Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Storms Roll Though on Weekend Again
It is getting old as storms roll though on the weekend disrupting all activities and changing plan.
High winds chased most people off lakes this weekend with a wind shear coming though saturday night.
With the high water fishing has been great with many happy fisherman catching fish between storms.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2008
Although we??ve had more storms the lakes are slowly receding. North Boulevard, next to the canal dividing the two lakes is no longer flooded. State Park campers are must moor their boats on the grass above the canal instead of in the canal. Many docks, including ours are still underwater.
Lake levels are abnormally high and the fish love it. Gills and sunfish are spawning and have been easy to catch. Most we??ve seen at the cleaning station have been 8-9 inch males. Everything??s late this year so they may be bedding for the next several weeks. Usually it??s over by now. No tricks, no fancy equipment is necessary to catch a meal. Light equipment and small baits are all you need.
Crappie fishermen are also happy. Early mornings and evenings have been best but afternoon anglers get their share. The City dock on the east side of Cadillac is in the right place. Often there are schools under the dock. Lake Mitchell crappies have been schooling just outside the Small cove.
Live bait, crawlers and leeches have been deadly on bass. Panfish anglers are catching them incidentally. Small mouths have been rare but large mouths are in the shallow areas sulking under the sunken docks and around the bluegill beds. Fourteen to eighteen inch is common. Serious bass fishermen using artificials are catching limits and culling. Senko??s in the pumpkin or watermelon colors are hot. Frog baits are starting.
Pike are also cruising the panfish areas. Lots of numbers lately but many hammer handles. Action has been fun, especially on spinner baits.
Young James Antku from Bridgeport is now a seasoned fisherman after his week on Lake Mitchell. He??s photographed with a 25 ½? pike, a 16? large mouth and a Master Angler size 32? bowfin. Great job!
Adam and Ashley Antku weren??t out done by James. They??re seen with their Lake Mitchell large mouths.
Early Riser, Tyeler Ault from Cadillac caught a 16 and 18 inch large mouth in the canal Friday. He??s a pro using watermelon colored Senkos.
Picture of the week! Curt Nederhoed is seen with a 26 ½?, over 6 pound walleye taken from Lake Cadillac. For you non-believers, we do have legal walleye in both lakes.
High water and storms haven??t hurt the fishing. It??s been good. Get out and enjoy it.
Detailed maps of current fish conditions are available at the Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop. Stop in.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Warm Weather Helping
Activity picked up this week in a majority of areas, thanks to the weather finally starting to cooperate and warm the waters.
As a reminder anglers, the law requires you to dispose of unused bait on the land or in the trash, empty live wells and bilges at the ramp, and don??t transfer live fish to water bodies other than where they are caught.
Upper Peninsula:
Copper Harbor angling is much improved this week with huge trout being pulled out of the Harbor. The warm water has pike and walleye hitting in good numbers. Medora and Fanny Hooe are giving up a few perch and some decent bass. Artificial lures, worms and night crawlers seem to be doing the trick.
In the Bergland area, Lake Gogebic is providing good numbers of small mouth bass, a few perch and good walleye. Leeches are working best.
In the Escanaba area, angling activity has escalated with good catches of walleye abundant all over the Bay. Small mouth bass are active at the north end of Little Bay DeNoc as well as at the mouth of the Escanaba River. Ford River is giving up decent catches of bass.
Near Fairport and Manistique the salmon are just getting started with best luck fishing from the surface down to 80-feet. Indian Lake is giving up plenty of walleye near the rock piles when anglers use crawler harnesses and Rapalas.
Sault Ste. Marie angling has improved with decent catches of salmon using spoons and Rapalas. The walleye have slowed down and are moving into deeper waters. White fish are good in the upper river.
Atlantic and king salmon are being caught around DeTour.
St. Ignace anglers are doing well on St. Martin Bay for salmon in the 10-14 pound range and steelhead and rainbow trout are still going great. Brevort Lake is giving up good catches of walleye.
Around the Munuscong Bay area, herring are becoming active on Cedarville Lake using wax worms with jigs. A small hatch took place on Cedarville Lake this week. Munuscong Bay is giving up good numbers of walleye on crawler harnesses.
Northwest:
Around the Manistee area, Lake Michigan is providing nice catches of salmon, steelhead and lake trout. Portage Lake is good for walleye when trolling and some of the inland lakes the blue gill are spawning. Stick baits, husky jerks and clowns are working well.
In the Alanson area, Lake Michigan salmon fishing is good, especially in waters 200 feet or so and going down 50-70. Trout are also doing well in 70-90 feet and anglers are catching plenty, but small in size.
Near Boyne City, Walloon Lake and Lake Charlevoix are giving up good catches of bass, walleye and trout on crawlers, leeches and body baits with golden shiners working well.
Frankfort anglers can expect good fishing on several lakes and rivers in the area. The Betsie River is good for rainbow and brown trout, while Duck and Green lakes are giving up plenty of pike on plastic baits while trolling. Herring Lake is providing a few walleye, and some great angling for rock bass is taking place on Crystal Lake. Arcadia and Portage lakes as well as other small inland lakes are doing well with blue gill, sunfish and basically all types of pan fish.
Around the Kalkaska area, anglers are doing well on the majority of inland lakes for bass using sinko baits, tubes and Rapalas. Lake Skegemog is very good for bass action.
In the Cadillac area, fantastic fishing is taking place. The water is high so anglers getting out in boats should know that many docks are under water. Cadillac and Mitchell lakes are giving up plenty of crappie, blue gill, pike and bass. The Clam River is giving up some nice sunfish.
West:
In the Baldwin area, a nice Hex fly hatch has fish active on Pere Marquette and plenty of blue gill are hitting on crickets. The bass fishing has been fair. Big Star Lake is giving up decent numbers of walleye.
In the Ludington area, Lake Michigan is great for salmon, steelhead and trout, anglers seem to be doing well trolling. Hamlin Lake is giving up a variety of species, and the blue gill are still on the beds. The kings have not started to come into the river just yet but the north break wall is good for perch when using minnows.
Muskegon Lake is giving up decent catches of blue gill in the shallow waters. Walleye are still active at night fall. Northern pike activity is good near the middle of the Lake. Lake Michigan is providing good numbers of salmon in deeper waters.
Chippewa Lake angling is much improved over last week. Good angling action taking place for blue gill, bass, pike and walleye. The hot bait is black flies.
Northeast:
Angling action on Higgins Lake has been slow this week. Despite a light fly hatch, the windy conditions are keeping anglers off the water.
Good action in the Oscoda area for bass, blue gill, crappie and northern pike out of Cooke and Foote Dam ponds. Below the Dam channel cats and walleye are doing very well. A variety of baits are working well that include wax worms, artificial baits, top water and nymph spinners, and jerk baits. Van Etten Lake is giving up perch and walleye in good numbers. Anglers are expecting a big Hex hatch soon.
