Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Were thinking of Ice Fishing
We had a dusting of snow wednesday and a few small ponds were froze today. Deer are starting to get into the rut, with more success reported this week for the bowhunter.
Windy and wet weather over the last week did keep most anglers on shore. The salmon runs are pretty much done with the remaining fish very dark in color. The rivers have started to fill up with steelhead and whitefish are being caught in Lake Huron and the northern waters of Lake Michigan. The inland lakes are producing some good catches of pike, walleye, perch and big bluegills.
AAA FIshing Report
Upper Peninsula:
Itâ??s cold in the Manistique area, and since the salmon season is over, very limited angling activity is taking place. Most anglers are just waiting for first signs of ice.
Munuscong Lake and Raber Bay are giving up fair to good catches of walleye, perch and pike. Anglers are using live bait with good results. The cold weather is helping the bite.
Sault Ste. Marie anglers seem to be in a transition mode and the angling activity is very slow.
Drummond Island anglers are only finding a few perch this week between Maxton and Scott bays using minnows. Overall angling is sluggish due to weather conditions.
Windy conditions have slowed fishing opportunities off of the St. Ignace area. A few perch are hitting on Brevort Lake near Cedarville. Anglers are using minnows for best results. Salmon run is over.
Lake Gogebic has fair to good walleye fishing when using sucker minnows in 8-10 feet of water. Perch action is fair and most anglers are using a jig head with a sucker minnow for decent results.
Off of Marquette, Lake Superior is a slow go for anglers fishing for whitefish, salmon and lake trout. As the weather conditions improve angling opportunities should get better.
Escanaba has some good walleye fishing taking place on Big and Little Bay De Noc during the daytime hours, night crawlers are doing the trick. A few perch are hitting on minnows. The Ford and Rapid Rivers are still giving up a few Kings on spawn, but the season is coming to an end quickly.
Northwest:
Around Alanson, the perch action is good on Burt and Mullett lakes using walleye minnows. Crooked and Pickerel lakes are giving up a few perch.
Traverse City angling is slow this week.
Near Boyne City, perch action is good on minnows on Walloon Lake and Lake Charlevoix. King salmon activity is fair to good on the Boyne and Jordan Rivers, spawn works best. Good walleye action using Rapalas taking place on Lake Charlevoix.
Throughout the Frankfort area, all inland lakes are doing well on pan fish. Small streams are giving up fair to good numbers of steelhead and rainbow trout. The mouth of the Platte River is producing fair to good quantities of Coho on spawn and Cleoâ??s.
In Manistee, the Big Manistee River is producing good counts of steelhead on spawn. Anglers fishing off of the beach and piers are also doing well for steelhead.
Near Kalkaska, walleye action is good on the Manistee Lake using minnows. Steelhead are hitting in good numbers on the Manistee River when anglers use spawn.
In the Gaylord area, a few King Salmon are still biting on spawn and Cleoâ??s on the Boyne, Black and Au Sable rivers. Inland lakes are slow for trout and fair for bass and pike. Rapalas and crank baits are working best. Big Bear Lake is producing good numbers of perch on minnows.
Around Cadillac, activity is really slow overall with the exception of good steelhead action on the Manistee River. Spawn is working well.
Off of Ludington, Lake Michigan is producing good catches of steelhead on spawn near the break wall. Other than that, not much activity taking place.
No angling activity taking place around Chippewa Lake due to cold and windy conditions.
In the Baldwin area, Kings are hitting on streamers in fair to good numbers on the Pere Marquette River. Salmon went back out to the lake, but steelhead are doing well in the lower section off the pier and fair in the river. Steelhead activity is improving daily and should be great by next week. Egg patterns, tiny combination nymph patterns and number 16 hooks are working well. The water is clear and low. Most inland lakes around the area are producing fair quantities of blue gill on leaf worms. Thanks to cool temperatures blue gill fishing is very good on Big Bass Lake and Putnam Lake. Big Bass Lake is also giving up some fair catches of perch, however small in size.
Grand Rapids anglers are finding great steelhead action on the Grand River. Fishing near the 6th Street Dam is best when using spawn.
