FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 28, 2009
Contacts: Gary Towns 248-359-9040 or Mary Dettloff 517-335-3014
Newsletter for 2009 Southeast Michigan Fisheries Activities Now Online
The 2009 newsletter that details the fisheries management activities in Southeast Michigan, specifically in the Lake Erie Management Unit (LEMU) is now available on the Department of Natural Resources Web site. The newsletter can be found at <url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
">** you do not have permission to see this link **.
“This document is intended to inform anglers about fishery management activities and surveys during the 2008 field season,” said DNR LEMU Supervisor Gary Towns. “Lake and stream fish surveys, fish disease monitoring, results from a sturgeon angler mail survey, and several other activities are included. This is our second annual newsletter and is designed to keep anglers updated on what we have been doing to manage fish populations in this area.”
Largely authored by DNR Fisheries Technician Dennis Tar and Fisheries Biologist Jim Francis, the newsletter is a collection of specific findings from fish surveys on local waters and of fish plantings and other activities conducted in 2008 in all or part of 10 southeastern counties of the state. The LEMU includes all or part of Sanilac, St. Clair, Lapeer, Macomb, Oakland, Livingston, Wayne, Monroe, Lenawee, Hillsdale or Jackson counties. The LEMU manages lakes and streams within the Black, Clinton, Huron, Rouge, Raisin, Pine and Belle river watersheds.
The newsletter will also contain information on fishery activities on the Great Lakes waters in southeastern Michigan, including the Detroit and St. Clair rivers, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie.
The newsletter explains why certain samples are taken in fish surveys, and what the resulting information can tell the DNR fisheries managers. The history of fish management on some lakes and streams also is included. This collective information leads to specific actions like fish plantings, special regulations on some waters, and the protection or rehabilitation of certain habitats.
A new section of the newsletter this year is titled: “How’d They Do That?” In this edition of the newsletter, the DNR explain methods used to determine the age of fish captured during fish surveys. Photos of the cross-section of fin spines taken from fish are shown with yearly growth rings (annuli) clearly visible.
Anglers are also reminded that fish survey reports on most public waters in Southeast Michigan are available from the DNR’s Fisheries staff at the Southfield Operations Service Center upon request at 248-359-9040.
Anglers also should note that a map showing the walleye regulations for the 2009 fishing season on the Detroit and St. Clair rivers, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie – for Michigan, Ontario and Ohio – is also posted on the DNR Web site under the Fishing section.
The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural resources for current and future generations.
Ugh…
Matt Hughes with a Lake Hudson crappie.
The crappie have the potential to get large
in this lake, if only they can avoid the
muskies.
I would have hoped the caption would have said something like: Because the muskies in Lake Hudson keep the crappie population in check, reducing the chance for stunting, the crappies have the potential to get large. I realize this may not seem that this is a big deal, however quotes like this are often used when people don’t want muskies stocked in “their waters”.
"Hamilton Reef" said:
The caption goof as the first thing that came to my mind. We can hope the oppositon outsideside of the SE district doesn't get a hold of it to oppose muskie stocking in our areas. Thus, our fishery education efforts must remain active.
[smilie=secret.gif]
I already sent an e-mail about that comment. If anyone would like to do the same here is what I sent… don't copy and paste this though.
To: ** you do not have permission to see this link **
Subject: LEMU newsletter
Jim,
I wanted to pass along some comments about the LEMU newsletter which I think is great and a super way to keep anglers informed. There was a caption that caught my attention though:
From page 4 photo of Matt Hughes w/ crappie:
“Matt Hughes with a Lake Hudson crappie. The crappie have the potential to get large in this lake, if only they can avoid the muskies.”
Michigan Muskie Alliance has done a lot of work to educate anglers concerning muskie diets and that they aren’t going to eat all of the panfish, walleye, bass, etc. in a lake. If as in the case of Hudson crappie are a preferred forage we try to stress that the muskes keep the fishery balanced. The caption under the photo of Matt could lead people to believe that muskies are decimating the crappie population in Lake Hudson. I’m sure you have heard stories of bass, walley and panfish anglers killing any muskie they catch because they believe the muskie will wipe out the fisery.
I would have hoped the caption would have said something like: Because the muskies in Lake Hudson keep the crappie population in check, reducing the chance for stunting, the crappies have the potential to get large. I realize this may not seem that this is a big deal, however quotes like this are often used when people don’t want muskies stocked in “their waters”.
Thanks for listening.
Will Schultz, President
Michigan Muskie Alliance
Found this older article from the Missouri Dept. of Conservation.
Their reputation as efficient predators has given muskies a black eye with some anglers, who claim the large predators hurt populations of other sportfish. Research has shown this reputation to be largely undeserved. While there's no denying a muskie will snatch an unwary bass or crappie, muskies have also proven to help control populations of gizzard shad, carp, drum, suckers and other large species that have few natural predators and receive virtually no angling pressure.
Muskies are selective hunters that seem to have a preference for these large non-game fish because they have high oil content. Studies have shown that, in lakes where muskies are stocked, they have little – if any – effect on largemouth bass, crappie and white bass populations, because those species are not preferred prey.
<url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
">[Permission to view this media is denied]
11 paragraphs down or so…
Please let me quickly assure everyone that Jim is a good guy and the caption was just a slip of the tongue. I've known Jim many years from when he was with the state Indiana and was thrilled we got him to come to Michigan. I'll see Jim at the 2009 Lake Committee Meetings last week of March. The hospitality room will be filled with good ole time stories and I'm sure Jim will help you in the future.
A little effort from a few people and change happens…
The caption now reads:
Matt Hughes with a Lake Hudson crappie.
Over the past few years during the musky
netting, we typically net a few large
crappies (14-18 inches) like this one.
Thank you to those people that took a moment to drop Jim a note about this. We are much stronger when united!
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