Biologist Reveals Eye-popping Numbers in Lake Michigan Perch Studies

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Published: 10 February 2025

By Louie Stout

We may be in dead of winter, but the impact of the weather over the next two months could have an impact on Lake Michigan perch fishery.

How so? Well, the past few winters were much milder and opened the door for remarkable perch fishing successes, especially in northwest Indiana waters.

Consider this – the Indiana DNR estimates some 70,000 perch were harvested in Hoosier waters last year– three times the 10 year average! Creel statistics show that 55 percent of those were taken in February and 35 percent in March. The remaining 10 percent were caught the rest of the year, with the bulk coming in July.

Milder weather in those early months enabled western Indiana anglers to get after a vulnerable adult perch population that groups up prior to the spawn.

Many of the perch caught there last year averaged a whopping 12 inches and are pre-spawn fish staging in deep clay flats in 50 to 60 feet of water.

Meanwhile, summertime anglers struggled, but Indiana Biologist Ben Dickinson believes that was largely due to weather patterns that pushed cold water farther offshore and away from traditional perch anglers.

The quality catches in late winter don’t seem to compute with DNR surveys that show spawn successes the last 10 or so years haven’t been very good.

“There was a great year class in 2015 and there have been a few blips here and there, but overall, not very good,” Dickinson said.

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Mark Zona Returns to Bassmaster with New Podcast

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Published: 07 February 2025

BASS Report

Mark Zona is making his highly anticipated return to Bassmaster, bringing his unmistakable energy and insight back to the sport with the launch of the TnZ Podcast alongside his longtime colleague Tommy Sanders.

Debuting Monday, Feb. 10, on Bassmaster.com, the TnZ Podcast will be the anchor show of the all-new Bassmaster Channel, which is set to revolutionize the way fans engage with the sport.

After serving as a host of Bassmaster LIVE for a decade, Zona retired from the show after the close of the 2024 season. Now Zona, affectionately known as "Z," steps back into the Bassmaster fold, reuniting with the legendary Tommy Sanders — one of the most respected voices in bass fishing. Together, the dynamic duo will offer a fresh, unfiltered take on the sport, delivering top-tier analysis with their signature mix of expertise, humor and bold opinions.

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