Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie: Due to the large amount of weeds along with an algae bloom, walleye action has slowed so most boats are targeting perch. A good number of fish were found in 19 to 22 feet of water in Brest Bay. Those launching out of Bolles Harbor are doing well off the River Raisin around the E Buoy.

Huron River: Smallmouth bass are still being caught. Bluegills were hitting on leaf worms or wax worms in the backwaters.

Detroit River: For perch, try fishing around the islands such as Celeron or Sugar Island. Try jigging or hand-lining in the lower Trenton Channel for walleye.

Lake St. Clair: Smallmouth bass action has been fantastic with fish up to 6 pounds caught in the deeper areas of the lake using a variety of baits and tactics. Walleye fishing has slowed a bit but fish were still being caught along the shipping channel or anywhere in Michigan waters over 17 feet deep. Anglers are also picking up some yellow perch in the same area. Muskie fishing continues to be very good for anglers casting along the delta channels as well as those trolling along the shipping channel and down towards the Detroit River.

St. Clair River: Smallmouth bass are being caught all the way up past Marine City. Walleye fishing in the channels has started to pick up. Try the North, Middle, or South Channels while jigging or drifting crawler harnesses.

Lexington: Perch fishing was slow but one boat fishing in 30 feet of water did come back with a very large rock bass. Pier anglers caught a mix of smallmouth bass, pike, bluegill and crappie.

Port Sanilac: Had good catches of steelhead and lake trout with the occasional salmon mixed in from 80 to 140 feet of water.

Harbor Beach: Had decent catch rates for steelhead, lake trout and the occasional chinook or coho caught in 80 to 140 feet of water. Steelhead and walleye were caught 45 to 55 feet down while the lake trout were near the bottom. Use small spoons about 2 ½” long. One boat anchored inside the harbor caught some nice perch near the light. Bass and pike are still being taken casting or trolling spoons and body baits in close to shore or inside the harbor. Fishing around the weed beds is still giving the best results.

Grindstone City: Lake trout were caught near the bottom in 100 feet of water.

Saginaw Bay: In general, walleye fishing has been slow which is consistent with late August. This is the time of year when the number of forage fish reaches its peak, so walleye are less interested in chasing a crawler harness. One 30 inch walleye was caught by a shore angler at Essexville. Other than that, about the only thing caught was smallmouth bass, white bass and freshwater drum.

Southwest Lower Peninsula

St. Joseph: Salmon fishing remains good and boats targeting 100 feet of water are doing best. Perch fishing has slowed so most boats are targeting trout and salmon. Pier fishing is very slow however if the lake temperature changes, pier fishing will pick up quickly.

St. Joseph River: No steelhead to report however good numbers of smallmouth bass have been caught on crank baits, tube baits or crawlers. Flathead and channel cats have been caught on sucker minnows or cut bait.

South Haven: Has good salmon fishing for those starting out in 80 feet of water and heading deeper. The perch seem scattered but those willing to work a little are catching fish in 35 to 40 feet of water. Pier fishing was slow.

Kalamazoo River: Look for walleye and catfish below the Allegan Dam. Smallmouth bass action was good. Look for salmon down near Saugatuck.

Holland: Boat anglers are finding salmon in 80 to 100 feet of water. Pier fishing was slow except for catfish and freshwater drum. Try casting spoons in the early morning or late evening for trout and salmon.

Grand Haven: Boat anglers are doing very well catching good numbers of chinook and coho 15 to 40 feet down in 100 feet of water with white or pearl J-plugs. Pier anglers have caught a few fish when casting spoons. No perch to report.

Grand River at Lansing: Carp and catfish were caught over at Moore’s Park when using crawlers and bread. The North Lansing Dam is producing some fish. Carp are hitting on corn and catfish are hitting on crawlers and stink baits.

Muskegon: Boats are catching salmon 15 to 50 feet down in waters 150 feet deep. Start at the end of the pier and work your way out. Most are using J-plugs around the piers and switching to flies and spoons out deeper. Green was a hot color.

Muskegon Lake: Is producing chinook for those jigging near the Sand Docks.

Whitehall: The water turned over so salmon moved back into the 60 to 80 foot range. Pier anglers caught a few salmon.

White Lake: Salmon have started to move in so this would be a good time for anglers to try casting or trolling in the “Narrows.”

