Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Northern Michigan Fishing Report
We need a warm up as most are reporting a slow fish bite this week with temps. dipping from 10 to 22 below the first of the week. A little warm-up will get the fish back on the bite as they get sluggish when temps get that cold
We have had brutal weather this week with very little fishing pressure when it is 22 below with high winds. Today was nice with many getting back out and trying there luck. Crystal Lake is froze all the way so look for that lake to be great when we get back to normal winter. Grand Traverse Bay is all the way over and look for whitefish and perch fishing to get going this weekend. Most are reporting lots of slush on many lakes after the storm on saturday.
Higgins Lake- Smelt are still hitting off the North State Park, Big Creek, and south of the west boat launch in 40 to 50 feet of water. Use wax worms or perch minnows with a hali jig between dusk and 9:30pm and again around midnight and fish the entire water column. Smaller perch are hitting on wax worms or perch minnows between the Sunken Island and Treasure Island, off the North State Park, and in front of the Conference Center in 40 to 50 feet of water. Lake trout are hitting grey minnows or a Swedish Pimple with smelt fished just off the bottom in 90 to 100 feet of water. Lots of small perch being caught, and still no reports of bigger perch. Lake trpout fishing has been good all around the lake You can call Phoenix Park @ 989-821-7220 for info off the west access site and Sports Barn @ 989-821-9511 for info on the south-end of Higgins Lake
Lake Margrethe has good ice and fishing at a standstill with brutal weather. Call Skipā??s Sport Shop @ 989-348-7111 for the latest info.
Portage Lake by Onekama has been great for perch and walleye , with some getting walleye during the day. Call Osbornā??s Sport Shop in Bear Lake @ 231-889-3775 or Donā??s Sport Shop in Manistee @ 231-723-5028
Hamlin Lake- Fishing has been slow however anglers able to get out to new areas are finding fish. Some anglers fishing east of the Wilson Hill Park in 7 to 12 feet of water were taking about a dozen nice bluegills per trip while others in the same area had no luck. Jigs and wax worms were the ticket. A couple walleye and some crappie were taken in 15 to 30 feet of water off Pete’s Bayou. Those fishing Lower Hamlin were finding a few fish in 15 to 25 feet of water. Call Pere Marquette Sport @ 231-843-8676 or Hamlin Grocery @ (231) 843-2058
The Eyes Have It reports great fishing in the Leroy area call Craig @ 231-768-5653
Houghton Lake - Pike are hitting tip-ups with minnows. Some nice walleye were caught in the East Bay and along the north shore when jigging minnows. A handful of perch were taken on minnows or wax worms. The bluegill bite has picked up in 6 to 8 feet of water over the weed beds along the south shore. Use wax worms.. Call Lymanā??s Sport and Shanty Rental @ 989-422-3231
Near the Kalkaska area, Lake Skegemog Ice fishing is on but snow on the lake is deep. Anglers are fishing for perch off the Baggs Road access site as well as the northwest portion of the lake near the Narrows. Most are in 10 to 20 feet of water and using minnows, wax worms, wigglers or shrimp. The fish range from very small to jumbos. A few pike have been speared south of the river in 10 to 15 feet of water when using natural baits or artificial decoys. Fish recorded were 30+ inches. Those seeking muskie have only taken a few fish in the 40 inch range.Manistee Lake is producing nice counts of crappie and walleye and Fife Lake is providing nice catches for pike. Pike are biting on suckers or goldens. Call Jackā??s Sport Shop for the latest info @ 231-258-8892
Lake St Helen has been good this week for pike, walleye and panfish and has great ice conditions. Call Malcoms Sport @ 989-389-2100 for latest info
Sanford Lake at the first fill has been hot for crappie this week with minnow working best. Call Sanford Sport Shop @ 989-687-5161 for latest info.
Otsego Lake has a good perch bite with some walleye being caught and Bradford has nice perch being caught. Also some Stugeon being caught but no keepers yet. They have been seeing quite a few sturgeon in the evening. Call Stugeon Joe @ 989-732-5866 for the latest info.
Burt Lake has been good at Maple Bay for jumbo perch. I had reports that it was slow the last couple days as three guys caught 33 perch in five hours but they were from 10 to 14 inches.
Green Lake by Interlochen has been good for smelt off both access sites with halis and waxworms working best.
Traverse City - Good angling action near Traverse City on Long Lake and most inland lakes for walleye, blue gill and pan fish. Minnows, wax worms and spikes are popular. Anglers need to check the ice before attempting to walk on the ice.
Big Glen Lake - Had several anglers catching perch, but not in big numbers. Most are using minnows in 30 to 45 feet of water. Use caution and avoid the east side of the lake which still had open water.
Betsie River - Those willing to brave the cold could very well hook into an occasional steelhead.
Lake Missaukee - Lots of fisherman out this weekend catching gills and pike with ice conditions great.
Lake Cadillac - Good to excellent fishing conditions for pike on Mitchell and Cadillac Lakes. Anglers are using tip-ups and spearing. Good action for crappie in the day and evening hours. Perch activity is good but plenty of sorting is necessary to find the keepers. Blue gill action is slow. Both Mitchell and Cadillac lakes have good ice ranging between 7-10 inches
East Twin Lake - Fishing pressure is slow as cold weather has stopped the fish bite.
West Twin Lake - Walleye fishing did improve on the east side of the lake in about 15 feet of water. Try small Swedish Pimples tipped with a minnow or artificial minnow jigs in perch colors. Walleye harvest on tip-ups remains slow. A few big perch along with numerous smaller ones have been caught. The lake has good ice with four to ten inches of snow on top. Not much slush either so travel conditions were good.
Lake Mitchell - Has good ice also with lots of fisherman heading out after panfish and pike.
Indian Lake by Manistique has a good perch and walleye bite this week. South Manistique Lake - Still has good walleye action when jigging or using tip-ups. For those spearing, try the southeast side between the access site and Norton Island in 5 to 10 feet of water.
Brevoort Lake - Anglers are ice fishing for walleye and pike. The pike are hitting on tip-ups with minnows and the walleye are hitting on jigs with spikes or minnows. Some nice bluegills have also been caught.
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 lots of angler activity with over one hundred ice shanties reported. Walleye and perch fishing are good once you locate some fish. Try 10 to 18 feet of water off Kipling or south of Gladstone.
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.
Saginaw Bay - The better walleye bite has been in the evening. Limits were caught before the cold snap. Pine River and Palmer Roads were producing some limits of walleye anywhere from three to ten miles out on the warmer days. Walleye have been caught off White’s Beach in the Catfish Hole, three to four miles out of Linwood in 13 to 20 feet of water, off Erickson Road near the Black Hole and northeast of the Bay City State Park in 15 feet of water. There is activity at the Hot Ponds but no reports. Near Quanicassee, those fishing off Vanderbilt Park caught a few perch and speared a couple pike in 5 to 6 feet of water. At Thomas Road, anglers are heading out seven to eight miles to waters 18 to 20 feet deep however ice conditions out there are very rough. At Sebewaing, mostly small perch and a couple pike were speared in the marina. Off Geiger Road, the evening bite was best beyond the islands and in the Slot. No action at Bay Port but Mud Creek produced a few nice pike for those spearing. Small perch and the occasional pike have been taken from the river and the marina basins at Caseville.
Saginaw River - Has lots of angler activity in downtown Saginaw. Some nice walleye have been caught primarily at dawn when using blue and silver Jig-n-Rapalas. Anglers are fishing Bay City and beyond. Cass Avenue and the Independence Bridge were getting a fair amount of pressure. Walleye have been caught around Essexville and perch off Smith Park. Perch were also taken out of the Bay Aggregate cut and the marina basins in the lower river. The 22nd Annual ā??Shiver on the Riverā? walleye contest in Saginaw begins this Saturday and runs through February 14. All entries, online or in person, must be purchased on or before January 30. Register at http://www.Mlive.com/shiver.
