Five Ohio state parks and the lakes by or within them have been selected among the top 100 family-friendly fishing areas, according to the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF). Take Me Fishing and Vamos A Pescar sponsored the poll in which nearly 650,000 votes were cast by anglers and boaters. Criteria for the top 100 included having a public body of water within driving distance of a major city, good fishing opportunities and family-friendly amenities.
The goal of this event was to find great family-friendly fishing areas and getting more families out on the water. More than 300 sites representing all 50 states were pre-selected from across the U.S. and entrants were able to vote daily for their favorite places.
Maumee Bay State Park/Lake Erie was the top Ohio spot in the poll as it came in 11th in the poll.
The other five sites in Ohio were: East Fork State Park/East Fork Lake, 46th; Alum Creek State Park/Alum Creek Lake, 51st; Pymatuming Lake State Park/Pymatuming Lake 81st and Mosquito Lake State Park/Mosquito Lake, 87th.
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A pair of Limaland state parks are among 10 state parks which will offer more full-service campsites during the 2016 summer camping season.
They are Grand Lake St. Marys State Park in St. Marys and Indian Lake State Park in Lakeview.
Ohio State Parks received an unprecedented $88.5 million for capital improvements to strengthen the infrastructure and modernize facilities in the 2014 capital budget. An additional $38 million has been awarded to the Ohio State Parks for the 2016 capital budget and that funding will continue to be invested in Ohio’s state parks.
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Anyone who has wanted to learn how to fish for steelhead or would like to improve their skills on fishing the species has the opportunity to learn at a steelhead clinic offered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) in Cadillac, Mich., on June 25-26.The clinic is offered by the MDNR’s Outdoor Skills Academy at the Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center in Cadillac.
The class begins at 10 a.m. with the “hands-on” portion of the clinic be at the Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center. The Sunday morning the class will hit the water where the Outdoor Skills Academy pro-staff will show students how to fish and what to look for on the Manistee River. The cost for the class is $40. Registration for the clinics is available on the Michigan e-store at Michigan.gov/estore. Some equipment is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information, contact Ed Shaw at [email protected], or call the Carl T. Johnson Center at 231-779-1321. The Carl T. Johnson Center, located in Mitchell State Park at 6087 E. M-115 in Cadillac. You can learn more about the Outdoor Skills Academy at michigan.gov/outdoorskills.
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An online lottery will be held for early waterfowl hunts for the opening day of teal season and Labor Day on the Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area, located between Fremont and Sandusky on U.S. 6, according to the Ohio Division of Wildlife (DOW). The lottery drawing deadline is July 31.
Hunters can apply for the controlled hunts by completing the application process online using the Wild Ohio Customer Center at wildohio.gov or by calling 800-945-3543 and requesting a mail-in application. There is a non-refundable application fee of $3 per hunt. Adult (18 and older) hunts are held in the mornings while youth (under 18) hunts are held in the afternoons. Successful applicants will receive notification in the mail by late August instructing them on how to find print their hunt permit from the website.
All applicants – youth and adult – must possess a 2016-2017 Ohio hunting license and meet the age requirements in order to apply for a controlled hunt.
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A hunter education instructor training workshop is being offered by the Ohio DOW on Aug. 13-14 in Columbus. Times are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. both days.
The workshop, which has no cost to participate, will be held at the Wildlife District One office at 1500 Dublin Road. Persons must register for the workshop and can do so by calling 800-945-3543.
Training will be held at the Wildlife District One office located at 1500 Dublin Road in Columbus from 8 am to 5 pm each day. There is no cost to participate; those interested in attending must register by calling 1-800-wildlife (945-3543).Participants must attend both days of training, be at least 18 years of age and have successfully completed a hunter education course. For more information on becoming a hunter education instructor visit the hunter education pages at wildohio.gov.
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With Father’s Day only a week away, I could give you a plethora of ideas for gifts. However, I will limit suggestions to offering to purchase or renew dad’s membership in local conservation organizations like fish and game or rod and gun clubs. You also could purchase or renew a membership in a variety of great national and international organizations in which he may have an interest. Don’t guess which ones. Ask him. One of my favorites is Ducks Unlimited and I do not hunt waterfowl. I enjoy it because the wetlands DU saves enhance all kinds of fish and wildlife and other species.
This also is the centennial anniversary of the National Parks Service. If dad likes to travel, a National Parks pass might be an excellent idea. A pass gets you into more than 2,000 federal recreation sites. Each pass covers entrance fees at national parks and national wildlife refuges as well as standard amenity fees (day use fees) at national forests and grasslands, and at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A pass covers entrance, standard amenity fees and day use fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle at per vehicle fee areas (or up to four adults at sites that charge per person). Children age 15 or under are admitted free.
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