One thing to keep in mind about Appleman Lake is that it has a reputation as a low-light lake. Like most lakes, the bluegills and sunfish here tend to bite best early and late in the day. “But Appleman is REALLY that way,” LaVigne reported. “The very early morning bite is good, and then they really shut off until just an hour or two before dark.”

Stop in at Culler’s shop in Helmer and get a current fishing report when you stock up on bait or tiny ice jigs. You can also give him a call at (260) 351-2877.

BIG LONG LAKE
Big Long Lake is also in LaGrange County, not far from Appleman Lake. It is a completely different type of water, though, as it is long, narrow and deep. The lake’s surface area is 365 acres, and the average depth is 30 feet. The deepest spot in the lake reaches all the way down to 82 feet. An abundance of underwater humps, holes and sharp break lines provide almost limitless spots for ice-anglers to pursue the No. 1 fish species here: bluegills.

According to Larry Koza, the District 2 assistant fisheries biologist for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Big Long Lake is very popular with local ice-fishermen. “We consider it to be one of the best bluegill lakes in the state -- if not the best,” he beamed. “The bluegills there are just huge!”

Koza has the data to back up his claims, too. DNR biologists performed a general lake survey and a creel survey at Big Long Lake in 2005, and the bluegill numbers were impressive.

“Bluegills 8 inches long and larger made up 62 percent of the harvest,” he said. “That’s almost three times the state average!”

Considering that more than 7,100 bluegills were harvested during the creel survey, it is easy to see why the bluegill is king at this lake. Besides excellent numbers, there were plenty of big ‘gills caught, too. A total of 149 bluegills were harvested that measured 10 inches long, and 30 more were a whopping 10.5 inches long! Paul Culler from The Angler knows that this fishing hole is home to bragging-sized panfish, too. “Big Long probably has the biggest bluegills in the area,” he agreed. “It’s not unusual to get a lot of 10-inchers in there.”

When asked where to fish for these big bluegills, Culler pointed to the small cove at the north end of the lake. “There’s a spot called Marina Bay straight out from the access site,” he said. “People catch bluegills and perch right there. It drops off to about 15 to 20 feet pretty quick, and the fish move right in there once the ice forms.”

Koza recommends fishing the north end of the lake, too; however, he said the south end of the lake is another hotspot. The only problem with that area is that it is a long hike from the public access parking lot at the north end. The hike is much shorter if you know someone or can obtain permission from one of the property owners near that side of the lake to park your vehicle.

WEBSTER LAKE
Webster Lake in Kosciusko County is 774 acres, including the backwater area. The lake is located at the town of North Webster. This lake has become the most productive muskie fishing water in the state over the last several years, with large numbers of trophy-sized muskies swimming around in its depths. However, the lake is also a good ice-fishing destination for bass and panfish anglers.

Jed Pearson, the District 3 fisheries biologist for the DNR, reports that muskies are now more numerous at Webster than ever before. He conducted a study there in 2005 to assess the muskie and bass populations (among other things), and found that both populations are doing well.

“Individual muskies captured in trap nets ranged from 23.5 to 50.5 inches long and averaged 33 inches,” he reported. “Harvested largemouth bass ranged from 14 to 20 inches long.”

Most muskie anglers do not fish for their favorite species once ice forms on Webster; instead, they wait for the spring thaw. But that doesn’t mean muskies can’t be caught through the ice. Imagine the surprise on the face of an unsuspecting tip-up angler when he tries to pull a 50-inch muskie through the ice hole!