Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Monday, December 29, 2008
Lyman’s On The Lake Shanty Rental
Lyman’s on the Lake has shanty rental with live bait, fishing supplies, and a full service party store.
Lymans shanties are located on the South shore?weedbed of Houghton Lake.?Northern Pike are very good and the occasional Walleye will be caught in this location.?Shanty rental includes transportation to and from the shanty and a propane heater.?Reservations are recommended.
You can check out the shanties by clicking on here
Lyman’s Ice Shanty Rental?
6560 W. Houghton Lake Dr.?Houghton Lake, MI 48629?
Phone: 989 422-3231?
Rates
From 7:00 am till 7:00 pm.
2 Man $35.00
4 Man $40.00
6 Man $50.00
Sleeper shanty $75.00
From 7am/7pm with heat
STORE?HOURS
Sunday
7:00 - 6:00
Monday
7:00 - 7:00
Tuesday
7:00 - 7:00
Wednesday
7:00 - 7:00
Thursday
7:00 - 7:00
Friday
7:00 - 8:00
Saturday
6:00 - 8:00
We had high winds again today so not many venturing out as they wait for the wind to go down.
Wixom Lake has been good for crappie and gills off the public access site and Muddy Bay.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Rain then Blizzard
We had rain saturday then sunday morning we had blizzard conditions. The thaw helped the lakes as we had too much snow on the lakes now we are down to the ice. Ice is great on most lakes, but Higgins and Mullet will be a few days before we can fish.
Fish were biting good on most lakes till the rain hit, and not many fisherman have been out the last two days. Lake Margrethe has been good for walleye and pike call Skips Sport Shop 989-348-7111 for the latest info.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2008
Christmas week began with lots of snow and fish for those who ventured out. It??s been difficult to keep up with the weather changes. We??ve gone from too much snow, 50 degree temperatures with rain, to blizzard conditions.
The warm up melted most of the snow on Mitchell and Cadillac which makes it easier to move around. Use caution on the lakes as we also lost some ice. Reported ice depths range from 5 to 12 inches depending on your location.
As we generate this report the temperature has dropped with snow and blowing. The New Year should bring in thicker ice. However, use your spud to check any area you wish to fish.
Crappie fishing has remained good, especially at the Causeway area (West side of Cadillac). The evening bite has been the best. Small minnows or jigs tipped with red spikes are working equally well. It??s been hard to find numbers of big bluegills. The best bet has been the Coves on Mitchell but limits have been scarce. Those doing the best are using micro jigs with spikes. Lately it??s been mixed catches of gills and crappie.
Shockingly, an unusual number of big walleyes have been iced. No hot spots, both lakes, most were caught by jigging Rapalas just before dark. There??s been several since in the 4 to 6 pound range. Brian Brown is back! You saw the photo of the 9 pounder last week. This time with a 25?, 6.7 pound walleye, he released the 9 pound female he caught last week.
No matter what the weather pike fishing has been good. Numbers of Christmas pike over 30 inches were caught. As normal, the numbers come from Mitchell. Fewer but usually larger pike come from Lake Cadillac. Spear and tip-up fishermen are doing well.
Tip-up fisherman Steve Pipkins came from Traverse City to fish Lake Mitchell. He returned with a 5 lb., 29 ¾? pike. Andrew Brunner also from Traverse City set his tip-ups on Cadillac. He caught a limit, one 27? and a 30 incher.
The competition in the Pilgrim Village Pike Spearing Contest has been fast and furious. The lead has changes often. Current standings are:
1st Place - William Beaver - 34 ½?, 8.8 pounds
2nd Place - Brian Brown - 33 ¾?, 8.8 pounds
3rd Place - Alan Anderson - 32?, 6.9 pounds
4th Place - Chris Hansen - 31 1/8?, 7 pounds
5th Place - James Cornelius - 29 ¾?, 6.2 pounds
6th Place - Boone Williams - 28 ¾?, 5 pounds
Our leader, William Beaver, his best luck comes from the ones he carves. He??s donating one as a prize for our spearing contest. Brian Brown slipped to #2. He??ll have to sharpen his spear. Alan Anderson speared his 32? pike on Lake Mitchell. He enjoys the sport. This year there??s more interest in pike spearing. Must be the early season.