Off of Muskegon, Lake Michigan is providing fair to good catches of steelhead and salmon when anglers fish in 80-feet of water with best results taking place in the top 40. Perch action is good on Lake Michigan using minnows and wax worms in 40-feet of water. Muskegon Lake is producing good catches of pike on Rapalas and Husky Jerks, and the walleye activity is good at night using stick baits. White Lake is also good for walleye at night on stick baits. The Muskegon River is rated fair to good for steelhead hitting on spawn.
Northeast:
Around the Oscoda area, good catches of salmon and steelhead continue just below the Foote and Cooke Dams. Spawn is working well. Van Etten Lake is giving up nice perch numbers on minnows. And the mouth of the Au Sable River is good for walleye fishing.
Angling activity in the Grayling area is slow due to adverse weather conditions.
Higgins Lake anglers canâ??t get out on the water due to adverse weather causing three and four foot waves.
The Au Gres River is giving up a few perch on minnows and the East Tawas Dock is producing a few whitefish.
Cheboygan area anglers seem to be on hold, angling is in a transition mode.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Not Much Fishing
There is little fishing going on this week as cold and rain have dominated the weather. Also a few snow flakes thrown in.
But the whitetails are moving as pre rut is going strong. Here is a photo I shot the other day
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Eagle Harbor Lighthouse
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Fishing Winding Down
It seems fishing is winding down with rain and cooler weather hitting. Hunting should start picking up soon with bucks start getting into the pre rut.
Photo above is of Munising Falls
AAA Fishing Report
Upper Peninsula:
AAA Tip: The Manistique Lake boating access site is closed now through October 27 for repair and dredging.
Good fishing is available all across the Upper Peninsula however the various hunting seasons seem to have attracted a lot of anglers this week.
Manistique River continues to provide great fishing for steelhead and salmon. Good results when anglers use spawn or Cleoâ??s.
Sault Ste. Marie anglers are finding fair action for walleye using jigs and minnows, while the salmon and King action has only a few left in the St. Maryâ??s River.
Munuscong Bay area, the St. Maryâ??s River and Raber Bay are giving up fair catches of small mouth bass and walleye.
Great angling activity around Drummond Island particularly on Scott and Maxton bays. Perch are hitting in good numbers on minnows in 10-15 feet of water. A few pike are biting on minnows on rigs.
St. Ignace a few King salmon are biting on Nunnâ??s Creek and the Carp River. Spawn bags seem to be working well and casting with smaller spoons. Fly fishing is decent with eggs sacks and darker colored flies.
Lake Gogebic continues to produce good counts of walleye in the evening hours in 8-10 feet of water and when anglers use sucker minnows. Perch action is good in 12-feet of water and near the weed beds using crawlers.
In the Marquette area, Lake Independence is providing fair catches of walleye on jigs and minnows. The salmon runs have seemed to slow down but a few Kings are still being caught. Spawn, flies, Cleoâ??s working decent.
Little Bay DeNoc and Big Bay DeNoc near Escanaba are producing nice numbers of walleye, small mouth bass and perch. Walleye are hitting after dark on crank baits. A few small mouth bass are biting on tube jigs and chubs, while good activity for perch when anglers use minnow rigs.
Northwest:
Around the Traverse City area Long Lake is producing good numbers of perch on minnows. The east and west arms of the Grand Traverse Bay is giving up fair to good counts of whitefish and lake trout. Fair activity is available for King Salmon on the Boardman River and spawn seems to be a popular choice.
Near Boyne City, Walloon Lake is producing good catches of perch and walleye on minnows. The Boyne and Bear rivers range from fair to good for King Salmon activity with best results using spawn and Cleoâ??s. Lake Charlevoix anglers are reeling in good quantities of perch on minnows and wigglers.
Around Alanson, anglers can expect good fishing conditions on Burt, Crooked and Pickerel lakes for perch and walleye. Minnows are working well.
Good perch action in the Frankfort area on Big Glen Lake and Crystal Lake, minnows and wigglers are doing the trick. A few steelhead can be found in the mix when anglers are fishing for Kings and Coho on the Betsie and Platt rivers. Fair to good activity exists for salmon with anglers using flies, spawn and spinners.