Little Bay De Noc - Catch rates were up with anglers spread throughout the Bay area. Walleye were caught along the east bank and between the Narrows and Garth Point when jigging or using tip-ups in 17 to 32 feet of water. Some jumbo perch in the 12 to 14 inch range were also caught in the same area. Walleye were caught off Gladstone, south of the Escanaba River and around the lighthouse in waters up to 25 feet deep. The whitefish action was fair off Sand Point when jigging minnows or spawn just off the bottom in 80 feet of water. Excellent northern pike action off Hunters Point. Try tip-ups and large sucker minnows in 10 to 17 feet of water. Perch action was a bit slow but some jumbos were caught in 18 to 32 feet of water near Kipling. Patience is the key and those willing to move around and put in the time have caught fish.
Muskegon Perch have been caught in the south central portion of the lake and up near the Sand Docks. No ships have entered the lake in the last couple of weeks, and those fishing up near the channel did catch some perch. Catch rates were spotty with the better bite at mid-day. Try glow-in-the-dark or bright colored Hali jigs or Swedish Pimples with minnows, wigglers or spikes in 35 to 50 feet of water. Pike along with a few walleye were caught between Hartshorn Marina and Fisherman’s Landing.
White Lake - Yellow perch have been caught along the southwest portion of the lake including Indian Bay. Look for pike up in the narrows off Montague.
AAA Fishing Report
Upper Peninsula:
Around the Manistique area the perch and walleye action remains strong and steady when anglers use minnows.
Munuscong Lake and the St. Maryā??s River, the south end, is giving up very good counts of walleye and good numbers of perch. Anglers are finding good results with minnows, jigs, teardrops, and spoons. A few pike are hitting on minnows. Mosquito Bay and the north river areas are producing plenty of whitefish on wax worms. The ā??Soo Area Sportsmanā??s Walleye Jamboreeā? takes place Friday through Sunday on Munuscong Bay. Anglers fishing Cedarville Lake are doing well for perch using teardrops tipped with minnows.
Brevort Lake near St. Ignace is giving up fair to good numbers of walleye, perch and blue gill. Baits of choice include minnows, wax worms and spikes. Pre-register for the February 14 ā??Brevort Ice Jamboreeā?, call 906-643-7289 or 906-643-6743.
Copper Harbor is finally frozen and splake action is fair on minnows. Gratiot Lake is producing good numbers of perch on minnows and Lake Fanny Hooe is giving up good counts of perch on minnows.
Cold conditions in the Bergland area has slowed the angling activity, but anglers that are braving the elements out on Lake Gogebic are finding good numbers of walleye on golden shiners and perch on wigglers.
Walleye, whitefish and perch action is good in the Escanaba area for anglers forgetting how cold it is and fishing Little Bay De Noc. Walleye and perch are hitting on minnows, and whitefish on salmon eggs and minnows.
Northwest:
Burt and Crooked lakes are both giving up some decent catches of perch, walleye and trout. The lakes have snow cover and anglers will notice a few slushy spots. Overall the weather has been very cold and not that much activity is taking place.
Around Traverse City, snow is an issue for anglers since it is very deep and making it difficult to get out on the lakes. Some lakes are even slushy due to so much snow cover.
Near Frankfort Crystal Lake has some shaky ice conditions particularly near the east end where ice is very jagged, and on the west end watch for thinning areas a snowmobile fell through recently. Anglers are moving around for perch action but overall the smelt, whitefish, and perch fishing is good if cautious.
Torch Lake anglers are doing well for trout on Swedish Pimples and tip-ups with a gray spoon, whitefish on spawn and wigglers, and burbot fish on tubes and glow sticks. Overall walleye and perch action around the Kalkaska area is slow.
Gaylord anglers are headed to Bradford Lake where decent blue gill fishing is taking place on minnows and wax worms and on Otsego Lake for nice catches of perch and walleye in the 6-9 p.m. hours. Anglers are using small blue minnows and sucker minnows on walleye and jigging for perch.
In the Cadillac area, the weather has been very cold causing the majority of fish to be lethargic and slowing angling activity. Pike action however is strong on both Mitchell and Cadillac lakes, anglers will find lots of fish hitting on golden shiners.
West:
Pere Marquette Lake near Ludington is good for perch on Hali jigs, wigglers and minnows and northern on tip-ups, suckers and golden shiners. Hamlin Lake is doing well on the upper end for walleye and pan fish. Pentwater Lake is giving up good perch action on wigglers and Hali jigs. Mark your calendars for the ā??Hamlin Lake Ice Fishing Tournamentā? taking place February 7.
Around the Baldwin area it is just plain cold and fishing activity is minimal. Anglers are attempting to get out during the day light hours but finding that tip ups are freezing right to the ice. Overall it is tough fishing at this point. Anglers that are having a bit of luck are getting a few blue gill, perch and pike.
In the Muskegon area, anglers are doing very well on Muskegon Lake for perch. The west end of the lake is hot and in 30 to 50 feet of water. Popular baits include minnows, wigglers, glow in the dark jigs. Be prepared to find lots of fish but also plenty of sorting. Average size is 7 Ā½ to 9 inches. Pike action is good to very good near the center of the lake in 15 to 25 feet of water on large golden shiners and suckers suspended below tip up. Walleye are hitting near the north side during day break and dusk. Anglers are getting good results jigging with spoons and Rapalas. Pan fish, blue gill and crappie are also biting on Muskegon Lake when anglers use a light line tipped with maggots.
Great ice on Chippewa Lake with anglers catching plenty of pike and specks, but only a few blue gill. The ice has a little bit of snow cover, but solid enough to hold a truck, and lots of shanties on the Bay.
The Grand River near Grand Rapids has high levels of water and the bayous are producing good numbers of perch, blue gill and crappie. Wax worms, and white jigs with a Red Eye work on blue gill.
Northeast:
Around Oscoda perch, walleye and pike fishing is decent at Cooke and Foote Dam Ponds. Weather continues to play a role in slow angling activity.
Near Grayling, Lake Margrethe is giving up fair numbers of walleye and a few perch. Hali jigs and wigglers seem to work well.In Crawford County, River Lake is producing some nice pike, hammer handle size, on live sucker minnows.
Very good fishing is taking place on Houghton Lake for walleye, pike and blue gill. Grey, blue and golden shiners are working well in 8-feet of water. The Muskegon River has open water and producing good numbers of crappie mainly found in the channels.
Smelt are running on Higgins Lake and anglers are finding the best results using Hali jigs and wax worms during the daytime hours, and fish seem to shut right off at night. Plenty of perch are hitting on minnows but plan to do plenty of sorting. Whitefish are biting on spawn and Swedish Pimples.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
When the Hell is it Going to Warm UP!!!
I’m really getting tired of these sub zero temps and so are the fish as most report very slow with cold temps. we need a warm-up to get the fish biting.
Portage Lake still report good perch fishing, Higgins Lake they are still catching smelt along the south shoreline, but perch fishing is slow for keepers as lots of bait-stealers are biting.
Big Glenn Lake report ok perch bite but the bridge being out has made it hard for many to get to there favorite spot.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sandhills at Sunset
Here is a photo I shot in New Mexico of sandhill cranes at sunset.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Cold Weekend
I feel like a broken recording, it seems the cold crashes in on the weekend and makes it miserable to fish. I hope it gets out of this pattern.
The little warm up we had Thursday and friday got the fish back on the bite, but reports say artic front shut the bite down except pike which hit hard this weekend.
Higgins Lake smelt are still biting with most getting all they want to clean with Halis, spikes and waxworms working best. Green Lake the smelt are hitting ok with Halis and red spikes seem to be the ticket, with white spike and waxworms a close second.
Big Glen they are getting and catching some nice perch, but we need some nice days so the fisherman can find the schools.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
Cadillac loves pike, the perfect fish! Northerns always seem to be hungry. They feed all day and are often most active in the afternoons when other fish have shut down. Theyā??re great for those who like to sleep in or be off the ice by dark. Mornings, mid-day or afternoons are pike time. Fish the weed edges and breaks and your chances are good. The Big and Small Coves on the west side of Lake Mitchell provide the perfect cover for them. Set your tip-up with a sucker or shiner and wait for it to be attacked.
Thirty inchers were common this past week. Greg Tossey and his friend Greg Bonham, who was visiting from Alaska. Tosseyā??s catch was 34 Ā¾ā?, 10.2 pounds, while Bohnanā??s was 30 Ā½ā?, 5.8 pounds. Reuben Rivera returned to McBain with a 30 inch, 6.4 pounder after fishing in Cadillac. Ricky Nye broke the 30 inch mark by 2 Ā½ extra inches. This one was 32 Ā½ā?, weighing 7.7 pounds. He and his dad are fishing buddies. Sandusky, Ohio is a long way from Cadillac, but Gio Spadaro returned home with a 29 Ā¼ā?, 5.5 pound northern.
