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By Louie Stout
A Father/Son Fishing Trip to Remember
Six-year-old Calister Canarecci has had a fascination with big catfish ever since he began watching youtube videos and televised fishing shows.
“Every time we drive by a body of water, he tells me, ‘Dad, I bet there are some giant catfish in there,’” said his dad Joe, a Mishawaka city councilman.
So one evening last week, Canarecci decided to introduce his son to catfishing from the shore of the St. Joseph River at Merrifield Park.
They baited a couple of rods with chicken livers, cast the baits into the river and let them bounce along the bottom.
“We hooked a couple of small catfish and Calister reeled them in,” said Canarecci. “The joy of watching a youngster wind in fish the first time is a sight to behold.”
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By Louie Stout
Yucky Lampreys are Interesting Creatures
Several years ago I caught a nice smallmouth while fishing the St. Joseph River east of Elkhart when I saw the most disgusting creature attached to the side of the fish.
Having spent some time fishing trout and salmon in Lake Michigan, I knew immediately what it was.
A lamprey - a slimy, squirmy, eel-like creature with a suction mouth attached to the body of the bass.
Of course, my reaction was to call the Indiana DNR and report sea lampreys had ventured well up the St. Joe. Sea lampreys are a non-native creature that trout and salmon fish managers have spent millions trying to eradicate in Lake Michigan tributaries.
Perhaps you have encountered a similar experience and were as utterly repulsed as I was.
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By Louie Stout
Tradition Continues with Giant Aug. 11 Youth Derby
When it comes to fishing events, there is not a longer standing tradition in Michiana than the St. Joe Valley Bassmasters annual youth derby at Potato Creek.
On August 11, the club will hold its 42nd annual event at Worster Lake in the state park.
It’s free to all kids ages 4 to 14 who register.
Think about that – 42 years of giving thousands of youngsters a chance to fish and providing great prizes for everyone.
It’s the oldest running youth fishing event in Indiana, if not the Midwest, and the St. Joe club was one of the state’s first bass clubs to form.
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By Louie Stout
Access Column Stimulates Comments About Juno Eagle Problems
Last week’s column mention about parking issues at the Juno access site stimulated comments from readers.
That column noted that a local angler suspected that lake residents were using the access as a parking lot for their residential guests. The trailer parking area was full of vehicles without trailers.
Well, that fired a few of you up enough to write and bring other factors into the discussion. Public access remains a hot button, especially north of the state line at Eagle and Juno lakes, two of the area’s most popular fishing lakes.
Here’s a little background:
A few years ago, the Michigan DNR spent some $180,000 at Juno “renovating” the access that not only eliminated some parking spots but narrowed the lot, making it difficult for boaters to negotiate. Spaces are confined and the lot offers very little turning radius. Because of that, vehicles and trailers have been damaged. It was poorly designed, obviously by someone who has never launched a boat or used a public access.