• Starboard Choice Marine
  • Moore Boats


By Louie Stout

Rare Deer Causes a StirRare Deer Causes a Stir

One day last August, Rhonda Cravens six-year-old son came running out of the woods behind her house where he had been playing on his four-wheeler.

“Mom! Mom! There is a big ‘bear wasp’ chasing me!” he yelled in a panic.

Rhonda chuckled. She knows how six year olds’ imaginations get carried away.

The boy seemed emphatic about something he saw, so she decided to investigate. To her surprise, there stood odd colored deer beyond the tree line and it came after her as well.


By Louie Stout

If you want to become a more efficient boat angler but haven’t utilized modern technology, you might want to take a closer look at what’s available.

Sonar electronics and electric trolling motors are improving angler efficiency at a rapid pace.

Sure they’re expensive add-ons. But if you fish often, you’re going to appreciate what they can do for you.

Sonar units are no longer bottom finders or fish finders. When incorporated with mapping chips, GPS, high-powered imaging and a basic understanding of the kind of areas that hold your favorite sportfish, these electronics can literally put you on top of a hotspot.

And when you get there, GPS enabled electric motors can hold you on the spot without you manipulating controls.

I’ve spent the past few years testing some of the new equipment and can assure you that these improvements are very applicable for our waters.


By Louie Stout

Lake of Woods Should Produce More Keeper Walleyes This SummerLake of Woods Should Produce More Keeper Walleyes This Summer

Want to catch keeper walleye?

Try Lake of the Woods in Bremen, Ind. this summer.

If Hoosier biologists’ fall survey is any indication, the “Woods” should be one of the better Michiana hotspots for walleye.

District Fisheries Biologist Tom Bacula had a research team shocking the shallows last October and turned up a surprising number of quality fish.

A generator on the flat bottom boat pushes electricity through electrodes that dangle in the water over the bow. There’s just enough juice displaced in the water to stun nearby fish in 5 to 6 feet of water – without killing them – and allow team members to net them for closer inspection. Scale samples and length measurements are recorded before the fish are turned back into the lake.


By Louie Stout

Thinking about buying a boat?

As exciting as that can be, there always is an element of apprehension - unless you’ve done your homework.

Now is an excellent time to begin your research at the winter boat shows.

Regardless of whether you’re shopping for a fishing boat, pontoon, pleasure boat or a versatile rig for multiple water sports, these shows are worth the visit. With multiple dealers under one roof, you can compare brands and models without burning gas and wasting time.

More importantly, you can save money. Dealers offer show specials that are only available during the show.

Andy Peterson of Starboard Choice Marine in Edwardsburg insists you really can get a better deal by buying now and not waiting until spring.

“A lot of boats the dealer has in stock are floor planned (financed) so it behooves him to move a boat this time of year,” said Peterson. “He can reduce the cost of holding onto the boat and offer it for a little less.”