FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
A temporary warm-up sure made a beautiful weekend. Now the temps are dropping with another storm on its way.
Most have learned to deal with the slush on the shore lines. Some areas have hardened by themselves. The colder weather is curing the problem.
Expect mixed catches on both lakes. Most anglers setting tip-ups are catching Northerns of all sizes. Many talk of several flags and are having fun catching pike from 30 to over 30 inches.
Bass Season is about to close but they’ve been hitting tip-ups on a regular basis. They’ll still bite after December 31st and must be released.
Panfish action is picking up but not as good as we expect for first ice. The bright spot has been crappies. The coves on Mitchell and Kenwood Park Area on Cadillac often catch numbers.
The best bite seems to be late afternoon into dark. Small minnows are said to be their favorite bait but red spikes are currently out fishing them. The bluegill guys are using spikes on ultralight jigs have found the crappies and a mix of bluegill and sunfish. Current conditions, try down sizing to jigs as snall as you can handle. Tungsten works well.
Both lakes seem to be filled with perch–small perch. May be one out of 10 may be a keeper. A few healthy 10/12 inchers have been caught but never any numbers, just enough to get excitied. Someone will find a school.
Everyone wants walleyes. Most the last few days were caught by accident fishing panfish or on tip-ups. It has slowed but the constant is a dark afternoon, night bite. Catch one during a bright day, you’re lucky. Go out and buy a lottery ticket.
A awesome perch bite on Portage and Pentwater Lake with limit catches and some jumbo’s being caught. Osborn’s and Pentwater Angler report one of the best perch bites in many years. Hamlin Lake has been great with crappie, gills and pike.
South Lake Leelanau has a great walleye bite and many are fishing out by the RV Park and Bingham. North is not safe in the deeper water.
Skegemog has a good perch bite with the slush still a problem, but good ice.
Lake Margrethe has been poor on walleye but pike, gills and perch have been fair.
Long Lake by Traverse City is getting better and a few have been catching keepers on the Boone’s end of the lake.
Higgins Lake there was nobody fishing off the west access site today, I saw a open spot off the west access site in the deepest part of the lake. The Gerrish township park on the south end had about 40 fisherman out trying there luck for pike and perch. A few guys off of samuelset and some at the table top. Kelly beach a few guys are out but slush is hampering travel. Guys were fishing in 50 feet of water and doing great on perch the last few days. they would not disclose where they were on the lake
Houghton Lake has a good walleye bite off the south weed bed and east bay. Some are trying to get out to the middle grounds but 12 inches of snow and slush is hampering quads and snowmobiles. Perch and pike are biting off of Lyman’s on the Lake around there shanties along with a couple walleye. Dave at Four Season Party has his shanties out and has been catching nice walleye the last few days call him 2 989-422-5230 for the latest info, Pappas bait by Spikehorn Bar said guys are finally getting out to the middle grounds as the ice tighten up walleye catches have been fair.
Lake Missaukee had lots of fisherman out most are reporting the slush was up but fish were biting. Casey a Miller’s Corner reports lots of guys going off of Green Road and panfish, pike are biting great
Green Lake is should be safe everywhere by tomorrow with sub zero nights
Crystal Lake is froze completely across but is not safe yet
Duck Lake is safe in most places lots of guys are fishing off of strawberry point for pike and panfish.
Wixom Lake has good ice and a great gill and pike pike. Crappie bite has been great with slabs being caught.
Sanford Lake has been good for gills and pike by the first fill
Lake St. Helen has great ice and pike, walleye, and panfish have been biting.
Farwell area has good ice and most lakes are producing fish
Harrison Reports good ice on Budd Lake with fish biting also long lake they are fishing. Most area lakes have good ice
Around Baldwin the snow on the ice has hurt ice conditions and many lakes are not safe.
Fife Lake has a few shanties with safe ice and pike, perch, gills and walleye have been biting
Spider Lake and Arbutus Lake have good ice and fish have been biting
Black Lake has been slow but has safe ice.
Mullet has lots of snow and slush but has been getting better everyday.
Burt Lake has bad conditions also but is getting better every day and perch have been biting
Sugar Springs and Secord Lake have been good for pike and crappie
Manistique has a great walleye and perch bite on Indian Lake.
Bay De Noc is reporting a good fish bite with great ice here is what one group of guys caught last week Over the course of this past weekend, he and 5 friends landed – 30 inch walleyes that went 11 and 13 pounds.One 28 incher.Two 27 1/2’s A 25 and a 24.Thirty walleyes between 15 and 22 inches. Two 14 inch perch. The bigger fish were all caught in the upper bay in 10 to 30 feet of water. Most of the smaller eating sized fish were caught south of Gladstone. All were caught jigging, mostly on Rapalas .