Good angling activity throughout Kalkaska. Worms are working well on good numbers of blue gill out of Lake Skegemog, Torch and Elk lakes when fishing in deeper waters. Lake Bellaire is giving up nice counts of walleye on stick baits and the Elk River Dam is great for salmon fishing with spawn.
In the Gaylord area, good trout action on open areas on streams near the Black, Manistee, and AuSable rivers. King Salmon action is good using spawn on the Boyne and Jordan rivers. Mullet, Otsego, and Bradford lakes have some good perch fishing with minnows working well.
Lake Cadillac has good crappie activity off of the city docks. Anglers are finding that minnows are working with good results.
Off of Manistee, Lake Michigan salmon action has slowed due to warm temperatures. Kings and steelhead are hitting in fair to good numbers on the Big Manistee River.
West:
Excellent King Salmon fishing continues near Baldwin. Big numbers of clean fish are being caught in the lower Pere Marquette River and the Tippy Dam. Water clarity is very good. Kingâ??s are ranging between 20-40 pounds. To avoid foul hooking a fish, anglers are using very large flies in sharp colors. The bolder and uglier the better, this way the fish will either hit it or go around it. Spawn and crank baits are working well.
Blue gill are doing well on most inland lakes on wax and leaf worms. Howes Lake is ranging from good to excellent for blue gill and perch. Each day fishing conditions improve as the water gets cooler. There are lots of fish, but small in size.
Near Grand Rapids, Wabisis Lake is doing very well for blue gill and crappie, as well as most inland lakes in the area. Minnows, wax and leaf worms are getting good results. Thornapple River near Ada is giving up good catches of walleye on Rapalas and minnows. Salmon and steelhead are hitting on flies and spawn in good numbers on the Muskegon River.
Northeast:
Anglers in the Cheboygan area saw the last push of fresh Chinooks move up the Cheboygan River eight days ago. It looks like fishing now will be mostly dark spawners. Fish are not as willing to bite as they were earlier. Drifting yarn and eggs is still taking some fish. Fish are set-up on gravel where ever it is present in the river. There are some first reports of steelhead downstream from spawning gravel. Perch fishing continues to be good on both Mullet and Burt lakes. Nice perch minnows are available in the bait shops now. Trout streams in the area are producing some fall fish. Muddler minnow patterns are taking resident browns and rainbows. The Sturgeon and Pigeon Rivers are good bets.
Around Alpena the Grand Lake, Hubbard Lake and Thunder Bay River all are producing good numbers of perch. Anglers are using minnows for best results. Salmon action is good around the Ninth Street Dam and anglers are finding that spawn and Cleoâ??s are working well.
Oscoda fishing conditions are good for pan fish, perch, and salmon. Spawn, flies, and Cleoâ??s are popular on salmon on the Au Sable River. Minnows are doing the job on perch out of Van Etten Lake, and worms work well on good quantities of pan fish on both Cooke and Foot Dam Ponds.
Angling action is fair to good in Grayling where anglers are taking perch and walleye on minnows out of Lake Margrethe.
Houghton Lake has fair to good fishing conditions this week for walleye, pike and bass. Minnows are the bait of choice and anglers are fishing off the weed bed edges and in 6-8 feet of water.
Higgins Lake is giving up good numbers of perch on minnows in 20-30 feet of water, and anglers are pulling in a few lake trout in the mix.
Around Au Gres the perch activity is fair to good on Lake Huron when using minnows. Near the mouth of the Au Gres River salmon action is fair to good with spawn and Cleoâ??s continuing to be the bait of choice. Lake Huron is slow for walleye.
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.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Lake Ann Fall Colors
Here is a photo I shot today from the boat landing on Lake Ann
Monday, October 13, 2008
High Rollaways is Peak Color Today
I shot these two photo today at High Rollaways east of Buckley. The color is peak but high winds and rain will take the leaves of in a hurry
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Fall Colors are Peak in Northern Michigan
Last week I went to UP for color and waterfalls photgraphy and the color was great from Copper Harbor to Traverse City tuesday. Come North and Enjoy the Beauty!!
