Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Fall Weather Slow Fishing
The fall weather has slowed fishing on inland lakes this week as rain and wind have kept most off inland lakes. Stream fishing has been good as salmon are pushing up the river to spawn. Steelhead should be following shortly to eat the salmon eggs.
Here is a photo I took the other day as this truck caught my attention.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
Fishing pressure on Mitchell and Cadillac has been light. There is so much to do this time of year. Choose from small game hunting, salmon fishing and now archery deer opens October 1st. Not to mention the duck and goose opener October 4th in our area.
Panfish, best action is coming to those fishing live bait along the weeds. Crappies are hitting small minnows; bluegills use waxworms, Leafworms or crickets. A fair number of perch are being caught in 15 foot of water near the Four Winns Test Center.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Green Lake Sunrise
Friday, September 26, 2008
Hoffy Rose
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Perch Runs are Still Good
Perch runs have started in many places and we will keep you updated as we find out where they are biting. The Indian Summer still has the perch biting in many lake in Northern Michigan, with Big Glen, Crystal, Lake Ann, Lake Leelanau, Lake Charlevoix, West Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Margrethe, Higgins Lake and Manistee Lake. Many are saying most inland lakes are having a perch bite the last few days..
Lake Charlevoix - Anglers are catching small perch.
Glen Lake - Has excellent perch fishing with limits reported. Several fish were in the 10 to 12 inch range. Wigglers seem to work best for the bigger perch but shrimp, minnows and worms also took fish in 30 to 40 feet of water. The best time is early morning as the bite shuts down after lunch. The rainbows are active and feeding at the surface. Lots of rock bass were caught.
Portage Lake - Good catches of large and smallmouth bass have come from the south shoreline on tubes and crank baits. Good numbers of rock bass, northern pike, and a few chinook were caught by anglers casting along the drop-offs and docks.
Skegemog Lake - A lot of bass anglers are still taking fish in the flat between the Torch River and the Baggs Road Access, off Fairmont Drive and near the Narrows. They are using lures and natural baits such as crawlers and leeches in waters 3 to 20 feet deep. Some nice 21 to 25 inch pike were caught and bluegills can be found in 10 to 12 feet of water.
Little Bay De Noc - Walleye catches were down with a few fish taken between Garth Point and the Second Reef or south of the Black Bottom when trolling or drifting crawlers in 10 to 20 feet of water. A few perch were caught around Butler Island. Good smallmouth action between Hunters Point and Garth Point.
Big Bay De Noc - Bass fishing was fair with most of the fish taken around Garden Bluff when drifting minnows in 10 to 20 feet of water. It is still a bit early for the really good bass fishing that anglers are accustomed to in the fall. No salmon off Fairport as most of the fish are moving into the rivers.
Higgins Lake - Very few fishing but the perch are biting and they are nice size for once.
Houghton Lake - Cooler nights have the northern pike biting. Minnows and large crank baits are taking fish. Walleye action remains steady.
Portage Lake - Good numbers of panfish are still being caught in the deeper waters on the east end of the lake. Good walleye and pike fishing. The walleye bite is better at night and the pike are hitting on small spoons and body baits throughout the day.
Hamlin Lake - Big bluegills can be found on Upper Hamlin in 5 to 10 feet of water. Try wax worms on ice fishing jigs or crawlers on a single hook fished a couple feet off the bottom. Bass fishing remains good.
St. Mary’s River - Has good numbers of pink salmon between the Power Plant and the tour boat docks. Anglers are casting or jigging Swedish Pimples and spoons. Good walleye action in the early morning when trolling a bottom bouncer with a crawler harness and blades. Some nice yellow perch were caught in the weedbeds across from the ferry dock on Neebish Island. Good smallmouth action off the southeast corner of Sugar Island in 20 feet of water.
De Tour - Chinook and lake trout are still being caught in the shipping channel. Green and blue spoons worked well. Walleye are still being caught around Peck Island, Rutland Island, Scott Bay and north of the city launch. Off Drummond Island, perch were caught in 6 to 8 feet of water near Ashman Island and Harbor Island.
Cedarville and Hessel - A few salmon have been caught in 30 to 45 feet deep. Lots of splake were seen along the shoreline in Hessel Bay. Pike fishing has still been good along the weeds in 6 to 8 feet of water. Perch fishing continues to be good and the smallmouth bass have started to bite, especially around the points and shallow bays. Small spinners and tube baits are taking fish. Largemouth are hitting in shallow waters on the east end of Hessel Bay..
Saginaw Bay - Perch were caught from a variety of locations including the Spark Plug, the Callahan Reef, and 2.5 miles north of the Quanicassee River. Perch were also caught in 50 feet of water off Oak Point which is up near Caseville. Walleye fishing is quite slow, as it always is this time of year. A few channel cats were taken at the Hot Pond.
AAA Fishing Report
Upper Peninsula:
AAA Tip: The Manistique Lake boating access site will close October 6-27 for repair and dredging.
