Chris Craft Marsh



Hawkins Point



Cuthbertson cabin

It's not often that you'd describe the angler, rather than the fish, as the one that got away.

But that was certainly the case for Tim Smith, who lived to tell the tale after tussling with a crocodile over this monster 6ft Nile perch.

The art teacher, 39, had already been engaged in a titanic battle to reel in the 249lb fish for 45 minutes in his tiny motor boat on the Victoria Nile in Uganda when he realised he had a fiercer rival.

Fortunately, however, it was the 39-year-old art teacher who turned out to be the one that got away, managing to tether his catch to the boat before firing the motor into life, leaving his opponent empty-mouthed in his wake.

And he was able to pose by his giant prize - which may be a record - for this spectacular photograph.
Back from his Ugandan trip and home to mercifully crocodile-free Northern Ireland, he told yesterday of his transformation from being the hunter to the hunted.

He had been grappling with the fish while in a small boat on the Victoria Nile in Uganda, about a mile downstream from the stunning Murchison Falls, for about 45 minutes when he realised he had competition.

'Suddenly the boat lurched and I nearly fell out,' he said. 'I didn't really know what had happened.

'The next thing is, the crocodile launches itself at me, mouth wide open.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1220924/Fisherman-reels-monster-6ft-perch--battling-CROCODILE.html#ixzz0UNuOGLKP

Pair are 1st of their kind since 1890s, officials say
BY JOHN GALLAGHER FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

First the beaver made a comeback, and now the osprey.

State and federal wildlife authorities said today that a pair of osprey successfully nested in Wayne County this year in the first such documented case since the 1890s.

One of the largest birds of prey in North America with a nearly six-foot wingspan, osprey are known as “fish hawks” and feed almost exclusively on fish.

The pair of osprey built a nest earlier this year in a cell phone tower near the Gibraltar Wetlands Unit of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, said John Hartig, manager of the wildlife refuge. The pair fledged two young.

Osprey have been returning to the southeast Michigan region since about 2002, with 18 confirmed nests and 46 chicks born, said Jim Kortge of Osprey Watch of Southeast Michigan. But the pair near the Gibraltar refuge marks the first successful nesting pair in Wayne County in more than a century.

Click here for the entire article: http://www.freep.com/article/20090928/NEWS02/90928027/1319/Osprey-nest-in-Wayne-County-is-cause-for-celebration

Caught on Sept 20, 2009 it was 54" and tipped the scale @ 36lbs 

Largest ever fish health study to get under way

THE largest ever study into the health benefits of eating fish is about to get under way later this year. The $20-million US Government sponsored probe is to examine whether fish oil and Vitamin D can help prevent heart disease, cancer and a range of other illnesses.

The heart benefits of eating fish - and oily fish in particular - have been flagged up for years and are unashamedly used by seafood companies when marketing their products. Just recently oily fish is claimed to help prevent a range of other health problems from mental illness to blindness.

But some of the claims are now being challenged, pointing out that ...

See the source (http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/12679) for the full story.

They are still catching walleyes over by the Middle Channel, but they are working really hard for them. Perch are being caught all over the Lake, but are still running on the small size. Nice sized Bass are still hitting in the Channels. A few cat fish and suckers are being caught in the channels.

Scientists advise caution with transgenic fish
SWEDEN - Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Researchers studying transgenic fish at the University of Gothenburg at the behest of the European Union (EU) have highlighted the potential of the fish to revolutionise fish farming but warned against its open system cultivation.

"Until further notice, transgenic fish should be bred in closed systems on land," specified Fredrik Sundström at the Department of Zoology of the university.

The fast-growing fish, however, can go a long way towards taking the weight off endangered and overexploited wild fish stocks, he noted.

The scientists furnished fish with transgenes, or genes from other organisms, and were able to produce fish that can grow substantially faster and can resist diseases with greater resilience. It was found that fish genes can be modified to handle different situations more smoothly, such as survival and spawning in colder temperatures, and yield higher production volumes.
Regardless, if these fish should enter the wild, they may cause harmful effects to the ecosystem.

In terms of toxins, these fish ...

See the source (http://tinyurl.com/l54zfs) for the full story.

Congress could allocate up to $475 million for Great Lakes cleanup and restoration. A look at how the money would be spent:

Fighting invasives

The Great Lakes system has 180 invasive species that crowd out and could destroy native fish, wildlife and plants.

They include such plants as the purple loosestrife which, free of its back-home European insect predator, forms dense patches that frogs, muskrats and ducks can't use as suitable nesting and hiding sites or food.

One new invasive arrives every eight months from such sources as oceangoing commercial ships, recreational boat trailers, anglers' bait, gardeners and exotic pet owners.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative would tackle the problem in part by developing and implementing ballast treatment systems for oceangoing vessels.
Researchers will compete for nearly $9 million in grants for projects to prevent, control and destroy invasives.

Scientists will also look for troublesome waterways that may need barriers, similar to the electric fence built at the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal to try to prevent the voracious Asian carp from moving from the Mississippi River into Lake Michigan.

Environmentalists also want to develop education and outreach programs for hunters, anglers and recreational boaters so they aren't unintentionally adding invasive species to the water system. Programs could include sterilizing buckets and boat trailers.

Habitat restoration

Commercial development, invasive species and dams have contributed to the loss of more than two-thirds of Great Lakes wetlands, sometimes called the "kidneys" of the system because they clean out pollutants from water as well as provide shelter for wildlife.

Environmentalists hope to eventually restore 500,000 acres of wetlands.

"If you don't restore the wetlands, you won't have fish to catch, ducks to hunt or wildlife to watch," said Gildo Tori, director of public policy at Ducks Unlimited. "It's not just about the wildlife. It's about tourism, recreation and the quality of life for residents."

The bill sets as a goal to fund protection and restoration of 23,000 acres of coastal, wetland, shoreline and upland habitats, as well as 1,000 miles of streams for fish passage.

Native species, which have either died out due to invasives or commercial development, must be replenished. For examples, grants will be awarded to plant wild rice.

Artificial reefs could be built to provide spawning habitat for fish, and aquatic grasses would be planted for fish to hide in.
Some land, including agricultural areas, is likely to be bought to restore earlier wetlands. Landowners will also be paid to make their property more wildlife-friendly.

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090831/LIFESTYLE14/908310319/5-targets-of-Great-Lakes-cleanup

Walleyes are really hitting in most parts of Lake St. Clair right now, especially in the Middle and Shipping Channel. Most people who are going Walleye fishing are coming back with their limits.

Also, perch is doing really well in channels and by the lights houses, but be warned the perch are running on the small size. There are reports of the larger perch being caught in the weeds and down the Sni.

Bass is still doing very well in the channels.

Good luck this weekend and enjoy the holiday!

Supporters hope Obama pledge will bring environmental, economic boost
Deb Price / Detroit News Washington Bureau

Washington -- Congress is poised to nearly double its funding commitment to the Great Lakes, adding up to $475 million for restoration that would deter invasive species, clean up polluted sites and create jobs in Michigan and the region.

Earth-mover Craig Hamlin is encouraged because a surge in federal funds could mean new business.

Since home building went bust in Michigan, Hamlin has kept his business going by digging up land to create wetlands instead of basements.

"Great Lakes work is pretty much all there is," said Hamlin, whose bulldozers, other heavy equipment and crews are transforming 70 acres of corn and bean farmland in Newport into a wetlands habitat for migratory birds along Lake Erie.

"These Great Lakes jobs affect a lot of people," added Hamlin of Hamlin Grading in Stockbridge. "Beyond my own workers, probably another 150 people end up getting work, by making pipes, or pumps and other materials we use."

The unprecedented amount of money being considered for the Great Lakes reflects President Barack Obama's pledge on the campaign trail of $5 billion for large-scale restoration.

Obama asked Congress for $475 million to get started. Already the federal government appropriates about $550 million a year to Great Lakes programs, which environmentalists expect will continue. If all goes as advocates hope, Congress would be committing about $1 billion to the Great Lakes in fiscal year 2010.

"This is a Great Lakes president," said Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Flint, noting Obama built his career in Illinois. "He really cares about the Lakes because he knows them."

The House passed Obama's requested amount in June. The Senate seeks less money -- $400 million -- in a bill that could pass as early as mid-September.

Click here to read the entire article:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090831/LIFESTYLE14/908310371/$1-billion-proposed-in-2010-for-Great-Lakes-restoration

For more wedding pictures visit http://photos.madisonmackie.com.

Southeast:

Anglers fishing Lake St. Clair are doing well near the St. Clair Light for walleye near Mac and Ray’s and the Dumping Grounds. Anchor Bay and Fairport anglers are doing well for perch near the shipping channels. Throughout the Downriver area the Detroit River is giving up plenty of walleye in the early morning and late evening hours around Celeron Island, Rat Island, pretty much the entire lower Trenton Channel, off of Sugar Island and near the Cross-Dyke. Anglers are finding good numbers of walleye all around Grosse Ile and Gibraltar. Straight out of Monroe good numbers of walleye and perch are hitting near Stony Point, Pt. Mouille, Banana Dyke, Bolles Harbor and Luna Pier in waters 12-25 feet. Walleye action continues to be good around the Islands, Toledo Light, dumping grounds and near the Sputnik Buoy. Anglers are finding decent fishing for bass, a few walleye and good fishing for carp and cat fish on the Huron River.

East:

Off of Port Austin walleye action is good in 20-50 feet of water trolling crawler harnesses. Steelhead and lake trout are biting in about 150 feet of water. Off of Lexington anglers are doing decent for a few pike, small mouth bass and some salmon. The steelhead action is better for anglers fishing in 100-150 feet of water. Perch numbers are nice with anglers fishing near the weed beds and lake trout are biting more toward the bottom. Around the Port Sanilac area anglers are doing well for salmon, steelhead, lake trout and a few perch. Off of Harbor Beach decent numbers of walleye are hitting right inside the harbor on a variety of spoons with blues, greens and yellow the most popular. Bass action is very good. Try fishing in 80-160 feet of water for lake trout on body baits. The steelhead activity remains good on orange spoons in deeper waters. Anglers fishing on Saginaw Bay near Linwood are finding nice walleye numbers in 15-20 feet of water. Quanicassee anglers are getting great numbers of walleye in very shallow water near the river. Anglers near Bay Port are having good success around North Island for walleye. Callahan Reef continues to be hot for walleye on crawler harnesses

Southeast:

Around Fair Haven and Algonac, the walleye action on the south channel is producing good results. Perch fishing has picked up from the Fair Haven area to Grass Island in the bay. Bass continue to be plentiful no matter where you cast a line.

On Lake St. Clair, walleye action has been hot around the dumping grounds, the St. Clair Lighthouse, the 29 and 30 cans and in front of the Grosse Point Yacht Club. In Canadian waters, the best place to fish is near the Belle River. Perch fishing around the shipping channel and buoy 26 is producing good results. For the best musky fishing, head toward the red barn or over to Canadian waters and bass can be taken just about anywhere.

Around the Detroit River, anglers are hand-lining, drifting and jigging for walleye with success. In the northern part of the river, hand-lining is working well at dawn, dusk and at night. From Trenton to Celeron Island, on both sides of Grosse Ile, jigging has resulted in good numbers of walleye. Walleye are also being caught in the channel cuts of the river, near the last green buoy and near Sugar Island in 14 feet of water. Perch action is good from buoy 10 south to the Detroit Light and south of Celeron Island.

Near Monroe, walleye activity remains good around Estral Beach, Stony Point, Bolles Harbor and out in front of the Fermi Stacks in water up to 23 feet deep. Perch action has increased near Luna Pier, E-Buoy, the Toledo Lighthouse and C-can. Minnows and worms are the bait of choice.

Further out on Lake Erie, anglers are doing very well around the Sputnik and McDonalds buoys for walleye. In Canadian waters, walleye can be found near Harbor Beach in about 21 feet of water. Around Colchester, try fishing near the helicopter pad or near the One Mile buoy.

In the Belleville area, Ford Lake is producing nice crappie, blue gill, Small Mouth bass and walleye. The Huron River near Geddes Road or Argo Park in Ann Arbor are good spots for a variety of fishing. Popular baits overall include leaf worms, minnows, wax worms, leeches and night crawlers.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; The Bait and Tackle Box-Trenton; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale.

East:

Anglers heading into the Saginaw Bay from either Standish or Bay Port continue to work for their catch. The walleye are being caught in about 20-25 feet of water fishing the bottom. A variety of baits are working well including crawler harnesses, spoons and even the occasional Hot ‘N Tot.

Out from the Standish area, anglers are finding success near the sand bar. The best attracting colors have been pinks and purples. The occasional perch is being caught as well.

Near Bay City, the best areas have been close to the edge of the shipping channel and between the Spark Plug and buoys 1 and 2. Anglers looking for perch can try near the Spark Plug or out from the Quanicassee River. The fishing around Bay Port has been very spotty. The most consistent fishing has been beyond Sand Point with Hot ‘N Tots as the bait of choice.

Around the tip of the thumb, walleye action has been excellent. Try using a crawler harness or bomber near the Grindstone area in water 20-25 feet in depth. Lake trout have moved in closer out from Port Austin with good numbers being caught.

Perch fishing out from Port Sanilac or Lexington has been very slow with no report on walleye action for the week.

Drift fishing near Port Huron has remained solid and hand-lining is beginning to pick up using an F7 Rapala. In the Black River, the silver bass bite has remained consistent near the city building. Farther up the river, Large and Small Mouth bass and pike are being caught.

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

Boat registrations drop but fishing licenses soar
BY L.L. BRASIER • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • JULY 27, 2009

More Michigan residents are hanging out their "Gone Fishin' " signs this year, looking for a cheap afternoon of fun -- and with some luck, a free dinner.

The number of fishing licenses has jumped by more than 54,000 since 2007, state records show.

But, while more people are fishing, they appear to be doing it mostly from small boats or shorelines. Boat registrations have dropped in Michigan in the past year: There were 8,200 fewer boats registered this year, down from 950,772 in 2008, according to state records.

Boat sales are down and more boat owners, especially those with larger vessels, are keeping them in dry dock because of rising fuel costs and a sluggish economy.

With Michigan's rich abundance of freshwater lakes and rivers, boating experts predict that boat sales and registrations again will climb once the economy recovers.

"There is no place like this in the world," said Van Snider, president of the Michigan Boating Industries Association. "It's the place to have a boat."

Like raising home vegetable gardens, fishing may be another enjoyable way to augment the family pantry in tough economic times. Although there are no numbers kept to show how many people are frying up the walleye and filleting the bluegill, people in the industry said the trend is obvious.

"You can't eat golf balls," said Veronica Pinto, a co-owner of Lakeside Fishing Shop on Jefferson Avenue in St. Clair Shores, where she has been selling fishing gear for 33 years.

Fewer customers come in looking for high-end equipment these days, she said. Now, it's families on a budget. Pinto said she recently began stocking a Lady Shakespeare rod and reel for $39, designed for women. A young angler can get started with a $14.99 package.

"The face of our customer has changed," she said of fishing. "People don't have the money. And, hey, when you're done, you can sit down and eat dinner."

Click here for the entire article

BY JOHN SEEWER • ASSOCIATED PRESS • JULY 19, 2009

OAK HARBOR, Ohio — Gulls shrieked overhead as Bob Hall lugged a pair of plastic 5-gallon gas cans down the dock to fill up his fishing boat, then hopped on a golf cart and headed to a gas station for another load.

Hauling the fuel rather than buying it at higher-priced marina pumps will save $20 — a worthwhile effort when bookings are down 30% for his charter fishing business on Lake Erie.

Fishing boat captains all along the Great Lakes are struggling to stay afloat this summer, some losing half of their customers because of the manufacturing and economic slump in the Midwest.

“Fishing is a blue-collar sport,” Hall said. “And a lot those guys are getting laid off.”
Many companies have eliminated annual fishing outings that they would use to reward employees, said Bob Zales II, president of the National Association of Charterboat Operators.

“If you’re laying people off, it’s hard to justify taking the others out to have fun,” he said.

Along the Great Lakes, longtime customers who fish for walleye, salmon, perch, bass, and trout are canceling trips or booking shorter stays. Some charter captains have put their boats up for sale, while others are barely able to cover their costs.

“For the guys that are making $800-a-month boat payments, it’s going to be very tough,” said John Atwell, who runs a charter boat on Lake Huron out of Port Austin, Mich. “They may not be around next year.”

Charter captains on the East and West coasts and along the Gulf of Mexico say it’s been a rough ride, too. But states surrounding the Great Lakes have been hit particularly hard by auto plant closings and extended summer shutdowns. Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois all have unemployment running in double-digit percentages.

Auto workers accounted for one out of every 10 customers a few years ago, Atwell said. Now barely any are booking trips. One customer who had been fishing with him for eight years pulled out last week, Atwell said.

“Let’s face it, fishing is an option,” he said. “It’s not a necessity.”

Click here for the entire article

Southeast:

Around Fair Haven and Algonac the walleye action remains strong on crawler harnesses and Hammer Lures with beads. Perch action is spotty. Bass are everywhere but try around Grass Island, near the cut, or the mouth of the North Channel, spinners are working well.

