EdB

Nice job on a limit!

Way to Ben!

Awesome catch Bill!

They'll be fish inside but I doubt the hoards of coho in close this year like in a typical spring. All the warm weather and a lot moved offshore. I'm sure you can still hit some fish in close. Probably some kings around.

Today's Seagrant meeting in Benton Harbor was very information on the future of our Lake Michigan fishery. I participated through the online webinar. If you could not attend, a video of today's meeting should be up on the Seagrant site soon. There is a also a survey monkey survey everyone can complete online to provide your feedback on future stocking strategies to protect our fishery. Please take some time to get educated before completing the survey by watching the videos or reading the reports on the Seagrant website. It might be a few days before today's video is up on the site. Here is a link to the info, video's, reports and the online survey. http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/fisheries/stocking/index.html

Nice job Mike, thanks for the report.

Go to the link I posted in post #15 and watch the 2 video's on that webpage. It is very informative on what is going on in Lk Mich with the forage and salmon. Well worth the time to learn about the science behind this. I'd rather take a cut in plants and have a fishery than to see Lk Mich end up like Lake Huron. I plan to watch the webcast of the meeting this Saturday too. You need to register for that on the same link in post #15.

Way to go.

Nice catch!

Nice job!

Thanks for the report.

Not sure about Wisconsin Seagrant's involvement but all the states DNR's around LK Mich are involved and cooperating on this. They choose Benton Harbor for the meeting so folks from IN, IL and WI could participate.

Here is a link to the stocking conference, the two videos in the linked webpage are very informative. You can participate in the conference in person or online if you pre-regisiter. http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/fisheries/stocking/index.html Here is a summary of the stocking cut proposals that will be discussed. The DNR will be taking public comments on these proposals for a number of months until a final decision is made: Here are the options that will be presented and discussed at the meeting. Pretty much all the other information that will be presented is on the Michigan Sea Grant Web site. 1. Reduce Chinook salmon stocking lake-wide by 50% and evaluate after five years. • This option follows our existing policy to make a change, evaluate the results over five years, and come back to the public for future changes. 2. Reduce Chinook salmon stocking lake-wide by 50% and make additional reductions to stocking if weight of age-3 Chinook salmon is below 7 kg (15.4 lbs) or increase stocking if weight of age-3 Chinook salmon is above 8 kg (17.6 lbs). • This option uses Chinook salmon weight as an indicator of forage abundance and fish health to determine when stocking changes are necessary. Agencies would make changes more often than every five years (i.e., changes could occur after 2, 3 or 4 years). 3. Reduce Chinook salmon stocking lake-wide by 30% and a mix of coho salmon, steelhead, and brown trout by 10% and make additional reductions to stocking if weight of age- 3 Chinook salmon is below 7 kg (15.4 lbs) or increase stocking if weight of age-3 Chinook salmon is above 8 kg (17.6 lbs). • This option uses Chinook salmon weight as an indicator of forage abundance and fish health to determine when stocking changes are necessary. Agencies would make changes more often than every five years (i.e., changes could occur after 2, 3 or 4 years). • Reducing the stocking of other species reduces predation and maintains higher Chinook abundance while protecting lake trout for rehabilitation purposes. 4. Reduce Chinook salmon stocking lake-wide by 30% and a mix of other salmon and trout species (coho salmon, steelhead, brown trout, and lake trout) by 10% and make additional reductions to stocking if weight of age-3 Chinook salmon is below 7 kg (15.4 lbs) or increase stocking if weight of age- 3 Chinook salmon is above 8 kg (17.6 lbs). • This option uses Chinook salmon weight as an indicator of forage abundance and fish health to determine when stocking changes are necessary. Agencies would make changes more often than every five years (i.e., changes could occur after 2, 3 or 4 years). • Reducing the stocking of other species reduces predation and maintains higher Chinook abundance.

She's looking good!

This is great reference so I made it a sticky.

Nice job Scott!

Great catch Jim!

Way to go Brian!

Nice catch Bill!

Welcome Greg!

Nice catch!

Nice catch!

Way to stick with it and find them.

Awesome catch!