Clay and Brad Sterling out-dueled a tough field of 31 teams Saturday in the Southwest Michigan Anglers Club (SMAC) tournament on Paw Paw Lake.
Jeremy Siler and Brock Howell won the Butcher Baits Opening Day Tournament at Klinger Lake Saturday.
You’ve heard the stories over the years. So-and-so would have won the big-money tournament if it hadn’t been for a dead fish at weigh-in.
A solution to similar sad stories, EGO is proud to offer the affordable and easy-to-carry FISH/WEIGH-IN COOLER, designed from the ground up to provide a safe and friendly way for the tournament angler to transport fish to tournament weigh-ins, as well as ice fish for dinner, even chill beverages.
By Louie Stout
The early spring has been good to Lake Michigan and St. Joseph River trout and salmon fishermen, but not so good to those fishing inland lake waters.
The cold nights and intermittent rain/snow has fired up steelhead in the St. Joseph River around South Bend and the coho on Lake Michigan.
However, it’s been a drag on crappie, bluegill and bass fishing. The yo-yoing water temperatures can’t seem to climb into the magical low 50s which has keep warmwater fish as confused as the anglers.
Trout and salmon
Steelhead continue pouring into South Bend and Mishawaka. During March, 7098 swam above the South Bend Fish Ladder, the best March run in 21 years!
April numbers weren’t available from the Indiana DNR due to a computer glitch, but Lake Michigan Biologist Ben Dickerson said several more have moved up since the last fish count at the ladder.
And they’re being caught.
“I’ve been hearing of guys catching 2 to 4 fish routinely and some are catching 10 or more,” he noted. “Most of the fish are running 5 to 8 pounds but quite a few are in that 9- to 15-pound class.”
Meanwhile, coho fishing on the southern end of Lake Michigan has been fantastic.
By Louie Stout
There’s no question that bass tournament anglers love to compete. They may smile and joke with you at take-off, but the bottom line is they want to beat your butt by the end of the day.
Yet, off the water, Michiana anglers remain a strong brotherhood. That point was driven home recently when a veteran angler suffered a serious health issue and fellow competitors stepped up to help out.
Dennis Losee, a longtime competitor in bass tournaments in northern Indiana and southern Michigan, suffered a stroke during a heart procedure in early February.
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