Not only did the couples in the Casting Couples opener start on a 30-degree morning, but the bite at Pine and Stone lakes was tough.
Despite a cold start in the morning, the catch was pretty good in the Tackle Shack season opener at Lake Maxinkuckee.
St. Croix Rod expands the angler-favorite Mojo Musky lineup with three all-new longer models – a 10’ heavy power JOMFG100HF2, a 10’ extra-heavy power JOMFG100XHF2, and a 10’6” heavy power JOMFG106HF2. All are two-piece with a 70/30 split that places the junction low in the stiffer section of the rod.
IDNR Report
Indiana anglers are invited to participate in the 2024 Midwest Walleye Challenge, a virtual fishing tournament that offers the opportunity to win prizes and contribute to fisheries management while providing Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) fisheries biologists with valuable data on the state’s walleye, sauger, and saugeye populations.
The tournament begins March 30 and ends June 30. Only catches of walleye, sauger, and saugeye will count in the tournament.
The Midwest Walleye Challenge was piloted in Iowa during the past two years. This year it will be offered across the Midwest as part of a larger fisheries research project funded by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
By Louie Stout
These big smallmouth that Neil Vande Biezen caught were likely 10 years or older. It takes Michiana fish longer to reach quality length than most people realize.
Regardless of the kind of fish you pursue, it takes years to produce keeper sizes in Michiana waters.
Indiana and Michigan fish researchers maintain charts listing average fish lengths at various ages based upon historical records. Charts are used to compare growth rates of fish in a given lake with state averages. In Indiana, those comparisons are based on northern Indiana glacial waters and not the impoundments found in the southern half of the states. Although not an exact science, it gives researchers a means to determine the health of fish in a given lake. Faster growth indicates a balanced fishery with a good forage base. Slower growth could indicate overpopulation or inadequate forage base.
Fish are aged by collecting scale samples and examining them under a microscope. Rings seen on the scale are much like rings on a tree. Each ring represents a year of growth.
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