Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Tip Up Town USA
We’re getting ready for another great Tip-Up Town USA! Michigan’s largest winter festival takes place on January 22-24th, and 29-31st. It’s the Diamond Anniversary and promises to be bigger and better than ever before! Bookmark this site to keep up to date with all the activities planned for 2010. So starting making plans for the best fun that winter has to offer - Tip-Up-Town USA in wonderful Houghton Lake!
Click here for some short videos of some of the fun activities offered at Tip-Up Town USA
Don’t forget you can use 3 lines per person this year.
Higgins Lake is froze and has 6 inches of ice, the pike bite has slowed but they are still taking some nice pike, also small perch are biting, with the smelt just starting to bite
We have great ice and lots of fisherman are getting out this week and trying there luck. The bite has been slow on many lakes still and hope things pick up this week. We have a great weekend of weather with 30’s predicted
Lake St. Helen is reporting great pike and panfish bite this week
Down at Wixom Lake they are doing good off the access site with panfish and pike..
Margrethe and Otsego have good ice and many shaties are showing up on the lakes with a fair bite. A huge muskie was caught on Lake Margrethe
Around Leroy, Farwell, Cadillac, Harrison and Sanford they have good ice and are catching fish.
Long Lake and Lake Leelanau by Traverse City have good ice for walking and perch and walleye are biting. Some are getting off the north-end.
Crystal Lake is froze on the south -end with a few guys getting out for perch
Portage Lake is froze, and they report a good perch and walleye bite. Also lots of pike being caught on golden shiners.
Skegemog Lake - Ice anglers are catching perch and many shanties out for spearing muskie and pike.
Lake Missaukee - Has ice and anglers are out targeting panfish.
Lake Cadillac -Is producing some nice northern pike for those spearing or using tip ups with large minnows. Walleye anglers were doing well when using tip-ups with light line. Those seeking panfish have caught good numbers of crappie along with some bluegills and perch. Many are fishing the west side of the lake.
Lake Mitchell - Is also producing some nice northern pike. The better walleye bite has been in the early morning or late evening. Black crappie were caught.
Hamlin Lake is reporting a good panfish and pike bite with lots of people out and about this week. At midweek the upper lake had around 8 inches of ice. And there is 4 or more on the bayous. Pretty good ice, but, still be cautious this early in the year.We are riding snowmobiles just about anywhere. The bait of choice for bluegills seems to be spikes over waxworms. There have been good catches in the mornings and evenings using bright colored jigs. ccording to Hamlin grocery the hot colors were orange and yellow and chartreuse and purple. The National ice fishing circuit comes to Hamlin lake Jan. 28-31, 2010 The first prize of 7,500 will certainly draw lots of anglers. This is a simple event, you fish for five hours with your favorite fishing partner, bring back your eight heaviest bluegills and crappies. You only have to beat the other 149 teams. The event kicks off Jan 26 above sportsman’s Irish pub. The next day there is a free ice fishing seminar and then on Sat. there will be a USA Team qualifier, which could qualify a team for the world championship tournament. Last years event was in Poland. Then there is a rules meeting at Ramada Sat night. Sunday the tournament starts at 8.am. Fishing ends at 1.00 with a weigh in and chili cookoff in the James street plaza downtown Ludington. We have rooms and snowmobiles available We also are having our free lodging special again this year. With the popular response we had, it seemed like the thing to do. If you rent a snowmobile for a day you get a free night, of a two night stay. If you rent a snowmobile for 2 days you get 2 nights free, on and on. The more sleds you rent the larger the free unit, up to 3 bedroom. Same goes for atv’s. The hot tub is on and hot, ready for soaking. Come on up and enjoy, give us a call, 888-845-5187, thanks,
Saginaw Bay - Anglers are warned to be very careful of changing ice conditions! Extreme caution needs to be used. The pressure cracks are extremely dangerous at this time so anglers should avoid those areas. Two anglers drowned since last Friday, and in both cases they were riding ATV’s, got onto thin, newly frozen ice, and broke through. There are a lot of pressure cracks out there, and if you’re riding an ATV or snowmobile, you can come upon a crack or thin ice before you have time to stop. Ice conditions were not great before the recent thaw, and now they are worse. Stay away from the mouth of rivers, creeks and drains because the recent thaw has increased runoff which in turn has eroded the ice in those areas. Local Sheriff Departments have been calling for people to stay off the ice. It would be wise to fish in shallow waters only and stay close to shore. Those wading open waters in the channel near the Hot Ponds caught walleye and pike. Many were small. Perch fishing was slow in the shallow waters between Sebewaing and Mud Creek. Walleye anglers were not fishing this area because the ice was not safe outside the islands.
Little Bay De Noc - Ice in the shipping channel in Escanaba has reopened producing DANGEROUS ice conditions. Anglers are discouraged from venturing out in this area. The majority of anglers are going out from the Terrace Bay Inn and north to the head of the Bay. Some were driving vehicles out north of the Narrows however it is not recommended. Several large ice breaks have opened in various areas across the Bay so anglers need to use extreme caution. Walleye catches have been fair at best with most of the large fish caught off the Center Reef with tip-ups and suckers in 25 to 31 feet of water. The best concentrations of fish have been south of Gladstone Beach in 25 to 35 feet of water. Try jigging rapalas with minnows. Those fishing the head of the Bay caught walleye and perch when jigging rapalas or using tip-ups with suckers in 8 to 19 feet of water. Catch rates for perch slowed however fish were still caught in both deep and shallow waters. Try jigging minnows in 27 to 35 feet of water or spikes and wigglers in 11 to 17 feet of water near Kipling. Jumbo perch were caught at the head of the Bay in 8 to 13 feet of water. Several large pike were taken off the Second Reef when using suckers in 27 to 33 feet of water.
Big Manistique Lake - Has ice and is producing walleye along with some perch.
South Manistique Lake - Is also producing walleye and a few perch. Both lakes should also start producing some pike.
Twin Lake - Near Newberry has ice and the bluegill anglers are out.
Houghton Lake - Ice anglers are taking northern pike on tip-ups with minnows. Walleye have been caught out by the Middle Grounds. Most are jigging along the weeds in 6 to 8 feet of water. Dave at Four Season Party Store is out looking for a good spot as last year hotspot the weeds are down and not holding fish. Dave at Four Season party Store is out looking for a good spot and has done well the last few days so give him a call at 989-422-5230 for his hot-spot He caught four keeper walleye last night.. Lyman’s on the lake has shanties out and has a weekly pike contest
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