Around the Grayling area, blue gill are hanging on the beds with some moving to deeper waters. Anglers are using top water spiders with good results. Bass are still in the shallow waters with a few moving towards the break arms and deeper waters. Walleye action is taking place on Lake Margrethe in 17 feet of water. Anglers are trolling at .7 mph using crawler harnesses or drift fishing. The AuSable River has a Hex hatch taking place and the fish are biting.
Houghton Lake is giving up under sized walleye, some blue gill and pike are doing well in the weed beds in four to six feet of water and near the middle ground. Anglers are finding that leeches and crawlers are working best.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Spider Lake Wild Flower
Monday, June 23, 2008
Weekend was Spotty
Fishing was spotty this weekend with storms rolling though some areas in Northern Michigan Sunday. Fishing is still good in many lakes with panfish being the main bite as they are still shallow in many lakes spawning.
Photo above was taken on Spider Lake Saturday Night out on Jack& Sue Leishman’s island by yours truly
Lake levels on Cadillac and Mitchell are very high. Most life residents of Cadillac say it??s the highest they??ve ever seen. Many docks and other obstructions are still under water near the shore lines. Most boaters have been considerate about their wakes so as to not to damage property along the shorelines.
The good news is that there are no heavy weed beds on the surface. The best news is that fishing has been good. The fish have been oblivious to the storms and enjoy the larger lakes.
It??s has been a long, cool, stormy start to summer but its here. Bluegills are finally spawning. Limits of gills and sunfish are common. The largest have been males indicating the spawn will last for some time. There??s been no special time. The bite has been on all day. Most find them in 3 to 6 foot depths. Fish beds, usually can be seen when it??s calm. Bait with Leafworms, waxworms or crickets and bring home a meal.
Crappies are still cooperating also. Usually we??re finding them in the 10 to 15 foot depths, but they??ve been suspending in the top 6 foot column. Use slip bobbers, baited with small minnows. Drift until you catch one, then anchor. Where there??s one there??s usually a school.
Many are using ultralite rods and are casting small spinners like Beetle spins or Road Runners and have been catching larger specks. Twelve??s and larger are common using this method.
Mixed catches of gills, crappie, perch and rock bass are the norm.
The predators, bass and pike are taking advantage of the panfish on their beds. They??re cruising the shallows eating their small neighbors. J. P. Matlak caught some 9 inch gills he caught while on nearby Pleasant Lake.
Daryl Simmons is a happy bunch. Alexis, JR and Logan enjoyed Lake Cadillac catching gills with their grandfather. This is what it??s all about.
Detailed maps of current fish conditions are available at the Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop. Stop in.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
HIgh Water in Northern Michigan
For the start of summer we have high water on most lakes and streams in northern michigan, with the Upper also with high water.
Huge rain storm last week left Northern Michigan Flooded with lakes and rivers at flood stage, but many have got back within the banks, but water is still high.
Summer officially arrives on Saturday, and as the thermometer starts to rise, anglers are hopeful that the fishing opportunities will rise as well.
Anglers remember, to slow the spread of fish disease?don??t move water and don??t move fish.
Grand Traverse Bay they have found the whitefish in sixty feet of water and have been using wigglers but that will be done as the season is closed. Many will use preserved wigglers or whitefish jigs. Also a great lake trout bite on the bay with trolling with dogers and wobble glows working best
Lake St. Helen has been good this week with bass and bluegill biting.
Lake Missaukee - Is producing some nice panfish.
Little Bay De Noc - Reported good to excellent walleye fishing in the southern part of the bay. Limits of fish were taken by those trolling or drifting crawlers in 6 to 10 feet of water around Breezy Point and off the mouth of the Escanaba River when jigging or drifting in 8 to 16 feet of water. Good numbers of fish were marked south of the “Fingers” but the bite was slow. Jumbo perch were caught off the mouth of the Escanaba River when jigging crawlers.
Big Bay De Noc - Good numbers of walleye were marked in 16 to 20 feet of water just south of Kate’s Bay however the bite has been slow. A few perch were caught in Garden Bay when jigging worms in 8 to 12 feet of water, but many were small. The bigger fish were caught in Ogontz Bay when jigging worms in 10 to 16 feet of water. No salmon off Fairport but anglers have started to fish for them.
Brevoort Lake - Anglers are still catching walleye. Walleye are hitting on crawlers.
Manistique still has cooler temperatures in the 50??s and 60??s and only a few anglers are getting out. Walleye and bass are decent.
Skegemog Lake - Water temperatures here have been warmer, abut 70 degrees. Bass anglers are targeting smallmouth in the southern portions near the marsh, the east side near the Torch River or the west side near the public access site. Catch rates were good in 4 to 15 feet of water when using power baits, tubes, crank baits, spinners, jigs or crawlers. A nice muskie was caught and released near the mouth of the Torch River. A few pike were caught when trolling in 10 to 15 feet of water. Rock bass are hitting on spinners, plastic worms, crank baits or crawlers.
Big Glen Lake - Anglers are targeting smallmouth bass and several nice fish have been caught when using several different crank baits in a variety of colors. Lake trout are staring to hit on spoons in 80 to 100 feet of water on the north end of the lake. Green has been hot. Rainbow trout have been caught when trolling the drop-offs with planer boards and silver rapalas.
Around Grayling, The walleye are biting on Lake Margrethe with Pike fishing sporadic on inland lakes and river fishing is fair to good with live bait, Hendrickson??s, and flies.
Hamlin Lake - water very high with bridges closed to get to lake, but are set to open tomorrow.
Wixom Lake - In Gladwin County is producing some nice rock bass.
Lake Charlevoix - The steelhead are running late into the season due to the cold weather, and a few brown trout have been caught. Bass fishing has been good with plenty of fish either spawning or cruising the flats. Try tube baits, crank baits or worms. Walleye are turning up along the drop offs, emerging weedbeds, or where there is a current. Rock bass and other panfish have been caught.
Saginaw Bay - Walleye fishing has been excellent all over the bay. Lots of fish were taken near Buoys 1 & 2, around the Spark Plug, off the Bay City State Park, the Callahan Reef, Quanicassee, and in the slot from Fish Point to Sand Point. Limits were taken on a crawler harness, Hot-n-Tots, or Erie Dearies.
Upper Herring Lake - Walleye and largemouth bass have been caught during the day when trolling the weeds with either a crawler harness or a plastic worm.
Long Lake - The walleye are hitting on crawler harnesses after dark. Also Lake Leelanau has reported in with a good walleye bite. Warmer weather walleye will hit leeches real good
Portage Lake - The mayfly hatch has slowed the panfish action. Good catches of walleye and pike were reported in the afternoon when fishing along the weed edges with an orange or chartreuse crawler harness. Bass fishing has been very good for those casting crank baits or spinners.
Muskegon Lake - Boat anglers are catching walleye at night. Both boat and shore anglers are catching bass and bluegills.
Whitehall - Has good walleye fishing off the pier. Most anglers are picking their spots before dark and fishing most of the night. A few salmon have been caught when trolling. The lake trout were found in shallow waters.