Sign up for the 7th Annual Pike Contest at the Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop. Great prizes and no fee, but you must be registered before fishing.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Ice Fishing for the Holidays
WE are ice fishing on most lakes and as people get out wii find where the fish are biting.
Upper Peninsula:
Anglers in the U.P. are out in force ice-fishing thanks to single digit temperatures for the past week.
Indian Lake near Manistique has a whopping 10-12 inches of ice and the action is fair to good for walleye and perch with minnows the bait of choice.
Sault St. Marie has good angling action near the locks for white fish.
Munuscong Lake has 6-inches or more of nice solid ice. Anglers are catching nice counts of perch and walleye on minnows. Cedarville Lake also has 6-inches of ice and the ice fishing for perch is fair to good with minnows.
Brevort Lake and Christiansen Bay near St. Ignace are both producing decent counts of perch and walleye for ice fishing. Boedne Bay is good for blue gill.
Eagle Harbor is giving up plenty of splake action for ice-anglers fishing on the west end. Lake Fanny Hooe is providing good action for perch on minnows.
Lake Gogebic near Bergland has 8-inches of ice in spots but the activity so far is poor for walleye, and the fish are very small in size.
Around the Marquette area, most inland lakes have 6-8 inches of ice. Anglers are pulling in nice catches of perch, walleye and northerns. No report so far on the ice conditions for Lake Superior.
Little Bay De Noc north of Gladstone has 8-10 inches of ice. Anglers are doing well for good numbers of walleye, perch and pike.
Northwest:
Alanson anglers have plenty of ice to do some great fishing over the holiday period. Pickeral Lake has over 6-inches of ice at this time.
Good action near Boyne City on the Boyne, Boardman, Jordan and Manistee rivers for steelhead using wigglers and spawn. Fish are averaging two pounds. Susan Lake is good for crappie and pike on minnows.
In Traverse City anglers have good ice conditions. Long Lake on the north and south ends the walleye activity is good.
Near Kalkaska, Lake Skegemog and Little Glen Lake is good for perch on minnows. Lake Leelanau is giving up nice catches of walleye and perch. Manistee Lake is giving fair to good counts of blue gill, walleye and crappie on minnows.
Around Frankfort the ice is nice and solid on Arcadia, Portage and Crystal lakes with good activity taking place for perch and pike.
Ice continues to thicken around the Gaylord area on Otsego and Bradford lakes. The average thickness is 3-inches. Anglers are doing well for walleye and perch on minnows.
Cadillac anglers are having great success on Mitchell and Cadillac lakes with pike, blue gill and some really big walleye. Walleye are averaging 7-9 pounds and 26 inches long. Ice conditions are ideal.
West:
Around Ludington, the Pere Marquette Lake and River have about 5-inches of ice, use caution. Hamlin Lake has 6-9 inches of solid ice. Anglers are doing fair to good for blue gill and crappie and good for walleye in the evening hours.
Chippewa Lake has at least 8-inches of ice and anglers are setting up for ice fishing.
In the Baldwin area, the Pere Marquette River is good for steelhead, Howells Lake is good for blue gill and sunfish and Big Bass Lake is giving up good catches of perch. Ice is averaging anywhere from 6-8 inches.
Most inland lakes are frozen around Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and South Haven with ice ranging between three and six inches. As the temperatures remain in the single digits the ice will be in very nice shape by the weekend. Northeast:
Alpena anglers have good ice all over. Grand Lake is giving up good counts of perch. Fletchers Floodwaters has some really good fishing taking place this week.
Around the Oscoda area, perch and pike are in good numbers near the landings of the Foote Dam Pond. Van Etten Lake is producing good counts of perch on spawn and Cedar Lake is giving up good action on blue gill with spikes and wax worms.
Lake Margrethe near Grayling is good for walleye activity in the late evening hours when anglers use sucker minnows. Fair activity is taking place for nice size perch on minnows, and anglers using tip-ups will find good numbers of pike, however small in size.