Great walleye fishing taking place near Harrison in 28-30 feet of water near the Fire Cracker and anglers are obtaining limits using crawler harnesses. Small Mouth bass are all over the lake in 8-14 feet of water and tubes are working well. Musky action is very good generally all over the lake, but one hot spot is near the middle and dumping grounds. Hi-Fin Bucktails are working well and fish are measuring up to 53-inches and some near 35 pounds.

Fishing near the St. Clair Shores area anglers will find perch out in front of the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, around the 29 and 30 Cans, near the St. Clair Lighthouse and the Nine Mile Tower. Lake St. Clair has some nice walleye activity in the early morning hours.

Walleye are still present on the Detroit River from the Ambassador Bridge down to the lower Trenton Channel on both sides of the river. Anglers need to move around a lot. Some anglers are jigging, but it seems that hand liners may be doing better in the evening hours and crawler harnesses and Wyandotte worms continue to work. Out on Lake Erie the walleye action is strong using spoons, Dipsy Divers, In-line planer boards and crawler harnesses remain popular. Perch action is good south of Celeron Island in 8-13 feet of water, near the Detroit Light and Rat Island. Stren series bass tournament takes place July 23-25 out of the Elizabeth Park Marina. For details call 734-675-8051 for details.

Near Monroe walleye activity remains good around Stoney Point and Brest Bay and out in front of the Fermi Stacks in 19-20 feet of water. Hot-n-Tots, Wiggle Warts, minnows and worms are working well. Luna Pier is giving up nice walleye numbers in 14-feet of water.

Further out on Lake Erie, anglers are doing very well around all of the Islands and near Buoys 1 and 2. Heading towards Leamington plenty of walleye are being caught in 30-feet of water. Further south, Pelee Island has great walleye action and all of the charter services are limiting out. Perch action is good near the Sputnik and McDonalds buoys, near the S and W-cans but watch for lots of nets.

In the Belleville area some great crappie and walleye fishing is taking place near Sandy’s Marina and near the Rawsonvillle Road Bridge in the early morning hours. Belleville Lake is producing nice crappie catches near the bridge and walleye near the Dam. The blue gill bite is good and the Small Mouth bass are starting to bite better as well. The Huron River near Geddes Road or Argo Park in Ann Arbor is a good spot for some nice bass fishing with artificial frogs. Ford Lake has limited angling due to the heavy algae at this time. Popular baits overall include baby crawlers, minnows, wax worms, leeches and night crawlers.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale

East:

Standish anglers continue to find good catches of walleye in 35-feet of water. Green, yellow, pink and purple spoons in a variety of combinations are working as well as crawler harnesses. No perch action at this time. Linwood anglers are heading straight out to the edge of the shipping channels in 20-25 feet of water for some nice perch action. Fish are averaging nine inches. Straight out from Bay City three to four miles, near Finn Road and the Spark Plug the walleye fishing is good. Perch activity is decent near the last buoy bout 13 miles out. Catfish are hitting around Quanicassee and a few bass can be had near the Lafayette Bridge on the Saginaw River. Sand Point is a good location when the winds are calm for some good walleye fishing in deeper water with crawlers and harnesses. Anglers fishing early were limiting out by 11 a.m. Overall the entire Saginaw Bay is doing well on walleye on crawler harnesses.

Anglers fishing right in the harbor at Harbor Beach are getting walleye biting on crawler harnesses, pink is a hot color. No perch at this time.

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

SOUTHEAST

Good walleye action for Fair Haven anglers fishing in the north shipping channels, near Grass Island and near Decker’s. Crawler harnesses are the bait of choice for walleye. Perch action is good near Buoy 27 and the shipping channels on minnows.

Lots of anglers are out just off of Harrison where the musky and walleye fishing is hot on crawler harnesses in 19 feet of water. Musky are measuring in 40-51 inches. Perch are also active in 14-19 feet of water. Small mouth bass are biting around Nine Mile on brownish colored tubes.

St. Clair Shores anglers are having good luck fishing for walleye on the Detroit River near the sand piles, near the Ambassador Bridge towards the Canadian side, in front of Windsor Casino and off of Joe Louis arena. The evening hours seem to be best. Lake St. Clair the bass are biting all over.

The Detroit River is alive with walleye once again and anglers are just killing them around Belanger Park near River Rouge on Wyandotte worms and lead head. Actually all up and down the Detroit River the walleye fishing is good on both the Canadian and U.S. sides and hand liners are doing very well near the salt mines and all the way down to the Trenton Channel, around Celeron and Horse Islands. The evening hours seem to be better. Rapalas, Stubbies or fat pencil plugs, Vampire and Bleeding Copper Flash are working well. Walleye are averaging 15-inches. Bass action is good around Celeron Island using tubes, center and gulp baits. Carp Tournament July 18th and Huroc Park in Flat Rock, call 313-388-3474 for details.

In Rock Wood the Lake Erie Metro Park Boat Launch near the south end has some good fishing taking place. The Huron River is loaded with catfish. Perch, large and small mouth bass are active near the mouth of Lake Erie and around sandy spots.


Off of the Monroe area, the walleye are hitting in 19-20 feet of water near the Fermi Stacks on spoons. Popular colors are purple and chartreuse, purple and gold, pink, Hot Lobster and Blueberry Muffin. Walleye are hitting pretty much all over Lake Erie, but especially near the E-Buoy, Dumping Grounds and Luna Pier on Hot-n-Tots and Wiggle Warts. Walleye are moving in closer towards Stoney Point, near the Toledo Light and around all of the Islands. Perch action is good near the C-Can, Luna Pier, Sputnik Buoy, Turn-Around Buoy and the edge of the shipping channel. Pointe Mouille, anglers are catching a bit of everything including bass and catfish.
Belleville Lake has some good fishing for crappie and walleye during the evening hours and in deeper water. Pike and blue gill activity is also good, but the bass seems to be off. All types of baits seem to be working well with baby crawlers and a variety of green colored crawlers quite popular.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale and Gander Mountain-Taylor.

EAST

Off of Standish walleye are biting on crawler harnesses and spoons. Preferred colors include bright yellow and purple, chartreuse and pink combinations. Bay City anglers are pulling in some perch near Buoy’s 1 and 2 off the channel on crawler harnesses and worms. In the same location walleye are hitting on bottom bouncers, popular colors include chartreuse, pink or purple and south of the Spark Plug anglers are obtaining limits. Saginaw Bay is giving up limits of walleye on the west side of Callahan Reef in 9-12 feet of water. Crawler harnesses 10-20 feet back with quarter ounce in-lines running 1.3-1.5 seems to be working well with purple, pink, red and chartreuse bead combo’s with various #6 Colorado blades, gold or copper backed. Bay Port anglers are finding good fishing despite windy conditions and rough water. Walleye are in deeper waters past North Island and taking a little longer to get limits. Perch are hitting on minnows and closer in. The Sebewaing area is on fire for walleye.

Port Sanilac is crazy with catfish especially during the evening hours. Night crawlers are working on the bottom and egg sinkers on a three foot lead. Perch action is spotty in Port Sanilac and Lexington. Hot walleye activity in Port Huron where anglers are drifting with blades and crawlers. Popular colors seem to be a variety of greens and chartreuse. Shore anglers are doing very well all up and down the Boardwalk, near Thomas Edison and Pine Grove Park. The mouth of the Black River is mass producing Silver bass and the fish are huge and anglers can expect to find large quantities of Silver bass around Marine City as well. Minnows are running and the walleye are following. Twisters, Rapalas and spinner baits are working well during the evening hours. All up and down the Black River anglers are reeling in good numbers of bass, pike and catfish.

Information providers: 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Eagle Bay Marina-Standish; Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; WalleyeKid.com and Lance Valentine’s Walleye 101.

Southeast:

Fair Haven anglers are doing well fishing near Grass Island for perch using minnows and the walleye action is good from Marysville to Port Huron. Bass are all over Anchor Bay and spinner baits and large Golden Shiners are working well. Musky action is also picking up on Anchor Bay.

Walleye action is good off of the Harrison area in 10-14 feet of water. Anglers drifting at 1.5 mph with night crawlers are getting good results. Lake St. Clair is giving up good amounts of small mouth bass and musky. Trolling around 4.5 mph and using body baits and Buck Tail Spinners in the wash seems to work well.

Off of the St. Clair Shores area, perch action is decent around Cans 23, 24, 29 and 30. Huge amounts of bass can be found all over Lake St. Clair and a variety of baits are working well that include crawler harnesses, Hot-n-Tots, wiggle warts, bombers, live baits and using planer boards. The St. Clair River is also producing good fishing on a variety of species and anglers are using Pencil Plugs and Rapalas and hand lining at night with good success.

Anglers fishing the Detroit River anywhere between Melvindale and Gibraltar are finding that the walleye fishing has picked back up. Jigging, trolling and hand lining all seem to be working. Jointed Rapalas and crawler harnesses are very popular and flatfish tipped with one inch crawlers, worms or spoons seem to be working. When trolling try wiggle warts and purple, copper or pink spoons. Walleye activity is also good at the Hole-in-the wall. Around Celeron Island and Rat Island the perch fishing is good in 8-13 feet of water using Shiner minnows on perch rigs.

In Rock Wood, anglers shore fishing from Lake Erie Metro Park are doing well for small and large mouth bass using Kelly rubber worms or crayfish as well as catfish on shrimp and green crawlers. The Huron River in Rock Wood is giving up nice numbers of pike and bass on spinner baits.

Monroe anglers shore fishing from Pointe Mouille are pulling in plenty of catfish along with small and large mouth bass. Crayfish, Kelly rubber worms and spinner baits seem to work well on bass while shrimp and crawlers are attracting catfish. River Raisin, Estral Beach, Brest Bay, Stoney Point, Bolles Harbor and the Banana Dyke are all producing nice numbers of walleye in 15-24-feet of water or shallower with anglers getting good results using bottom bouncers, crawler harnesses and worms. Anglers do best when trolling 1.3-1.5 mph. One ounce in-line weights 25-35 feet behind the planer boards produced the most fish. Perch are biting near the E-Buoy and McDonalds Buoy on worms and minnows. Luna Pier is giving up a few fish.

Lake Erie continues to produce good numbers of walleye. Anglers are heading out about a half mile and fishing waters 17-20 feet deep with good success. Otherwise anglers are fishing 25-feet or deeper around the shipping channels, Sputnik and E-Buoys. The hot spot continues to be West Sister Island on either the west side or 3-5 miles northwest of the Island. Purple and mixed Veggie Spoons on Jet or Dipsey Divers seem to be working well. Fish have been close to the bottom in 27-31 feet of water.

Near the Belleville area the Huron River, Ford Lake and Four-Mile Lake are producing good numbers of small mouth bass, white bass and catfish. Belleville Lake has great fishing opportunities for good numbers of crappie, walleye and blue gill. The popular baits include leeches, wax worms and night crawlers.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; WalleyeKid.com; Lance Valentine’s Walleye 101; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale and Gander Mountain-Taylor.

East:

Saginaw Bay anglers have been dealing with windy conditions for several days now limiting angling activity. Near Standish anglers getting out are locating walleye in 25-30 feet of water and using crawler harnesses and spoons while off of Bay City 12-feet of water seems to be the hot depth for walleye. Again this week, Callahan Reef is producing fish in 8-10 feet of water, most anglers are trolling quarter to half ounce in-line weights and crawler harnesses 10-20 feet behind planer boards.Gold blades with Chartreuse beads are still working well. Southeast of the Sparkplug is a hot area. Anglers are trolling 1.0 to 1.2 mph using crawler harnesses with gold #6 Warrior spinner blades on two ounce in-lines about 20-40 feet back. Grindstone City and Harbor Beach are good for walleye fishing in 10-20 feet of water with Bombers, Hot-n-Tots and crawler harnesses. Sanford Lake and Wixom Lake both have good crappie fishing using minnows. Saginaw River is producing catfish.

Off of Port Huron and Lexington, Lake Huron anglers are reeling in jumbo perch catches in 15-20 feet of water. Boaters are doing very well off of Port Huron where awesome walleye fishing is taking place, anglers are pulling in abundant numbers of fish, though small in size. Gold, Chartreuse and Silver Blades are working well with crawler harnesses. Hand liners are finding that small spoons are working well during the day. Boardwalk fishing is good in the evening hours for a variety of species jigging. Small mouth bass are hitting in big numbers all along the Boardwalk and near the sewage plant. Best time is in the early morning hours, using small minnows or crappie rigs on the bottom.

Black River is producing great fishing for pike, bass, small and large mouth bass. Anglers are locating the fish near rock piles and log jams. Musky action is also good near the mouth of the River and averaging 20 pounds.

Information providers: 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Gander Mountain-Saginaw; Eagle Bay Marina-Standish; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City and Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron.

Southeast:

Off of the Fair Haven area the bass are just about everywhere and anglers are finding good results using golden shiners and spinners. Walleye activity is good around Decker’s Landing and around Marine City. Grass Island is producing nice numbers of perch near the Baltimore cut. Walleye action is good off of Algonac in the Middle and South Channels and a lot of bass are being caught in Lake St. Clair.

Anglers fishing around the Harrison and Metro Beach area are doing well for perch out at the St. Clair Light and near Buoy 27. Walleye are in the same line. Crappie action is good behind Metro beach and walleye great behind Gino’s. Small mouth bass are hitting in Lake St. Clair. Musky action is good using trolling baits, jointed body baits or Buck Tail Spinners.

Windy weather slowed up fishing in the past few days, but conditions are improving off of the Ecorse, River Rouge and Melvindale areas where walleye fishing is decent on the Detroit River. Shore fishing is good off Delray and Belanger parks. Bottom bouncers and harnesses are working well. Hand lining is working but drifting seems to be better.

In the downriver area, thunderstorm threats and high winds kept many anglers off the waters the last few days in the Trenton, Riverview, Wyandotte and Grosse Ile areas. Anglers getting out are getting some fish in various locations. Try the Livingston Channel starting near Turtle Bay and work your way up the shoreline towards the Hole-in-the-wall and lots of fish can be had, including walleye in 25-30 feet. Night crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers are working well. Perch fishing is good all over and perch rigs, minnows and Emerald Shiners are doing the job. South of Celeron has good perch fishing as well as near the shipping channels and Rat Island. Small mouth bass are biting on tubes drifting bobbers and leeches. The Silver bass are gone in the Detroit River but now anglers are dealing with plenty of weeds that have moved in. Walleye activity is decent hand lining from the lower Trenton Channel to the mouth of Lake Erie but the white perch fishing is actually better at this point. The Amherstburg Channel is also good for jigging walleye. The Huron River near Rock Wood is giving up lots of small and large mouth bass catches.

Off of the Monroe area just north of the Fermi Plant plenty of fish are active in 20-22 feet of water particularly near the Bell Buoy. Weeds, murky waters and plenty of Mayflies are making trolling difficult. Off of the River Raisin fish are active just outside of the muddy water in 18-23 feet. Crawler harnesses are working well and trolling less than 1.5 mph. Anglers are getting results using one ounce in-line weights about 25-35 feet behind planer boards. Purple is a popular color. Stoney Point and Brest Bay producing an abundance of fish on crank baits and spoons in 18-20 feet of water. Anglers are getting results fishing half way down the water column. Walleye activity is also good off the Banana Dyke in 15-feet of water. The average size fish is ranging from 16 to 22 inches long, many undersized. Luna Pier is giving up nice numbers of perch. Worms and minnows are working well on perch and trolling is working better than drifting.

Out on Lake Erie walleye fishing is good in the shipping channels, near the Detroit Light, Sputnik and E-Buoys. Perch action is good off the E-Buoy, C-Can, Toledo Beach, in 21-feet of water around Holiday Beach, near Colchester and off all of the Islands. Ohio waters continue to produce fish three to five miles northwest of West sister Island and just east of Buoy 1 in the Toledo Shipping channel. Spoons and crawler harnesses are both working well.

Again this week anglers are doing very well on both Belleville and Ford lakes for good numbers of walleye using Fathead minnows, wax worms and night crawlers. Blue gill action is also good on both lakes and the Huron River particularly near Le Forge Road and Huron River Drive where the old Crown Vantage Paper Mill use to stand in Ypsilanti.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; WalleyeKid.com; Lance Valentine’s Walleye 101; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale; Gander Mountain-Taylor and The Bait & Tackle Box-Trenton.

East:

Saginaw Bay near the Standish area continues to be a good location for walleye. Anglers fishing in 15-16 feet and deeper in 25-27 feet are doing well with crawlers, harnesses with spoons. Purple, Chartreuse and bright colors seem to be best. Plenty of rain and windy conditions for anglers around Bay City but the weather is improving and the walleye continue to bite around Finn Road. Linwood to Quanicassee is producing fish in 8-10 feet of water. Most anglers trolling are running quarter to half ounce in-line weights on crawler harnesses trolled 10-20 feet behind planer boards. Gold blades with Chartreuse beads continue to work well. A few anglers are starting to pick up fish casting crank baits around the weeds. Pan fish are good all over.