Sault Ste. Marie anglers are finding good fishing conditions on the St. Mary??s River for Kings around the Power House when using J-plugs and Pink salmon are being reeled in on Swedish Pimples. Crawler harnesses seem to be working well on very good counts of walleye and actually the walleye fishing is the best it has been in years. Walleye are biting in weed beds and waters over a foot deep. Anglers are catching plenty of small size perch, but waiting for the big ones to arrive. Pike action is decent throughout the River with anglers using crank baits with good results.
Good activity around the Munuscong area where anglers are pulling in nice numbers of walleye and bass on the St. Mary??s River and Raber Bay jigging. Perch action is good using minnows on Munuscong Lake in line with the Barbeau area. Salmon action is good on the St. Mary??s River using spawn and spoons.
Drummond Island anglers fishing Scott Bay and Maxton Bay will find nice catches of perch in 12-feet of water. Perch minnows and crappie rigs with minnows seem to work well. Bass and pike action is rated fair.
In St. Ignace conditions are good for fishing walleye on Brevort Lake using jigs and St. Martin??s Bay is giving up good salmon action between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. Baits of choice include glow Cleos and J-Plugs.
Off of the Hessel and Cedarville areas, anglers can expect some good perch fishing on St. Martin??s Bay. It appears that the fishery is rebounding after years of Cormorant devastation. Pike are also moving in and out of the shallows for a fall bite. Spoons and spinners are working well.
The Manistique River is producing good numbers of Pink and King salmon. Stick baits and flies are working best.
In the Bergland area, Lake Gogebic continues to give up decent catches of walleye on minnows, mostly near the weed beds. As the water starts to cool down the fish are moving towards fall fishing patterns.
In Marquette area the angling activity is slow, mainly due to hunting season starting. A good time for anglers to get some time alone on the waters, just be sure to wear bright colors. Walleye season closes next week for inland lakes. A few fish are moving into shallower waters from Lake Superior, but most remain out in 140-feet.
Around the Escanaba area, walleye are spread out on Little Bay DeNoc and anglers are drifting and trolling in 25-40 feet of water. Perch are hitting at the north end of the Bay, specifically around Butler??s Island. Pike can be found in the weeds all over the Bay when using spinner bait or big crank baits. Ford River is giving up good catches of salmon on big jointed Rapalas.
AAA Tip: The Glen Lake boating access will close October 1-8 for dredging.
Throughout the Traverse City area good fishing opportunities are plentiful. Excellent fishing is taking place on the East Traverse Bay for whitefish, specifically near Bunker Hill Road. Limits are being taken in a short timeframe. Salmon are packed and stacked in the rivers and in a holding pattern near the mouth of the rivers due to warm water. Salmon action is rated fair to good on the Betsie, Manistee, and Boardman rivers. Spoons, crank bait and spawn are the baits of choice. Inland fishing is getting better and better as small mouth bass move up on to the flats. Crank bait, spinner bait, tubes and jerk baits are working well. Long Lake is also good for bass activity. Perch action is good on Lake Leelanau, Long Lake and West Traverse Bay using wigglers and minnows.
Boyne City anglers are finding good action on Lake Charlevoix for salmon pretty much all over and near the mouth using spawn bags. Perch numbers are good fishing the Lake Charlevoix shoreline from Boyne City to Young State Park. Anglers are using perch minnows with good luck.
Off of Frankfort the salmon are biting on a variety of flies, spawn, spinners and imitation spawn on Lake Michigan. Crystal Lake is giving up perch but anglers will need to move around a lot. Wigglers and minnows are working best.
Manistee anglers are finding great salmon action on the Big Manistee River on the lower end using Storm Deep Jr. Thunder Sticks and casting. Salmon action is good off of the piers casting spoons and trolling on Lake Michigan and fishing 40-50 feet down.
Lake Cadillac is giving up some crappie, but not in great numbers. A few small pike have been pulled in and perch are starting to show up. Mitchell Lake is also producing minimal amounts of crappie, perch and pike.
Alanson anglers are obtaining fair catches of salmon on the Betsie River. Burt and Crooked lakes are both decent for perch and pan fish.
Around the Kalkaska area water levels are good on the lakes as well as Elk Rapids Dam. Small mouth bass on Lake Skegemog are starting to pick up.
Gaylord has some great fishing on the Boyne, Black, Sturgeon and AuSable river systems. Trout action is fair to good and fish are biting during the mid-day into the early evening hours. Salmon are active on egg patterns on the Boyne and Jordan rivers. Bass and walleye are everywhere and crank baits and crawler harnesses are working well.
West:
In the Baldwin area, excellent salmon fishing taking place on the Pere Marquette River as well as out of Lake Michigan. Salmon range anywhere from 15-35 pounds. A few Coho and steelhead are running in the rivers as well. A variety of baits are working on salmon, but egg patterns seem to be the best with wigglers working well on Coho and steelhead. Beautiful new chrome Chinook are appearing in the rivers.
