The Polar Bear Open ended its season appropriately with the Bob Evans Classic under cold, snowy conditions and the tournament’s namesake winning two of the prizes on the St. Joseph River at 6 Span Bridge.
Steve Martin and John Dixon teamed up to win the Polar Bear Open last weekend on the Waldron Chain at Duke’s Bridge.
Adding depth to an already robust jerkbait collection, Strike King introduces the new KVD J300 Deep Sinking Jerkbait and an even wider color selection to the KVD Elite Jerkbait line up.
MDNR Report
Fish Kill
With increasing temperatures across Michigan, anglers, boaters and lakefront property owners may discover dead fish or other aquatic animals. While such sights can be startling, the Michigan DNR reminds everyone that it is common — summer heat conditions can cause fish and other creatures such as turtles, frogs, toads and crayfish to die.
“The majority of summer fish kills are due to low oxygen in the water, a natural phenomenon associated with weather,” said Jeremiah Blaauw, DNR fisheries biologist. “However, some other factors such as chemical treatments of aquatic plants and algae can increase the risk of a fish kill.”
Environmental conditions strongly affect the stress level of fish; temperature and dissolved oxygen concentrations are key variables. Fish need oxygen just as humans do, but fish absorb dissolved oxygen (oxygen gas that is dissolved in water) directly through their gills into the bloodstream.
By Louie Stout
Todd Vydick with his big smallmouth
Todd Vydick’s primary hope was to improve his personal best when he hired Cody Johnson to guide him for big smallmouth in the Traverse City, Mich. area.
“My biggest bass up to that point was 6.1 pounds,” said Vydick of Hartland, Mich. “I try to improve my personal best every time I fish with Todd.”
Well, mission accomplished – and in spades. Vydick not only bettered his biggest when he landed a 9.3-pound smallmouth, but also came up about a half pound shy of tying the Michigan record.
They fished into the evening last Monday when they encountered a school of smallmouth holding on a small grass patch in about 20 feet of water.
The Brighton, Mich. guide said he spotted the school along a drop-off on his Humminbird Side Imaging unit. He doesn’t have forward-facing sonar.
That’s where the behemoth bass ate Todd’s ¼-ounce, green pumpkin Strike King coffee tube. He knew it was big, but had no idea it was that big.
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