Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Mother’s Day Fishing Report
The weather is still a big issue as it continues to give us bad weekends of weathers. We hope for better as it is mothers day sunday.
Crappie are on a big bite on Lake Missaukee this week with the lagoon being the hot spot and minnows the hot ticket.
Also a super walleye bite on Lake Bellaire with huge fish being caught for Northern Michigan. Most are running 25 to 28 inches with a few up to 31 inches. The bad thing is they are catching them on stick baits with clown pattern working best and after dark. I wish I could tell you they were biting on crawlers or leeches. Call Jacks Sport @231-258-8892 for the latest report.
Otsego Lake has started to produce a few walleye the last few days.
On the inland waters, bluegills are beginning to show up in the shallows, but it will probably be another week or so before spawning begins in the Lower Peninsula. Largemouth bass are active in the shallows. Anglers are reminded that all largemouth and smallmouth bass must be released immediately. Bluegill are still on the bite on most lakes and hearing good reports.
Mushrooms are popping in Northern Michigan with blacks being the main fungi.
Higgins Lake - Is real slow with very little pressure, but it seems like after mother’s day the perch bite starts on the lake according to the Redman’s
Houghton Lake - A few bluegill, walleye and crappie were caught but overall fishing has been slow.
Steelhead fishing is good at the Two Heart River this week with no pressure..
Lake Charlevoix - Perch fishing was slow. Anglers jigging and using shiners did manage to catch a few nice fish but many were small.
Lake Bellaire - Those targeting walleye were trolling crawler harnesses and jigs from the steep drop-offs in the northern section of the lake, west of the Intermediate River and from the Fisherman’s Paradise access site down to the southern section of the lake in 10 to 30 feet of water.
Traverse City - Strong winds have kept anglers off the East Bay. For the West Bay, lake trout have been caught along the east shoreline from the Maritime Dock down to Bowers Harbor when trolling or jigging near the drop-off. White jigging spoons caught fish. A few perch were caught on wigglers near Suttons Bay.
Saginaw Bay - There’s still a lot of muddy water to contend with in the inner bay after all the rain. Angler activity has picked up off Linwood and Parish Road. Those trolling and drifting east of Spoils Island caught fish when using crawler harnesses and jigs with crawlers. Quanicassee had fair to good walleye action near the mouth of the river. At Bay Port, boat anglers are catching walleye in the channel off the tip of Sand Point, around North Island and out in the Slot. At Caseville, walleye were caught off the breakwall at night.
Saginaw River - Walleye are back in with good reports the last two days and the river is down.
Tittabawassee River - Walleye fishing is good at the Dow Dam
Portage Lake -Has slowed down this week but I think the perch will start again friday as the weather warms up.
Manistee - Boat anglers are catching brown trout and the occasional steelhead on body baits. Green and orange were good colors. Perch were caught off the pier however anglers will need to sort out the small ones.
Ludington - The docks have been pulled at the Loomis Street boat launch due to dredging. Anglers are catching brown trout while trolling along the shoreline. Most fish were caught between the Lincoln River and the Point.
Lake Cadillac - Panfish were caught near the M-115 causeway and the City Dock.
Little Bay De Noc - Perch anglers fished the Narrows near Butler Island but few fish were caught in the deeper waters. Those fishing in shallows waters 4 to 8 feet deep caught fish but they were small. Water temperatures were edging up near 50 degrees but no reports of smelt.
Ford River - Steelhead have been caught 4 to 8 miles upstream.
Day’s River - Most anglers are fishing between old US-2 and the Golf Course.
Big Bay De Noc - The docks are in Fayette, Garden and Ogontz. People are getting ready for the opener next week
AAA FIshing Report
Upper Peninsula:
In the Marquette area anglers are anxiously awaiting the walleye and pike season opener on May 15. A few anglers are out catching and releasing bass. Overall the fishing activity is bleak and so far no hatches have taken place. A few anglers are out trolling in 50-75 feet of water on Lake Superior for trout using Moonshine Spoons and getting fair results. A Trout/Salmon Tournament takes place this Saturday on the lower Harbor, for details call 906-226-8300.
In Escanaba the perch fishing is heating up and anglers are doing well in waters 25 to 45 feet deep out in the Bay using perch rigs. The local rivers continue to give up decent counts of steelhead. Anglers are getting prepared for walleye season next May 15.
Fishing is rated average for anglers on Indian Lake where perch are hitting on perch minnows. The Manistique River is still producing some steelhead, but the suckers have really moved in.
