The Detroit River Fishery

For my money, there’s no better place to fish for walleyes this time of year, anywhere, than the Detroit River. It’s no secret. I swear, at times you could almost walk across the river going boat to boat and never get your feet wet. There’s a reason: The river is full...

The pain of loss for a 15-year-old eased with a special elk hunt

It is said the chance of getting drawn for an elk hunting permit in Michigan is .01-.06%. What are the odds that a teenager could be the recipient of a bull-elk permit and then fill that tag with an amazing 5 x 5 bull? Couple that with the recent loss of his beautiful...

Wake-Up Call

As I turned onto the gravel road, an entire flock of turkeys jaywalked in front of me to the opposite side, where a large stand of mature white pines covered the landscape. It was late winter, so the flock consisted of a mixed bag of jakes, longbeards, and hens. There...

Tricks for Opening Day

The weather on the last Saturday in April can be fickle. You might be blessed with a glorious sunshiny day and temperatures in the 60s or more. Or it could be spitting snow or sleet with temperatures below freezing. That’s just the way April is in Michigan. Chances...

Randy Claramunt named Fisheries Chief

On February 22, acting DNR Director Shannon Lott announced the appointment of Randy Claramunt as the new Chief of the Fisheries Division, one of Michigan’s most important natural resource positions. He will fill the position vacated by long-term fisheries chief Jim...

RECENT EDITIONS

BE BETTER AT JIGGING

BE BETTER AT JIGGING

Over the years, I’ve shared a boat with an impressive number of talented fishermen. No one learns the craft of fishing without the help of others willing to share what they have learned through the school of hard knocks. When it comes to jig fishing places such as the...

Turkey Vest Essentials

Turkey Vest Essentials

With the spring turkey season in April, now is a good time to thoroughly inspect your turkey vest to ensure you have all the essentials for a successful spring hunt. Turkey vests have evolved over the years. Once just a vest with pockets, modern turkey vests have...

MASS MONSTER

MASS MONSTER

It was November 26, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and Rick Cross was deer hunting in southern Calhoun County from a stand he hadn’t hunted all season. This particular stand overlooked a marshy lake bottom, exactly the type of place you would think whitetails would...

Michigan’s inland cisco fisheries

Michigan’s inland cisco fisheries

Michigan is blessed with at least 153 lakes around the state where native cisco can be found. Cisco, a member of the whitefish subfamily of trout/salmon, are often called lake herring in the Great Lakes, according to a research summary by Carl Latta, MDNR Research...

Saginaw River Walleyes 2023

Saginaw River Walleyes 2023

This year will mark the first time anglers have been able to fish the Saginaw River for walleye between March 15 and the last Saturday in April since the system’s walleye began their historic comeback. In past years, anglers got a taste of the potential when ice...

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