Every week the standings in the Pilgrim Village Spearing Contest change. Young Gavin Jessup speared the largest pike of his life and now leads the Youth Division, with a 30 Ā¾ā?, 6.6 pounder. Eleven year old Nick Richards was bumped from the board. His pike was speared on Pleasant Lake, 25 Ā¼ā? weighing 3 pounds. Nice fish. Thomas Jessup Jr. moved up his standings with a 34ā?, 8.6 pound northern.
Manistee River; Ice fishing isnā??t the only winter sport. River Guide, Steve Emery had a good day in the Tippy Dam area. Nice chrome steelhead. Hearing of decent catches from those bobber fishing with spawn, waxworms or wigglers.
Smelt; The 3 major destinations for smelt are ready; Green, Higgins and finally Crystal. Good catches reported from all of them. Grab your Haliā??s and go. Nicole McKee fished on Green and caught a 9.5ā? smelt. Green is not known for ā??Bigā? smelt. Another Ā½ā? would have made Master Angler.
Pilgrim Village is stocked and ready for smelt fishermen - open till 11:00 PM for night fishermen.
Micro jigs
Ultra light rods & combos
Underwater lights
Sabiki Rigs
Red & white spikes
Waxworms
Small minnows
Stop in and see whatā??s new!
Donā??t miss;
25th NORTH AMERICAN SNOW FESTIVAL
ICE FISHING CONTEST
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2009
You must have a $5.00 NASF Button to be eligible and your badge number registered at any of these 3 Sponsors, MC Sports, Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop or Schaferā??s Bait and Sporting Goods.
The NASF Button is good for all Snow Fest events, and Raffle Prizes.
Win a prize for the largest Perch, Crappie, Bluegill, Pike,
Rock Bass or Walleye.
All participants will be entered for prize drawings whether you catch a fish or not.
Winners must be present for drawings at the Cadillac Junior High School located at 500 S. Chestnut St.
Receive contest rules when you register at any one of these Sponsors,
MC Sports, Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop or Schaferā??s Bait and Sporting Goods.
You must be entered by noon of February 7 and have a $5.00 NASF Button.
Bring in your catch to the Cadillac Junior High School.
Contest begins at 8 AM and ends at 3 PM, February 7.
All prizes will be awarded at 3:30 PM at the
Cadillac Junior High School.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Lyman’s Shanty Rental Pike
Ron L. & John G. caught this pike ( 38.5”, 14lb 4oz) on tip up using Golden Shinner 9:30 in sleeper shanty #21 with tip ups on January 21, 2009.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Last Weekend for Tip-up Town
We’re getting ready for another great Tip-Up Town USA! Michigan’s largest winter festival takes place on January 16th-18th, and 23rd-25th. It is in it’s 59th year and promises to be bigger and better than ever before! Bookmark this site to keep up to date with all the activities planned for 2009. And check the blog regularly for Tip-Up Town gossip and more. Once again you can participate in the best fun that winter can offer for the price of the $5 entry badge (valid both weekends). Mark your calendars now for the last two weekends of January in beautiful Houghton Lake.
We have had brutal weather this week with very little fishing pressure when it is 22 below with high winds. Today was nice with many getting back out and trying there luck. Crystal Lake is froze all the way so look for that lake to be great when we get back to normal winter. Most are reporting lots of slush on many lakes after the storm on saturday.
Higgins Lake- Smelt are still hitting off the North State Park, Big Creek, and south of the west boat launch in 40 to 50 feet of water. Use wax worms or perch minnows between dusk and 9:30pm and again around midnight and fish the entire water column. Smaller perch are hitting on wax worms or perch minnows between the Sunken Island and Treasure Island, off the North State Park, and in front of the Conference Center in 40 to 50 feet of water. Lake trout are hitting grey minnows or a Swedish Pimple with smelt fished just off the bottom in 90 to 100 feet of water. Lots of small perch being caught, but we hope when they get out around the sunken island they will get into the bigger perch You can call Phoenix Park @ 989-821-7220 for info off the west access site and Sports Barn @ 989-821-9511 for info on the south-end of Higgins Lake
Lake Margrethe has good ice and fishing at a standstill with brutal weather. Call Skipā??s Sport Shop @ 989-348-7111 for the latest info.
Portage Lake by Onekama has been great for perch and walleye , with some getting walleye during the day. Call Osbornā??s Sport Shop in Bear Lake @ 231-889-3775 or Donā??s Sport Shop in Manistee @ 231-723-5028
Hamlin Lake Catch rates have been slow. Most of the activity has been on Upper Hamlin off Wilson Hill Park. Some nice bluegills were caught in 8 to 12 feet of water but no big numbers yet. Recent snowfall coupled with strong winds has drifts as high as five feet which makes travel almost impossible. Watch for the areas with open water because of currents. Call Pere Marquette Sport @ 231-843-8676 or Hamlin Grocery @ (231) 843-2058
The Eyes Have It reports great fishing in the Leroy area call Craig @ 231-768-5653
Houghton Lake - Pike are hitting tip-ups with minnows. Some nice walleye were caught in the East Bay and along the north shore when jigging minnows. A handful of perch were taken on minnows or wax worms. The bluegill bite has picked up in 6 to 8 feet of water over the weed beds along the south shore. Use wax worms.. Call Lymanā??s Sport and Shanty Rental @ 989-422-3231
Near the Kalkaska area, Lake Skegemog Ice fishing is on but snow on the lake is deep. Anglers are fishing for perch off the Baggs Road access site as well as the northwest portion of the lake near the Narrows. Most are in 10 to 20 feet of water and using minnows, wax worms, wigglers or shrimp. The fish range from very small to jumbos. A few pike have been speared south of the river in 10 to 15 feet of water when using natural baits or artificial decoys. Fish recorded were 30+ inches. Those seeking muskie have only taken a few fish in the 40 inch range.Manistee Lake is producing nice counts of crappie and walleye and Fife Lake is providing nice catches for pike. Pike are biting on suckers or goldens. Call Jackā??s Sport Shop for the latest info @ 231-258-8892
Lake St Helen has been good this week for pike, walleye and panfish and has great ice conditions. Call Malcoms Sport @ 989-389-2100 for latest info
Sanford Lake at the first fill has been hot for crappie this week with minnow working best. Call Sanford Sport Shop @ 989-687-5161 for latest info.Otsego Lake has a good perch bite with some walleye being caught and Bradford has nice perch being caught. Also some Stugeon being caught but no keepers yet. Call Stugeon Joe @ 989-732-5866 for the latest info.
Burt Lake has been good at Maple Bay for jumbo perch.
Green Lake by Interlochen has been good for smelt off both access sites with halis and waxworms working best.
Traverse City - Good angling action near Traverse City on Long Lake and most inland lakes for walleye, blue gill and pan fish. Minnows, wax worms and spikes are popular. Anglers need to check the ice before attempting to walk on the ice.
Big Glen Lake - Had several anglers catching perch, but not in big numbers. Most are using minnows in 30 to 45 feet of water. Use caution and avoid the east side of the lake which still had open water.
Betsie River - Those willing to brave the cold could very well hook into an occasional steelhead.
Lake Missaukee - Lots of fisherman out this weekend catching gills and pike with ice conditions great.
Lake Cadillac - Good to excellent fishing conditions for pike on Mitchell and Cadillac Lakes. Anglers are using tip-ups and spearing. Good action for crappie in the day and evening hours. Perch activity is good but plenty of sorting is necessary to find the keepers. Blue gill action is slow. Both Mitchell and Cadillac lakes have good ice ranging between 7-10 inches
East Twin Lake - Fishing pressure is slow as cold weather has stopped the fish bite.
West Twin Lake - Slow this week with the artic temps.
Lake Mitchell - Has good ice also with lots of fisherman heading out after panfish and pike.
Indian Lake by Manistique has a good perch and walleye bite this week. South Manistique Lake - Still has good walleye action when jigging or using tip-ups. For those spearing, try the southeast side between the access site and Norton Island in 5 to 10 feet of water.
