If you want to accomplish your goals, write them down.
Experts often repeat this sage advice in self-help seminars and articles. I’ve learned to believe it and have long been an advocate of pushing one’s self to experience new adventures and to repeat those enjoyed in the past.
So for 2016, I resolve to experience these Indiana outdoor opportunities.
Biking in Brown County
Brown County State Park opened to the public in 1929. Over the years, Brown County has elevated its status as a travel destination to a national level.Tourists from across the country make it a point to explore the park during the breathtakingly beautiful display of colorful leaves each fall.In 2009, Bike magazine listed Brown County State Park among the best 33 mountain bike trail systems in North America. I’m working on being in better shape in 2016, so tackling the mountain bike trails in the park will be a great way to spend the day testing my stamina.
Lake Michigan perch fishing
It has been too many years since I have gone perch fishing on Lake Michigan.My cousin has a boat and perch fishes often, so this year I am going to make a point of joining them. When I was a kid, my grandpa perch-fished out of Burns Ditch all summer long. I joined him as often as I could. Sweet, succulent yellow perch are my favorite fish to eat. So this summer I’m going to catch a mess of them and have a fish fry to remember.
Going muskie fishing
Muskie fishing is a lot like hunting. In fact muskie has been called the fish of 10,000 casts.You can’t expect to catch one on every trip, but with a little exploration and some patience, muskie can be caught in the Greene-Sullivan strip pits. Bass Lake, Duck Lake and Black Cat Lake all have them.Indiana’s muskie program is thriving. Northern lakes like Webster, Tippecanoe and the Barbee chain have been gaining national recognition for the past decade or so, but the small, secluded lakes of the Greene-Sullivan offer a wilderness ambiance that appeals to me.
Muskie are not easy to catch, especially on a fly rod, but I’ll spend a weekend giving it my best shot.
Ride state park toboggan
Pokagon State Park, located in the northeast corner of the state near Angola, features an incredible toboggan run.Visiting Pokagon during the winter has become a tradition for many Hoosier families. It’s time I take my girls there. With the beautiful Potawatomi Inn on site, Pokagon is the perfect place to spend a weekend relaxing and reconnecting with nature during a time of year when most are just dreaming of spring.The park’s refrigerated toboggan run has become somewhat of a legend among Indiana outdoor enthusiasts.
Brandon Butler’s outdoors
column appears Saturdays in the Daily Reporter. Send comments to [email protected].
