[M. Tonello]

I'm guessing that some of you from this site will be interested in attending a meeting on the Muskegon River fishing regs. Here's the announcement:
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Fisheries Division

Muskegon River Public Information Meeting
Monday, March 29, 2004
7:00 pm
Newaygo County Sportsman Club


Fisheries Division will host a public information session on Monday, March 29, 2004, 7:00 p.m. The Meeting will be held at the Newaygo County Sportsman in Newaygo County, located on Elm Avenue, about 2 miles north of the intersection of Elm Avenue and M-82.

Information will be presented on the lower Muskegon River fisheries between Croton and Muskegon Lake. Summaries of fishery evaluations, fish stocking, angler surveys, and existing regulations will be presented. Options for coldwater fishing regulations will be discussed.

The lower Muskegon River has excellent fisheries including steelhead, migratory brown trout, chinook salmon, and non-migratory rainbow and brown trout. This river segment provides significant natural reproduction of chinook salmon, and has the largest walleye spawning run in Lake Michigan south of Green Bay. Walleye fishing is moderate in the river and very good in Muskegon Lake. The river also has a moderate smallmouth bass fishery, along with northern pike near Muskegon Lake. Small populations of lake sturgeon and river redhorse exist; both are threatened species.


Perhaps I'll see you there!
Mark

 

[Hamilton Reef]

I was at the meeting last year. I spoke in favor of supporting the DNR and their fishery decision based on science. I will continue to support the DNR. The DNR has worked so hard to do what is best for the fishery, and sometimes the data doesn't support what the special interest money wants to hear. We pay the DNR to make the hard decisions. That is not always easy for them to do. Thanks Mark for letting us know of the meeting.

 

[mondrella]

I will try to attend again this year. Hopefully we can get as big of turnout as the last time.

 

[mondrella]

I can not believe there is so little interest in this post as of yet. this is a very important issue. There are those out there who would like a particular set of regs left in place or add tougher ones. You can bet these people will be out in full force. They were met with a lot of opposition last year from many people on this site. The DNR put on a excellent presentation last time discussing the type of river the MO is and where it fell into thier classification as a trout stream. There was going to be a additional year of studies done to see where to go from here. I suggest you make the trip if you fish this river and listen to what they have to say. We are very lucky to have a couple of bioligist in this state who really care and are trying very hard to educate the public.

There are a group of people who want to keep the 15" size limit in place all the way from thornapple to the lake. These people completly ignored the advice given at the last meeting and are lobbying hard to leave it that way for thier personal gain and not whats best for the river system.

I am trying very hard to clear my calender since I seen this post. I suggest many of you to do the same if at all possible. If not drop a email to Mark Tonello.

 

[Ranger Ray]

M. Tonello,
Is the river redhorse you are talking about the redhorse sucker?

 

[knockoff64]

It is getting the views.

Most of us on the Eastside, who would love to be there and participate, just said to ourselves, "oh, Monday, great! Can't take a day off work to drive 3 hours each way, get home at 2 am and get up for work on Tuesday"!

I do find it disheartening that most (very nearly all) of these public hearings are held "out state". I understand that landowners, local businesses and governmental agencies have much at stake in these situations. However, those of us who travel long distances to enjoy and contribute substantially to the financial and estetic well being of these resources are not heard in the process the way it stands.

 

[kingfisher2]

Great point John, is there an email addy we can send our views to? Us out-of-towners are responsible for a lot of the generated revenue for this area...Our voice should be heard.

If we do send our responses, will they be read to the group?

Marc

 

[mondrella]

Here is Mark Tonello email Also here is Tom Rozich email [EMAIL][email protected]

I believe these are the two people to voice your opinions to. If not I am sure Mark Tonello will let us know when he gets a chance.

 

[Steve]

This is a huge issue and I have high hopes that all of all who are from out of town and cannot make it, will at least send an email.

 

[knockoff64]

Thanks for the addy Mondrella!

Only took 5 minutes,one to Tom Rozich, cc to Mark Tonello.

I responded to this thread not to whine, but to bring attention to what I feel is an inequity in the public hearing process.

I also sent emails, along with many other members who could not make the last meeting.

