Jigheads are perhaps the most generic of baits and you can buy serviceable jigs in bulk for a fair discount. But occasionally you find one that performs well enough that it makes an impression. I recently spent the day fishing a jig that walleye pro Mark Martin turned me on to and I liked it a lot.

SAUGATUCK — Salmon in the Classroom is one of the Department of Natural Resources’ most successful outreach/education programs. The DNR supplies fertilized chinook salmon eggs to elementary or middle school classes which hatch the eggs, raise the fry to fingerling size, and then release them…

I met Chuck this winter in the locker room of the Grand Traverse County Civic Center. He was going to swim in the new pool, I was going to run nowhere fast on the treadmill in the YMCA gym.

M22 Challenge

The Brown Bridge Quiet Area, one of the most popular outdoor venues in our region, just got even better.

Lauren Harrington has never shied from challenge. Her summer biking adventure is one more dive into living boldly.

Youngsters, folks of small stature or people with even minor disabilities can have a hard time handling big fish (like chinook salmon) — especially if they have them hooked on a rod with copper or lead-core line. Not only is the weight an issue, but the rod tends to torque when reeled.

BAYPORT — I could tell by the bend in his pole that Bill Horton had a pretty good fish on and was about to drop my rod and go for the camera when I felt one grab my lure. So we played them out. Horton subdued his first and it proved to be about a 3.5-pounder smallmouth. I guessed mine at abo…

3:30 a.m.: “Awake” is an arbitrary concept aimlessly bobbing among the few remaining conscious thoughts of the sleep-deprived. Shivering, hands in pockets, contemplating what sins perpetrated this penance, I stare down at the little yellow fur ball currently shredding my shoelace.

It’s pretty safe to say that cyclists love a challenge. The scale of the challenge is different for every ride, whether it’s just getting on the bike and squeezing in an hour or two per week, or tackling any number of northern Michigan’s grueling rides, races or tours. What remains the same …

SOUTH HAVEN — Lake trout are well down the list of preferred species for Lake Michigan trout and salmon anglers. Admittedly, they are not as spectacular as the others; they don’t come out of the water like coho or steelhead, and they rarely threaten to spool you like big chinooks.

In three days, runners from all over the country, along with their friends and family, will take to the waterfront roads along the East Arm of Grand Traverse Bay for the Bayshore Marathon races.

Sleeping Bear Dunes Day Tours

Bike Up North

TRAVERSE CITY — Local environmental officials have a thorn in their side — literally.

KINGSLEY — Eric Stark’s races begin with a pizza dinner and the Stark family pre-run motto: “We are going to do our best and have fun.”

Handle enough big fish — especially with a gimbal-base handle on the fishing rod — and, unless you have a fighting belt, be prepared to have a sore gut. Well, here's Cush-It, from Luna Sea products, to the rescue.

LANSING — How a sea lamprey responds to the threat of predators could be another key to keeping their population under control, according to researchers.

Remember Silver Thread, the first copolymer monofilament fishing line that was introduced by PRADCO back in the 1980s? It was quite popular for a number of years, and although it's still available, I haven't heard of anyone using it in ages.

CASSOPOLIS — We started out fishing on the main body of Diamond Lake, tossing small jigs underneath bobbers at weed beds. It wasn’t going well. After a while, Jim Horn grabbed a rod with a bass-sized jerk bait and he finally found what he was looking for — a crappie.

5:45 a.m.: Opening morning, 2019 turkey season, at the parking site of the first hunt.

We all have good days and bad in the garden. But the garden continues to draw us in because the simple truth is that plants make us happy.

Mesick Mushroom Festival