Most of you are familiar with the Manistee County Sport Fishing Association and the events we sponsor as well as the projects we promote. Your membership to the association is a vital part of our continued success and we invite you to once again become a member in 2008. With your support we can continue to make a difference in the goal of maintaining and promoting a healthy fishery in Manistee County. We would like to share with you some of the accomplishments that have been made possible with the help of your contributions. Click here for the 2008 membership application.

• We have sponsored Manistee’s Annual Sport Fishing Tournament weekend which consists of the Ladies Classic Pro/Am and the Budweiser Pro/Am for over fifteen years. Cash prizes up to $25,000 or more have been paid out annually to its participants.
  
  
• We have co-sponsored the annual Kid’s Fish Day tournament which is held in Manistee at Man-made Lake. This event has continued to grow over the years and now we see several hundred children participate each year. We give each child a t-shirt for participating and prizes consist-ing of a new rod & reel and tackle box go to the top five winners in each division. The associa-tion also made contributions to help save Man-made Lake when its existence was challenged by a new development project.
  
  
• We co-sponsor the New Pen Project that is operated each spring in the Manistee River channel. This project has been in existence since the late 80’s and continues to be successful to this day. The salmon that are raised in these pens are some of the healthiest fish in the state as com-mented by the Michigan DNR. Net pen salmon have a 20- 50% higher survival rate than direct release plants. This project has been made possible with the help of countless volunteers and local businesses.
  
  
• We have maintained and financially supported the Orsini Hatchery located in Thompsonville MI for more than a decade and have released thousands of steelhead annually into the Betsie River. These steelhead eventually migrate to the waters of Lake Michigan.
  
  
• We sponsor our annual Orsini Hatchery “Put Something Back Banquet” each spring and raise the funding needed to support the hatchery project. This banquet along with our Gun/Charter raffle ensures the financial support for operation during the next rearing cycle. This year marks the 13th annual banquet which will be held Saturday May 3rd, 2008. This project is also made possible with the help of endless volunteers and local businesses.
  
  
• Along with Big Jon Sports, the MCSFA sponsors the annual Salmon Derby that continues throughout the summer months and with your paid membership you are entered into the Derby. This event pays out over $5000 each year and is targeted to benefit our membership.
  
  
• Members of the MCSFA Board of Directors continue to represent the association at meetings on issues such as harbor dredging and tribal netting concerns.
  
  
• Since 2001 we have made an annual donation to the Conservation Resource Alliance to aid in their efforts toward stream restoration in Manistee County. We also have made annual dona-tions to the Bear Creek Watershed to help in their efforts of stream and river restoration.