouth of the Quanicassee River and throughout the cuts and channels.

Information providers: Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Great Lake Outfitters-Port Huron, and Michigan Sportsman-Bay City

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

PERCH ACTION HOT IN SOUTHEAST

Perch action is hot in the southeast regions, but several areas throughout the state are experiencing a seasonal transition mode and slow angling opportunities.

Southeast:

Rockwood has excellent yellow perch fishing taking place. Hot spots include near the mouth of Lake Erie and the Huron River, 10 to 13 feet off Lake Erie Metro Park, and the weed line to Rat Island. Shiners on perch rigs are working great. Shore fishing for yellow perch is good near the Lake Erie Metro Park boat launch and yellow perch and walleye are active near Campeau Road.

Huron River is giving up some nice steelhead around the Flat Rock area with little Cleo’s on a Fellow jig. The canals throughout Gibraltar are producing good numbers of yellow perch and blue gill. Hand lining and trolling works well. Rapalas are doing the trick. Hot colors are Hot Steel and Fire Tiger. Perch action is very good on the east side of Grosse Ile, and around Fox, Dynamite and Sugar Islands.

Perch action is excellent off of the Monroe area around Stony Point and Bolles Harbor, and around the W-Can, Dumping Grounds, McDonalds Buoy, and Sputnik Buoy, near the Detroit Light, off of Luna Pier and near Toledo Beach. Shiners are working great. Walleye are biting at dusk around Stony Point and Luna Pier on bombers. Walleye are biting during the morning hours between the Detroit Edison Plant and Horse Island Flats.

In Belleville, the Huron River has plenty of steelhead schooled up near the dam, and great fishing is taking place between Belleville and Flat Rock, and the hot spot is near the paper mill. Berkley Gulp is working on crappie near the Barton Dam. Ford Lake is giving up limits of perch, and both Ford and Belleville lakes the fall walleye bite is starting. Try using wax worms, fathead minnows, horse hair jigs, Road Runners, pan fish worms, baby crawlers and neon green night crawlers.

In the Fair Haven area, perch are active near Seven Sisters and Grass Islands. Blue gill are biting around Swan Creek and out in Anchor Bay bass are hitting on everything.

Information providers: Blue Water Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

AAA Tip: Sanford Lake west of M-30 in Midland County under US-10. Due to construction on the bridge, boat traffic underneath will be limited to a single channel now through the winter months. The channel will be clearly marked but may vary.

Port Sanilac and Lexington Harbors seem to be sluggish this week for Kings and steelhead, but pike are hitting in Lexington Harbor in good numbers.

Around Port Huron, the Black River is giving up a few Kings and steelhead. Shore anglers are getting a few walleye near the water filtration plant using one ounce sinkers and Emerald shiners.

In Bay City, a few perch are biting on the Saginaw Bay, but small in size and plenty of sorting is taking place. Angling activity is hit or miss and basically in a transition period.

Off of the Bay Port area, perch are active just past North Island in deep waters. Overall fishing is slow in the area.

Harbor Beach anglers are fishing right in the Harbor for salmon and walleye on spawn and Cleo’s.

Information providers: Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Great Lake Outfitters-Port Huron; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City, and 1st & Main-Bay Port.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Southeast:

Around the Algonac area walleye fishing has really picked up all over Lake St. Clair. Anglers are catching good quantities of walleye from Grassy Island to the North Channel and in the North and South Channels. Perch fishing is fair to good on Lake St. Clair particularly around Grassy Island.

Good action in the Fair Haven area, walleye are spotty but improving and can be pulled in around Sassy Marina. Grass Island is good for perch on minnows. Hot action for blue gill at the mouth of Swan Creek, and bass are biting just about every where.

St. Clair Shores anglers are doing well for perch on both the American and Canadian side. Try using dead minnows around the weather buoy as well as the Belle River. Expect plenty of bass in the mix when fishing for perch. Anglers remember you can not take live bait across the border to Canada, fines are stiff. Perch are biting around buoys 29 and 30, off of the St. Clair Light, in front of Grosse Pointe Yacht Club and off of the Nine Mile Tower.

Perch, perch and more perch are being pulled in around the downriver area. Outstanding fishing available off of Grosse Ile, Sugar and Celeron Islands. Also near the Detroit Light, off the W-Can, 3-way and McDonalds buoys, near the Dumping Grounds, and the perch are starting to move in around the cross-dyke. Minnows and shiners are very popular. Walleye are hitting on hard baits and minnows on the Trenton Channel in the evening hours hand lining or jigging.

Off of the Monroe area perch are hot on Lake Erie, at Bolles Harbor and even a few anglers are doing well fishing off of the Bolles Harbor pier in the early hours. Perch are biting on Luna Pier Beach in 20-feet of water, near Stony Point, the E-buoy, buoys 1 and 2 and near West Sister Island. Shiners and minnows are hot baits. Walleye are biting on minnows and hard baits off of Brest Bay.

Information providers: Blue Water Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores, and Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac.

East:

AAA Tip: Sanford Lake west of M-30 in Midland County under US-10. Due to construction on the bridge, boat traffic underneath will be limited to a single channel now through the winter months. The channel will be clearly marked but may vary.

Off of Port Huron near the break wall Kings are decent and of good size. Steelhead and brown trout fishing has picked up and should be good through the winter months. Good action for Kings on Mill Creek. The water is very clear and plenty of good fishing taking place. Small mouth bass anglers are doing well when shore fishing using two jigs and bouncing off rocks.

Port Sanilac Harbor has a few silver fish to be had, and in the Lexington Harbor, perch and silver fish are decent.

Bay Port anglers are finding that fish are scattered, a few walleye and some small sized perch can be pulled in around Sand Point. The Bay Port public access launch is closed.

In Harbor Beach the fall walleye bite is on and anglers are doing the best during the evening hours with night crawlers. Lake Huron and inside the Harbor salmon are still biting on spawn and Cleo’s.

St. Clair area it seems that anglers there are more interested in hunting than fishing this week and minimal activity is taking place.

Information providers: Angler’s Rod & Sport-St. Clair; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Great Lake Outfitters-Port Huron, and 1st & Main-Bay Port.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Owen Sound Sun Times, Ontario,CA
 
One Meaford-area commercial bait fisherman was fined $1,000 and another received a suspended sentence for moving bait fish that may have been infected with the fish disease viral hemorrhagic septicemia.

Bradley Wass, 49, was fined and Kenneth Wass, 21, received a suspended sentence after they both pleaded guilty to violating conditions of their commercial bait licence, the Ministry of Natural Resources said in a news release.

Justice of the Peace Bridgette Forster heard the case in Provincial Offences Court in Walkerton on Sept. 9.

The court heard that in October 2007 the men caught more than 1,000 litres of spottail shiners in the Bighead River, where viral hemorrhagic septicemia has been detected. VHS is harmless to humans but kills fish through internal organ failure.

They transported the fish to West Grey, where the disease has not been detected, the MNR says.

The disease, which affects a number of species including spottail shiners, may be spread by moving fish, water, vessels or equipment that has had contact with the virus, the MNR said.

To slow the spread of this disease in Ontario, the MNR established a management zone containing Ontario's virus-positive waters. Moving live bait fish from this zone to a disease-free zone is banned because it creates a serious risk that the virus will spread, the news release said.

Tens of thousands of fish infected with VHS have been found dead in Lake Ontario and Lake Huron. The virus mutated to exist in freshwater fish after its discovery first in saltwater fish in Europe.

About 20 Ontario fish ladders, including local ladders, were closed for a week in March 2007, then reopened, amid howls of protest from anglers and fishing clubs that doing so wouldn't stop the spread of a new threat to fish in the lower Great Lakes.

Source:

http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1222362

East:

AAA Tip: Sanford Lake west of M-30 in Midland County under US-10. Due to construction on the bridge, boat traffic underneath will be limited to a single channel now through the winter months. The channel will be clearly marked but may vary.

Off of Linwood, Saginaw Bay is providing nice catches of perch on minnows in 20-24 feet of water. Walleye action is good at the mouth of the Kawkawlin River and near buoy’s 1 and 2.

Anglers fishing off of Bay City and Quanicassee will find good action on Saginaw Bay in 6-8 feet of water for perch.

Angling activity in the Bay Port area is slow, but anglers that are getting out will find some walleye action just past North Island on Saginaw Bay. As a reminder, the Bay Port public access launch is closed.

Harbor Beach fishing is good on both Lake Huron and within the Harbor for salmon and perch. Salmon are hitting on spawn bags and Cleo’s, while perch are biting on minnows and crawlers. Anglers are anxiously awaiting the fall walleye bite.

Off of Lexington and Port Sanilac silver bass and pike are biting in good numbers out on Lake Huron.

Port Huron anglers are doing well for perch around Metcalf Road and near the buoys in the Lake in 15-feet of water. Out from shore off of the city building, salmon and steelhead action is good when using redeye spoons and walleye are biting at night. The mouth of the Black River is producing good numbers of silver bass and steelhead.

In the St. Clair area, the Saginaw River is plentiful for walleye and perch using crawler harnesses or minnows.

Information providers: Angler’s Rod & Sport-St. Clair; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Great Lake Outfitters-Port Huron; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City and 1st & Main-Bay Port.

Southeast:

Downriver anglers are experiencing very good fishing conditions. Perch are biting like crazy at the mouth of the Huron River and into Lake Erie, off of Rat Island in 13-feet of water, off of Point Mouille and in and around the channels off of the Metro Park Marina. Perch activity is good all around the east side of Grosse Ile in 8-15 feet of water and throughout the channels. The mouth of the Detroit River is giving up plenty of perch as well. Anglers will need to do plenty of sorting but will find plenty of keepers in the 8-11-inch range. Trout are becoming active in the Huron River on minnows. Walleye action is back on for the fall feed. Anglers are hand lining and trolling on the lower Trenton Channel with Rapalas and the hot color is pot steel. Walleye action is great on the bottom end of the Detroit River around Horse Island Flats (front of Erie Metro Park) in 8-10 feet of water while drifting with crawler harnesses.

Around the Fairhaven area, Goose Bay is a hot spot for nice perch action on minnows. Perch are biting between Grass Island to the Pointe in New Baltimore and also off of the Pointe in Fair Haven.

Off the St. Clair Shores area, perch activity is very good in the morning and evening hours. Best locations include near the shipping channels, off of the St. Clair Lighthouse, off of the Crescent Sail Yacht Club and around most of the buoys. Anglers headed over to the Canadian side can expect very good perch action with dead large shiners. Most perch are keepers in the 8-10 inch range. Perch are biting on the Detroit River near the Belle Isle Coast Guard Station, further down near the Ambassador Bridge and out in front of Great Lakes Steel Boat Club.

Near the Belleville area, Ford Lake is giving up nice catches of blue gill, crappie and walleye as well as lots of small size large mouth bass. Belleville Lake has some nice fishing for crappie, walleye and sporadic small and large mouth bass. A variety of baits are working well that include spinners, pink jigs, green or neon night crawlers, Twister Tails, and the popular Roadrunner. Catfish are biting on night crawlers, fatheads, and 6-8 inch river minnows. A few pike are also biting on river minnows.

Information providers: Blue Water Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Contact:  Aiden McLearon 517-641-4903, ext. 225

Sept. 25, 2008
With the advent of the fall hunting seasons, and as the firearm deer season draws near, now is the time for hunters to sight in their bows, rifles and shotguns at one of the Department of Natural Resources' staff-operated shooting ranges.

The DNR oversees six shooting ranges in southern Michigan, including the Rose Lake Shooting Range in Bath (Clinton County); Sharonville Shooting Range in Grass Lake (Jackson County); Island Lake Shooting Range in Brighton (Livingston County); Ortonville Shooting Range in Ortonville (Lapeer County); Bald Mountain Shooting Range in Lake Orion (Oakland County) and Pontiac Lake Shooting Range in Waterford (Oakland County). An archery range is not available at Island Lake or Ortonville. Click here for hours and locations.

During October, the ranges are open six days a week, closed Tuesdays. From Nov. 1-15, the ranges are open daily.

Hours at the Bald Mountain, Pontiac Lake and Ortonville ranges are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Rose Lake and Sharonville ranges.

Range fees at Bald Mountain, Pontiac Lake and Ortonville are $4 per day for each shooter age 16 and older. Children under 16 are free. Rose Lake and Sharonville have no fee. The Island Lake Shooting Range is operated under contact by Michigan Shooting Centers, LCC. Please contact Island Lake for hours and fees at (248) 437-2784.

For more information on DNR-operated shooting ranges, please call the ranges. The telephone numbers are:

• Bald Mountain - (248) 693-0567
• Island Lake - (248) 437-2784
• Ortonville - (248) 627-5569
• Pontiac Lake - (248) 666-5406
• Rose Lake - (517) 641-7801
• Sharonville - (734) 428-8035
Information about the DNR shooting ranges, and other public and private shooting ranges, can be found on the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr under Law Enforcement, and then click on Shooting Ranges on the menu on the left side of the page.

Shooters are reminded to bring eye and ear protection and approved paper targets with either a bull's-eye pattern or a depiction of legal game. Shooters under age 16 must be supervised by an adult.

All motor vehicles entering a state park or recreation area must display a Motor Vehicle Permit, available for purchase at the park entrance. Cost is $24 for a resident annual and $6 for a resident daily. A nonresident annual is $29 and a nonresident daily is $8.
Click here for entire article:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10371_10402-200674--,00.html

East:

AAA Tip: Sanford Lake west of M-30 in Midland County under US-10. Due to construction on the bridge, boat traffic underneath will be limited to a single channel now through the winter months. The channel will be clearly marked but may vary.

