Clayton, N.Y. – A pair of huge muskies caught last month in the St. Lawrence River have once again fueled talk that a world record fish is swimming in that popular water. Daniel Polniak, Jr., of Ogdensburg (St. Lawrence County) caught and released a 60-inch muskie that weighed an estimated 60-65 pounds while fishing with Capt. Rich Clarke of Sign…
Springfield, Ill. – Who has been running DNR's Fisheries Division in the wake of Steve Pallo's retirement this summer? The answer is Debbie Bruce, who was promoted to acting chief following Pallo's June 30 departure. Bruce took the interim position in July, according to Illinois DNR spokesman Chris McCloud. Bruce's career background does include biology, though most of Bruce's previous…
Fishing and hunting license fees should be increased and restructured, as the DNR has proposed, to keep the Game and Fish Fund solvent, according to a citizens group that oversees agency expenditures.
Fox Lake, Ill. – Ryan Stochl gave up the chance of putting his name in the Illinois record books so that his 50¾-inch muskie, caught on the Chain would live. But at least for Stochl, his Oct. 30 catch leads the Illini Muskie Alliance's annual Big Fish contest, which is open to members of any of the state's muskie clubs….
Detroit – While environmental controls have limited the amount of new mercury pollution in the Great Lakes region, a recent study reveals levels of mercury found in some species of fish in Michigan waterways have continued to increase. A report issued by the Biodiversity Research Institute, Great Lakes Commission in Ann Arbor and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse noted that…
Columbus – For as long as he can remember, Ray Petering's best pose was with a fishing rod in hand. The Cincinnati-area native is the executive administrator for fish management with the DNR Division of Wildlife. But Petering has announced that he will be retiring at the end of December, becoming the latest in a long line of experienced and valued…
Lansing – A proposal to revamp Michigan spearing and bowfishing regulations, including opening up about half the lakes currently closed to the fishing method, is getting mixed reviews. The Bowfishing Association of Michigan calls the package "excellent," according to its president, Steve Winters, of Manistee. He said it increases the species bowfishers can take, and establishes year-round shooting. But the…
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…
