Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Leap Year Fishing Report
I shot this photo on my travels this week
Anglers are reminded that the season to take walleye, northern pike and muskie on Upper Peninsula inland waters not otherwise closed to fishing, Great Lakes and the St. Mary’s River will close on Friday February 29, 2008. The new extended harvest season will begin in 2009 as any regulation changes for the 2008-2009 fishing season will not go into effect until April 1, 2008. Northern pike and muskie spearing will close on Friday, February 29th.
It seems were in the doldrums of winter and need a shot of warm weather to get fish biting again. It seems the fish will bite one day then shut down for a while until we have a weather change, It was 6 below today and that is too damn cold
Higgins Lake has great ice, perch fishing and lake trout are biting, but smelt still slow with 50 a night a good night. Very few anglers off the West Access Site for Smelt but no great reports yet. Perch are running small so lots of sorting this week. Call Phoenix Park Party Store 989-821-7220 or Higgins Lake Sport 989-821-9517 for the West side. Sport Barn 989-821-9511 for the south-end of Higgins Lake .
Green Lake is low for smelt
Crystal Lake has a good perch and still a great smelt bite this week off of Lobb Rd.
Frankfort has a good perch bite on Betsie Bay along with some nice pike being caught.
Portage Lake by Manistee report a great perch bite still with minnows working best. Also the walleye have started to bite with some nice hogs being caught. Also Manistee Lake reports a good perch bite as they got a perch run from Lake Michigan.
Anglers heading out onto Houghton Lake ,many are going off off Lymanville where the pike action has been good. The best areas to try and catch walleye are along the north shore, on the east bay or by the middle grounds. Walleye fishing is still very good with very few panfish being caught.
Little Bay De Noc - Ice remains favorable around the Bay however snow and slush are making travel a bit difficult. Anglers can be found from the north end of the bay around the Day’s River all the way down to Portage Point. Those fishing near the Second and Third Reefs did catch some nice walleye when using tip-ups with large minnows in 35 to 45 feet of water. The Narrows, Black Bottom and the mouth of the Escanaba River produced fair catches. The best reports came out from the Terrace Inn when jigging or using tip-ups with minnows in 40 feet of water. Though catch rates were just fair, anglers were happy with the big healthy fish being caught. Perch anglers were struggling around Butler Island. Those fishing the east side of the Bay near Stonington reported taking some nice jumbo perch when jigging with minnows or wigglers in 25 to 30 feet of water. Fair to good whitefish action was reported off Sand Point when jigging minnows and spawn in 65 to 80 feet of water. Several whitefish were taken in 40 feet of water near the Terrace.
Saginaw Bay - Currently has so called “mountains” which have formed due to the large sheets of ice colliding with each other. These great walls of ice are making it difficult for anglers to get out to their favorite fishing hole. There are also areas where the slush on top of the ice is several inches deep. Those able to get out have reported good walleye action in 8 to 17 feet of water off Pine River and Palmer Roads. Some limits were taken after dark. Good walleye action in 13 to 21 feet of water off Linwood and in 15 to 19 feet of water off the Bay City State Park. There was very good walleye fishing off Thomas Road where guys were going out 7 to 8 miles and fishing the Shipping Channel in 21 to 28 feet of water. Perch and a few pike were still coming from the marina at Sebewaing. Those fishing up at Mud Creek were taking some nice perch in the early morning. Pike spearing has been very good with many fish over 30 inches.
Muskegon Lake - Perch have been caught on the west end of the lake.
White Lake by Montague has a great perch bite, call Johnson’s Outdoors for the latest bite. 231-893-6688
Otsego Lake by Gaylord reports slow going this week but bigger perch being caught. They have the sturgeon shanties back out and are seeing a few with a 42 incher caught and released as they have to be 50 inches.The ice is holding up on Burt, Crooked and Pickerel lakes near Alanson, where the perch, pike and walleye action is good.
Burt Lake - For walleye, try the weedbeds in 20 to 30 feet of water in Maple Bay. Some nice perch were caught on the north end of the lake. Perch bite is giid off of Maple Bay with wigglers working good.
By Alpena, fishing fair on Grand and Long lakes. Anglers using minnows as bait are catching good numbers of perch and walleye. Fletcher’s Floodwaters - Is producing good numbers of pike up to 10 pounds. As for panfish, mostly bluegills and pumpkinseed sunfish were hitting in the upper end of the reservoir. They ranged from 5 to 8 inches., and they have a contest this weekend.
Out of the Boyne City area, the perch, pike and walleye action on Walloon Lake is fair to good. Anglers on Deer Lake are catching a few bluegill. Both waxworms and wigglers are being used as bait. Thumb Lake is producing fair splake fishing.
Around Manistique, Indian Lake have good ice with snow making things tough going
Long Lake by Traverse and Lake Leelanau have good reports of walleye this week but slush is bad on the lake.
In the Kalkaska area, the perch fishing is good on Lake Skegemog. Crappie and walleye fishing is slow on Manistee Lake. Anglers on Fife Lake are pulling a few perch and walleye through the ice.
Gladwin Counties has good ice with good reports of panfish and pike biting
Lake Missaukee - Still has a good gill bite.
Lake St. Helen reports a good gill bite with waxworms working best.
Upper Hamlin Lake - Is a good place for bluegills and crappie.
