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By Louie Stout
Have you ever arrived at a DNR launch ramp early in the morning only to find the trailer parking slots filled with passenger cars?
We got a report from an angler who encountered that problem at Juno Lake’s public access early last Saturday morning.
Except for one vehicle and boat trailer in the lot, all but one of the other spaces was filled with passenger cars.
It happens often on small public access sites and chances are several of those cars belong to local residents or their visitors. Some access sites offer a few spots for cars without trailers, but the main parking area is designated for vehicle/trailer parking.
Well, it’s against the law to park there unless you are using the public launch for boating and violators can be ticketed. If you encounter a problem at a Southwest Michigan DNR ramp, call the DNR’s District 7 Law Enforcement Office at 269-685-6851. Or, if you have direct contact with a local officer, contact him.
Or, you can go to www.mi.gov/dnrco and click on the “locate a conservation officer” on that page.
You also might want to take cell phone photos of the license plates of vehicles not accompanied by boat trailers and share them with the DNR later.
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By Louie Stout
Spring Turkey Harvest Continues to Drop
Last spring’s turkey hunting season produced another drop in harvest numbers around the state.
According to Indiana DNR turkey biologist Steve Backs (South Bend native), the statewide harvest was down 13 percent from 2017 and fell in 65 of the 92 Indiana counties. In northern Indiana, Steuben and Marshall counties ranked among the top 10 in harvest numbers.
Backs said all regions had proportional decreases ranging from 6 percent in northern counties to 25 percent in south central counties.
In Michiana, St. Joseph County hunters killed 190 gobblers, a 2 percent increase.
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By Louie Stout
Timing is Everything on Quirky Simcoe Smallmouth
Newmarket, Ont. – JP DeRose peered over the nose of his 20-foot Bass Cat bass boat and pointed to a spot on the bottom in five feet of water.
We had been fishing for a couple of hours without a fish.
“There’s a big one next to that rock!” he said anxiously. “Throw your bait on the shiny spot next to the rock.”
I pitched the Ned Rig to the spot, lifted the rod tip and felt nothing.
DeRose looked at me like he’d seen a ghost.
“When are you going to set the hook?” he said sarcastically. “He’s got it.”
I never saw the fish or felt any movement. In fact, it was difficult to even see the rock with the gentle waves that churned above it.
I looked like a rookie.
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By Louie Stout
Big Orange Fish Surprises Edwardsburg Angler
Bo Thomas launched his boat early one misty morning with hopes of catching a few largemouth bass on Harwood Lake near Jones, Mich.
His buddy Jaxon Disher and girlfriend Emily Lopez, both of Edwardsburg, accompanied the 19-year old Edwardsburg angler that dreary Wednesday.
Thomas is an avid bass angler and a member of the Western Michigan University Bass Fishing team. He has aspirations of pursing a pro fishing career, something his father, Mickey, dabbled in years ago.
Around 10 a.m., Bo made a cast with a drop-shot rig far off the drop-off on which his boat was sitting as they worked the edge of a flat.