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MDNR Report
Southeast Lower Peninsula
There is no safe ice in this area, as most of the inland lakes are partially open or have skim ice only.†
Lake Erie: Boat anglers continue to catch walleye, including some limits. The action was good for those using color bandits in and around Brest Bay.†
Lake St. Clair: Skim ice has formed in the marinas, canals and back waters, but there is no fishable ice.†There are no docks at the state launches.†Boat anglers are still using Harley Ensign, which has open water, and Blossom Heath when breaking through skim ice. The Selfridge launch is iced in with thin ice.†The few boat anglers out are targeting walleye, musky and yellow perch. Those fishing off the docks did well for panfish.
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By Al McGuckin
The Fishin’ Is Great, But Perch are Tops on The St. Clair Dinner Menu
Benvenuto’s Family Restaurant, Sugarbush Tavern, pick your favorite, there’s no shortage of great places around Lake St. Clair to gobble up great fried perch.
“My favorite place for fried perch is Benvenuto’s,” says Gene Gilliland, Conservation Director for B.A.S.S., and a hard-core bass angler who makes an annual pilgrimage from his home in Oklahoma to chase St. Clair’s legendary smallmouth each year with a group of good buddies.
Fact is, at St. Clair, yellow perch are the top menu item of choice not just for guys like Gilliland, but smallmouth too. “There are plenty of gobies in St. Clair, but they’re not necessarily the star of the show at St. Clair like they are on the St. Lawrence, and that’s largely because gobies eat zebra mussels which thrive on rockier bottoms, and St. Clair is largely a sandy lake bottom,” says Gilliland, who worked 32 years for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife, focusing largely on bass research.
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MUCC Report
Outdoor shooting ranges in Michigan were allowed to open their doors to the public this week per one of the governor's newest executive orders.
MUCC has been working on reopening outdoor ranges to the public since the beginning of the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive orders, including writing a letter to the governor’s office and legislative leaders. Shooting ranges are a vital part of many MUCC-affiliated clubs, and MUCC heard from members across the state about the closure’s financial impact on their respective clubs.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer enacted Executive Order 2020-77 on May 7, which allows, under section 10 (e), outdoor workers to resume operations under certain precautionary guidelines:
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MDNR Report
Eligible online hunter education students will be able to hunt this spring despite the postponement of field day classes, which normally are required.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is providing temporary hunter education safety certificates to select online students who have not been able to attend a field day due to cancellations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Field days are the required final step in earning a Michigan DNR hunter education safety certificate for online students. Safety certificates are mandatory to purchase a Michigan hunting license. The face-to-face classes have been postponed as a result of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order.
“Since the beginning of March, we have seen a significant increase in students enrolling in our online hunter education course,” said Lt. Tom Wanless, DNR hunter education administrator. “We want to thank our online course provider, Kalkomey Enterprises, for their fast response to help us develop a solution for future hunters.”
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MDNR Report
Under updated EO, most state parks, trail and boating access sites are open for local use; campgrounds, other lodging, shelters to open in phases.
The Department of Natural Resources has updated expected opening dates and available amenities at many of its public outdoor recreation sites and facilities.
Most state parks and recreation areas and state-managed trails and boating access sites remain open to provide local opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, but social distancing is key. Federal and state health officials consistently have said that keeping at least 6 feet away from those outside your household is vital to containing the virus spread.
Proposed facility reopening dates are based on the updated stay-at-home executive order that ends May 15 and are staggered to allow for proper preparation. Details on closures and changes in services, as well as frequently asked questions, are available on the DNR’s COVID-19 response webpage at Michigan.gov/DNR.