Lower Hamlin Lake - Walleye were caught in 20 to 30 feet of water when jigging minnows.
Big Glen Lake - Perch fishing has been good but don’t forget about the lake trout and rainbow trout. Some are catching bigger perch on tipups using greys and blues. Lots of snow this week with up to 20 inches the last two days.
Pere Marquette Lake - Perch are hitting on minnows and wigglers. A few pike were taken on tip-ups.
Upper Peninsula:
Anglers are doing well on Copper Harbor catching decent quantities of splake.
In the Bergland area, Lake Gogebic is producing good amounts of perch o9n wigglers and walleye has been decent all week as well.
Around the Escanaba area Little Bay De Noc has been good all week for walleye fishing. Anglers are finding good results with buckshot spoons, jigging, and tip ups with sucker minnows. The ice is great but has a lot of snow cover. Whitefish are picking up considerably right off the mouth of the harbor. Salmon eggs and small minnows seem to be working best.
In the Manistique area, Indian Lake fishing activity is poor.
Munuscong Bay anglers are experiencing the best walleye season in 15 years. Anglers are using a variety of baits including jigs and minnows. The perch and pike action is also good using the same types of baits.
Around the Cedarville area the perch action is excellent.
Northwest:
Out of the Alanson area, the walleye and perch fishing is decent on Burt, Crooked and Pickerel lakes. Minnows are working best. The ice is good due to very cold temperatures and anglers can get around well with no snow cover.
In the Frankfort area, smelt fishing on Crystal Lake is good using wax worms, spikes and some jigs. Perch is spotty but the keepers are decent. Fishing for lake trout is not so good at this time. Near Arcadia the perch and pike are decent on wigglers and minnows. The ice is in good shape with only a dusting of snow cover.
Lake Skegemog, Twin and Manistee lakes near Kalkaska is producing decent catches of walleye, perch and pike. The best baits include blue, grey and golden shiners, minnows and perch minnows. The ice is good and plenty of ice shanties are noticeable with snowmobiles getting across well.
In the Cadillac area, the pike fishing is decent on both lakes Cadillac and Mitchell and the crappie fishing isn’t bad on Lake Cadillac. Minnows are working well.
West:
In and around the Ludington area, perch and northerns are active on Pere Marquette, and Portage lakes, as well as Lake Michigan. Anglers are finding best results when using wigglers. Bluegill and crappie is good on most of the inland lakes when using wax worms and mousies. Most of the rivers are producing some steelhead on slammers. Pere Marquette lake has good ice measuring at least 18-inches thick.
Perch and northerns are active on Pentwater Lake and wigglers are working well.
In the Muskegon area, minnows and spikes are working well on large fish while just about any bait is working on smaller fish. Perch is active near the south end of the channel on Muskegon Lake while pike and walleye are active on the east half of the lake near 2nd Street. The hot spot during the day for walleye is near the SPX Building and Rafferty’s Restaurant.
Around the Baldwin area, pan fish and bluegill are decent on most of the local inland lakes. Anglers are using mousies and wigglers with good results. Some steelhead are moving in the rivers and a few pike.
Southwest:
Plenty of action in the Kalamazoo area, perch is good on wigglers and minnows on Shafer, Eagle and Gourd neck lakes. Anglers on Sugarloaf, School Section, and Little Fish lakes are catching decent blue gill on corn bores and wax worms. Huzzy Lake is producing decent pike. Pike action is good on Long Lake using tips ups with shiners and anglers on the Kalamazoo River below the Allegan Dam are catching a few steelhead on spawn sacks. Walleye action is also decent in the river using minnows and a jig.
In the Three Rivers area the bluegill and perch action is decent when using minnows on the inland lakes.
Northeast:
Out of the Grayling area, walleye and perch fishing is fair on Lake Margrethe in 15 feet of water. Good locations are near the south bay and the middle ground, and anglers are using wax worms with good results. Otsego Lake is producing decent perch when fishing in 100 feet of water near the east shore. Manistee Lake is slow to fair for crappie and blue gill activity this week. The pike action is good on River Lake when anglers use sucker minnows or wigglers.
Around the Oscoda area, the ice fishing is good on Van Etten Lake particularly for perch on minnows. Walleye, pike and perch activity is good on both Cooke and Foote Dam ponds. Anglers are using wax worms, and minnows for best results. The Au Sable River is very slow for steelhead activity, steelhead caught were on spawn sacks.
Higgins Lake has great ice measuring in at 16-inches. Good activity this week for perch using minnows and lakers on grey shiners.
East:
Near Linwood, anglers need to use caution and watch for some open ice three to four miles out near Harrison Road. Best fishing is between Linwood and Pinconning for perch. The Saginaw River near the Independence Bridge is a hot spot for walleye.
Around Bay City, the walleye action is very good on both the Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay. Hot spots on the bay include nine to 10 miles off of Thomas Road, near Callahan Reef in 14 feet of water, and three to eight miles off of the State Park. The walleye action is good up and down the river and between the Cass Avenue Bridge and the mouth of the Saginaw Bay. A variety of bait is being used that includes jigs and Rapalas, crocodiles, minnows, wax worms, shiners and wigglers.
.
Next entry: Slow Reports Today
Previous entry: Higgins Lake Pike