Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Warmer Weather will Improve Fishing
The bite is still slow with very few good or bad reports coming in, but lots of mushrooms are being picked in Northern Michigan
The perch have scattered on Grand Traverse bay with the high winds we had this week.
Tittabawassee River - Walleye bite has been fair as they move back out to the bay.
Saginaw Bay - Had good to excellent walleye fishing about two miles past Finn Road in shallow waters 4 feet deep. Try using crawler harnesses. Those fishing off Quanicassee reported excellent walleye fishing straight out from the port in 8 feet of water when using crawler harnesses. More and bigger fish were caught here. Pike and largemouth bass were caught off Sebewaing. Not many walleye were caught off Bay Port and Caseville.
River and creeks have been slow but with warmer weather look for things to get better.
Elk Lake - The walleye anglers have not been out. Those looking for smallmouth bass were fishing the southern end of the lake near the Whitewater Township Park. Anglers were casting tubes and rapalas in 10 feet of water but no fish were caught.
Skegemog Lake - Anglers have been targeting walleye north of the Torch River, along the southern end of the lake and near the narrows. Most are trolling, casting or drifting in 10 to 25 feet of water with rapalas, leeches and jigs. Pike and muskie were caught near the public access site and the narrows in 7 to 15 feet of water. The majority of bass anglers can be found along the south end of the lake near the Desmond Marsh area in 4 to 10 feet of water. Try using tubes, spinners or jerk baits. Perch anglers have been drifting or still-fishing near the narrows and the mouth of the river. Try minnows and wigglers in waters up to 25 feet deep.
Traverse City - In the East Bay, those fishing off Dock Road in the early morning have caught some brown trout and steelhead. West winds in this location have improved the fishing. Whitefish have been caught off the white wall along the southern end of the bay. Jigging worked best. Lake trout fishing has been excellent with limit catches taken. Many fish were over 25 inches.
Long Lake - The walleye are hitting on crawler harnesses after dark..
Portage Lake - Perch fishing slowed as it appears the bigger fish are done, but lots of small fish are still being caught. Bluegill and crappie are starting to hit, but the action was still spotty. Boat anglers trolling along the north shore have caught northern pike and walleye.
Little Bay De Noc - Perch anglers are going out when the weather permits. The cooler evenings have lowered the water temperatures to about 42 degrees. Most are jigging minnows and worms in the deeper waters 28 to 35 feet deep around the Narrows but few fish have been caught. Those fishing Nelsons Bay were marking a lot of fish but not many were caught. The walleye opener on May 15th looks to be a good one..
Houghton Lake - The crappie are moving back out to deeper waters. A few walleye were caught when trolling with leeches just off the bottom.
Charlevoix - Perch anglers did catch some fish in 50 feet of water along the northwest side of the lake, but the fish seem to be scattered.
Hamlin Lake - Lots of pike have been caught when trolling body baits in the shallows, but most of the fish were small. Some big bluegills were caught on wax worms or leaf worms in the upper lake in 15 to 30 feet of water and crappie are in 10 feet of water. Anglers are catching and releasing a good number of largemouth bass in shallow waters 2 to 5 feet deep. Top water spinner baits have worked best. Good colors have been chartreuse and white. In the lower lake, bluegills are hitting in both the North and the Middle Bayou’s, but many were small.
Upper Peninsula:
Around Manistique, Indian Lake is providing a few perch.
Sault St. Marie anglers are reeling in some really big perch in the 12-14 inch size in the very early morning hours on the upper river. White fish are hot near the power house using wax worms, spawn and flies.
Around Munuscong Bay, not a lot of activity taking place this week other than some splake being caught on Hessell Lake with minnows. Most anglers are anxiously awaiting the opening of walleye season May 15.
Drummond Island anglers are finding fair fishing on Maxton Bay for perch off the docks, but plenty of sorting is needed. For example, 100 fish caught, only 25 keepers. Perch are hitting on minnows in three feet of water. Maxton Bay is also giving up good counts of bullheads on crawlers and minnows. Pike and walleye season opens May 15.
Copper Harbor anglers are doing well with splake in the Harbor when using spoons.
Around Marquette activity has been slow, some brook trout are being reeled in from Little Garlic River on small worms and pan fishing is picking up.
In the Escanaba area, perch action is picking up on Little Bay DeNoc near Gladstone. Fish in the narrows area in 25-40 feet of water and try using minnows and wigglers. Steelhead remain decent on the Rapid River when using spawn.
Northwest:
Gaylord area anglers are finding improving conditions as the streams and lakes warm up. Walleye activity is good on Twin Lake.
Boyne City anglers are doing well using spawn bags for steelhead on the Boyne River. Perch fishing has slowed down and the suckers seem to have left as fast as they came. Pike are doing well on blue minnows.
In the Kalkaska area, brook and brown trout can be found in the creeks using live bait. Smaller inland lakes are good locations for blue gill. Steelhead remain active on Boardman River and Tippy Dam. A few perch being caught on Skegemog Lake.
Around the Frankfort area, angling activity is fair and sometimes hit or miss. Anglers are working hard to find perch in Crystal Lake. Lake Michigan is giving up decent catches of browns casting off the pier with cleos, crocodiles or spawn and when trolling using Rapalas. The Betsie River is producing fair amounts of suckers and steelhead. Walleye are decent around the Big Platt and Upper Herring lakes.
West:
In the Pentwater area, a few salmon are being pulled from Lake Michigan and some walleye around the piers on body baits in the evening hours.
Around the Muskegon area, anglers are doing well on Muskegon Lake for perch near the edge of weed beds when using worms. Blue gill are also abundant on Muskegon Lake in 10 feet of water and near the weed beds. Wax worms, spikes and red worms are working well, and near the east end of the Lake catfish are plentiful on crawlers.
Chippewa Lake is improving for blue gill, canals and channels are best locations.
Southwest:
In the Holland area Lake Macatawa is giving up decent catches of crappie mostly under the docks. Hutchins Lake also has come good crappie fishing taking place, especially around the weed beds. Lake Michigan is spotty this week for salmon, but fish caught have been in 40-70 feet of water.
Benton Harbor anglers are reeling in a few Kings in 80-100 feet of water on spoons, dodgers and flies going out about two miles from the pier. Walleye are a bit slow this week in the area.
Around New Buffalo anglers are finding good results with lakers in 62 feet of water, approximately three miles out. So far Kings are far and few between and steelhead activity has slowed some.
In the Kalamazoo area, bass are on the move on Maple Lake as well as blue gill and crappie. Sugarloaf Lake is also producing decent counts of blue gill and crappie.
Angling in the Three Rivers area is picking up on Harwood, Driscoll and Corey lakes. Blue gill, crappie and perch are active, and red wigglers and minnows are working best. A few walleye are being caught in the St. Joseph River between Constantine and Mottville.
Northeast:
At Houghton Lake angling action is back where it should be and anglers will find the middle of the Lake producing good amounts of walleye, trout, blue gill and crappie. A variety of bait is working well that includes leeches, leaf worms and Rapalas.
At Higgins Lake, the walleye action is improving as the weather improves. Perch action remains decent when using flies, leeches and wax worms.
In the Oscoda area, Cooke Dam Pond and Foote Dam Pond are producing fair quantities of perch and blue gill on crawlers and minnows. The AuSable River continues to give up decent catches of steelhead on spawn and walleye are ample when using wax worms, flies and Tiger Rapalas.
East:
Linwood anglers are doing well for walleye on Saginaw Bay from AuGres to the east end using bottom bouncers and crank bait. Steelhead action has slowed and perch catches are spotty.