Brevoort Lake - Anglers are ice fishing for walleye and pike. The pike are hitting on tip-ups with minnows and the walleye are hitting on jigs with spikes or minnows. Some nice bluegills have also been caught.
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 lots of angler activity with over one hundred ice shanties reported. Walleye and perch fishing are good once you locate some fish. Try 10 to 18 feet of water off Kipling or south of Gladstone.
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.
Saginaw Bay - Fishing off Palmer Road was good before the cold set in. Walleye anglers were going south toward the Black Hole or northeast to the Catfish Hole. In general, walleye fishing was slow to fair at best throughout the inner bay. Most parties were getting a few walleyes, but it was far from a red-hot bite. They have been fishing in 17 to 20 feet of water off White’s Beach. Off Erickson Road, head out about three and half miles to waters 16 to 20 feet deep and off Linwood fish about 14 to 16 feet of water. At Vanderbilt Park, which is just east of Quanicassee, anglers have caught a few perch in about 6 feet of water or speared a couple pike. Off Thomas Road, anglers were heading out as far as seven miles to waters up to 20 feet deep however the ice out there is marginal. Others are only going out about two and half miles to the Slot and fishing in 16 feet of water and doing just as well. At Sebewaing, a few small perch and the odd pike were taken in the marina. For Mud Creek, perch fishing was slow and pike spearing was spotty.
Saginaw River - Saginaw River - Has ice fishing from downtown Saginaw to Bay City. Some walleye were caught downtown Saginaw off Hooters’, between Saginaw and Bay City, and downstream from the Independence Bridge. The ice at Essexville and the mouth of the river is questionable and anglers should NOT try to cross the river channel.
Little Bay De Noc - Catch rates have increased as the temperatures climb. Anglers are ice fishing throughout the Bay and as far south as Portage Point. Warmer weather bought good walleye catches off Kipling and the mouth of the Escanaba River. Off Kipling, try jigging in 24 to 35 feet of water with Moon Shines. Near the mouth of the river, try jigging in 25 to 30 feet of water for big walleye in the 6 to 10 pound range. Perch anglers reported fair to good catch rates for jumbos in 11 to 27 feet of water when jigging minnows with orange or blue tear drops. Good pike action just south of Hunters Point in 10 to 17 feet of water. Whitefish action is just getting started off Sand Point.
Muskegon Lake Has ice however avoid the area where the freighters are moving through. Enough perch for a meal are being caught along the south end of the lake in waters 45 to 55 feet deep. Bluegills are hitting on bright colors or anything that glows off the State Park on the northwest corner of the lake. Those setting tip-ups for pike have caught the occasional walleye.
Triple AAA Fishing Report
pper Peninsula:
Indian Lake continues to sport good ice registering upwards of 18-inches, and the perch and walleye fishing is good when using minnows.
Sault Ste. Marie anglers are finding good to excellent angling conditions on Munuscong Bay for walleye on minnows. Mark your calendars for Jan. 30 for the fishing derby on Munuscong Bay. The Upper River and Mosquito Bay are both giving up fair catches of whitefish.
Excellent fishing is available in the Munuscong Bay area, particularly on Munuscong Lake for walleye, and good catches of perch, both with minnows. Cedarville Lake is producing good numbers of perch on minnows.
Good action around St. Ignace for walleye and perch on Brevort Lake, and by the reefs or Christiansen Bay. Anglers are using minnows with good results. Boedne Bay is giving up good catches of pan fish on wax worms, mousies, and wigglers. Get your calendar and mark down Feb. 14 for the ā??Brevort Ice Jamboreeā?, pre-register by calling 906-643-7289 or 906-643-6743.
Copper Harbor is mostly frozen over, and some anglers are starting to get out.
Near Bergland, only fair fishing action taking place on Lake Gogebic. Sucker minnows seem to attract a few walleye, and wigglers and crappie minnows are luring minimal perch. Overall it is still very cold in the area limiting angler activity.
Fair fishing for anglers in the Marquette area, a few walleye are hitting on minnows on Teal Lake. Action is improving as adverse weather and cold temperatures cease.
Good walleye activity near Escanaba on Little Bay De Noc. Anglers are jigging and using Moonshine Shiver Minnows. South of the Escanaba River, anglers are fishing on the bottom for fair to good whitefish catches using dead minnows, and good perch action on minnows.
Northwest:
Cold weather around Alanson this week has curbed fishing activity. A few anglers are braving the elements on Burt and Crooked lakes.
The East and West Traverse Bays are giving up a few steelhead and browns in the shallows. Long Lake anglers are finding fair action for small size perch and walleye when using minnows.
Itā??s cold around the Frankfort area curtailing many anglers from going out. The brave soles that are fishing are finding good perch action on Portage and Loon lakes. Crystal Lake is producing fair to good amounts of smelt, whitefish, and perch.
Around the Kalkaska area, excellent perch and pike fishing is available on Skegemog Lake. Best results are found when using minnows and wigglers. Elk Lake is giving up good numbers of lake trout on minnows and tip ups. Walleye are hitting in good numbers on Manistee Lake during the evening hours on minnows.
Otsego Lake near Gaylord has some really good fishing taking place for pike, walleye, and perch. Sucker minnows, tip ups, grey and blue minnows and wax worms are all working well. Bradford Lake is producing nice quantities of walleye and pan fish.
Cadillac anglers are finding that itā??s a slow go this week due to really cold weather. Poor fishing conditions for pan fish on Mitchell and Cadillac lakes and only a few pike are biting on sucker minnows.
West:
Good action around Ludington for crappie, blue gill and walleye on Hamlin Lake. The upper end is the best location and minnows seem to be working well. The Pere Marquette Lake and River is good for perch and pike on minnows. The back end of the Pere Marquette Lake is great for steelhead on slammers.
Baldwin anglers are finding good action on Big Bass Lake for perch on minnows, and Howeā??s Lake is giving up good numbers of blue gill on wax worms, wigglers and spikes. Overall, fishing has slowed due to cold weather and so far no river fishing is taking place.
Muskegon Lake is giving up plenty of nice perch on Demon Glows with mousies and wigglers in 30-50 feet of water on the west end of the lake. Near Second Street walleye activity is good using minnow heads. Tip ups seem to be working well on pike, but donā??t expect to get more than two per day.
Chippewa Lake is a great place to fish, good activity for many species. Specks are hitting in good numbers on minnows during the evening hours. Good fishing for blue gill when using wax worms, mousies, and spikes, and walleye action is also good on minnows. Pike activity is fair to good with best results on sucker minnows.
Reedā??s Lake in Grand Rapids is producing fair to good numbers of perch, crappie and pike. Anglers are getting good results using minnows, spikes and wax worms.
Near the Grand Haven area, the bayous of the Grand River are giving up good numbers of perch and walleye on minnows.
Northeast:
Around Alpena, Hubbard Lake is good for walleye on minnows. Long and Grand lakes are both spotty for perch and walleye. Activity is slow due to weather conditions.
In the Oscoda area, fair to good action taking place on the Cooke and Foote Dam Ponds. Pike are hitting on tip ups, walleye biting on golden shiners, and perch prefer minnows. On the Au Sable River just below the dam, anglers are finding good steelhead action on wax worms. Overall the cold weather has slowed activity.
Conditions around Grayling are quite varied ranging from poor to good. Lake Margrethe is producing fair numbers of pike on sucker minnows, and poor to fair walleye numbers. Manistee Lake is good for blue gill using wax worms and spikes.
Houghton Lake is producing fair to good numbers of pike and walleye on minnows and tip ups. A few pan fish are hitting on live bait. Overall the action is good on Higgins Lake. Perch are hitting on minnows and smelt on wax worms. Lake trout activity ranges from fair to good with anglers using shiners with decent results. The lake has one foot of clear ice.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Jemez, New Mexico
Along with the Sangre de Cristo range, 35 miles distant across the Rio Grande valley, the Jemez Mountains form the southernmost tip of the Rocky Mountains which stretch over 2,000 miles north into Canada. They contain no great natural landmarks, just a large area of mostly undisturbed forested wilderness, with rocky peaks, meadows, mountain streams, lakes and waterfalls, and only occasional houses and villages. More unusual features result from past volcanic activity - there are hot springs, sulphurous vents and a caldera - a ring of hills comprising the remains of several long-extinct volcanoes.