This photo is from Copper Harbor
Perch runs are still good in many lakes. A Indian Summer is predicted for this weekend. Northern Michigan perch are biting, 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 with some bigger ones mixed in.
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 - Has good bluegill fishing in 22 to 27 feet of water when using wax worms and crawlers. Those trolling during the day have caught good numbers of pike. Many are small but a few keepers have been caught. Walleye anglers might want to try trolling near the channel or along the south shoreline after dark with a crawler harness or stick bait. Lots of big rock bass and small perch are also being caught on the west end of the lake.
Skegemog Lake - A lot of anglers are targeting bass. They are casting in shallow waters near the mouth of the Torch River, along the weeds on the southeast corner of the lake, and up the west shoreline to the Narrows. Try 3 to 12 feet of water with jigs, spinners, crank baits or tube baits. The fish range from 8 to 20 inches. Two small pike and a few small perch were taken in the flats between the access site at Baggs Road and the mouth of the Torch River.
Little Bay De Noc - Water temperatures dropped and were ranging in the low to upper 50s. Anglers report fair walleye catches with the better action from the First Reef north to Garth Point and down at Breezy Point when trolling cranks baits in 10 to 14 feet of water. Good northern pike action just north of the Escanaba River and in the canal at the Yacht Club when trolling large spoons and spinners. Several fish coming in at 40 inches or more have been caught. Smallmouth bass were caught off Stonington when casting tube baits or jigs in 12 to 20 feet of water.
Big Bay De Noc - Has excellent smallmouth bass fishing with fish caught from Snail Shell Harbor south to Garden Bluff when drifting or jigging tube baits or minnows in about 15 feet of water. Peak conditions are running a bit late this year.
Higgins Lake - Anglers are still taking perch along the drop-off around the Main Island and the Sunken Island. Most are using shiners.
Houghton Lake -erch fishing has slowed a bit but some nice pike have been caught on black and silver rapalas. Walleye anglers are using Hot-n-Tots or crawlers. Those fishing along the weed beds in 6 to 8 feet of water have caught some nice big bluegills.
Portage Lake - Has good bluegill fishing in 22 to 27 feet of water when using wax worms and crawlers. Those trolling during the day have caught good numbers of pike. Many are small but a few keepers have been caught. Walleye anglers might want to try trolling near the channel or along the south shoreline after dark with a crawler harness or stick bait. Lots of big rock bass and small perch are also being caught on the west end of the lake.
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 - Coho salmon are making their fall run into the Garden River which is north of Sugar Island. J-plugs seem to work best in 12 feet of water. In Lake Nicolet, a few perch were caught at 4 Mile Road and the Township Park. Perch were also reported upstream of the Sugar Island Ferry in 14 feet of water. Smallmouth action was very good along the south end of Sugar Island when using large shiners in 8 to 12 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 - Perch fishing was slow in Musky Bay and the Middle Entrance, but conditions should improve. Pike fishing has been very good all through the islands and smallmouth bass should be congregating soon. Anglers are reminded that splake season closed September 30th.
Saginaw Bay - Perch action was spotty along the shipping channel near Buoys 15 and 17, 11 and 12 or 1 and 2. Perch can still be found about two and a half miles north of the Quanicassee River in 8 feet of water.
AAA Fishing Report
Upper Peninsula:
AAA Tip: The Manistique Lake boating access site is closed now through October 27 for repair and dredging.
It is prime time on the Manistique River for Kings, Pinks and steelhead on spawn, little Cleoâ??s, yarn and stick baits, particularly Rapalas. Anglers downriver are wading for good results. Peak salmon season has one to two more weeks.
In the Sault Ste. Marie area some perch are active in the upper St. Maryâ??s River and salmon are past peak, but a few Kings are scattered. Anglers are finding a few sporadic walleye as well.
In the Munuscong Bay area, anglers are finding very good conditions on the St. Maryâ??s River for walleye and perch that are hitting on crawler harnesses. The majority of other species is very sluggish.
Near Drummond Island, Maxton Bay is producing good numbers of perch on minnows.
Around St. Ignace angling opportunities are available but local anglers are hunting instead. A few salmon can be had on the Carp River, and Brevort Lake is giving up some nice fall walleye catches. Crawlers are still taking some fish but the minnow bite is picking up.