Houghton Lake has 10 inches of ice and anglers are out in force fishing for good numbers of walleye and pike. Tip-ups with minnows and jigging with spoons or Rapalas seems to work well. A few perch are being pulled in as well.
Higgins Lake is freezing up nicely, about 2-4 inches of ice in areas. By the weekend ice-fishing should commence.
Au Gres anglers are pulling in very good numbers of walleye on the Au Gres River. Anglers are reeling in 50-60 fish but plenty of sorting is taking place. Blue gill activity is fair in the cuts and perch action is slow today.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!!
Most lake’s are froze with fish biting so hope to see you up north this weekend
Monday, December 22, 2008
The Snow Returns
It has snow hard since friday putting lots of snow on good ice. Have not got many reports since the storms have started.
Higgins lake and Crystal lake two very deep lakes are froze and this has not happened in decades that they froze in Dec.
Lake Leelanau has a great walleye bite with many 5 pounders being caught with many limits. Some are saying they are biting during the day.
Long Lake by Traverse City has a good walleye bite also.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
The lakes are great! You have no excuses not to fish.
Ice depths range from 5 to 10 inches of good, sharp clear ice. Many are using power augers because the ice is improving daily. Other area lakes are reporting the same. However, use your spud and check you way especially in new areas.
We??re snow covered again but no signs of slush. The weathers cold with new snow daily. Snowmobilers are in heaven, praising the groomed trails.
Many are under the impression that Mitchell and Cadillac are not worth fishing for walleyes. Some travel to other lakes looking for them. Think again! Have had several reported lately, legal and undersized.
The picture of the week is of Brian Brown with a 9 pounder. Some where on the east side of Cadillac, this huge female is alive and well because he released it, knowing that it was a spawner. Hopefully she??ll have her family and live to be caught again, even larger.
Chris Hanson caught another big female, 7 pounds. He also released her after taking her picture. Chris and Brian are both good ethical fishermen and are helping improve the walleye numbers. Keeping their prize in a cooler allowed the release.
Another good walleye. Adam Thomas of Cadillac is no rookie when it comes to walleye fishing. His was 23 ½ inch male that weighed over 4 pounds.
Panfishermen, Bluegill and especially crappie fishing has improved and so has their size.
Larry Martin knows the lakes and does well. The largest speck measured 12 ½ inches. Count the crappie and gills caught by Jerry Lawhead, Scott and Brian Barger. This group usually limits out and the fish shiver when they step on the ice. A pattern is developing for pan fishing. Although they??ll bite all day, the best time has been occurring about an hour before dark or later. A few crappie purest are fishing with underwater lights at night and are catching 10 to 12 inchers on a regular basis.
Pike are cooperating as usual. Tip-up anglers are baiting with golden shiners or suckers. Starting to hear of more pike in the over 30? class. Both lakes are full of them. Dark House anglers, Dan Williams (Boone) was leading our spearing contest for a short time. His northern made the board at just under 29?. Brian Brown has taken the lead with 30 ¾?. Boon moves to #2 and Chris Hansen is #3. There are 8 places eligible for prizes and you can up grade your fish. This year there??s also a Youth Anglers category (16 yrs and under). You must be pre-registered before you fish - No Cost!
Pilgrim Village will be open Christmas Day 11 to 3 for your fishing needs.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Great Ice
We have great ice on most the shallow lakes with many deeper lakes freezing also.
Lake Margrethe has good ice and fishing has picked up this week with pike and walleye.
Houghton Lake - Recent rain melted the snow and ice is forming. Anglers are fishing for walleye off the north shore and in the East Bay. Bluegills and pike are being caught in the weed beds off the south shore.
Saginaw Bay - Ice fishing for perch off Palmer Road near Standish was good but did slow last weekend. Heavy rain and strong winds may have compromised ice conditions around the Bay, so anglers are advised to proceed with great caution. Test the ice before you go. Anglers continue to fish in marina basins at Linwood, Sebewaing, and Caseville; sometimes on the ice and sometimes through the ice while sitting on docks.