 

[mondrella]

Knockoff
I did not take it as whining at all I know how difficult it is for people on that side of the state to get here for a Monday meeting. there is a lot of guys who visit this site who are around here and they need to weigh in on this subject one way or the other.
I would like to see how many people we could get there the more the better. If you can make it please post and let others know. This is a great place to get organized and prepared before the meeting.
I already have a confirmation from one person.

 

[Steve]

Email sent.

 

[thousandcasts]

I plan on being there. Hopefully I'll see a few other members there as well. The DNR really needs to hear from both sides on this issue, so an e-mail is a great way to get your point across if you can't make the meeting. Thanks to those who have already sent one!

 

[M. Tonello]

Ranger Ray,
Yes. We have five species of redhorse suckers in Michigan- Greater, River, Shorthead, Golden, and Black. Technically they aren't called "redhorse suckers", just "redhorse". Who knows why.

Mark

 

[Hunter333]

I have conferences that night..... Will send email!

 

[knockoff64]

I received a reply from Mark Tonello;

Thanks for your comments. I am forwarding them to Rich O'Neal. Rich
is a Fisheries Mgt. Biologist, and is the primary biologist for the
Muskegon River watershed. He will be interested in reading them.
Thanks again

 

[Hamilton Reef]

Trout regulations on Muskegon River being revisited

State fisheries personnel will hold a public meeting Monday night to discuss trout management on the Muskegon River below Croton Dam with an eye toward making regulations changes.

http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/statewide/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1080126646287460.xml

 

[Steve]

Did anyone attend the meeting from the site? How did it go?

 

[thousandcasts]

Phlyphisher, TSS Caddis and myself went to the meeting. I'd say it was basically a revisting of last years meeting with updated info from 2003. More of the same--data shows that a large majority of the planters are not getting to the coveted 15" range and due to certain regs, the harvest isn't what it should be. Basically, it's the most expensive stream trout program in the state, and it's a put, grow and TAKE fishery with little or no hope for natural reproduction and very few fish holding over through consecutive winter/summers--ie, insufficient growth to justify the 15" size limit from Thornapple to Newaygo. Most of the larger fish are actually taken in the type 4 (10" size limit) water from Croton to Thornapple. Do some fish make it to the 15" + size? Yes, but not in the numbers that one would expect from an annual plant of over 200,000 fish. The majority of the rainbows, for example, are reaching a certain size then vanishing.

A few of us spoke up in support of the DNR and their suggestion to eliminate the special regs and allow more harvest from Thornapple down. A few fly guys spoke on behalf of their agenda albeit on a much smaller scale than last time. Splitshot spoke up and as usual, didn't disappoint. You gotta give props to the guy for calling it as he sees it!

It was actually uneventful until the Q & A portion of the meeting when one tool, in particular, decided that sleeping in a Holiday Inn Express the night before and picking up a fly rod once or twice in his life, was enough to qualify him as a fisheries biologist. Unfortuneatly for those of us who had thought the meeting had reached a productive end and were ready to go home and go to bed, Mr. I'm Still Wearing My Waders So I can Look Like a Fisherman, Still took the opportunity on several occasions to express his--well, lets just call them "insightful suggestions" like planting a Pike or two around Pine St. to help disperse the trout after they're planted--that way all the birds won't get them! All it did was offer conclusive proof that fly gear "doth not an expert make!" Geez, you think I'm an a**hole? You should've been there to listen to this guys attitude and bluster! By looking at a few people's faces around me, you could have held a raffle for the priveledge of punching him in the eye--and made a fortune off tickets sold! Kinda like with me, I guess...everybody line up! For the record, I have nothing against the sport of fly fishing, but the "expert" described above could be classified as Exhibit A when I describe certain attitudes and personalities that I despise about certain factions of the fly fishing community. I think that I overheard someone say that he was related to Tonello, but I can't confirm that...wouldn't suprise me though. Just kidding, Mark! LOL!!!!

Anyway, despite the many interruptions by that Flingin' Freddie, I think the DNR made their point (as evidenced by the lack of guide/fly fishermen debates compared to last time) and hopefully they'll adjust the regs so that we're getting "more bang for our buck"--as Tonello put it.

The cold water discharge thing is still in the exploration stages and until the water temps in the Mo decrease, it will continue to be nothing more than a put, grow and TAKE fishery.

Anyway, that's my unobjective report--as a sportsman, nothing more.

 

[Steve]

Boy would a cold water discharge be awesome...