Bay Port anglers continue to do well for walleye around North Island with crawlers. Bass activity is very good and the fish are good size as well several five pound fish have been caught right off the docks. Pike action is decent.

Perch are in the harbor and are overall small in size at Harbor Beach. There is a few bigger fish in the mix and the best bait is worms.

Information providers: Frank’s Place-Harbor Beach; 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Gander Mountain-Saginaw and Eagle Bay Marina-Standish.

"Farmed fish may pose risk for mad cow disease" - Neurologist suggest banning cow content-in-feed
Source: SeaFood Intelligence 6/17/2009 - http://tinyurl.com/n32kqw.

A neurologist from the University of Louisville (Kentucky), Robert P. Friedland, questions the safety of eating farmed fish in the latest issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease adding a new worry to concerns about the US food supply.

Friedland and his co-authors suggest farmed fish could transmit Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (CJD) - the "mad cow" disease - if they are fed byproducts rendered from cows. The scientists urge government regulators to ban feeding cow meat or bone meal to fish until the safety of this common practice can be confirmed.

"We have not proven that it's possible for fish to transmit the disease to humans. Still, we believe that out of reasonable caution for public health, the practice of feeding rendered cows to fish should be prohibited," Friedland said. "Fish do very well in the seas without eating cows," he added.

The authors argue that it may be possible for a disease to be spread by eating a carrier that is not infected itself. 'It's also possible that eating diseased cow parts could cause fish to experience a pathological change that allows the infection to be passed between the two species.'

The study will likely cause uproar in the global aquaculture industry - with cries against 'fear mongering' - while playing in the hands of the various lobbies opposed to fish farming on various grounds. It must also be stressed that all fish are not born equal when it comes to the quality of the feed; this varies with species, countries and individual companies. Furthermore, it is not the 1st time a link between human diseases & fish farming has been hinted at.

A 1988 article in the prestigious Nature was entitled: "Fish farming and influenza pandemics"; and the topic resurfaced with the 2006 Asian bird flu crisis. In 2002, advisers to the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) proposed (this was not retained) that farmed fish be checked for BSE-like diseases; as virtually no research has been carried in that area.

[The JAD, 17(2):277-279 Short Communication is accessible from http://iospress.metapress.com/content/105656/.  The abstract is below. ADS-Mod.]

Southeast:

Fairhaven anglers are doing well out near the shipping channel near Buoy 28 for perch on minnows. Perch action also good northeast of Grass Island around the cut, 10-feet out in front of Selfridge and in the reeds on Goose Bay. Walleye are hanging in the river and good action is taking place from Marine City to Algonac using crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers.

Off of the Harrison area bass and blue gill are being caught around Gino’s Surf and the 400 Club in 8-12 feet of water. Bass are active near Masonic Boulevard in eight feet of water. Out in the shipping channels near Buoy 26 and around the St. Clair Light the perch and walleye are hitting in 18-feet of water.

The Detroit River between Melvindale and the Ambassador Bridge seems to be turning back on for walleye. Could be that since the silver bass have slowed tremendously the walleye are just easier to catch. Near the Ambassador Bridge on the Canadian side hand liners are doing well at night typically getting limits. Anglers fishing around Fighting Island are pulling in decent size walleye on crawler harnesses generally getting limits.

Perch fishing on the Detroit River is decent north of Grassy Island and on the north side of Grosse Ile, the south side of Sugar Island, around the Cross-Dyke and south of Celeron. Shiner minnows on perch rigs work well. Lots of yellow perch caught at the mouth of the Detroit River and ranging 12-15 inches. The Trenton Channel is slow for walleye but the fish are moving back in and up the river and anglers are trolling with spoons, hand lining and averaging 6-10 fish per boat. Walleye that are in the river are larger this time around. A Mayfly hatch seems to have triggered the fish to eat. The Detroit River is slow for bass and the fish are small.

Anglers fishing Lake Erie and out by the Detroit Light and Buoy 10 are pulling in a few good size walleye on minnows and some perch are biting on shiner minnows on perch rigs.

Off of Rock Wood shore fishing is good for catfish on shrimp and crawlers, while bass are hitting in good numbers on spinner bait. The Huron River is producing a few bass and some catfish near the mouth of the river.

Near Monroe Lake Erie is producing nice numbers of perch near Toledo Beach, Sputnik and E-Buoys, off the Banana Dyke, near the Dumping Grounds and around Luna Pier. Walleye activity is good at Stoney Point, Estral Beach and out in front and north of Fermi in 13-20 feet of water using crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers with purple and pink the best producers. Anglers also are using whites and blades with some gold in them and Erie Deeries. Weeds are a problem pretty much all along the shoreline. Mayfly hatch is heavy in several areas.

Out deeper anglers are getting walleye in 24-30 feet of water near the shipping channels, near the Michigan and Ohio line. Walleye are on fire near Middle Sister Island, northwest of West Sister Island, east of Buoy 1 in the Toledo shipping channel and near Holiday Beach and Colchester. Crawler harnesses, spoons and Hot-N-Tots are all working well.

Belleville and Ford lakes are producing nice numbers on a variety of fish including walleye, bass, crappie and blue gill. The bass bite is particularly good. Four Mile Lake near Chelsea has great fishing. The Huron River near the paper mill is great for bass and walleye fishing. Several baits are working well including Golden Shiners 2 ½ inches long, pan fish worms, night crawlers, wax worms and leeches.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale; WalleyeKid.com-Canton; Gander Mountain-Taylor and The Bait & Tackle Box-Trenton.

East:

Off of Standish walleye action is good in 25-27 feet of water and best results are found using crawlers, harnesses and spoons.

Saginaw Bay, the fish are hitting off of Linwood in deeper waters around 20-24 feet on crawler harnesses and Hot-N-Tots. Take part in the Scottish Rite 1st Annual Walleye Tournament at Linwood Beach Marina. Anglers need to be registered prior to 6:30 a.m., call 989-832-3360 for details.

Near Bay City the walleye fishing is phenomenal everywhere from Oakhurst to Au Gres. Water depths range from 3-20 feet. Crawler harnesses are popular as well as Hot-N-Tots for deeper waters. Catfish and Gar pike are hitting on crawlers, dough balls or dried shrimp around Finn Road.

Callahan Reef is a hot spot for limits of fish on Saginaw Bay. Try using quarter or half ounce in-line weights and crawler harnesses trolled 10 to 20 feet behind planer boards. Anglers are doing best in 7-9 feet of water using gold blades with chartreuse beads. Mid-day seems to be most productive and trolling at low speeds less than 1.3 mph.

A few larger fish are hitting in 5-6 feet of water. Hot weather has heated up the walleye fishing and Bay Port anglers are heading straight out to fish around North Island and using crawlers with very good results.

Anglers fishing in Port Austin are finding that the walleye are moving in and some good fishing is taking place for King and Coho salmon.

Kings, Coho and lake trout are abundant near Harbor Beach. Anglers are doing well on Lake Huron fishing in waters 80-110 feet with a variety of spoons. Bass are active in 12-feet of water on leeches, while walleye are found in 45-feet. Perch action is good fishing 18-25 feet and using minnows.

Perch are starting to move in to Port Sanilac and around Lexington in good numbers.

An overload of walleye has anglers limiting out quickly in Port Huron. Anglers drifting the river are finding walleye three deep with crawler harnesses working well. Out on Lake Huron anglers are whipping and hand lining with good results. Shore fishing is very good for walleye and even an occasional Brown trout, Coho and steelhead. Thanks to the silver bass, they brought a lot of fish to the area.

The mouth of the Black River is loaded with silver bass and minnows on crappie rigs on the bottom are working well. The Black River has small mouth bass and pike everywhere and hitting just about everything.

Mill Creek is good for small mouth bass. All of the ponds in the area are giving up plenty of bass on spinners and even a few pike. Anglers will have to deal with plenty of weeds though.

Information providers: Frank’s Place-Harbor Beach; 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Eagle Bay Marina-Standish; Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron and Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood.

Southeast:

Algonac anglers are finding plenty of perch starting to hit in Lake St. Clair. Lots of bass are being caught and this weekend bass opens on the American side. A few walleye are being caught in the North Channel, St. Clair River and South Channel. Off of the Fair Haven area the St. Clair River is producing decent numbers of walleye. Walleye activity is good near Sans Souci and Marine City as well. Anglers are vertical jigging and using crawler harnesses. Perch action is picking up around Harsen’s Island.

Walleye action remains strong around the Harrison Township area near Metro Beach, Gino’s Surf, and the 400 Club. Anglers are fishing on Lake St. Clair in about 14 feet of water and drifting crawlers. Small mouth bass and musky action is excellent around 9 Mile Road near the shallows. Green tubes are working today, but some anglers are starting to transition to light green or greenish/brown.

St. Clair Shores anglers are heading right out in front of the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club for some pretty good walleye action on the Detroit River.

Off of the Melvindale, River Rouge and Ecorse areas the fishing has slowed a bit on the Detroit River; possibly due to a transition of many fish heading out to the lake. Silver bass may be slowing down some and the walleye that are left seem easier to catch. Perch are starting to run in the Detroit River and are biting in most canals and around marinas and yacht clubs. Near Fighting Island and down to Buoy 94 anglers continue to jig for walleye with decent success. Fish are deep in the channel and generally smaller in size. A Mayfly hatch is just starting. Walleye fishing is decent around Celeron and Calf Islands using Chartreuse jig heads. When the fish are biting, hand liners are doing great. Popular baits include bottom bouncers, crawler harnesses and a variety of spoons with no particular color. FLW Walleye League Tournament takes place this Saturday on Lake Erie. Call 313-388-3474 for details.

In the Rock Wood area the Huron River is producing good numbers of large and small mouth bass. Perch action is picking up and anglers should find good numbers in front of Lake Erie Metro Park and towards the shipping channels. Silver bass are still on the heavy side in certain areas of the Detroit River and walleye remain in the river but overall the majority seems to have moved out from the Gibraltar area to deeper waters of Lake Erie. This may change as walleye follow spawning shiner minnows back into shallow water once the water temperature gets to about 70 degrees, right now the water is 65 degrees. Popular baits include bottom bouncers with harnesses and jigs with Wyandotte worms as well as Jet Divers and Michigan Stinger Spoons.

Straight out from Monroe heavy walleye fishing is taking place in 24-30 feet of water on Lake Erie near the Turn-Around Buoy out in front of the Fermi Plant. Bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses are working well, especially in purple and pink. Perch activity is really good around Luna Pier, E-Buoy and the Dumping Grounds. Stony Pointe and Brest Bay anglers will still find a few walleye. Trolling is better than drifting right now. Worms and minnows are still popular. Further out near the Michigan/Ohio/Canadian line and the Sputnik Buoy walleye fishing is great however Mayflies and bugs are really bad on the lake. The FLW Walleye League Tournament comes to Sterling State Park in Monroe Saturday, June 20. Call 313-910-0229 for details.

Anglers are finding hot walleye action in Ohio waters three to five miles northwest of West Sister Island and just east of Buoy #1 in the Toledo shipping channel. Anglers are getting results in 27 to 30 feet of water. Purple and watermelon colored crawler harnesses and one ounce in-line weights 40-55 feet back seem to take most fish, but a few are hitting on bottom bouncers. In the same area, charter boat services are doing well trolling spoons and jet divers 80-100 feet.

Blue gill are hitting in good numbers on Belleville and Ford lakes. Otherwise fishing overall is steady but don’t expect huge quantities of any fish. Jumbo and baby night crawlers, leeches, wax worms, Fathead minnows and worms are popular baits working on a variety of species.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale; WalleyeKid.com-Canton; Lance Valentine’s Walleye 101 and Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac.

East:

Straight out from Standish and towards the north, anglers are fishing in 14-18 feet of water for some nice walleye catches. Purple spoons are working well.

Night crawlers are working ok for Linwood anglers fishing Saginaw Bay in 16 to 20 feet of water. Bay City anglers are fishing the Saginaw River for catfish using crawlers with harnesses and walleye catches remain good off Quanicassee and Finn Road. Anglers fishing straight out from Quanicassee are also doing well on catfish with cut bait and limiting out on perch using minnows.

Sand Point off of the Bay Port area is producing good numbers of walleye and anglers using Hot-N- Tots and crawler harnesses are limiting out. A few walleye are being caught close to shore off the Long Dock. Walleye are good size too. Off of the Bay Port Public Access the catfish and bass fishing is good. Off of Port Austin, Saginaw Bay is producing nice numbers of walleye particularly around the Pointe. Anglers are doing well trolling with crawler harnesses in 8-15 feet of water.

Off of Harbor Beach Lake Huron is giving up good numbers of perch and walleye in 45 feet of water. A few Kings, Coho and steelhead remain and the lake trout fishing is great along with plentiful bass. Butterscotch spoons are hot.

Off of Lexington and Port Sanilac, King fishing is decent in 70 feet of water. Water temperatures have improved greatly. A smelt run is coming up the river bringing a lot of other fish with them. Perch are starting to show up as well. Perch are starting to hit off of Lakeport.

In Port Huron anglers fishing off the boardwalk continue to pull in good numbers of walleye and an occasional Brown. The water clarity has improved. Walleye fishing above the bridge while drifting is getting good results and when using crawler harnesses, Chartreuse and Copper Blades. Huge numbers of Silver bass are biting all along the mouth of the Black River and near the filtration plant. Minnows and crappie rigs seem to be working well. Pike and small mouth bass have really turned on in the Black River and Mill Creek. Local ponds are producing good numbers of bass.

Information providers: Frank’s Place-Harbor Beach; 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Eagle Bay Marina-Standish; Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood and Gander Mountain-Saginaw.

Summer: June 13 - 14, 2009

Two days twice a year, families and friends can enjoy one of Michigan's premiere outdoor activities, Michigan Fishing, for FREE!

All fishing license fees will be waived for two days. Residents and outstate visitors may enjoy fishing on both inland and Great Lakes' waters for all species of fish. All fishing regulations will still apply.

For many, the annual Free Fishing Weekend has become a tradition - a time to get together and have some fishing fun. While some may find time to reflect while fishing, there are no limits to variations on a great theme!

Michigan offers some of the finest freshwater fishing in the world, with more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, over 11,037 inland lakes and 36,350 miles of rivers and streams. Included are 12,000 miles of trout waters, for which approximately 1,000 miles are considered Michigan's finest blue ribbon trout mainstreams.

So grab a pole and your family and friends, and let's go fishing!

Source: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364_52261_50497---,00.html

Southeast:

Note: Boat traffic will be banned or limited along a portion of the Detroit River roughly between the Joe Louis Arena and Chene Park for the “Red Bull Air Races” Thursday through Sunday. The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard will enforce the safety zones, visit www.DetroitAirRacing.com for time restraints.

Harrison anglers are finding phenomenal fishing in the area just below Metro Beach on Lake St. Clair in five to seven feet of water and between Nine and 16 Mile Roads. Small mouth bass are extremely active, walleye is fair to good and musky is excellent. Anglers are catching and release up to a 100 bass in a day, fish are averaging five pounds. Walleye are hitting on night crawlers and crank baits in 12 to 15 feet of water. Musky are biting on Buck Tails are the hot location is near 14 Mile Road or Masonic. Fish are large in size up to 30 pounds. Off of the St. Clair Shores area the walleye are hit-or-miss on the Detroit River with best results jigging or hand lining. Silver bass continue to cover the entire stretch of the River.

From River Rouge and Ecorse to Gibraltar and Grosse Ile, the Detroit River still has plenty of silver bass and walleye activity taking place. Anglers will find that when the walleye are on limits can be had, when they aren’t plenty of patience is needed. Hand liners are doing ok. Sugar Island anglers are jigging with crawler harnesses and getting a mixture of walleye and silver bass. Anglers are catching decent amounts of blue gill on the north side of the cross-dyke. Carp are spawning and creating a stir in several of the yacht clubs on Grosse Ile and averaging 20 to 25 pounds and right along with them silver bass are in abundance. Rooster Tails are hot for silver bass.

Near Rock Wood, right out in front of Lake Erie Metro Park the walleye action is good as well as south of Calf Island. Also straight out from Lake Erie Metro Park the perch action is good and further out towards the shipping channels and around Buoy 3. Perch minnows are the bait of choice. The Gibraltar Rotary Walleye Tournament takes place June 14 out of the Lake Erie Metro Park with check in at 6:30 a.m. For details call 734-379-9762.

Off of Monroe, anglers fishing Lake Erie for walleye are doing well near Stoney Point in 23-27 feet of water, near Estral Beach in 19-20 feet and near the north side of the Banana Dyke in 15-18 feet of water. Crawler harnesses, bottom bouncers, purple and chartreuse spoons all are working well including Michigan Stinger Spoons with a Jet or Dipsy Diver and Wolverine Tackle Jr. Streaks. Off shore fishing is great off Pointe Mouille at night for catfish and on the Huron River for large and small mouth bass. Bass are biting on spinner baits, Kelly worms and Rapala Shad Wraps.