Crooked Lake - Was starting to ice over and may support angler traffic by the weekend. Try walleye fishing in the shallow waters only off the north shoreline.
Traverse City - Both the East Bay and the West Bay have open water.
Little Glen Lake - Anglers are starting to fish for perch and pike along the weedbeds.
Betsie River - Those willing to brave the cold could very well hook into an occasional steelhead.
Lake Missaukee - Arctic weather conditions have limited fishing. A few more anglers have ventured out on lake however caution needs to be used. It would be wise to stay in the shallow waters until the lake has more time to produce good ice.
Lake Cadillac - Has ice but not too many anglers are venturing out yet. Those that do will want to be safe and stay in the shallow waters. Rain melted the snow, and that should help the freezing process.
Lake Mitchell - Has ice; however anglers should avoid the deep areas. Fish the weedbeds in the coves for pike and bluegills.
Upper Peninsula:
It is slow overall for anglers attempting to fish Indian Lake. Temperatures hovering around three degrees has anglers staying off the lakes. By the weekend ice fishing should really get underway.
Munuscong Lake has decent ice at this time but the temperatures are extremely cold. A few brave soles are getting out and fishing for perch using minnows and reeling in some good sized fish.
Around St.Ignace a few anglers are getting out on Christiansen Bay and pulling in a few perch and walleye on minnows.
Lake Gogebic near the Bergland area is giving up a few walleye, pike and perch on minnows. However it has been so frigid that most anglers are staying indoors. Ice shanties are appearing on the north and south ends of the Lake as anglers are getting geared up for ice fishing this weekend.
Little Bay DeNoc has an average of 5-7 inches of ice on the north end and anglers are pulling in a few good sized walleye on minnows. One angler this morning caught an 11-pound walleye.
North Manistique Lake - Ice shanties have started to pop up as anglers are catching some walleye.
South Manistique Lake - Anglers are catching the bigger walleye here. Fish measuring 25 to 29 inches have been caught on tip-ups with minnows. Find the edge of the weedbeds in 5 to 15 feet of water.
Northwest:
Near the Alanson and Boyne areas, Burt, Crooked, Pickeral, Mullett, and Walloon lakes are all freezing up nicely, as well as most of the rivers and parts of Lake Charlevoix. Ice fishing should be able to commence this weekend; however anglers should use extreme caution when attempting to walk out on any body of water.
Traverse City anglers are still awaiting some safe ice at this point. The temperatures have fluctuated too much and ice should not be considered safe at this point.
Rain has caused limited angling around the Frankfort area and has affected the ice as well. Be very careful stepping on to any lake. The Betsie River is poor for steelhead due to adverse weather this week.
Skegemog Lake near Kalkaska still has questionable ice. Some anglers are attempting to go out, but the ice should be treated as unsafe due to fluctuating temperatures this week. A few anglers reeled in some walleye on minnows.
Near the Gaylord area, the Jordan and Au Sable Rivers are slow this week with only a few steelhead being caught with flies.
In the Cadillac area, the ice varies tremendously on both lakes Cadillac and Mitchell depending on the location you plan to fish. Ice is in layers and some sections are 8-9 inches thick and in other spots the ice can be very thin with averaging 2-3 inches. Plenty of pike, limits of crappie but the walleye and perch activity is far and few and not too many blue gill are biting.
Hamlin Lake near Ludington is giving up a few blue gill for anglers fishing near the shoreline edge. The ice continues to thicken, and by next week should be ready for ice fishing.
Muskegon Lake had open water as of yesterday, but with the cold temperatures that have moved in the lake is starting to freeze over. Anglers are starting to gear up for ice fishing soon.
No angling action taking place on Chippewa Lake just yet due to very thin ice. Anglers are getting out on Haymarsh Lake State Game area and pulling in some nice blue gill and perch.
Around the Baldwin area, the ice is still not safe just yet, but the snow is gone and the lakes are freezing up nicely.
Near the Grand Rapids area, angling action is pretty much at a minimum this week, thanks to adverse weather and changing ice conditions. Some anglers are getting on the very small lakes, but overall anglers are waiting for safe ice. Some of the rivers are still giving up a few steelhead on spawn.