Saginaw Bay is producing plentiful perch off of Bay City and Quanicassee in 7-11 feet of water and east of the Spark Plug in 16-17 feet of water. Other good locations include the shipping channels and around buoys 18 and 19. Anglers are using perch minnows with good results.

Bay Port anglers are experiencing minimal angling activity this week. Mainly due to heavy north winds creating rough waters. Walleye and perch are scattered and perch are limited. As a reminder, the Bay Port public access launch is closed.

Fishing is good on Harbor Beach for salmon thanks to cooler temperatures and rain helping to bring them in. Colored spoons are working well out on the Lake as well as in the Harbor. Perch are biting on minnows.

Information providers: Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City and 1st & Main-Bay Port.

Southeast:

Straight out from the Monroe area, weather conditions have slowed anglers from getting out and the algae on Lake Erie is pretty thick floating on the water. Perch action remains good around Stony Point, West Sister Island, C-Can, 1 and 2 buoys near the river, Pointe Mouille, the Banana Dyke and around the Sputnik Buoy. Good activity continues for perch between Sterling State Park and Bolles Harbor. The perch hot spot is in Canadian waters around Chandlerville. Be sure to have a Canadian fishing license before dropping a line and know the new rules on live bait.

Fairhaven anglers are doing well on blue gill out of Anchor Bay near Grass Island using minnows. Perch action is picking up around Harsens Island and anglers are using 50% minnows and 50% crawlers with good results.

St. Clair Shores anglers are pulling in some big musky near the south shore. On Lake St. Clair the perch are starting to pick up near the mouth of the Detroit River, off of Grosse Pointe Yacht Club and around the shipping channels. Anglers are using minnows with good results. Perch are ranging between 10-11 inches. Walleye action is back on and anglers are jigging near the Dumping Grounds and fish are biting around Belle Isle, the Sand Pile and off of Peche Island in Canadian waters.

Belleville Lake is producing good numbers of white bass on small flat heads. Anglers are limiting out in short timeframe. Crappie biting on minnows and walleye are hitting on Hot-N-Tots near the bridges while trolling. Blue gill are hanging out around the Rawsonville Launch and ranging between 10-11 inches. Blue Channel Cats are biting on chicken livers, night crawlers or minnows. Ford Lake is giving up ample counts of walleye and large mouth bass.

From Wyandotte to Flat Rock anglers can find perch around most any island off of Lake Erie and the Detroit River. Perch rigs and shiner minnows work best. Walleye have switched to hitting on minnows and going strong for the fall feed. Bass are doing well on crayfish and artificial baits.

Fishing is slow in the Algonac area due to weather conditions.

Information providers: Blue Water Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

Southeast:

Algonac angling is much improved after last week’s rain. Water clarity has improved. Lake St. Clair is producing fair catches of perch in deeper waters. Catfish activity is good all over the Lake.

Muskie action is good around the St. Clair Shores area. Some big fish in the 31-32 pound range have been caught using brown and natural colored baits. Yellow belly perch are doing well on Lake St. Clair near the Thames River. Walleye are still active on the Detroit River on both the American and Canadian sides. Anglers are hand lining and jigging. The St. Clair River is also good for walleye action near the Coast Guard Station.

Flat Rock, Huron, and Gibraltar the perch action is good. The two buoys just outside of the Metro Park Marina is a hot location. Walleye are biting throughout the channels and cuts of Humbug Marsh during the evening hours jigging and hand lining.

Off of the Monroe area good action for perch around Stony Pointe, West Sister Island, E-Buoy, near the shipping channels, Pointe Mouille and further south around Toledo Beach in 19-20 feet of water and near the Sputnik Buoy. Limits of perch are being caught between Sterling State Park and Bolles Harbor.

Information providers: Blue Water Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores, and Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac.

East:

AAA Tip: Sanford Lake west of M-30 in Midland County under US-10. Due to construction on the bridge, boat traffic underneath will be limited to a single channel now through the winter months. The channel will be clearly marked but may vary.

Bay City fishing is much improved over last week. Perch is picking up off of Quanicassee straight out, and just west of the channel, and east of the Spark Plug in 17-feet of water. No fall walleye bite as of yet.

Bay Port angling has improved with walleye becoming active off of Sebewaing. Plenty of walleye activity taking place behind North Island, just a couple miles off of Bay Port. Don’t forget anglers, the Bay Port public access launch is closed.

Harbor Beach area anglers are doing well for perch inside the Harbor with minnows. Salmon are moving towards the shallow waters and jumping like crazy in 35-40 feet. Body baits and spoons are working best. Walleye are biting on night crawlers and crawler harnesses in 55-feet of water. Spoons are working well on steelhead in 65-feet of water.

In the Port Huron area perch fishing is starting to pick up as cooler waters set in. Off of Port Sanilac Kings are hitting in 30-35 feet of water on J-plugs and silver streak. Walleye activity is spotty due to dirty water on the American side fish are biting more on the Canadian side. North of the Black River some nice sized King salmon are hitting on Red Eye spoons.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; 1st & Main-Bay Port, and Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

The sun is shining and the water is finally clear from all the rain, so it is the perfect time to go fishing.  In Lake St. Clair, perch fishing is fair in the deeper water.  Also, they are still catching catfish everywhere in the lake.  

In Lake Erie, they are catching limits of perch from Sterling State park to Bolles Harbor.

East:

AAA Tip: Sanford Lake west of M-30 in Midland County under US-10. Due to construction on the bridge, boat traffic underneath will be limited to a single channel now through the winter months. The channel will be clearly marked but may vary.

Bay City anglers are just starting to get back out to fish today due to adverse weather conditions and rough water the last few days. Perch are hit or miss at the mouth of the Saginaw River, near the first Spark Plug and around Linwood. Walleye are scattered and hard to get right now.

Bay Port anglers have had there fair share of rain and rough waters causing for slow angling activity. And the Bay Port public access launch is closed as well causing for additional inactivity. Action should start improving by the weekend as the weather pattern changes for the better. Anglers getting out are finding that fish are in deeper water and anglers need to work hard to find them. Linwood area, walleye activity is slow, salmon action is decent out of Lake Huron and some perch are being caught in 19-21 feet of water, however anglers are having to work hard to find the fish.

Information providers: Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; 1st & Main-Bay Port, and Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood.

Southeast:

In the Algonac area, anglers are not fishing as of yet, mostly due to the recent weather conditions earlier this week. The rain and wind has stirred up the water so much causing it to be very dirty. Best bet before heading out this weekend call your local bait shop to verify the clarity of the water.

St. Clair Shores anglers are finding minimal angling opportunities this week due to muddy waters from recent storms. Good weather is in the forecast and conditions should be much improved by the weekend.

Downriver anglers had a lull earlier in the week thanks to rain and some windy conditions. Perch action is starting to pick back up around Metro Park Marina, and Sugar Island, as well as up and down the Detroit River.

Near Monroe limited fishing taking place this week due to rain and windy conditions causing for rough and murky waters. A few boats ventured out yesterday but it will take a day or two for the fishing activity to pick back up.

In the Belleville area, the recent weather snap has cooled the water temperature causing walleye activity to slow down on Ford Lake. Belleville Lake continues to give up decent crappie and small mouth bass. Wax worms, minnows and jumbo pan fish worms are working ok.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside-St. Clair Shores; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Mark Modrak of China Township took the individual lead and Michigan was tops in the six-state team event after the first day of competition in the Bass Federation's Northern Divisional Championship on Lake St. Clair.

Modrak caught five fish totaling 22 pounds, 4 ounces, while Nicholas Smyers of Franksville, Wis., was second at 21 pounds, 11 ounces.

Michigan's 12-man contingent totaled 170 pounds, 3 ounces for a huge lead over Indiana, which was second with 125 pounds, 12 ounces.

The tournament runs through Friday from the Selfridge DNR Ramp (Clinton River Access) in Clinton Township. The public is invited to watch the takeoffs (6 a.m.) or weigh-ins (2:30 p.m.). Admission is free.

Anglers are competing both individually and as state teams in an effort to qualify for the Bass Federation National Championship. The top three state teams will be awarded trophies and cash prizes. The top-finishing angler from each team will advance as a boater to the 2009 TBF National Championship. The No. 2 competitor from each state team will advance as a co-angler.

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080911/SPORTS10/809110365/1058

Click here for an interesting story on Urban Fishing.

Store:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/travel/escapes/12Fish.html?ex=1378958400&en=be8b1df6b71f3e70&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Photos:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/09/10/travel/escapes/0912-FISH_index.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Southeast:

Algonac anglers are finding a few walleye at the end of the Middle Channel, around buoy 19 and near the Cutoff. Perch can be found near the Firecracker and South Channel lighthouses. Anchor Bay is still spotty for perch. Pike, walleye, catfish and bass are being caught in the channels. The North Channel is giving up a few sturgeon and if you are fishing more towards the south, Lake Erie is hopping with perch biting on Emerald Shiners.

Off of the Fair Haven area, some bass are decent around Grass Island and a few perch are biting off of Harsens Island on minnows.

Off of the St. Clair Shores area, perch are sporadic, best bet is off the Nine Mile tower and the South Channel around buoys 29 and 30. Anglers jigging on the Detroit River will find plenty of action for bass, sheep head and white perch, along with a few walleye.

Wyandotte to Flat Rock and south towards the Ohio border perch are hot on the Detroit River, Lake Erie and the Huron River. Sugar Island is a great hot spot with best action is 24-25 feet of water on minnows. Walleye are still biting on the Trenton Channel and around the Detroit Light.

Off of the Monroe area perch are really hot around Stony Point, the two stacks near the Raisin River, out in front of the Fermi Plant, near the dumping grounds, and further out near Ohio waters off of the Sputnik buoy, Turnaround buoy, and near the Camp Perry Range near the E-Can. Walleye activity is spotty but a few are being pulled out around West Sister Island in 26-30 feet of water and near the water intake. Shiners are the hot bait.

Fishing in Belleville is very good. Anglers are doing well on both Ford and Belleville lakes for crappie, blue gill, walleye and bass. No specific location fish are being caught all over the lakes, with night crawlers, leeches and wax worms working well.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside-St. Clair Shores; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

Near Bay City perch are active around Callahan Reef the Black Hole and Buoys 18 and 19. Walleye action remains great north of Buoys 1 and 2 in deeper water and also in 6-7 feet of water around Callahan Reef.

Around the Bay Port area crawler harnesses and Hot-N-Tots seem to be working on fair catches of walleye. The fish are in deeper water and are scattered. As a note, the Bay Port public access launch is closed and will be open by duck hunting season.

Harbor Beach anglers are finding a few salmon near the shore by small boat, and near the break walls. Some good walleye and perch fishing is taking place in 45-50 feet of water. Shiners are the bait of choice.

Near the St. Clair area, fishing activity is picking up and many anglers are chugging for walleye.

Information providers: Angler’s Rod & Sport-St. Clair; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; 1st & Main-Bay Port and Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

APHIS has published the VHS Interim Rule in the Federal Register, and updated the documents defining species and areas affected by the Interim Rule.

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_dis_spec/aquaculture/

We have also placed a Q&A document on the VHS Interim Rule under "In the News" on the APHIS web site:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/

There is a 60 day comment period on the rule; however the rule will go into effect on November 10, 2008 as currently written.  We will take comments into consideration when we finalize the rule at a future date.

Thank you,

Gary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
P. Gary Egrie, VMD
Senior Staff Veterinary Medical Officer, Aquaculture Program
United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
4700 River Road, Unit 46
Riverdale, MD 20737
(301) 734-0695 (Office)
(301) 734-4982 (Fax)
(240) 460-5986 (Cell)

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• A few walleyes are being caught in the Middle and South Channels.
• Bass fishing is still good all over the lake.
• Perch fishing is spotty. Most are being caught in the deep water in the lake.
• Muskie fishing is still good.
• They are still catching cat fish in the South and Middle channel.
• In Lake Erie the perch fishing is really hot. Most people are catching the perch with Emerald Shiners. The following bait stores in Lake Erie currently are selling Emerald Shiners: State Park Party Store, Erie Park Party Store, and Riverfront Fishing Cleaning

Michigan's First Case of Chronic Wasting Disease Detected at Kent County Deer Breeding Facility

Contact: Bridget Patrick (MDA) or Mary Dettloff (DNR) 517-241-2669 or 517-335-3014
Agency: Natural Resources
August 25, 2008
LANSING - The Michigan departments of Agriculture (MDA) and Natural Resources (DNR) today confirmed the state's first case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a three-year old white-tailed deer from a privately owned cervid (POC) facility in Kent County.

The state has quarantined all POC facilities, prohibiting the movement of all - dead or alive - privately-owned deer, elk or moose. Officials do not yet know how the deer may have contracted the disease. To date, there is no evidence that CWD presents a risk to humans.

DNR and MDA staff are currently reviewing records from the Kent County facility and five others to trace deer that have been purchased, sold or moved by the owners in the last five years for deer and the last seven years for elk. Any deer that may have come in contact with the CWD-positive herd have been traced to their current location and those facilities have been quarantined.

"Michigan's veterinarians and wildlife experts have been working throughout the weekend to complete their investigation," said Don Koivisto, MDA director. "We take this disease very seriously, and are using every resource available to us to implement response measures and stop the spread of this disease."

CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk and moose. Most cases of the disease have been in western states, but in the past several years, it has spread to some midwestern and eastern states. Infected animals display abnormal behaviors, progressive weight loss and physical debilitation.

Current evidence suggests that the disease is transmitted through infectious, self-multiplying proteins (prions) contained in saliva and other fluids of infected animals. Susceptible animals can acquire CWD by direct exposure to these fluids or also from contaminated environments. Once contaminated, research suggests that soil can remain a source of infection for long periods of time, making CWD a particularly difficult disease to eradicate.