Further out on Lake Erie the walleye action is good around West Sister in 24-28 feet of water, around the shipping channels, near the Sputnik, Turn-Around and E Buoys, and near the Dumping Grounds, worms and minnows work well.

Belleville anglers are finding that fishing is picking up on Ford and Belleville lakes. Walleye, bass and crappie are hitting on leeches and worms. The Huron River between Ford and Belleville lakes is producing good amounts of walleye and silver bass. Nearby, Kent Lake is also great for walleye, bass and crappie fishing.

Information providers: Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale and Gander Mountain-Taylor.


East:

Standish anglers are doing well for walleye on Saginaw Bay near the Catfish Hole and in waters 14-feet deep. Crawler harnesses in green and yellow seem to be working well. Saginaw Bay around the Linwood area continues to be hot for walleye in 16-feet of water. Plastics, spoons and crawlers are very popular. Overall walleye on Saginaw Bay is strong and steady and bottom bouncers, sinkers and in-line planer boards will do the trick. Deeper water 16-24 feet deep and north of Pinconning is producing good sized walleye on crawler harnesses and gold spoons. Anglers are doing well trolling at speeds between 1.5 and 2.0. Good action around Sebewaing, Quanicassee, Finn Road and Thomas Road in 7-10 feet of water, try using crawler harnesses with gold blades. Many anglers are obtaining limits. Catfish action is pretty hot too. Bay Port Anglers are limiting out for walleye near Sand Point on crawlers. The Saginaw River has decent fishing for white bass, sheephead and small mouth bass on crank baits.

Wixom Lake and Sanford Lake are both producing nice numbers of blue gill and crappie, fish are spawning. Try using tube jigs, micro-soft plastics, wax worms and Fat Head minnows.

Holloway Reservoir is producing some good catches of walleye for anglers trolling on both the lower and upper reservoir. Try shad style crank baits in 4 to 8 feet of water. Both sides of Goose Point productive and following the river channel in the upper reservoir near Columbiaville.

Off of Port Sanilac and Harbor Beach the Coho are in tight and lake trout are fairly active. Water remains about 10 degrees cooler than it should be for this time of year.

Port Huron anglers are finding a lot of walleye near the boardwalk and near the parkways. Pencil plugs and blue ladder backs with pink heads are working well, chrome is also an option. Some anglers are finding success in the evening hours. Out in Lake Huron anglers are drifting for walleye and getting good results using silver and copper blades, pretty much any variation.

The mouth of the Black River has a few perch, walleye and steelhead and the silver bass are just starting. The Black River is very good for a variety of fish with small mouth bass consistent. Most ponds in the area have fish on the beds and close to shore and spinners are working well.

Information providers: 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Eagle Bay Marina-Standish; Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Lance Valentine’s Walleye 101; WalleyeKid.com and Gander Mountain-Saginaw.

Research biologist says cause of thousands of deaths happened somewhere out on the lake
Jim Lynch / The Detroit News

State wildlife experts want to know why thousands of dead fish are floating on Lake St. Clair near St. Clair Shores.

Rotting fish, including smallmouth bass, muskie, walleye, perch and bass, are littering boat wells and shorelines across several miles.

"It was just unbelievable," said Adam Jankowski, a Harrison Township resident who usually puts his boat in the water at St. Clair Shores. "Thursday and Friday, my wife and I were on the boat coasting south from 11 Mile Road to Seven Mile Road. We saw fish after fish after fish -- all dead."

Officials with Michigan's Department of Natural Resources began receiving complaints about a fish kill last week, but answers remain a long way off. Biologists removed fish -- both live and dead -- from Lake St. Clair and sent them on to a laboratory in Lansing for testing.

However, many of the dead fish were already so decomposed that they may yield nothing to investigators. The live fish taken in showed no outward signs of disease, said Bob Haas, a DNR fish research biologist. Results from the samples taken won't be available for six to eight weeks.

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090609/METRO/906090346/DNR-investigates-fish-kill-in-Lake-St.-Clair

Southeast:

The St. Clair River continues to produce a good bite for the walleye. Areas that have been doing well are near the south channel, Algonac State Park and Nelly’s Hole. Anchor Bay has been very quiet for all fishing action.

Walleye fishing on Lake St. Clair is excellent from the 400 Club to Metro Beach. Anglers are using planer boards, crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers with great success in about 10 to 12 feet of water. Along the shoreline, blue gills and sunfish are moving onto their beds with leaf worms working well as bait.

Along the Detroit River, good numbers of walleye are being taken around Celeron Island and the majority of the lower Trenton Channel. Anglers continue to fight off heavy quantities of Silver Bass. Anglers are using bottom bouncers, Dipsy Divers and Silver Streak Spoons on walleye with good results. Silver Bass are biting on minnows, Rooster Tails and white or pearl colored jig heads. The best perch fishing can be found near the Detroit Lighthouse and the edge of the shipping channels.

Anglers heading over to the Canadian side are catching good numbers of walleye near Holiday Beach and the rock pile. Perch fishing is also very good around Holiday Beach and the Colchester area. Hand lining after dark is working well on the Canadian side north of Bob-lo.

Anglers fishing out of the Rock Wood and Monroe areas are finding choppy waters on Lake Erie. Fish are most active in waters 22 to 24 feet. The best walleye fishing is near the shipping channel, the Michigan-Ohio line and the Turn-Around Buoy. Minnows and worms are still working well as bait. Perch activity remains good near E-Buoy, Mc Donald Buoy, the Dumping Grounds and off the Sputnik Buoy with minnows and worms the preferred bait.

Good fishing is taking place in the Belleville area. Anglers are catching walleye in Ford and Belleville lakes using jerk baits and minnows as the bait of choice. Blue gill and bass activity is very good on both Ford and Belleville lakes and at Argo Park. Popular baits are crawlers, wax worms and fat-head minnows. Fishing in the Huron River below Edison is producing a few steelhead using flies tipped with a wax worm.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait, Fair Haven; Lakeside Fishing Shop, St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery, Harrison Township; South Street Tackle, Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle, Rockwood; Erie Party Shop, Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box, Melvindale.

East:

Anglers are traveling north of the Standish area to get a good walleye bite. Crawler harnesses are providing the best results in 14 to 18 feet of water. The best bass fishing can be found near the marina in the weed bed areas.

Walleye fishing in Saginaw Bay near Linwood remains steady even though the weather is not cooperating. Try using a crawler harness in about 12 to 20 feet of water. For those anglers fishing the northern portion of the bay try trolling with stick baits in 25 to 30 feet of water.

Near Bay City, walleye fishing near Finn Road is a good spot. The fish are found in about nine feet of water using a crawler harness. In the Saginaw River, good walleye fishing remains consistent when using a jig head.

Windy weather continues to keep the water very choppy. Anglers continue to limit out on walleye across the Bay Port area near Sand Point. Crawler harnesses are the bait of choice.

Shoreline fishing in the Port Austin area has improved with higher water levels. Small numbers of bass have moved into the cuts between Bay Port and Grindstone and the fish are small in size.

From Harbor Beach to Port Sanilac anglers are heading out into 60 to 110 feet of water for King Salmon and Silver Bass. Fishing from the breakwall in Harbor Beach is producing good numbers of Coho fishing with spoons and body baits.

Perch and walleye fishing is spotty due to cold water temperatures around Port Huron and Lexington. The walleye only seem to bite for a couple of hours during the evening with Twisters as the preferred bait. The best area to fish is the Black River taking large and smallmouth bass, pike and a few steelhead.

Information providers: 1st & Main, Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman, Bay City; Eagle Bay Marina, Standish; Gander Mountain, Saginaw; Anderson’s Pro Bait, Pt. Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors, Linwood.

Southeast:

Good fishing for anglers out of Harrison Township and the Metro Beach area. Excellent catches of small mouth bass hitting out in front of the yacht club all the way to Metro Beach in 10 to 12 feet of water. Tubes and crank baits are working very well, but fish seem to be biting on just about anything. Between Metro Beach and the 400 Club walleye activity is good in 12 to 14 feet of water drifting rigs and bottom bouncers.

St. Clair Shores anglers are doing well on the Detroit River getting limits of fish near the Canadian side. Shoreline fishing is good just about everywhere along the Detroit River for Silver Bass on the American side from Joe Lewis to Belle Isle. Anglers fishing the St. Clair River between Marine City and Algonac are finding good walleye action hand lining, drifting and whipping is picking up.

Huge numbers of anglers are fishing near Belanger Park near River Rouge for Silver Bass using mainly minnows with a few trying pearly whites, white Twister Tails and Rooster Tails. Walleye activity is good for hand lining at night with Pencil Plugs during the day anglers are just fighting off the Silver Bass. Small mouth bass activity is minimal with some anglers using tube jigs and spinners.

When the wind dies down and anglers can get out the perch action is decent off of Gibraltar, Grosse Ile and Celeron Island, throughout the canals and near the marinas. Perch can be found in shallow waters, however fish are not found in big numbers but definitely quality fish. Plentiful sun fish can be caught near Banana Island and off the tip of Ford Yacht Club. There is still a lot of walleye in the Detroit River on the lower Trenton channel but anglers will work hard to get past the heavy amount of Silver Bass that seem to be taking over. Walleye activity is starting to pick up in Lake Erie. Pike action is decent around the cross-dyke using six-inch jigs.

The reef in front of the Erie Metro Park in Rock Wood is giving up a few walleye on crank bait and crawler harnesses. The Huron River is producing nice numbers of large mouth and Silver bass in good numbers. Take part in the Carp Shoot on Saturday beginning at 7 a.m., call 734-379-9762 for details.

Straight out from Monroe, fish are starting to move to deeper waters. Walleye activity is good off the south end of Bolles Harbor, in front of the Fermi Plant, in the shipping channels, near the Sputnik and Turn-Around Buoys and off of the Island’s using mostly minnows. Walleye action is spotty near Turtle Island and the Detroit Light. Perch action is good near the E-Buoy, Dumping Grounds, Sputnik Buoy, and the Banana Dyke. Minnows and worms remain popular baits. Walleye are hitting near Holiday Beach and closer to the Canadian side. Popular baits include bottom bouncers, Michigan Stingers, Jet Divers and crawler harnesses. Catfish are abundant in most canals and near bridges.

Blue gill activity is really good on Ford and Belleville lakes as well as many inland lakes surrounding the Belleville area. Wax worms, worms, crawlers and rubber baits are popular. Belleville Lake is producing fair amounts of small mouth bass in the two and a half pound range and 16 to 17 inches. Crappie, blue gill and catfish are abundant on the Huron River around the paper mill and Argo Park. Belleville and Ford lakes are both better than usual for this time of year for bass and walleye on leeches.

Information providers: Gander Mountain-Taylor; Chuck Shivel; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale.

East:

Again this week, windy conditions prevail in the Standish area creating choppy water. Bass are in the weed beds and near the base of the channels. Saginaw Bay is giving up plenty of walleye in 12 to 16 feet of water on crawler harnesses. The Saginaw River is giving up White Bass and some walleye. Saginaw area anglers are doing well on Sanford Lake and Wixom Lake for crappie. Several different baits are working that overall that include flathead minnows, walleye shiners and wax worms. Windy conditions are also curtailing angling activity around Bay City, but anglers getting out are finding decent walleye action on Saginaw Bay in 12-20 feet of water on worms and night crawlers.

Bay Port anglers are finding killer catches of bass on Saginaw Bay typically obtaining limits in one to two hours. Night crawlers are working very well and the best timeframe is before 8 a.m. or around 5 p.m. Sand Point continues to be the hot spot this week.

Port Sanilac anglers are heading toward the north and fishing in 30 to 60 feet of water for King, Coho and some steelhead. Body baits, spoons and cut bait seem to work well.South of Lexington anglers are reeling in some perch and off of the Port Huron area the fishing seems to have slowed down a bit with some bait fish coming in. The best timeframe is fishing after dark and casting with Twisters, also try glow tails, pearl bodies and chartreuse baits. Silver Bass are just starting to run in the Black River and at the mouth of the river perch are biting and a few pike. Anglers are whipping for walleye more than vertical jigging at this point. After dark seems to be the best time of day and expect to move a lot.

Information providers: 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Eagle Bay Marina-Standish and Gander Mountain-Saginaw.

Summer: June 13 - 14, 2009

Two days twice a year, families and friends can enjoy one of Michigan's premiere outdoor activities, Michigan Fishing, for FREE!

All fishing license fees will be waived for two days. Residents and outstate visitors may enjoy fishing on both inland and Great Lakes' waters for all species of fish. All fishing regulations will still apply.

Free Fishing Weekend Events

For many, the annual Free Fishing Weekend has become a tradition - a time to get together and have some fishing fun. While some may find time to reflect while fishing, there are no limits to variations on a great theme! Michigan offers some of the finest freshwater fishing in the world, with more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, over 11,037 inland lakes and 36,350 miles of rivers and streams. Included are 12,000 miles of trout waters, for which approximately 1,000 miles are considered Michigan's finest blue ribbon trout mainstreams.

So grab a pole and your family and friends, and let's go fishing!

Pass on the Fishing Tradition

Experienced anglers who offer a child or young adult the chance to take their first fishing trip can provide a rewarding experience for all. People who fish tend to understand the natural aquatic network of plants and animals that help to sustain fish.

A day spent fishing can offer the opportunity for one generation to pass on their experience with a new generation of anglers.

Research shows that young people today do not have access to fishing opportunities that once enjoyed. Some of the reasons: living in urban or suburban areas where fishing access is not readily available, competition for time by an ever-increasing schedule of special activies, and too little time for unstructured leisure.

Taking "time out" by fishing can be a great way to offset some of the many challenges and stresses that we all seem to be faced with today. Sometimes just being some where away from the fast pace of life - even if just for a few hours - can provide a new perspective and a fresh outlook.

Have a Great Time With Friends and Family -- Plan Your Own Special Fishing Trip!

For many, the annual Free Fishing Weekend has become a tradition - a time to get together and have some fishing fun. While some may find time to reflect while fishing, there are no limits to variations on a great theme! Many have found this special weekend to be a good time for a reunion with friends and family with fishing and fun a great combination for all!

Source: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-43225--,00.html

Southeast:

Algonac and Fairhaven anglers are finding that walleye are starting to hit in the North Channel near Decker’s Landing and jigs and crawler harnesses are working well. The murky water from recent rain and wind should be cleared up by the weekend. Overall walleye have migrated from the Algonac area and moved up river towards Marysville.

Near Harrison Township anglers are doing well for small mouth bass and pike on cruncher tubes. The Detroit and the St. Clair rivers are both producing nice numbers of walleye. Lake St. Clair is giving up very good catches of walleye from Metro Beach to Nine Mile Road in 10 to 12 feet of water and out in front of the spillway, anglers are using bottom bouncers and drifting with good success as well as using night crawlers when fishing Lake St. Clair and using jigs in the rivers. St. Clair Shores anglers fishing the Detroit River are doing very well for walleye on both the American and Canadian sides mainly at night hand lining with Rapalas. Good walleye action can be found from St. Clair Shores all the way to the Ambassador Bridge.

Anglers in the Melvindale, River Rouge and Ecorse areas are hand lining for walleye on the Detroit River at night to get past the strong presence of silver bass. The #11 Vampire Rapala seems to be working well. Anglers are also finding decent walleye near the salt mines on the Canadian side across from the steel mill. Fishing for silver bass is outstanding on the Detroit River from Delray to Trenton with anglers finding good results with white pearl jigs.

Walleye action is consistent this week in several areas. Hand liners are doing well on the north side of Fighting Island getting three and four pound fish, jigging also works but not as good as hand lining. The Canadian side seems to be more productive lately and some anglers are trolling with bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses. South of buoy 94 is still the hot spot this week in either U.S. or Canadian waters.

From Wyandotte to Rock Wood the walleye action remains good. On the Detroit River anglers are hand lining and jigging using crawlers and minnows. Anglers fishing the east side of Grosse Ile, in front of Erie Metro Park or out on Lake Erie are tending to use crank bait and crawler harnesses. White bass are abundant in the lower Trenton Channel and large walleye minnows are working well. Perch are being caught near the shipping channels, the Detroit Light and the south side of the cross-dyke. Anglers pre-fishing large mouth bass on the Huron River near Rock Wood are getting good results using #5 shad wraps.

Off of the Monroe area good walleye fishing continues to take place in 22-24 feet of water around Bolles Harbor, River Raisin, Stony Point, Brest Bay and out at the Detroit Light. Walleye action is also good near Turtle Island and the Dumping Grounds near Ohio. Anglers fishing off of the Banana Dyke are finding best results in waters 15-17 feet deep while off of Stony Point 23 feet of water is better. Some perch activity happening around E-Buoy. Anglers are still using minnows overall with a few starting to migrate to worms. The waters are still murky today, but by Friday the clarity should be very good. The winds have died down the weather is beautiful and a great weekend for fishing is in the forecast for the area.

Great angling action is taking place in the Belleville area for walleye on Ford and Belleville lakes. Limits can be had around Rawsonville Road and near the Ford Dam. Road Runners are hot for walleye and crappie. Private ponds in the area are giving up just about everything. Blue gill activity is good along the shorelines and crappie action is good when anglers use small minnows.

