Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Weird Weather has Weird ice conditions
The ice conditions vary as snow has screwed up the ice and in the middle of the state they got hammered and ice conditions are iffy with heavy snow.Higgins Lake has Locked up with the south-end reporting 6 inches of ice. It was 11 below in Grayling this morning but 10 above when I left Traverse City but we were getting lake effect snow.
Some anglers are going off the West Access Site tonight for Smelt. Call Phoenix Park Party Store 989-821-7220 or Higgins Lake Sport 231-821-9517 for the West side. Sport Barn 989-821-9511 for the south-end of Higgins Lake .
Green Lake is froze over, they are vernturing out but all the snow we had has made it weird with slush and two layers of ice.
Anglers heading out onto Houghton Lake for the second weekend of the 57th annual Tip Up Town celebration are finding fair to good pike and walleye action and good ice. The best areas to try and catch walleye are along the north shore, on the east bay or by the middle grounds.
Little Bay De Noc - Ice conditions are improving but the north end of the bay still has the best ice. The waters off Escanaba have frozen over but this is new ice which is always dangerous ice. Travel on most of the ice is good but drifting snow has caused some problems for those on quads. Severe cold over the last week has limited angler participation. A few walleye were taken off Hunters Point when jigging 3 inch minnows in 14 feet of water. The better catches came in shallow waters 6 to 14 feet deep in the early morning. Perch action off Butler Island has been good but the fish were small. Several nice perch were caught in front of the Terrace Bay Inn when using spikes in 25 feet of water. Good northern pike action straight out from Bach’s Cabins when using large minnows. Several were keepers but many were undersize.
Otsego Lake by Gaylord reports slow going this week but bigger perch being caught. They have the sturgeon shanties back out and are seeing a few with a 42 incher caught and released as they have to be 50 inches..The ice is holding up on Burt, Crooked and Pickerel lakes near Alanson, where the perch, pike and walleye action is good.
By Alpena, the ice held up through the warm spell earlier in the week on Grand and Long lakes. Anglers using minnows as bait are catching good numbers of perch and walleye. Anglers on Fletcher Pond are catching a few crappie and pike. Fletcher Floodwater is still good for pike but the panfish has been slow.
Out of the Boyne City area, the perch, pike and walleye action on Walloon Lake is fair to good. Anglers on Deer Lake are catching a few bluegill. Both waxworms and wigglers are being used as bait. Thumb Lake is producing fair splake fishing.
Around Manistique, Indian Lake have good ice with snow making things tough going
Long Lake by Traverse and Lake Leelanau have good reports of walleye this week ice is ok once you get past shoreline and the ice is real good out in the middle.
In the Kalkaska area, the perch fishing is good on Lake Skegemog. Crappie and walleye fishing is slow on Manistee Lake. Anglers on Fife Lake are pulling a few perch and walleye through the ice. We still have safe ice but be careful .
Gladwin Counties got hammered by snow with thin ice so it will take a couple of days for it to gt better
Burt, Crooked and Pickerel lakes near Alanson are all producing fair perch and walleye action. The ice is in good shape on both Crooked and Pickerel lakes, there is some shaky ice on Burt Lake.
Houghton Lake has a good bite with walleye out at the middle grounds.. Lymanville has good ice around his shanty, pike have been biting very good
Lake Missaukee - Ice fishing is on and anglers are catching panfish off of Green Rd, Most are the size of your hand or 7 to 8 inches but limit catches. Ice is still good
Hamlin Lake is good with lots going out to try their luck
Spider Lake - Anglers are ice fishing for panfish.
Fife Lake - They have shanties out to the hole by the island and are catching fish this week.
The ice is holding up on Burt, Crooked and Pickerel lakes near Alanson, where the perch, pike and walleye action is good. Mullet Lake has opened up.
Out of the Boyne City area, the perch, pike and walleye action on Walloon Lake is fair to good. Anglers on Deer Lake are catching a few bluegill. Both waxworms and wigglers are being used as bait. Thumb Lake is producing fair splake fishing.
Little Glen Lake - Slow this week, but a great perch bite on Loon Lake the last two weeks, but it seems to be winding down this week. Have not heard if Big Glenn is froze.