Lakes Are Open and Fishing Will Only Get Better

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Published: 15 March 2021

Fishing season is upon us.

We may be in mid-March, but it’s time to get the boats out of winter storage and tune up the tackle.

The fishin’ season is upon us.

All of Michiana’s lakes are open and early-bird anglers were catching fish during last week’s warm-up.

And the best is yet to come.

“It’s only going to get better now that the ice is gone,” said Brian Hensley at Clear H2o Tackle in Edwardsburg. “We’ve got cooler weather this week, but there is still movement and feeding activity.”

That’s especially true of perch, crappie and bass. Some bluegills are being caught, but perch are crappie are the first to move shallow.

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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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