Northeast:
Anglers will find good ice overall, but activity is very minimal.
Foote Dam Pond near Oscoda is giving up a few pike and walleye. Anglers are using tip-ups.
Houghton Lake has good ice registering up to 10-inches in sections. A few walleye can be pulled in near the north shore and east bay, while pike and pan fish are more active near the south shore.
Higgins Lake the south-end is froze with some venturing out this weekend.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Many Deeper Lakes are Froze
Many of the deeper lakes froze last night with Green Lake, Lake Leelanau, Long Lake, Silver Lake, Black Lake, and Portage. They are not safe yet but will be soon if the snow misses us Friday.
The sunday thaw was a godsin to Northern Michigan as it took and melted the snow on the ice then we had temps in the single digits the next day making the ice safe.
Indian Lake near Manistique is producing good catches of jumbo perch on minnows off of Big Spring Landing. The lake has about six-inches of ice at the current time.
Munuscong Lake is giving up good catches of perch on minnows and the Bay has 2-3 inches of ice. So far no walleye are biting yet.
Alanson anglers are doing well on perch and walleye on Crooked Lake, ice fishing in the shallow areas. More inland lakes are freezing over and should be in good shape for the weekend.
Around the Ludington area, anglers fishing on the lower end of Hamlin Lake and the Pere Marquette River are doing fair for blue gill when using wax worms and spikes, crappie on minnows and northerns on tip-ups with minnows.
Missaukee, Cadillac, Margrethe, Houghton Lake, Lake St. Helen, Manistee Lake, Wixon, Sanford Lake and many shallow lake are froze and have from 4 to 8 inches of ice.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Thaw Helps Ice Fishing
The big thaw the fast freeze up to the snow down to the ice, then froze solid and we have great ice for fishing on most shallow lakes. Hearing from 4 to 8 inches of ice. Many of the deeper lakes will go over tonight as we have 10 degrees. The ice is safe on many shallow lakes so hope to see you this weekend and will have an update as we hear in from our customers.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
Ice conditions are improving. In selected areas expect to find 5 inches or more. The heavy slush areas have frozen and are no longer a problem. Safest ice will be found at the causeway (west side of Cadillac) and the east side of Lake Mitchell (Mitchell State Park). There??s 5 inches of clear ice, a gap of water, then 2 or 3 more inches of ice beneath. Fishermen are out on other places on both lakes but are reporting much less ice.
Don??t be fooled when you see snowmobile tracks on the lakes. Not aware of anyone breaking through, but they stop for nothing. Use your spud and check the ice where ever you go.
Many of the better areas of our lakes have not been tested. We??re expecting very cold weather this week which will improve conditions and allow us to fish other areas.
The big fish have been cooperating and tip-up fishing has been fun. Pike are eating suckers and golden shiners attached to tip-ups. A few are bobber fishing or jigging. Most we??ve seen have been under 30 inches, but hearing stories of big ones. Set up in shallow weedy water and you??ll likely to catch pike.
A few walleye have been iced. No numbers, no hot spot. First ice usually they??re caught on tip-ups using light line. None have tried the better walleye spots on either lake.
Panfishing has been slow. Lots of small perch, that never seems to grow. As usual, you have to sort. Crappie fishing has been disappointing for first ice. They must still be deeper then were fishing. A few limits have come in. All were caught late afternoon into the dark. It??s been a late bite. Currently we??re unable to get into the best crappie areas. Especially the east side of Cadillac. Blue gills have been spotty. One here or there but no concentrations yet.
Robert Elliott from Grand Rapids caught a nice pike. He set his tip-ups on Mitchell near the State Park swimming beach. The Marr brothers, Bob and John, are pictured with a limit of crappies. They fished the causeway on Cadillac, late afternoon using red and white spikes.
Spear fishermen, what are you waiting for. The season opened December 1st. Chris Hansen, the 1st of the ice, is 1st in our spearing contest. He leads with a 28 incher that can easily be beaten. He??ll up grade himself. His partner Brian Brown is a close second with a 27 ½ incher.
