Now That’s a Shanty

When I was asked to go ice fishing on Houghton Lake, Michigan, I expected a hole in the ice, short pole, a bucket to sit on and a frigid wind.  That’s how we fished the frozen lakes in Montana.   My first surprise was when we left the road and drove the pickup over the frozen lake.  My guide laughed and said it was his first time driving on the ice this season.  That was not at all comforting.  “You just need to stay away from the artisian springs.  That’s where tourists get into trouble.”

Asian Carp Invade Illinois River

Dangerous Asian Carp are invading the Illinois River and heading for the Great Lakes.  Asian Carp are an invasive species that have a strategy of overwhelming their environment and a habit of jumping when spooked by boats.  They can grow to 100 pounds.  Imagine a leisurely sunset cruise on the river when you are hit in the head by a 80 pound fish. The bass fishing tournaments in Peoria are gone, replaced by tourists watching carp jump and fishing above the water with bow and arrow.
Video of Asian Carp Jumping on the Illinois River

Asian carp have no stomachs which causes them to eat non-stop. They grow quickly and leave nothing behind for native species. They reproduce like crazy. Watch out Great Lakes whose fragile environment has already been attacked by zebra mussels and lampreys. As the carp make their way up the tributaries, steps must be taken to keep them out.

So what can be done? A new breed of fisherman are making a good profit fishing the invasive species. Considered good eating by the Asian-American populace, harvesting the fish for food is an excellent method of returning the Illinois River to its native inhabitants.

Indiana Lampreys

I’ve caught some weird looking fish, but none as strange as the lamprey. While fishing the St. Joseph River in Elkhart County, Indiana, I hooked a walleye, but pulled in two fish. A lamprey was attached to the side of my catch. I recognized the invasive species and witnessed their damage to Indiana waterways firsthand.

An adult specimen will attach itself to a larger fish and suck the blood and body fluids in a parasitic fashion. The one I saw had a round sucker mouth with circular rings of teeth. It looks somewhat like an eel, but had a dorsal fin, blackish brown body and grayish underbody. Lampreys either kill the host fish by draining it of fluids like a vampire, or leaving a wound that becomes infected.

Techniques for Snag-Less Fishing

Losing your favorite lure on the bottom of the lake is frustrating and expensive.  I ask Nick Teeters (www.rangernick.com), my favorite guide on Lake Monroe in southern Indiana, if he will back the boat up again in an attempt to retrieve my B-1 Bomber.  I imagine all the big bass that just left the area.   But Nick just grins and says, “If you’re not getting hooked up, you’re not casting where the fish are!”  I’m no longer embarrassed by my imperfect cast.
 
Ranger Nick is a naturalist that can provide information about the lake, techniques, fishing patterns and native wildlife. He calls turkeys and points out bald eagle nests.  Fishing with Nick is fun and educational.  He’s taught some of the best anglers new tricks, yet is patient and kind to my nervous 12 year old daughter. Nick taught me two methods that have reduced my fear of getting snagged.

Days to Catch

Darn, another snag! River fishing can be frustrating with stumps, downed trees and debris along the banks. I lived on the St. Joseph River in northern Indiana, and my friends and I spent many evenings under the tall poplars fishing. We used night crawlers and bobbers to try to keep off the bottom, and reeled in fast past the underwater obstacles.

On one cast, I reeled in nothing but line and I could see my bobber just under the surface, stuck on a stump about fifteen feet out. I tied yet another hook, and went back to coaxing. A couple of hours later, my bobber started moving upstream against the current. It went up and down, lazily following the bank. We laughed when we realized a hungry fish had made a meal of my stranded night crawler.

The bobber would tease us, swimming just offshore, upstream and down, disappearing only to show up again the next day. Later that week, it finally came close to shore. Randy waded out in chest deep water, grabbed the bobber and pulled in a bullhead catfish. 

 

Potawatomi Fishing Derby a Great Success

The 14th annual Potawatomi Fishing Derby exceeded all attendance records.  Many families enjoyed the excellent weather during this Saturday’s event around the big pond. My husband, daughter and three of my grandchildren entered the derby, while I worked the tent and drove around on the gater, selling a record number of hot dogs, chips and pop to hungry participants.  Prizes were awarded by age group for the following categories:  bass, rough, pan fish and catfish.

Potawatomi Wildlife Park Annual Fishing Derby

Potawatomi Wildlife Park of Tippecanoe, Indiana is hosting their 14th annual fishing derby Saturday, September 9, 2006 from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.  The public is invited to this fun family event.  Prizes are awarded for the largest fish in a variety of categories.  No license is required.  There is a small registration fee, $5 for adults, $3 ages 10-16, under 10 are free.  Food and drink are available.  The event will be held rain or shine.   Visit Potawatomi Website for more information or call the park at (574) 498-6550.  All proceeds benefit the wildlife park. 

The nature preserve consists of 300+ acres of ponds and marshland next to the Tippecanoe River and limits fishing on the property to this one event each year.  The park is located about three miles south of Bourbon, IN on State Road 331, east side of the road.  See you there!

Potawatomi Wildlife Park, 16988 State Road 331, Tippecanoe IN  46570

Fishing for the Sexes

It is difficult to fish with my husband.  For years I did not understand how he could take a perfectly enjoyable experience and turn it to crap.  In his effort to share his expertise, I would feel inferior, unhappy and angry.  Fellow fisherwomen, do you ever feel that way? 

I love to fish.  I love being on or near the water.  I love the sounds of nature and the smell of the woods.  I love butterflies and dragonflies, snakes and birds.  I fish for the emotional experience.  How do I feel about the day?  Is it location peaceful?  Was that a woodpecker in the distance?  How does the sun feel against my skin?  Is the water clear enough that I can see the fish take the bait?  Can I wade in the sandy bottom and feel it give with the current and disappear between my toes?

My husband fishes to win.  His is a battle with nature.  He strives for excellence, and doesn’t accept defeat lightly.  His approach is task oriented – a systematic search for location, lure, distance, speed, conditions.

The lily pads are blooming, and there is a heron on the bank.  I’m happy.

My husband caught the most fish. He wins.

She Should Have Been My Bass!

 

It was a beautiful spring day in the middle of a hardwood forest in northern
Indiana.  My husband was flipping a Bill Dance frog into the lily pads covering the shaded corner of a small pond.  The water was 60-70 feet across and reflected perfectly the tall trees, blue sky, interrupted occasionally by bait fish hitting the surface.