Erie, Pa. – The idea of raising smaller trout to save money? It doesn't look like it's going anywhere anytime soon. Brian Wisner, chief of the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission's hatchery division, first floated the idea at a meeting of the board's fisheries committee in August. He said then – as part of a review of potential hatchery cost…
Castalia, Ohio – The annual fall stockings of rainbow trout in waterways across Ohio will be significantly reduced this year due to renovation of the Castalia State Fish Hatchery. According to the DNR Division of Wildlife, the hatchery's renovation required temporary changes in the fish production schedule. "Taking the Castalia State Fish Hatchery offline for fish production was a necessary…
CHICAGO (AP) – Minced Asian carp tacos? How about spaghetti with carp sauce? Illinois officials hope serving the invasive species on a plate is the creative solution to two big problems: controlling the plankton-gobbling carp from entering the Great Lakes and record numbers of people facing hunger. But the idea has major obstacles, mainly overcoming people's nose-crinkling response to eating…
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting public meetings this fall to gather input on the future of walleye regulations on the lakes of Namakan Reservoir. The reservoir includes Kabetogama, Namakan, Sand Point, Crane and Little Vermilion lakes in northern St. Louis County. The forums are intended to provide background information, answer questions and take public input on…
A Nebraska angler was fined almost $1,200 after a 700-mile fishing trip to northern Minnesota's Lake of the Woods resulted in an over-limit. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conservation officer Robert Gorecki of Baudette was patrolling the nearly 350,000-acre lake on July 31 when he came across James E. Thomsen, 68, of Ashland, Neb. The officer asked Thomsen how…
Would have significant impact on Lake Erie Columbus – Gov. John Kasich vetoed a bill that would have allowed Ohio factories to pull more water out of Lake Erie, amid pressure from governors from other Great Lakes states who expressed concerned about the measure. Kasich, a first-term Republican, said in a statement that he was vetoing the bill because…
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold a public meeting Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. to provide an update on the status of the Lake Vermilion walleye population, answer questions and gather input on the future of the Lake Vermilion walleye regulation. The meeting will be at the DNR area office, 650 Highway 169, Tower. For those who are…
CHICAGO (AP) – Federal officials say they will begin intensive monitoring of a waterway near Lake Michigan next week after genetic material from the invasive Asian carp showed up in three rounds of genetic testing. Crews will conduct electrofishing – using electric jolts to stun fish – sweep nets and additional sampling in Lake Calumet near Chicago during a four-day…
St. Paul – Federal prosecutors are reviewing evidence seized as part of an investigation into claims of the illegal netting and sale of walleyes in the Leech Lake and Red Lake reservation areas of northern Minnesota. Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officials were involved in an operation during the weekend after receiving claims of illegal walleye netting and…
There is an old saying in fishing that, at the beginning of each outing, you can assume the fish are deep, shallow or somewhere in between. Assuming the species you’re after could be in shallow water, it’s smart to check there first. Catching fish is all about efficiency, and we are most efficient in the shallows. But what if your…
St. Paul – Cass Lake will be open to spearing, and lawmakers will have to approve antler-point restrictions for deer in Zone 3 after the 2012 season. Counties can offer a bounty on coyotes, and the DNR can open the duck season earlier. Those provisions are among the many in a Game and Fish Bill that's attached to an omnibus environment…
Here's the latest official statement regarding allowing anglers to fish without a license during the government shutdown, on the self-proclaimed honor system… ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says there's no way to get around the state's fishing license requirements during the government shutdown. The state's electronic licensing system was taken offline when the shutdown…
BRAINERD, Minn. (AP) – Officials in a northern Minnesota county are calling on state officials to clarify their policy on fishing without a license during the government shutdown. Crow Wing County commissioners passed their resolution Tuesday because of concern about financial losses to lake resorts. The shutdown has meant people can't get fishing licenses. The Brainerd Dispatch reports that some callers,…
These are not all "outdoor related," but here is a list, from the Associated Press, of services shut down or curtailed by the government shutdown… ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A snapshot of Minnesota state services affected by the government shutdown, which started Friday at 12:01 a.m. CLOSED OR SUSPENDED: _ State parks: 66 state parks and six recreation areas…
Ely, Minn. – It's not out of the ordinary to catch a silver-phase northern pike on Snowbank Lake near Ely. But a 42-incher that's heavier than the largest silver pike ever recorded in Minnesota? That's Mark Plumley's story. For one night last week, he thought he'd caught a new state record. He learned the following morning his fish wasn't a…
ELY, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota wildlife officials say a silver-phase northern pike caught this week by a Wisconsin angler may have been huge, but it won't be an official state record. Linda Erickson-Eastwood is a fisheries program manager with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. She says the DNR used to keep records for silver pike, but no longer recognizes…
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has produced an instructional video that explains the state's new aquatic invasive species laws and shows boaters what they are required to do when leaving Minnesota waters. "The DNR is ramping up the battle to stop the spread of zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil and other aquatic invasive species," said Luke Skinner, supervisor, DNR…
St. Paul – While it's unclear yet what undone pieces of legislation might be part of a potential special session, there's hope the Legacy funding bill makes the list. The bill includes $450 million in spending over the next two years from the four pots of money – clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, parks and trails, and arts and…
Valencia, Pa. – One bad inspection. That's all it took for anglers to likely lose a popular stocked trout lake. Officials with the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission and Department of Environmental Protection were doing a routine annual inspection of the dam at Glade Run Lake in southern Butler County in May when they noticed "seepage issues," with water leaking…
Muskie opener set for Saturday St. Paul – Suffering from a poor showing up to the 2011 fishing opener, license sales in the state have rebounded in recent weeks. But as of the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, sales of all types of fishing licenses were down 19 percent compared with last year. Just prior to this year's May 14…
Minnesotans who have yet to net their fishing license catch a break June 10-12 when they can fish without a license while accompanying a child age 15 or younger. Minnesota's annual Take-A-Kid Fishing weekend aims to help keep the state's fishing tradition strong by encouraging adults and kids to share an angling experience on or along the state's thousands of…
As part of its ongoing effort to get more people outdoors, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering a series of skill-building workshops that will introduce camping, fishing, paddling, climbing and archery to the next generation this summer. The DNR Division of Parks and Trails created these programs in response to recent research that points to declining participation…
St. Paul – If you were betting new Republican majorities in the state House and Senate would break the annual impasse over two-line fishing and using scopes on muzzleloaders during that season, it's time to pay up. Neither provision was in the final Game and Fish Bill the Legislature approved Monday and sent to Gov. Mark Dayton. The bill tends…
A remote lake deep in the Chippewa National Forest is benefitting from an innovative construction project that was completed last fall. Three agencies – the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Chippewa National Forest, and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe – removed a concrete dam-and-culvert from the outlet of Itasca County's Pigeon River impoundment and replaced it with a channel…
The Minnesota House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday eliminated funding for the rehabilitation of the Coon Rapids dam on the Mississippi River, which is seen as a crucial barrier to stop the spread of invasive Asian carp. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources officials say the dam is currently the best option for stopping the northward spread of Asian carp…
Bemidji, Minn. – The number of walleyes Minnesotans caught on opening day depended on their willingness to take serious abuse from Mother Nature. A steady 35-mile-per-hour northeast wind, finger-numbing temperatures, and rain took its toll on anglers eager to start the walleye season across the state. Some of those who battled the weather found success, others didn't fare as well,…