Information providers: Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; WalleyeKid.com; Lance Valentine’s Walleye 101; Gander Mountain-Taylor; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale.

East:

Despite the windy conditions this week, Standish area anglers are doing well for walleye on Saginaw Bay in 12 to 14 feet of water and using crawler harnesses. The weather has greatly improved today and a great holiday weekend is anticipated for fishing. Walleye action is strong around Bay City and near Finn Road in Quanicassee with fish ranging in size from 17 to 22 inches. Anglers are typically getting limits two to three miles out and in about 8 to 10 feet of water. Anglers are finding success with spinners and gold blades. A few catfish are hitting around Quanicassee as well. Saginaw Bay has steady walleye action straight out from Linwood in 12-20 feet of water and anglers are finding success with crawler harnesses. Good walleye fishing around Bay Port where anglers are obtaining limits near the buoy at Sandpoint.

Straight out off Harbor Beach anglers are fishing in 40-feet of water for good numbers of Coho, lake trout, steelhead and a few perch on Lake Huron. Small regular spoons are popular. Bass season opens Saturday for the area.

Off of the Port Sanilac area fishing straight out 10 to 12 miles or so anglers can still pick up a few King salmon.

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

SOUTHEAST
From Algonac to St. Clair, anglers are doing well for walleye on the St. Clair River this week. Again this week the walleye continue to hit around Gino’s on Lake St. Clair. Fair Haven anglers are finding good walleye action at Nunley Hole near the state park. Anglers are vertical jigging and whipping and using lead heads and Finesse Minnows.

Excellent walleye fishing is taking place around Metro Beach where anglers are getting limits trolling with night crawlers and jigging while drifting. Small mouth bass are abundant and anglers are catching and releasing while drifting with tubes or casting with crank baits. Catfish action is very good at the mouth of the spillway and near the Harrison Township Park using catfish bait.
Walleye are pretty much everywhere on the Detroit River, a good location is in the upper river from Belanger Park north and jigging is still preferred. If fishing near Belanger Park keep your eye peeled for a few elusive sturgeon, even though you can’t keep the fish, it is quite the feat to reel one in. This week a local angler took 45-minutes to pull in a sturgeon measuring 5-feet.
Walleye action is still good around Fighting Island near Buoy 94, Grassy Island, and Mud Island between the main channel markers on the north end and in front of the blue steel plant in the main channel by Buoy 104. Green and chartreuse jigs with a brown or camo colored Wyandotte Worm continue to do the trick. Early risers are getting the fish on heavier jigs in the ¾ to one ounce size.

Walleye fishing in the lower Trenton channel is a tough go because the Silver Bass are so thick that anglers are bumping jigs on the fish. Try hand lining at night near the Trenton Power Plant and the east side of Grosse Ile to avoid the Silver Bass. Anglers are using night crawlers with bottom bouncers, some crank baits and Tail Dancers. If fishing for Silver Bass, try using flashers, white Twister Tails, spinners and anything that glows or shines seems to work. Walleye have started to move out to the lake and some decent fishing can be found in the 20 feet of water and near the shipping channels, Hot-n-Tots seem to be working. Some perch action is also taking place near the shipping channels.
Near Monroe anglers are out in force today despite the dirty water from recent winds. Another storm is in the forecast for this evening. Walleye action is great around Stony Point, Brest Bay, Bolles Harbor, near the shipping channels and the Detroit Light. Further south walleye activity remains good around Turtle Island and Toledo Beach in 17-feet of water. Anglers are shore fishing from the Banana Dyke, 15 feet from the gray shed.
Good fishing for anglers around the Belleville area. Crappie and walleye are biting on leeches and night crawlers on Ford Lake. Belleville Lake is also giving up nice numbers of walleye near Rawsonville Road in the early morning and late evening hours on jerk baits.

Information providers: Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; WalleyeKid.com; Lance Valentine’s Walleye 101; Gander Mountain-Taylor; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale.

EAST
Walleye action in the Standish area continues to be very good out on Saginaw Bay in about 19 feet of water and when using crawler harnesses. Many anglers are getting limits.

Saginaw Bay is giving up nice numbers of walleye in several locations. Off of Linwood, anglers are using crawler harnesses on walleye with good results in 12-20 feet of water. Sebewaing has good walleye activity in 13-feet of water and out of Quanicassee anglers are heading 13 miles out and using crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers to get results. Other hot spots include near Finn and Joan roads and jigging around Gull Island. Walleye are biting near North Island off of Bay Port and near the Gap on crawlers.

Off of Harbor Beach Lake Huron is producing nice numbers of steelhead, King and Coho salmon in about 35-feet of water. Good results are found using chartreuse spoons. Browns, walleye and lake trout are also being caught in 30-50 feet of water on orange spoons.

In the Port Huron area the salmon seemed to have slowed down and moved more north, however anglers can pick up a half dozen or so about 10 miles out on Lake Huron. Walleye action is very good in the Port Huron area and near the mouth of the Black River. Anglers are getting great results vertical jigging using ¾ to one ounce jig heads and Finesse Tails. Whipping is also getting results in the evening hours and Night Stalker Pencils are working well. The mouth of the Black River is a great location for crappie, some perch and the Silver bass are just starting. The flow has slowed and fishing is very good. Mill Creek has some action for small mouth bass. Marysville doesn’t have great quantities of perch but the fish pulled in are decent size. Good fishing can be found from the boardwalk to St. Clair and Marine City.

Southeast:

The St. Clair River is hot for vertical jigging walleye from Algonac to St. Clair now that the water clarity has improved and the temperature is now around 48 degrees. Around Harsen’s Island pan fish are hitting on small crawlers and wax worms. Lake St. Clair is giving up good catches of walleye near Gino’s Restaurant, south of Metro Beach, near the 400 Club and south of the Clinton River spillway. Crawler harnesses and night crawlers are working well. Pan fish action is also picking up and blue gill and crappie are hitting on wax and leaf worms.

Near St. Clair Shores off of Masonic Boulevard anglers are catching and releasing good numbers of small mouth bass and some perch on small minnows. The Detroit River has outstanding walleye fishing taking place on the American side from the MacArthur Bridge near Belle Isle to the Ambassador Bridge. Anglers are getting limits easily when using large walleye minnows. On the Canadian side the fishing is getting better and the water is clearing up and best spots are off of the casino, near the Canadian Club plant and out in front of the fountain in Windsor. Finesse minnows and Wyandotte Worms are very popular baits.

The Detroit River around Belanger Park near River Rouge is coming on strong for Silver Bass as well as south of Trenton where the fish are moving into the river. A good spot already very active with anglers is out in front of the Trenton Stacks. The big females have just arrived and numerous fish in the one to two pound range are being caught.

Walleye action is very hot all up and down the Detroit River. Hot spots include Fighting Island between the candle stick and the water intake on the American side in 31-38 feet of water using green or chartreuse jigs with a brown Wyandotte Worm or a live minnow. Buoy 94 near the south end of Grassy Island, the west side of Mud Island, off of the golf course between Wyandotte and Trenton and around the east side of Grosse Ile. The early morning bite has been strong but a second wave of action has been taking place around noon. Hand liners on the lower Trenton channel are using Rapalas during the afternoon and at night. Other baits that are working on walleye include bottom bouncers, live bait, green jig heads, gulp minnows, stinger hooks and some anglers are starting to use crawler harnesses. The Detroit River is clean, visibility good and warming up with the temperature around 50 degrees.

The Michigan Walleye Tournament takes place Friday and Saturday on the Detroit River and Lake Erie with weigh-in at Lake Erie Metro Park. For details call 734-379-9762.

Lake Erie is giving up some perch that are hitting near the Detroit Light, in the shipping channels, near the Sputnik Buoy and out in front of the River Raisin.

Off of the Monroe area Lake Erie is dirty due to northeast and east winds recently. A storm in the forecast may affect fishing conditions during the next few days. Straight out from Bolles Harbor walleye are biting when anglers use jigs and trolling night crawlers.

Walleye are also found in good numbers off of Luna Pier, in the shipping channels, around Turtle Island, near the Detroit Lighthouse and near the water in-take in Ohio. Minnows and worms seem to be the bait of choice.

In the Belleville area walleye action is hot and anglers are getting limits within a three-hour trip on both Ford and Belleville lakes. Shiners seem to be doing the trick on crappie at Mill Pond and on most private ponds. Blue gill are in good numbers on Belleville Lake near the Dam. The Huron River still has steelhead running. Quick selling baits include pan fish worms and night crawlers, along with jerk baits.

Information providers: Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, WalleyeKid.com; Lance Valentine’s Walleye 101; Gander Mountain-Taylor; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale.

East:

Off of Standish the perch seem to have shut down, but outstanding walleye fishing is taking place. The walleye are really turned-on in 13-18 feet of water and limits are being taken in short order on crawler harnesses. A few hot spots include near the Rifle Bar, black hole and catfish hole.

Walleye are everywhere around the Bay City area and anglers are giving a thumbs-up for good action. Saginaw Bay is producing good quantities in 10-feet of water on crawlers. Anglers are also doing well fishing from shore along the Saginaw River jigging with minnows.

Bay Port anglers are finding good action around North Island where the walleye activity is picking up when using crawlers. Some anglers are finding a bit of perch action near the Gap and several anglers are marking bass with a few catching and releasing.

Harbor Beach, Port Hope, Port Sanilac and Port Austin are good locations to fish for Kings, Coho, Silver Bass and steelhead which are moving to deeper and north waters. Orange and lime green baits seem to work well on lake trout in the Lexington area where the trout have really turned-on. The walleye showed up in Port Huron this week and are running strong even along the wall. Vertical jigging, whipping and casting twisters all seems to be working well. Minnows arrived in huge quantities from Port Huron all the way to the Black River bringing plenty of fish in with them. Spring perch are biting at the mouth of the Black River and around Marysville, not in large quantities but big in size. Emerald Shiners are working best. The Black River has some steelhead remaining but mostly Silver Bass at this point.

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

East:

Heavy winds have really curtailed the fishing for anglers around Bay City, Bay Port and Saginaw. Water is high, dirty and white caps were common on several days. Bay Port had a few small perch catches and a few anglers were catching and releasing some bass. Saginaw Bay gave up a few walleye on golden shiners, husky jerks, body baits and minnows during the evening hours, but overall the fishing opportunities have been limited. The Saginaw River has high water levels and is churned up like a chocolate milkshake.

Port Sanilac and Lexington anglers are trolling in 10-20 feet of water using some spoons but mostly body baits. Gold and orange are the best colors. Lexington Harbor has perch action picking up but you will need patience and put your time in. Anglers are finding that one day the fish are small in size the next day they are large, very inconsistent. The Port Huron Boardwalk has some nice numbers of Coho, Kings, walleye and steelhead for the taking. Red Eye spoons are hot on set lines. The mouth of the Black River the perch are starting to pick up with best results using Emerald Shiners and small perch bait. A few whitefish can be spotted at the mouth of the river and anglers are vertical jigging for walleye. Mill Creek the sucker run is slowing down.

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

Southeast:

East winds around the Harrison Township area has angling activity slowed today. A few anglers have been out catching and releasing small mouth bass in 6-8 feet of water on Lake St. Clair but overall rough conditions.

If the wind would just stop the walleye fishing would be phenomenal between Gibraltar and the Ambassador Bridge on the Detroit River. Over the past weekend, hundreds of walleye anglers were out despite very windy conditions and white caps. Anglers have been plagued with high winds since Saturday causing rough waters and tough fishing conditions. Today the winds are high again keeping anglers off the water. Shore fishing is decent from Delray Park for perch and silver bass, but walleye is only rated fair thanks to dirty water. Hand-liners are doing well at night. Baits of choice include Finesse minnows, Wyandotte Worms and a variety of gulp baits. Also try two-eyed jigs, chartreuse baits, Pumpkin Seeds and Melon Belly on the walleye. When the wind dies down, expect anglers to be back out at the hot spots that include off the wall near BASF, and near Great Lakes Steel Boat Club and the steel mill area where anglers were getting limits easily.

Off of Monroe, high winds kept anglers off of Lake Erie earlier this week but today some attempted are back at it fishing around Bolles Harbor, Brest Bay and near River Raisin seeking walleye. Most anglers are trolling with crawler harnesses, Rapala Shad Wraps popular in silver and black and Wyandotte worms. One ounce jig heads also seem to get results. Silver bass are very active and it is hard to keep them off the line when walleye fishing. Walleye activity is very good around Luna Pier, near the shipping channels, Turtle Island and the Toledo Light. Purple Hair jigs, minnows and worms are working well. The Huron River in Flat Rock still has some steelhead activity near Metro Park, by the Dam and near Edison.

Good fishing around Belleville where anglers are getting decent catches of walleye and pike on both Ford and Belleville lakes using suckers and Red Devil spoons. Pike are hitting on gold walleye shiners. A good location for some crappie action is around the flats on Ford Lake using minnows and walleye minnows. Blue gill are biting on the Huron River and both lakes on wax worms. A few anglers are catching and releasing bass. Popular baits include night crawlers and baby crawlers and wax worms for blue gill is starting to pick up.

Information providers: Gander Mountain-Taylor; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale.

The outbreak of Infectious Salmon Anaemia in Shetland this year may have been aggravated by a code of good practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture not being fully complied with, it has been claimed.

Charles Allan, group leader of the Fish Health Inspectorate based at the Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen, also revealed today that companies experienced difficulties in maintaining continuity of businesses when movement restrictions were served to control a serious notifiable disease in the whole management area.

And he said that although disposal routes were identified and available to handle routine production wastes, there was no immediately available method of disposal for large volumes of controlled fish waste.

On January 2, Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) was confirmed on a salmon growing site in Shetland, the first confirmation of ISA in Scotland since an earlier outbreak in 1998. The site in question had been visited for other purposes during December 2008 by staff from the Fisheries Research Services (now part of Marine Scotland) Fish Health Inspectorate. During that visit, moribund fish were observed and a routine diagnostic sample was taken. At that time it was ...

See the source (http://tinyurl.com/cser2x) for the full information.

CVM Update
April 20, 2009
Source: http://www.fda.gov/cvm/CVM_Updates/NADAAppFish.htm

FDA Issues a Notice of the Availability of Effectiveness Data to Support a New Animal Drug Application for Fish

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a Public Master File (PMF) containing effectiveness data for use of oxytetracycline quaternary salt in feed for two indications:  to control mortality in freshwater-reared salmonids due to coldwater disease associated with Flavobacterium psychrophilum and to control mortality in freshwater-reared Oncorhynchus mykiss due to columnaris disease associated with Flavobacterium columnare. 

The data have been reviewed by FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and may be used by pharmaceutical sponsors at no cost, along with the additional manufacturing, labeling, and other required information to constitute a complete new animal drug application (NADA), to support the approval of this drug. 

Today's announcement is not for the approval of this drug - only that effectiveness data are available to support a pharmaceutical sponsor's new animal drug application for this drug. 

The data, contained in Public Master File (PMF) 5927, was compiled by researchers at the Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership Program http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/aadap/home.htm, a partnership-based program to conserve, protect, and enhance the Nation's fishery resources by coordinating activities to obtain FDA approval for drugs needed in aquaculture and fisheries management programs.

For additional information on aquaculture, please see http://www.fda.gov/cvm/aqualibtoc.

Southeast:

The lower Trenton Channel is the hot spot this week for walleye in the downriver area. Large numbers of the fish are hitting on jigs and minnows in 10-12 feet of water. Hand-liners are also successful using orange knuckleball jigs. Further north between Wyandotte and Ecorse anglers are getting good numbers of walleye on minnows. The hot spot again this week is near Great Lakes Steel Mill and near the BASF wall. Around Fighting Island anglers are hand lining and dragging Rapalas and using live minnows in dirty water. Over on the Canadian side of the river, a few perch are being caught. Further upstream the mouth of the Detroit River at Lake St. Clair is doing well for walleye on Finesse minnows, live bait, Wyandotte worms while jigging. Walleye action has also been pretty good around Belle Isle.

Off of the Harrison area the Detroit River is giving up walleye on plastics, jig heads and Finesse minnows. No action as of yet on the St. Clair River. Anglers are catching and releasing small mouth bass that have turned-on this week out on Lake St. Clair. Fish are averaging 4-5 pounds and up to 70 fish per angler have been caught on tubes, crank baits and tube jigs.

This weekend, the Masters Walleye Circuit holds its East division tournament on the Detroit River. Sixty-three teams from 12 states are scheduled to participate in the event taking place at Elizabeth Park in Trenton. For details call 877-893-7947.

Farther south, walleye fishing is good around Luna Pier especially at night. Reef runners and bombers are working well as baits. Crappie fishing is scattered from the area’s ponds and marinas. The Huron River in Flat Rock is giving up steelhead on streamers, egg sucking leeches, flies, little Cleo’s and bouncing single eggs. Walleye are also being caught and released drifting eggs and worms. The River is also producing bull head that are biting on everything.