Ludington anglers are fishing for a variety of species. Pan fish, bass and pike are doing well on Hamlin Lake. Salmon are active on the Pere Marquette River as well as the Pere Marquette Lake. Fishing off the break wall is good and anglers are using spawn and thunder sticks. Steelhead and brown trout activity is rated fair off of the Charles Mears State Park.
Off of Muskegon, Lake Michigan is producing good amounts of salmon in 150-200 feet of water and fishing down 80-110 feet. Anglers are using spoons and plugs with good results. A few salmon are being pulled in around the pier heads on J-plugs. Muskegon River is giving up fair quantities of salmon. Muskegon Lake is fair to good for blue gill near the weed edges on leaf worms.
Northeast:
In the Cheboygan area, salmon continue to move up the Cheboygan River, with hit or miss activity. If a pod is moving up, good catches are taking place. Anglers are using fresh salmon eggs still in the skeins with a bobber or free drifted. Spoon and spinner anglers are provoking strikes. Anglers trolling are hitting fish on J-Plugs in an up-and-down River pattern. Fish recently caught are weighing in at 25-27 pounds.
Lake Margrethe in Grayling is great for good numbers of perch. Anglers are fishing in 20-feet of water with perch minnows, crappie or perch rigs. Muskie action is good in 25-feet of water, bottom fishing with a spinner dragging or using live sucker minnows. Walleye activity is on the rise and should really pick up within 30 days.
Oscoda anglers are doing well for salmon that have moved into the AuSable River. Off of the high banks and near the mouth of the River are the hot spots with spawn eggs working well. Foote Dam Pond is giving up nice catches of bass and walleye on crawlers and wax worms, while Van Etten Lake is good for perch on the same baits.
On Higgins Lake the perch fishing is fair with minnows and anglers are doing ok jigging for lake trout on big Swedish Pimples.
Houghton Lake is always great for fishing, and this week is no exception. Good action for walleye while trolling with crawler harnesses with bottom bouncers in 7-8 feet of water. Crank baits and Hot-N-Tots are also working well. Big pike (16 pounds) are hitting on Rapalas and large sucker minnows. Small mouth bass are biting on night crawlers and crank baits. Perch and pan fish are spotty.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Mackinaw Island Waking Up
Here is I shot on Mackinaw Island a couple of weeks ago.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Indian Summer in Northern Michigan
The Indian Summer still has the perch biting in many lake in Northern Michigan, with Big Glen, Crystal, Lake Ann, Lake Leelanau, Lake Charlevoix, West Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Margrethe, and Manistee Lake. Many are saying most inland lakes are having a perch bite the last few days.
Walleye fishing has picked up also with crawlers and minnows working best.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
Wonderful weather made a perfect week for fishing. Few took advantage of it on our lakes. Most are at the Manistee River catching salmon or in the woods hunting partridge. Autumn is here! There??s so much to do.
Pike - numbers of undersized. Over 30 inches are rare.
Bass - Large mouths are still around the docks and weed beds.
Small mouths - few
Panfish - some here or there. Crappie are predominate but limits are hard to come by.
Perch - slowly coming to shallows, but not many keepers yet.
Manistee River - numbers of salmon are up to Tippy Dam. All the launches down river have been good with fish resting as they make their way to the dam. Some are bobber fishing spawn; others are casting Thundersticks or plugs. Many use flies. All methods are working.
Bear Season opened September 19 in our area and runs through September 25. Brian Merkle from St. Johns was successful. His dressed out at 230 lbs. Great Hunt!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Perch are biting in Northern Michigan
All the rain we had last weekend has pushed lots of salmon up the rivers. The cooler weather has turned on the perch also as lake water is cooling down. Walleye fishing has been slow. Pike fishing is picking up the last few days with suckers working best.
Perch runs have started in many places and we will keep you updated as we find out where they are biting. I heard of some big perch coming out of Bay De Noc in the flats with wigglers working best if you can find them.
Big Glen the perch are biting with wigglers being the best bet.
West Grand Traverse Bay has been hot the last few days.
Crystal Lake has been good also for perch with some ten inchers being caught.
Lake Leelanau is reporting nice perch being caught on the south-end of the lake.
Lake Margrethe has a perch run also with nice perch being caught this week on minnows.
Lake Charlevoix is reporting perch have started biting off the Ironton Ferry with minnows working best.
Skegemog Lake - A lot of bass anglers are still taking fish in the flat between the Torch River and the Baggs Road Access, off Fairmont Drive and near the Narrows. They are using lures and natural baits such as crawlers and leeches in waters 3 to 20 feet deep. Some nice 21 to 25 inch pike were caught and bluegills can be found in 10 to 12 feet of water.
Little Bay De Noc - Walleye action was spotty but fish were caught off the First Reef when trolling crawlers in 10 to 16 feet of water and in the flats near Brach’s Cabins. The Black Bottom produced a few fish however more fish were marked to the south around the East Bank in 14 to 26 feet of water. Good perch fishing in the flats out from Brach’s Cabins and off Gladstone Beach when fishing the drop-off. Excellent smallmouth action around Hunters Point.
