By Louie Stout
Five measly ounces.
That’s how close Ron Ryba came to breaking Indiana’s long-standing walleye record.
“If only that fish had eaten one more shad…” said the Michigan City angler.
Ryba caught the 13.96-pound monster walleye from Trail Creek harbor shoreline in Michigan City a week ago Friday. Had it eaten one more of the large shad schooling where Trail Creek empties into Lake Michigan, he’d have broken the record that has stood for 45 years.
The current 14-pound, 4-ounce record was set in 1974 on the Kankakee River and tied in 1977 on the Tippecanoe River.
All is not lost, however. After the official weighing and photos, the fish was released back into the creek mouth.
“I want another shot at her – when she’s bigger,” said Ryba.
By Louie Stout
The future of walleye fishing on the St. Joseph River continues to brighten.
As they have done every other year, the Michiana Walleye Association partnered with the Indiana DNR to stock more fish into the river.
In early October, the DNR planted 8,900 walleyes in the river at Maggie’s Landing in Mishawaka. On that same day, another 2,000 – purchased by the walleye club – went in at the county line bridge near Midway Bait and Tackle. The walleye fish were purchased with funds the club raised through its various fund-raisers and donations it gained from interested businesses.
The DNR contribution was 600 fish shy of what it stocked in 2017 but 400 more than it stocked in 2015.
Mason Alvardo walked along the St. Joseph River bank, casting into the chilly waters as he often does.
The IUSB student likes to hit the river near downtown South Bend in the late afternoon following a day of classes.
“I really like fishing for bass and walleye down there and catch quite a few,” he said.
His bait was a 3-inch Z-Man Finesse TRD worm fashioned on a tiny, 1/5-ounce jig head. The cleverly named soft plastic color was “Goby Bryant.”
The 27-year old Navy veteran, who served as an aviation boatsman mate equipment operator on the John C. Steenis aircraft career in the Southwest China Sea, enjoys fishing and being around the water.
By Louie Stout
Mature bucks are on the move just in time for the popular firearm season that opens Friday in Michigan and Saturday in Indiana.
That’s pretty evident with the number of racks being displayed on social media by proud Michiana bow hunters the past couple of weeks.
No one is more gratified than Dan Linn of South Bend. He shot a dandy 10-point that dressed out at 215 pounds.
But that wasn’t his proudest moment.
The next day his 9-year-old daughter Makenzie arrowed a giant 9-point that field dressed at a whopping 242 pounds. The third grad LaVille Elementary School student shot it with a crossbow.
It was a mature buck that Dan had been watching for three years but was never able to get it into range.
That day was different.