Fort Wayne resident Kyle Hammond caught a 9-pound, 11-ounce spotted gar on Rivir Lake in Chain O’Lakes State Park on July 11, besting the previous Indiana state record of a 6-pound, 12.5-ounce fish caught in 2017 from a gravel pit in Vermillion County.

Hammond was targeting gar from his kayak and landed the record catch within 20 minutes of starting to fish. He was using a spinning rod and reel with a white zoom fluke.

The Hoosier angler captured the entire catch on video as part of his hobby of actively posting his fishing trips on his YouTube channel, Indiana Kayak Fishing Journal. Hammond is also the current state record holder for short-nose gar, having caught the record fish in 2021.

Gar are usually found in shallow water around vegetation and have been seen in 71 percent of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) fisheries biologists’ glacial lake surveys. Anglers who want to target the species or another Indiana sport fish can use DNR’s Fisheries Status & Trends dashboard to find lakes where they are most abundant.

To learn more about Chain O’Lakes State Park, please see on.IN.gov/chainolakes. To learn more about the Indiana Record Fish program, please see on.IN.gov/recordfish. To learn about purchasing a fishing license at on.IN.gov/fishinglicense.

Pufferbelly Trail construction

On Aug. 5, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and local officials celebrated the start of construction of the next part of the Pufferbelly Trail.

The 1.70-mile asphalt multi-use trail will be constructed by the city of Fort Wayne with help from a $2.7 million Next Level Trails (NLT) grant.

“Next Level Trails, which is Indiana’s largest-ever investment in trails, works to make connections both between and within communities. This extension of the Pufferbelly Trail demonstrates the power of those connections,” said Dan Bortner, DNR director. “With these 1.7 miles of new trail, we’re connecting more people to each other and their community.”

The new trail will complete a major gap in the existing trail system between Washington Center and Lima roads. To the south, the existing Pufferbelly connects to the 26-mile Rivergreenway, Lawton Park, Headwaters Park, downtown Fort Wayne, Franke Park, and the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo. Once completed, the Pufferbelly Trail will extend more than 13 miles from downtown Fort Wayne to the county line and connect 130 miles of existing trails in the greater Fort Wayne area.

The trail is part of the planned Poka-Bache Trail, an 81.3-mile State Visionary Trail. The Poka-Bache Trail will ultimately connect Pokagon State Park in Angola to Ouabache State Park in Bluffton.

“Trails provide a great way for residents and visitors to enjoy all that Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana have to offer,” said Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker. “I’m encouraged that we’re able to continue to grow our network through collaborations that are making a positive difference. The State of Indiana and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources were key partners in ensuring that this section of the Pufferbelly Trail was able to be constructed. The best days are ahead for our greenways and trails.”

2 Kayak Trail Challenge

Summit Lake State Park has created its own park challenge, joining nine others at Indiana State Parks. The park’s 2 Kayak Trail Challenge encourages paddlers to complete both of the property’s kayak trails. Paddlers who do so will be eligible to purchase a challenge sticker for $5 or a water bottle for $15.

Trail 1, located near the North Ramp on the lake, has five spots with a sign unique to Summit Lake and a QR code participants can scan to learn more about the feature. Trail 2, on the property’s south side, has six spots. To complete the trail, kayakers must take a picture of each of the signs along both trails. Once kayakers have completed them, a total of about six miles, they can show the photos to staff at the park office and purchase the commemorative merchandise listed above.

Summit Lake is an 800-acre, idle-only lake and a great destination for kayakers and small boaters to explore. Canoes, rowboats, paddleboards, and youth, tandem, and single kayaks are available for rent during the summer. Guests may also bring their own boat, but it must have a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Lake Permit, which may be purchased at ShopINStateParks.com or at any state park property’s office or gatehouse. If planning to buy on site, call first to ensure they are in stock.

The gate fee at the park is $7 per vehicle for in-state residents and $9 per vehicle for out-of-state residents. DNR Lake Permits for motorized watercraft are $25 while permits for non-motorized watercraft are $5.

To learn about the nine other challenges at state parks see dnr.IN.gov/healthy.  Summit Lake State Park (on.IN.gov/summitlakesp) is at 5993 N. Messick Road, New Castle, IN 47362.

Body of teen missing in Lake Michigan recovered

The body of a 17-year-old Eagan, Minn., teen was found in Lake Michigan Aug. 8, according to media reports.

August 6 at 2:10 p.m. CT, Porter County 911 received a call regarding multiple swimmers in distress near County Road 300 East and West Lake Front Drive in Beverly Shores. Responders from multiple agencies arrived and located two distressed swimmers and a Good Samaritan onshore requiring medical attention. The three individuals were transported by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and were in stable condition.

Emergency personnel confirmed a third swimmer was unaccounted for and last seen approximately 300 feet from shore. Rescue personnel attempted to enter the water to search but were hindered by large waves.

A shore-based search was initiated along with the use of drones as vessels from the United States Coast Guard and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit assisted in the offshore search. A Beach Hazards Statement was in effect at the time of the incident, with waves of 6 to 9 feet forecasted. The names of involved parties were being withheld pending notification of relatives.

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication or e-mail Jack at jackspaulding1971@outlook.com

Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle download.