Michigan's First Case of Chronic Wasting Disease Detected at Kent County Deer Breeding Facility: "Currently, one of our top concerns is to confirm that the disease is not in free-ranging deer," said DNR Director Rebecca Humphries. "We are asking hunters this fall to assist us by visiting check stations to allow us to take biological samples from the deer they harvest, so we can perform adequate surveillance of the free-ranging white-tailed deer herd in the area."

Deer hunters this fall who take deer from Tyrone, Solon, Nelson, Sparta, Algoma, Courtland, Alpine, Plainfield, and Cannon townships will be required to bring their deer to a DNR check station. Deer taken in these townships are subject to mandatory deer check.

The DNR is also asking hunters who are participating in the private land five-day antlerless hunt in September in other parts of Kent County to visit DNR check stations in Kent County so further biological samples can be taken from free-ranging deer for testing. The DNR is in the process of finding additional locations for check stations in Kent County to make it more convenient for hunters.

The deer that tested positive at the Kent County facility was a doe that had been recently culled by the owner of the facility. Michigan law requires sick deer or culled deer on a POC facility be tested for disease. The samples from the Kent County deer tested "suspect positive" last week at Michigan State University Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health, and were sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa last Thursday for confirmatory testing. The positive results of those tests were communicated to the state of Michigan today.

Audits of the facility by the DNR in 2004 and 2007 showed no escapes of animals from the Kent County facility were reported by the owner. Also, there were no violations of regulations recorded during the audits.

Since 2002, the DNR has tested 248 wild deer in Kent County for CWD. In summer 2005, a number of those deer had displayed neurological symptoms similar to CWD; however, after testing it was determined the deer had contracted Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

More information on CWD is available on Michigan's Emerging Diseases Web site at
www.michigan.gov/chronicwastingdisease.

At discussion about this matter can be found at

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=248252.

Southeast:

Anglers fishing in the downriver area are finding great perch action off of Flat Rock, Trenton, Gibraltar and Grosse Ile. Just off Sugar Island and the mouth of Lake Erie is a great location as well as the Detroit River around Celeron Island in 25-feet of water. Rat Island continues to be a hot spot for perch on Lake Erie. Minnows are the bait of choice.

Between Estral and Detroit Beach, Stony Point is offering up good perch action on Lake Erie. To the south perch are biting on minnows near the Turnaround Buoy in Ohio waters. Walleye action is good out from the Raisin River in 25-feet and south near the water intake near Toledo. Fish are active in deep water on crawler harnesses.

Fair Haven angling is good for bass, fair to good for walleye and fair on perch. Crawler harnesses are doing the job on walleye when fishing off of Grass Island while minnows are the choice for perch.

Good action around St.Clair Shores where walleye are active throughout the day on Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River off of Peach Island, and jigs seems to be working well. Perch minnows are doing the trick on musky in 12-20 feet of water near the St. Clair Light.

In the Belleville area, Ford and Belleville lakes are giving up very good catches of crappie and blue gill on night crawlers, and bass on leeches.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside-St. Clair Shores and South Street Tackle-Belleville

East:

In the Linwood area the perch fishing is good on Saginaw Bay in 19-21 feet of water. Walleye activity is slow and salmon action is rated fair.

Off of Bay City, anglers are pulling in some really nice perch around the Black Hole and Buoys 18 and 19 on minnows in 17-feet of water. Hot-n-Tots are working well for some good catches of walleye just north of Buoys 1 and 2 in deep water.

Angling action around Bay Port ranges between fair to good for walleye and perch. Best location for walleye is between Sand Point and North Island in Wild Fowl Bay. Anglers are finding good results using crawlers and chartreuse Hot-n-Tots and fishing in 20-feet of water. Perch are hitting on minnows off of the Sebewaing area.

Port Huron anglers are reeling in good numbers of catfish on crawlers near Lighthouse Beach. Fair activity for perch is taking place in deep waters around Port Sanilac in 30-40 feet of water just north of the harbor, off of Lexington state Park, and Buoy #5 off of Port Huron. The Belle River is fair for King salmon on spoons and Rebel Rousers.

Information providers: Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Michigan Sportsman-Essexville; 1st & Main-Bay Port, and Great Lake Outfitters-Port Huron.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

The perch are biting in Lake Erie on Emerald Shiners. 

The following bait stores in Lake Erie currently are selling Emerald Shiners:

State Park Party Store
Erie Park Party Store
Riverfront Fishing Cleaning

BY ERIC SHARP • FREE PRESS OUTDOORS WRITER • AUGUST 29, 2008

About 20 dead deer found by kayakers and canoeists along a six-mile stretch of the Clinton River centered on Bloomer Park in Rochester were not infected with chronic wasting disease or any other wildlife disease they have been able to identify, Department of Natural Resources officials said Thursday.

Tim Payne, a biologist for the DNR wildlife division in Southfield, said the deer apparently started dying about three weeks ago but that no freshly dead deer had been found in the past week.

"We sent three of the (carcasses) to our lab in Lansing, but only one of them was really fresh enough for a definitive necropsy," Payne said. "Two people saw deer die in front of them. Something obviously has affected them, but we don't know what it is yet."

The deaths preceded by a few days an announcement that chronic wasting disease -- a fatal deer ailment previously unknown in Michigan -- had been found in a deer on a private breeding ranch in Kent County.

Injured deer commonly develop fevers and stay near water after they have been hit by a car or a bullet. But Tom Cooley, the DNR's epidemiological veterinarian, said there was no evidence of those kinds of trauma in the deer he necropsied.

He said tests completed so far also have ruled out ailments like CWD, eastern equine encephalitis, West Nile virus, several hemorrhagic diseases and poisoning.

Cooley said the cause of death for one buck was clear -- a fractured skull...

Click here for entire article:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080829/SPORTS10/808290321/1058

Southeast:

All around Algonac a variety of fish are being caught in the channels. Sturgeon action is still good around Pearl Beach, and off of the St. Clair Light some really nice catches of perch and walleye are being reeled in. Some musky action is taking place on Lake St. Clair. Angling action around the firecracker and on Anchor Bay has slowed down.

From Wyandotte to Rockwood the perch action is hot on the Detroit River especially east of Celeron Island, both sides of the Cross Dyke, around Sugar Island and the Metro Park Marina. Perch activity is also great on the Huron River and south of Rat Island. Walleye activity is good on the Raisin River, the lower Trenton Channel of the Detroit River. Hot spots include in front of Humbug Marsh, south of the Detroit Light, all around Celeron Island, and between Toledo Beach and the Dumping Grounds.

Near the Monroe area, perch action is starting to pick up off of Bolles Harbor, Stoney Point, and the E-buoy in 26-28 feet of water.

A little further to the south, Lake Erie anglers will find the perch hitting around Turtle Island and Toledo Beach, as well as off of the Sputnik and McDonald buoys. Walleye activity is decent near Turtle Island and off of West Sister Island in 30-feet of water.

In the Fair Haven area, not much has changed from last week with walleye and perch still active around Grass Island. Crawlers remain the bait of choice for angling activity on Anchor Bay for nice quantities of small and large mouth bass.

In the St. Clair Shores area, walleye, bass, catfish and musky are abundant on Lake St. Clair in 70-80 feet of water. Best activity is taking place north of the St. Clair Light. Night crawlers, Hot-n-Tots, and River Warts are working well.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside-St. Clair Shores and Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac.

East:

Around Essexville and the Bay City area, the walleye may not be biting, but the perch are hitting on minnows around the west and east side of the Spark Plug.

Around Linwood, the walleye have moved off to the deeper waters on Saginaw Bay. Perch action is good near the shipping channels. Lake Huron is starting to give up nice catches of salmon.

Off of Harbor Beach, Lake Huron is producing decent perch catches on shiners. Walleye are being caught further out in deeper waters, and salmon action is picking up.

Information providers: Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Michigan Sportsman-Essexville and Frank’s Place-Harbor Beach.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Upper Peninsula Forest Planning Process: Press Release
Calkins Bridge Dam on the Kalamazoo River: Press Release
Black Bear Management Plan: Press Release
Salmon Bag Limits: Press Release Frequently Asked Questions
Fishing Line Increase: Press Release Frequently Asked Questions
NLP/SLP Regional State Forest Management Plan: Northern Lower Peninsula Ecoregion
WUP Regional State Forest Management Plan: Western Upper Peninsula Ecoregion

Source: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153--191030--,00.html

Lake Erie - Walleye fishing was good in recent days with fish caught off Bolles Harbor. Most anglers are slow trolling with bottom bouncers around the E Buoy. Perch fishing was fair with fish caught near Stony Point when using minnows. Some nice largemouth bass were caught on jigs near the mouth of the River Raisin.

Huron River - Smallmouth action has picked up over the last week. Anglers are using leeches and crayfish. Largemouth bass are hitting on crawlers. Carp and freshwater drum are still being caught.

Detroit River - Walleye fishing was fair in the Trenton Channel. Some are back to jigging with a worm or leech while others are still trolling or drifting a bottom bouncer with a crawler harness. Perch were caught in the weedbeds in the lower river.

Lake St. Clair - Continues to provide excellent muskie fishing.

Lexington - Boat anglers were marking perch around the weedbeds but no bite.

Grindstone City - Boats trolling for lake trout are heading out to waters 150 feet deep. Try spoons or plugs.

Port Austin - Walleye anglers are heading back west toward the reefs. Smallmouth bass were also caught. Those trolling for lake trout are doing best northeast of the port in 130 to 150 feet of water.

Saginaw Bay - Walleyes are still hitting east and northeast of the Spark Plug in 19 to 23 feet of water and north of Quanicassee in 13 to 15 feet of water. Very good walleye fishing was reported from 30 feet of water east of Eagle Bay Marina, formally known as Great Lakes Marina. Heading northwest off Sebewaing, a few walleye were caught over the Bar. Perch were hit-and-miss, but some were caught around the Black Hole northeast of Linwood and north of the Quanicassee River.

Click here for the entire DNR fishing report:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-34956--,00.html

Southeast:

Around the Algonac area small mouth bass continue to hit in Lake St. Clair and Anchor Bay on live bait. Perch action remains slow for anglers fishing Anchor Bay. Sturgeon action is good, while only a few walleye are hitting in the Middle, North and South Channels.

Around the Fair Haven area, walleye and perch are active near Grass Island and the walleye are biting on crawler harnesses. Anglers fishing anywhere on Anchor Bay are coming up with great catches of small and large mouth bass. Crawlers are working very well.

Around the Downriver area, the Detroit River is really starting to pick up for catfish from the lower end all the way up to the St. Clair Shores area. A variety of bait is working on catfish. Walleye activity is decent from the lower Trenton channel, mouth of the Detroit River and off of the Monroe and Flat Rock areas. Bottom bouncers, night crawlers and glow in the dark lures seem to be working best. Perch action on minnows is good on the lower Trenton Channel, around Celeron Island, throughout Gibraltar in most cuts and channels, off of Metro Park, the south side of the cross-dyke and off of Rat Island.

Off of the Monroe area, windy conditions and rough waters curtailed some anglers from getting out this week. Walleye activity has slowed a bit, but anglers can still reel in a few from out in front of the Fermi Power Plant in waters averaging 24-feet. Steady action for perch this week, best locations include near the Sputnik buoy, E-buoy, Luna Pier, Stony Point, and off of Toledo Beach in 16-17 feet of water and lined up with the water towers as well as right on the Michigan/Ohio line.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; and Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac.

East:

In the Linwood area, Saginaw Bay is giving up some walleye on a variety of baits and anglers are finding best results in deeper waters. Perch remain constant again this week in the shipping channels in 19-21 feet of water, south of the Black Hole. Salmon action on Lake Huron is picking up particularly for anglers fishing off the wreck, around Presque Isle, and off of Rogers City.

Around Bay City, Callahan Reef is giving up a few walleye and perch action is decent around buoy’s 18 and 19 and near the Black Hole.

Salmon activity around Harbor Beach is picking up especially south of the wall and when fishing down 20-30 feet.

Information providers: Frank’s Bait shop-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach, and Michigan Sportsman-Bay City.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

It's back to schools on Lake St. Clair
BY ERIC SHARP • FREE PRESS OUTDOORS WRITER • AUGUST 7, 2008

It's testimony to the amazingly increased water clarity in Lake St. Clair since the zebra mussels arrived about 20 years ago.

The jerkbaits we're using are running about six or seven feet down in 17 feet of water. The smallmouths are hanging out just above the cabbage weed on the bottom.

Yet the fish are able to see those lures coming and rocket up 10 feet to intercept them with strikes that feel like the lure has hit a wall.

"I think that most of the fish out here have never seen a lure," Dearborn bass guide Gerry Gostenik said as he watched Windsor angler Dave Isley work a four-pound smallmouth to the side of Gostenik's 21-foot Triton bass boat.

Reaching over the side to lip the fish and remove the hooks before releasing it, Gostenik said, "You can still catch smallmouths in the shallow water off the mile roads (at St. Clair Shores), but this time of year the big fish are roaming out here in deep water.

"I call these bass the Cabbage Patch Kids because that's where you find them. They're schooled up, but they're not everywhere. You sometimes have to move around some to find them, but when you do you can usually catch 20 or 30 before the bite stops."

Click here for entire article:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080807/SPORTS10/808070409/1058

Lake Erie - Has fair walleye fishing with most boats bringing in two or three fish per trip. Trolling bottom bouncers in 25 feet of water near the Fermi Plant and Stony Point was producing most of the fish. Perch were being caught in 18 feet of water off Stony Point and Bolles Harbor near the E Buoy. A few smallmouth were caught.