I shot this photo in November
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Little Bit Better Day
It seems a few people got out today trying there luck fishing as some sunshine and warmer weather. Crystal Lake had some fisherman off of Lpbb Rd. doing good on perch, also Railroad point seems to have some fisherman .
Big Glenn has been good also on perch.
But most have been slow with the cold weather and we all are waiting for a warm up.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
Below zero temperatures separated the men from the boys. It was obvious who was prepared with their shanty and heaters. Keeping holes open was a problem. Even the fish were shivering below the ice. Anyone out deserved fish for their efforts.
New snow keeps the snowmobilers smiling and plenty of ice keeps the ice fishermen mobile. Snowmobiles, quads and even trucks chris cross our lakes.
Winter is here for real! The ice is thick, oxygen levels are depleting and thereā??s lots of snow. Those catching the most fish are cutting extra holes and using electronics to find their dinners. The mistake many make is to cut a hole, set their shanty over it and wait.
Gerald Chesney from Harrietta wasnā??t intimidated by the weather. Check out his 39 Ā¼ inch, 15.4 pound northern caught on a tip-up from one of the coves on Mitchell. Definitely the fish of the week. Ricky Nye is back. This time with his limit of pike. His tip-ups were working on the west side of Cadillac. Young Gerrett Foster didnā??t limit out but heā??s proud of his 29 Ā½ incher also caught on Cadillac.
Canā??t forget the spear guys. Scott McConnell is in 5th place in the Spearing Contest, with a 32 incher from Mitchell. The Dark House Pro, Tom Richards is pictured with a 30 inch, 9.2 pound bowfin speared on Mitchell.
The current Standing of the Pilgrim Village Spearing Contest are:
1st Place George Fox 34 Ā½ inches, 9.5 pounds
2nd Place William Beaver 34 Ā½ inches, 8.8 pounds
3rd Place Brian Brown 33 Ā¾ inches, 8.5 pounds
4th Place Alan Anderson 32 inches, 6.9 pounds
5th Place Scott McConnell 32 inches, 6.3 pounds
6th Place Chris Hanson 31 1/8 inches, 7 pounds
7th Place Thomas Jessup Jr. 31 inches, 6.7 pounds
8th Place Tom Richards 30 Ā½ inches, 5.8 pounds
Youth Division
1st Place Tyler McConnell 26 Ā¾ inches, 4 pounds
Sign up for the 7th Annual Pike Spearing Contest at the Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop. Great prizes and no fee, but you must be registered before fishing.
Donā??t miss;
25th NORTH AMERICAN SNOW FESTIVAL
ICE FISHING CONTEST
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2009
You must have a $5.00 NASF Button to be eligible and your badge number registered at any of these 3 Sponsors, MC Sports, Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop or Schaferā??s Bait and Sporting Goods.
The NASF Button is good for all Snow Fest events, and Raffle Prizes.
Win a prize for the largest Perch, Crappie, Bluegill, Pike,
Rock Bass or Walleye.
All participants will be entered for prize drawings whether you catch a fish or not.
Winners must be present for drawings at the Cadillac Junior High School located at 500 S. Chestnut St.
Receive contest rules when you register at any one of these Sponsors,
MC Sports, Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop or Schaferā??s Bait and Sporting Goods.
You must be entered by noon of February 7 and have a $5.00 NASF Button.
Bring in your catch to the Cadillac Junior High School.
Contest begins at 8 AM and ends at 3 PM, February 7.
All prizes will be awarded at 3:30 PM at the
Cadillac Junior High School.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Weather Kills Saturday
Today traveling around I saw very few fisherman venturing out with snow, high winds and single digit temps kept most at home. The artic blast has turned off the fish bite as they have went dormant like us and wait for better days. Weather is suppose to chage next week and hope to have good things to report.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Tip-UP Town Starts this Weekend
We’re getting ready for another great Tip-Up Town USA! Michigan’s largest winter festival takes place on January 16th-18th, and 23rd-25th. It is in it’s 59th year and promises to be bigger and better than ever before! Bookmark this site to keep up to date with all the activities planned for 2009. And check the blog regularly for Tip-Up Town gossip and more. Once again you can participate in the best fun that winter can offer for the price of the $5 entry badge (valid both weekends). Mark your calendars now for the last two weekends of January in beautiful Houghton Lake.
We have had brutal weather this week with very little fishing pressure when it is 22 below with high winds. Crystal Lake is froze all the way so look for that lake to be great when we get back to normal winter
Higgins Lake has 10 inches of ice everywhere from the reports I got smelt are biting. The smelt fishing is still good with 100 smelt being caught at night on halis tipped with waxworm or spikes. Lots of small perch being caught, but we hope when they get out around the sunken island they will get into the bigger perch You can call Phoenix Park @ 989-821-7220 for info off the west access site and Sports Barn @ 989-821-9511 for info on the south-end of Higgins Lake
Lake Margrethe has good ice and fishing at a standstill with brutal weather. Call Skipā??s Sport Shop @ 989-348-7111 for the latest info.
Portage Lake by Onekama has been great for perch and walleye , with some getting walleye during the day. Call Osbornā??s Sport Shop in Bear Lake @ 231-889-3775 or Donā??s Sport Shop in Manistee @ 231-723-5028
Hamlin Lake has a great gill bite with good pike and walleye action. Call Pere Marquette Sport @ 231-843-8676 or Hamlin Grocery @ (231) 843-2058
The Eyes Have It reports great fishing in the Leroy area call Craig @ 231-768-5653
Houghton Lake - The fishing has been good. Walleye are hitting on green and blue jigging rapalas and Swedish Pimples or hammered aluminum wobblers. The pike action has been good with the occasional keeper. The bluegill bite has picked up in 6 to 8 feet of water over the weed beds along the south shore. Use wax worms.. Call Lymanā??s Sport and Shanty Rental @ 989-422-3231
Near the Kalkaska area, Lake Skegemog is good for perch action when using a Hali jig with a minnow and the crappie fishing is good with a blue tip up with a minnow. Lake Margrethe is giving up decent counts of walleye when anglers use blue or grey tip ups. Manistee Lake is producing nice counts of crappie and walleye and Fife Lake is providing nice catches for pike. Pike are biting on suckers or goldens. Call Jackā??s Sport Shop for the latest info @ 231-258-8892
Lake St Helen has been good this week for pike, walleye and panfish and has great ice conditions. Call Malcoms Sport @ 989-389-2100 for latest info
Sanford Lake at the first fill has been hot for crappie this week with minnow working best. Call Sanford Sport Shop @ 989-687-5161 for latest info.Otsego Lake has a good perch bite with some walleye being caught and Bradford has nice perch being caught. Also some Stugeon being caught but no keepers yet. Call Stugeon Joe @ 989-732-5866 for the latest info.
Burt Lake has been good at Maple Bay for jumbo perch.
Green Lake by Interlochen has been good for smelt off both access sites with halis and waxworms working best.
Traverse City - Good angling action near Traverse City on Long Lake and most inland lakes for walleye, blue gill and pan fish. Minnows, wax worms and spikes are popular. Anglers need to check the ice before attempting to walk on the ice.
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 - Lots of fisherman out this weekend catching gills and pike with ice conditions great.
Lake Cadillac - Good to excellent fishing conditions for pike on Mitchell and Cadillac Lakes. Anglers are using tip-ups and spearing. Good action for crappie in the day and evening hours. Perch activity is good but plenty of sorting is necessary to find the keepers. Blue gill action is slow. Both Mitchell and Cadillac lakes have good ice ranging between 7-10 inches
East Twin Lake - Fishing pressure has picked up with everyone targeting perch. Not a lot of big numbers but some very nice fish have been caught when jigging perch minnows. Some are using small jigging spoons and doing pretty good, but most of those fish have been smaller.
West Twin Lake - Has lots of anglers but catch rates have not been that good. Those using live minnows on tip-ups or jigs were not having much success. Anglers using rapala minnows in perch colors and those jigging Swedish Pimples tipped with a minnow were doing fair for walleye. The last week has seen a slow down in the walleye bite on live minnows. Perch were caught on live minnows however most are too small to take home.
