The fish were biting and the smiles were contagious along the Grand Haven waterfront Friday.

The topwater plug splashed across the surface of the water, when suddenly, the water around the bait exploded in a flurry of action.

With spring looming, Captain C.J. Anastor is busy preparing for another season of West Michigan charter fishing. Approaching his second year as the owner-operator of Good Eye Charters at Chinook Pier, the 21-year-old is more experienced than his age or ownership years might suggest.

HASLETT (AP) — Close to 10 million chinook and coho salmon swim in Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Superior.

GRAND HAVEN TWP. — A new challenge awaits local shooting sports enthusiasts — a sporting clays course was unveiled at the North Ottawa Rod and Gun Club last week.

More than a dozen fishermen lined Smith’s Bridge on Sunday as the sun rose on another mild early January day, and they were rewarded for their efforts as the perch were eagerly biting. 

Hunting, and to a lesser extent fishing, are on the decline in Michigan — with a particularly alarming drop in hunting that's only going to get steeper, as the baby boomers who have driven the sport for decades age and drop away.

Dustyn Zimmerman knows that sickening feeling of not being able to find a deer.

The fall salmon run up the Grand River started hot, with several fish that were caught topping 30 pounds.

Salmon fishing off Grand Haven has been outstanding the past two weeks.

Here is your weekly fishing report brought to you by the Grand Haven Steelheaders.

State health experts have released a guide to help you decide if your catch of the day is something you can eat, or something to toss back into the water.

Don Paulus was already dressed in several warm layers, but as he boarded his small Alumicraft fishing boat at Grand Haven’s municipal boat launch Wednesday afternoon, he pulled on yet more warm clothes. 

(AP) — Dick's Sporting Goods will immediately halt sales of assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines at all of its stores and ban the sale of all guns to anyone under 21.

Michigan anglers can fish without purchasing a license today and Sunday as part of the state’s Winter Free Fishing Weekend. 

If there’s safe ice across West Michigan, you can bet local anglers will find it. 

Billy Simmonds doesn’t deer hunt, but he still takes two weeks off work at the end of November — to go fishing. 

Sometimes in life, we need to take a break from burning the candle at both ends, take a deep breath and get off the grid that we oftentimes find ourselves attached to.

The 45 boats competing in the 2017 Salmon Festival Big Fish Contest had a difficult time finding salmon Sunday morning. 

Grand Haven’s north pier was packed with anglers Friday morning, but the salmon weren’t cooperating. 

When Gene Braaksma heard the king salmon bite was on in Grand Haven, he and his buddies knew they had to get out on the water. 

MINNEAPOLIS — Gray wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan could again find themselves in hunters' crosshairs — possibly as soon as this fall if federal protections are removed for the predators.

Editor’s Note: Jimmy Gretzinger is the owner and producer of Michigan Out of Doors TV, a weekly show highlighting the state’s outdoors. He and his family live in Grand Haven. With the firearms deer season about to begin Tuesday, Gretzinger shares the story of what made last year’s hunt so me…

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources today released its 2016 Michigan Deer Hunting Prospects report. The full text of the report follows.

Michigan's bow hunting season opens Oct. 1, and Department of Natural Resources conservation officers are sharing tips for a safe hunting experience.

It’s not revered in the same way as firearm deer season, but legions of hunters were expected to go afield Thursday for the opener of Michigan’s small game season — albeit in fewer numbers.

Michigan’s existing state record for smallmouth bass was broken Sunday, Sept. 11,  by Robert Bruce Kraemer of Treasure Island, Florida.

LANSING (AP) — Spring turkey hunting season is opening Monday in Michigan.

Despite being surrounded by bodies of freshwater at every turn, most high school students in West Michigan probably wouldn’t think of taking on a career in fishing when planning out their futures.

Last year, ice fishermen across West Michigan were perched on their pails catching limits of panfish shortly after Thanksgiving. 

Several area fishermen took advantage of the break from the past week’s wind and snow to go surf fishing at the Grand Haven City Beach on Tuesday morning.