In Ohio, activity near Turtle Island and the Toledo Lighthouse was good before the weather turned. In the Maumee River, the walleye continue to spawn, with success being reported along the banks and the white bass are starting to move in.

In the Belleville area Ford and Belleville lakes are producing a few blue gill and perch. Crappie are hitting in the early morning and before dark. Huron River in the area is producing nice catches of steelhead. Popular baits include minnows, wax worms, night crawlers, pan fish, worms, neon crawlers, fat head minnows, earth chubs and golden shiners.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Gander Mountain-Taylor and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale.

East:

License purchases are up in Bay City, just in time for a decent small perch run. The fish are biting with minnows in the Quanicassee and Sebewaing areas. Walleye anglers are finding success in the mouths of the Saginaw and Kawkawlin rivers using jigs or drifting with crawler harnesses.

It’s been cold and windy at the top of the Thumb, and that has limited fishing activity around the Bay Port area. A fair amount of perch are being caught in the cuts using minnows and crawlers, but that’s pretty much it. Some bass are also biting, but they’re being thrown back until Memorial Day weekend.

Life on the water in Harbor Beach is pretty good this week. Anglers are spearing suckers in many locations, while smelt dippers are having luck seven miles north of town near Rock Falls Cemetery.

Over in Lexington, smelt and browns are also in good supply. Salmon fans are reeling in good numbers of fish ahead of a weekend tournament between Port Huron and Lexington. Orange-colored body baits are working well 19 feet down in Lake Huron.

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

Good afternoon, As some of you may be aware, the 15th Annual U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Aquaculture Drug Approval Coordination Workshop is being hosted this year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center (SNARC; from Stuttgart, Arkansas). The Workshop is being held in Little Rock, Arkansas and will take place during the week of 8 June 2009. A recently updated General Agenda has been added to our website, and can be viewed (along with other important information) at the following link: http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/aadap/inadworkshop09.htm To help our host ensure that the meetings and all associated activities run as efficiently as possible, please register as early as possible. On-line registration ($25 payment to be made at the Workshop) and all current Workshop information can be found by clicking on the link above. Hope to see you there. If the experiences of those attending past Workshops is any indication, you can expect this year's Workshop to be both highly informative and enjoyable. The folks at SNARC have done an excellent job of arranging for a variety of afternoon and evening events (see the General Agenda for details), all of which are included within the modest registration fee. My apologies to those who may have received this email more than once; overlapping mailing lists. Cheers. Thomas A. Bell, PhD U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership 4050 Bridger Canyon Road Bozeman, Montana 59715 Phone: 406-994-9911 Fax: 406-582-0242 Email: thomas_a_bell@fws.gov Webpage: http://fisheries.fws.gov/aadap

Southeast:

Fair Haven anglers are doing well for blue gill around Harsen’s Island using pieces of crawler, wax worms or bobber fishing. The St. Clair River is producing some Coho and a few walleye. Some anglers are catching and releasing a few bass out of Anchor Bay.

Near Harrison Township the walleye action is pretty good in the north channel of the St. Clair River, in the deep waters around Algonac and in the Detroit River in 20-30 feet of water either vertical jigging and deep trolling. The St. Clair River is also good for whip fishing and using pencil plugs. Lake St. Clair is not so hot for walleye due to the spawning process right now. The Clinton River is giving up nice steelhead catches at the dam and spillway. Perch and sucker action is good around Metro Beach the mouth of the spillway.

Now that the wind and cold weather is moving out the walleye action is picking up again on the Detroit River from Ecorse to Wyandotte but fish are not hitting in great numbers. Anglers are jigging in 15 feet of water or less, or 35 feet and deeper before 10 or 11 in the morning for best results. The Great Lakes Steel Mill is a good location and on the Canadian side around Fighting Island. Plastic baits in bubblegum and chartreuse seem to work well.

From Trenton to Gibraltar the Detroit River is good for walleye catches as well as near the mouth of the Detroit River, the east side of Grosse Ile and near Dunbar Sullivan. A variety of baits are working for anglers that include; big walleye minnows, four-inch Finesse Tails and Wyandotte Worms and stinger hooks are essential. The average walleye is weighing in around six pounds, but a few have been caught in the 11-12 pound range. Get in the action the “Michigan Walleye Tournament” takes place Saturday and Sunday on the Detroit River, launching out of Lake Erie Metro Park, call 734-379-9762 for details.

Rain and windy conditions limited angling in the Monroe area earlier this week stirring up the Lake and making it look like chocolate it could take three to four days for the water clarity to return. Off of the Edison piers the Hot Hole is giving up white bass and catfish on shrimp and minnows. Anglers are casting off of the Luna Pier in the evening hours with bombers and getting good results.

Ford and Belleville lakes both have some good fishing for blue gill and crappie on just about anything. Best locations are near the boat launch and near the bridges.

In Ohio the warm waters are creating for excellent walleye action near the Toledo Light, on the Maumee River, around Turtle Island and in the shipping channels. For information on how to obtain an Ohio fishing license in Michigan, call 734-457-0006.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Gander Mountain-Taylor and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale.

East:

Bay City anglers are headed to the Kawkawlin River for walleye action. Perch are hit or miss in the cuts around Bay City on minnows. Angling activity is starting to pick up around Bay Port after plenty of wind and cold weather. Some perch are being caught near the public access in the evening hours and around the marinas activity is slower. Sebewaing fishing is fair to good for perch, but fish are small in size with crawlers and minnows working ok.

Weather has created slow action for Standish anglers on Eagle Bay. A few small perch are hitting in the cuts. Some walleye are biting near the mouth of the river jigging with minnows. Warmer weather expected Thursday should improve action by the weekend.

Port Huron and Sanilac fishing has been limited this week due to high winds and dirty water. Some Kings, Coho and steelhead are biting during the day. Smelt dipping is good close to shore. Coho are being caught in Lexington Harbor right from the dock on Cleo’s and crawlers. The Black River is giving up good size Coho and steelhead. And as soon as the water clears up the walleye action will be great.

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

Southeast Lower Peninsula
Huron River - Those fishing around the coffer dam are still taking steelhead.
Detroit River - Boat anglers are taking walleye when jigging or handlining up near Gibraltar and the Edison Plant. Orange has been a good color. Those fishing the cuts, canals, and marinas are finding perch.
St. Clair River - A good variety of fish including steelhead, whitefish, coho, walleye, and suckers were caught in the upper river near Port Huron.
Lexington - Lots of perch have been caught inside the harbor but many are small. Keepers are running 7 to 9 inches. Coho and steelhead were also caught on minnows, crawlers and body baits. Boats are trolling planer boards with body baits in 8 to 18 feet of water and taking coho, steelhead, walleye and a few chinook salmon.
Saginaw Bay - Boat anglers fishing out around the commercial nets were getting some nice catches of perch. Shore anglers are catching small perch from the cut at the end of Palmer Road and off the docks at the Linwood Marina. Boat anglers fishing off the mouth of the Saginaw River had mixed results. Fishing here should pick up in the coming weeks as post-spawn walleye drop back down the Saginaw River system and re-enter the bay. The Hot Ponds were muddy so only a couple catfish were caught. Not much to report at Bay Shore Marina near Bay Port however keep an eye on this spot for perch and crappie.
Saginaw River - Slow perch fishing in the marina basins, and canals.
Quanicassee River - High muddy water made for slow fishing.
Sebewaing River - Lots of small perch are being caught in the river and the marina.
Pigeon River - The water is high and muddy. A few small perch were caught.

Southeast:

Near Metro Beach the blue gill and crappie action is good. Around Harrison Township walleye and perch activity is good in front of Beacon Cover and the spillway. St. Clair Shores anglers are finding murky waters and tough fishing due to the high winds and adverse weather earlier this week. The Detroit River is giving up nice numbers of walleye vertical jigging.

Anglers fishing the Detroit River are killing the walleye in the lower Trenton channel averaging 10-20 per boat. Anglers seem to be doing the best in shallow water jigging with pink, gold and chartreuse lures, stinger hooks, walleye minnows, four-inch Finesse Tails and gulp grubs. A few walleye caught have weighed 11 and 12 pounds. Walleye activity is also hot from Trenton to Wyandotte in the early morning hours or late evening hours with some anglers limiting out. Those anglers are using a jig with artificial worms. The Detroit River is also giving up some pike on pike suckers under a bobber.

Anglers fishing around Grosse Ile are finding spotty perch action while some perch and blue gill are being caught around south Gibraltar. Around Rock Wood the Huron River is doing well for dip netting suckers and steelhead. Flies, spawn, minnows and Cleo’s are working well.

In the Flat Rock area the Huron River is producing steelhead at the dam on flies and spawn. Between the two dams anglers are using a jig with a wax worm. Suckers are hot just below the dam on flies and jigs.

Off of the Monroe area, Silver Creek near Pointe Mouille is producing blue gill and perch. Bolles Harbor anglers are fishing off the pier and pulling in some decent number of bullhead, perch and crappie. Minnows are doing the trick. The Huron River in the area is dirty.

Belleville Lake is producing nice catfish on pike chubs. Ford and Belleville lakes are both doing well for perch and crappie and the hot spot is near Rawsonville Road. The weekend should be really good for pan fish, steelhead and crappie. Little jig heads with pink and green flies and a hologram sparkle are working well. The Huron River is giving up a few steelhead. Most ponds in the area are hot for fishing.

In Ohio the Maumee River continues to be super hot for walleye, as well as Crain Creek and around Turtle Island.

Information providers: Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; Little Dipper Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Gander Mountain-Taylor and Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood.

East:

The Rifle River is good for suckers on worms. Quanicassee is decent for small perch around the Iron Bridge, boat launch, Akron Road and Palmer Road. Anglers getting out in small boats are finding some action around Bay Harbor Marina.

Pink perch rigs are working well for anglers fishing for perch on Eagle Bay in the Standish area.

Lexington, Port Sanilac and Port Huron angling action is picking back up after a few days of very heavy north winds. Around Lexington the Coho action is good in 10-15 feet of water on body baits, popular color is orange. The Boardwalk in Port Huron has some nice activity from the Thomas Edison Inn to the Black River. Red eye spoons and big Emerald shiners are working well. Smelt action is good at night and bringing in a lot of other fish.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City and Eagle Bay Marina-Standish.

Starting April 1, 09,  Virkon Aquatic is priced at 20% off regular pricing at Western Chemical.  This is the best price ever offered on Virkon Aquatic and it is a good time to stock up.  
 
Virkon Aquatic is a Disinfectant / Virucide for use in disinfecting fish hauling trucks, boats, trailers, waders, nets, dive suits, tanks, equipment, sampling gear, fishing tackle etc. It is ideal for use in disinfecting foot baths.  In many facilities it is being used as an alternative to bleach, Iodophore, and quaternary ammonia for routine disinfection and biosecurity tasks.
 
Advantages  of Virkon Aquatic solution include:
 
Effective - Kills Viruses, Bacteria, Fungi, Mold.
Fast acting - 10 minutes is maximum contact time needed.
Non corrosive - Safe for metals, neoprene, boots, netting, plastics etc.
Non Irritating - Solutions are non Irritating to skin and eyes.
Minimal Environmental Effect -  Decomposes to inorganic salts.
Labeling – EPA approved for use in aquaculture
 
Virkon Aquatic is available in 10 pound Tubs and new single use packets. The attached flyer will provide more information on Virkon Aquatic and our Spring 2009 Special. The special is in effect for a limited time only so don’t delay. 
 
For  more information on Virkon Aquatic visit our website at:    http://www.wchemical.com/VIRKON-AQUATIC-P44.aspx
 
Please let me know if you have an questions.
 
Best Regards,
 
Ron
 
Ron Malnor
Director of Sales
Western Chemical Inc.- An Aquatic Life Sciences Company
Office 1(800) 283-5292,  (360) 384-5898
Mobile: (360) 303-4297,  Fax: (360) 384-0270
ronm@wchemical.com,  www.wchemical.com
1269 Lattimore Road, Ferndale, Washington USA  98248

Southeast:

Algonac anglers are pulling in a few walleye from the St. Clair River this week vertical jigging. A few Coho and steelhead are running near the power plant. Around Harsen’s Island the fishing is good for blue gill and perch using minnows, wax worms and crawlers. Off of the St. Clair Shores area the bite is still light and the water is still very cold.

The Detroit River has some walleye running but the bite overall is still light. The best locations this week continue to be around the steel mills, the lower end of the River and near the Trenton Power Plant. Perch action is spotty around the south side of Grosse Ile and even around the cross-dyke. Some shore fishing is taking place for perch near Gibraltar Road. The Downriver Walleye Federation is holding a tournament this Sunday at Elizabeth Park in Trenton. For entry details call 734-379-9762.

The Lake Erie Metro Park in Rock Wood still has some anglers fishing from shore for perch and having good results. The dredging activity in the main channel is now completed. Suckers are on the move in the Huron River and dip netting is open for some fun, especially for kids.

Around Monroe Silver Creek near Pointe Mouille is giving up some perch. The lake continues to be dirty this week as well as cold and anglers are only getting one or two fish per boat. Below Edison the Huron River is good for steelhead and whitefish action on jig heads with wax worms or chartreuse and green baits.

Ford and Belleville lakes are really heating up for perch and crappie with a variety of baits working well that include night crawlers, wax worms and minnows. The lakes in the area as well as the Huron River are producing good quality catfish.

Further south the Maumee River is still hot for walleye since fish are spawning, lots of angling activity taking place in the area. FLW Walleye Tournament takes place Saturday out of the Port Clinton area on Lake Erie, for details call 734-287-7420 or 270-252-1000.

Information providers: Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Gander Mountain-Taylor and Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood.

East:

Off Linwood, the majority of ice is gone, a few large chunks still floating so use extra caution if you are going out at night. Perch action is hot in the cuts and around marinas. The Rifle River is giving up suckers and steelhead are picking up. Around the Bay Port area anglers are doing well right off the docks with crawlers and minnows and fishing late in the day. A few anglers are out in boats and pulling in some walleye on minnows.

Good fishing taking place off of Lexington and Port Sanilac for Coho in 15-feet of water. Bombers and silver streaks on planer boards seem to do the trick. Port Huron fishing is good off the wall for Coho on red eye spoons. Fishing is good for a variety of fish on the Black River near the mouth, from the shoreline and trolling downstream in 20-30 feet of water. Anglers are reeling in browns and whitefish at a good pace, while only a few walleye are biting and the smelt action is spotty.

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

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

FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Announces First Drug to be Placed in the Index of Legally Marketed Unapproved New Animal Drugs for Minor Species Although the Minor Use and Minor Species Animal Health Act of 2004 provides FDA with the authority to place unapproved animal drugs for minor uses or minor species (MUMS) on an Index of legally marketable drugs, it has taken over four years for associated regulations to be written and for a new drug to work its way through the system. But, we are delighted to say the system DOES work, and the very first drug was recently (19 March 2006) added to the MUMS Index list. Congratulations to Western Chemical, Inc. (Ferndale, Washington) and CVM’s Office of Minor Use Minor Species. Western Chemical, Inc. received word that their spawning hormone, OVAPRIM® (salmon gonadotropin releasing hormone analog plus domperidone), may now be legally marketed as a spawning aid for use with ornamental fish broodstock. Refer to CVM’s Index webpage (http://www.fda.gov/cvm/MUMSIndexList.htm) and the most recent “CVM Update” (http://www.fda.gov/cvm/NewAnimalDrugIndex.htm) for additional information on Ovaprim® or Western’s website (http://www.wchemical.com/OVAPRIM-P66C20.aspx). Animal drugs that are on the Index carry with them specific conditions for use: (1) they may only be used on non-food fish, (2) they may only be used for the condition(s) identified in the Index, (3) the drug may only be obtained from the manufacturer identified on the Index, and (4) the drug may not be extra-label prescribed by a veterinarian. FOR GENERAL INFORMATION Contact: USFWS-Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership, phone 406-994-9911 Website: http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/aadap/home.htm

Southeast:

Around Algonac a few walleye are being caught in the North Channel by Decker’s on jigs and minnows. Anglers fishing near Fair Haven are vertical jigging in the St. Clair River using minnows. Perch are hitting in good numbers around Harsen’s Island on minnows and many anglers are using slip bobbers. Live minnows work best in murky water. The cuts and bays and around most marinas in Anchor Bay are producing fish.

Trenton, Wyandotte, Grosse Ile and Gibraltar the fishing is certainly improving around all of these areas. The lower Trenton Channel is giving up walleye, particularly around the Trenton Power Plant. Flicker jigs with large walleye shiners are working well and 4-inch Finesse minnows in shallow water, maybe 5-8 feet and trolling very slow. Perch are being caught in the cuts off the lower Detroit River, around the Elba Mar Boat Club harbor and Frenchman’s Creek. Perch have been very small in size around the western basin of Ford Yacht Club on Grosse Ile and the activity near the cross-dyke is hit-or-miss. The perch overall are small in size but with plenty of sorting you can make yourself a dinner. Shiner minnows and perch rigs seem to be working well with some anglers using slip bobbers.

