EdB

I like your spread and like to have 2 - 300 coppers in August when the fish are deep so I can have one on each side. Rather than knock one done, start saving to buy another rig for another copper. I want to add a 400 copper on my boat.

Glad to have you on the boards, good luck on your first trip out this season.

I usually monitor 16 and 14 although just a couple other buddies use 14 so there is not a lot of traffic on it. Haven't been fishing since before Easter, it's killing me with all the good action. Some buddies did real good Saturday, 125 to 160 feet of water just a little south.

Nice job Grant, that sure is good to see on the east side.

Thanks for the report!

2nd that.

They got her freed, video in this link: http://www.9and10news.com/story/17451877/freighter-stranded-in-the-manistee-harbor 10:40pm- The McKees Sons was successfully removed from the Manistee Harbor and transported to Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin for further repairs. 10:00pm- We just spoke with the Coast Guard and we can tell you the freighter is floating once again and was being straightened out in the channel. Tug boats are also in position, and it is possible the McKee Sons Freighter has already been pulled from the sandbar and into Lake Michigan. 6:00pm- A boat crew from Coast Guard Station in Manistee responded to a grounded vessel with 17 people on board around 5:45 this morning. The barge "Invincible" was leaving the Manistee Harbor after dropping off a load of coal when it got grounded. The vessel grounded in Lake Michigan about 600 feet north of the North Manistee Breakwall and is reportedly obstructing about 30 percent of the channel. It was reported that the grounding damaged a shaft in the vessel's engine room, causing it to begin taking on water at the rate of about two gallons per minute. The Coast Guard is enforcing a safety zone 100 yards around the vessel. There were no reported injuries. Pollution responders from SFO Grand Haven are monitoring the situation and are developing a response plan in coordination with Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan, in Milwaukee, and the vessel owner. The cause of the grounding is under investigation. 9&10's Jessica Dupnack was in Manistee today and has more details.

Nice catch Kevin!

Nice job, cancelled our fishing Sat due to the forecast and blew it, wasn't bad after that line of rain went through. Way to get em!

Nice box!

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!