(WXYZ) — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has a message for walleye anglers - get out on the water this summer, and you can win cash prizes while providing useful information to biologists.
It's part of the Michigan Walleye Challenge, a partnership between the DNR and MyCatch by Angler’s Atlas, which will run from May 15 through June 28. All you have to do is report walleye catches and fishing trips in the MyCatch mobile app, which uses anonymous location data. The information, including generalized lake and river catch data, will allow the biologists to assess and manage the state's walleye population.
New this year, the challenge will also use two new features, County Captains and weekly challenges, which are aimed at boosting angler engagement in participating states.
"We're excited to continue to work with our anglers to learn more about Michigan walleye populations during the third year of Midwest Walleye Challenge participation,” said Seth Herbst, manager of the DNR Fisheries Division’s Research Section, in a news release. "We have hundreds of inland waters in the state that we manage for walleye, but the combination of those vast waters and limited staffing resources results in an inability to monitor walleye populations as intensively as we would like."
This year’s challenge includes several states across the Midwest as part of a larger fisheries research project. States participating and promoting the challenge include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
Participants must pay a $25 registration fee, which qualifies them for prizes, including cash payouts. The entry fee also includes a $20 Discount Tackle gift certificate for every angler who reports a valid trip.
All Michigan fishing rules and regulations still apply, and anglers are required to have a valid fishing license (or valid exemption) to participate in the challenge.
For more information on the Midwest Walleye Challenge, email Angler's Atlas at events@anglersatlas.com.