Great news for Spear Fishermen!
The following changes were approved at the November 6 Natural Resources Commission meeting. ??The Spearing Season for pike and muskie will now run from December 1 - March 15. Instead of just January and February and the whitefish spearing season will now be open year-round. These regulations take immediate effect.?
Great news for the Dark House guys. Lakes Mitchell and Cadillac are known for the numbers of pike and big pike.
Sign up for the 7th Annual Pike Contest at the Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop. Great prizes and no fee, but you must be registered before fishing.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Ice is Unsafe
We are fishing on a few lakes but the heavy snow Tuesday has made the lake’s hazardous and many have fell though.
Upper Peninsula:
Indian Lake near Manistique is producing good catches of jumbo perch on minnows off of Big Spring Landing. The lake has about six-inches of ice at the current time.
Munuscong Lake is giving up good catches of perch on minnows and the Bay has 2-3 inches of ice. So far no walleye are biting yet.
St. Ignace anglers are still waiting for safe ice. No activity at this point.
Drummond Island anglers are ready and geared up to ice fish, but the ice is not safe just yet. No shore fishing is taking place since it is too shallow and the edges of the shore are frozen.
Sault St. Marie area anglers are experiencing a slow down in angling due to the foot or so of snow on the ground.Ice is forming, but not safe at this point.
Lake Gogebic is giving up some fair to good walleye on minnows from the shoreline and ice fishing. However, most anglers are waiting for more ice to get out further.
Marquette fishing is decent on most small lakes with anglers pulling a few perch, pan fish and pike on sucker minnows. The ice continues to thicken thanks to a solid week of frigid temperatures.
Escanaba area anglers can??t get out due to very thin skim ice on the north end of Bay De Noc. There is a good chance if the temperatures hold; ice fishing could take place on the Bay this weekend.
Northwest:
Alanson anglers are doing well on perch and walleye on Crooked Lake, ice fishing in the shallow areas. More inland lakes are freezing over and should be in good shape for the weekend.
Boyne anglers are anxiously awaiting the ice to thicken. No activity this week.
In the Traverse City area a few steelhead are being taken from the Manistee River on spawn and wax worms. Elsewhere, fish are not biting and activity is slow. Most anglers are waiting for safe ice and by the weekend Little Glen Lake may be the location to check out. Use extra caution attempting to walk on any ice at this point.
Frankfort activity is overall slow and a few anglers are fishing from the shoreline of Crystal Lake for perch with minnows. Some inland lakes are starting to form ice and some die-hard anglers are still fishing the river.
No safe ice as of yet for anxious anglers around the Kalkaska area. Virtually no angling activity is taking place at this point.
In the Gaylord area, a few steelhead are biting on spawn on the Boyne, Jordan, and Au Sable rivers on spawn. A few brown trout are also hitting on the Manistee in the streams.
Around the Cadillac area, ambitious anglers are setting up tip-ups along the shoreline and getting prepared for ice fishing season. Lake Cadillac has open water and ice has formed in spots ranging from two to three inches.
West:
Around the Ludington area, anglers fishing on the lower end of Hamlin Lake and the Pere Marquette River are doing fair for blue gill when using wax worms and spikes, crappie on minnows and northerns on tip-ups with minnows. The Pere Marquette River is also giving up good counts of steelhead on spawn or spinner baits.
Fair angling action in the Muskegon area for steelhead on spawn bags off the pier. The pier is starting to ice up so use caution. If you can launch your boat the perch fishing is fair on Lake Michigan. The Muskegon River is fair to good for steelhead when using spawn and fishing by boat on the upper end.
Adverse weather has plagued angling action for Chippewa Lake anglers this past week. Overall no activity is taking place at this point.
Baldwin area angling activity is at a stand still due to snow and weather conditions. The ice is too thin to get out on and just enough ice to halt casting or boat launching.
White Lake is giving up some good catches of whitefish on Hopkins spoons when anglers can get out.
Grand River near the Grand Rapids area is good for steelhead casting spawn and wax worms.