Around the Rock Wood area, anglers fishing off the docks of the Metro Park Marina are doing well for crappie, perch and blue gill. Fishing off the docks right now is day-to-day, so if you are planning to fish off the dock, call ahead first. There is some dredging activity in the main channel but it doesn’t seem to be affecting dock fishing. Wax worms are working best. The Huron River has high water but anglers are finding some steelhead around Rock Wood and Flat Rock when using spawn or wax worms under a bobber. Walleye are also active in the Huron River, however the season will not open until April 1, but anglers are doing well using wiggle rats and jigs with twister tails and tossing back.

Off of Monroe activity has been slow all week due to rain and very high winds out of the east that caused three foot waves leaving waters very murky. South of Monroe the Maumee River is very good for walleye action. Tons of anglers are out but extreme caution is needed since there is so much floating debris. Near Crain Creek and around the reefs is very good walleye action as well.

Good fishing around the Belleville area on Ford Lake for perch, crappie and blue gill. Wax worms, minnows and night crawlers are working well. Independence Lake is giving up nice pan fish and the crappie action is good near wooded areas and around fallen timbers.

Information providers: Sunseeker’s Boating Club-Gibraltar; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro Fishing & Archery Center-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Gander Mountain-Taylor and Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood.

East:

Around Linwood the ice is just about gone and fishing opportunities are improving daily. In Bay City the perch are starting to come in and mostly found in the cuts, however the action is has been hit-or-miss. Perch rigs and minnows seem to work well.

Port Sanilac and Lexington harbors are both clear of ice and small boats are starting to get out. A few Kings and Coho are being pulled in close to shore. The water temperature is still around 36 degrees but activity is starting to increase. Port Huron anglers are headed to the Black River which seems to be the best location for steelhead, whitefish, walleye, smelt and a few brown trout. Steelhead action is good under bridges and near Pineville Park. Brown trout are more active in the early morning hours. Sucker fish are in large numbers on the Black River further up the system, not near the mouth, try using a night crawler on the bottom for good results. Mill Creek is just starting to see steelhead.

Perch action is good in the Standish area in the tributaries but anglers need to watch for some ice chunks bouncing around that could damage small boats. Rifle River near Omer is giving up nice perch catches in the cuts and canals around most marinas and near Palmer Road. A single hook with a minnow is working well.

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

East:

Bay City anglers are doing well for perch off of Quanicassee and at Sebewaing for perch in the river using perch rigs. Boat launches are open and a few anglers are getting out on Saginaw Bay. A few anglers off of the Bay Port area are getting out and fishing for walleye on Saginaw Bay, but as a reminder the walleye season is closed on the river.

Anglers around the Port Sanilac area will find open water and the Coho are starting to appear. Off of Lexington Coho and steelhead activity has picked up considerably. Off of the Port Huron area whitefish are showing up in good numbers. Anglers fishing the Black River are getting browns and steelhead jigging near the mouth. There is still plenty of ice in the river system and the water is very cold. Suckers are moving in on the Black River as well. Everything is really starting to move this week thanks to the warmer weather.

Around the Standish area the ice is gone and several anglers are fishing off docks and doing well for perch on minnows and perch rigs. Perch are small in size. By the weekend perch should really be active and biting.

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

Southeast:

Off of the Fair Haven area, Harsen’s Island has some good action for blue gill and perch on minnows and wax worms. Good walleye action on the lower end of the St. Clair River taking place from Grassy Island to Algonac and anglers are jigging. Watch for ice flows that should be on the way. Around Harrison Township and the Mt. Clemens area wonderful fishing conditions exist. The Clinton River and near the spillway are producing nice numbers of steelhead. Anglers are casting with crawlers, bottom bouncing and using spawn bags with success.

Spring fishing is certainly getting in gear in the downriver area. Today Elizabeth Park Marina in Trenton opened up for the season, and Lake Erie Metro Park Marina in Rock Wood has all docks installed and ready to go. Anglers are fishing from the docks and doing well on perch, blue gill and an occasional crappie. Perch rigs and shiner minnows are doing the trick. Perch are biting strong around the cross-dyke with smaller fish hitting on the north side, and the larger fish biting on the south side. Best bet is fishing in 12-feet of water using slip bobbers versus traditional perch rigs. A seven-pound walleye was pulled from the Detroit River today. Popular baits include Finesse worms, gulp and walleye shiners. Walleye fishing is hit-or-miss right now due to the water being very cold and fish still lethargic. The Detroit River is also giving up some good catches of northern pike with fish biting on walleye shiners under a bobber. Best locations seem to be around marinas and near the mouth of the River. The canals around Gibraltar and Grosse Ile are producing some perch action. The Huron River is giving up a few steelhead on spawn under a bobber in the Rock Wood and Flat Rock areas.

Anglers are out in force around Bolles Harbor fishing for perch, but many are landing bullhead fish. Bullhead bite on a variety of baits, but try a half-ounce sliding sinker or just as effective--bacon.

Belleville anglers have great conditions on the majority of inland lakes in the area. Fishing is best near most of the dams or swift waters. Crappie and perch can be located near the bridges. The Huron River is producing steelhead. Four Mile Lake is giving up nice crappie and perch catches. Anglers are using minnows, wax worms and most popular are night crawlers.

Information providers: Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro Fishing & Archery Center-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Gander Mountain-Taylor and Sunseeker’s Boating Club-Gibraltar.

East:

Around the Linwood area the ice is diminishing fast and it is not recommended to venture out on Saginaw Bay. The Saginaw River is running very high and murky and no activity is taking place at this time. Most anglers are gearing up for spring fishing. Bay City anglers are in the transition mode thanks to unstable ice. Off of Quanicassee some anglers are getting a few perch in very shallow water, but the shore ice is really broken up and bad. Anglers in the Bay Port area are getting out in airboats to pull in a few walleye and perch. The ice is really unstable and jagged so use extreme caution. Jack hooks and minnows seem to be working at the moment. Watch for windy conditions.

The ice overall is gone around Standish and what remains around the shoreline is questionable, be sure to use a spud and don’t venture more than a quarter mile or so out. Anglers are getting some perch today, but basically the next two weeks will be a transition mode just waiting to get the boats in the water.

Port Sanilac has wide open water and not activity taking place and Lexington anglers are getting a few perch and steelhead fishing off the docks. Heavy ice, from side to side, is flowing between Port Huron and Georgian Bay. Anglers continue to fish near the boardwalk and water filtration plant with some success for steelhead using Emerald shiners on the bottom. The Black River has some suckers showing up and night crawlers and large Emerald shiners are working well. Steelhead are headed towards Mill Creek and good crappie action can be found around local marinas.

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

Southeast:

Fair Haven anglers are watching huge chunks of ice floating down the river and Anchor Bay certainly has unsafe ice, overall no angling action this week. Off of the St. Clair Shores area the ice is breaking up rapidly and the only anglers getting out are using airboats. Off of Harrison Township the ice is not safe and activity seems to have been halted. The Clinton River and the spillway are giving up a few pike, steelhead and catfish. Anglers are using three quarters to one ounce jigheads with minnows or plated twister trailers.

The Detroit River still has plenty of ice flowing and the water is very high from melting snow and heavy rains. In Flat Rock, the Lake Erie Metro Park Marina boat launch has two docks operational and a few anglers are launching boats and heading towards Gibraltar for perch action around the canals, near South Gibraltar Road and Kingsbridge Road. Fishing off the docks around Gibraltar is also a great option if you have access. Shiner minnows and perch rigs are working well. The Huron River is running very high but anglers are finding good numbers of walleye and steelhead. Steelhead are biting on spawn and wax worms under a bobber. Don’t forget walleye season closes for the Huron River on Sunday.

Off of the Monroe area rivers and lakes are running very high and no one is fishing. The ice is pretty much gone and chunks are headed for the Detroit River. Any ice remaining is unsafe.

Around the Belleville area, the ice has blown out due to extremely windy conditions. Any ice remaining is seriously deteriorated and dangerous. The lakes will be busy on Saturday since pike and walleye season closes on Sunday and reopens in April. New DNR guide books are available at your local bait shops now. Walleye are stacked up near the mouth of the Huron River, near the bridges and around swift waters. Crappie activity is good on Ford Lake under the bridges when using night crawlers and jumbo pan fish worms.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro Fishing & Archery Center-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville and Gander Mountain-Taylor.

East:

Off of the Linwood and Bay City areas, Saginaw Bay is hot for walleye during the morning and evening hours. Rapalas, Swedish Pimples, Cleo’s and minnows are working well. Anglers are fishing in 12-15 feet of water for best results. Ice may be questionable and there are plenty of pressure cracks, use extreme caution.

Some good perch action taking place just a couple of miles off of Bay Port or Mudd Creek. The ice is good and anglers are using red beads and minnows with good results.

Walleye are on the move in the Standish area to shallow waters of 6-8 feet. Minnows seem to be doing the trick. Watch for bad pressure cracks in the ice. Walleye are also staging up for run in river.

Anglers will find open water around Port Sanilac with browns, perch and steelhead action decent. Lexington anglers will find a few fish in the harbor off the docks that have bubblers operating. Overall the water is dirty due to wind and rain. Port Huron anglers are fishing near the water filtration plant for some decent brown and steelhead action and success has been found using a large Emerald shiner bouncing off the bottom. Not much activity taking place this week on the Black River due to dirty water and suckers are no where to be found.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; 1st and Main-Bay Port and Eagle Bay Marina-Standish.

Southeast:

Shore ice is good off of Algonac on Anchor Bay and anglers are doing well along the shoreline for perch. Off of Fair Haven the perch action on Anchor Bay is spotty at best. A few are being caught in the murky waters with minnows. Anglers are fishing up tight near Mac & Ray’s or mid-Bay. The ice is ok with anglers still driving four-wheelers to get out but use extreme caution near any areas that water feeds. Near Harrison Township the ice is good. Anglers are finding the best luck fishing north of the boat launch at the spillway and up to Metro Beach, near Cotton Road and Selfridge. The bigger perch are starting to turn-on and the baits that seem to work include minnows, spikes and wigglers. Off of the St. Clair Shores area the ice has deteriorated around the edges and anglers need to check ice due to recent rain. A few pike are starting to hit. The Clinton River is slow this week for steelhead due to rain and dirty water.

Again this week anglers in the downriver area have a slow go. A few anglers have braved the windy and cold temperatures and have launched boats to get a hit or miss walleye on the Detroit River. However, the ice flow continues and anglers need to use extreme caution if boating. Anglers continue to pull in a few perch around the Lake Erie Metro Park Marina where ice is still 10-12 inches and off of the Banana Dyke at Pointe Mouille. Grosse Ile, Gibraltar and Airport Bay have minimal ice left due to high winds. Only a few fish have been caught this week. The Cross-dyke and off of Bob-Lo the ice ranges 8-10 inches and anglers are getting a few perch. The Huron River is slow this week for steelhead due to murky water from heavy rains.

Belleville anglers are doing well on Ford Lake for all types of fish and using a variety of baits that include mousies, spikes, wax worms and perch minnows. The ice is unstable on Belleville Lake and there is open water. Anglers have noticed that the walleye are starting to run and a few have been seen near most bridges.

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

East:

Bay City anglers are heading to Quanicassee for some decent perch action and fishing in 10-feet of water for best results. Walleye activity is good about eight miles out.

Anglers around Bay Port are fishing straight out and around Mudd Creek for good numbers of walleye using red teardrops with minnows.

Standish area anglers continue to reel in good numbers of perch in 4-7 feet of water near Whites Beach. Walleye are active in 12-14 feet of water. Ice is still in good shape and at least a foot thick. Minnows, Cleo’s and Do-jiggers seem to be doing the trick.

Port Sanilac and Lexington no ice is safe at this point. Around Port Huron the 40th Street Pond is still seeing some angling activity, but use good judgment on the ice and especially near any springs. The water is very dirty. The Black River and Mill Creek are giving up some suckers.

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

Southeast:

Ice on Anchor Bay near the Fair Haven area has improved and is overall clear. The ice is averaging close to a foot thick, but anglers need to use caution near any stream or area that feeds water. Pike action is decent behind the raft on Bouvier Bay. Near the launch some perch action is taking place.

Near St. Clair Shores walleye action is slow, no limits being had. Anglers are getting best results with Do-jiggers, spoons and jigging with Rapalas in 12-20 feet of water and between 5:30 and 6:30 at night. Harrison Township anglers are finding some decent results out in the Bay between Metro Beach and the Clinton River for perch, crappie and blue gill. Walleye and steelhead are starting to move into the Clinton River near the Shady Side Park. A variety of baits are working well including minnows, artificial baits, wigglers and spawn.

Downriver anglers are pretty much at a standstill waiting for ice chunks to melt and spring to arrive. Angling activity is very slow. A few perch can be had around the Lake Erie Metro Park Marina and near the Banana Dyke at Pointe Mouille. Lake Erie is wide open as well as the Detroit River. Anglers are advised not to launch boats just yet, wait for the ice flow to finish. The steelhead action is picking up on the Huron River with spawn working well.

Slow activity again for Monroe anglers due to open water and ice chunks flowing. Anglers are waiting the arrival of spring fishing season and for the ice to completely melt.

It has been slow angling activity this week around the Belleville area. Ford Lake is producing some walleye and the ice is still around 12-inches thick. Large golden shiners, wax worms and jumbo pan fish worms are working best. Belleville Lake is slow and the ice is unsafe.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro Fishing & Archery Center-Harrison Township and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

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

East:

Off of Linwood, the ice is good on Saginaw Bay, but not safe near the mouth of the creeks and rivers. Walleye and perch seem to be moving in to waters 8 to 14 feet. Rapalas, glow-in-the-dark and big baits seem to work best. The “1st Annual Linwood Ice Fishing Championship” takes place Saturday. For details call 989-697-4415 or 989-697-5341.

Fair to good angling opportunities available for anglers fishing off of the Bay City area. Parrish and Linwood roads may be the safest point to get out on the Bay. Vanderbilt Park has some fair to good perch action with anglers using minnows with good results. Use caution venturing out on the ice.

Bay Port anglers are finding good action for perch and walleye. The ice is fair and improving daily with the cooler temperatures and anglers are catching limits.

Good walleye and perch activity for Standish anglers fishing Eagle Bay. Walleye opportunities are best in waters 14 to 15 feet and for perch in 8 feet, both are biting on minnows. Ice remains good averaging 12 to 18 inches.

Ice is not good around Port Huron and there is open water near the water filtration plant. A few browns and steelhead are being caught. Ice is not good off of Port Sanilac, but remains good around Lexington. The 40th Street Pond the ice is slushy and thin.

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

Southeast:

Anchor Bay off of the Fair Haven area still has some murky water, but anglers are finding a few perch keepers. Behind the raft on Bouvier Bay some nice crappie catches taking place on minnows. The ice is approximately 12-inches, but anglers need to use extreme caution particularly where the water drains.

Ice around the St. Clair Shores and Harrison Township area is overall in good shape, but anglers need to really know where to access from. Cleats and spuds are necessary and extreme caution. Some good access points are near Gino’s Surf, Metro Beach and the ramp near Ballard and Jefferson. Anglers are catching consistent perch many in the 7-10 inch range, there are a few in the 10-11 inch size in the mix. Jigging with Rapalas, using Salmo Chubby Darters and number 10 hooks seem to be working well overall. Walleye action is good at night in 10-feet of water and jigs with Rapalas are doing fine. Anglers are catching one to three per person. Cooler weather expected overnight might bring on the best fishing for the weekend.

From Wyandotte to Rock Wood anglers are finding open water pretty much everywhere. Lake Erie is open and ice chunks are heavily flowing as well as the Detroit River. The Lake Erie Metro Park Marina has two docks ready to go, however it is really not recommended to go out in a boat just yet, way too many ice chunks floating. If you attempt to launch a boat, stay very close to shore. Anglers with access to Gibraltar canals are limiting on blue gill and perch using wax worms and shiner minnows. Anglers fishing off the Banana Dyke at Pointe Mouille are getting decent results. The Huron River near the dam in Flat Rock has good fishing for steelhead on spawn. Some steelhead pulled in ranged from 6 to 10 pounds.

Very slow angling action is taking place off of the Monroe area. Lake Erie has open water and plenty of ice chunks floating. Ice fishing has pretty much come to standstill. Attempting to go out in a boat is unsafe due to the high volume of ice chunks. The Raisin River remains very high and plenty of ice chunks floating. Basically anglers are waiting for spring fishing at this point.

Belleville Lake the ice is skeptical at this point, anyone attempting to go out needs to use extreme caution. However, where the open water is that is where you will find some good walleye fishing. On Ford Lake the ice is ok in certain spots, and unstable in others. Perch activity is slow on both lakes and crappie is good. Minnows seem to work on walleye.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro Fishing & Archery Center-Harrison Township and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

In the Saginaw area, it is the last weekend for the “22nd Annual Shiver on the River” walleye contest. Bay City had remarkably warm weather this week and the ice is compromised. Anglers going out yesterday on Saginaw River had 6-inches of ice and three hours later came back on 3-inches. Walleye and pike are good at the Hot Pond. Bay Port anglers need to pay attention to the wind direction and use extreme caution.

