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By: Matt Summerlot, Guest Columnist
There’s something about early spring tournaments in Northern Indiana as you never quite know what you’re going to get. Between the weather, water conditions, and how fast things can change this time of year, every decision feels magnified. That was exactly the case heading into Stop #2 on Lake of the Woods.
Coming off the first event, Hunter and I felt good about where we were, but this one was going to be different. Heavy rain earlier in the week had pushed water levels up and left the lake stained and muddy. By the time we got there, things were starting to stabilize, but visibility was still limited.
We got a short window to prefish a few days before the tournament, and despite some battery issues cutting that time short, we were able to find something, or so we thought.
We located healthy patches of grass in 5 to 7 feet of water that were holding fish. They weren’t easy to catch, but they were there, and one solid bite on a lipless crankbait told us we were around the right kind.
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Ed note: Matt Summerlot will offer a column after each MFL tourney. This piece covers his win at Palestine March 29)
By: Matt Summerlot, Guest Columnist
Heading into the Michiana Fishing League opener at Palestine Lake, my son Hunter and I had one goal — not just to catch fish, but to figure out how to stay consistent and put ourselves in position to win or at least stay near the top.
We were only able to pre-fish the Sunday before the tournament, but for mid-March it was a great day — light wind, sunny, and stable. We launched around 10 a.m. and fished until about 3 p.m., fully expecting that whatever we found during that window would represent what we’d see on tournament day. We didn’t think an early bite would play much of a role. Looking back, that assumption was only partially right.
Our focus during practice was finding the warmest water we could find around the main lake bowl. That decision ended up being the foundation for everything that followed. Around noon, we connected with a couple quality fish — a 4.5 lb. and a 2.5 lb. — both coming from a very specific depth range of 7–9 feet. That immediately told us we were around the right fish.
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Editor's note: Today's article is the first of a new feature fom Michiana Outdoors News. We'll be inviting guest columnists to share their experiences and expertise here from time to time. Be sure to watch for our next guest!
By David Hamerick, Guest Columnist
I had a great time fishing on Winona Lake in Warsaw, Ind. from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on March 13.
I was making my first trip out fishing in my Bass Tracker boat this season. I primarily wanted to make sure my boat was going to run after being in storage all winter. Thankfully, it started fine and I motored out of the public launch. As I exited the channel, I could see and feel the wind blowing pretty good to the south.
The air temp was in the 60s and the water temp was around 50. I motored over to the main lake and fished the north side of lake shoreline in hopes that it would be warmer. No luck there, so I went to some south side areas where the wind was blowing into shore pretty good.
I was bass fishing in 3 to 6 feet with a ¼-ounce underspin with a 4-inch Rapala CrushCity swimbait in chartreuse pearl on a baitcaster with 12-pound fluorocarbon line when I felt that familiar "thump" that reminded me why I love fishing.