East & West Twin Lakes - For walleye, most are slow trolling with crawler harnesses or artificial baits, but some are jigging with minnows, leeches, or crawlers along the drop-offs and deep holes. A few bass and perch were also caught.
Houghton Lake - Fishing has been great with lots of walleye being caught but many are small
Tittabawassee River - The lower river continues to produce very good walleye fishing around the Center Road access site. A lot of smallmouth bass have been caught and released and a lot of white bass have been caught.
Upper Peninsula:
Around the Copper Harbor area, angling activity is down to a minimum due to very windy conditions this week.
In the Bergland area, windy conditions prevail this week creating rough lake conditions. Anglers that did attempt to go out caught only small size walleye when trolling crank baits with a leech and the perch are biting sparingly on night crawlers.
In the Escanaba area windy conditions continue to blow Cadis and Brown Drake hatches away. The water temperature has also dropped. When anglers do drop a line in Little Bay DeNoc the walleye are biting on crawler harnesses.
Around the Marquette area, Lake Michigan is giving up a few salmon and trout, however windy conditions and cooler temperatures seem to have the fishing season about three weeks behind at this point. Inland lakes are producing some walleye and the shallow waters are giving up some bass. Blue gill are bedding, and the river has yet to see a Cadis or Brown Drake hatch.
Manistique angling is improving, the north end of Indian Lake and around the rock piles is good fishing for perch, walleye and bass on night crawlers and stick baits.
Windy conditions this week around Sault Ste. Marie, but good fishing is taking place when anglers can get out. Walleye and whitefish are doing very well on the upper river and behind the power house.
Near the St. Ignace area, angling action continues to be good this week for Atlantic and king salmon catches off of DeTour, as well as lake trout.
Munuscong Bay and Cedarville Lake are both giving up decent numbers of pike and walleye, with crawler harnesses working well.
Drummond Island activity slowed a bit this week due to rain and windy conditions. Scott and Maxton Bay??s are producing decent catches of walleye and bass. Crawler harnesses are working well on walleye. Pike action is good on Whitney Bay with an occasional perch biting. Anglers are using chubs or basically bobber fishing.
Northwest:
Near Central Lake, activity is picking up on Hanley Lake in Antrim County for large mouth bass and northern pike. Good results in 10-feet of water or less and using blue or silver Rapalas.
Storms this week in the Alanson area slowed the angling activity this week, only a few walleye and perch were caught using jigs and leeches.
Near the Frankfort area, the Betsie and Platt rivers are good for bass and a few trout with flies working well on trout. The upper and lower Herring River is giving up good quantities of bass. Crystal Lake has some spotty perch action, but the small mouth and rock bass, along with white fish are being caught in good numbers. In Lake Michigan the walleye action has slowed a bit.
In Kalkaska, the water is high on a majority of inland lakes due to recent storms. Lakes are producing when the weather isn??t an issue. On Fife Lake the northern pike action is good when anglers use artificial baits, blue gill and bass fishing is also good.
Good angling action in the Gaylord area for trout on the rivers and streams. Anglers are expecting a Brown Drake hatch this weekend. Fishing the smaller portion of the river, anglers are watching the trout come to the surface around twilight and early hours of the night. Cadis?? flies are also hatching creating some good fishing.
Otsego and Bradford lakes are giving up good numbers of walleye and bass.
Fishing is great in the Cadillac area; Lakes Mitchell and Cadillac are producing very good numbers of pike, bass, crappie, and blue gill. The water is very high and fish are biting on just about everything with beetle spins and bottle baits working very well.
West:
In the Ludington area, angling action is at a standstill due to the heavy and severe storms that hit the area. Water levels are extremely high after receiving more than 12-inches of rain, 50 roads are washed out, launch sites are under water and not accessible. In addition, a sewer broke and contaminated Lake Michigan and access to the Lake is restricted as of this report.
Muskegon Lake is just entering the blue gill season as the fish start to bed. Anglers are finding decent results in 4-12 feet of water using rubber spiders on a casting bubble. Trolling for walleye at night is decent however expect plenty of pike to hit the line. Pike are abundant near the center of the Lake and around the black buoy. Anglers will find constant action on Muskegon Lake for walleye, pike, small mouth and rock bass, as well as sheepshead. Lake Michigan is giving up decent salmon catches in waters 175-240 feet and fishing down 15-20 feet. A day??s trip will yield a minimum of a half -ozen salmon.
Around Chippewa Lake the weather has curtailed activity due to windy conditions as well as heavy rainfall.
Southwest:
In the Holland area, anglers are pulling in a few salmon in 140-200 feet of water, and fishing 50 feet down. Spoons are working best. Sheepshead are active around the piers and cray fish and CatsMaster spoons are working well.
It has just been too windy for anglers to get out around Benton Harbor this week.
Same story for anglers around New Buffalo, the weather has been and issue with very windy conditions and rough waters.
The Kalamazoo River has high water and running fast. Blue gill are active on Eagle, Cedar and Norris lakes, and anglers are finding good luck using leaf worms and flies.
Around South Haven in 90-100 feet of water anglers can expect a variety of fish to bite. Magnum spoons while trolling seems to be working well. Perch are active south of the pier in 40-65 feet of water.
Around the Three Rivers area, fishing is booming and all of the lake access areas have been full this week. Anglers are using wax worms, live crickets and red wigglers with good results.
Northeast:
Good action in the Oscoda area on Cooke and Foote Dam ponds. The Dams are giving up decent catches of bass and catfish. A variety of baits are being used, with salamander lures working well on small mouth bass and channel cats on crawlers getting good results on catfish.
In the Grayling area, blue gill are on the beds on most inland lakes and the bass fishing is fair on the smaller lakes as well. Walleye are doing great on Lake Margrethe in 18-feet of water when trolling. Trout activity isn??t so hot this week since rivers are very high and fast due to recent rain and the water is dirty.
Anglers are idle around Higgins Lake due to non-stop rain this week.
Au Gres anglers are catching decent catches of walleye out of Saginaw Bay in 30-35 feet of water using night crawlers, purple seems to work best. A few pike and bass can be found in the cuts and channels.
East:
Off of Linwood, anglers are getting out in waters 5-18 feet deep and getting decent results with walleye when using a variety of colored spoons or various body baits on Saginaw Bay. Perch action hasn??t been so great.
Good action continues around Bay City for bass and walleye. The best location seems to be between Oakhurst and Linwood in 5-18 feet of water. Anglers are trying crawler harnesses and Hot-N-Tots, as well as trolling with mini disks and a trailing spoon.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Storms wreak havoc on business and rivers
We had storms go though sunday that did great harm in West Branch and Gladwin, now we had a storms go though Ludington and right down M-55 thursday night that cause great flooding.
LUDINGTON, MI—The Ludington area this morning looked like it had been hit by a hurricane, with flooding that turned businesses parking lots into small lakes and campers searching for dry accommodations.