Huron River - Fishing has been slow. About the only thing biting is catfish, carp and freshwater drum. A few pike were caught on bluegills in the backwaters.

Detroit River - Catfish action continues to be good and a few perch have been caught. Walleye fishing has been fair to good. Anglers are using bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses in the Trenton Channel. Good colors were chartreuse, purple or anything that glows.

Lake St. Clair - Nice muskie have been caught when anglers can find clear waters to fish. The muskie is a sight feeder so the cleaner the water the better.

St. Clair River - Anglers are catching some walleye when trolling crawler harnesses with bottom bouncers.

Saginaw Bay - Walleye fishing has slowed considerably for the time being. Strong winds have stirred up the bay and floating weeds and algae were causing some problems with lines. Experienced anglers are reporting large quantities of forage fish showing up on their fish finders, and this may help account for the bite slowing down. A few perch were caught out near the Spark Plug and on the edge of the Black Hole.

Saginaw River - A few walleye are still being caught in the lower river by those trolling the edge of the shipping channel.

Click here for the entire DNR fishing report:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-34956--,00.html

Southeast:

Algonac anglers are catching plenty of bass in the channels and the perch fishing is on fire all over the lake. Some walleye are coming up on the lines while fishing for perch as well. Sturgeon activity is good in the evening hours throughout the channels however the fish are small and most anglers are catching and releasing.

Anchor Bay in the Fair Haven area is giving up some really nice quantities of small, large, and rock bass on spinners and golden shiners. Walleye and perch remain sporadic this week with anglers doing best when using minnows or small crawlers.

Off of the St. Clair Shores area, Lake St. Clair is producing good catches of walleye around the south channel and near the Canadian side.

Good action for perch In the Downriver area, hot spots include the south side of the cross-dyke, in front of Metro Park Marina, and on the Detroit River between Humbug Marsh and Celeron Island. Minnows are working well. Walleye action remains good in the lower Trenton Channel. Some decent perch action is taking place between Grosse Ile Yacht Club and Sugar Island.

Near the Monroe area, good walleye activity taking place in front of the Fermi Power Plant in 21-22 feet of water. Perch are hitting around the E-buoy and the dumping grounds on shiners and minnows. A little further south perch are active around Rat Island, the Sputnik buoy, and near the Michigan/Ohio line of the shipping channel; and walleye action is decent as well, but anglers are having to really work for them. Worms are working best on walleye.

Ford and Belleville Lake is giving up nice catches of blue gill, crappie, and catfish, with only a few walleye being caught. Leeches are doing the trick near the Township Park, all of the bridges, and near Huron River Drive near Ford Lake.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside-St. Clair Shores; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

Around the Linwood area, the walleye fishing remains strong and steady on Saginaw Bay. The fish have moved to deeper waters, and all types of baits are working well. Perch are active in the shipping channels in 19-21 feet of water south of the Black Hole. Salmon are decent on Lake Huron near Presque Isle.

In the Bay City area, on Saginaw Bay the walleye action has slowed a bit and fish are moving to deeper waters. Perch are just starting and the hot spot is near the Spark Plug. Saginaw River is giving up good catches of catfish and bass however fish are small in size.

In the Bay Port area, windy conditions are keeping anglers off the water for the most part. Anglers that are getting out are finding scattered catches of walleye and catfish.

In the Harbor Beach area good activity for walleye, steelhead and lake trout in front of the beach area on orange and pink lures. Anglers are finding that the perch are very scattered.

Information providers: Frank’s Bait shop-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City, and 1st & Main-Bay Port.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

If you enjoy the service you receive at Mackie's Bait and have a Google account, please click here to write a review.  

To submit a link to the new Links page please email webmaster@mackiesbait.com or complete the online form at Contact Us.

Do you own or sell exotic pets such as lizards, turtles, frogs, snakes, or iguanas?  If so, why don't you try feeding them fresh worms from Mackie's Bait?

Right now, we have night crawlers, green worms, and baby crawlers in stock.  If you own or manage a pet store and would be interested in bulk delivery of these items, please call 586-615-2889 for more information.  Remember, night crawlers are also an excellent and natural food source for birds, fish, koi, turtles and reptiles.

Lake Erie - Fishing has been slow with most anglers bringing in one or two walleye per trip. They are using bottom bouncers with crawlers in 23 to 25 feet of water near the Fermi Power Plant however anglers were catching more fish in Ohio waters. A few largemouth bass were caught near Bolles Harbor and the yellow perch action picked up with 20 fish per trip when fishing near Stony Point in 20 feet of water.

Huron River - Is still producing smallmouth bass, catfish, carp, freshwater drum and panfish. No word on steelhead for the past week.

Detroit River - Walleye were hitting with the warmer weather but may slow by the weekend. Bass fishing continues and some big carp have also been caught.

Lexington - For perch, drift in 18 to 25 feet of water to locate active schools of fish, then anchor. Inside the harbor, pier and shore anglers have caught northern pike, rock bass and bluegill.

Port Sanilac - Perch are still being caught by those drifting perch rigs with minnows or still-fishing with minnows.

Harbor Beach - Some perch were caught around the lighthouse and along the inside of the breakwall. Lake trout, steelhead and salmon have been caught in 80 to 100 feet of water.

Grindstone City - The experienced anglers are catching a lot of walleye and some smallmouth in 30 feet of water.

Port Austin - Anglers are taking walleye in 25 to 40 feet of water. Lake trout can be found in 80 to 100 feet of water north and northeast of the lighthouse. Pier anglers and those in small boats have caught a few perch inside the harbor.

Click here for the entire DNR fishing report:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-34956--,00.html

They are catching Sturgeon in the channels. Most people are catching them at night, but there are reports of a some being caught during the day.

Southeast:

Fair Haven is a hot spot for very good catches of bass all around Anchor Bay. Perch action is spotty around Grass Island and near the B-Buoy. The North Channel is decent for catfish.

In the St. Clair Shores area, anglers are finding the bass fishing very good in the early morning hours or just before dark. Lake St. Clair is giving up a few musky near the Canadian side. Perch action is good on crawlers again this week around Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, 9 Mile, Metro Beach and buoy’s 29 and 30. Fair to good activity is taking place for walleye on the Detroit River around Peche Island and up to Belle Isle. Anglers are jigging and hand lining.

In the Downriver area the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River is giving up good catches of walleye on jigs with a worm. Anglers are getting best results fishing near the edges of the weeds. Perch action is good on minnows off of Celeron, Rat and Sugar Islands when fishing in waters 8-15 feet deep. Throughout the cuts and channels around Grosse Ile the bass activity is good. Near the Flat Rock area, the Huron River is decent for catfish and bass when shore fishing and the mouth of the Detroit River is fair.

Off of the Monroe area, the walleye activity is rated fair on Lake Erie near buoys 26 and 29 and using crawler harnesses and spoons. Minnows are working well on perch near buoys 12 through 17 and near Toledo Beach.

Belleville Lake is good for blue gill on wax worms and fair for walleye when trolling with crank baits.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside-St. Clair Shores; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

In the Linwood area, walleye fishing is good in the deeper waters on Saginaw River and Bay. Crawlers and Hot-N-Tots are working well. In the channel and around the Black Hole, the perch action is good when using minnows.

Bay City anglers are finding good fishing activity four miles out from Quanicassee and around Thomas Reef using crawlers and Hot-N-Tots. Perch action is good on Saginaw Bay around buoy 18 and 19 when using minnows.

Near the Bay Port area, walleye activity has slowed a bit but persistent anglers using crawlers, minnows and Hot-N-Tots will reel in a few especially near the “gap”.

Around Harbor Beach the angling activity is very good for perch, particularly in 15-feet of water and when fishing the weed beds with minnows. Fair action is taking place for kings and lakers in waters up to 100-feet and decent action for walleye on crawler harnesses and jigs.

Around the St. Clair area, fair activity taking place for perch and walleye on minnows and crawlers while all other species seem to have slowed down.

Information providers: Angler’s Rod & Sport-St. Clair; Frank’s Bait shop-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City, and 1st & Main-Bay Port.


Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Summer surprise comes after heavy rains, snow
BY TINA LAM • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • AUGUST 4, 2008
After a parched summer last year that left docks stranded and boat propellers scraping sandy shallows, the Great Lakes are blissfully -- and surprisingly -- full again this year.

Heavy snow and rains since last winter have made the lakes rise. Scientists aren't sure whether this will last, but they're hopeful. The temperatures, moisture and ice cover next winter will be critical.

"If we get two more good, normal winters with normal precipitation, then we'd have a turnaround," said Cynthia Sellinger, deputy director of the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Lake Superior, which beat its 1926 record low last fall, rebounded to within 4 inches of its long-term average in July. Lakes Erie and Ontario are 2 and 4 inches, respectively, above their July averages.

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080804/NEWS05/808040343

Southeast:

Anglers on Anchor Bay in the Fair Haven area are reeling in good numbers of smallmouth bass. The bass are hitting on a variety of baits. The perch action is spotty by buoy “B” and on the west side of Grass Island. The perch are mainly hitting on minnows.

The musky fishing is good on Lake St. Clair, especially on the Canadian side of the lake. Musky anglers are also reeling in a few walleye. The bass fishing is very good pretty much anywhere on the lake. The perch fishing is good out from the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, 9 Mile and 10 Mile roads. Early mornings are the best times to be out for the perch.

The Detroit River near Wyandotte and Gibraltar is producing some very good bass fishing. The perch action is good around Sugar Island. Out on Lake Erie, the walleye fishing ranges from fair to good in front of the Fermi power plant and along the sputnik. The perch action is good between the “E” buoy and the “dumping grounds.” The walleye are hitting on crawlers, the perch prefer minnows as bait.

And at Belleville, the bluegill fishing is good on Belleville Lake, with both waxworms and leaf worms working well as bait. The bass fishing is fair on the lake, while the crappie fishing is slow.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside-St. Clair Shores; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

The perch action is improving on Saginaw Bay near Linwood. The best fishing is found along the edge of the shipping channel in water 20-23 feet deep. The walleye fishing is steady on the bay in water approximately 20 feet deep.

Out of the Bay City area, the walleye fishing is very good on Saginaw Bay. Early mornings are the best time to be out, with crawlers being the preferred bait. Anglers on the bay are also catching a few perch. The catfish and bass fishing on the Saginaw River is good.

Around Bay Port, the walleye fishing is very good a few miles west of North Island. The marble eyes are being caught with Hot-N-Tots or crawlers.

In the Harbor Beach area, the walleye fishing is good by the harbor. The walleye are hitting on crawler harnesses up to 55 feet below the surface, in water that is up to 65 feet deep. The lake trout and king salmon fishing is fair straight out from the harbor, in water 80 to 110 feet deep. The perch fishing is improving daily on Lake Huron between Wagner Park and Deckerville Rd. The perch are hitting on minnows, in water 24 to 35 feet deep. The bass fishing is good in the shallows along the Lake Huron shoreline from Grindstone City to Harbor Beach.

On Lake Huron north of Port Sanilac, good numbers of perch are being caught in water 22-25 feet deep. Around Lexington, by the state park, the perch action is also decent.

By Port Huron, the walleye fishing is improving on the St. Clair River. The silver bass fishing is very good at the mouth of the Black River. Minnows are working well as bait.

And from St. Clair to Marine City the bass fishing is good on the St. Clair River, the perch action is fair.

Information providers: Angler’s Rod & Sport-St. Clair; Frank’s Bait shop-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Great Lake Outfitters-Port Huron; and Michigan Sportsman-Bay City.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

DNR has investigated release of sediment from ranch near Vanderbilt into the Pigeon River.
Gary Heinlein / Detroit News Lansing Bureau
LANSING -- Department of Natural Resources officials will meet this week with the Attorney General's Office over a fish kill on the Pigeon River caused by a massive release of sediment from an impoundment on a private ranch near Vanderbilt.

The release occurred the night of June 22, when a gate was opened on a dam at Song of the Morning Ranch, a private yoga center, DNR officials said.

Within three days, an array of stream fish that included chubs, white suckers, shiners, 62 brown trout, 25 brook trout and three rainbow trout had been killed by black sediments that flowed down the river. Forty of the brown trout were more than a foot long, said DNR spokeswoman Mary Dettloff.

"The sediment gets into their gills and basically suffocates them," Dettloff said.

DNR Fisheries Division Chief Kelly Smith said that since then, DNR investigators have performed a "full river assessment" to gather data about the amount of sediment released and the number of fish that were killed.

He said the agency is putting together the numbers now to determine how the incident compares to a 1984 fish kill when the same dam was opened at the same ranch.

In that incident, tons of silt swept down the river when the dam's gates were opened for cleaning.

Click here for entire article:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080728/METRO/807280370/1409/METRO

Southeast:

The Detroit River continues to give up good walleye counts in 8-16 feet of water near the Detroit lighthouse, off of Banana Island and the mouth of the Detroit River. Lake Erie Metro Park, Sugar Island, and either side of Celeron are hot locations as well. Anglers are using crawler harnesses, hand lining, and trolling with spoons or Rapalas. Yellow perch are steadily picking up in and around Sugar Island in the weed pockets off the east side of Celeron along the weeds in 6-10 feet of water and the best bait seems to e shiner minnows on perch rigs. Small mouth bass are picking up near the mouth of the Detroit River and anglers are getting good results with Berkley Gulp leeches and Gulp Goby’s, as well as 4 or 5-inch salty tubes. Pointe Mouille is providing good catches or catfish for shore anglers around the south end or Roberts Road. Green worms and live shrimp are working best.

Algonac anglers continue to pull in nice catches of perch by the Fire Cracker on the South Channel. A few walleye are hitting in the south and middle channels. Plenty of action for bass on Lake St. Clair and the channels are also starting to pick up.