Big Bay De Noc - No walleye to report this week but the smallmouth bass anglers are just getting started around Snake Island. Only a few catches to report so far but the fish were big. Most are drifting minnows 15 to 25 feet down along the break. Perch fishing was fair off the southern end of Ogontz when jigging worms in 8 to 14 feet of water. Salmon season is winding down off Fairport. A few chinook were still being caught on spoons 40 to 60 feet down in 100 to 120 feet of water.
Higgins Lake - Few anglers have been out as many have turned their attention to bird hunting. Those fishing have managed to catch lake trout and perch. Those hunting are doing well for woodcock.
Houghton Lake - Cooler nights have the northern pike biting. Minnows and large crank baits are taking fish. Walleye action remains steady.
Portage Lake - Good numbers of panfish are still being caught in the deeper waters on the east end of the lake. Good walleye and pike fishing. The walleye bite is better at night and the pike are hitting on small spoons and body baits throughout the day.
St. Mary’s River - Has good numbers of pink salmon between the Power Plant and the tour boat docks. Anglers are casting or jigging Swedish Pimples and spoons. Good walleye action in the early morning when trolling a bottom bouncer with a crawler harness and blades. Some nice yellow perch were caught in the weedbeds across from the ferry dock on Neebish Island. Good smallmouth action off the southeast corner of Sugar Island in 20 feet of water.
De Tour - Chinook and lake trout are still being caught in the shipping channel. Green and blue spoons worked well. Walleye are still being caught around Peck Island, Rutland Island, Scott Bay and north of the city launch. Off Drummond Island, perch were caught in 6 to 8 feet of water near Ashman Island and Harbor Island.
Cedarville and Hessel - Fishing has been slow but chinook can still be found 50 to 80 feet down when using hammered silver spoons with chartreuse or black. Small orange and gold spoons also caught fish.
Saginaw Bay - Perch have been caught around the Spark Plug and near Buoys 15, 16 and 18. Some nice perch were taken from the weedbeds on the edge of the Callahan Reef in 8 feet of water and about two or three miles northwest off the mouth of the Quanicassee River. A few walleyes were caught on a crawler harness in the Slot however anglers were doing more fishing than catching.
AAA FIshing Report
Upper Peninsula:
Munuscong area anglers are doing fair on Cedarville for a few walleye. The St. Mary??s River and Raber Bay is giving up good counts of salmon and walleye. Popular baits include crawler harnesses and wax worms and the colors working best are chartreuse, yellow, blue and purple.
Off of Drummond Island a few bass can be had around Scott Bay, and Maxton Bay is giving up a few perch on minnows. Walleye activity has slowed on all of the lakes this week, probably due to weather pattern earlier in the week.
Anglers fishing near St. Ignace are catching plenty of salmon off of the docks on Lake Huron, and the salmon are on the move towards the Carp River. Salmon activity is on the rise.
Copper Harbor anglers started to get back out on the water. The temperatures warmed up enough that the black flies came out in force creating good conditions for fishing lake trout in the evening hours.
On Lake Gogebic in the Bergland area, walleye and perch have moved from the deeper waters to the weed beds. Night crawlers seem to be working ok.
In Marquette, recent rain and strong weather patterns has brought fishing to a temporary lull.The water is high, and has cooled down tremendously. As the weather stabilizes the fishing will improve, but it may take some time for fish to become active once again.
Escanaba angling activity has slowed, partly due to various hunting seasons starting up this week. A few salmon are being caught in the Ford and Escanaba rivers. Decent angling action taking place for big fish on Big Bay DeNoc, where anglers are trolling in 25-40 feet of water and fishing on the bottom. Walleye remain active south of Escanaba.
Northwest:
Anglers around Boyne City and surrounding areas are finding good numbers of salmon moving from Lake Charlevoix toward the Boyne River. Salmon are also being caught in the channels off of Petoskey on the Bear River. Salmon are starting to pick up around Charlevoix, on Medusa Creek. Popular baits include casting spoons, jointed Rapalas and Storm spawn. Walloon Lake and Lake Charlevoix are giving up decent counts of bass on live bait and artificial baits. Lake Charlevoix is also producing good numbers of perch in 42-50 feet of water using perch minnows.
Anglers around Frankfort are finding good salmon action now that the weather has cooled down. On the Betsie River, anglers are using single hooks with Bead-Head Wooly Buggers, egg sacks with fly sucking leeches, and squid, glow green and chartreuse spinners. Platt River anglers are fishing the surf with a variety of lures and spawn. Crystal Lake is producing a few walleye on wigglers but anglers will need to move around for the nice size ones. A few trout are being caught as well.
The Cadillac area has had its share of rain and wind recently limiting activity, but anglers that are getting out are doing well on crappie out of Mitchell Lake on minnows. Lake Cadillac is producing decent catches of pike and large mouth bass using artificial baits, rubber worms and Sinko baits.
