- Details
By Louie Stout
In early August, a fish kill on Clear Lake got anglers riled up and many were quick to blame weed treatments.
Overzealous chemical treatments can – and have – led to fish die-offs.
But that wasn’t the case at Clear Lake this summer, says Indiana DNR Fisheries Biologist Matt Horsley, who investigated the die-off of about 500 fish.
Horsley said 95 percent of the dead fish he saw were rock bass while a few crappie, bullhead and a couple of bass accounted for the remaining carcasses.
“There was a sizable weed treatment in early June and 1/10th of an acre was treated in the Marina Basin July 26,” Horsley said. “When we see fish kill that are directly caused by chemical applications it will have an immediate impact on the fish.”
Instead, Horsley believes the kill was caused by depleted oxygen overnight in a large weedy flat nearby. Rock bass like to lounge and feed in shallow vegetation after dark.
During hot periods of the summer, as was the case that time, large flats with vegetation consume oxygen at night rather than produce it as they do during the day. As oxygen depletes, fish that utilize that area get trapped and can die.
“Sediment turnover adds to the issue,” Horsley said. “When you have a lot of boating activity during the day like that lake does, boats driving over those shallow flats lifts organic matter into the water column and that depletes oxygen as well. Not only are the plants using the oxygen but decomposition of all that organic matter uses oxygen as well.”
- Details
By Louie Stout
How weather has stymied what was a pretty good steelhead push into Lake Michigan tributaries, but it seems to be heating up the perch bite on Lake Michigan.
Lake Michigan Biologist Ben Dickinson said anglers had been catching steelhead pretty good off the pier and by trolling the 40- to 70-foot zone the past few weeks but it has slowed down with the rising water temperatures.
The same is true for the steelhead run up the St. Joseph River. A couple hundred fish were counted passing through the South Bend Ladder but higher river temperatures has slowed the progression of fish into the river.
- Details
By Louie Stout
Mark Zona with large walleye
Will we see a new Zona fishing show next year… like maybe, “Zona’s Awesome Walleye Show?”
Not likely, but our celebrity Michiana resident hooked him a good one Thursday while fishing with his dad, Big Al, on Klinger Lake.
Zona, who grew up on Klinger and lives near White Pigeon, Mich., is the host of “Zona’s Awesome Fishing Show” and co-host of “Bassmaster Live.”
- Details
By Louie Stout
Hey guys, we need to take better care of tournament fish we catch and that means doing more than tossing them off the end of a boat dock after a weigh-in.
I was contacted by a DNR official recently who told me he visited a northern Indiana public access the day after a tournament was held there. He counted 11 dead adult bass within 50 feet of the ramp. He said that was the second time in two years that he’s seen dead bass near the ramp after a tournament was held there.
The fish were released in a shallow channel where water quality was suspect.
“The fish now are stressed from the rapid water warmup and the spawning season,” the official said. “Please inform your readers to take extra precautions at all times, especially right now, when releasing fish.”