Michigan DNR Creel Clerks to Collect Angler Information
Category: press release
May 12th, 2014 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified May 12th, 2014 at 12:00 AM
As this year’s open-water fishing season gets started, the Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers that over the next few months Fisheries Division personnel will be visiting lakes, rivers and Great Lakes ports to collect data about anglers’ fishing excursions.
DNR creel clerks will be stationed at boat launches and piers, asking returning anglers questions about their fishing trips. The clerks will collect information on trip length, target species and number of fish caught. In some cases, they may ask to measure or weigh fish and to take scale samples. It usually takes only a couple of minutes to answer the questions and the DNR appreciated anglers’ cooperation.
These efforts are part of the DNR’s Statewide Angler Survey Program, a long-term monitoring program designed to track recreational fisheries across Michigan’s waters of the Great Lakes. This is one of the most comprehensive angler survey programs in the country, with DNR creel clerks interviewing upwards of 50,000 anglers in most years.
“This program helps us gather information that is critical in managing the state’s fisheries,” said DNR fisheries biologist Tracy Kolb.
Anglers may visit the DNR website to see surveys of the Great Lakes ports from previous years. Data on inland waters also is available on the site.