Around the Alanson area, salmon are biting on the Betsie River. Big perch in the 11-inch range are hitting on Burt Lake, and pan fish are active on Crooked Lake. Crawlers and minnows are working right now.
In Kalkaska all of the inland lakes are doing great for small mouth bass. Fish are feeding now that the weather has changed. Lake Skegemog the pan fish are starting to become active.
Gaylord anglers are finding fair to good conditions for trout fishing on the Black and Sturgeon rivers. The best time to fish is during the warmest part of the day. Popular baits include terrestrials and streamer patterns. King salmon are being pulled from the Boyne and Jordan rivers on spawn bags and egg fly patterns using fly rods. Walleye activity is good on Otsego and Bradford lakes, and Lake Michigan.
Traverse City anglers are finding good fishing opportunities abundant. Excellent action on Big Glen Lake and the west end of Traverse Bay for perch on wigglers. Salmon activity is good on the Boardman, Manistee, Pere Marquette and Betsie rivers, and the east and west end of Traverse Bay. Anglers are finding good results with spawn and bait rigs with yarn. Inland lakes are improving for bass now that the air and water temperatures have cooled and fall fishing patterns are causing the fish to bite! Hot baits include tubes, Cray fish imitators and spinners.
West:
Great fishing is the rule in the Baldwin area. Anglers are finding very good action for salmon on the Pere Marquette River, and getting good results using lures, spoons and spawn. The River water is high and the color is good. Most inland lakes are doing very well for blue gill.
In the Ludington area, a cold front causing water temperatures to dip into the high 30??s has pushed the salmon right where the anglers want them. Off of the Ludington State Park salmon activity if very good on the Big Sable River on single hooks. Excellent salmon action is taking place on the Pere Marquette River. Lake Michigan is also good for salmon but they are scattered. Anglers are finding best results near the north pier when casting spoons or spawn. A few perch have been pulled in.
Muskegon fishing is very good. The mouth of Lake Michigan just off of Muskegon Lake is very good for salmon action as well as Muskegon Lake and fish are headed towards the Muskegon River. Most salmon can be located around pier heads and near the sand docks and the west end by the channel. Jigging is producing good results. Anglers are using a variety of bait including Swedish Pimples, local spoons, little Cleos and spoons in silver, blue, and any glow color seem to be working well.
Around the Chippewa Lake area, angling is very slow due to rain and weather conditions.
Northeast:
Cheboygan area anglers will find perch action picking up on Burt and Mullet lakes. Perch in Mullet Lake are running larger than past years with nice fish in the 10-inch plus range, and out of Burt Lake a usual mix of nice to jumbo. Perch shiners are slim in the bait shops right now but should become available shortly. Some pike action picking up on the lower Black River and upper Black Lake. Anglers are opting for in-line buck tails, large minnow baits and spoons still have a place in the mix. The Black River also holds some nice muskie for skilled or lucky anglers. Salmon action is good for boaters off of the Cheboygan Light pier head. Anglers with good trolling ability can pick-up half a dozen fish for a morning or evening bite. J-Plugs and favorite spoons are doing the job. Wolverine, Moonshine and Stinger spoons are favored in the area. Throw in a Spin Doctor and fly mix or a bait head with herring and you have the bases covered. Fish are running larger than last year and while numbers are yet to push up the river they are very close.
Grayling anglers fishing on Lake Margrethe are finding a few walleye on crawlers and jigs with a leech. Small sized blue gill and few bass are being caught.
In Oscoda, Van Etten Lake is producing plenty of perch, a few walleye and pike. Rapalas are doing the trick on walleye. Cooke Dam Pond is giving up nice amounts of blue gill on wax worms, and minnows. Foote Dam Pond is offering up pike, perch and walleye, with minnows and wax worms working well. At the mouth of the AuSable River little Cleos are working well on salmon and on the River spawn work best. The AuSable is also giving up decent catches of small mouth bass and walleye.
Higgins Lake is good for jigging lake trout on Swedish Pimples. Fishing for rock bass is great and anglers are reeling in a few perch. Best selling bait, minnows and crawlers.
Houghton Lake is giving up some walleye in the evening hours when trolling with crank baits, and crawler harnesses with bottom bouncers. Pike are spotty but becoming more active due to cooler water. Large crank baits and big pike minnows are working well.
In the Au Gres area, weather affected fishing activity the last few days but today the perch action is back to excellent. Anglers are heading straight out on Saginaw Bay and fishing in waters 35 to 40 feet deep. Only a few walleye are biting.
East:
AAA Tip: Sanford Lake west of M-30 in Midland County under US-10. Due to construction on the bridge, boat traffic underneath will be limited to a single channel now through the winter months. The channel will be clearly marked but may vary.
Bay City anglers are just starting to get back out to fish today due to adverse weather conditions and rough water the last few days. Perch are hit or miss at the mouth of the Saginaw River, near the first Spark Plug and around Linwood. Walleye are scattered and hard to get right now.