Northeast:
Alpena anglers are setting up tip-ups along the shore line; however the ice thickness is really hit or miss. Use extreme caution. Tawas Bay near Oscoda is producing a few whitefish, otherwise very slow angling activity.
The ice is starting to form on smaller inland lakes around the Grayling area, and a few anglers are getting out. Lake Margrethe has two inches of ice along the shore edge.
Houghton Lake has 3-5 inches of ice and anglers that are venturing out are pulling up a few pike on sucker minnows.
No angling activity taking place on Higgins Lake, the lake is not frozen the water is still wide open.
Around the Au Gres area, some good perch action is taking place near Palmer Road and the Rifle River area where there is ice and minnows seem to be working well. The ice is questionable on the cuts and Au Gres River.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Another Foot of Snow
We are getting hammered in the snow belt which feels like the mountains right now. Snow is up to your waist on the level. I saw snow machines getting towed out of a ditch as they were stuck that bad.
Ice conditions are terrible were the snow is over two feet. Some places have ice but the phone not ringing off the hook for businesses wanting bait.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Snow Making Conditions Tough
The snow keeps piling up and what few lakes that have ice are unsafe in Northern Michigan. Conditions are better south of M-55 as they have less snow. With the colder weather look for some lakes to be fished where there is less snow.
Sanford and Wixom Lake they are fishing the bays and fills with spikes working best.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
Everyone is eager to get on the ice!
Lake Cadillac and Mitchell have ice but?. But?. There??s a foot or more of snow on the lakes. Selected areas have 2 or 3 inches of clear ice and several brave souls are out, even in a shanty or two.
No one is or should be walking out helter skelter. There are a few areas where they are fishing. Most are setting tip-ups and returning to shore waiting for flags.
Auger a hole and water gushes up because of the snows pressure on the ice. Once a hole is cut expect to be standing in water and slush. Over night these areas freeze for better conditions.
Using a spud to check your way and carrying ice picks are a must.
Temperatures are cold and it??s slowly making ice, another week or so and it may be safer for those of us not as brave for today??s conditions. Teens and colder are predicted for every night, but it also snow everyday.
The ice is not safe - even though several can??t wait and are out.
One of the first to fish the causeway on Lake Cadillac in a shanty was Damian Decator. See him daily out in his Shappell tent.
Andrew Brunner is not interested in ice. His trip to the Broadman River in Traverse City was a success. Bobber fishing with jigs and wax worms he??s pictured with a gorgeous 9 lb. Steelhead. Snow and cold didn??t stop him.
Great news for Spear Fishermen!
The following changes were approved at the November 6 Natural Resources Commission meeting. ??The Spearing Season for pike and muskie will now run from December 1 - March 15. Instead of just January and February and the whitefish spearing season will now be open year-round. These regulations take immediate effect.?
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Another Foot of Snow
We had another foot of snow last night as it keeps piling up hurting the ice. I have heard of a few getting out on Muddy Bay on Wixom Lake and the first Fill on Sanford Lake as they only have an inch of snow.
Here is a photo I shot today of an old shack
Saturday, December 06, 2008
New Spearing and Smelt Regulations in MIchigan
Michigan anglers will have several new opportunities, but also will face a new restriction, because of fishing regulation changes approved at the Nov. 6 Natural Resources Commission meeting in Lansing.
Department of Natural Resources Director Rebecca Humphries signed fisheries orders that extend the spearing season through the ice for pike and muskellunge in certain waters, extend the whitefish spearing season on the Great Lakes and connecting waters, allow all anglers to use three rods, and establish a two-gallon limit on smelt.
The spearing season for pike and muskie will now run from Dec. 1-March 15, instead of just January and February and the whitefish spearing season will now be open year-round. The new seasons are the result of legislation enabling the DNR to set spearing regulations. These regulations take immediate effect.
Anglers have been allowed to use three rods when fishing for salmon on the Great Lakes for a number of years, but were restricted to two rods elsewhere and when pursuing other species in the Great Lakes. A survey of anglers showed overwhelming public support for three rods. The new regulation, which takes effect April 1, 2009, allows anglers to use three rods on all waters and in pursuit of all species, though the DNR retains the authority to reduce the rule to two rods if necessary.
