FISHING
This week’s fishing tip from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) relates to targeting Bass in the midst of summer by going nocturnal. With summer in full swing and the temperatures being quite warm across most of the state, fish will often become quite lethargic. Even the classic warm water large and smallmouth Bass move slowly and show less interest in feeding during daylight hours. However they still can be caught by anglers looking for a little adventure. After dark, Bass tend to move shallow in search of an easy meal. Target them near the same areas you would during other times of the day while also casting and targeting the shallows. You will definitely want to also change your technique. Since after dark you can’t see the weed line or other underwater structures, fishing subsurface lures is not recommended. It’s time for surface presentations. Frogs and poppers work great and rarely catch on anything, other than fish. After the cast, work them aggressively with a jerking motion making sure they pop and gurgle across the surface of the water during your retrieve. Pay close attention during the retrieve, watching and listening for the strike which can be explosive. Pyle’s Porthole in South Haven reports that anglers going out on Lake Michigan have been getting Salmon in 80 to 120 feet of water, about 60 feet down. Perch fishing has been slow, but those that were caught were nice size. They were catching them in 35 to 40 feet of watery in front of the dunes. Because of the warmer water, the pier and river anglers are not doing well. Ellinee Bait & Tackle by Coloma reported a quit time on Paw Paw Lake. A lot of anglers are out on the inland lakes of the area, but they haven’t gotten a lot of feedback on how the catch was. In the Southwest Lower Peninsula, the DNR reports that inland lakes in the area are extremely warm. Those heading out will want to target the weed beds in deeper water. Some reported Bluegills just off the bottom in waters 20 to 30 feet deep. For those fishing out of St. Joseph, Perch fishing continues to be steady in 30 to 40 feet of water north and south of the piers. Catch rates were slow for boat anglers, but a few Lake Trout were caught in 100 feet of water. Pier fishing has slowed for Steelhead, but Freshwater Drum were hitting on shrimp and crawlers. Lake Sturgeon season opened last Saturday, July 16. Anglers are reminded they need to obtain a free Lake Sturgeon fishing permit and harvest tag before they go Sturgeon fishing. Both are available at all license vendors. The harvest is limited to only one Lake Sturgeon per angler per angling year (April 1 through March 31). For more information on this fish species and its regulations, visit www.michigan.gov/sturgeon. The Natural Resources Commission decided to regulate chumming in Michigan at its monthly meeting. These regulations went into effect immediately. Following the NRC’s decision, anglers will be prohibited from using organic chum material on any designated trout streams (Types 1-4). Learn more about stream types by downloading the Michigan Fishing Guide, page 39.
HUNTING
The DNR reminds hunters that the application period for Antlerless deer licenses is now open and runs through August 15. Hunters may apply for one license in any open Deer Management Unit (DMU) statewide. A nonrefundable $5.00 fee is charged at the time of application. Hunters may apply for either one private-land or one public-land license online at E-License or at any authorized license agent or DNR Customer Service Center. Young hunters, ages 9-16, can purchase one junior Antlerless deer license over the counter July 15-August 15. No application is required. A 9-year-old must be 10 by September 26 to purchase this license. Any leftover Antlerless deer licenses not issued in the drawing will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis beginning September 8 at 10 a.m., until license quotas are met. Drawing results may be viewed beginning September 1 at www.michigan.gov/deer. Antlerless deer license quotas for each DMU can also be found at this site. The 2016-2017 waterfowl season dates were announced; along with the 2015-2016 annual reports for Wetland Wonders. To find the annual reports, visit www.michigan.gov/wetlandwonders. Click on the 7 wonders tab and then the updates and counts tab. This is the third and final year for the three year experimental early Teal season and will be held statewide September 1-7. If hunters attempt to harvest or do harvest species other that Teal, such as Wood Ducks, Mallards, or other species of ducks, this may be the last year for the early Teal season. Duck seasons have been split into two segments in all three state duck-hunting zones this year. Duck hunting in the North Zone runs September 24-November 20 and November 26-27. In the Middle Zone, duck season is October 1-November 27 and December 17-18, and in the South Zone, duck season is October 8-December 4 and December 31-January 1.
Full of protein without pesky bones, caterpillars are the prime ingredient for many animals’ summer fare. Considering the numbers eaten (300 per day for a goldfinch family or 25,000 in one day for a black bear), it’s a wonder any survive to become butterflies or moths. Defense adaptations for caterpillars are as varied as the caterpillars themselves: nasty-tasting bodies, protective coloration, defensive behaviors, whistling, etc. Probably the most effective strategy is to sting the predators. Specialized hollow hairs or spines on the caterpillar body contain venom. One poke of these hairs can cause mild discomfort, excruciating pain or even death for any animal or human who touches these caterpillars. However, black cuckoos especially love eating hairy tent caterpillars and do so without any problems. Black bears also love those prickly guys. The ovipositors of parasitoid wasps are long enough to avoid the spines. Step back in history with a paddle on our 34-foot voyageur canoe on July 24 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Fee is $7. Meet at North Lake Park in Stevensville. Pre-registration is required. Join a naturalist on July 26 at 3:00 p.m. for Turtle Feeding Time. Admission is $4 for adults, $1 for children. Meet Sarett’s owls and turkey vulture on July 28 at 3:00 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults, $1 for children.
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