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| Crappie USA invites anglers to Lake Monroe in late April |
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Crappie USA, Inc. will hold a qualifying crappie tournament on Indiana’s Lake Monroe April 24. Anglers will be fishing for a seven-fish limit of crappie, which could net them a check, along with the opportunity to advance to the Cabela’s Crappie USA Classic.
A pre-tournament seminar will be held on Friday evening, April 23, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 1710 N. Kinser Pike in Bloomington. Signup will begin at 5 p.m., with the meeting and a National Sponsor Field Test Product Drawing starting at 7.
The seminar is open to the public. The general public not fishing the event are encouraged to come to the meeting and see the top crappie anglers from the region.
The tournament weigh-in will be the following day at the Cutright Ramp on State Highway 446 South, beginning at 3 p.m. Interviews of the top five teams will be conducted after the weigh-in.
Teams can enter by filling out and sending in an entry form or by registering on the website at www.crappieusa.com or may enter at the pre-tournament seminar that Friday night. All late entries will be subject to a $20 late fee.
American Crappie Assoc. (ACA) membership is required to fish in the tournaments and a space is provided on the entry form for you to become a member. Teams may consist of one or two partners. Teams may have a third partner if the third is under the age of 16. Pole limits for three-partner teams will be the same as two-partner teams.
Entry fees in all qualifying tournaments are $100 per team in the Amateur Division and $200 in the Semi-Pro Division. There is an optional $10 per team Big Fish Pot. ACA membership is $25 for adults and $10 for a spouse and each youth membership.
State forests sponsoring series of open houses
Hoosiers interested in how Indiana’s state forests are run may share their views at a series of open houses starting next month.
Open houses will be at the following state forests: Jackson-Washington (three dates, starting April 2), Greene-Sullivan (April 8 only), Ferdinand (April 21 only) and Clark (May 15 only). The Starve Hollow property office will be open and its staff available for input every weekend from May through September.
At each event, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Forestry will provide information about recreational activities, budget, staffing, major projects, the 2008-13 Division of Forestry Strategic Plan, invasive species and forest resource management. Attendees can talk directly with DNR personnel or, if they prefer, submit written comments.
“These open houses provide Hoosiers with a chance to receive firsthand information about how the state forests are working to provide diverse wildlife habitat, forest products and recreational opportunities,” said State Forester John Seifert. “They also allow us to receive valuable feedback from our neighbors and users about state forest management. I encourage everyone who has an interest to participate.”
Individuals who cannot attend an open house can review and comment online. All tract management guides are posted at www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/3635.htm then click on the link to “Indiana State Forests” and “Public Comment.” Events and open houses include (all times are Eastern):
•Jackson-Washington State Forest, April 2, July 2 and Oct. 1, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., at the property office 2.5 miles southeast of Brownstown on Indiana 250; 812-358-2160. Visitors can view remodeling under way at the Civilian Conservation Corps-vintage office building.
•Greene-Sullivan SF, April 8, 3-7 p.m., 1.5 miles south of Dugger on Indiana 159; 812-648-2810.
•Ferdinand SF, April 21, 3-7 p.m., on Indiana 264 approximately 4 miles northeast of Ferdinand; 812-367-1524.
•Yellowwood SF, May 8, 10 a.m.- p.m., Tulip Trace Girl Scout Camp, south of Highway 46 – turn at T.C. Steele State Historic Site sign and follow signs; 812-988-7945. Staff from Morgan-Monroe SF also will be present. Visitors can tour the camp and provide comments on the development and use of the property.
•Clark SF, May 15, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Office is 1 mile north of Henryville on Indiana 31; 812-294-4306. Staff from Deam Lake State Recreation Area and also will be present.
•Starve Hollow State Recreation Area, nature center, weekends May-September, County Road 275 W, east of Indiana 135 approximately 6 miles south of Brownstown; 812-358-3464.
Other open houses will be announced later. Property staff are also available during normal business hours. Go to www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/3631.htm for contact information or to schedule a visit.
Williams Dam campground closing soon
A popular Indiana camping spot for fishermen has closed its gates. The DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife has announced plans to phase out the small campground at Williams Dam Public Fishing Area, southwest of Bedford in Lawrence County. Camping will no longer be allowed.
The 37-acre fishing area, fishing platform and two boat ramps providing free public access to the White River will remain open but without staff on site after June 2010. Only the 30-unit campground and a handful of buildings associated with the campground are being removed.
Williams Dam is one of 29 state-managed public fishing areas across Indiana and the only one with a campground and on-site staff. Future management will be consistent with management at other public fishing areas, which involves mowing and trash pick up. Law enforcement will continue patrolling the area.
The planned closure of the campground is based on several factors, including low income, rising costs, staffing changes and the lack of an approved sanitary dumping facility. Constructing the campground’s sanitary dumping facility required by the state Department of Health could cost as much as $40,000.
Outdoor cooking class April 17
For many campers, outdoor cooking is an essential element of the experience. Campers wanting to improve their cooking skills will have an opportunity at Mississinewa Reservoir’s outdoor cooking workshop April 17.
Participants will take part in hands-on instruction, while receiving tips from the Kokomo Kookers Dutch Oven Cooking Club. To add incentive for doing well, participants are responsible for cooking their own lunches.
Door prizes from Bozarth Country Store will be given away. After lunch, participants may swap recipes or make a charcoal starter to use to start campfires on future meals.
The program begins at 10 a.m. and costs $10 per person. Space is limited. Register by calling 260-468-2127. Park entrance fees of $4 per vehicle for Indiana residents and $7 per vehicle for non-residents will apply.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments may contact Jack Spaulding by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication. |
| 3/30/2010 |
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