The flooding and washed-out roads were the result of torrential rains that hit the Ludington area in the overnight period.
The National Weather Service estimated that 10 inches of rain fell between 9 p.m. Thursday and 4 a.m. today, when the heaviest rain ended.
The 10 inches of rain over the seven-hour period nearly matched the average of 13.1 inches of total precipitation that falls on the lakeshore during the first 5 1/2 months of the year.
“Lots of lightning, lots of thunder,” Sgt. Bethany Carrier said from the Mason County sheriff’s office in Ludington. “There’s been 60 mile-an-hour winds.”
Michigan Department of Transportation is closing U.S. 31 in Mason County from Manistee to Scottville because of the condition of the local roads and weather-related rain damage. A new detour route will be established using M-55, M-37, and U.S. 10 in order to ensure a safe trip for motorists.
Flash flood warnings were in effect overnight for Lake, Manistee, Mason, Missaukee and Wexford counties, the weather service said.
Sarah Underwood, front desk clerk at the Ramada Hotel, 4079 W. U.S. 10, said dozens of people checked into the hotel, which had endured its own share of weather damage, late Thursday night. The Ramada’s parking lot was flooded, as was the grass in the front area of the property, facing the highway.
Ceiling tiles inside the hotel had fallen to the floor after heavy winds had rocked the hotel around 8 p.m. last night, Underwood said.
“This all happened around 8-9 p.m.,” she said. “We had a lot more walk-ins, people traveling from the state park and from the Manistee area looking for shelter.”
Just down the road from the hotel, Wal-Mart had its own share of issues. The flooded parking lot, nicknamed “Lake Wal-Mart” by passersby, covered a mini-van up to its drivers side and passenger windows. Three children used the flooded parking lot as a swimming pool as well, jumping and splashing in the high waters, until officials from the Pere Marquette Fire Department warned them to stay out of the dirty, dangerous water.
Chad Stone, from TNT Concrete, said he and his business partner were supposed to work at the Shelby State Bank adjacent to Wal-Mart, but its parking lot was flooded as well. Stone and another TNT employee were parked on the edge of the Wal-Mart parking lot, waiting to get directions from their boss.
“We might just have to say, ‘heck with it,’ ” Stone said of the day’s work plans.
Parked next to Stone was Pam Spain, of Ludington, with her husband and a friend, John McIntosh of Colorado, all traveling together in a 32-foot Montana camper/trailer. The group had previously been at a Ludington campground until Thursday night when the heavy rain chased them out of the park.
The group was waiting out the weather, that began to clear up around 9 a.m. this morning, before deciding what to do next, McIntosh said.
“This is almost comical,” he said of the weather, noting it was his first visit to Michigan with his friends. Needless to say, McIntosh was disappointed the camping plans didn’t pan out as he hoped.
Restaurants along U.S. 10 were loaded with exhausted campers regrouping to decide where to go next. Many complained of being hungry because cooking out at the campsite at various parks wasn’t an option last night as they fought off bad weather.
Meanwhile, other news outlets reported West Shore Community College was closed today due to the flooded road conditions between Ludington and Scottville. Barriers were set up all along U.S. 10 in front of businesses, warning drivers of large rainwater pools.
The severe weather, which featured high winds and tornado warnings, caused many roads, especially north of Ludington’s city limits to be closed this morning.
The Mason County agencies are advising all residents to exercise extreme caution when traveling area roads. Officials with those agencies caution motorists to turn around and find an alternative route if they see water over the road and call 911 immediately if they become stranded.
Officials of the cross-lake ferry the S.S. Badger based in Ludington recorded a 60 mph wind gust early Friday morning.
Meanwhile, Consumers Energy says 9,000 new customers are without power from the latest round of storms. The hardest hit area is Manistee, where 4,700 people are without service. In Ludington there are 580 outages; 315 in Oceana and Muskegon counties, and 190 in Newaygo County.
Mark Sekelsky, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Grand Rapids, said the excessive rain was produced by tropical moisture from the Gulf of Mexico hitting a slow-moving front. He added that the storm tended to sit over certain areas for an extended amount of time, causing the unusually high amounts of rain to fall.
“Rainfall rates were high because of the available tropical moisture,” he said.
A flash flood warning remains in effect for the Ludington area. The National Weather Service expects the area to have some significant flooding today and tonight. The areas near larger rivers—Pine, Little Manistee, Lincoln, Big Sable and Pere Marquette—may receive increased flooding.
The storm also featured strong winds. Although there were no confirmed tornadoes, the Grand Rapids office received a report of a convenience store roof being blown off.
Additional rain and thunderstorms are expected for the weekend. Sekelsky said the Muskegon and Ludington areas have a chance of shower or thunderstorm through Monday with a slight risk for severe thunderstorms Sunday.
Temperatures are expected to gradually lower over the weekend.
Roads closed
The Mason County Sheriff’s Office, Mason County Emergency Management and the Mason County Road Commission has released the following list of roads that are closed or impassable:
? M-116 south of Ludington State Park;
? North Stiles at West Fountain;
? U.S. 31 between Hoague and U.S.10;
? U.S. 10 west near Jackson Road;
? Victory Corners Road south of Fountain Road;
? West Townline Road between N. Quarterline and North Alexander;
? Quarterlne between Townline and Freeman;
? Dennis Road south of Beyer;
? Stiles north of Hansen to Sugargrove;
? Sugargrove between Amber and Stiles;
? Jebavy and Angling;
? Fountain and U.S. 31;
? Victory Corners and Fisher;
? LaSalle from Hoague to Freeman; and,
? Conrad and Pere Marquette Highway.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Fishing Report for Northern Michigan 6/12/08
It is the start of summer season as school is out and kids are on summer break, now we need the weather to break and have nice weather. Gills are finally on the beds and many limit catches this week of big gills.
Grand Traverse Bay they have found the whitefish in sixty feet of water and have been using wigglers but that will be done as the season is closed. Many will use preserved wigglers or whitefish jigs.
Lake St. Helen has started to see gills on the beds and that will be great by this weekend.
Good activity around Boyne City, where trolling in the south arm in 15-25 feet of water is great for bass, walleye and pike. Body baits, leeches and crawlers are working well. A three-day trout tournament will take place this weekend around Charlevoix. Be sure to register before 8 pm on Thursday by calling 231-547-9054.
Little Bay De Noc - Walleye anglers did better in the southern section from the Escanaba River to Breezy Point. Good action from Portage Point to Breezy Point when trolling crawlers or crank baits. Most fish were over 20 inches and caught at night. Some are fishing in 18 to 20 feet of water out near the Black Bottom. Good smallmouth action south of the Day’s River and near Garth Point. Use spinners or crank baits in 4 to 6 feet of water. Perch fishing should pick up soon.
Brevoort Lake - Anglers are still catching walleye. Walleye are hitting on crawlers.
Manistique still has cooler temperatures in the 50??s and 60??s and only a few anglers are getting out. Walleye and bass are decent.
