- Details
By Louie Stout
Access Column Stimulates Comments About Juno Eagle Problems
Last week’s column mention about parking issues at the Juno access site stimulated comments from readers.
That column noted that a local angler suspected that lake residents were using the access as a parking lot for their residential guests. The trailer parking area was full of vehicles without trailers.
Well, that fired a few of you up enough to write and bring other factors into the discussion. Public access remains a hot button, especially north of the state line at Eagle and Juno lakes, two of the area’s most popular fishing lakes.
Here’s a little background:
A few years ago, the Michigan DNR spent some $180,000 at Juno “renovating” the access that not only eliminated some parking spots but narrowed the lot, making it difficult for boaters to negotiate. Spaces are confined and the lot offers very little turning radius. Because of that, vehicles and trailers have been damaged. It was poorly designed, obviously by someone who has never launched a boat or used a public access.
- Details
By Louie Stout
Have you ever arrived at a DNR launch ramp early in the morning only to find the trailer parking slots filled with passenger cars?
We got a report from an angler who encountered that problem at Juno Lake’s public access early last Saturday morning.
Except for one vehicle and boat trailer in the lot, all but one of the other spaces was filled with passenger cars.
It happens often on small public access sites and chances are several of those cars belong to local residents or their visitors. Some access sites offer a few spots for cars without trailers, but the main parking area is designated for vehicle/trailer parking.
Well, it’s against the law to park there unless you are using the public launch for boating and violators can be ticketed. If you encounter a problem at a Southwest Michigan DNR ramp, call the DNR’s District 7 Law Enforcement Office at 269-685-6851. Or, if you have direct contact with a local officer, contact him.
Or, you can go to www.mi.gov/dnrco and click on the “locate a conservation officer” on that page.
You also might want to take cell phone photos of the license plates of vehicles not accompanied by boat trailers and share them with the DNR later.
- Details
By Louie Stout
Spring Turkey Harvest Continues to Drop
Last spring’s turkey hunting season produced another drop in harvest numbers around the state.
According to Indiana DNR turkey biologist Steve Backs (South Bend native), the statewide harvest was down 13 percent from 2017 and fell in 65 of the 92 Indiana counties. In northern Indiana, Steuben and Marshall counties ranked among the top 10 in harvest numbers.
Backs said all regions had proportional decreases ranging from 6 percent in northern counties to 25 percent in south central counties.
In Michiana, St. Joseph County hunters killed 190 gobblers, a 2 percent increase.
- Details
By Louie Stout
Timing is Everything on Quirky Simcoe Smallmouth
Newmarket, Ont. – JP DeRose peered over the nose of his 20-foot Bass Cat bass boat and pointed to a spot on the bottom in five feet of water.
We had been fishing for a couple of hours without a fish.
“There’s a big one next to that rock!” he said anxiously. “Throw your bait on the shiny spot next to the rock.”
I pitched the Ned Rig to the spot, lifted the rod tip and felt nothing.
DeRose looked at me like he’d seen a ghost.
“When are you going to set the hook?” he said sarcastically. “He’s got it.”
I never saw the fish or felt any movement. In fact, it was difficult to even see the rock with the gentle waves that churned above it.
I looked like a rookie.