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WHY
JOIN THE STEELHEADERS? By joining one of
MSSFA 18 Chapters your joining a group of fishermen, woman and children
who enjoys being around the Great Lakes and its fishery. By joining,
your also showing that you care enough about the Great Lakes and it's
fishery that you’re willing to join a group of individuals that want to
get as much as they can from what the Great Lakes has to offer while
maintaining its natural beauty and resource. If there's one thing a
Steelheader knows how to do equally as well is that we know how to enjoy
the fishery by knowing the latest techniques and tactics that constantly
puts fish in the boat under all conditions. It's well known that if
you want to improve at something you need to surround yourself with people
who are just as eager to learn as well as being involved with people who
have the experience to show you how. In every MSSFA Chapter there
are such people, people who are experts at salmon, steelhead, lake trout
and even walleye and other Michigan game fish. Many Steelheaders are as
comfortable on the river or stream as they are on the big lakes or small
ponds, they don’t just fish for salmon or trout, they fish for all
species and enjoy being outdoors and on the water. All MSSFA Chapters
have their own schedules with events such as membership meetings where
ideas are shared and Chapter happenings are discussed. Some of the
other events include kid's fish outings, cook outs, boat & fishing
show involvement and seminars. Most chapters publish their own chapter
newsletter to keep you informed of upcoming local events and issues. One
of our most popular outings we have are chapter tournaments. Mostly
these are not big money, high entry fee tournaments. They are
outings where the members get together for a fun day of competition
between club members at various ports around the state. Families and
friends who enjoy one another's company make up the teams and after a day
of fishing, they usually finish with a big cook out or social gathering.
Each Chapter has their own schedule which can be seen on the chapters web
page or in the official MSSFA publication of the Great Lakes
Sportfishing News that you receive for free just by joining. Yes, we do stay on top
of what's going on in Lansing with potential laws concerning the fishery
as well as what's being discussed inside the Michigan Department of
Natural Resources. In fact, the Steelheaders have representatives
and input on a number of Great Lakes Advisory Committees where we express
the concerns and viewpoints of our Membership. We have a tribal
representative to monitor tribal laws and issues, an executive director
that meets regularly with the DNR Fisheries Chief, the Director of the
Michigan Natural Resources Commission and various State Representatives
and Senators. Joining the
Steelheaders is simple and compared to many other organizations, still
inexpensive for what you get. To join, search out a Chapter and take
a look at what they are involved in. Feel free to contact someone
from that Chapter and ask questions. If you have any questions on
who to contact, start by contacting the Membership Office at membership@michigansteelheaders.org
With any Chapter, you
can get involved with as much or as little as your schedule allows.
Whether you just fish in the tournaments, attend the membership meetings
or you simply join just to receive the Steelheader Newspaper, it's up to
you but at least you'll have the opportunity to get involved with the
outings when you are ready as well as having a voice in the direction of
maintaining a healthy fishery. As a member you will also be entitled to numerous discounts from various merchants around the state by showing your MSSFA Membership card to them when making purchases, see the web site or the GLSFN for a complete list of the “It Pays to Belong” merchants. Some
of the accomplishments of the Steelheaders over the past 40 years include; Reduction
in gill netting in the great lakes Implantation
of the 3 rod bill to allow anglers to fish with up to 3 fishing rods Bringing
needed funding to the DNR and Federal agencies for Cormorant research and
control Common
creel limit amongst states for Salmon and Trout fishing on the Great Lakes Provide
scholarships and grants for conservation related graduate studies Work to
put in place Ballast Water laws Support
for Great Lakes Marine Sanctuary’s Provide
input and recommendations to the DNR on fishery plant increases and
reductions Fund,
build and maintain Net Pen Projects around the state Provide
sponsorship and support for the Salmon in Schools program Work
with various communities around the state on building or improving fish
cleaning facilities Facilitate
a legislative night in Lansing to gather support from state
representatives for DNR Fisheries issues Provide volunteers to various comminutes for public events and tournaments |
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Join the MSSFA by printing the application form below and mailing it to the address shown with payment. Don't forget to indicate using a checkmark which chapter you want to belong to. |
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Chapters & Dues
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Contact the MSSFA Membership Office or send applications to:
membership@michigansteelheaders.org
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