In the Fair Haven area, the perch action is fair in the south channel and near buoy’s 28 and 30 with plenty of sorting required. Straight out in front of the 400 Club in 14 feet of water perch are doing well with a few walleye and small mouth bass also biting. Walleye action on the St. Clair River has slowed a bit, but anglers are reeling in a few on crawler harnesses.

St. Clair Shores anglers are doing well for walleye near the dumping grounds when using crawler harnesses with a bottom bouncer. Early risers are finding good results for bass out of Lake St. Clair.

Around Monroe, anglers are using chartreuse and fire tiger baits with good results. Walleye are active near the Sputnik buoy, and perch are hitting around Luna Pier and the E-buoy near Bolles Harbor.

In the Belleville area, crappie, blue gill and walleye fishing is steady on both Ford and Belleville lakes. The majority of walleye are being caught in the early morning hours.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside-St. Clair Shores; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

by Tony Dearing | The Flint Journal
If a package of corn bread mix costs $6.50, and you find someone who sells the same thing for $6, you can put a value on that.

You just saved yourself 50 cents.

But what if that particular product, at a cost of $6.50, is made here in Michigan, and sold by a company headquartered in Michigan?

What value do you put on supporting a business that's based right here in our own state?
It's not as easy to put a dollar value on that.

But people must see some merit in it, based on the growing number of Web sites that promote Michigan companies and products, and the number of businesses that are eager to be featured on them.

I spent some time on these "Buy Michigan" sites after our article on the front page of the Business section last Sunday highlighted local firms that promote their products this way.

Click here for entire article:
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/business/index.ssf/2008/05/genesee_county_retailers_sell.html

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Moving Wall will be on display July 24th - July 28th at the Riverfront Park in Algonac, MI. Mr. Meldrum will sing the National Anthem at the 4:00pm opening ceremony July 24th

"The Moving Wall" is the half-size replica of the Washington, DC Vietnam Veterans Memorial and has been touring the country for more than twenty years. When John Devitt attended the 1982 dedication in Washington, he felt the positive power of "The Wall." He vowed to share that experience with those who did not have the opportunity to
go to Washington.

7/24/2008 - 7/28/2008
Algonac, MI at Riverfront Park
810-794-3000 or 810-650-7600

Date: 7/24/2008 - 8/4/2008
Hours: Open 24 Hours
Website: www.themovingwall.org
Cost: Free

GO-Get Outdoors celebrates outdoor recreation and the role it plays with improving the quality of life in Michigan. Whether biking, hiking, trail running, camping, swimming, boating, fishing, hunting or simply exploring nature, park and recreation facilities provide opportunities for every one of all ages and all backgrounds to enjoy the state's diverse natural resources. Participants can improve their health while supporting recreation opportunities.

GO Events Listing: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10365_36576---,00.html

Southeast:

Around the Algonac area, anglers are catching a lot of perch by the Fire Cracker on the South Channel, and plenty of bass near the light house. Bass are very active in the channels as they are on the move to cooler waters. Patient walleye anglers are reeling in a few from the North Channel.

Near the Fair Haven area, angling action is a bit slow this week thanks to high winds and rain that stirred up the waters. Night crawlers are working decent on blue gill, and a few walleye.

Walleye action remains great on the lower portion and mouth of the Detroit River in 8-14 feet of water, with the weed line a good bet for some decent size fish. Another good walleye location is off the Bell Buoy out in front of the Fermi Power Plant in 20-26 feet of water. One walleye angler pulled in a steelhead off of Sugar Island while hand lining. Walleye are averaging 2 ½ pounds with the typical catch ranging from 2-10 fish. Congratulations to Vic Vatalaro from Kent Ohio, the second place winner of the FLW Bass Tournament this past weekend, he purchased his bait and license from Bottom Line Bait and Tackle in Flat Rock. Yellow perch in 15-30 feet of water are being reeled in around Red Island (Pointe Mouille) and the action is also good between Celeron and Grosse Ile in 6-9 feet of water and near the weed line, anglers are averaging 15-30 keepers, most in the 15-inch range. Point Mouille and the Huron River is giving up plenty of bass on Kelly worms, night crawlers and top water baits, while catfish are biting on shrimp and green crawlers.

In the Monroe area, walleye are hitting on chartreuse and purple baits straight out in front of Bolles Harbor, the Sputnik buoy remains a great hot spot The E-buoy is also a great location for perch as well as Luna Pier and the dumping grounds, two miles off of Bolles Harbor.

Belleville area anglers are catching plenty of channel cats near Sandy’s Marina and under the big bridge and near Rawsonville Road. Blue gill and crappie are active on Ford and Belleville lakes. Leeches and worms are the top choice.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

In the Bay City area, anglers are doing great on walleye, and perch are active between Oakhurst and AuGres in 5-25 feet of water. Best baits include crawler harnesses, small spoons with a mini disk and Hot-N-Tots.

In the Linwood area, Saginaw Bay is giving up consistent walleye in 20-22 feet of water. King salmon are just starting on Lake Huron and are active around Rogers City.

In the Bay Port area, windy conditions have slowed angling activity a bit, but walleye remain active and chartreuse crawler harnesses are doing the trick.

St. Clair anglers are pulling in some really large perch biting on crawlers and minnows, while good size bass are biting on just about everything. Walleye are hit or miss at this time.

Harbor Beach has great fishing conditions for walleye on night crawlers or crawler harnesses. Perch are active on minnows around Forestville and Wagner Park, and some big fish are off of Sanilac, large enough to bend a hook.

Information providers: Angler’s Rod & Sport-St. Clair; Frank’s Bait shop-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City, and 1st & Main-Bay Port.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Around Town news to Diana Wing at rotown@ameritech.net.

I don't often read forwarded bulk e-mails, but I received one from my sister-in-law the other day with the subject line "Helping Michigan" and I was curious. The e-mail contained a list of more than 60 Michigan companies that produce food products, including Ferndale-based Garden Fresh Gourmet (tortilla chips, salsa, hummus). It also included the following statement from the Michigan Department of Agriculture Web site (www.michigan.gov/mda): "If every household started spending just $10 per week of their current grocery budget on locally grown foods, we'd keep more than $37 million each week circulating within Michigan's economy."

If you go to the MDA Web site and click on "Select Michigan," you'll find a partial listing of Michigan specialty foods and products, and information about Michigan wineries, farm markets and u-pick produce farms. One way to join this grass-roots movement to help the state's economy is to buy from local food growers and producers, some of whom sell their goods at the Royal Oak Farmers Market. Another way is to seek out Michigan-made products from the grocery store.

Click here for entire article:
http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080713/LIFE/807130324/1025/NEWS08

The Detroit River will have plenty of action July 10-13 as hundreds of anglers come to town for the FLW Tournament taking place right out of Elizabeth Park Marina in Trenton. Bass are active in the Trenton channel as well as around the Livingston Channel on Berkley Gulp or worms. Walleye activity hasn’t slowed down, good action continues around the Fermi Power Plant in 18-20 feet of water, out in front of the Edison Towers, near the Sputnik Buoy near the Ohio and

Michigan border and around Middle Sister Island, as well as all up and down the Trenton, Wyandotte and Grosse Ile channels of the Detroit River. Jigging and hand lining seems to be working well. Walleye near the Ohio border tend to be immature measuring 7-10 inches long and should be released with extreme care, try not touching them, the chance for survival is much better. Perch action again this week is good around Banana Island in 14-15 feet of water.

Very good angling activity is taking place in the Belleville area, where anglers are hitting on just about everything from walleye and bass to crappie. Night crawlers, leeches and wax worms are doing the trick around Ford Dam, Rawsonville Road and near the big bridge on Belleville Road.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

ERIC SHARP
JULY 6, 2008


On an average weekend last summer, Mitzie's Dockside Service in Ecorse sold 12,000 gallons of gasoline to boaters and on Monday had to call the fuel supplier to refill the tanks.

This boating season, Mitzie Hodgson said she barely sells 4,000 gallons in a full week, and she has put up the For Sale sign at her once-thriving business on the Detroit River.

From the icy waters of Lake Superior to the relatively balmy shores of Lake Erie, the marine industry and anglers alike are feeling the painful effects fuel prices over $4 per gallon and watercraft that burn anywhere from 10 to 100 gallons of fuel an hour.

And it's clear that anglers in small boats, those under 25 feet, are feeling the pinch more than the owners of bigger craft.

"We're probably down 5,000 launches from last year at this time," said George Campbell, who runs the Wyandotte Boat Ramp and Tackle Shop on the river 400 yards downstream from Mitzie's.

"On a weekday, we're launching 15, 20 boats where last year it would be 70, 80," he said. "And on weekends we're doing 30, 40 launches where we used to do 120."

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080706/SPORTS10/807060611/1058

If you are being harassed by Canadian law enforcement officers while fishing in Canadian waters, we strongly recommend that you contact your local Michigan government official and explain to them what is happening.  Hopefully, if enough people complain about this issue, our Canadian-born governor can put some pressure on Canada to stop this harassment.  You can locate your local government officials at the links listed below. 


Michigan House of Representatives: http://house.michigan.gov/representatives.asp

Michigan Senators: http://senate.michigan.gov/SenatorInfo/find-your-senator.htm

This week the fishing activity has really started to ignite now that the weather is cooperating. Angling activity is booming on a majority of inland lakes and rivers, as well as the Great Lakes for a variety of fish. The long holiday weekend should provide some great fishing opportunities.

Walleye hotspots this week include the lower end of the Detroit River, out in front of the Fermi Plant in 18-20 feet of water, and near Estral Beach. Worms and crawler harnesses seem to work well. Anglers are doing well with perch in 14 feet of water around Banana Island, as well as near the shipping channels. Around the Lake Erie Metro Park, bass and catfish remain active. Near the Monroe area, hot spots for walleye include Luna Pier and the River Raisin in 27 feet of water. Pink spoons and crawler harnesses are working best.

Excellent fishing taking place on both Ford and Belleville lakes with a variety of fish being reeled in that include bass, walleye, crappie, blue gill and channel cats. Minnows are working well but mostly leeches are being used. The best locations are near Rawsonville Road and around Sandy’s Marina near Edison Lake Road.

Near the Fair Haven area the walleye action is poor in the river, but plenty of perch can be had in the south channel and near the B-buoy. Buoys 27 through 30 are also decent locations for pulling in perch on minnows. Bass action is good using casting tubes and fishing anywhere between the south shore and the 400 Club.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Big fish hunting on Lake St. Clair

Video by ERIC SHARP/DFP
Join Freep outdoor writer Eric Sharp for a look at the fishing that has made Lake St. Clair one of the top destinations for the elusive muskellunge.

Click here for the video:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080627/VIDEO02/80626077/1058/SPORTS10

Lake Erie is giving up good catches of walleye on purple and gold spoons in 18-20 feet of water. Yellow perch are active in the shipping channels, near the Detroit Light and farther south toward the Bessie Power Plant. Near Lake Erie Metro Park the bass and pan fish are active, and out in front of Pointe Mouille, anglers are using green crawlers for good catches of catfish. Off of the Monroe area, decent fishing taking place around Bolles Harbor and in and around the cuts and channels of Sterling State Park and the Detroit Beach Boat Club. The River Raisin is giving up some nice perch when trolling with spoons, also around Luna Pier is a good location.

Ford and Belleville lakes are giving up good catches of crappie, blue gill and walleye. Hot spots include near Edison Lake Road by the Dam and near Rawsonville Road and bridges in town. Anglers are using leeches and minnows with good results.

Anchor Bay near Fair Haven is giving up decent catches of bass and blue gill on minnows, worms and crawlers.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Madison Mackie
June 26, 2008 at 6:47 pm
7 pounds, 5 ounces
20 inches long

Perch are being caught in the Great Lakes. Inland, anglers are catching bass, pike, walleye and catfish. Lots of rock bass are also being caught.

Lake Erie - Walleye fishing has improved to fair. Fish have been found in 25 to 27 feet of water near the Fermi Plant and Stony Point. Pink, gold and purple baits were the ticket. A few yellow perch freshwater drum were also caught. Smallmouth bass were caught near Bolles Harbor.

Huron River - Good numbers of catfish have been caught on crawlers, shrimp and even chicken liver. Smallmouth bass are hitting on spinners, crank baits or crawlers.

Detroit River - Jigging or handlining is producing fair to good numbers of walleye. Try rapalas, worms or leeches.

Lake St. Clair - Yellow perch have been caught by those willing to put in the time. Locate a school of perch and fish until the bite stops. Try perch rigs with shiners.

Lexington - Trout and salmon are being caught in 45 to 65 feet of water. Those fishing inside the harbor have caught walleye, pike and a variety of panfish.

Click here for the entire DNR fishing report:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-34956--,00.html

In the Fair Haven area, perch are active in the shipping channels and around number 26 and 28 buoys. Anglers are using minnows for best results. Small mouth bass are active in 6-8 feet of water on green or brown tubes. Walleye anglers are trolling all parts of the river and using bottom bouncers, activity has slowed however. Blue gill catches are decent around Harsen’s Island on leaf worms and small crawlers.

Walleye fishing is great on both sides of Grosse Ile, the mouth of the Detroit River, and the Trenton Channel. Anglers are hand line trolling with Rapalas or bottom bouncers. Walleye action is also good in Lake Erie in 20-feet of water using blue, silver and clown pattern spoons, as well as reef runners. Off of the Flat Rock area the perch action is good on Lake Erie right around the Ohio/Michigan line and near the Sputnik Buoy. Off of Pointe Mouille and Lake Erie Metro Park, anglers will find easy access, and some great conditions for catching catfish, perch and blue gill. Bass season opens Saturday.