Bay Port anglers have had there fair share of rain and rough waters causing for slow angling activity. And the Bay Port public access launch is closed as well causing for additional inactivity. Action should start improving by the weekend as the weather pattern changes for the better. Anglers getting out are finding that fish are in deeper water and anglers need to work hard to find them. Linwood area, walleye activity is slow, salmon action is decent out of Lake Huron and some perch are being caught in 19-21 feet of water, however anglers are having to work hard to find the fish.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Lots of Rain
We had lots of rain this weekend, so the river will be stirred up and on the high side with many fish in the river with a north wind. Salmon fishing will be the big thing for the next few weeks with lots of spawn being used.
Glen Lake is still good for perch with wigglers working great.
Smallies have been biting on Lake Skegemog with crawlers and rubber baits.
Pike fishing will be picking up with cooler water.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
Wind and lots of rain has kept most off our lakes. No parking problems at the boat launches. No jet skis or water skiers. Some of the some of the best fishing of the year is ahead of us, but most have other interests. Small game is starting, salmon fever is contagious and many are preparing for the youth whitetail hunt or just archery season in general. It??s a great time of year because there are so many choices.
Crappie and bluegills - they??re there, but few have been targeting them. Better numbers of crappies, but limits are scarce. More perch are showing up.
Pike - numbers are going down but those caught are getting bigger. Several over 30 inches were reported. Most came off spinner baits.
Bass - numbers have been good but mostly large mouths. Senkos were the winner this week.
Walleye - No reports. Try another lake!
Manistee River - The constant rain has helped. More salmon are making their way up river. Numbers are improving daily, as they work their way to Tippy Dam. Many reports of limits. Most boat anglers are casting Deep Jr. Thundersticks or Deep Jr. Madflashes. Firetiger has been the best color.
Private Land Doe Licenses - Left over licenses for DMU??s shaded in purple (our area) will be issued over the counter on a first-come basis September 17 at 10:00 AM.
??Youth Firearm Deer Hunting Days will take place September 27-28 on all lands in Michigan. Youths 10-16 years of are with a firearm or combination license may take an antlered or Antlerless deer during this special two day season or they may take an Antlerless deer with an Antlerless license during this special two-day season.?
September 15th Small Game Hunting begins. Look out grouse, squirrel and rabbits.
River Fishermen!
Looking for Storm Thundersticks - especially the Deep Juniors? Pilgrim Village has a great selection. We even have the scarce fire tiger and fire tiger Mad Flashes. Check out our selection of colors and sizes.
Fishing the Piers
We carry the glow K.O. Wobblers, Krocodile??s, Little Cleo??s and Hopkin spoons.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Fall Fishing Report
Salmon are starting up the rivers
Big Glen the perch are biting with wigglers being the best bet.
Skegemog Lake - A lot of bass anglers are still taking fish in the flat between the Torch River and the Baggs Road Access, off Fairmont Drive and near the Narrows. They are using lures and natural baits such as crawlers and leeches in waters 3 to 20 feet deep. Some nice 21 to 25 inch pike were caught and bluegills can be found in 10 to 12 feet of water.
Little Bay De Noc - Walleye were caught by those trolling from Gladstone Beach north to Garth Point. The First and Second Reefs produced a few fish when trolling crawlers in 10 to 22 feet of water and those jigging crawlers or minnows off the Narrows found fish in waters up to 28 feet deep. Action around the Black Bottom tapered off this week but a few limits of perch were still taken before daylight when drifting or trolling crawlers in 18 to 20 feet of water. Fair to good perch action off Kipling as reports have been mixed. Some are jigging minnows in 20 feet of water while others are jigging crawlers in 4 to 8 feet of water in front of Brach’s Cabins. Good pike action but many are small. No salmon were spotted in the river.Little Bay De Noc - Walleye were caught by those trolling from Gladstone Beach north to Garth Point. The First and Second Reefs produced a few fish when trolling crawlers in 10 to 22 feet of water and those jigging crawlers or minnows off the Narrows found fish in waters up to 28 feet deep. Action around the Black Bottom tapered off this week but a few limits of perch were still taken before daylight when drifting or trolling crawlers in 18 to 20 feet of water. Fair to good perch action off Kipling as reports have been mixed. Some are jigging minnows in 20 feet of water while others are jigging crawlers in 4 to 8 feet of water in front of Brach’s Cabins. Good pike action but many are small. No salmon were spotted in the river.
Big Bay De Noc - Most anglers have been after smallmouth bass when casting crank baits and tube baits just off the weeds in 11 to 14 feet of water. Garden Bay has good action along the pilings. Perch were caught south of the Ogontz launch in 7 to 10 feet of water. Off Fairport, the salmon season is winding down as most of the larger fish are migrating to the rivers. A few fish were still caught when trolling spoons 40 to 60 feet down in 80 to 110 feet of water.