Standish anglers are doing well for perch in 8-9 feet of water. The ice is in fair condition, however with rain in the forecast the ice could rapidly change. The shore line is pretty beat up and the area is seeing hundreds of anglers out fishing. Minnows are the popular bait. Use extreme caution on the ice and be sure to have cleats, the ice is very slippery.

Port Huron anglers will find some decent steelhead and brown trout fishing near the water filtration plant. The Lexington area experienced 60 degrees this week and that certainly softened up the ice. Anglers need to use extreme caution. There are lots of fish, but not biting at this point. Port Sanilac has open water, and not much activity.

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

Southeast:

Algonac anglers are finding good fishing in Saginaw Bay, but the warm weather is making the ice unstable. Ice fishing on Lake St. Clair has pretty much stopped due to unsafe condition.

Not much activity on Anchor Bay in the Fair Haven area. Perch action has been spotty at best. Ice is changing with the weather conditions and may be unstable. Slushy conditions currently prevail and with rain last night conditions may get considerably worse.

St. Clair Shores and Harrison Township anglers are finding standing water on most of the ice. Some fish are biting near the DNR launch and Gino’s surf in 5-6 feet of water. Walleye are biting at night and in the late afternoon in 8-10 feet of water. However the ice is shaky and extreme caution is advised. The Bay and canals might be a better choice until the cool weather returns. Salmo Chubby Darters are working on walleye and believe it or not, anglers are doing well on perch using Luhr Jensen eggs which are typically used for trout or salmon. Try using with a number 10-hook for best results.

Downriver anglers are doing well on the Detroit River behind Wyandotte Hospital for some decent perch action using live bait and wax worms. Airport Bay has fired back up off of Grosse Ile for perch and the occasional pike. Gibraltar anglers with access or using a boat will find that the perch activity is very good throughout the canals. Stay close to the shoreline and be aware of plenty of ice flowing. Anglers are moving a lot from hole to hole with good results. Lake Erie has no safe ice due to mild temps and high winds. Be smart, stay off.

The Rock Wood area has seen some heavy angling activity this week. Perch are biting around the Erie Metro Park Marina. Black teardrops with red spikes and white teardrops with a minnow or wax worm seem to be working well. Ice ranges from 10-16 inches, of course weather conditions are rapidly changing the ice quality. Use caution no matter where you go. A few anglers are testing their luck on the Huron River for steelhead.

Fishing activity is very slow off of Monroe due to the warming trend. The ice is unsafe, even near the shoreline there is open water.

Good fishing on Ford and Belleville lakes. Some water tops the ice, but there is a lot of fish to be had. Perch and crappie are hitting on preserved wigglers and pike and a few walleye are biting on golden shiners or wax worms. Clear Lake in Pinckney is also giving up some nice catches of fish.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro Fishing & Archery Center-Harrison Township; Gander Mountain-Taylor and Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac.

The USDA-APHIS has launched a new Fish Health website. You can view the new site at http://www.focusonfishhealth.org/.

East:

In Saginaw, take part in the festivities of the "22nd Annual Shiver on the River” walleye contest taking place this weekend through February 14. Saginaw Bay near the Linwood area has decent walleye activity, not so many limit catches this week, fish seem to be scattered more. Anglers are using four-wheelers to go out five to eight miles; a GPS is a good idea to take along as well. Large Rapalas and minnows are working best.

Good perch and walleye activity taking place in the Bay Port area. Anglers are using minnows or just hooks with good results.

Good walleye action on Saginaw Bay just off the Standish area. Walleye are hitting everywhere and biting on everything. Most popular baits include Rapalas and Cleo's. A few lake trout are in the mix but hit or miss, and so far no perch. The “Walleye Fishing Seminar & Tournament” takes place this weekend, call 989-846-1809 or 989-846-6065 for details.

Port Sanilac and Lexington anglers are seeing lots of fish, but the fish are not biting. Small sized perch and large sized browns are out there, but you will need to put your time in and move around a lot.

Port Huron anglers are getting a few browns using large Emerald Shiners and bouncing off the bottom. Most gravel pits have good fishing and sucker chubs and Emerald Shiners are working well.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; 1st and Main-Bay Port, and Eagle Bay Marina-Standish.

Southeast:

Off of the Fair Haven area, Anchor Bay is producing some nice perch action. A few good locations include near Gino’s Surf and Cotton Road. Perch vary in size and plenty of sorting is taking place.

Near Harrison Township, walleye activity is good in the late evening hours in 10 to 12 feet of water near Crocker launch, and south of Metro Beach a few walleye are biting on Lake St. Clair. Jigging with Rapalas seems to do the trick.

Anglers fishing across the border at Mitchell’s Bay on Lake St. Clair will find some perch, but the key is to keep moving. Perch action is hit or miss on the Thames River as well.

Perch action has been hit or miss for anglers fishing off of Grosse Ile on Airport Bay. Anglers are either nailing the fish or coming up with nothing. Moving around is necessary to be successful. Some pike and blue gill are in the mix around Grosse Ile. Gibraltar canals have open water and anglers are able to get out in boats for some decent perch action. Same story around the Metro Park Marina near Rock Wood, the perch action is hit or miss, but on a good day, perch catches can be 30 to 40 fish. Take part in the “Gander Mountain/Lake Pointe Party Shoppe Fishing Tournament” starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, in South Rock Wood. For details call Gander Mountain at 734-287-7420.

Slow action for anglers fishing off of the Monroe area, around Sterling State Park, Brest Bay, and Luna Pier. Anglers are using four-wheelers and making a three mile trek towards West Sister Island for some nice sized walleye. Good walleye action is also taking place around Toledo Beach, near the Davis Betsie Power Plant and Catawba Island. Buck-Shot Rattle Spoons and Cleo’s are working well.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro Fishing & Archery Center-Harrison Township, and Gander Mountain-Taylor

Farmed Fish Feelings and Husbandry Systems

EU - The Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) Panel has delivered their Scientific Opinion on the welfare aspects of husbandry systems for farmed trout.

The scientific opinion focus on the two main species farmed as 'trout' in Europe, these are the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum 1792); and the brown trout; Salmo trutta L 1758. Trout are produced across Europe for various purposes and in a wide variety of production systems however there has been no systematic survey of production systems and husbandry procedures at a European level.

From the data presented in the scientific report, several factors affecting trout welfare were identified: abiotic and biotic factors, feed and feeding, husbandry, genetic, disease and disease control measures.

A risk assessment approach was carried out to obtain a risk ranking for these groups of factors, estimate which hazards are more important for each life stage and enable a comparison of the different production systems. ... ...

See (http://tinyurl.com/5lk43o) for the full story.

The EFSA report is available at http://tinyurl.com/6c3xgo.

Southeast:

Off of Fair Haven, Anchor Bay is spotty for perch, but spear fishing pike is good. There is a lot of snow on the ice and drifts can get up to a few feet.

Off of St. Clair Shores the activity is great for walleye in the evening hours.Also off of Selfridge the morning hours are very good and then again in the late afternoon. Orange and silver are popular colors and Do-jiggers are working well.

Perch action is only getting better for anglers in the Rock Wood, Flat Rock, Grosse Ile, and Gibraltar areas. Anglers are averaging 20 to 40 perch around the Erie Metro Park Marina. Mousies, wax worms, wigglers and green and pink teardrops are working well, pink is especially hot. Gibraltar canals are kicking with perch, anglers can expect to get limits but weeding through is necessary. Airport Bay is producing large quantities of yellow perch.

Off of Monroe, anglers are marking fish, but the fish just are not biting. The ice is very good ranging between 8-12 inches thick. Anglers fishing near Stony Point or Brest Bay are getting out on four-wheelers and going out one to three miles. Popular baits include spoons, jigs with Rapalas and walleye minnows. Anglers fishing off of the Banana Dyke in Berlin Township are doing well for perch and an occasional walleye in the mix. Remember that to get to the Banana Dyke you are on State Game Area, and motorized vehicles are not permitted, so anglers need to be prepared for a lengthy hike.

In the Bellville area, Ford and Bellville lakes are on fire for perch, crappie, walleye and limits of blue gill. Sorting is necessary on perch catches. A few anglers have pulled in limits of crappie in 45 minutes hitting a group of crappie passing through. In the surrounding areas, all inland lakes, ponds and gravel pits are doing well on a variety of fish. Mousies, wax worms, walleye minnows, big pike chubs and Emerald Shiners are popular baits. Four Mile Lake is giving up plenty of nice sized crappie and hammer handle size pike. An angler yesterday pulling in a 10-inch crappie had a 29 inch pike grab on to the crappie, nice surprise landing that pike.

Information providers: South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe, and Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores. East:

The 22nd Annual “Shiver on the River” walleye contest in Saginaw begins this Saturday and runs through February 14. All entries, online or in person, must be purchased on or before January 30. Register at www.Mlive.com/shiver.

Anglers fishing off of the Bay Port area are doing well for walleye just off Thomas Road and seven miles out. Mud Creek is giving up some walleye and perch remain great using chartreuse beads in the early morning and late at night.

Off of the Standish area, Saginaw Bay is providing plenty of good walleye action 5 ½ to 6 miles out. Anglers are fishing in 19 to 22 feet of water with great success. Small lures, quarter ounce size, and Cleo’s or Do-jiggers all working very well. Don’t forget about the “Walleye Fishing Seminar & Tournament” taking place February 7 and 8. Call 989-846-1809 or 989-846-6065 to register.

Port Sanilac anglers will find a few perch and brown trout. Lexington anglers are fishing in 30-40 feet of water during the early morning hours before the traffic starts for perch and a few steelhead. Wigglers,large Emerald shiners and spawn are baits of choice. Most ponds around the Port Huron area are producing nice numbers of pike and blue gill. Sucker chubs work well on pike, blue gill are small in size.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; 1st and Main-Bay Port, and Eagle Bay Marina-Standish.

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

Southeast:

Good action in Fair Haven on Anchor Bay. Pike spearing is good, perch activity is good, but fish are small in size and anglers will need to sort. Ice ranges 8 to 12 inches thick and popular baits include minnows and jigs with spikes.

Anglers are doing well around St. Clair Shores for walleye, particularly near Gino’s Surf and Metropolitan Beach. Perch are active but small. Anglers will find decent activity in 8 to 9 feet of water during the morning hours. Wigglers seem to do the trick.

Downriver anglers are certainly seeing an improvement with ice conditions. Good ice averaging 12 to 15 inches thick can be found around Rock Wood near the Metro Park Marina. Perch and blue gill are active but fish are small in size. The Banana Dyke is giving up plenty of perch, typically anglers are keeping 20 to 30 fish, and an occasional blue gill in the mix. Overall the action in the Gibraltar canals has slowed down this week, but near the South Gibraltar Road towards the north end the perch are biting but sorting is necessary. Airport Bay is hard to access but anglers getting out are finding that pike, blue gill, and perch are biting on wax worms and spikes. Frenchman’s Creek is also giving up nice catches of blue gill on mousies and wigglers.

Around Monroe, the ice is good at Stoney Point and anglers are jigging for perch. Brest Bay has solid ice and the walleye fishing is really good after 5:30 p.m. Activity has slowed around Bolles Harbor and slim picking around Luna Pier.

Mill Pond near Dexter is giving up nice catches of perch and crappie. Near Pinckney, Joslin Lake is decent for perch and crappie and Wild Goose Lake has some great action for big blue gill. South Lake near Chelsea has fair fishing taking place and fishing improves over on Four Mile Lake where good numbers of pike and blue gill are biting.

Belleville and Ford lakes are both fair for perch and crappie, but really good for blue gill fishing. Overall fish are biting on several baits that include chubs, spikes, golden shiners, and walleye minnows.

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

East:

Linwood fishing is good for anglers looking for walleye, 10 to 14 feet of water seems to be popular and closer to shore fairs well for perch. Ice conditions are good, but caution should still be exercised.

Bay City area anglers are finding good ice and fishing is taking place all over for perch and walleye. Walleye are biting on jigs and Rapalas on the Saginaw Bay and River. Perch action is good around Sebawaing and Quanicassee in two to three feet of water using teardrops and perch rigs.

Off of the Bay Port area, Mudd Creek continues to give up nice catches of perch. Anglers are still using jack hooks and chartreuse beads with good success. Some walleye are starting to run.

Anglers fishing in the Standish area will find outstanding angling for walleye on Eagle Bay in 12 to 20 feet of water and fishing three to six miles out. Ice is solid and measuring up to 14 inches. Mark your calendar for the “Walleye Fishing Seminar & Tournament” coming February 7 and 8. Call 989-846-1809 or 989-846-6065 to register.

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

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

East:

Around Caseville, lake trout fishing is temperamental, out of the River is good, off of the break wall not so good changes day to day. Ice is averaging 10-inches in depth and anglers are reminded that trout from the River are legal, but trout off the break wall must be tossed back.

Ice fishing is picking up around the Bay City area. Ice is forming on the Saginaw River. Anglers should still be very careful at this point. Near the Independence Bridge, walleye action is spotty. Anglers fishing the area are using a variety of lures and baits. Rapalas and jig heads seem to be working ok and the popular colors include yellow, orange, green, silver and blue.

Anglers fishing around Bay Port can expect good solid ice averaging 12-inches. Perch are biting at Mudd Creek on minnows, wax worms, jack hooks with chartreuse beads. In the perch mix an angler pulled in a five pound walleye, certainly a keeper.

Port Sanilac anglers are pulling in a few perch. Around Lexington there are numerous anglers out on the ice, steelhead action is decent and only a few perch are hitting. The popular baits seem to be Emerald Shiners and wax worms. Port Huron activity has slowed and the Boardwalk is shut down at this point. St. Clair anglers are finding some blue gill action fishing around various marinas.

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

Southeast:

Around the Fair Haven area, the ice is improving daily and Anchor Bay is registering 7-8 inches. Anglers are doing well for northern pike, mostly spearing.

St. Clair Shores anglers are finding plenty of small size fish, blue gill and crappie near Gino’s Surf and a few around Metro Beach. Angling seems to be hit or miss and it seems that small fish are the rule.

Anglers headed down river will find some nice perch available near the Metro Park Marina near Rock Wood. The ice is 8-inches and the baits of choice include minnows, wax worms and wigglers. Gibraltar canals are giving up decent counts of perch on minnows as well as Airport Bay. Near the Banana Dyke the ice is averaging 6-inches and wigglers are working well on perch with anglers getting 15-20 in a trip. The Detroit River has mushy ice, but improving everyday. The Huron River has no activity at this point due to a very heavy ice flow.

Off of the Monroe area, Bolles Harbor has some mushy ice and improving. Brest Bay is averaging five to six inches of ice but the walleye fishing is extremely slow with anglers only getting one or two per person during a few hours of fishing.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe, and Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores.

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

Southeast:

Near Algonac and Fair Haven, anglers are fishing on Anchor Bay near the Raft Bar. Some blue gill being pulled out of the shallow waters on wigglers, spikes, wax worms and minnows. Plenty of anglers are ice fishing near Gino's Surf. Ice is 4-7 inches across Bouvier Bay and decent action is taking place near the Bouvier Bridge for perch, and blue gill. Saginaw Bay is giving up good numbers of perch, and many times anglers are getting limits.

Near Rock Wood good ice has formed near the Erie Metro Park Marina where good angling action is taking place for perch on shiners and tear drops. Around Grosse Ile, Airport Bay, Pte. Mouille, and the Banana Dyke, anglers are getting nice numbers of yellow perch and blue gill when using mousies and tear drops. Perch action is very good around the canals of Gibraltar. The Huron River is giving up some nice sized steelhead in the 8-10 pound range on spawn. Anglers will have to deal with ice chunks and heavy ice flowing. Use extreme caution.

Off of the Monroe area, angling activity is minimal due to open water, windy conditions and the fact that the Detroit Edison Plant is dumping thousands of gallons of warm water preventing ice from forming. The Raisin River is still running very high, use caution.

Ford and Independence lakes near the Belleville area have good ice and anglers are doing well for crappie, perch, and pike on wax worms, and pike chubs.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; 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.

East:

Near Bay City, Hidden Harbor is producing good numbers of walleye on jigs and Rapalas. The ice is good and measures 9-10 inches thick. Now the ice on the Saginaw River is not safe just yet. Near Quanicassee the perch fishing is good.

Off of Bay Port anglers are walking on the ice but watch for big cracks. Rose Island and Mudd Creek have some sporadic walleye activity for anglers with plenty of patience.

In Port Huron the ice has firmed up and steelhead activity is decent when using Emerald shiners near the water filtration plant. Ice shanties are popping up off of Lexington and perch and steelhead action is good. Be sure to register your fish if you see the DNR census representative in the area. Lake St. Clair is frozen and anglers are getting some small blue gill and a few perch. Evening hours seem to be better for pulling in the bigger fish.

Information providers: 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

Here's the page from today's (01/02/09) Federal Register which contains the notice of delay of eff. date of the VHS interim rule:

VHS indef. delay eff. date in FR.01.02.09

Resurgence of EMS in LH Main Basin - Schaeffer et al 2008