Near the Monroe area, Lake Erie is giving up good catches of walleye in 20-feet of water in front of the Fermi Plant, and also around Little Sister Island between Ohio and Monroe. Three miles off of Bolles Harbor the perch fishing is good. Anglers are trolling with purple, gold and silver spoons and mini divers.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

They are catching perch by the South Channel past the Fire Cracker on both the American and Canadian side of the lake. Perch are also are being caught in Anchor Bay.

Around the Fair Haven area, small mouth bass are plentiful on tube jigs and spinner bait however it is still catch and release at this point. The official bass season starts on June 21, 2008. Walleye action has slowed on the river this week. The shipping channels are producing good numbers of perch on minnows around buoys 26 and 28.

n the Port Huron area, the mouth of the Black River continues to give up decent catches of silver bass, smallmouth bass and pike.

St. Clair anglers have good action this week for walleye in the 14-21 inch range between St. Clair and Marine City. Crawler harnesses, Rapalas, and pencil plugs are doing the trick.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Waste site planned north of Sarnia, stirring fears of water contamination

By Chad Selweski
Macomb Daily Staff Writer

An online petition drive launched to protest a proposed nuclear waste dump on Lake Huron has gathered 2,000 signatures in its first 24 hours.

Two groups, Progress Michigan and Citizens for Alternatives to Chemical Contamination, initiated the petition drive to raise the prospect of water contamination posed by the waste site, which is planned for an Ontario location north of Sarnia.

The drive began Monday, in advance of the June 18 close of a "public comment period" offered by the Canadian government.

Rivers around the state are experiencing high water levels, especially in areas that received heavy rainfall over the last week. Panfish are being caught in shallow waters or near the drop offs. We should start to move into the summer fishing mode now that warmer weather is finally here.

Lake Erie - Is producing good catches of walleye in the 17 to 21 inch size range. Most anglers are using crawler harnesses on bottom bouncers while others are doing well on spoons and body baits. Most recently, the best fishing has been in 23 to 25 feet of water near Stony Point and straight out from Bolles Harbor around the E-Buoy.

Huron River - Water levels are up but the river is still fishable. Anglers are catching good numbers of smallmouth bass, catfish and carp. Those fishing below the dam are still taking some nice crappie on minnows.

Detroit River - White bass are still biting, but not with the same intensity.

Lexington - The salmon and lake trout are scattered in waters 30 to 100 feet deep. Perch were caught in 50 to 60 feet of water south of the port. Pier anglers have caught smallmouth bass, rock bass and other panfish.

ScienceDaily (Jun. 4, 2008) — A Michigan Technological University professor has developed a new water treatment that could help keep a deadly fish disease out of Lake Superior.

David Hand, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Michigan Tech, has devised a simple way to treat ballast water in vessels ranging from pleasure craft to ore boats. His method is designed to kill the virus that causes viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), an often-fatal disease that has been attacking fish populations in the lower Great Lakes.

Hand's treatment is simple. The ballast water is disinfected with sodium hypochlorite—ordinary household bleach. Then it is treated with ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, which neutralizes the bleach before the water is released into the lake.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080604104354.htm

U.S. officials say state's water, air at risk
BY TINA LAM • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • JUNE 6, 2008

• Environmental groups and U.S. officials are sounding alarms about two major new Canadian projects -- a heavy oil mega refinery along the St. Clair River and an underground radioactive waste repository near Lake Huron -- they say could put Michigan air and water at risk for decades.

Michigan residents and businesses won't benefit from the projects and are largely unaware of them. Opponents say U.S. concerns are not represented in Canada, where the prospect of new jobs makes locals welcome the projects.

Shell Canada plans a giant refinery along five miles of St. Clair River shoreline now dotted with farms and marinas, across from St. Clair and Marine City. The refinery would process up to 250,000 barrels a day of heavy crude oil from rich tar sands in Alberta, making fuel for the Canadian market.

The new refinery would be more than twice the size of the Marathon refinery in southwest Detroit, which is seeking state permits to expand by 15% to 115,000 barrels per day.

Ontario nuclear officials are making plans to dig 2,150 feet underground to bury low- and medium-level radioactive waste from 20 nuclear plants for hundreds of years. The site is half a mile from Lake Huron, across the lake from Michigan's Thumb.

BY ERIC SHARP • FREE PRESS OUTDOORS WRITER • MAY 29, 2008

We're using a three-weight fly rod and an ultralight spinning rod to cast a glass minnow fly and a small white bucktail jig at boils on the surface of the Detroit River, and every cast results in a strike and a hard fight.

The target is white bass, and we've located a big school of them off Lake Erie Metropark by watching for baitfish exploding through the surface as they were attacked by the white bass from below.

They aren't the biggest fish in the Great Lakes, but matched with the right tackle they are among the scrappiest.

Michigan's Free Fishing Weekends are two special days when all fishing license fees will be waived for residents and outstate visitors alike on both inland and Great Lakes waters. All fishing regulations will still apply.

Free Fishing Weekend events are sponsored by many communities, businesses, and conservation and fishing clubs. Click here, for a list of Michigan Free Fishing Weekend events.

National Boating and Fishing Week is June 1-8, 2008. Look on the "Take Me Fishing" website at www.takemefishing.org for additional activities not only in Michigan, but other states as well.

This spring brought the usual plaintive e-mails and telephone calls from readers asking if anyone knew where smelt were running. And the answer was the same as it has been for 10 years -- no one has seen any, and if you find some, please let the rest of us know.

It turned out that one exception was the northern Lake Huron coastline along the Canadian shore and the adjacent St. Marys River, where dippers enjoyed some excellent smelt runs.

That raised hopes that the silvery little fish might be making a comeback and provide spring sport for people and food for Lake Huron salmon whose numbers have been decimated by the disappearance of alewives.

Jeffrey Schaeffer, a research biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor, has a different theory and says anglers shouldn't get their hopes up...

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/SPORTS10/805150408

The bait store is now open from 5:00 am to 6:00 pm.

This coming Saturday May 24th is the opening day of bass season on the Great Lakes and all the inland waters except Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River and the Detroit River which do not open until the 3rd Saturday in June. The early catch and release season has been very good so the opener this weekend should also be good especially if the weather warms up and stays that way.


Lake Erie - Fishing has been hit-or-miss. Walleye were caught in 10 to 15 feet of water in Brest Bay. Drifting produced the best catches but those trolling crank baits or plugs also caught fish. Most boats were taking an average of two fish per trip. White bass were still hitting this week and large numbers were caught in Brest Bay. Water temperatures were 55 degrees at the surface and the clarity was improving.

Huron River - A couple steelhead were caught on minnows near the rocks just down from the dam at Flat Rock. White bass have been caught on minnows or crayfish.

Detroit River - Walleye angling has slowed but most boats are still catching a few. The white bass fishing is on fire! Most of the fish are 11 to 13 inches long and are great fighters. Many are being taken by shore anglers, but boat anglers are also doing well when fishing about any place where the water is less than 32 feet deep. Jigs and plastic worms, real worms or minnows are all working well.

Lake St. Clair - Walleye fishing is still on the slow side off Metro Beach, but a few more fish were caught in the south end of the lake.

Click here for the entire DNR fishing report:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-34956--,00.html

This year consider planting plants native to your area when landscaping or gardening. Native plants are defined as plants that existed in an area prior to European settlement. The use of native plants has numerous benefits due to having evolved over thousands of years and, as such, are adapted to local conditions. The benefits include:

• They flourish without fertilizers or synthetic pesticides and rarely need watering.
• They provide food and habitat for wildlife which continues to disappear due to development
• They contribute to biodiversity
• They keep our regions unique and help us to maintain plant species
• Their root systems rebuild the soil and work as filtering systems.
• Last but not least they are beautiful!

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.absolutemichigan.com/dig/shopping/consider-planting-michigan-native-plants/

May 16, 2008 - 9:35PM

The world's wildlife populations have reduced by around a quarter since the 1970s, according to a major report published Friday by the WWF conservation organisation.

Marine species have been particularly hard hit as the human population booms, while numbers of birds and, fish and animals have also gone down, said the WWF in a report.

The study comes ahead of next week's UN convention on biological diversity in the former West German capital Bonn, which will discuss aims to achieve a "significant reduction" in the current rate of biodiversity loss by 2010.

The WWF, the world's largest independent conservation body, said it was "very unlikely" that the UN would meet its targets, despite the decline appearing to flatten off in recent years.

The WWF's Living Planet Index, which tracks the fortunes of nearly 4,000 populations of 1,477 vertebrate species from 1970 to 2005, showed an overall decline of 27 percent.

Over-fishing and hunting, along with farming, pollution and urban expansion, were blamed.

Click here for the entire article:
http://news.theage.com.au/world/wildlife-numbers-plummet-globally-wwf-20080516-2f6o.html

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie - Is very muddy and water temperatures have dropped into the 50 degree range. Walleye fishing was best between Stony Point and the Fermi Power Plant. Bottom bouncers were producing fish for those trolling or drifting. Good numbers of white bass are hitting on pretty much anything. Good catfish action continues near Consumers Hot Ponds.

Huron River - They are still getting some steelhead by the dams. Anglers fishing down from the walk bridge on the park side of the river were getting white bass and crappie on minnows. Walleye are hitting on Hot-n-Tots or crawlers.

Detroit River - Walleye are being caught in the lower Trenton Channel, near Wyandotte, and around Mud Island. Anglers are drifting Erie Dearies or trolling reef runners in 10 feet of water.

Lexington - Boats trolling in 15 to 40 feet of water caught trout and salmon on body baits or spoons. Pier anglers have caught small perch.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-34956--,00.html

Thursday, May 15, 2008
Gary Heinlein / Detroit News Lansing Bureau

LANSING -- Without a single dissenting vote, the state Senate and House voted Wednesday to include Michigan in a historic international compact designed to reserve all of the water in the Great Lakes for the eight states and two Canadian provinces surrounding them.

That doesn't quite cement Michigan's participation in the Great Lakes agreement, however, because the compact is linked to a series of additional House and Senate bills to regulate water usage within the state. There's still disagreement over House and Senate versions of those proposed rules.

"We're taking the first important step forward and we'll continue to negotiate the items of disagreement," said Rep. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, the House point-person on the proposed water rules. "Being able to move the process forward proves that we're serious about this and able to get it done. If nothing else, it signals to the folks who are heavily invested in this that the time to come together and get an agreement is now."

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/METRO/805150385

Detroit FREE PRESS EDITORIAL

After 20 years of coping with zebra mussels, no comprehensive strategy is yet in place to deter the ongoing threat to the Great Lakes
MAY 11, 2008


That may be the truest -- and cruelest -- elegy delivered as the Great Lakes mark the 20th anniversary of the discovery of zebra mussels on June 1, 1988, in Lake St. Clair. It comes from Carol Stepien, a University of Toledo researcher who studies gobies -- another notorious invader -- and who has found at least 18 more goby varieties in Europe that would probably love to call the Great Lakes home.

Freshwater species that originated in tributaries around the Black and Caspian Seas seem to adore the Great Lakes, and various Eurasian species had been showing up since the St. Lawrence Seaway opened to foreign ships in 1959. But most were microscopic plants and animals.

Zebra mussels showed how readily a bigger invader could not just survive, but thrive, threatening to wipe out some native species and alter the food web so drastically that even big lake fish no longer had enough food. It was not the first, it may not even be the worst, but it surely is the poster child for a problem that no one has yet had the will to address.

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200805110300/OPINION01/805110527

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie - Catch rates remain fair with the cooler temperatures. Anglers had mild success for walleye near the Fermi Power Plant and Stony Point when slow trolling with bottom bouncers. The Dumping Grounds near Bolles Harbor were also producing a few fish. Those fishing the lake side of the Banana Dike caught walleye in 10 feet of water. Large numbers of white bass are hitting on live bait. The catch and release bass action has been good near the shoreline and in the channel off Bolles Harbor.

Huron River - There are still light numbers of steelhead below the dam. Walleye fishing has picked up and the smallmouth bass bite has been good. The river has a lot of carp and suckers.

Detroit River - Has good walleye action along the entire river when using jigs with minnows or crank baits in the early morning or late at night. Perch have been caught around Stony Island but watch out for the rocks. Most are using perch rigs with shiners. The white bass are just starting to come in.

Lake St. Clair - Some walleye were caught when jigging or handlining but the action is slow. Better weather will bring better fishing.

Lexington - Boats trolling in 15 to 25 feet of water have caught coho, lake trout steelhead and brown trout with a few chinook and walleye mixed in. Bombers and rapalas were the ticket. Pier anglers have caught small perch.


Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364_10848-34956--,00.html

President George W. Bush has threatened to veto a House-passed bill that would make saltwater ships install systems that kill all living organisms in their tanks before dumping ballast in U.S. waters, including the Great Lakes.

There's no question this administration has one of the worst environmental records in history, drawing fire from conservative hunting and fishing groups as well as the usual ecological lefties, and that the bill the president threatens to veto is no more than a step in the right direction.

Yet anyone who fishes or goes boating in Michigan should contact both of our senators and tell them that the Senate needs to adopt the House bill quickly and send it to the White House with a veto-proof majority, because if nothing else, it's a start...

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080504/SPORTS10/805040648

The DNR is seeking input on two fishing issues: Increase in Lines Allowed for Fishing and Salmon Daily Bag Limits. The DNR is committed to providing consistent opportunity for anglers and continuing its efforts to simplify regulations. Neither proposal will have any negative biological impact on the state's fishery resources. They address social issues and perspectives on ways anglers may prefer to enjoy their fishing activities.
Use this link to read the press releases, Frequently Asked Questions and submit your comment.

