GLF

Did you pick up the no feed back system Matt?

Does anyone know if Fishermans Landing is still open? There was talk a few years ago about it being sold to a developement company.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is again working with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, this time to control an explosion of cormorants nesting on islands in and around Lake Huron's Thunder Bay. The explosion of nesting pairs of cormorants is not something the locals or the DNR want to have hanging around their resurging populations of yellow perch and walleyes. Due in large part to the collapse of alewives, Michigan biologists at the annual lake committee meetings of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission stated Thunder Bay has recently seen an upsurge in predation on yellow perch and young walleye. Up in the Les Cheneaux Islands, about 16,000 cormorants preyed on alewives and perch. DNR officials want to act quickly before their rebounding Thunder Bay perch and walleye populations meet the same fate. Citing public concerns for declining sports fish populations, lower tourism and environmentally decimated shorelines received at a series of statewide hearings, House members submitted a letter to DNR Director Rebecca Humphries seeking details on cormorant management programs during the past few years. “It was very apparent at the hearings that cormorants are having an extremely negative impact on Michigan,†said state Rep. Howard Walker, R-Traverse City. “These ongoing problems need to be addressed to protect the environment and communities that rely on the same resources as the bird, yet there appears to be little being done.†The letter also asked the DNR to implement more controls on the birds or provide reasons why more controls cannot be imposed. “Although we've seen some successes in the Alpena and Les Cheneaux Island areas working with the USDA Wildlife Services, more needs to be done,†Gillard aid. “I am hopeful we can continue and expand these efforts to reduce the cormorant population to truly have an impact on the problem.â€

Has open water fishing.

Has open water. Spring panfish bite should start soon.

The ice should be just about gone. A good south wind should blow any remaining ice out. Anglers are fishing near the mouth of the river, but the bite has been slow.

A fair number of boat anglers have been fishing for coho in both the Upper and Lower Harbors. Catch rates were spotty. A few whitefish were taken recently. No word on any smelt activity in this area of the state.

Anglers fishing off Sand Point had a slow week with only a handful of coho caught.

Walleye have moved into the river in good numbers. Good fishing was reported from the mouth upstream to the First Dam.

Ice fishing season is done, as the lake is all open. Crappie fishing is just getting started. Anglers are fishing in the canals in the southeast corner of the lake, including off Johnson’s Point. Small minnows have worked best.

Ice fishing is done. There is still some ice about 200 yards offshore, however; the ice is not safe. A few anglers continue to catch the occasional brown trout and rainbow trout near the Conference Center.

Boats are trolling for walleye just off the mouth of the river and near Foster Road. Rapalas seem to work best.

Boat anglers have caught walleye and brown trout when trolling. Pier anglers are getting some walleye, yellow perch, and a few brown trout. Surf and shore anglers are taking steelhead when floating spawn sacks.

Pier anglers have caught walleye in the waters of Lake Huron when fishing minnows and Rapalas off the bottom.

Boat anglers are targeting brown trout when trolling close to shore in waters 5 to 20 feet deep just south of the harbor around Swan Bay. The key to fishing right now is to target muddy waters from runoff and use spoons or Rapalas in bright colors such as silver, chartreuse, white, or glow-in-the-dark. Anglers are reminded that lake trout season does not open until May 1, 2006.

Pier anglers are taking fair catches of perch. Sorting is necessary, but anglers reported getting enough keepers for a meal. A few whitefish have also been caught. Boat anglers trolling near the mouth and in shallow waters 6 to 10 feet deep have caught coho averaging 3 to 4 pounds. A few brown trout have also been caught. Anglers are throwing back a good number of lake trout as the season does not open until May 1, 2006.

Boats are vertical jigging for walleye just south of the Blue Water Bridge. Those fishing off the wall at Port Huron have caught steelhead and brown trout on spoons and bombers.

Weather permitting, boat anglers are fishing in 12 to 15 feet of water off St. Clair Shores. The better catches are coming near the Coast Guard Station. Those fishing the north end of the lake have caught perch in the shallow waters off Selfridge Air Base.

Walleye are in the river, but they have been hard to catch this week. Boat anglers are fishing all over, including in the channel by the Detroit Edison stacks and in Canadian waters. With the catch rates so sporadic, anglers are using a variety of methods including handlining, casting, jigging, and trolling. Yellow perch have been caught on shiners around Grosse Ile and Bob-Lo-Island.

Good steelhead fishing before the cold front hit. Look for the fish to be holding in the deeper holes between Flat Rock and Rockwood. Fair to good yellow perch fishing was reported. Anglers are reminded that walleye season on the river is closed and does not open until Saturday April 29th.

Now that walleye season is open on Lake Erie, strong winds and cold temperatures slowed fishing just as the fish were starting to show up. Better weather by the end of the week should turn the fishing back on for both walleye and yellow perch.

Ouch

I am curious to where our member base is located. I know the majority are located in Michigan. This is where I am located and the site started.

What are some of the rates for slips at different ports? Include the port, size of the slip with the price. Thanks

This is a question for everyone with big boats. What are you paying for winter storage? Where did you have it stored? Inside or outside?