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By Louie Stout
Heddon Legacy a Big Part of Michiana History
Michiana has had a hand in the making of America in so many different ways, including some fishing tackle as we know it today.
Legend has it that at the turn of the 1900s, James Heddon was carving a stick along the banks of Millpond Lake just east of Dowagiac. When he threw a sliver of wood into the water, a big bass surfaced and inhaled it.
That gave Heddon the idea to create a topwater lure because, at that time, nearly all fishing lures ran underwater. He went home and created the “Dowagiac Expert” that quickly popularized topwater fishing.
Heddon, who was more interested in fishing than owning a business, turned the job over to his son Charles who went on to build a lure manufacturing company that became one of the largest in the world.
For that and many other reasons, it was announced last week that James Heddon will be inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mo. this September.
James HeddonAlthough the company was sold multiple times and is currently owned by PRADCO in Fort Smith, Ark., many of Heddon’s creations continue to sell well today.
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By Louie Stout
Gov. Whitmer’s Fishing Ban Makes No Sense
Ford Wolkins turned five this week. That’s him posing with a fish with his dad Floyd, who is laid off due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Like most five year olds, he doesn’t completely understand all of this fuss about the virus, but he’s loved having his dad home because they can fish together a lot.
Well, that is, until last week.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer put an end to that when she announced she was prohibiting fishing from motorboats. Oh, you can go fishing, but only from a canoe, kayak or rowboat.
The Wolkins, who live in Union, Mich., fish from a 16-foot Sylvan fishing boat that is a lot safer and much easier to maneuver on Michiana waters.
Like most Michiana anglers, Floyd fished alone or with his son. Prior to last weekend, he and others could escape the negative news and crisis facing America by spending time on the water.
With family or simply by fishing alone.
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By Louie Stout
Indiana Researching Pike Lakes
DNR employees Aaron Voirol (left) and Zach Platt hold a giant pike they captured during a pike survey earlier this spring on Center Lake in Kosciusko County. The fish weighed 24 pounds and was released back into the lake. (DNR Photo)>/strong>
Northern pike. You either love ‘em or hate them.
Well, hate may be a strong word.
Let’s put it this way, pike have a knack for knowing when you have a favorite or very expensive lure tied on.
When they bite that lure with their razor sharp teeth, there’s a 50/50 chance you’re going to lose that fish – and the lure – unless you’re fishing with a steel leader.
On the other hand, battling a hefty pike can be a lot of fun. That’s why some people love fishing for them. And if you have mastered filleting out the Y-bones from the flesh, they can be pretty tasty.
Michiana has a lot of pike lakes. Seems like Michigan waters tend to have more, but that’s just my unscientific observation. Some of the better Hoosier lakes lie in northeast and northwest Indiana.
The Indiana DNR is trying to get a handle on the quantity and quality of pike within the lakes it manages.
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By Louie Stout
DNR Won’t Be Taking Muskie, Walleye Eggs This Year
If these were normal times, you’d see DNR workers manning nets this week for adult muskies at Lake Webster.
But the times they are a changin’.
There will be no muskie collection or egg taking this year due to stay-at-home orders and the Covid-19 crisis.
In addition, Indiana will not be capturing adult walleyes at Brookville Reservoir to collect eggs for near-future stockings.
Northern Fisheries Supervisor Jeremy Price said it was a tough decision to make. The projects require a process in which staffers would be working in close quarters and confined spaces. Biologists would be working shoulder to shoulder in handling nets and fish and be working in a confined area while stripping eggs from adult fish.
“We brainstormed ways to work around it but it just isn’t something we could do without compromising the staff,” he said. “We made a tough call but have to live with it.”