April 17, 2008 @ 20:42

Hello from Leelanau Grand Traverse Area.

I hope to be a new voice to the MCBA from North Western Michigan.

I attended the Grand Traverse Area Sport Fishing Association (GTASFA) Banquet on April 12, 2008.

Dr. Kelly Smith, from the DNR was the guest speaker at the banquet. He gave us updates on VHS, The Tribal Decrees, Invasive species, and the Asian Carp fences in Chicago.

It’s great to hear that the Federal Government has finally allocated the rest of the money to finish the Asian Carp Fences project that should be completed this year.

The GTASFA is proud to announce the Boardman River net pens were highly successful in 2007.

I spoke with Todd Kalish DNR biologist for the Traverse City area. He said that West Bay would receive between 100,000 and 150,000 King Salmon smolts. About half will go into the net pens in the Boardman River, next to the Chamber of Commerce on Cass Street. They will be raised for 3 weeks in the pens and then released to swim down to West Bay. This will occur in May sometime. No dates have been set.

The next challenge the GTASFA is taking on is a fish cleaning station. It’s hard to believe with to Large Bays and a City Focused on Tourism we can’t have a fish cleaning station. The GTASFA thought things were coming together when the city closed the Clinch Park Zoo. This would have been a central and idealistic place for a fish cleaning station. But, the Traverse City Government shot the plan down. Note: The GTASFA is paying for this station. It is not a Tax Payer funded project. We won’t give up until we succeed.

The Twic card office is open in Traverse City. I visited the office in person so I know it exists.

The office is at 1020 Hasting Street. Suzanne Wilson is one of the 2 people working there. The office phone is 231.421.1802. The website is www.tsa.gov.twic.

In Glen Arbor my homeport. The ramp and dock should be in by the end of this week, April 20, 2008. I asked John Stanz to add some extra poles to the steel dock. Please pick up your Ramp Pass at The Sportsman Shop, or the Township office in Glen Arbor, or please pay the $5.00 ramp fee. It is there for our use, because we pay for it. Budgets are very tight right now.

I would like to congratulate the Paul Chichester family on winning a free Charter trip from Watta Bite Charter Fishing recently at a Local Cancer benefit dinner.


That’s all for now

Good Fishing

Captain Bill