Skegemog Lake - The surface water is 65 degrees. Look for smallmouth bass in the southern end of the lake, near the marsh, the Torch River and the access site. On the north end of the lake, check out the Narrows while using tube baits, crank baits, spinners, and crawlers in 3 to 15 feet of water. Walleye fishing was slow, but those targeting bass and muskie have caught a few. Pike have been caught between the Torch River and the marsh.
Big Glen Lake - The warm weather has turned out some really nice catches. Smallmouth bass are hitting bright spinners along the shoals. Some northern pike have been caught. Rainbow trout are moving into shallow waters to feed. Try casting silver rapalas.
Around Grayling, The walleye are biting on Lake Margrethe with Pike fishing sporadic on inland lakes and river fishing is fair to good with live bait, Hendrickson??s, and flies.
Hamlin Lake - continues to provide good action for blue gill on the upper end, as well as walleye when using crawlers.
Lake Charlevoix - The steelhead are running late into the season due to the cold weather, and a few brown trout have been caught. Bass fishing has been good with plenty of fish either spawning or cruising the flats. Try tube baits, crank baits or worms. Walleye are turning up along the drop offs, emerging weedbeds, or where there is a current. Rock bass and other panfish have been caught.
Saginaw Bay - Has excellent walleye fishing off Pinconning, Linwood, out near the Spark Plug and the Callahan Reef. Most are using harnesses, but some are starting to use Hot-n-Tots. Anything with silver is working. Excellent walleye fishing was reported from the Slot at Quanicassee to Bay Port in 12 to 15 feet of water. Bass fishing is good in 3 to 5 feet of water in Wild Fowl Bay.
Upper Herring Lake - Walleye have been caught when trolling during the day and early evening. Good numbers of both large and smallmouth bass have been caught when casting along the edge of the weedbeds and the drop offs.
Long Lake - The walleye are hitting on crawler harnesses after dark. Also Lake Leelanau has reported in with a good walleye bite. Warmer weather walleye will hit leeches real good
Portage Lake - Anglers are reporting excellent catches of large and smallmouth bass, rock bass and northern pike. Walleye are still being caught at night, but a few anglers have reported catching some smaller fish during the day when trolling.
Muskegon Lake - Boat anglers are catching walleye at night. Both boat and shore anglers are catching bass and bluegills.
Whitehall - Has good walleye fishing off the pier. Most anglers are picking their spots before dark and fishing most of the night. A few salmon have been caught when trolling. The lake trout were found in shallow waters.
East & West Twin Lakes by Lewiston -Walleye were caught when trolling, drifting, or jigging with crawlers, minnows or leeches near the drop offs. Bass are hitting on artificial baits or crawlers in the shallows.
Houghton Lake - Bluegills are starting to move into the shallows, Also great walleye fishing this week, but many are short.
Tittabawassee River - The lower river continues to produce very good walleye fishing around the Center Road access site. A lot of smallmouth bass have been caught and released and a lot of white bass have been caught.
Lake Missaukee - Has good pike fishing. Look for bluegills on the beds.
Upper Peninsula:
In the Copper Harbor area, bass, perch and walleye are being pulled in and in good numbers on worms and flies. Splake activity continues to be decent on the Harbor as well.
Near the Bergland area, Lake Gogebic is giving up some small sized walleye on minnows, and a few perch on night crawlers. Bass are active near the shoreline when using leeches and spinner bait.
Escanaba anglers are seeing more action now that the water is getting warmer. Walleye action is improving south of Escanaba on crank bait and crawler harnesses. North of Gladstone walleye are biting on crawler harnesses.
Manistique still has cooler temperatures in the 50??s and 60??s and only a few anglers are getting out. Walleye and bass are decent.
Near the Sault Ste. Marie area fishing is good with good size walleye doing well just about everywhere, including around Brimley and on Munuscong Lake.
Near St. Ignace the fishing action for salmon is really picking up off of DeTour Village and Cedarville. A few Coho and Atlantic salmon have been caught when trolling with J-plugs or spoons, and drifting using crank bait or crawler harnesses is also doing the trick.
On Drummond Island Scott??s Bay is giving up decent walleye on crawlers, and Potagannissing Bay is giving up plenty of pike and bas on chubs, spoons and crawlers.
Northwest:
Alanson angling has improved this week and good action is taking place for walleye and perch on minnows and crawlers for Crooked, Pickeral and Burt lakes.
Good activity around Boyne City, where trolling in the south arm in 15-25 feet of water is great for bass, walleye and pike. Body baits, leeches and crawlers are working well. A three-day trout tournament will take place this weekend around Charlevoix. Be sure to register before 8 pm on Thursday by calling 231-547-9054.
In the Frankfort area, fishing is decent on Herring Lake as well as the Betsie and Platt rivers for rainbow and brown trout. Fish are biting on wooly buggers, night crawlers and silver spinners. Crystal Lake is great for good quantities of perch when fishing in waters 30-40 feet. In the Great Lakes larger fish are being caught and good amounts of trout as well as steelhead.
Inland lakes throughout the Kalkaska area are producing fair amounts of blue gill that are just starting, walleye on jigs, as well as bass and pike on tube baits.
Around Gaylord, some rivers are washed out this week due to plenty of rain, but the weekend will be good as the waters subside. Otsego Lake is great for walleye and small mouth bass when trolling and using Rapalas. Bradford Lake is also producing good numbers of bass. Every stream is giving up plenty of trout and anglers are finding good results using brown drakes and grey and brown cadis.
In the Cadillac area, anglers on Mitchell and Cadillac lakes are limiting on crappie, the blue gill are on the beds and huge quantities of bass and pike are hitting. A tournament this past weekend yielded 715 bass, a good indication of how great the bass fishing is.
West:
In the Ludington area, Hamlin Lake continues to provide good action for blue gill on the upper end, as well as walleye when using crawlers. Lake Michigan is hot for salmon action in 100 feet of water using a variety of spoons.
Off of the Muskegon area, salmon activity is picking up with anglers finding best results in 100 to 200 feet of water and using flashers and spoons, a few Coho are being caught when trolling and using flashers. Mona and Muskegon lakes are decent for walleye fishing and around the various marinas blue gill are abundant.
Anglers on Chippewa Lake are catching plenty of fish this week with pike, bass, walleye and blue gill very active.
Baldwin received so much rain this week that the angling activity has slowed immensely. Activity should pick up by the weekend.
Southwest:
Holland anglers are at a stand still due to rain and several storms hitting the west side of the state this week. The majority of the rivers are washed out and no fishing is taking place at this point.
Good action in Benton Harbor out on Lake Michigan where kings, Coho, steelhead and lakers are abundant in 60-135 feet of water. A variety of baits are working well that include blue veggie, killer dolphin, coyote spoons, blue goose and freakin?? veggie. King salmon will strike at large profile lures while Coho will not.
