Some good reports are coming in from local halibut anglers and Admiralty seems to be on top of the heap.

This is great news for those of us who are concerned with rising gas costs, as it is a short trip to the launch and even quicker to the fishing grounds.

Several fish have been reported, with the largest being around 60 pounds, with quite a few in the 25 -to 40-pound range. Anglers should get a good nautical map of the area and concentrate on the various humps you find and fish them hard.

Eastern and Hein are some of the most popular banks to try, but they are around 17 miles out from either Cornet Bay or the Keystone ferry.

Partridge has even put a couple of decent halibut in the cooler for some local fishermen, and it is only about eight miles out of Keystone.

Herring seems to be king of baits and by herring, I mean the big, black label horse herring. Rigged on a spreader bar with sufficient weight to keep your line almost vertical, I would bounce it across the bottom and work your way to deeper water.

Pay particular attention to your drift and start at the top of the banks or humps and work the bait down to deeper water.

Jigs are something that shouldn’t be forgotten either. Work it like you would bait, and bounce it off the bottom. Reports that have come in indicate the B-2 squids have done particularly well.

Once hooked up, hold on and keep your line tight. When you have a lot of weight on your line it is a bit easier for them to shake a barb-less hook off. Let your rod and reel do the work.

For your reel, I would set the drag tight enough so as to not break your pole — but it should load up nicely with a good bend to it. Also, you do not want it so loose that the rod will not load up.

With a change in the weather, we might have to wait a few days to get just the right conditions that make for an enjoyable trip like the first few opening days were.

Saturday, April 26, will be a tough one for many of us in Oak Harbor. Not only is it the day of the Holland Happening Parade, but it is also the lowland lake opener.

Selecting one over the other is a decision that one must choose wisely. Opting to go fishing over the parade or vice-versa, could cause some heart aches in many homes.

Either one you choose you are going to find it crowded. I like to hit Heart Lake on opening day as it always reminds me of my youth.

Of course the days of salmon eggs and marshmallows have come and gone for most of us, but opening day is one of the best times to get the youngsters out of the house and introduce them to fishing.

Heart Lake is also a great place because there is so much bank access for those who do not have a boat.

All you need is some power bait rigged on a slip sinker with about an 18 inch leader to keep it above the weeds.

Popular colors among Heart Lake anglers are orange, chartreuse and rainbow.

Take the kids out for some outdoor fun at either the parade or fishing. Days like this won’t last forever.