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By Louie Stout
Last week’s story about a confirmed cougar sighting in southern Michigan brought us mail from readers who believe they saw one in this area as a year ago.
Scott Helms of South Bend wrote:
“Last year my wife and I spotted one at Potato Creek State Park. We were driving not too far from the main gate, heading toward the nature center to go walking when we smelled a dead carcass in the air. Immediately after, we spotted a large cat-like animal run across the road in front of our vehicle. Unfortunately, it didn’t want to stand around for a photo op, otherwise we would have taken a picture. When we reported it to a DNR officer at the Nature Center, he told us they have had other reports just like ours, but until someone gets a photo, they can’t confirm it. During the past year, someone reported on Facebook a sighting west of South Bend. That person didn’t get a photo either.”
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By Louie Stout
It’s time for Michiana youngsters to register for one of Indiana’s largest kid fishing derbies slated for Aug. 12 at Worster Lake in Potato Creek State Park.
The St. Joe Valley Bass Masters will host their 41st annual event, opened to the first 300 kids to register. Applications must be mailed by August 7.Click here to download a registration form.
Historically, the event draws from 150-200 kids and has drawn as many as 300, all of whom go home with a t-shirt and a goodie bag filled with candy, school supplies and a few toys.
The event has become such a tradition that several parents of participating children took part in the derby when they were young.
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By Louie Stout
It’s no secret that Juno Lake near Edwardsburg is a good fishing lake. Bluegill and bass fishermen love it.
The Michigan DNR paid a visit there last month to see just how good it is.
“We hadn’t been there for several years, so we wanted to get a good look at it,” said Scott Hanshue, fisheries management biologist.
The fisheries crew set large and small nets to capture young of the year bluegill, forage, non-game fish and whatever they might encounter.
They also ran a shocker boat around the shallows at night. The shocker boat has long electrodes to put out enough juice in the water to stun fish to the surface where they can be netted, measured, scale samples taken and released.
The survey included connecting waters of Christiana and Painter lakes.
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By Louie Stout
Gearhart’s Yum Dinger Trick for Big Smallmouth
Al Gearhart has learned a few things about big smallmouth in his annual spring trips to Lake Charlevoix.
His credentials speak for themselves. He's caught four smallmouth bass over 7 pounds from the lake and numerous 5s and 6s. And yes, he releases all of the big bass he catches.
Charlevoix is a "drowned river lake," meaning it is an inland lake with access to Lake Michigan. It's also Michigan's third largest lake.
Gearhart has made trips there each May for 16 straight years. Although he's noticed that the giant smallmouth have been harder to come by the past couple of years, the quantity and quality of fish he catches are still pretty darn good.
He usually targets the East Bay and fishes the windy side of the bay, keeping the wind to his back. Smallmouth like the wind, he says.