~Photo~ ~courtesy~ ~of~ ~Michigan~ ~Sea~ ~Grant~
Michigan Public NPR: You can go fishing for free this weekend in Michigan
All fishing license fees will be waived for both days on Saturday, February 17 and Sunday, February 18. A recreation passport will not be required to get into a state park or boating access site during the weekend. But you still have to abide by all of the fishing regulations that are in place across the state.
"The reason that we do it at Michigan DNR is to try to get family and friends and folks out into the outdoors and maybe those who don't normally fish an opportunity to try fishing without having to purchase a license," [Michigan Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist Addie Myers] said.
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~Photo~ ~courtesy~ ~of~ ~Kelly~ ~House,~ ~BridgeMichigan~
BridgeMichigan: Whitefish are on brink in Michigan
For decades, the [whitefish] have struggled to breed on the rocky reefs of lakes Michigan and Huron, where their eggs are under attack by invasive species and other threats. Some scientists fear a collapse in just a few years, which could sink Michigan’s commercial fishing industry and a way of life.
“Whitefish is synonymous with northern Michigan,” said Mark Smolak, whose family has run the historic Legs Inn in the tip-of-the-Mitt beach town of Cross Village since the 1930s.
Last fall, the team collected eggs from adult fish swimming in Lake Michigan. On a sunny morning last week, they used basters to transfer eggs into yellow plastic containers destined for the Jordan River. Another batch went to the Carp River, a Lake Huron tributary in the Upper Peninsula. […} The hope is the fish will pick up the Jordan River’s scent, prompting them to return there and spawn when they reach adulthood in about five years.
