HILLMAN — Fred Duby, a bachelor of about fifty years of age living in a cabin, about three miles east of here near camp 31 has not been seen for two weeks. His absence was first noted about a week ago by neighbors who called at the cabin and found the door open and the place deserted. On top of the stove was a tin containing four loaves of unbaked frozen bread which had been molded and were apparently ready for the oven. In the barn the solitary horse was found in a state of starvation seeming to indicate that it had not tasted food for four or five days. There was no clue to the disappearance other that the snow in front of the door which had been trampled for a rod or so in each direction. Two transient men, who had been seen about the cabin much of the time this winter have also disappeared. As it is known that Duby had about one hundred dollars on him at the time there is a strong suspicion of foul play. Investigations have been made so far nothing had been revealed.
Feb. 22, 1974: Record sturgeon taken in Mullett
Joe Maka Jr., of Grand Haven established a new record in Sturgeon fishing Saturday, February 16 while fishing in Mullett Lake. He speared a sturgeon that was 7-feet, 3-inches long, weighed 193 pounds and had a girth measurement of 40-inches.
He left his home at 10 p.m. and arrived at Mullett Lake at 2:00 a.m. He was accompanied by his brother and his cousin Chet Maka and a friend Ted Dewitt. He said it required an hour and a half to cut holes in the 2-ft. thick ice. He started fishing at 10:00 a.m. He saw the sturgeon on the bottom and plunged his spear and the sturgeon was his.
The previous Sturgeon record was established by Ward Spray in 1955 when he speared a sturgeon 86-inches long, weighing 175 pounds. The record stood for 19 years.
Mr. Maka took his huge fish to Black Lake, where it was hung up at the Black Lake Hotel for view by people frequenting in that area.
His brother made another try in Mullett Lake, at a different shanty Sunday morning, he too was successful. He speared a sturgeon weighing 89 pounds and measuring 74 inches in length.
The two Maka sturgeon were cleaned out by Boyd Crist, after which the proud fishermen left with their sturgeon. Presumably they headed home to show the fish off to the home folks and also to tell about the wonderful sturgeon fishing sport in the big Cheboygan County lakes.
They promised to bring them back and hang them up at the Black Lake Hotel next weekend so people can see them while attending the Black Lake Sturgeon Shivaree.
The Department of Natural Resources reported that 15 sturgeon have been speared so far since the month long season opened Feb. 1. Ten were from Black Lake, four from Mullett Lake, and one from Burt Lake.
Until Joe Maka got his 193 pounder, the leader for Michigan Sturgeon King honors was Frank Brandt of Aloha, who speared one last week weighing 142 pounds.
The two speared by the Maka brothers and the two which Mr. Brandt speared last Thursday in half an hour, were all taken in the Aloha State Park area.
While sturgeon fishing was in the limelight, many people fished through the ice over the week and for smaller species.
Several hundred cars were on the ice on Mullett Lake off shore from Topinabee Saturday and Sunday while people tried their luck at cisco fishing. A great many were caught, many weighing up to 2 1/2 pounds, but some of the fishermen said the real run does not appear to be on yet.
Local sturgeon fishing is getting a lot of publicity. Staff members of the Ford Motor Company National magazine took pictures at Black Lake last week. A sturgeon was caught in time to get in the pictures.
Local News
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