05-09-2019 Outdoors

Fishing The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reported that even though the weather was cooler for the openers, anglers did catch trout, walleye and pike. The rain last week raised the water levels and hampered fishing once again. Captain Kenny Bard of Rampage Fishing Charters out of South Haven reported good lake trout catches in 50 to 70 feet of water, on the bottom. A couple of king salmon were taken in 25 to 50 feet of water, about 30 feet down, they were hitting on spoons. He said they are just moving into our area now. The piers were slow for all fish and the rivers were quiet. No perch have been reported yet. The inland lakes were where the action was. The bluegills came into the shallows over the weekend to start bedding. Good catches on all inland lakes. Ellinee Bait & Tackle on Paw Paw Lake by Coloma reported though the lake level is a little high, bluegills and crappie are bedding now and the catch rate has been good in Paw Paw Lake and all the local inland lakes. Trout anglers have been successful in the local streams like Mill Creek, Pipestone, and Blue Creek using inline spinners, smaller spoons, nats and wax worms. Crappies are really going after the minnows. Bass anglers have been successful with the catch-and-immediately release program, pulling in some nice ones. Boat anglers going out of St. Joseph were trolling past the piers and along the shoreline, where they caught a few coho and lake trout along with some very nice chinook salmon. Most were taken south of the port in 45 to 65 feet of water with spoons. Pier fishing at St. Joseph was slow except for channel cats which were hitting spawn and stink baits. No perch to report in the area. The DNR has some great resources to help make plans for some Great Lakes fishing trips this year. Check out the Roadmaps to Fishing Michigan’s Great Lakes, available for lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior, as well as the St. Clair System and Lake Erie. Users can pick the port they would like to fish out of, the time of year desired to fish, and the DNR will tell what species might be found. For most ports, opportunities are available all year long – just waiting for someone to enjoy them. Anglers need to help protect Michigan’s waters from the invasive New Zealand mud snail. It seems like a lot of work to clean everything before the next lake or stream, but here are a few facts that get lost in the details that will make it easier to want to comply. These tiny, brown to black snails can reproduce asexually, by cloning. A single snail can produce over 200 offspring in a year, leading to dense populations in a short time. The snails’ hard shell and closable hatch, (called an operculum) help them to resist digestion of fish if they are eaten; providing no nutritional value to a fish and will be deposited elsewhere. The mud snail’s ability to seal its shell means that it can survive out of water for SEVERAL WEEKS! New Zealand mud snails affect the lower end of the food chain for fish, edging out insects and larvae that fish eat. The effects will be seen from that more and more. Frank Simkins, long-time angler and member of Trout Unlimited describes his first sight of the devastation they can do. “When I first heard of the New Zealand mud snails on the Boardman River, I visited a friend who lives on the river to see for myself. I waded out and the snails were really thick, on every rock and stick. That part of the river was changed, with silt and snails rising like clouds when you walked through it.” This damage was done quickly, as the first discovery of the snails was in the Pere Marquette River in August of 2015. Within a year populations were confirmed in the Boardman and Au Sable Rivers. The snails do not move far on their own, but stick to human fishing gear and boats or the downstream flow of the water they are in. To stop the invasion, anglers need to be sure they clean all their gear before entering another body of water where they could spread the snails unknowingly. For more information on the New Zealand mud snail and how to clean and stop its spread, go to www.michigan.gov/invasives.

Hunting The Michigan DNR has recommended a series of deer regulation changes for the upcoming fall hunting seasons, which the Michigan Natural Resources Commission will be discussing over the next three months. Several opportunities for public comment will be available before the commission makes decisions expected in July. There are changes proposed statewide and for both of Michigan’s peninsulas individually. To make public comments on the proposed deer changes, you can comment by email at NRC@michigan.gov. By mail: Michigan Natural Resources Commission, P.O. 30028, Lansing, MI 48909-7528, or attend one of the Natural Resources Commission meetings, May 9, June 13 or the July 11 meeting. There are also four other meetings that the public may comment at. For more information contact Ed Golder at 517-284-6241 or John Pepin at 906-226-1352. The DNR reminds hunters that the application period for 2019 bear and elk hunting is open now through June 1. A base license is not required to apply for a bear or elk license. Visit www.michigan.gov/bear for more about the black bear drawing and preference point system and www.michigan.gov/elk for more on the elk drawing and weighted lottery system. You can buy your applications online at MDNR-eLicenses.com or anywhere licenses are sold.

Coloma Rod & Gun Club For more information on the CPL class or Hunter Safety Class, email inquiry@colomarodandgunclub.com or visit their website at www.colomarodandgunclub.com.

Watervliet Rod & Gun Club The Watervliet Rod and Gun Club will hold their monthly CCW classes on May 10 and 12, 2019. Cost of the class is $100. They will have a lawyer explaining the law pertaining to concealed carry during class. Please call (269) 468-3837 or (269) 470-9191 for more information.

The first of the spring wildflowers are already starting to fade. Among the spring ephemerals is one uniquely shaped flower worth viewing. Dutchman’s breeches, Dicentra cucullaria, is found in rich forests and can be seen along a few trails at Sarett Nature Center. This wildflower got its name from the shape of its flowers, which resemble old-fashioned leg wear worn by Netherland natives. The flowers are white, yellow-tipped and look like an upside-down pair of pants. The leaves are feathery, gray-green and are finely cut and many lobed. Look to the ground to see this plant as it only grows five to nine inches tall. Having an upside down flower might seem counter-intuitive for a plant that needs to be pollinated by insects. The plant is being selective, however. Bumblebees are the only early spring insects with a long enough tongue, 8 millimeters, to reach the hidden nectar and cover themselves with the pollen inside the flower. Some bees and wasps have found a secret entrance to the nectar. They nip a piece of the flower off and have all access to the nectar. Get out soon to see these small beauties. Their flower clusters only last about 11 days. Sarett is hosting Berrien County’s Annual Birdathon on Saturday, May 18. If you would like to join a team or donate to a team, please give us a call 269-927-4832.