The two-gallon limit on smelt, which historically have been unregulated, is designed to prevent waste during periods of high abundance and offer some protection to smelt as an important forage and sport species. The limit applies to both dip-net and hook-and-line anglers. This new regulation also takes effect April 1, 2009.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Ice Unsafe
Ice fishing in Northern Michigan will have to wait another week as the snow has hurt the ice and made it unsafe. I was at Kalkaska, Grayling, and Gaylord and many lakes are froze but heavy snow on the lakes, making ice will be a challege.
There is a little fishing around Gladwin, Harrison, and Sanford on the small cuts.
Upper Peninsula:
In the Manistique area, a few die-hard anglers are fishing some of the smaller lakes, but overall there is no river action and no boats going out. Some ice has registered up to 5-inches thick in sections, however the ice is very questionable and more than likely not safe. There is not a lot of snow so the ice could thicken up quickly for the ice-fishing season to get started within the next week.
In the Sault Ste. Marie area there is a decent amount of snow keeping the ice from thickening. No angling activity at this time.
Munuscong Bay has a few inches of ice forming, and a few die-hards are going out.
Around the St. Ignace area fishing is in between stages at this point.The ice is having a hard time freezing up due to the amount of snow cover.
A few anglers are still getting out in boats around Escanaba fishing for walleye on Little Bay De Noc. On the smaller inland lakes ice is averaging around three inches at this point, not safe.
Lake Gogebic has three inches of ice on the north and south ends. Few anglers are attempting to ice-fish for walleye with minnows. Use extreme caution.
Marquette anglers are anxiously waiting to get out on the lake. A few anglers have braved to go out, but the ice is not safe just yet.
Northwest:
No angling activity is taking place in Boyne City during this seasonal transition period. The ice is starting to freeze, however snow is covering the ice keeping it from thickening. The ice is not safe at this point.
Traverse City anglers are pulling in some fair catches of steelhead from the Manistee and Boardman rivers on spawn and wax worms.
Frankfort area anglers are getting a few steelhead from the piers and rivers, but overall waiting to get out to ice fish.Ice currently is not safe.
Anglers in the Kalkaska area are gearing up for ice-fishing season and just waiting for the ice to freeze up enough to be safe.
Around the Gaylord area, some really late salmon and some steelhead are being pulled from the Au Sable and Manistee rivers. No ice in the area is safe at this point.
Cadillac and Mitchell lakes have some ice and some open water. No angling action is taking place at this point.
West:
Ludington anglers are a few weeks away yet for ice-fishing. The ice is forming, but not safe yet.
Near Baldwin, the Pere Marquette and Big and Little Manistee rivers are providing good to excellent catches of steelhead in the 10-15 pound range when using spawn. The ice in the area is not safe, averaging around 1 ½ inches of ice at this point.
Around Muskegon steelhead activity is still good off the break arms and break walls. Perch action is good using minnows and spikers in 55-65 feet of water. After dark the walleye are biting on crank baits with fair success. In the channels at night, spoons seem to be working on fair to good catches of whitefish.
Only a thin layer of ice is apparent on Chippewa Lake and definitely not safe. No fishing is taking place.
Northeast:
Around the Oscoda area, a few steelhead and whitefish are still being caught on wax worms and spawn just below the Foote Dam.
Grayling anglers are geared up for ice-fishing, but recent heavy snow is keeping the ice from forming to safe levels. No lake or river is safe for ice-fishing at this time.
Higgins Lake has no ice or boat fishing at this time.
Houghton Lake anglers are going out about 100 yards and catching a few blue gill and some pike. Ice on the lake is 2-3 inches with plenty of slush covering the top. Use extreme caution if you venture out.
Near Au Gres, anglers continue to pull in a few whitefish from docks around East Tawas. A few anglers have attempted to get out on the cuts, but it is not advisable at this time. Ice is not safe.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Hoodie’s Opinion of Winter