Hamlin Lake - Panfish action is still good when fishing in 4 to 8 feet of water with worms. Hot spots have been around Wilson Hill Park as well as the Narrow and Sable outlet. Lots of largemouth bass have been caught and many were keepers.
Saginaw Bay - Walleye action slowed with the onset of cooler weather, heavy rain and strong winds but fish were still being caught in the vicinity of the Spark Plug and one or two miles east of the Plug in 19 feet of water. Some found fish near the Callahan Reef and in 15 feet of water over the Bar which is west of Sebewaing. Perch fishing is spotty with a few caught near the G Buoy, one or two miles east of the Spark Plug and about two and half miles north/northwest of the Quanicassee.
Whitehall - Fishing has been good. Pier anglers are taking salmon on small Cleo’s and megabaits. Salmon have moved into White Lake and the lower stretches of the White River.
Fishing Report
Upper Peninsula:
Sault Ste. Marie the angling action is good. The St. Mary??s River, just below the locks, is producing pink salmon for anglers wading and casting from shore. The average salmon is weighing in around 5-6 pounds. Pink Cleo??s are working well and pink Swedish Pimples are hot. King salmon are a bit spotty on the River but a few are being caught behind the powerhouse, and while trolling near the ferry dock. Walleye action remains good on the St. Mary??s river as well. Plenty of activity will be taking place on the St. Mary??s River Thursday through Saturday for the Optima/Berkley Pro-Am. Launch and weigh-in take place at Aune Osborn Park. A few small perch are being reeled in, common size around 13-14 inches, however the local anglers are waiting for the big perch run which is about three weeks away.
In the Manistique area, walleye are decent out of Indian Lake on minnows. Get out your waders, the Manistique River is starting to pick up nicely for good catches of steelhead and salmon on spawn and yarn.
Out of the Munuscong area the St. Mary??s River and Raber Bay are producing good numbers of walleye, perch and pike on wax worms and night crawlers.
Near St. Ignace the salmon activity has slowed a bit on Lake Huron. Small mouth bass seem to have turned off this week, maybe due to cold weather.
Around Drummond Island, a few perch are being pulled in on minnows out of Potaganissing Bay, while bass are biting on spinner bait and crawlers on Scott Bay.
Lake Gogebic in the Bergland area is giving up decent catches of walleye in 36-40 feet of water when using leeches or minnows, and some perch on night crawlers.
Off of Marquette, Lake Superior is producing salmon, but anglers will need to find the pockets of warmer water where the bait fish are plentiful to pull in good numbers. The Lake Superior shoreline is good for a variety of fish and walleye are good all over.
Escanaba anglers will find decent counts of walleye in the Bay spread out pretty much all over. Best bet for perch are off of Butlers Island on the north end of the Bay.
Northwest:
Great fishing in Frankfort, the salmon are running on the Betsie River and anglers are doing well using egg flies, spawn, and small spinners which are legal in the River. Local anglers expect the next three weeks to be great for salmon fishing thanks to the cooler weather and water. Crystal Lake is producing good numbers of lake trout and pan fish. Arcadia, Portage and Big Platt are giving up nice catches of bass, walleye and blue gill.
Boyne City anglers are pulling in good salmon catches from Lake Michigan off of Petoskey and Charlevoix in 40-60 feet of water, as well as near the piers. A variety of glow spoons, flies and J-plugs are working well. Lake Charlevoix off of Porter Creek is also a great location for nice salmon catches. Some salmon activity is taking place on the Jordan and Black rivers with spawn and using 3/8? single hooks. Walloon Lake and Lake Charlevoix are decent for walleye, bass, and good numbers of perch.
Around the Cadillac area, fishing is very good on both Mitchell and Cadillac lakes. Mitchell Lake is giving up plenty of blue gill on wax and leaf worms. The crappie action is great on Lake Cadillac in the 8-10 inch range, but plenty of sorting is necessary. Both lakes are giving up trophy size rock bass, nice size sunfish, a few walleye and some good counts of large mouth bass. Pike are on the slow side.
Alanson anglers are getting good numbers of salmon on the Bear River and Little Traverse Bay. Perch and walleye are hit or miss on crawlers, but picking up.
Around the Kalkaska area, some good action for lake trout is taking place on Torch Lake. Bass activity is picking up on Lake Skegemog with anglers using rubber worms and spinner baits, and walleye are biting on glow in the dark crawler harnesses. Salmon is just starting on the Manistee River, good results using tail wobblers.
In Gaylord area, anglers are Dry fly fishing on the Pigeon, Sturgeon and Black rivers for trout during the afternoon hours with pretty good luck. Opal, Turtle and Otsego lakes are good for some nice walleye and bass catches.
Action around Traverse City is good on Lake Leelanau for walleye particularly in the evening hours, trolling in 12-18 feet of water and using rattle leafs and jerk baits. Big Glen Lake is fair to good for perch at the north end and on the west Bay the perch are hit or miss. The Betsie River just had a major salmon run with plenty of activity. Kings and good quantities of salmon are staging at the mouth of the Boardman River and around the Frankfort piers. Anglers are casting and trolling.