Around Sault Ste. Marie the perch have really started to pick up in the upper St. Maryâ??s River this week. Minnows seem to be working well. Whitefish can be found by the power house using wax worms and Rainbow Trout are running in just about all the streams with spawn and wax worms doing the trick.
Off of Hessel and Cedarville anglers are doing well for splake casting spoons and spawn. All of the trout streams throughout Munuscong are doing well. Anglers will find nice numbers of steelhead near the mouth of the rivers leading from both Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Pike, walleye and musky season opens May 15.
Walleye season opens May 15th for Drummond Island anglers but in the meantime anglers are getting decent perch catches off the docks around Maxton Bay. Overall perch is slowing down and the majority of the perch are now male.
St. Ignace activity is very minimal this week and for the most part, most anglers from the area are heading to Drummond Island for perch.
Northwest:
Alanson anglers finally got a break and the weather has improved creating good pike action on most creeks and rivers with minnows working well. Suckers are also strong in the rivers and creeks. Crooked Lake is giving up some walleye near the marina where the waters have warmed up.
Around Boyne City the Jordan and Boyne rivers are full of suckers, steelhead are minimal at this point. Lake Charlevoix the perch activity is off and on and when they are biting the fish are hitting on minnows and wigglers. Walloon Lake is good for walleye on minnows and body baits and anglers are targeting bass, some catching and releasing.
Traverse City and Kalkaska anglers are finding some nice angling activity this week. Manistee Lake and Guernsey Lake are exceptional for blue gill with jigs and wax worms working very well. Lake Bellaire and Manistee Lake are both producing nice quantities of walleye on jigs and minnows. Elk Rapids Dam has a fresh steelhead run and spawn bags and jigs with wax worms seem to be working well. Skegemog Lake has hundreds of bass cruising but it is only catch and release right now. Off of Leelanau walleye are being found in the north and south narrows.
Good fishing in Gaylord where walleye are hitting on crank baits on Otsego Lake. Steelhead action continues to be good on the Boyne, Sturgeon and Jordan rivers and anglers are having success with egg and nymph patterns.
Both Mitchell and Cadillac lakes are producing nice size pike on Rapalas. Crappie action is also good but it depends on the time of day whether the fish are suspended or deep. A few blue gill are hitting on wax and leaf worms.
West:
Baldwin anglers are finding decent blue gill fishing on the majority of inland lakes in the area. The shallow water seems to be the hot spot with tied flies, particularly black gnats and ants seem to be popular. Other baits that are working include worms, night crawlers and crickets.
Fishing is ok around the Muskegon area where anglers are fishing Lake Michigan for salmon in 40 to 60 feet of water and getting results in 32 to 55 feet down. Fish are ranging towards the smaller end of the scale, averaging 5-11 pounds. Perch action in the area is slowing down and walleye action is decent off the break wall when using Countdown Rapalas in the very early morning or late evening hours. Trout action is good on the north branch of the White River with worms, crawlers and spawn doing the job.
Northeast:
Good fishing for Alpena anglers on Thunder Bay for walleye. Rapalas and body baits are working well. The steelhead action remains good around the Ninth Street Dam on spawn and flies. Crappie fishing is just starting and so far is fair to good with minnows doing the trick.
Itâ??s all good around Oscoda where perch, blue gill and crappie action is great on live baits on Cooke and Foote Dam ponds. Pike is good on Foote Dam Pond. Walleye, steelhead and sucker action is good on the Au Sable River when using minnows, spawn and crawlers.
Walleye are biting on Lake Margrethe around the Grayling area. Good results can be found near the east shoreline and the north side using minnows. The pressure is light to good for a few blue gill in the shallows from about 8-feet in.
The bite is good on Houghton Lake for walleye on minnows and blue gill and crappie on leaf worms. Blue gill are a good size averaging 11-13 inches. Crawler harnesses and teardrops are working on pike near the Reedsburg Dam.
Higgins Lake is producing fair amounts of perch on minnows but so far no trout action.
Around Au Gres walleye are biting on size seven Husky Jerks up river in the shallows of the Aus Gres. Again this week on the east branch of the Au Gres steelhead continue to run. Additional baits that are also popular include crawler harnesses, Rapalas and bombers.
East:
Off of Standish the perch seem to have shut down, but outstanding walleye fishing is taking place. The walleye are really turned-on in 13-18 feet of water and limits are being taken in short order on crawler harnesses. A few hot spots include near the Rifle Bar, black hole and catfish hole.
Walleye are everywhere around the Bay City area and anglers are giving a thumbs-up for good action. Saginaw Bay is producing good quantities in 10-feet of water on crawlers. Anglers are also doing well fishing from shore along the Saginaw River jigging with minnows.
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