Near the Bergland area, sucker minnows are working well on good counts of walleye. Anglers are finding best results close to shore in 8-12 feet of water and off the edges of weed beds. The evening hours seem to be the best time to fish.
Marquette anglers are doing well for lake trout out on Lake Superior when trolling in 60-80 feet of water and using spoons. Salmon are all up in the rivers with two to three more weeks left of peak fishing. Crank baits and yarn seem to be doing the trick.
Escanaba angling is a bit sluggish due to cold weather and north winds. Salmon are biting at the mouth of the Ford River. Walleye anglers are doing well by drifting and trolling in the Bay and south of Escanaba the Cedar and Bark rivers are giving up good numbers on crank baits after dark.
Northwest:
Alanson anglers are finding good salmon action up and down the Bear River. Walleye are biting on all inland lakes with minnows working the best. Burt Lake is giving up nice catches of perch.
Traverse City area anglers can expect very good conditions for whitefish on East Traverse Bay using sandkickers, wigglers and minnows. Hot locations include around Bunker Hill Road and south of the Cat Road launch. Salmon are active in all the rivers and anglers are using bobbers with skein spawn. West Traverse Bay, Big Glen, Lake Leelanau, Crystal and Long lakes are great for perch action.
Near Frankfort, the Betsie and Manistee rivers are producing plenty of salmon with best results on spinners, spawn, flies, and imitation eggs. Expect to find a few steelhead mixed in with the salmon. Perch fishing is good on Crystal, Big Glen, and Long Lake when anglers use wigglers and minnows. The Platt River is slow at this time for salmon.
Near the Kalkaska area, very good salmon catches on the Manistee River where anglers are using spawn bags. Lake Skegemog is giving up plenty of perch and small mouth bass on wigglers and minnows. Lake Margrethe is good for walleye when anglers drift with a crawler harness. Lake Manistee is also producing some nice catches of perch.
Around the Gaylord area the salmon fishing on the Boyne and Jordan rivers is fantastic however the quality of the fish is diminishing. Anglers are using spawn, eggs sacks and nymph patterns. Otsego, Twin and Bradford lakes is giving up nice catches of walleye jigging. On the Manistee River anglers are stream fishing during the early morning and later evening hours.
Great fishing throughout the Cadillac area, salmon at peak and big sized fish are running in the Manistee River. Anglers are getting good results on yarn, spawn, and wobble glows. Steelhead are just starting to show up in the river. Crappie active at the east end of Lake Cadillac, however it is either limit or nothing. Both Mitchell and Cadillac lakes are giving up pretty good catches of pike and bass and a few perch.
West:
Baldwin is booming with salmon. Rain is driving the fish into the river and fresh runs are taking place daily on the Pere Marquette and Big Manistee rivers. Anglers are pulling in an obscene amount of Kings on nymph and egg patterns, as well as spawn and big streamers. In addition to salmon, steelhead and brown trout are active in the rivers. A 24-inch brown trout was caught yesterday that was feeding on salmon. Blue gill activity is good on House Lake and Big Bass Lake, as well as several other inland lakes, but anglers will need to do some sorting and fish are small in size. Perch are decent on Big Bass Lake.
Muskegon anglers are doing well for perch out of Lake Michigan in 35-55 feet of water. Head straight out and towards the north for best location. Spikes and minnows are working well, minnows particularly to get bigger fish. Salmon and steelhead are hitting on a variety of spoons including watermelon and bloody nose. Anglers are fishing in 120-150 feet of water and getting good results in the top 50-feet. Water temperature is 48 degrees on the surface and 60 degrees deeper. Channel Cats and Flathead catfish are very active on Mona Lake and Muskegon Lake.
Chippewa Lake is giving up nice counts of walleye and bass on wax worms and night crawlers.
Northeast:
Cheboygan River salmon remains the big talk. Fishing on the River is very good with anglers throwing spoons, spinners, plugs, and drifting yarn eggs with good results. Loose females are setting up on gravel in the river and the dam area. Bobber fisherman are still killing Kings on skein eggs but keep the spawn bags at home for this method since they do not work. First steelhead are only days away. Trespassing on private docks and foul hooking of fish is causing problems for local police and Michigan DNR officers are levying heavy fines for people snagging fish. Burt and Mullet lakes are giving up some good catches of fall perch. Twenty to 30-feet of water seems to be a key depth and minnows on spreaders is the choice of presentation.
