The Smallmouth Experience

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Published: 12 October 2012

By Louie Stout

I swear - bad weather follows me everywhere.

I just got back from my annual smallmouth trip to northern Michigan, where Jeremy Bunnell (South Bend), Jon Howard (Elkhart), Al Tucker (Zionsville, Ind.) and I fished Burt, Wallon, Douglas and Black lakes.

The few days before we left the weather was beautiful and the wind stayed down.

That changed upon arrival. With the exception of a few hours on a couple of days, the wind blew 15 to 30 mph out of the Northwest and Southwest, both of which inhibit where you can fish.

On top of that, it sleeted, hailed, snowed and rained on us throughout the five-day trip.

We made the best of it and caught a lot of 3- and 4-pound fish, but couldn’t get to the honey holes where the big ‘uns live.

But as Jeremy said one day when waves were crashing into the boat, “it’s all part of the smallmouth experience!”

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Early Bow Season Report

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Published: 11 October 2012

By Pat Kleppert

Now that bow season is here, reports of success have been spotty.

With the onset of EHD in Michiana, sightings are down in many areas but a few people have had success. According to Mark Freshour at Wallhangers Trophy Taxidermy in Constantine Mich. some of his customers had success in bow season's first week along with the youth seasons in Michiana. He has had a few bucks brought into his shop and that includes a couple of extremely nice bucks.

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