IDEA: How about starting a species guide on the site

[JasonG]

This is an idea for more experienced Michigan fishermen to help new fishermen and new people to MI. How about starting a section on the web site that lists and describes all fish species in MI. We could use pictures of fish caught by site members as visual examples of the fish pointing out markings that help identify the fish. Also info could be posted listing info on the fish like size, habitat, best season to catch, best presenations to catch them. With all the fishing done by members we could build a very impressive cataloge or guide that will make possible for guys fishing that come across something not familiar to them a place to find out exactly what it is. Also for people wanting to learn how to catch a particular species will know the first steps about how to get them

Just an Idea

[JasonG]

OK I am an idiot. After posting I thought I should look around and see if there was anything similiar to what I suggested.(I have this site set in my favorites to take me straight to the forums) The picture section is good. Maybe we can have some pictures posted that are close ups of the fish on a board or something and then some specific info. Like labeling what kind of bass, Largemouth, small, rock, white, hybrid (texas) ect. If i am describing what is there already then hit me because I am being dumb

[Steve]

Hmmm, that's an interesting idea. We could implement it as sub-forums under warm water fishing. What do yall think? Are we getting too many forums?

[Hamilton Reef]

JasonG, Check out this site for general fish reference to start and then let us know if it is what you were thinking of.

http://www.enature.com/guides/select_Fishes.asp

[JasonG]

Hamilton Reef

I am thinking of something alongs those lines except less encyclopedia and geared more towards sportsmen. Instead of a picture in the wild or aquarium use a picture of a fish caught here in MI. Pictured in such a way as all it features are visible. It might take a couple of pictures of different fish of the same species to get the job done.

Steve,
It would not have to be like a forum per say, but take the best pictures availalble and use those. For example when the perfect picture of a perch is found that someone can use as a point of reference then use that picture or pictures, but they do not have to be changed. It would only be updated when a picture of a species is found that is not already listed. THe potential is with all the fishermen here and all the different places in the state they represent instead of having only one example of a perch we could have catolgued all the different variations from across the state if there are some. Another example a picture of a largemouth bass does not acurately describe all the bass found in MI. So when someone catches a fish and is not sure about it this site will have the difinative answer.

Just a thought, might be more work than it is worth, but it would help create a standard of what a fish is called especially for the new to MI. For example in Texas what they call perch up here are bluegills and sunfish. They do not have the perch that MI has. So when I moved up here I was calling perch what were really bluegill. I sounded like an idiot. A site like this could have saved me the enbarressment

[DEERSLAYER]

I do think we are getting quite a few forums, but that dose not mean I don't think we should not add any more. Just one problem I could see with JasonG's idea. If some of the guy's on this forum like shoeman and some of the other great fisherman on here started getting into detail on the how to {presentation}, there might not be any fish left in Michigan! LOL We have some darn good fisherman on this site.