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Here are the winners of the Great Lakes Salmon Initiative tagged head reward program for 2021.   We want to thank all anglers who participated and turned in micro tagged salmon and trout heads last year.   Returns were way up this past season.  There were 631 heads turned in during 2020 and this increased to 1517 heads in 2021.   These returns provide important scientific data on stocking success, fish movement and growth rates.  Mass marking returns also contribute to studies on natural reproduction. This research helps to better manage our Great Lakes fisheries.   

Special thanks go out to our sponsors who make these rewards possible.  Each winner will receive one prize package with either $100 in Moonshine products or $100 gift cards. Please support these companies who make these rewards possible. Captain Chucks II, Moonshine Lures, Blood Run Tackle, Jay’s Sporting Goods, Collins Design and Build.  The family of Tom VanEtten also sponsored this in his memory. We also want to thank Vice Chairman of the Lake Huron Citizens Advisory Committee Randy Terrian and Jay Wesley from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.  Randy posted signs up and down the Lake Huron coast and encouraged anglers to turn in heads.   There were a lot of entries and winners from Lake Huron.  Jay has helped coordinate the program within the DNR and helped us administer the drawings.  He even picked up a full freezer of heads from the UP.   Thanks to the crew at the Charlevoix lab where all the heads are processed to recover the micro tags.

Here are the 2021 Winners
Michael C Oliver  Atlantic salmon
Smith from Mio MI   Atlantic salmon
Brynn L Carsters  Atlantic salmon
Harry J Barnhart  Atlantic salmon
Stanley J Czarnik  Chinook
Marie Czarnik  Chinook
Phillip Throop   Chinook
Brian Haffner  Chinook
David A Little  Chinook
Dave Nadalsky  Chinook
Trevor Dunn  Chinook
Scott M Kain  Chinook
Julie A Shafto  Chinook
Gregory S Frutiger  Chinook
Joseph A Cadorette  Chinook
Frank Krist    Chinook
Michael Behrendt  Chinook
Mickey Vance    Chinook
Gregory S Frutiger  Chinook
Mike Hickey  Chinook
David B Eck  Rainbow trout
Cathy Fry   Rainbow trout
Josh Kilbourn  Steelhead
Erich Franz  Steelhead
Mike Hickey  Steelhead
Josh A Kretchman  Steelhead
Tom G Andris   Steelhead
Jon R Reardon Skamania steelhead
Jacob S Myers  Skamania steelhead
Earl Boyer  Skamania steelhead
Mark D Andrzejewski  Skamania steelhead
Sally J Wilson  Skamania steelhead
Matt D Kramer   Skamania steelhead

We will be shipping your prizes out soon via USPS.    Please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery.   If there are any problems with receipt, contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Here is how the drawing is done. The DNR lab in Charlevoix who processes the heads records the name and address in a numbered spreadsheet of the person who turned in the head. The GLSI uses a random number generator to get 33 random numbers. 

We provide the random numbers to the DNR who matches them with their numbered list of names and they provide the winners to us to send out the $100 prizes.

We invite all anglers to join the Great Lakes Salmon Initiative and support our mission to advocate for King Salmon and healthy balanced Great Lakes Fisheries.   You can join us here:     glsalmon.org/great-lakes-salmon-initiative-memberships/