Around New Buffalo, anglers are catching jumbo perch on minnows when heading straight out on Lake Michigan and only going out about 30 to 35 feet. The Galien River is producing good quantities of crappie, bass, and blue gill. Crawlers are working well.
Angling action is kicked up around the Kalamazoo area for a variety of fish. Gull Lake is great for small and large mouth bass using wacky rigs and tubes. Austin Lake is producing nice numbers of bass as well. Pan fish are doing well on all inland lakes, especially blue gill on beds. No stream fishing this week since many rivers and streams were washed out with the high rain levels. Lake Michigan is producing nice numbers of salmon and steelhead in 85 to 135 feet of water. Down riggers with spoons are getting good results.
In the Three Rivers area, all of the inland lakes are providing great fishing opportunities for anglers, particularly for blue gill and crappie when using red wigglers.
Northeast:
Around Oscoda, fishing is great for a variety of species. The AuSable River, Cooke and Foote Dam ponds are giving up good numbers of pike, bass, blue gill and walleye. Pike are biting on sucker minnows, bass on top water baits, blue gill on wax and leaf worms on ice jigs, and walleye on crawler harnesses.
Action has slowed a bit in the Grayling area due to rain and weather conditions this week. Anglers getting out on Lake Margrethe are reeling in a few blue gill on crawlers, worms and foam spiders.
Higgins Lake is giving up a few rock and small mouth bass on leeches and night crawlers. Overall fishing is a bit slow due to windy conditions.
Houghton Lake anglers are getting out despite the recent rain and when they do the fishing conditions are great for walleye and blue gill. Leeches and night crawlers are really working well.
Near Au Gres, the best fishing is for walleye on Saginaw Bay in waters 30 feet deep, crawlers are getting good results. Catfish action is great off the break walls.
East:
Linwood anglers continue to have good success with walleye on Saginaw Bay in waters up to 17 feet. Bottom bouncers are working well and crawler harnesses. Carp and gar are active in the shallow waters.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Spring Flowers
With the rain we have had the last few days flowers are starting to pop and the birds are singing there little hearts out for a mate
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Weather and Gas hurting Northern Michigan
As I run around beautiful Northern Michigan all small business’s are hurting with bad weather on the weekends and high gas prices. Friday is the key day for good weather as many will not waste gas if the weather is poor and fridays have been rainy or cold so little traffic heading north. I talk to many fisherman and they are targeting the smaller lakes as they use less gas to fis with many looking for places to fish from the shoreline to save gas.
It will be a challenge for everybody to survive this summer but were tough up here ad will find a way, but nice weather would be a big plus.
I’m hearing good fishing reports this week when we can wet a line between strong winds and rain. Seems leeches and crawlers are the preferred bait right now. On many of the lakes the fish fly hatch has started so look for fish to be on a feeding frenzy till they fill up with flies then the bite slows
Monday, June 09, 2008
Bobolink
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Fishing Between Storms
It seems most were fishing between storms and high winds this weekend
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 2008
Hot, humid temperatures mixed with rain and high winds made fishing interesting this past week. Those out didn??t mind when they caught fish.
Many crappie anglers are back to catching limits. The east side of Lake Cadillac seems to be their favorite area. Boat and shore fishermen using the City Dock have been taking advantage of the morning bite. Easy bobber fishing for those using small minnows. Generally they??ve been running 8 to 10 inches. Those casting small spinners or pinkie jigs usually catch the larger ones.
Bluegills have finally started to bed on both lakes. The water temperatures have climbed to the mid-sixty??s. They??re late this year.
The big and small coves on Mitchell, as well as the Blind Island area have always been historical areas for gills and are again. Actually, most of the west side of Mitchell has been good. Bluegills are a fun fish, easy to catch and delicious to eat. Small bobbers on light line, baited with leaf or wax worms, catch most. On Lake Cadillac, the north shore from the boat launch to the pilings by the Senior Center is starting. The spawning areas have been obvious but the number of storms lately seems to blow them off their shallow beds. Once the weather passes they??ll return.
Brad Galloway from Battle Creek is pictured with another nice walleye. His 25 ½ inch was caught outside the Big Cove on Mitchell. Several have been reported in this area. Leeches or whole crawlers have been more effective than artificials. On Cadillac, the best chances for walleye have been around the Four Winns Test Center. Fish the bottom around the slabs with live bait.
BBT Bass R Us held their annual Cadillac/Mitchell tournament Saturday, June 7 and was able to complete their tournament between storms. They experienced sun, humidity, high winds but stayed dry. They were lucky because the rain started again in the evening.
Eighty-four, 2 person teams participated, catching 334 bass for a total weight of 715 pounds. Fifty-nine teams weighed in their tournament limit of 5 fish. Big bass weighed in at 4.41 pounds, followed by 4.03 pounds. Three hundred thirty were released alive and are happily residing in Lake Mitchell. The team of Ben Weber and Steve Morrow caught 1st place with a weight of 14.57 pounds. All the top weights were separated by mere hundreds of a pound. It was close and a tuff bite because of the number of storms. For the complete standings go to http://www.bbt.com.
Those targeting bass complained about the number of pike in our lakes. They love to eat the expensive lures. No special place. They seem to be everywhere.
Detailed maps of current fish conditions are available at the Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop. Stop in.
Bring in your fish and we will put you on the web!
Friday, June 06, 2008
New Ballast Treatment Could Protect Great Lakes Fish
A Michigan Technological University professor has developed a new water treatment that could help keep a deadly fish disease out of Lake Superior.
David Hand, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Michigan Tech, has devised a simple way to treat ballast water in vessels ranging from pleasure craft to ore boats. His method is designed to kill the virus that causes viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), an often-fatal disease that has been attacking fish populations in the lower Great Lakes.
Hand’s treatment is simple. The ballast water is disinfected with sodium hypochlorite??ordinary household bleach. Then it is treated with ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, which neutralizes the bleach before the water is released into the lake.
With good initial results, Hand has tested his method on the Ranger III, a National Park Service vessel that shuttles visitors and staff between the mainland and Isle Royale National Park.
In the next few weeks, the Great Ships Initiative will conduct independent lab tests on his system at the University of Wisconsin??Superior to help determine if it is safe, effective and inexpensive. Other partners in the effort are the National Park Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
“VHS has had a devastating effect on the musky population in Lake St. Clair and affects 23 species of game fish,” said Phyllis Green, superintendent of Isle Royale National Park and the midwest coordinator of the park service’s VHS Prevention Team. “It’s important that we keep it out of the Lake Superior basin or at least slow its spread. Our aim is to find a low-tech, low-cost, interim solution that can stop the spread of VHS.”
Since 2003, VHS it has caused massive dieoffs of fish species ranging from walleyes to salmon in all of the Great Lakes except Superior. Infected fish die from bleeding of their internal organs and often have open sores and bruised-looking, reddish tints on their skin.
