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Published: 27 March 2017

By Louie Stout

Mild Winter May Deliver Good Summer Fishing

Most anglers know that the weather plays a huge role in fish activity and angler success. Cold fronts can shut down a hot bite while an imminent thunderstorm can turn it on.

But what about our mild and goofy winter? Could it affect fishing this spring and summer?

Indiana fisheries biologist Jed Pearson thinks there’s a good chance it could yield a good spring and summer fishing season.

Pearson is a fish researcher who has been studying winters’ impacts on northern Indiana lakes.

“When we look at what’s happened on a handful of lakes we’ve studied, we’ve found that more and better habitat is present when overall winter and spring conditions are warmer and drier than during those seasons that follow colder, wetter years,” he explained.

When he speaks of habitat, he’s talking about water temperature and oxygen levels that affect the space in which fish can live comfortably.

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Published: 06 March 2017

By Louie Stout

Study Reveals St. Joe Bass, Walleye Movements

River smallmouth are home bodies.

That is a bit contradictory given the common belief that smallmouth bass are nomadic. That may be the case in lakes, but not necessarily in the St. Joseph River.

At least that’s what Dar Deegan, aquatic biologist for Elkhart and St. Joseph counties, has been discovering in his analysis of an ongoing tagging study his office has conducted since 1998.

Deegan spends his time monitoring water quality and the health of fish life in St. Joe and its tributaries. While conducting on-the-water research, he collects some gamefish with electro-shocking methods and records growth data and their overall health condition.

River researchers have placed tiny tags in the backs of smallmouth, walleyes and a few largemouth that measure 12 inches or bigger before the fish are released.

The tags have small print that alerts anglers to contact him when they catch the tagged fish. Each fish carries an identification number. The Michiana Walleye Association has helped finance the project through a donation.

Over the years, Deegan has tagged 4,000 smallmouth, 900 walleyes and 100 largemouth.

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