What's New?
The application period for Michigan’s spring turkey hunting season is open now through Sunday, Feb. 1.
Bear hunters recorded another robust season in Michigan in 2025, harvesting nearly 2,000 animals and bringing home a remarkable number of large bears in the Upper Peninsula.
New Gear
When you have friends and family waiting for you back on shore, and you absolutely need to bring dinner home from the water, you’ll want the new Harvest Shad by Rapala tied on.
Newsflash
The Growing Tackle Business at Mishawaka’s JB Propane Targets Local Needs
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Sponsor Spotlight
By Louie Stout
It’s not exactly the Lunker’s from yesteryear, but JB Propane and Tackle is a bait and tackle store that would surprise you as to the fishing gear selection that this inner-city business has to offer.
And while propane sales are a big part of the business, the tackle shop offers more tackle for all types of anglers than most people realize.
The Mishawaka, Ind. propane store first opened in the late 1970s by Blaine Pickavet’s grandfather, but the avid angler decided to add the fishing division around 2010. It’s located at 423 S. Spring Street.
And it’s been growing steadily.
“We’ve steadily expanded the amount of gear that we offer,” says Pickavet. “We used to have only one aisle of gear, now we have three and the walls are covered with pegboard full of fishing items. There’s no place in town where you can get the fishing gear that we try to offer. I’m trying to serve the people of this community.”
Michiana Waters Helped Build the Foundation for KVD’s Phenomenal Success
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Michiana Sportsman Spotlight
Name: Kevin VanDam
Hometown: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Occupation: TV host
Favorite species and biggest fish of that species: Smallmouth, 7-9, Wheeler Lake, Ala.
Favorite Michiana lake: Gull Lake
Hobbies when not fishing: Hunting, boating
If you on had one lure and why: For our area, a tube is like a jig in the south. My favorite is a 3 ½-inch Strike King Coffee Tube, green pumpkin
Favorite rod and reel: KVD 7 ½-foot spinning rod and kvd 300 series shallow spool spinning reel. The shallow spool 300 gives you more distance and manages the line better.
Best tip to give a new Michiana angler: There are lots of different lakes and rivers here. Don’t get locked into just one. Remember: different bodies of water can be more productive at different times of the year.
By Louie Stout
Kevin VanDam needs no introduction. He’s the most famous angler to come out of Michiana.
The Kalamazoo, Mich. angler has won more than $7 million, eight Angler of Year titles, four Bassmaster Classic titles and still holds the Classic record for the heaviest weight in a Classic.
He’s retired from pro tournament fishing and now hosts his own television fishing show, "The VanDam Experience” shown on the outdoor channel. New episodes are currently running several times weekly.
While VanDam is a national bass fishing superstar, he attributes much of his success to growing up and fishing throughout the Michiana area.
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