Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Perch Run in Ludington
A great perch run is going on in Ludington off the pier with minnows working best.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
The Dog Days of Summer are here. Water temperatures are in the 75 degree range. The best bite is reserved for dawn and dusk. Weed topped humps and heavy weed lines are the hottest spots. Weeds are to fish what woods are to deer, cover. Generally, bobber fishing with live bait is the most efficient. Drop your rigs into the open pockets.
You’ll have no trouble finding heavy weed pockets on Lake Mitchell. The mouths of the big and small coves have been good for gills and sunfish. Crickets, waxworms and Leafworms all work. No one bait has been best. Several anglers have reported of pike hitting panfish as they reel them in, in these areas.
Perch fishing is picking up on Lake Cadillac. They’re traveling in loose schools over the deep flats. Expect to find them over the featureless bottoms in 16 to 20 foot. They’re hugging the bottom. Use your electronics or drift till you find active fish. Minnows are your best bet. The middle of Cadillac, between Laura Lee’s on the north, and Sunset Shores condos on the south, has been particularly good.
Occasionally a few walleye have been caught in this area as a bonus. Those reported have been accidental catches.
Crappie dinners have been most common this summer. The deeper, east end of Cadillac has been and is the best area. They’ve been schooling in 14 foot and deeper. Lately, they’ve been suspending about 6 feet off the bottom. Areas where the slab wood remains are present seem to hold them consistently. Small minnows always work but Cubby jigs, Beetle spins and Blakemore jigs catch the largest one. When they’re aggressive, jigs don’t have to be tipped with live bait.
Small mouths are coming from this area also. Fish where they live, deep. Early and later they’ve been feeding on crayfish along the rocks near the city shore line. During the day they’re near the bottom as deep as 20 feet.
Most large mouths are living in the shallower weed beds. Frog baits have been effective over the heavy mats. It’s fun to have the weeds explode as they hit. Lake Mitchell has been best using this method.
Salmon, our nearest ports, Frankfort, Ludington and Manistee are all good. Salmon fever is contagious. The wait is over! John Culp returned from Frankfort with his catch, salmon and brown trout. Both were caught in less than 50 feet.
Detailed maps of current fish conditions are available at the Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop. Stop in.
DEER HUNTERS
If does mean anything to you, the application period for Antlerless deer will end August 15th. Private land applications are available for counties in our area.
Left over licenses will be available September 17th at 10:00 AM. Do you think there will be any for our area?
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