Lake Mitchell - Has good ice also with lots of fisherman heading out after panfish and pike.
Indian Lake by Manistique has a good perch and walleye bite this week. South Manistique Lake - Still has good walleye action when jigging or using tip-ups. For those spearing, try the southeast side between the access site and Norton Island in 5 to 10 feet of water.
Brevoort Lake - Anglers are ice fishing for walleye and pike. The pike are hitting on tip-ups with minnows and the walleye are hitting on jigs with spikes or minnows. Some nice bluegills have also been caught.
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 lots of angler activity with over one hundred ice shanties reported. Walleye and perch fishing are good once you locate some fish. Try 10 to 18 feet of water off Kipling or south of Gladstone.
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.
Saginaw Bay - At Palmer Road, walleye anglers are going about 3 miles out, probably fishing around the Catfish Hole. At White’s Beach, anglers are going out to 12 or 13 feet of water. Off Erickson Road and Linwood anglers are making it out to about 14 feet of water for walleye. Right now the average is one or two fish per angler with dawn and dusk the best times to fish. On the east side of the bay, there’s not much activity at the Hot Pond right now. That’s open water fishing, and it needs to warm up to do that comfortably. At Quanicassee, anglers going out of Vanderbilt Park are getting a few perch in 5 to 6 feet of water, and also spearing a few pike. At Thomas Road, guys are going out 1.5 to 2 miles for walleye. Small perch and the occasional pike have been caught in the Sebewaing Marina. At Rose Island and Geiger Road, anglers are reporting pretty good walleye fishing 3 miles out in the Slot past the islands. This is primarily an evening bite. At Mud Creek, perch fishing was kind of slow. A few pike were being speared. For Caseville, the Pigeon River is still pretty muddy from the recent thaw, and fishing in the marinas there is slow right now. Fishing should improve as the cold snap tightens things up and stops the runoff.
Tittabawassee River - No fishing activity. The boat launches are iced in and the river moves too swiftly to get safe ice on it.
Saginaw River - As of this report, ice on the river was not safe in Saginaw. Up in Bay City, anglers are creeping out on both sides of the Independence Bridge and getting a few walleyes off both the Golson and Municipal launches. They are also getting some perch off the Patterson Road access site at the mouth of the river. Anglers are reminded to use extreme caution on river ice!
Muskegon Lake Has ice however avoid the area where the freighters are moving through. Enough perch for a meal are being caught along the south end of the lake in waters 45 to 55 feet deep. Bluegills are hitting on bright colors or anything that glows off the State Park on the northwest corner of the lake. Those setting tip-ups for pike have caught the occasional walleye.
AAA Fishing Report
Upper Peninsula:
Indian Lake near Manistique has a solid 12-18 inches of ice. Fair to good angling action is taking place for walleye and perch on minnows.
Munuscong Bay is producing fair to good counts of walleye on minnows and Mosquito Bay is giving up fair to good numbers of whitefish near Sault Ste. Marie.
In the Munuscong Bay area, extreme weather doesnā??t seem to be a problem for anglers on Munuscong Lake where the walleye action is excellent. Anglers tell AAA that it is the best activity in years. Fish are biting on minnows. And on Cedarville the perch action is fair.
Off of the St. Ignace area, Cedarville is giving up good quantities of perch and walleye on minnows. Brevort Lake anglers are finding good fishing with minnows, wax worms and spikes for walleye and blue gill in the Bays. Coming February 14, ā??Free Fishing Weekendā? and the ā??Brevort Ice Jamboreeā?, to pre-register call 906-643-7289 or 906-643-6743.
Around the Copper Harbor area it is severely cold and not much activity is taking place. On Lake Superior the ice has been flowing in and out due to windy conditions.
Extreme cold temperatures are hampering angling activity. Brave anglers on Lake Gogebic are pulling in fair to good numbers of walleye on sucker minnows and fair to good counts of perch and crappie on small shiners.
Angling action is very slow on inland lakes in the Marquette area.
Around Escanaba the temperatures are cold and the ice is solid and walleye activity is good on most of the lakes and rivers within the area. No particular hot spots to speak of, but you will catch your share.
Northwest:
Anglers in Alanson are pulling in all types of fish out of Burt and Crooked lakes in 30-feet of water. Action is rated good.
Near Boyne City, Lake Charlevoix has good action for perch and walleye along the east arm when perch minnows are used. Along the south arm, the perch, walleye and trout are biting on blue and gray tip ups, and minnows. Walloon Lake anglers are finding good activity for perch and walleye when using wigglers, minnows and blue and gray tip ups.
Anglers near Traverse City have some good fishing action going on. Green and Cedar lakes are producing good smelt activity and Cedar Lake is also giving up a few pike.
Off of Frankfort, some good action is taking place on Arcadia Lake for pike and perch on minnows. Portage Lake is also good for perch, rainbow trout and whitefish with wax worms, minnows and wigglers working well. Crystal Lake near the Beulah end is providing good numbers of perch.
Kalkaska is a hot spot for all types of fish on live bait. All of the lakes have good solid ice and providing plenty of activity anywhere you go.
Good action throughout the Gaylord area. Otsego, Bradford, Burt and Mullett lakes are all producing nice numbers of walleye and perch. Sucker and blue minnows are working best.
Lakes Mitchell and Cadillac are producing good numbers of pike and blue gill on golden shiners, wax worms and spikes. Fair crappie action is taking place with anglers using minnows and red spikes. Perch fishing is decent with fish hitting on perch minnows, but plan on sorting.
West:
Ludington has lots of good ice for the anglers braving the very cold temperatures. Hamlin Lake is giving up blue gill, but not too many anglers out due to bitter cold. Pere Marquette anglers are doing ok on northern pike and steelhead using golden and blues on tip ups, and frozen smelt.
Itā??s cold on Muskegon Lake but anglers are doing decent for perch on the south side, around the docks, towards the channels and in 45-55 feet of water. Minnows, mousies, wax worms, eyeballs and cut baits seem to be working well. Anglers fishing the Muskegon River and the Croton Dam Pond are pulling in good catches of walleye, perch and blue gill.
Anglers fishing Chippewa Lake are doing great on specs in the evening hours. Good action for blue gill and pike is also taking place. Anglers are keeping hush about walleye, but they are out there. The ice is solid enough to hold cars and trucks at this point.
Slow activity around Baldwin due to very cold temperatures. The ice is very good with just a little bit of snow cover. Anglers can see large size bass under the ice, but the fish just are not biting.
The Grand River near Ionia is producing some steelhead, but anglers will need to watch for a lot of ice flow.
Northeast:
Perch and walleye action is fair to good around the Alpena area. Good numbers are hitting on Hubbard Lake, while fair activity can be had on Grand and Long lakes when using minnows.
Good fishing available around the Oscoda area. Cooke and Foote Dam Ponds are both producing good counts of walleye, pike, pan fish and perch. Walleye prefer golden shiners and pike like sucker minnows. Mousies, spikes and wax worms seem to work well on pan fish and perch. Below Foote Dam, steelhead action is fair and anglers are using spawn, wax worms and wigglers. Tawas Bay has some good angling action for perch and walleye while Van Etten Lake is producing good perch.
Fishing runs the gamut around Grayling where action ranges from fair to excellent. Lake Margrethe is giving up fair counts of walleye and pike on minnows in 20-feet of water, and in the early afternoon and evening the blue gill action is good using wax worms and spikes. River Lake is good to excellent for pike on minnows and spearing.
Houghton Lake is frozen over and the fishing is good. Walleye are active near the north shore and east bay. Pike are found all over when using minnows and near the south shore near the weed bed line, blue gill activity is good on wax worms and spikes.
Itā??s happening on Higgins Lake, plenty of angling action. The ice is solid and measuring five to eight inches. Perch are biting on perch minnows in 40-feet of water, and lake trout are good in 100-feet of water and hitting on grey shiners. A few pike are being caught while trout fishing.
Au Gres anglers are finding good activity for walleye in 9-21 feet of water near Point Au Gres. The cuts and channels are giving up good numbers of crappie, blue gill and perch. South of the River pike action is good.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Artic Blast Making Good Ice
The only thing I can say about this artic blast as we have safe ice on most lakes except lake deeper than 180’ as they just froze over last week.