Alpena anglers are finding good salmon and steelhead numbers near the Four Mile and Norway dams, particularly in the evening hours. Try using spawn bags or glow in the dark lures for best results. Hubbard, Grand and Long lakes are producing good counts of perch on minnows.
Good action in the Oscoda area on Cooke and Foot Dam Ponds for walleye, pike and small mouth bass. Crawlers and wax worms seem to be working well. A few blue gills are biting on Cooke Dam Pond and Foote Dam is also producing good counts of salmon on spawn bags. Van Etten Lake is giving up nice catches of perch and pike on minnows.
In Grayling, Lake Margrethe is producing good amounts of perch during the morning hours on minnows. Walleye action is good in the early morning and late evening hours using crawlers and jig heads.
Houghton Lake anglers can expect good numbers of walleye and pike anytime of the day. Hot-N-Tots, minnows and crawler harnesses are working well.
Good activity out on Higgins Lake during the morning and evening hours. Anglers are finding that minnows are working well in 20-30 feet of water.
Off of Au Gres, Lake Huron is producing good numbers of perch off of the east side of the shipping channel in 38-feet of water. Minnows are doing the trick. The Au Gres River is giving up a few salmon on spawn bags and Cleoâ??s.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Not much fishing going on
This photo was shot on Mackinaw Island
Too much wind and rain this week so very little fishing except river fishing has been great.
AAA Fishing Report
Upper Peninsula:
AAA Tip: The Ford River public boating access site in Delta County has reopened. The Manistique Lake boating access site will close October 6-27 for repair and dredging.
Around the Hessel and Cedarville area the perch are biting big time. Fishing throughout the Les Cheneaux Islands is very good.
Manistique River is giving up plenty of Pinks and Kings using spawn eggs.
The St. Maryâ??s River in Sault Ste. Marie is giving up good catches of Pink salmon on Swedish Pimples and Kings casting spoons.
In the Munuscong area the St. Maryâ??s River is producing good catches of walleye and perch on crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers.
Off of Drummond Island anglers are doing well on Scott and Maxton bays for perch hitting on perch minnows. Only a few bass are biting.
Brevort Lake near St. Ignace is producing good quantities of walleye on crawler harnesses.The Carp River is providing good fishing conditions for anglers using little Cleoâ??s and spawn bags for ample counts of Pink Salmon.
Lake Gogebic near Bergland is producing good numbers of walleye on minnows. Best bet is near the shoreline and weed beds. In the evening hours walleye are active off the docks in 12-feet of water. A few perch are biting on night crawlers on Lake Gogebic.
Good action in Escanaba on Little Bay De Noc where walleye are hitting on crawler harnesses in 15-40 feet of water off the bottom. Pike activity is good around the weed beds on Little Bay De Noc using spinner baits. Salmon are hitting on Rapalas near the mouth of the Ford River.
North West
AAA Tip: The Glen Lake boating access is closed now through October 8 for dredging.
Salmon rules around Boyne City where everything else is on hold. Anglers are finding great salmon fishing on the Boyne, Jordan, and Bear rivers, as well as around Medusa Creek and off the piers of Lake Charlevoix and off the piers of Petoskey. Best results are found when casting with spoons, or using spawn and Rapalas.
Traverse City anglers are doing well with wigglers on most inland lakes for perch. Salmon are still active in the Boardman River and whitefish are in hitting on East Traverse Bay, while perch are active in the West Bay. Water is still 65 degrees in 110 feet of water and anglers are going out to 300-350 feet to find cooler water.
Crystal Lake in Frankfort as well as other inland lakes in the area is giving up good counts of perch and pan fish. Spawn and spoons seem to be working on salmon near the mouth of the Platt River. The weather is changing rapidly and another salmon run is expected soon.
