It’s not too late to find morel mushrooms, jumbo perch

Though weather and precipitation typically vary from one end of Indiana to the other, outdoorsmen and women are reporting late spring conditions statewide this year. That means annual spring events started late and should therefore linger a little longer than usual.

That’s good news for gardeners, mushroom hunters and fishermen who put off their hobbies until now.  

Most years, mid-May signals the final days of mushroom hunting season. Hot, dry weather arrives by then, and are a mushroom’s enemy. By June, the only mushrooms typically left in the woods are dry and not fit for human consumption.

This year, morels arrived late. Mushroomers believe that means they will last a little longer.

“When spring is late, so are the mushrooms,” said Lon Barker, a central Indiana mushroom hunter. “I usually stop hunting by Mothers Day, but this year, I filled a garbage bag full of morels on May 12.”

Though Barker won’t say where he hunts, he did have some general advice for hunters.

“It’s not always true that morels like to grow near dead elm, sycamore and ash trees, but they are a good place to start,” he said.

Instead, focus on moist areas in the woods that are not under full sun. More importantly, remember where you found mushrooms last year. It should produce mushrooms every year, Barker said.

For a lots of great information about morel mushroom hunting, storage, and eating, check out thegreatmorel.com.

Indiana’s cold spring also means Lake Michigan is warming slower than normal. As a result, the best perch fishing of the year is still yet to come.

Like all of Lake Michigan’s fish, perch patterns are driven by water temperature. When Indiana waters reach 67 degrees, perch move toward shore for a short burst of activity. It is perhaps the only time hook and line anglers can consistently catch the tasty little fish.

By the first week of May, anglers started seeing some of the fish in Indiana waters. As of May 12, perch were staging in 42 to 50 feet of water.

“Right now, there are some perch being caught out of Michigan City in front of Mount Baldy,” said Ed McCain, owner of Mik Lurch discount Tackle in Hammond. “But they just started to spawn this week, so the fishing is off right now.”

By the end of May, perch should be done spawning and fishing should really heat-up. The peak run should then last until the second week of July, he said.

That’s when Lake Michigan’s legendary jumbos start to show-up in great numbers. Unlike the perch often found in inland lakes, Great Lakes perch routinely grow to over 2 pounds, and travel in schools numbering in the tens of thousands.

In a brief early bite, McCain landed one female that weighed 2 pounds, 3 ounces. He believes this year, she was a sign of good things to come.

“There is every indication that this year might be one of the best in a long time for big fish and big numbers,” he said.

Since commercial perch fishing was stopped in Lake Michigan eight years ago, McCain has witnessed the rebirth of the jumbo perch fishery. The spawn has been great eight years in a row because the commercial guys are gone, and the number of big females available for fishermen has really exploded, he said.  

During the early stages of the bite, anglers should use perch rigs tipped with minnows. Rigs with perch flies are best, especially if they are either chartreuse or orange.

Tip the flies with baby roaches or large fathead minnows. As the bite progresses into July, switch to softshell crawfish on a perch rig.

Once perch start hitting softshells, they will swim past a minnow every time to get to one of the small crawfish, McCain said.

Call Mik Lurch for daily, up-to-date reports on where and what the perch are biting. Visit the store in Hammond for a selection of perch rigs and the perch bait mentioned here, or phone the store at (219) 989-0575.