Click here for the Proposal to Review the Daily Bag Limit for Salmon:



http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/SalmonDailyBagLimitFAQ_232622_7.pdf

ERIC SHARP
Detroit River run provides legendary walleye fishing
APRIL 24, 2008

When Nick Homayed was a teenager fishing the Detroit River every chance he got, he figured that stretchy monofilament line was a major reason for missing the hook set when a walleye struck.

"So I spooled a reel with dental floss, and it really worked. I thought I was on to something," said Homayed, a Dearborn Heights angler who is one of the most knowledgeable walleye guides in the state...


Click Here for the entire article:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080424/SPORTS10/804240402

Click Here for Out-of-This-World Fishing (PICS)

The new regulations are now in effect starting April 1, 2008.

2008 Fishing Guide 2008 Trout and Salmon Guide

Fresh is better
APRIL 17, 2008

For dinner recently my wife, Susan, and I had perch that were caught in Lake Erie about eight hours earlier. Dredged in spiced bread crumbs and sautéed gently, the fish were incredibly tasty served with a fresh salad and pierogi, the latter a relatively recent addition to our very British-oriented palates.

What made the perch so good was that they were so fresh. I've had the experience of rummaging through the freezer and coming up with a plastic-wrapped mass of something that I had caught or killed so long ago I couldn't even identify it.

Experience has taught me that thawing such packages and cooking whatever was inside usually results in a meal that makes the offerings of the greasiest diner look good.

Some fish keep better than others. Halibut is one. I've had halibut steaks that after a year in the freezer were as tasty as some "fresh" halibut I've bought that probably had been sitting on ice for several days before reaching the fish market.

But freshwater fish don't usually fare as well in the freezer, and those with higher fat contents -- including salmon, trout and whitefish -- often develop an unpleasant taste after three months because the fat starts to oxidize. Leaner fish such as walleye, perch and sunfish can be kept frozen for up to a year. But just because a fish is edible after months in the freezer doesn't mean it's palatable. After about 30 days, freezing causes subtle changes in taste and the texture of the flesh.

Anglers would do themselves a great favor if they worried less about catching limits of fish and more about keeping just enough to eat in the next week or so.

Eric Sharp

Source: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080417/SPORTS10/804170403

Each spring, volunteers statewide take to the field to listen for the calling of frogs and toads. While the chirps and croaks are a true harbinger of spring, the data the volunteers collect help us determine the status of these declining species. Click on the link above, or go to http://www.michigan.gov/frogsurvey.

Source: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153--189002--,00.html

There was a time . . . when the children playing outside, climbing trees, wading in ponds and creeks and hiding in tall grass fields was a common occurrence. They left their homes in the morning returned for a quick lunch, often eaten outdoors, and then returned to the woods, fields and ponds until evening voices called them to supper. In those special places they encountered insects, birds, mammals. They made bouquets of wildflowers, built forts and even got dirt under their finger nails.

There was a time . . . when children knew their home range well. They created special names "The crooked tree", "Three pines", and the "Cow field" and all the kids in the neighborhood could direct you to these places not with street names, but by a variety of natural markers. They drew maps of secret rendezvous, adventures, and hidden treasure identifying the creeks, trees and hills along the way.

There was a time . . . not long ago!

Today . . . children spend less than 30 minutes a week in unstructured outdoor play. The total range for children playing and wandering outdoors is one-ninth of what is was for current adults. Much of this reduction is due to competition from electronic media, structured sports and activities and the concerns of parents letting kids roam free unsupervised. Ask a child to draw a map of their area and most would be able to identify few natural landmarks beyond their backyard. "It is clear that unstructured outdoor and nature play today is becoming less and less relevant to children", says Raymond Rustem with the Department of Natural Resource's Outreach and Education Unit.

The Department is encouraging kids, educators, parents, guardians and mentors to help mend the child-nature connection. We hope you find the information on these pages and additional web links useful.

Governor's Proclamation: Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, proclaims April 22 - 27, 2008 as "No Child Left Inside" days.

Calendar of Events: Here's a list of activities in Michigan State Parks and Visitor centers across Michigan.

Source: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10369_45551---,00.html

From: Dan Keifer

Hello, Metro West members.

The status of the proposed water use legislation is that it is currently being debated in Lansing. Your legislators need to hear from steelhead/salmon fishermen and cottage owners right now.

This weekend and next week is VERY IMPORTANT timing to send your comments to your legislators. Indications are that the legislature will try to wrap up the deliberations and try to arrive at a consensus on the legislation in the next two weeks.

If you want steelhead and salmon out in the Great Lakes, it's time to speak up for the rivers and streams where they grow up as juveniles and return to spawn.

As you may know, the House and the Senate bills are very different in how they would implement the new set of rules and regulations over groundwater withdrawals in the state. The Senate version is very unfriendly to rivers and streams, and that includes the river stretches that support the spring and fall spawning runs of steelhead & salmon. Missing from these deliberations is the voice for "Water in its Place." That is, the importance of Michigan's water to stay where it is now...in its streams, lakes, and wetlands...for the multi-billion dollars of recreation, tourism and property values that make Michigan the unique state that it is.

The big water user pushing for the excessive limits of water use is the Farm Bureau. No, agricultural irrigation water does not all trickle back down to the aquifers. A significant amount of that water is taken up by crops. Whether it's in a pound of cherries, a sack of potatoes, or a gallon of ethanol, increased agricultural uses can mean lots of water leaving the state in finished agricultural products.

The critical period where groundwater withdrawals can most impact salmon/trout populations is in the warm, low flow summer months. The Senate version of this legislation would allow up to 25% of summer flows to be withdrawn...without any permitting process or any public input...and acknowledges that this would reduce trout populations. Making matters worse, this is mean monthly flow...meaning no restrictions on what might happen on any given day or days during the month. All current users/usages would be grandfathered...including all the lake-level control structures that affect streamflows in the Muskegon, the Platte, the Huron, the Clinton, and many more.

The "Groundwater Assessment Tool" is a great start at modern-day water management in Michigan. But, it's unproven science, and it is incomplete. It is based on an inventory of 11,000 stream segment types in the state. Yet, there are only 230 USGS streamflow gages operating in the state. If the summertime flow of water on a trout stream is signficantly reduced
by withdrawals in years to come, how will you or I or some other angler prove that it is excessive?

Have you fished a Michigan river in July, August, or September? If not, you have no idea how low these streams get...now, before any new rules. It is unimaginable to me that our state would enact water legislation that says it's ok to reduce stream flows by 25% in the summer months. Fish need habitat 100% of the time, not 99% of the time.

Will all of these dire things happen to the state's trout streams? We don't know. What we do know is that the Senate version of the legislation would provide no means for any member of the public (individuals, groups, property owners) to contest a proposed large-scale groundwater withdrawal. What we do know is that the package of laws being developed now will determine
how groundwater is used in Michigan for decades to come. All the circumstances argue to go slow and cautious as this gets implemented for the first time.

There are just too many unknowns to the consequences of such a far-reaching new set of regulations like this, to be comfortable with being so aggressive right out of the box. A lot of the good trout/salmon rivers will be unaffected...AuSable, Manistee, Pere Marquette. But, others could be really impacted because of where the are in the state and/or their unique
characteristics: The Muskegon and the smaller rivers in SW Michigan come to mind.

Below is my mid-March message on this issue. Its attachment is included on this message as well.

Let me know if you have any questions or need more information on this. If you need help figuring out who your legislators are (both Senate and House are important here), start with www.vote-smart.org and type in your zip code. Or, email me.

All you really have to say is that you are in favor of strong protection for Michigan's salmon/troutstreams, that you support the House version of the proposed legislation, and that you are opposed to the Senate version. Anything additional would just be icing on the cake.

Dan Keifer
Metro West Steelheaders Club
and Clinton River Watershed Council


Click here for the mid-March message

Great Lakes face algae, disease
BY TINA LAM • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • APRIL 11, 2008

EAST LANSING -- Lower lake levels, less ice cover, more algae, more invasive species and more waterborne diseases linked to sewer overflows after severe storms.

Those are among the dire forecasts about the impact of global warming on the Great Lakes from scientists who concluded two days of presentations Thursday at Michigan State University.

Some changes already are dramatic. Consider the speedy warming of Lake Superior, where water temperatures are rising twice as fast as air temperatures.

Still, the future effects of climate change are tough to predict at a local level, and most scientists said much more study is needed to understand how the region will change and how to plan for it.

The Great Lakes, the source of 18% of the world's fresh surface water, get far less funding for study than oceans do, they said.
One consensus of the scientists in attendance: Governments need to start planning for changes, such as lower lakes, storms and floods that could overwhelm existing sewer systems.

"We may have significantly lowered lake levels," said Steve Colman, professor at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Although many climate researchers say they think the Great Lakes region will be wetter and warmer in the future, lake levels still will decline because there will be less ice cover in winter, allowing more water evaporation, he said.

Warm winters a threat
Warmer winters have meant that ice doesn't form in some areas where it regularly had and doesn't form until much later in winter in other areas. Under either scenario, the exposed water is more easily sucked out of the lakes by winter's cold, dry air.

Colman said his research, and that of colleague Jay Austin, shows that less ice also means that the dark water absorbs more solar radiation, making the water warmer and leading to even less ice, in a perpetual loop.

What Colman and Austin have found on Lake Superior could be repeated on other lakes, Colman said.
"We could be at a tipping point," he said. "Less ice has huge effects. The lakes are very sensitive to it. The system is reacting in ways we wouldn't have expected."

The lakes also will see more cyanobacteria, a class of harmful algae that includes toxic forms, said Steve Wilhelm, a microbiologist at the University of Tennessee. Algae blooms can smother fish and harm animals and humans.

"We already have major issues in the Great Lakes with these algae," he said.

Recent research shows that the algae grow faster at higher water temperatures, and more algae will survive and outcompete other algae and tiny creatures as temperatures rise.

Lake Erie, the warmest and shallowest, has had increasing amounts of algae, including toxic forms, in the past decade with warmer temperatures.
Meanwhile, cylindrospermopsis, a type of algae prevalent in Florida, now is established in the Great Lakes, Wilhelm said.

Even in winter, Wilhelm has found algae under the ice, as well as in open water.

"Algae blooms we used to see in the spring, we're now seeing in winter," he said.

As temperatures warm, Wilhelm predicts more dead zones in the lakes, which deprive fish and plants of oxygen.

Strong storms, more disease

The strong storms that climate modelers say Michigan and other Great Lakes states could get with climate change also bring a risk of spreading diseases, said Joan Rose, director of the Center for Water Sciences at MSU.

Rose's research shows a link between heavy rainfall and disease outbreaks nationally between 1948 and 1994. That's because sewer systems get swamped and overflow, carrying untreated sewage and agricultural waste into waterways.

Research also shows a link between strong El Niño winter storms in Florida and increased fecal and other bacteria in water.

In 2005, 1,500 people got sick on Lake Erie's South Bass Island after heavy rains inundated septic tanks and wells, spreading bacteria into drinking water.

Increasing storms, combined with higher temperatures that make it easier for pathogens to survive, could bring more disease outbreaks in the future, Rose said.

Governments need to invest in better sewage treatment and plan for the future by monitoring what happens to public health now, she said.
Contact TINA LAM at 313-222-6421 or tlam@freepress.com.

ERIC SHARP
Border protection policy is fishing for more work
March 30, 2008

You may have heard that U.S. Customs and Border Protection will require fishermen to carry passports or other approved identification and check in with immigration upon returning from Canadian waters on the Detroit and St. Clair rivers, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, even if they don't touch land in Canada.

It's what you'd expect from the government that gave us the recovery plan for Hurricane Katrina: impractical, unenforceable, inconvenient, infuriating and expensive.

But if you're one of tens of thousands of local anglers who would be affected by this latest window dressing to create the illusion of national security, there's hope that sanity will prevail.

Chief Ron Smith of the agency's Detroit office has told his Washington headquarters that the plan is unenforceable and would create a bureaucratic nightmare.

"If we're going to require fishermen to check in every time they run a boat across that invisible border (on the water), we're going to have a problem," said Smith, adding that he hopes to have "clarification" of the requirement next week.

"The water boundary is our weakest link, but we need to make sensible decisions about how we protect it," Smith said. "I've been out on the Detroit River during the walleye season and have seen five, six rafts of boats with more than 100 boats in each raft. They're not anchored, just drifting down the river. How do we track all of them?

"I hope we get a decision (from Washington) by next week, because the walleye season is almost here again."

This mess started a couple of weeks ago when border patrol officials in Cleveland told local charter captains that if they entered Canadian waters on Lake Erie, they would have to file the same kind of paperwork required of large commercial ships transiting the lakes.

Besides the skipper and crew filling out paperwork and learning new rules before the season, charter captains also would have to fax in daily lists of their customers, including personal information such as citizenship and birthdates.

All passengers would have to carry passports or other approved official identification, and everyone aboard would have to check in with immigration upon returning to Ohio (after the skipper calls the border patrol at least an hour before returning to port).

It's the kind of goofy rules you'd expect from cubicle denizens who know little about the situation for which they are making the rules, bureaucrats who probably have never seen a fishing boat, never mind gone fishing.

Needless to say, it has not made the Ohio charter captains happy, or people on other parts of the Great Lakes who routinely pass through Canadian waters and have heard about the plan.

Meanwhile, Smith has been meeting Detroit-area boating groups and telling them that if they don't tie up to the Canadian shore, or land in Canada, they don't have to check in upon returning to the United States. He said that technically, the boaters should check in if they anchored in Canadian waters, but even that regulation hasn't been enforced because it doesn't make a lot of sense if the boaters anchor in the middle of a lake or river.

