The new Executive Board President for the Lake Huron Fishing Club is positive moving into the future.
The club had been in danger of folding in September, when it looked like there wouldn’t be enough new interest to fill the board positions.
But Al Wilkins says they’ve moved past that, and are looking to a number of new initiatives.
He says the fish stocking programs went very well, with the Chinook salmon hatchery in Port Elgin maxed out with 110-thousand Chinook salmon eggs hatching.
The Kincardine hatchery is also running full out where 50-thousand brown trout and 20-thousand rainbows were released.
Wilkins says another 40-thousand rainbows and 8-thousand browns will spend the winter in the Kincardine hatchery, and then the Ministry of Natural Resources will be giving them another 65-thousand browns.
Some other programs are in the works, including some stream work on the Penatangore River.
Wilkins is most excited about reviving the school hatchery program after about 15 years.
Mini-hatcheries will be set up at two Teeswater schools, and the kids will get to release the salmon in the spring.
As for the annual Chantry Chinook Classic Salmon Derby, Wilkins says they have plans to make it bigger and better than ever.
He says the derby committee has decided to increase prize packages, and give away more money for the top fish in each category.
