The father/daughter team of TJ and Tina Reed had five keeper bass totaling 13.92 pounds to out-fish 14 other teams in the Casting Couples Tourney held at Magician Lake last weekend.
Mike VanderRyden and Brett Gessinger won the Southwest Michigan Anglers Club (SMAC) Tuesday nighter at Magician.
Strike King worked with MLF pro angler Andy Morgan to develop the Chick Magnet flat-sided crankbait.
By Louie Stout
No one likes a poacher – certainly not conscientious sportsmen and definitely not conservation officers.
That’s why northern Indiana Conservation Officer Dustin Whitehead dogged a case for three years that resulted in arrest of two men, one of whom did prison time for multiple charges, including illegal taking and possession of 16 deer, illegal possession of a stolen firearm and resisting arrest.
But Whitehead didn’t stumble upon this case. He got it from a tipster who called Indiana’s Turn in a Poacher (TIP) hotline. The informant – who received a $2,000 reward from the TIP program - reported information over the phone that one of the suspects was spotlighting deer at night.
“I’ve been on the force for 11 years and gotten quite a few convictions from cases that come through our TIP program,” Whitehead said. “It’s rare that we go down a road at night and see unlawful taking of deer. The odds aren’t in our favor, and that’s why this program is so important.”
This case was unique in that it required extra patience and good police work that ultimately led to conviction of the repeat offender.
By Louie Stout
Finally…ice.
Area tackle shops reported a lot of ice fishing activity the past day or so, and with more cold and less snow, action should pick up more in the coming days.
However, that doesn’t mean everything is safe. Several lakes still had open-water areas last weekend. Although they may appear froze over, not all sections are as safe as others.
“We’re hearing anywhere from unsafe to 4 to 5 inches of ice,” said Brian Hensley of Clear H2o Tackle in Edwardsburg.
Those opinions were echoed at the Tackle Box in North Webster and D&R Sports Center in Kalamazoo.
Connect With Us