Smith is right about creating a bureaucratic nightmare. The border patrol simply doesn't have the boats and agents it would take to make this law effective.

If anglers want to see these rules repealed, I suspect the easiest way would be to follow them. How many hundreds of calls a day is the border patrol equipped to handle?

After all, what good is this law going to serve? If a group of anglers merely leaves the United States, motors into Canadian waters and then comes back, what does checking in do to make us safer? And if the boaters are terrorists or people smugglers who make an illegal landing in Canada, do you think they will check in upon returning?

Unless the border patrol is prepared to track the movements of a significant percentage of the boats on our waters, this latest plan is simply another government boondoggle.

There's hope: Rebecca Humphries, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, has asked the Natural Resources Commission to rescind a rule that bans the shooting of all-white deer.

Contact ERIC SHARP at 313-222-2511 or esharp@freepress.com.

Fish Farmer Magazine: http://www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

USA: Genetics research sheds light on Great Lakes’ fish virus

24 January, 2008 -
A DEVASTATING virus that has killed thousands of fish in the Great Lakes over the past few years is different from other strains of the same virus found in Europe and the West Coast of the United States, according to new genetic research by the US Geological Survey.

The Great Lakes' strain of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is the only strain outside of Europe that has been associated with significant die-offs of freshwater fish species.

VHSV is a rhabdovirus that is the causative agent of one of the most dangerous viral diseases of fish, says Dr Jim Winton, a fisheries scientist at the USGS Western Fisheries Research Centre (WFRC) in Seattle. The virus belongs to a family of viruses that includes rabies. The disease causes internal bleeding in fish, but is not harmful to people.

Winton and co-authors Gael Kurath and William Batts recently authored a new USGS fact sheet that describes important genetic information about isolates of VHSV from the Great Lakes region. Other strains of the VHS virus are found in continental Europe, North Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea and North Sea.

"This Great Lakes strain appears to have an exceptionally broad host range," said Winton. "Significant die-offs have occurred in
muskellunge, freshwater drum, yellow perch, round goby, emerald shiners and gizzard shad."

Genetic research at the WFRC and by colleagues from Canada showed that this strain of the virus was probably introduced into the Great Lakes in the last five to 10 years, and that the fish die-offs occurring among different species and in different lakes should be considered as one large ongoing epidemic. The USGS genetic research also indicated that the Great Lakes' strain of the virus was not from Europe, where three other strains of the virus occur, but more likely had its origin among marine or estuarine fish of the Atlantic seaboard of North America. The strain is genetically most like samples of VHSV recovered during 2000-2004 from diseased fish in areas of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada.

The Great Lakes' strain has now been isolated from more than 25 species of fish in Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake St Clair, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Saint Lawrence River and from inland lakes in New York, Michigan and Wisconsin. Experts fear the disease could potentially spread from the Great Lakes into new populations of native fish in the 31 states of the Mississippi River basin. Also, if VHS virus is introduced into the aquaculture industry, it could lead to trade restrictions as well as direct
losses from the disease.

Regulatory agencies in the United States and Canada have already placed restrictions on the movement of fish or fish products that could pose a risk for the spread of VHS virus to regions outside of the known geographic range. These restrictions include requirements for viral examinations by standard methods.


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EVENTS

Boating course: A 10-week boating safety course, sponsored by the Wyandotte Power Squadron, will start Feb. 18 at the Copeland Center, 2306 4th St. The sessions will run from 7-9 p.m. each night. For information, call 734-699-4275 or 313-382-4709.

Winter triathlon: The Muskegon Sports Council presents its Winter Triathlon on Feb. 3 at the Winter Sports Complex in Muskegon State Park. The event, consisting of cross-country skiing, luge and speedskating, is geared toward novices. Instruction and practice run from 10 a.m. to noon. The luge clinic is mandatory; others are optional. The competitions run from noon to 3:30. The fee is $20 for entrants 13 and older, $15 for 12 and under, or $40 for a family. Age divisions start at 9-under and go to 60-older. Entry forms can be obtained by e-mailing MadMarkJ@aol.com. For information, call 231-828-4627.

DNR FISHING REPORT
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources advises that ice is building in the southern sections of the Lower Peninsula but most of the lakes are still not safe. Ice fishing continues around the rest of the state. Those traveling on the ice should fish with a partner, take an ice spud to test the ice, wear a personal flotation device, take a cell phone and be sure to tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return.

Source: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080124/SPORTS10/801240396/1058

Two British anglers waded waist deep into a river to land a 100-year-old monster fish weighing over 35 stone - after battling with it for over an hour.

Nick Calleya, 36, from Cubert in Cornwall and George Carstairs from Scotland landed the 500lb white Sturgeon while angling from a boat in the Fraser River in British Columbia in Canada.

The 10ft-long giant was snared using a rod and line with salmon eggs as bait.

Mr Calleya said: "We hooked on to it and it shot off.
"The boat was anchored so we quickly pulled it up and sped after it.
"George is quite a small guy so I had to grab him and hold him down because the fish was lifting him off his seat."
The pair grappled with the massive fish for over an hour, taking turns to hold the rod when their tired arms threatened to let their prey escape.
All the time, their fishing guide was at the controls of their jet boat trying to keep pace with the fish...

Click here for the entire article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=509098&in_page_id=1&in_page_id=1&expand=true#StartComments

ERIC SHARP
December 30, 2007
E-mails arrive daily warning of new efforts to open huge acreages of Western wilderness to gas and oil drilling, clear cut forests on mountains vulnerable to erosion, destroy major fish stocks in the ocean or pollute the skies and waters with mercury and greenhouse gasses.

Continuing threats to the places where we hunt, fish and camp illustrate that while things are better than 30 or 40 years ago, all we've really done is slow down the rate at which we are destroying our environment.

Sometimes efforts to turn it around get harder, as under the administration of President George W. Bush, perhaps the worst environmental knuckle dragger in living memory. But even under the better administrations, things have gotten worse, because our system encourages politicians to sell out to those who profit from environmental degradation.

There isn't enough money or public interest to solve many of the problems. But one thing we can do is to concentrate our efforts on ending the continued introduction of exotic species into the Great Lakes by ships coming in from the oceans.

On this one, the good guys are winning. States are passing stricter ballast control measures than the Environmental Protection Agency, which has sold out to the businesses that want saltwater ships to continue to come into the Great Lakes with little or no controls.

But we have hard evidence now about how much damage they cause. John Taylor at Grand Valley State has shown us how much more they cost our economy than they add to it.

And we know from the work of David Lodge at Notre Dame that not only is the threat from ballast water inside the ships greater than we thought, the growths on the outsides of ships may be an even more significant source of invaders.

Politicians are loath to afflict the well-connected, and most bureaucrats are too timid to upset the politicians. So it's imperative that we see that researchers, such as Taylor and Lodge, get the support they need to continue their studies.

It's that kind of solid economic and scientific data that allows the private groups that are the real protectors of our environment -- the National Wildlife Federations, Sierra Club, Audubon Society, American Lung Association and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership -- to do two things that are important.

One is to sue bad guys and the government when necessary. The other is to make the public aware of failures of government, because politicians won't bite the hand that fills their campaign coffers unless they are afraid of losing races.

We will also need to protect our lakes from envious drought-ridden states within a very few years. Only days ago, a federal judge imposed new restrictions on the millions of people who use Colorado River water for agricultural, industrial and domestic purposes. So much water has been taken out of that river that it no longer reaches the sea at its mouth in Mexico. What was once one of the richest river deltas in North America for wildlife production is now cracked, dried mud for much of the year.

So while it won't hurt to make the usual New Year's resolutions about losing weight and stopping smoking, why don't we all add this one: 2008 will be the year in which we see the Great Lakes provided with meaningful and effective protection at all levels of government.

Contact ERIC SHARP at 313-222-2511 or esharp@freepress.com.

Monday, January 7, 2008
A nation's growing thirst threatens a Great Lakes water war
Lawmakers battle to protect the region's key resource
Jim Lynch / The Detroit News

As drought-plagued states cast a jealous eye toward Michigan's abundant supply of freshwater, local lawmakers are scrambling -- unsuccessfully so far -- to fend off efforts to siphon from the Great Lakes.

A regional effort to enact legislation giving the eight Great Lakes states more control over water diversion is languishing in several states, with only two -- Minnesota and Illinois -- giving full approval so far.

Committees in both the Michigan House and Senate have passed versions of the compact, and officials hope a unified version will be on the governor's desk before the end of January.

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But delays in legal protection for the Great Lakes states could prove costly, especially as the waterways sink to all-time lows set in 1965.

Among the recent threats:

• In October, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson of New Mexico created an uproar when he described Wisconsin as being "awash in water" and called for a "national water policy." He later softened his remarks, but the comment triggered a national debate that cast more scrutiny on the Great Lakes.

• A Georgia congressman has proposed a national water commission that would put the federal government in charge of Great Lakes water, an idea that Michigan lawmakers oppose.

• Experts say the 2010 U.S. census recalculation could shift political power out of some of the Midwest states such as Michigan to water-hungry states in the South and West, making it harder for the Great Lakes to keep its water here.

It's a scenario that worries some Michigan residents.

"I don't think we ought to be sending our water to anybody," said Paul Sapp, a 72-year-old Mecosta resident who said he's seen local water levels drop due to withdrawals from the Muskegon River for a bottled water plant. "They all moved down (to the Southeast and Southwest) to stay warm. If they're thirsty, they can move back."
Water levels already low

Much of the talk of diversion centers on increasing the outflow of water from Lake Michigan through the Chicago River to the Mississippi.

A study conducted decades ago examined the possibility of a pipe network from the western side of Lake Superior through the northern Great Plains, but the project was deemed too expensive.

Several of the Great Lakes are already in the midst of extended stretches of low levels.

Lake Superior's September average level was 1.6 inches lower than the previous record for the month set in 1926. Huron and Michigan are losing water three times faster than previously believed, according to a study by a Canadian homeowners group.

Lakes Michigan and Huron declined by their usual 2 inches in December and now sit a whopping 26 and 13 inches, respectively, below the Jan. 1 level of last year. Experts think it's possible both lakes could beat their all-time record lows, set in March 1964, when the January monthly average level is figured at month's end.

Some experts believe new diversions will only worsen a bad situation. A report released last week says Lake Superior is holding its own and seems to be recovering from a drought that dropped the lake to alarming levels. It now sits 11 inches below the long-term average, but is 6 inches above the level of one year ago, according to the International Lake Superior Board of Control.

Some Michigan residents said they have reservations about sending water to other regions. But their feelings harden markedly when they think about the way water is used in some of those places.

One such example is the Waveyard water sports complex recently approved for a 125-acre property east of Phoenix. In a state where a lack of rainfall and increasing demand for water exacerbate a decade-long drought, the new park will use 100 million gallons of groundwater a year.

Noah Hall, a diversion expert for the National Wildlife Federation and an assistant law professor at Wayne State University, says projects like Waveyard indicate a need to change the way we think.

"It's a ridiculous proposal," Hall said. "It shows, first of all, that before we start talking about diverting water from the Great Lakes, there is a great deal we could be doing in terms of conservation and common sense."

Outside this region, some see the water in the Great Lakes as a national resource. That troubles U.S Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township, who opposes attempts to create a national commission to oversee America's water issues. The commission proposal is being driven by U.S. Rep. John Linder, a Georgia Republican.

Linder has said he does not want to see the commission dictate policy to the Great Lakes states. But Miller acknowledged in an interview that "it's not secret that I view this effort with a lot of suspicion."

"I believe John Linder is sincere in that he's not interested in diversions," Miller said from her Washington, D.C., office. "But when you get a piece of legislation like this moving in this town, there are a lot of people who are looking to take it and run with it."

Legislatively, there are protections in place and pending designed to keep water from leaving the basin, but experts say they are not rock-solid assurances.

The Water Resources Development Act of 1986 gave governors in the eight Great Lakes states authority to veto diversions from the lakes.

But that might not be enough to ensure the water stays put, according to one expert. "There have always been legal and constitutional questions surrounding the veto power of the governors with that act," said David Naftzger, executive director of the Council of Great Lakes Governors.

In 2005, governors from each of the states in the region -- Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -- drew up the Great Lakes Basin Water Resource Compact to prevent that scenario. If approved -- by the eight states and then the Congress -- it would prohibit Great Lakes water from being diverted outside the basin. But so far, not all of the legislatures have signed on.

And while a congressionally approved compact could technically still be overturned, Hall said doing so would require precedent-setting action.

"Congress has never retroactively revoked or rescinded an interstate water agreement," he said.

The Great Lakes Compact is generally considered the strongest legal tool the region's states have, and many experts believe each of the governments involved will pass it within the next few years. Yet time is of the essence.
Clout likely to diminish

Political clout in the Great Lakes states will likely be diminished following the 2010 census, when the region's population loss will translate into a smaller federal delegation.

"Right now the word on the street is that Michigan will definitely lose one seat (in the U.S. House of Representatives)," said Kurt Metzger, research director at United Way of Southeastern Michigan.

So who stands to gain political power?

"The areas of current water stress and shortage match up with the greatest population growth -- places like the Southeast and Southwest," Naftzger said. Southern states experiencing drought conditions, such as Georgia, Nevada and Arizona, will likely gain at least one seat each.

It's a scenario that has many in this region looking to expedite approval of the Great Lakes Compact.

"We've got to get this done now," Hall said. "We have a window of time here. By 2020, we could lose 30 or 40 (U.S. House) seats if the population trends continue."

You can reach Jim Lynch at (586) 468-0520 or jlynch@detnews.com.