Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
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By Louie Stout
There’s More Than Trout and Salmon in Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan may be best known for its trout, salmon and yellow perch, but other gamefish species seem to add to the lake’s intrigue as well.
Including muskie. That’s right muskie.
In early September, Indiana DNR employee Ryan Henry was fishing for salmon off the lighthouse pier in Michigan City.
He was casting a Storm Mag Wart in ugly colors when a giant muskie hit. The fish, which was released after photos, measured close to 42 inches.
He also caught a coho and a nice king on the lure. Lake Michigan Biologist Brian Breidert, who had loaned him the lure, said it was one of the ugliest lure’s he’s ever seen.
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Rapala Report
Shad Rap ‘Super’ for Fall Muskies
With Halloween just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to load your boat with monsters – monster muskies.
In lakes with big populations of perch or shad, the best trick for treating yourself to a record esox this fall is trolling Rapala Super Shad Raps.
The tactic is so effective on Green Bay that it often yields multiple 45-plus-inch fish per day.
“The Super Shad trend goes back some years ago, when Doug Stange of In-Fisherman and I had a 6-fish day trolling them on a TV show,” recalls Capt. Bret Alexander, an in-demand guide on Green Bay. “Before that, people were mostly using the bigger, more aggressive muskie baits. But Super Shads just perfectly match the hatch in Green Bay.
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IDNR Report
Like many Hoosiers interested in their genetic ancestry, DNR fisheries biologists and Purdue University researchers are looking into the genetic makeup of a species of fish in northern Indiana's Lake Webster.
The results could have a bearing on how muskies, a popular sport fish, might affect the future of the DNR's muskie stocking program.
"We take eggs from adult muskies captured at Lake Webster in Kosciusko County each spring, fertilize and hatch them, and then grow the fry up to 10-inch fingerlings for stocking lakes throughout the state," said Randy Lang, DNR hatchery supervisor. "Without healthy brood stock, the entire muskie program could be in jeopardy."
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By Louie Stout
Indiana Muskie Fishing is Even Better Than Most Anglers Realize
Are Indiana’s muskie lakes starting to get the respect it deserves?
Maybe. But not as much as muskie biologist Jed Pearson believes they should.
Webster Lake has long been known as the crown jewel of Indiana muskie fishing and it’s been recognized regionally, and to some extent, nationally. It and nearby Barbee Chain and Lake Tippecanoe gets most of the attention. All of those lakes are in Kosciusko County.
“We think it’s important to get more information out there about the quality of fishing we have here,” said Pearson. “We’re seeing it in our surveys, but now it’s a matter of getting anglers to try other waters and see what they are missing.”
The Webster/Barbee/Tippecanoe trio of muskie lakes are fairly well known and garnering more attention.
The Indiana Classic has been held there for several years, attracting avid muskie anglers from around the region.
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MDNR Report
The Michigan DNR, in partnership with the Michigan Muskie Alliance, continues to investigate the state's muskellunge fisheries through its online angler survey.
The 2017 Muskellunge Angler Survey is gathering information about muskellunge angler demographics and catch data. Muskellunge anglers have been surveyed since 2014, but only online since 2016. Traditional methods, including creel and postcards, have not been as successful at collecting this type of information. The current survey can be found on the DNR's website at www.michigan.gov/muskie.