Have not had many report as most are staying warm with NW winds 20+ the last few days and highs of 5.
Looks to start warming up Sat so hope some fisherman get back out and try there luck.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Thank God We Have Ice Fishing
That is what many of the businesses are saying with lots of fisherman trying their luck out on the lakes. Many years we have had very little ice but this year most lakes are froze with great ice conditions and fish are biting.
Lyman’s on the Lake and Shanty Rentals on Houghton Lake reports fair pike fishing with gills starting to bite down the south shore weed bed. Walleye fishing is still good out on the Middle Grounds.
HIggins Lake the smelt are still biting with good lake trout fishing. The small perch are still biting with nobody locating the big perch that bit all summer and fall. We are expecting a good perch run on the lake but first they have to find keeper perch.
Lake St. Helen has a good bite this week with lots of walleye being caught.
Sanford Sport Shop reports Sanford and Wixom Lake both have good crappie and gills starting biting the last few days.
Good perch fishing on Big Glenn this week
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Great Weekend for Ice Fishing
Reports are great with many bigger lakes going over like Crystal Lake and Big Glen Lake. Reports from Big Glen the perch are biting with minnows working best.
Higgins Lake has 8 inches of ice everywhere from the reports I got today and the lake trout are biting great. The smelt fishing is still good with 100 smelt being caught at night on halis tipped with waxworm or spikes. Lots of small perch being caught, but we hope when they get out around the sunken island they will get into the bigger perch You can call Phoenix Park @ 989-821-7220 for info off the west access site and Sports Barn @ 989-821-9511 for info on the south-end of Higgins Lake
Lake Margrethe has good ice and fishing has picked up this week with pike and walleye. Call Skipā??s Sport Shop @ 989-348-7111 for the latest info.
Portage Lake by Onekama has been great for perch and walleye , with some getting walleye during the day. Call Osborn’s Sport Shop in Bear Lake @ 231-889-3775 or Don’s Sport Shop in Manistee @ 231-723-5028
Hamlin Lake has a great gill bite with good pike and walleye action. Call Pere Marquette Sport @ 231-843-8676 or Hamlin Grocery @ (231) 843-2058
The Eyes Have It reports great fishing in the Leroy area call Craig @ 231-768-5653
Houghton Lake - Walleye fishing has been good along with pike hitting hard. Call Lyman’s Sport and Shanty Rental @ 989-422-3231
Near the Kalkaska area, Lake Skegemog is good for perch action when using a Hali jig with a minnow and the crappie fishing is good with a blue tip up with a minnow. Lake Margrethe is giving up decent counts of walleye when anglers use blue or grey tip ups. Manistee Lake is producing nice counts of crappie and walleye and Fife Lake is providing nice catches for pike. Pike are biting on suckers or goldens. Call Jackā??s Sport Shop for the latest info @ 231-258-8892
Lake St Helen has been good this week for pike, walleye and panfish and has great ice conditions. Call Malcoms Sport @ 989-389-2100 for latest info
Sanford Lake at the first fill has been hot for crappie this week with minnow working best. Call Sanford Sport Shop @ 989-687-5161 for latest info
Burt Lake has been good at Maple Bay for jumbo perch.
Green Lake by Interlochen has been good for smelt off both access sites with halis and waxworms working best.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
Last weeks cold weather continues to thicken the ice. Expect about a foot in most places. The purr of gas augers can be heard on both lakes. No cars or trucks out yet (not recommended), but snowmobiles and quads are out exploring new areas to fish. Even colder weather is forecasted for the coming week with more snow. Good ice for fishing, fresh snow for snowmobilers and skiers - Life is good in Cadillac!
Itā??s no longer first ice. Limits of panfish have slowed but theyā??re still there. Bluegills love the weeds because thatā??s where the aquatic bugs live. Thatā??s why waxworms and spikes are their favorite bait. In the Big and Small Coves on Lake Mitchell gills and crappies are mixed. Use your electronics to find them. Drill more holes then you need and start above and fish down using a gentle jigging action. Crappies are usually suspended above the weeds while the gills will be close to the bottom. Catch a few and it stops. Hole hop to your other holes, then start over. Those that downsized their jigs are doing best. The crappies on the east side of Lake Cadillac have returned from vacation. Mixed catches of good size crappie and a few decent perch have been reported.
Bryan Turnbull caught a Master Angler size 14ā? black crappie, caught on Cadillac. Also from Cadillac, Tim Richardson shows off a 12 Ā¾ā? crappie and an 11 Ā¼ā? perch. While crappie fishing with her dad, 8 year old Mickayla Mae Riedel felt something heavy on her line. It turned out to be a 16 Ā½ā? walleye. Dad, take me back to Lake Cadillac!
Large mouth bass have been on the prowl. Tip-up anglers tell of catching big ones. Release them carefully because bass season closed December 31st.
Northern Pike, our favorite always co-operate. This week, most were caught or speared from Mitchell.
Jay Kempher, 32 Ā½ā?, 7.6 lb. Came from Mitchell; Eric Tola, 29ā? came from Mitchell; Rick Nye, 33 Ā¼ā?, 8 lb came from Cadillac; Tyler McConnell, with a 26 Ā¾ā?, 4.1 lb., is leading in the youth division of our spearing contest. His came from Mitchell; Tom Richards speared a 30 Ā½ā?, 5.8 lb on Mitchell; Thomas Jessup Jr., speared a 31ā?, 7 lb. On Mitchell; George Fox speared a 34 Ā½ā? 9.5 lb on an area lake; Chris Hansen speared a 31 1/8ā?, 7 lb on Cadillac and Larry Platz speared a 29 Ā¼ā?, 5.7 lb on Mitchell.
Pike seem to be any where there are weeds. Thatā??s where the panfish are and theyā??re looking for an easy meal. Those setting tip-ups in 5 to 10 foot depths are doing best. Time of day doesnā??t seem to matter.
Smelt Fishermen - weā??re a month ahead of last year.
Green Lake - fishing off both launches.
Higgins - Smelt City has started off the west launch. Reports of very good catches. Much better then last yearā??s start. Also good size perch catches.
Crystal Lake - weā??re told itā??s skimmed over, but smelt areas are not safe yet. Reports tell us some are fishing perch/whitefish close to Beulah.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Ice Fishing is Great in Northern Michigan
We have great ice conditons with fish biting on most lakes. Smelt are biting on Cedar and Green Lake by Traverse with great reports coming out of Higgins Lake.
Higgins Lake has 8 inches of ice everywhere from the reports I got today and the lake trout are biting great. They are slamming the smelt with catches up to 300 off the west access site and perch fishing has been awesome also. You can call Phoenix Park @ 989-821-7220 for info off the west access site and Sports Barn @ 989-821-9511 for info on the south-end of Higgins Lake
Lake Margrethe has good ice and fishing has picked up this week with pike and walleye. Call Skip’s Sport Shop @ 989-348-7111 for the latest info.
Portage Lake by Onekama has been great for perch and walleye , with some getting walleye during the day.
Hamlin Lake has a great gill bite with good pike and walleye action. Call Pere Marquette Sport @ 231-843-8676 or Hamlin Grocery @ (231) 843-2058
The Eyes Have It reports great fishing in the Leroy area call Craig @ 231-768-5653
Houghton Lake - Walleye fishing has been good along with pike hitting hard.
Near the Kalkaska area, Lake Skegemog is good for perch action when using a Hali jig with a minnow and the crappie fishing is good with a blue tip up with a minnow. Lake Margrethe is giving up decent counts of walleye when anglers use blue or grey tip ups. Manistee Lake is producing nice counts of crappie and walleye and Fife Lake is providing nice catches for pike. Pike are biting on suckers or goldens. Call Jack’s Sport Shop for the latest info @ 231-258-8892
Saginaw Bay - Perch are being caught on the west side of the Bay off Standish, Pinconning and Linwood. Some are fishing off the docks in the marinas.
Crooked Lake - Has ice and many are getting out to their favorite spots, walleye have been biting.
Lake St Helen has been good this week for pike, walleye and panfish and has great ice conditions. Call Malcoms Sport @ 989-389-2100 for latest info
Traverse City - Good angling action near Traverse City on Long Lake and most inland lakes for walleye, blue gill and pan fish. Minnows, wax worms and spikes are popular. Anglers need to check the ice before attempting to walk on the ice.