West:
Around the Ludington area, salmon fishing is good on Lake Michigan off of the pier heads in the early morning and late evening hours. Anglers are casting with spoons. Pere Marquette River is ranging fair to good for salmon between Ludington and Baldwin with anglers using thunder sticks and spawn bags with decent results.
Out of the Muskegon area Lake Michigan is giving up nice counts of steelhead, Coho, young salmon, and lake trout. Most of the action is in 80-200 feet of water. Popular baits include white and blue flies, flashers, spoons and plugs. Perch action is good at times on Lake Michigan in 16-25 feet of water. As a reminder, it is illegal to anchor in the shipping lanes, Coast Guard are ticketing. Muskegon Lake is also giving up good numbers of salmon on J-plugs, sonic plugs, green, silver and pearl spoons.
Near Baldwin salmon are on the way, the water is high and has cooled off. Anglers are anticipating a great weekend fishing salmon. Blue gill activity has slowed due to recent rain.
Not much improvement in the Chippewa Lake area where the activity is sluggish. A few pike are being reeled in.
Northeast:
Houghton Lake continues to produce nice counts of walleye. Anglers are getting best results in the evening hours versus the morning hours, and fishing the weed line in waters 6-10 feet deep. Crank bait and crawler harnesses work best. A cold front has changed the fish patterns and blue gill are spotty.
In Grayling, perch are biting on leech??s one crank off the bottom, and blue gill can be found in the canals. Walleye action is fair and anglers are slow drifting with crawlers in 10-feet of water. Manistee Lake is giving up nice catches of blue gill and walleye. Otsego Lake is also producing some decent walleye numbers.
Around Alpena, anglers are finding good fishing for walleye on Hubbard Lake. Lake trout are active at the mouth of Thunder Bay in 100-feet of water and spoons are working well. Grand Lake is decent for perch biting on minnows.
Near the Oscoda area, salmon activity has slowed a bit off of Lake Huron, a few have been caught while trolling and off of the piers. Local anglers expect the salmon to really start picking up as the days get shorter. Van Etten Lake is giving up decent perch, walleye and pike on minnows. Blue gill remain active on Cooke Dam Pond with leaf and wax worms working well. Fishing on Foote Dam Pond is good for several varieties of bass, and some crappie, perch and pike.
Au Gres anglers are going after good numbers of perch 35-feet straight out on Saginaw Bay, minnows are best. Walleye activity is sluggish.
On Higgins Lake, minnows seem to be working fair on perch in 20-40 feet of water, and lake trout are biting on big Swedish Pimples and jigging in 100-feet of water.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Thanks For a Great Labor Day Holiday
I would like to thank everybody who came north and vacationed in Northern Michigan supporting our local economy we really appreciate it and hope to see many this fall hunting or enjoying the great color we should have this fall.
This photo was taken sunday night on East Grand Traverse Bay.
We now have wigglers available at many of our sport shop. Fishing will get better with cooler weather coming by the end of the week, and salmon should start heading up many of the rivers also.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
Lots of sunburn anglers from the last hurrah of the summer.
Early risers fishing crappie on the east side of Cadillac were not disappointed. Limits or near limits of 8 to 10 inch specks were common. Richard Fudge is pictured with a slab. Expect the bite to slow as the sun penetrates. Regardless of the time of day, suspended schools can marked in the 14-18 foot depths.
Your electronics may show perch on the very bottom. Schools keep moving with most too small to keep. Lots of 5-6 inch that needs to grow.
Bluegills were on vacation during the holiday. Lots of numbers but mostly small. Better size are waiting for water temperatures to cool down. Serious gill fishermen are doing better on Lake Missaukee claiming to catch 7 and 8??s on a regular basis.
Bass fishing has been descent. It took 14 pounds to win NBAA??s North Central Tournament this past Saturday. Pumpkin colored tubes made the green ones bite. A few small mouths were weighed in but the bag of large mouths had better weight.
Several almost Master Angler size rock bass have been caught lately. Most have come from the Naval Armory area or the mouth of the Clam River on Lake Cadillac. They??re big and scrappy. Catch one and they usually spit up pieces of crayfish.
The big pike our lakes are famous for are waiting for cooler weather. The actions there, but most are undersized. This will change closer to fall.
Manistee River - Salmon are up to Tippy Dam but not many new fish coming up river with such hot weather. Cooler weather and rain is forecasted which will help. The Manistee can change in hours instead of days.
Waterfowl hunters - Canada Geese early season starts September 1 - September 15. The daily bag limit for the early goose season was increased to 5. Geese are feeding in oats and alfalfa fields in this area.
Deer hunters - Private land licenses for DMU??s shaded in green on the Antlerless Deer Hunting Guide will be available without application and may be purchased beginning September 8 at 10 AM. This does not include our area counties.
September 17 at 10 AM left over Antlerless deer licenses go on sale.