Around the Manistee area, the Tippy Dam, Big Manistee Lake and Big Manistee River are all producing very nice catches of King Salmon. Anglers are finding good results while jigging or casting with Deep Jr. Thunder Sticks. Lake Michigan is sluggish for salmon this week due to warm water temperatures hovering at 66 degrees.
Lake Margrethe near Kalkaska is producing decent walleye. Blue gill are active on most inland lakes when using wax worms with a tear drop. Brook trout are doing well on the Manistee River and salmon are running on Boyne River where anglers are getting good results with Rapalas and stick baits.
Gaylord anglers are finding plenty of action for salmon on the Jordan, Boyne and Bear rivers using spawn and fly patterns. The regular trout season closed as of Sept. 30. Lake fishing is good for a variety of species on Otsego, Lake Michigan and Twin Lakes. Crawler harnesses and crank baits are working well.
In the Cadillac area, blue gill are biting on wax worms, crickets and leaf worms, and crappie are hitting on small minnows out of both Lake Cadillac and Lake Mitchell. A few perch are starting to show up as the waters cool down, and the pike and walleye are picking up for the fall feed.
West:
Hot, hot, hot salmon fishing taking place in Baldwin. The Pere Marquette, Big Manistee and lower Manistee rivers are all producing excellent catches of salmon. Salmon are ranging between 20-40 pounds with the average 25 pounds. Water levels are down, water is clear and anglers are using nymph patterns, and spawn. The rivers have a good variety of fish with plenty of Coho and steelhead in the mix. Wolf Lake is sluggish at this time. Blue gill are slow due to cooler weather. Lake Michigan is giving up a few salmon when dragging flashers or Hot-N-Tots.
Good angling action around Ludington for salmon. The Pere Marquette River is good near the Ludington State Park using spawn. Anglers are casting with spoons off the break wall and near the piers for some good salmon catches. Steelhead also found in the same locations. Most inland lakes are producing good numbers of pan fish and bass on crickets and crawlers.
Near Muskegon perch action has picked up on Lake Michigan in 50-feet of water and anglers are doing well using minnows. Lake Michigan is also providing nice salmon catches in deeper waters 50-200 feet and fishing 42-82 feet down with spoons. Kings, Coho and steelhead are biting. Muskegon Lake is decent for blue gill off the weed beds.
Northeast:
Overall fishing is very good for the entire northeast area. Cheboygan River is seeing a new run of Chinook salmon. Nice silver fish have pushed in and fishing should be very good for the next 10 days. One angler took in five fish in five casts with skein eggs below a bobber in one hour of fishing. A nice variety of small male Coho Jacks and females in the 15-20 pound range, as well as mid-teen males in the mix. Casting is producing fish at dawn, dusk, and night and eggs produce any hour of the day. Burt Lake is producing nice perch on the southern end off of Indian River. Perch minnows are available in good supply now and fishing should be excellent through ice up. Pike are on a fall bite for a majority of the lakes in the northeast, and smallmouth bass are also fattening up before winter.
Around Oscoda the salmon are in the AuSable River but not spawning as of today. Cooler weather is moving in and by the weekend salmon fishing should be outstanding. Anglers are using little Cleoâ??s, Panther Martin Spinners, spawn, flies, and spoons with good results. Above the Dam, fishing has slowed but some walleye, pike and bass are hitting on night crawlers on Foote and Cooke Dam ponds.
Grayling anglers are finding some good action for brook trout on most of the rivers when using crawlers. Lake Margrethe is fair for perch on minnows and is slow to fair for walleye right now.
Houghton Lake is producing good counts of walleye and pike, some crappie, and a few perch. Best location is Muddy Bay in 8-feet of water and around the weed lines. Popular baits include crawlers, crawler harnesses, Hot-N-Tots, and beetle spins. The blue gill fishing is sluggish this week.
Anglers fishing on Higgins Lake will find that jigging with minnows for lake trout is a good bet. Perch are biting on Swedish Pimples.
Au Gres anglers are using minnows for fair catches of perch, some anglers are limiting out. Salmon are on the move up the river and anglers are getting a few by casting Cleoâ??s and a variety of colored spoons.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Not a Great Day for Opener
Was not a very nice day for the opener, as wind and rain kept many out of the woods. Here is a buck I downstate.