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 - Lots of fisherman out this weekend catching gills and pike with ice conditions great.
Lake Cadillac - Good to excellent fishing conditions for pike on Mitchell and Cadillac Lakes. Anglers are using tip-ups and spearing. Good action for crappie in the day and evening hours. Perch activity is good but plenty of sorting is necessary to find the keepers. Blue gill action is slow. Both Mitchell and Cadillac lakes have good ice ranging between 7-10 inches
East Twin Lake - Had about 1 to 3 inches of snow on top of the ice which makes for easy foot travel. There has been little fishing pressure on the lake. Those targeting perch in 6 to 10 feet of water while jigging minnows have caught some nice fish, but not very many.
West Twin Lake - Also had snow cover for easier travel. Eagle Point has been fair for walleye when using tip-ups with minnows or when jigging minnows in 5 to 8 feet of water. Walleye were seen on the east side of the lake however they were not biting. Anglers are seeing some nice perch and a few of the bigger ones have been caught. No word on bluegill or crappie just yet..
Lake Mitchell - Has good ice also with lots of fisherman heading out after panfish and pike.
Indian Lake by Manistique has a good perch and walleye bite this week. South Manistique Lake - Still has good walleye action when jigging or using tip-ups. For those spearing, try the southeast side between the access site and Norton Island in 5 to 10 feet of water.
Brevoort Lake - Anglers are ice fishing for walleye and pike. The pike are hitting on tip-ups with minnows and the walleye are hitting on jigs with spikes or minnows. Some nice bluegills have also been caught.
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 ice and anglers are fishing. The walleye fishing has been steady but not spectacular with most taking home a couple fish per trip. A fair number of sub-legal fish have been caught and released. The deeper water has been more consistent lately when using jigging raps, with or without live bait. Walleye were caught just south of Gladstone.
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.
Muskegon Lake Has ice however avoid the area where the freighters are moving through. Enough perch for a meal are being caught along the south end of the lake in waters 45 to 55 feet deep. Bluegills are hitting on bright colors or anything that glows off the State Park on the northwest corner of the lake. Those setting tip-ups for pike have caught the occasional walleye.
AAA Fishing Report
Upper Peninsula:
Manistique anglers have plenty of good ice on Indian Lake and the north end is the hot spot for walleye and perch on minnows.
Sault Ste. Marie anglers will find plenty of ice on inland lakes but few fish. Only a few whitefish are being caught on the upper rivers. The freighters are causing the waters to stay stirred up and creating cloudy conditions especially on Mosquito Bay.
Munuscong Lake has hit or miss action for walleye and perch.
Around Drummond Island the ice is very thick registering 18-inches with only some light snow cover. Anglers are pike spearing on Scottā??s Bay and Scammon Cove with good results. Small perch are biting on wax worms, minnows, basically just about anything.
Brevort Lake near St. Ignace is producing a few walleye. Mark your calendars for the Brevort Lake Ice Fishing Jamboree coming February 14 and 15.
Lake Fanny Hooe and Medora Lake are frozen and anglers are pulling in some walleye. The harbor is still not frozen and anglers are fishing off the docks with good results.
Lake Gogebic near Bergland is producing decent catches of walleye on sucker minnows. Perch are biting on wigglers and crappie minnows. Ice shanties are set up all over the lake. All inland lakes are frozen and ice fishing is taking place.
Marquette fishing is rated fair with live minnows working well on perch, walleye and pike. Ice is good and thick. Lake Independence is producing good numbers of perch and walleye.
North of Escanaba anglers will find good ice measuring at least one foot, south of Escanaba the ice ranges between 6-10 inches in thickness. Overall the fishing is good all over the area on Little Bay De Noc and the majority of rivers for walleye. Anglers will need to put the time in though to get them. Baits of choice include jigging Rapalas, Moonshine Shiver Minnows, sucker minnows and tiny shiners.
Northwest:
Perfect fishing conditions around the Alanson area particularly on Burt and Crooked lakes. Good ice prevails and anglers are catching plenty of perch, trout and walleye on blues and minnows.
Near Boyne City, plenty of ice shanties can be found on the west end of Walloon Lake. Anglers are finding nice perch and walleye near the beach and north arm. Walleye are ranging 7-8 pounds. Blue gill are hitting on wigglers, mousies and spikes. Lake Charlevoix is giving up nice perch on the west end and large walleye and pike on the south arm. Perch are biting on perch minnows, wigglers and blue and grey tip ups.
The ice is good for anglers headed to the Traverse City area on the majority of inland lakes. Perch, walleye and blue gill action is decent.
Crystal Lake is half frozen over this week, but not safe at this point, use caution. Portage and Arcadia lakes have good ice however the fishing is slow for pike, perch and walleye. Anglers are also fishing for whitefish and rainbow trout with minnows, jigs, wigglers and wax worms.
Near the Kalkaska area, Lake Skegemog is good for perch action when using a Hali jig with a minnow and the crappie fishing is good with a blue tip up with a minnow. Lake Margrethe is giving up decent counts of walleye when anglers use blue or grey tip ups. Manistee Lake is producing nice counts of crappie and walleye and Fife Lake is providing nice catches for pike. Pike are biting on suckers or goldens.
Around the Gaylord area, ice shanties are going up all over the lakes, but safety is stressed at this point. Bradford Lake is giving up plenty of walleye when jigging, and Otsego Lake is great for walleye on tip ups and a minnow.
In the Cadillac area, Mitchell and Cadillac lakes are very good for pike and crappie fishing, with crappie hitting on red spikes and tiny jigs. The ice is thick and clear. Perch are small, in the 5-6 inch range and spotty, not really worthwhile at this point. A few walleye are biting in the evening hours. Blue gill activity is good right now.
West:
Ludington anglers fishing the Pere Marquette will find good action on northern using a tip up. One angler pulled in a 40-inch fish this week, and overall the fish are ranging 24-inches. Frozen smelt on a tip up is working well. Hamlin Lake is great for blue gill activity near the Wilson Hill Park.
Muskegon Lake has good ice registering 4 Ā½-6 inches and anglers are doing well for perch in the 7-9 inch size, fishing in waters 46-55 feet. Cut bait, minnows, spikes and wax worms seem to work well. The most popular bait is a glow in the dark tear drop or fly. Expect to do some sorting. On the northwest side of Muskegon Lake near the state park, blue gill and spec action is good when anglers use little spikes. Walleye activity is far and few but when anglers get one they are very nice size.
Shanties are popping up all over Chippewa Lake. The ice is around 11-inches and thick enough to drive on. Good spec and pike action. Specs are hitting on minnows and shiners and anglers are getting a fish as soon as the line hits the water. Anglers are spearing for pike. Overall the fish are hitting on anything and anglers are coming up with a fish every time.
In the Baldwin area the ice is 6-8 inches thick and in very good condition. It is snowing today and about three inches of snow is now covering the ice. Ice fishing on Big Bass Lake is good for nice perch catches. Elbow Lake is giving up nice pike quantities, however the fish are small in size. Bass Lake is giving up some small pike as well. Big Manistee and Pere Marquette rivers are very good for steelhead action on spawn and spawn patterns, and the water clarity is good.
Northeast:
Near the Alpena area, Hubbard, Long and Grand lakes are giving up fair walleye and perch counts. Live bait seems to work best and fishing is taking place all over the lakes, no particular hot spots.
Oscoda anglers are doing well on Cooke and Foote Dam Ponds for pike, perch, blue gill, pan fish and steelhead. Baits working well include wigglers, spawn, suckers and golden shiners. On the Au Sable River above the dam steelhead action is good.
Grayling anglers are finding good ice on the majority of inland lakes and safe enough for snowmobiles and four wheelers. Lake Margrethe is slow currently for walleye, perch and pike. When perch are biting they are hitting on small sucker minnows and grays.
Higgins Lake is frozen and registering 4-6 inches in depth. Perch action is good all over the lake when using minnows.
Around Au Gres, the ice is still questionable so check as you go, but the cuts and channels are frozen solid. Blue gill, crappie, perch and walleye are active. Minnows, jigs, wax worms and perch minnows are working well.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
New Mexico Sweet Light
This photo I took when in New Mexico in NOv. I like the sweet light on the tree.