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Hometown: Kalamazoo
Occupation: Stay-at-home dad
Favorite species and biggest fish of that species: Muskie and pike. Biggest tiger muskie, 47 inches.
Favorite Michiana lake: Austin Lake.
Hobbies when not fishing: Spend time with family and tying muskie and pike flies (with big magnifying glass).
If you only had one lure and why: Rapala Original F11, hands down. It catches a variety of fish everywhere.
Favorite rod and reel: G. Loomis 902 and Daiwa SS 1600 spinning reel for bass; 10 wt. fly rod with triple density fly line or flipping stick with 59-pound braid for muskie.
Best tip to give a new Michiana angler: Pick a lure you have confidence in and keep casting.
Sportsman Spotlight
By Louie Stout
The next time you feel bad because you must work and can’t go fishing, think of Sky Baker.
The next time you struggle to tie a knot, think of Sky Baker.
He has the same passion for fishing that you do. In fact, not long ago he was fishing a lot of team tournaments and doing well.
That all changed in 2018 when he started losing his vision due to an auto immune disorder.
The former millwright and RV Company plant manager is now legally blind, isn’t able to drive and will likely lose complete vision in the coming years.
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By Louie Stout
If you’ve wanted to get out ice fishing this winter, there may not be a better time to do it.
Conditions appear pretty good with decent ice being reported on most lakes and warming temperatures in the forecast. And if you want to fish in Michigan, you won’t need a license this weekend.
In fact, above freezing temperatures are expected during the daytime for the next 10 days, including low 50s in some areas by middle of next week.
Could we be nearing the end of ice season?
It might be, especially for some lakes that are spring or river fed. While most bait shops say lakes have five or more inches of good ice, there are still reports of as little as 3 inches in some areas.
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Sportsman Spotlight
Hometown: Edwardsburg, Mich.
Occupation: Full time bass pro
Favorite fish species and biggest: Smallmouth, 6-15
Favorite Michiana lake: Christiana Lake, where I grew up
Hobbies when not fishing: Golf
If you only had one lure and why: swim jig, because its so versatile in all depths and cover.
Best tip to give a new Michiana angler: Go get waders and wade down christiana creek or st. joe river (safely) and go fish. Understand why fish set up in places they are. That will teach you a lot.
Sponsors: Rec-Pro, Mod Bug Trailers, Bish’s RV, D&R Sports Center, VanDam Warehouse, Str8 Up Mounts, Garmin Electronics, Ranger Boats, Miller Tech Batteries, Whitewater Clothing, Gama Fishing Line, Shimano and G. Loomis rods and reels, Weigh Safe Hitches, and Christianson Industries.
By Louie Stout
Michiana has become spawning grounds for topflight professional bass fishermen.
The late Don Rank who was one of the first to make a Bassmaster Classic from this area. Then there was Kevin VanDam and Jonathon VanDam.
We can’t overlook Ron Nelson, who has chosen a different path with Major League Fishing where he has built a reputation as one of the top anglers in that circle of pros.
Could Bo Thomas be the next?
He’s certainly on the right path, competing in the brutal, highly competitive Bassmaster Elite Qualifier events that provide a route to fishing the Bassmaster Elites and a Bassmaster Classic berth.
Last week, Thomas finished third in the 2026 opener, the Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at the Kissimmee Chain in Florida. Coincidentally, Jon VanDam also finished fourth in the event.
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Sportsman Spotlight
Hometown: Osceola, Ind.
Occupation: Steel Warehouse Supervisor
Favorite species to trap: Mink. They are less predictable in the exact route they take along a bank. I like the challenge.
Favorite trapping location: Any watershed.
Hobbies when not trapping: Ice fishing and deer hunting.
If you only had one trap and why: It’s called 1.5 coil spring. I can use it to target many different species.
Best tip to give a new Michiana trapper: Learn the habits of the animal before you try to trap it. Where they go, what they do and what they eat. I have spent thousands of hours following tracks in the snow.
By Louie Stout
Full disclosure - Chuck Powell is my longtime fishing partner.
While most anglers know him as the guy who runs the front of my boat and catches most of the fish, he’s also an avid trapper.
And a damn good one.
Nobody spends more time outdoors year-round than he does. When he’s not fishing or deer hunting, he’s either making animal nuisance calls as a side business or trapping for fur.
Trapping isn’t new to the 56-year-old Hoosier. He began trapping age 12 by catching opossums and racoons in his neighbor’s garden.