Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Free Fishing Weekend
This coming weekend is Michigan’s annual Winter Free Fishing Weekend. For two days only, Saturday February 13th and Sunday February 14th, both resident and nonresidents can fish without a license however all state regulations still apply. This is a great time for novice anglers to take someone new out and introduce them to the winter sport of ice fishing. Sharing ones knowledge in ice fishing techniques as well as ice safety is one of the best ways to pass on the fishing tradition in Michigan! Ice is awesome on most lakes
Big Glenn has a good perch bite as the photos above show a good catch from Dick and Nick Timmons. It has been hit and miss this week but some have caught limits will others get skunked. Wigglers seem to be working better
Don’t forget you can use 3 lines per person this year.
ROCK ICE FISHING DERBY
February 13, 2010 6AM-DUSK on beautiful Fife Lake
One $10,000 tagged fish and several $100 tagged fish. Other prizes for largest fish and total weight. Many other prizes, drawings, etc. Fun for the whole family!Food and beverages will be available for purchase. All proceeds will benefit the ROCK Youth Center.
Registration fee: $10 per fisher, Family of three or more $25
For details contact Terry Street (231) 499-4870
1st ANNUAL 2010
OSBORNâ??S BIG ICE FISHING CONTEST
(231) 889-3775
FEB.19TH,20TH, 21ST. MANISTEE-BENZIE AREA LAKES BIG PRIZES FOR BIG FISH!!
Rules:
$5.00 Registration and weigh in at Osborn’s Sports Shop
Registration qualifies you for any and all classes.
Largest fish will be determined by weight only, except smelt will be by length.
Only one prize per person will be awarded.
Children s class will be 12 years and under.
Higgins Lake is safe and the smelt and lake trout are on the bite with the warm-up. Smelt were hitting in 20 to 40 feet and lake trout in 85 to 120 feet of water. Those using tip-ups or spearing have taken some large northern pike along the southwest end of the lake in 20 to 30 feet of water. Perch anglers were taking fish in 15 to 25 feet of water in the afternoon and then switching over and fishing for smelt just before dark in the same area. It has been hit and miss there also this week
Lake St. Helen is reporting great pike and panfish bite.
Down at Wixom Lake they are doing good off the access site with crappie 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 also sturgeon are being spotted on Otsego Lake
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.
Mullet Lake - Fishing remains consistent. A few nice perch were caught on minnows in 10 to 45 feet of water, but many were small. Those targeting pike have not had much luck with spearing or still-fishing. Some have started to target lake herring.
Burt Lake - Ice anglers have started to catch a few walleye. Anglers should stay away from the large pressure crack between Colonial Point and Cedar Point. This area had open water last week and the ice that has formed is not safe. Perch fishing has been fair on Maple Bay
Crystal Lake is froze and should be a great weekend for fishing with many getting off of Lobb rd. and doing good
Portage Lake has great ice and check out Osborn’s Fishig contest for the lakeAlso lots of pike being caught on golden shiners.
Green Lake - Ice fishing continues and smelt are hitting at night. Try Hali jigs or teardrops with wax worms or spikes.
Cedar Lake - Ice anglers are doing well on pike when using tip-ups with large minnows. Those targeting smelt are fishing day or night with teardrops or Hali jigs with spikes and wax worms.
Lake Missaukee - Has been good for bluegills.
Lake Cadillac - Ice anglers continue to catch walleye, pike and crappie. Try the smallest jigs with a single spike and not much movement. Those with cameras are seeing panfish however they were not interested in biting.
Lake Mitchell - Has been good for pike and a few crappie. Look for bluegills when fishing near the coves on the west side of the lake.
Hamlin Lake - Some nice bluegills have been caught but not many. For crappie, try the drop-off along the Narrows in 15 to 25 feet of water with minnows after dark. Perch and a few walleye were caught along the drop-off south of the Narrows. Northern pike were hitting on tip-ups.
Saginaw Bay - Ice conditions continues to be extremely variable, with active cracks and thin ice over recently open water. Anglers need to be careful and proceed with extreme caution! Heavy snow will make ice conditions worse because anglers will not be able to distinguish new ice from the older, thicker ice. It would be a good idea for anglers to carry a cell phone, a throwable life preserver on a line and spikes to help them grip the ice should they fall through. Some perch were taken in 6 to 8 feet of water off White’s Beach and Newman Road. A few walleye anglers caught fish off Linwood. Walleye and whitefish have been caught off the Bay City State Park in 7 feet of water, the mouth of the Saginaw River in 4 to 6 feet of water and near Spoils Island in 10 feet of water. On the east side of the bay, a few nice perch and the occasional walleye were caught in 7 feet of water off Vanderbilt Park and Thomas Road.
Little Bay De Noc - Ice conditions remain good for the most part from Gladstone to Garth Point. Large pressure cracks have created dangerous conditions in some areas and anglers are advised to stay away from those areas, especially with any type of vehicle. Several anglers have gone through the ice, so caution needs to be used. Take the time to study the area or talk to other anglers before traveling too far out on the ice. Fair to good walleye catches at the head of the Bay when using tip-ups with sucker minnows in 8 to 13 feet of water. Avoid the area between the Escanaba River and the Terrace Bay Inn or Aronson Island and Portage Point as they are considered to be dangerous areas. Limits of perch were caught at the head of the bay on minnows, wigglers and spike in 8 to 13 feet of water and out from Kipling in 11 to 17 feet of water. Northern pike spearing was good in the Escanaba Yacht Harbor when using live decoys in 4 to 10 feet of water.
Big Manistique Lake - Anglers were catching a significant number of small fish.
South Manistique Lake - Is also producing walleye and a few perch. Both lakes should also start producing some pike.
Cedarville and Hessel - Cedarville Bay and Hessel Bay were slow with only small perch caught so anglers were fishing the Moscoe Channel and taking a few 12 to 15 inch fish. Those in Hessel Bay could see the larger perch but they did not want to bite. Musky Bay is seeing 3 to 7 inch perch with the occasional 10 to 15 inch fish also caught.
Houghton Lake -Has a large pressure crack that extends from Long Point to the south shore. The ice has been pushed up about 5 feet and is not safe to drive over. Good walleye action in 8 feet of water in the East Bay and near the Middle Grounds. Walleye and northern pike have been caught on tip-ups. The bluegills have started to bite. Anglers will find them along the weeds in about 6 feet of water. Crappie were caught by the Cut River. 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 with pike action getting better