I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/i-speak-for-the-fish-never-underestimate-a-smallmouth/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/i-speak-for-the-fish-when-a-bass-is-not-a-bass/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/02/i-speak-for-the-fish-bringing-muskie-to-the-masses/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/i-speak-for-the-fish-the-great-seasonal-flip/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/11/i-speak-for-the-fish-carp-are-crazy-about-corn/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/09/i-speak-for-the-fish-mesmerized-minnows/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/08/i-speak-for-the-fish-giddy-up-sucker/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/i-speak-for-the-fish-facing-wrath-crayfish/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/06/i-speak-for-the-fish-searching-elusive-sculpin/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/05/i-speak-for-the-fish-whats-the-most-popular-freshwater-fish/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/04/i-speak-for-fish-eyeballing-walleye/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/04/i-speak-for-fish-eyeballing-walleye/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/03/i-speak-for-the-fish-playing-follow-the-leader-with-diving-ducks/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/02/i-speak-for-the-fish-courting-sunfish/
My survey was admittedly small.
I polled one 10-year-old and 30 adults ranging in age from their early 20s to mid-50s. I had a fairly even representation of genders and races. About half were on a college campus, the other half I approached on a public boardwalk.
I limited my poll to one person per social cluster to prevent parroting of the same responses.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/01/i-speak-for-the-fish-and-the-survey-says/
I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/12/i-speak-for-the-fish-favorite-fish-books/
When it comes to Halloween, I’m a Hallmark participant.
I like costume parties and I’ve mooched enough candy to make a significant contributor to my dentist’s children’s college fund. But I do not visit haunted houses and fail to see the appeal of fear.
I have an adventurous spirit but I do not think I’m overly courageous.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/10/i-speak-for-the-fish-water-snakes-are-spooktacular/
I Speak for the Fish is a new monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/09/i-speak-for-the-fish-a-fishs-shelf-life/
I Speak for the Fish is a new monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/not-all-lampreys-are-killers/
I Speak for the Fish is a new monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/05/trout-feeding-frenzy/
Some dives are so pivotal that they permanently fuse themselves into my memory bank.
I’ll never forget my first open water dive in the St. Clair River under my family’s dock, or the first time I looked for a drowning victim as a member of the St. Clair County Sherriff Department Dive Rescue and Recovery team.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/round-goby-great-lakes/
I’ve been outsmarted by more than one species.
A red fox in a Florida nature preserve comes to mind. I observed the fox entering a den and spent two hours patiently waiting for it to emerge so I could take its picture – only to discover the clever fellow had exited out the back shortly after I parked myself out front.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/playing-peek-a-boo-with-ducks/
Some fish don’t seem to mind a diver’s bubbles or humans fumbling around underwater. Others bolt at my first exhalation. Some fish are super approachable while others remain wary and aloof regardless of how I try to entice them.
And some species, like the tiny logperch, don’t seem to give a fig what I do.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/02/speak-for-fish-logperch-rebounding/
Just like serious birders and all manner of naturalists, many divers keep a life list of the species they have seen. Typically, the more elusive the species, the more coveted the sighting. Size also plays a role in desirability, whether it’s a condor or a blue whale.
When it comes to impressively large and elusive freshwater species, a couple come to mind.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/01/meeting-mysterious-muskie/
In the spirit of yuletide reminiscing, I recently found myself looking back at my journey to bringing more freshwater fish content to PBS audiences. One particularly poignant and mildly terrifying turning point was the first time I stepped onto a really big stage to speak on behalf of freshwater fish.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/12/center-stage-steelhead-trout/
Watching how fish move, how they use the water to their advantage has made me a better diver. Underwater, I strive to be as trim as a walleye and as effortless as a sturgeon. And while my cameraman husband hunts for photo ops with the stealth of a muskie, I can usually be found frolicking in the shallows like a carefree sunfish.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/11/speak-fish-teamwork-swimming-lessons/
I Speak for the Fish is a new monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/10/i-speak-for-the-fish-setting-sturgeon-free/
I Speak for the Fish is a new monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/09/i-speak-for-the-fish-catfish/
Before the era of plastic, freshwater mussels were the material of choice for the global button industry.
The inside wall of a freshwater mussel’s shell can range in color from pure white to shimmering lavenders and iridescent purples.
European settlers were thrilled to find an abundance of button-worthy mussels in the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/08/shell-middens-mussels-muskrats/
