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(Provided by IDNR)
Despite the low number of adult muskies now present in Lake Webster, DNR fisheries biologists were able to catch enough sexually ripe females this spring to obtain nearly 500,000 eggs.
That amount fills the annual quota needed to support Indiana's muskie stocking program.
Biologists captured 88 muskies in trap nets set over an eight-day period in late March and early April at the 774-acre lake in Kosciusko County. Fifty were adult males and 24 were adult females.
From this group, five females were "ripe" enough to provide nearly 11 quarts of eggs that were stripped from the fish, fertilized with milt from males, and then transported to the Fawn River Hatchery in Orland.
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(Provided by IDNR)
DNR grants totaling more than $585,000 will be used to fight invasive aquatic plants in Indiana's lakes.
The grants were awarded by DNR director Cameron F. Clark through the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program in the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife.
The 42 projects involve lakes in 16 counties. The applications were submitted by local sponsors who share at least 20 percent of the total cost.
LARE grants are funded through the LARE fee paid by boat owners annually when they register their boats with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. This user-funded program benefits boaters all over the state. The grants allow for the completion of projects that would be difficult for many local organizations to fund on their own.
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The South Bend Sail and Power Squadron will be conducting a five-week Safe Boating Class beginning April 17 at the Battell Community Center in Mishawaka.
Upon successful completion, students receive a certificate recognized by both Indiana and Michigan for the operation of boats and PWC’s, and may qualify for an insurance discount.
Classes will be Monday evenings from 6:30-8:30 on April 17, 24; May 1, 8 and 15.
Cost is $30 for materials for the first family member and free for any additional family members sharing the material.
Pre-registration is highly recommended. Call 574-367-8572 or e-mail classes@sbsps.org.
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(Provided by IDNR)
April 15 kicks off the first of four Free Fishing Days in Indiana in 2017.
On these special days, Indiana residents can fish public waters without needing a fishing license or a trout stamp. Free Fishing Days are opportunities for families to learn to fish because adults don't need a license.
Non-residents must still have a license.
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By Louie Stout
Muskie Collection has Hoosier Biologists UneasyIndiana fish biologist Jed Pearson was breathing a sigh of relief last Wednesday, but knew he was hardly out of the woods.
Pearson is overseeing a muskie egg-taking project on Lake Webster in Kosciusko County. Historically, the brood stock Pearson’s crew collects there provides all of the eggs needed for Indiana’s statewide muskie program.
And that’s what is making Pearson nervous. The lake has been on a downturn the past few years and getting ripe eggs from mature muskies has been tough the past couple of years.
He needs 15 to 20 ripe female muskies to produce the 15,000 muskie sizable fingerlings that the state needs. Last year, the state only captured 11 ripe females and had to set traps at nearby James Lake to fill out their needs.