1. MN: Upper Red Lake getting cleaned-up this winter.
> The local Keep it Clean Committee will stage large dumpsters at 4 major resorts, plaster signs around the lake and provide 15,000 red toilet bags for anglers who are ill-equipped to properly dispose of human waste. [💩]
> Since last season’s ice-out, the group has raised more than $76K to combat a growing volume of trash and biowaste discarded on the ice. The trend, also prominent at Lake of the Woods and Mille Lacs, has coincided with the state’s boom in wheelhouse trailers.
> The camper-like shelters enable prolonged, independent stays on the ice. Illegal dumping of holding tanks on the ice is one of the problems.
> Robyn Dwight…said visitors will be urged to discard bagged biowaste in dumpsters. Any waste that isn’t contained indoors on the ice should be placed in a hard-sided, covered container outdoors. Boxes and bags left on the ice have a tendency to blow away or freeze in place, causing water pollution in the spring.
> Dwight said lake guardians throughout the “ice belt” of winter walleye destinations also have been seeking political support for new legislation to crack down on polluters. She’s hopeful for action by the 2023 Legislature.
> “We don’t really have a good plan for lakes in the winter. We’re trying to change that.”
2. IN: Mercury Marine opens global distribution center.
> The new 512,000 sq-ft facility is strategically located near Indianapolis, a major thoroughfare connecting Mercury’s global customers that will improve delivery and service and will add much needed capacity for scale, stability, and reduced logistics costs.
> Mercury’s current distribution facility at its global headquarters in Fond du Lac, WI, will be repurposed to support its propulsion systems, further allowing the company to increase capacity and production capabilities.
> The new IN facility will create close to 350 new jobs in its first year of operations while Mercury’s current distribution center employees transition into new roles within the Fond du Lac campus.
3. MN: North Metro Ice Show is this weekend.
In Ramsey.
4. Pontoons selling better than any other boats?
> In 2021, pontoon boats made up 22% of total marine units registered that year…aluminum fishing and runabout boat registrations each declined 14%, from 2020 to 2021, whereas pontoon boats only saw a 5% dip over the same period of time.
> …MI, MN and WI are consistently the top states for national pontoon registrations…seeing growth in FL and NC the past couple of years. Both states have shown double-digit growth year over year. TX has also seen steady growth…from 2018 to 2021.
5. Lovin’ the color selection…
…on these ACME Kastmaster Tungsten DR Spoons. ESPECIALLY digging that “glow hulk” color on the top-left:
