FUN RUN–Stanley Michaelson of Tapiola says he’d forgotten how much fun it is to soak a worm on the river bank. He didn't drown many on a warm afternoon last week, filling his five-gallon pail with suckers in less than an hour at the Sturgeon River near Pelkie.

   Many area anglers are chillin' this season.
   Literally.
   "The biggest thing this year is the effect on fishermen--the lack of people going out," noted Jim Wilson of Wilkinson's General Store on Superior Ave. in Baraga. "Water temperatures are colder, and the fish aren't cooperating as well."
   Ice-out annually signals an exodus inland by both the fishermen and the fish. As quickly as teepee tents are dragged off the ice, anglers begin lining the shores of area streams and rivers, hoping to tap into some spring run action.

   A rustic group campground is a new camping option that will be available this year at Van Riper State Park, located near the village of Champion in Marquette County. The new group campground is a perfect “GO-Get Outdoors” opportunity for organizations such as churches, youth groups and scouting groups, who may prefer a more scenic location for camp outings.
    The campground is located near the Peshekee River, about one mile west of the park’s modern facilities. The location provides easy access for fishing, canoeing, and the parks hiking trails.

   Women who are seeking the opportunity to gain confidence in their outdoor-related skills and abilities are urged to hurry and register for the 11th annual Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) Program, set for May 30, 31, and June 1, 2008, in Big Bay, MI, 30 miles north of Marquette.
   The program will once again be held at Bay Cliff Health Camp, a handicapped accessible facility, located in an isolated, wooded setting overlooking Lake Superior.
   "The program can accommodate up to 110 participants, and at last count, had about 80 registrations in hand," said Ann Wilson, Communications Representative, DNR, Marquette. She added that the registration deadline is May 9.