Finally the weather has broken here
in Michigan, and you might have noticed a drop in the number of
blog posts over the last week or so. I have been hard at work
finishing up some articles that will be appearing soon in Michigan
Outdoor News. I have two features scheduled to come out in the next
issue. The first piece is on fishing white bass in the spring time;
if you caught my post “
Birds + White Bass = Hours of Fun” you know
just what kind of fishing I got into. I had to get a few trips in
and get some pictures for that article and I had a very tight time
crunch for that. Spending two days fishing and collecting pictures
for the article, I ended up with 6 Master Angler White Bass. If you
are not familiar with the DNR Master Angler program, it was
launched in 1973 to better recognize anglers who catch unusually
large fish. The program began with just 19 species of fish eligible
to win distinctive Master Angler shoulder patches. Today, nearly
forty years later, the program has expanded to include 52 various
species for which anglers may compete for honors. The list of
catches eligible for recognition ranges from such seldom-caught
species as the American Eel and Northern Hog Sucker to the commonly
sought Yellow Perch and Walleye. In addition to the shoulder patch,
anyone entering a new state record fish receives a certificate of
recognition upon verification of his or her catch by a DNR
Fisheries Biologist. At the end of each calendar year recognition
certificates are also awarded to anglers entering the top five fish
in each category. For a White Bass to be recognized it must measure
16 inches overall length. This year I am keeping my own personal
records of every Master Angler fish I catch. I am not planning on
sending them all in, it is just a goal I have set for myself this
year. The biggest white bass this spring for me was 20 inches (see
picture). [caption