As bad as it is, VHS is only part of the problem Hand wants to address. Exotic species have been hitchhiking throughout the Great Lakes via ballast tanks since 1959, when the St. Lawrence Seaway opened. And, as global trade increases, the problem will only get worse.
“Ships unload their ballast water from all over the world, and with it all kinds of exotic, invasive species, from viruses and bacteria to the zebra mussel,” said Hand.
It’s unfair to point the finger only at ocean-going ships, says Hand, a devoted angler and boat owner himself. All boaters should sterilize their bilge, ballast and livewell water.
“Not only do we need to prevent the salties from bringing in new viruses, we also need the lake carriers from the lower Great Lakes to treat their ballast, because the VHS virus is already in Lakes Huron, Michigan and Erie, and we don’t want it in Superior,” he said. “We really need something for all ships, as well as pleasure boats.”
“We all need to protect the resource,” he said.
If tests show that his system is as safe and effective as he believes, Hand hopes to map a strategy to implement its use throughout the Great Lakes.
The Great Ships Initiative is a public-private collaborative that aims to halt the ship-driven spread of exotic species through the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway. In addition to conducting research and development on possible ballast treatment systems, the Great Ships Initiative supports harbor monitoring and develops financial incentives to encourage ballast treatment and to protect the Great Lakes ecosystem.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Free Fishing Weekend Report
It is Free fishing weekend so come on north and enjoy the warm weather this weekend. Michigan’s annual Summer Free Fishing Weekend will be observed this coming weekend, Saturday June 7th and Sunday June 8th. On these two days only, residents and non-residents alike can fish without a fishing license, though all other regulations that govern fishing in Michigan will still apply. This is a great opportunity to pass on Michigan’s fishing tradition to a new generation of anglers.
Little Bay De Noc - Those walleye fishing during the day have caught fish when trolling or drifting crawlers in 10 to 20 feet of water from Garth Point south to the Center Reef but the night anglers are doing much better on the break just south off Portage Point in 10 to 20 feet of water. Good smallmouth action near the mouth of the Day’s River in 6 to 12 feet of water. Perch were caught in the Narrows when jigging crawlers in 12 to 25 feet of water.
Brevoort Lake - Walleye are hitting on crawlers.
Skegemog Lake - Has excellent fishing as the Brown Drake hatch has started. Smallmouth bass are being targeted in the southern portion of the lake near the marshy area, the west side of the lake near the public access site, and near the Torch River. Try tube baits, crank baits, jigs, spinners, wax worms or crawlers in 12 to 18 feet of water. Rock bass have also been caught in 3 to 15 feet of water. Pike and a few muskie were caught when trolling near the marsh and the Narrows.
Big Glen Lake - Perch were hitting on wigglers and smallmouth bass on crawlers.
Around Grayling, The walleye are biting on Lake Margrethe with Pike fishing sporadic on inland lakes and river fishing is fair to good with live bait, Hendrickson??s, and flies.
Hamlin Lake - The crappie are moving out of the shallows. Some nice bluegills were caught near the drop-offs on the North Arm and walleye off Pete’s Bayou. The Bayou’s are starting to heat up and produce a good mix of panfish. Bullhead and panfish were caught at Victory Park. Largemouth bass fishing has been very good.fter dark. Bass anglers are finding beds off the points on the main lake.
Lake Charlevoix - Bass are being caught in shallow waters on the north end of the lake, and catch rates have been good. Lots of walleye have been seen under the boats and around the piers, so those trolling at night should start catching fish.
Saginaw Bay - Has excellent walleye fishing two to three miles off Gambil’s Marina, east of Linwood near the Spark Plug, 16 to 19 feet of water northeast of the Spark Plug, near the Callahan Reef, mouth of the Hot Ponds, and the Slot from Quanicassee to Fish Point. Crawler harnesses trolled off planer boards were the ticket at all of these locations..
Upper Herring Lake - Walleye have been caught when trolling during the day and early evening. Good numbers of both large and smallmouth bass have been caught when casting along the edge of the weedbeds and the drop offs.
Long Lake - The walleye are hitting on crawler harnesses after dark. Also Lake Leelanau has reported in with a good walleye bite
Portage Lake - Anglers are reporting excellent catches of large and smallmouth bass, rock bass and northern pike. Walleye are still being caught at night, but a few anglers have reported catching some smaller fish during the day when trolling.
Muskegon Lake - Perch have been caught in 20 to 30 feet of water. The northern pike action has been good. Crappie and bluegills can be found in waters 10 to 15 feet or deeper. Both the large and smallmouth bass fishing has been good. Some nice fish have been caught and released.
Whitehall - Has good walleye fishing off the pier. Most anglers are picking their spots before dark and fishing most of the night. A few salmon have been caught when trolling. The lake trout were found in shallow waters.
East & West Twin Lakes by Lewiston - Water temperatures are still a bit cold and because of it, only a couple walleye were caught when jigging with minnows, crawlers and leeches or trolling with crawler harnesses.
Houghton Lake - Bluegills are starting to move into the shallows, Also great walleye fishing this week, but many are short.
Tittabawassee River - The lower river continues to produce very good walleye fishing around the Center Road access site. A lot of smallmouth bass have been caught and released and a lot of white bass have been caught.
Lake Missaukee - Has good pike fishing. Look for bluegills on the beds.
Upper Peninsula:
By Copper Harbor, Lake Fanny Hooe is producing some good bass fishing. The splake action on Copper Harbor is also pretty good.
The smallmouth bass fishing on Lake Gogebic is good. The bass are hitting on spinner baits or leeches. Anglers on the lake are reeling in a few walleye.
Around Marquette, the king salmon fishing is fair on Lake Superior, outside the harbors, in water about 60 feet deep. The lake trout action on the big lake is spotty, at best.
In the Gladstone area, the perch fishing ranges from fair to good on Little Bay de Noc. The best area to drop a line in the water is along the ??narrows? in water 35 to 40 feet deep. The walleye action is fair on the bay. Anglers are drifting or trolling with crawler harnesses. Along the Ford and Escanaba rivers anglers are catching a few bass using tube jigs or spinner baits.
Northwest:
In the Alanson area, the walleye fishing is fair on Crooked Lake. Leeches are working well as bait. Anglers on Burt Lake are catching a few trout, trolling with body baits.
Out of the Boyne City area, the bass and walleye fishing is good on both Charlevoix and Walloon lakes.
By Traverse City, the lake trout fishing is very good on the Grand Traverse bays, in water 20 to 60 feet deep.
Around Frankfort, the perch action is fair on Crystal Lake. Wigglers are working well as bait. The bass fishing is good on some of the smaller lakes in the area. The trout fishing along the Betsie River is slow.
The walleye fishing ranges from fair to good on Portage Lake near Manistee. Anglers are trolling, using Rapalas. The panfish and bass action is good on many of the smaller inland lakes.
Anglers on Manistee Lake near Kalkaska are catching good numbers of walleye. The smallmouth bass action is good on some of the smaller inland lakes in the area. Along the Boardman River, on sunny days, the brown trout action is pretty good.
