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Angler’s First-Ever Bass Breaks Montana Record
By Louie Stout
Sure that expensive bass boat looks good and carries all of your sophisticated equipment.
There’s no question that the electronics unlock secrets of a lake and those premium rods, reels and line make you a more resolute angler.
But is all of that necessary to catch a state record bass?
Apparently not.
A Montana man fishing with piece of crawler on a No. 10 Eagle Claw hook and 6-pound line not only caught a record-breaking, 9.575-pound largemouth, but it was the first bass he’s ever caught.
Brandon Wright from Billings, Mont. was fishing Lake Elmo. He arrived around 10 a.m., cast out the worm and sat back to watch Tik Tok videos on his cell phone.
Fifteen minutes later, the fish bit and Wright became the new record holder, breaking the previous state record of 8.8 set in 2009.
That story brings to mind how the Michigan smallmouth record was broken in 2016. A man was fishing with a nightcrawler from the shore of his cottage on the Indian River when he hooked the 9.98-pound brute.
He had no idea of what he caught and planned to fillet the fish when a neighbor stopped him and suggested he have it checked for a state record.
Thousands of knowledgeable bass boat anglers have trekked across northern Michigan since then and none of them have come close to breaking that mark.
Sometimes, ignorance really is bliss.
Brandon Wright from Billings, Montana
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By Louie Stout
Webster Lake Muskie
Indiana muskie anglers can breathe easy.
The egg-taking project at Webster Lake last month was a huge success and the healthy adult fish population bodes well for the immediate future.
DNR biologist set nets March 29, and in 21 net lifts over the next few days they caught 352 muskies that produced 645,250 fertilized eggs.
That is really good news since the DNR was unable to take eggs in 2020 due to the pandemic.
“The overall catch per net lift was the best we’ve had in all the years we’ve been doing this,” said Hoosier Biologist Tyler Delauder. “The fish looked good with the majority of the adult fish in the 32 to 36-inch size range.
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By Louie Stout
Steven Szymczak with a walleye
Today’s trendy swimbaits catch more than bass.
In fact, says walleye angler Steven Szymczak, it’s one of the most effective – yet overlooked - techniques for catching walleyes in Michiana.
“It’s definitely the most underutilized technique,” said Szymczak, who works at Clear H2o Tackle in Edwardsburg. “Everyone thinks of it as a bass lure, but it’s very natural and really deadly on walleyes.”
Swimbaiting is effective on the St. Joseph River and nearly all of Michiana’s lakes that contain walleye, he added.
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By Louie Stout
Louie StoutIf you see fishing tackle or boating equipment you think you might want this year, buy it now.
It may not be available this summer.
Retailers in Michiana and around the country - both boat and tackle – are finding the supply pipeline extremely tight and expect it to remain that way throughout most of the summer.
“If you thought last year was bad, this year could even be worse,” said Steven Szymczak of Clear H2o Tackle in Edwardsburg, Mich.
Call it the perfect storm. The pandemic caused factories to shut down last spring and by the time they opened, they were far behind. Couple that with a soaring interest in fishing and boating, and the demand went through the roof.
To make matters worse, several components or products made overseas have been hung up in shipping issues due to the pandemic.
Area retailers ordered heavily last winter and those goods are trickling in. The shelves are filling up – kinda - for now.