Phil Duracz Shatters Indiana Whitefish Record on Lake Michigan

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Published: 07 March 2021

By Louie Stout

Phil Duracz with Indiana state record whitefish

Phil Duracz and Clint Marler were about to call it a day Saturday when Phil decided to check out one more spot on Lake Michigan near Portage, Ind.

It proved to be a good move. He hooked and landed the Indiana state record whitefish that weighed 9.34 pounds, nearly two pounds heavier than the former record.

It was around 2 p.m. when he spotted fish on his Garmin Electronics in about 50 feet of water.

“I dropped down my bait down there, popped it off the bottom and she ate it,” recalls the Chesterton angler.

Whitefish, also known as “humpbacks,” are related to the salmon family although not as revered as their salmon or trout cousins. But they are considered popular table fare.

The former record weighed 7.69, caught in 2019 by Brian Belke.

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Coho Action Picking Up on Lake Michigan; Spring Steelhead Run Should Be Dandy

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Published: 03 March 2021

By Louie Stout

The ice is disappearing on Lake Michigan and the cohos are pushing into the shoreline and the mouths of tributaries.

Indiana Lake Michigan Biologist Ben Dickinson said anglers were catching quite a few coho at pier heads around the southern end of Lake Michigan.

“The ice is gone now and the boats are starting to get out and have success at creek mouths and near shore,” he said. “Coho, lake trout, browns and an occasional king has been caught. It’s sporadic, but the fish are there.”

The spring St. Joseph River steelhead run into Indiana waters is a week or so away because the water temperature remains cold due to the snow runoff.

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