Anglers on Otsego and Bradford lakes near Gaylord are finding some very good bass action. Fly-fishermen are enjoying some very good trout fishing on sections of the Au Sable, Black, Pigeon, Sturgeon and Manistee rivers.
And at Cadillac, the crappie fishing is good on Lake Cadillac in water up to six feet deep. Anglers on Lake Mitchell are catching good numbers of bass, bluegills and panfish.
West:
Anglers on the upper end of Hamlin Lake near Ludington are reeling in good numbers of bluegills and bass. The gills are hitting on worms and crawlers, the bass prefer artificial baits. Out on Lake Michigan, the king salmon and lake trout fishing is fair.
Out of the Muskegon area, the salmon, steelhead and perch fishing is good on Lake Michigan. The best fishing is found south of Muskegon. On Muskegon Lake, the bass, bluegill and walleye fishing ranges from fair to good.
Chippewa Lake is producing some good pike and walleye fishing. Afternoons are the best time to be out, and crawlers are working well as bait.
By Baldwin, the bluegill fishing is good on most of the inland lakes. The gills are hitting on both leaf worms and waxworms. Anglers along the Pere Marquette River are reeling in fair to good numbers of brown trout.
Southwest:
Lake Michigan out of the Holland area is producing some good salmon fishing. The fish are found in the top 60 feet of water that is up to 210 feet deep. The catfish are biting pretty good on Lake Macatawa. Anglers along the Kalamazoo River are catching good numbers of walleye.
In the Benton Harbor area, the salmon fishing is good on Lake Michigan. Anglers are trolling in water about 200 feet deep.
Out of the New Buffalo area, the salmon and steelhead action is good on Lake Michigan.
By Kalamazoo, the crappie fishing is excellent on Pine Lake. Red worms are working well as bait. Anglers on Gull Lake are catching good numbers of bass, bluegills and catfish. On Austin Lake, anglers are reeling in a few perch. And along the Kalamazoo River, the smallmouth bass and walleye action is good.
And at Three Rivers, the bluegill and crappie action is good on many of the local inland lakes. The preferred baits are minnows and waxworms.
Northeast:
Around Alpena, the walleye fishing is fair on Thunder Bay, near the reefs. Evenings are the best time to be out. Anglers on Long Lake are reeling in a few smallmouth bass.
Out of the Oscoda area, the bass and pike fishing ranges from fair to good on Foote Dam Pond. Anglers on Cooke Dam Pond are catching a few smallmouth bass and perch. Van Etten Lake is producing some very good perch fishing. Both minnows and waxworms are working well as bait. Anglers along the Au Sable River are catching a few perch and walleye.
In the Grayling area, the smallmouth bass fishing ranges from good to very good on both Margrethe and Section One lakes. Lake Margrethe is also producing some fair walleye fishing. The marble eyes are hitting on live leeches and Rapalas. Higgins Lake is a good spot to go to catch some smallmouth bass. Crawlers and leeches are both working well as bait.
Anglers on Houghton Lake are catching good numbers of walleye, using crank baits and Rapalas. The bass fishing on the lake is very good. The pike action is good, however, a lot of the northerns being caught are on the small side. The bluegill and crappie fishing on the lake is fair.
And at Au Gres, the walleye fishing is good on Saginaw Bay, in water about 30 feet deep. Anglers are trolling using bottom bouncers with crawlers.
East:
The walleye action is steady on Saginaw Bay near Linwood. Try using a crawler harness or bottom bouncer in water 14 to 17 feet deep.
In the Bay City area, the walleye fishing is very good on Saginaw Bay. Crawlers are the preferred bait. The carp are moving in close to shore, providing bow anglers with a few opportunities.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Free Fishing Weekend June 7&8
SATURDAY JUNE 7th AND SUNDAY JUNE 8th is free fishing weekend in Michigan and hopefully we will have warmer weather. There are many fishing derby’s going on in the areas and contact your local sport-shop for activities in your area.
All fishing license fees will be waived for two days, June 7 & 8, 2008. Residents and outstate visitors may enjoy fishing on both inland and Great Lakes’ waters for all species of fish. All fishing regulations will still apply.
So grab a pole and your family and friends, and let’s go fishing!
For many, the annual Free Fishing Weekend has become a tradition - a time to get together and have some fishing fun. While some may find time to reflect while fishing, there are no limits to variations on a great theme!
2008 SUMMER FREE FISHING WEEKEND LIST OF EVENTS
NO FISHING LICENSE REQUIRED, ALL FISHING REGULATIONS STILL APPLY.
Check out take me fishing website for michigan
Also check out State Parks Event for Free Fishing
Monday, June 02, 2008
Finally Two Nice Days
We finally had two nice days in a row which is very good for fishing to start biting with warmer water.
Hearing good whitefish bite in East Grand Traverse Bay with wigglers working best, Figures as the season ended for wigglers June 1.
Hearing real good reports on bass fishing on most lakes with bluegills reported starting to bed.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
The fish are cooperating. Bass, pike, crappie, gills and even some walleye are finding their way to the net.
Still no reported catches of gills on their beds. However good size male sunfish are being caught. Afternoons have been best, usually in 6 to 10 foot depths, near sand bars or shallow weedy areas. Both coves on Mitchell as well as the north shoreline (skating rink) are producing. Waxworms are out fishing worms.
Crappie fishing is picking up. The east side of Cadillac over the slabs has been good. Those fishing from the City Dock are also getting their share. Usually they?ve been suspended 5 to 6 feet below the surface. Those fishing the bottom are likely to catch perch. Accidental catches of pike and bass are common for crappie fishermen using small minnows. The largest crappies are normally caught by those casting small Beetle Spins or Road Runners, especially red and white.
Lake Mitchell crappies are also awake. The mouth of both coves and the Blind Island area has been worth while. The eel grass and wild rice is just starting to poke their heads up on the Blind Island hump, making it easier to find.
Bass beds are showing up on both lakes, especially the west side of Mitchell. Sight fishing is easy. Tournament fishermen are having fun. No hot bait so far this spring. Everyone is doing something different, grubs, tubes, crank baits or spinner baits.
Live bait bass anglers are dong especially good. Crawlers or leeches do equally well in the shallows on either lake. There does seem to be a concentration of large mouths around the canal area by Mitchell State Park. Shore fishermen are taking advantage of this.
Pike are still shallow. They must be chasing panfish getting ready to spawn. Lots of numbers but lots of throw backs. Most of the keepers have been in the 26 to 28 inch range. Live bait, use sucker minnows. Artificials, white spinner baits or floating Rapalas.
Rapala Husky Jerks are fooling the walleye on Cadillac. A few purest have been trolling the Four Winns Test Center Area. No limits. But one or two, always over 20 inches.
Take a kid fishing! Enjoy Free Fishing Weekend June 7 & 8, 2008. No license is required. Have Fun!
Detailed maps of current fish conditions are available at the Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop. Stop in.