Northeast Lower Peninsula

Rogers City: Strong winds blew warm water into the area which in turn put a damper on salmon fishing. With the warm water anglers will want to fish early before the sun comes up or the last hour or two of daylight. Look for salmon to be staging in waters 50 to 90 feet deep off Swan Bay. Fish up high in the early morning and deeper later in the day. Look for structure and baitfish. A mixed bag of chinook, lake trout, brown trout, steelhead and walleye were caught up towards Forty Mile Point. A few salmon were caught on plugs and flashers or attractors with flies and squid. Good colors were black, white, green, blue or anything that glows early and late.

Presque Isle: Those working hard have caught a mixed bag of mostly chinook, lake trout and the occasional steelhead. Salmon and trout were caught around structure between the two lighthouses. Try halfway down in 45 to 90 feet of water. Those targeting walleye are trolling crawler harnesses just off the bottom.

Rockport: No limit catches this week but anglers were targeting walleye on the northeast side of Middle Island. A few fish were caught on reef runners and body baits in 40 feet of water. Those targeting steelhead found a few fish when trolling the top portion of the water column in 80 to 120 feet of water.

Alpena: The walleye seem to shut down as anglers returned empty handed.

Thunder Bay River: Shore anglers caught and released a few small rock bass and freshwater drum.

Harrisville: Those able to get out in windy conditions have caught steelhead, lake trout and the occasional salmon. Steelhead were 30 to 40 feet down in 75 to 85 feet of water while the lake trout were in 180 feet of water straight out from the harbor. Lead core, dipseys and downriggers are all working with a variety of colors and flashers in the early morning or late afternoon. Walleye were hitting on crawler harnesses or body baits in 25 to 50 feet of water around Sturgeon Point.

Higgins Lake: Is producing a few perch and some rock bass. Those trolling will find lake trout just off the bottom in 80 to 100 feet of water.

Houghton Lake: Had good bass fishing. Try crawler or leeches with slip bobbers along the weed beds. Pike are hitting on sucker minnows but many were small.

Oscoda: Had good steelhead and lake trout fishing in 130 to 140 feet of water. A few salmon were also caught. Try spoons or cut bait. Most of the fish coming in were full of smelt so try baits that resemble them. Walleye were also caught at the same depths as the lake trout.

Au Sable River: Is producing a few walleye for those using small spoons.

Tawas: Walleye fishing was slow. Pier fishing was also slow but some perch were caught off the end on the lake side. Anglers did a lot of sorting for a few keepers. Inside the harbor, panfish, especially rock bass were caught. Boat anglers did manage to catch some perch off Jerry’s Marina and the old Coast Guard Station in 12 to 20 feet of water.

Au Gres: All fishing effort is focused on perch with limit catches reported between Point Lookout and Pointe Au Gres or the shipping channel in 40 to 50 feet of water. Perch ranging from 7 to 10 inches with the occasional 12 inch fish were caught.

Au Gres River: Was slow with only a few small perch caught.

Northwest Lower Peninsula

Petoskey: Salmon fishing on the bay is the best it been in a few years, with good numbers of chinook and coho. Most are using a green or white rotator with green flies or green, blue and glow spoons. Pier and shore angler have also caught fish on body baits or spoons in the early morning.

Bear River: Has seen one good push of salmon, but it will still take a good rain to put more fish in the river.

Charlevoix: Had good fishing for chinook and coho. Salmon have been hitting 80 to 110 feet down in 100 to 150 feet of water on a green rotator with green fly, glow plugs, or spoons.

Traverse City: Has good salmon fishing in the West Bay when trolling from Greilickville to the north in 80 to 120 feet of water.

Frankfort: Those fishing the landings for the car ferry have caught fish in the early morning and late at night. Boats trolling 60 to 110 feet down in 125 to 160 feet of water have caught chinook on spoons, plugs and meat rigs. Coho are starting to hit as well. The average size has been 9 to 11 pounds. Platte Bay reports say coho are passing through the lower weir.

Betsie River: The chinook salmon are stacked up in the river like cord wood. Several fish in the 20 pound range have been caught legally on flies and spawn.

Onekama: Anglers are still finding good numbers of fish in the Barrel and off the golf course. Those fishing 60 to 80 feet down in 100 to 135 feet of water caught a mix of chinook, coho and brown trout.

Portage Lake: Activity slowed this week as it seems the fish have moved to deeper water. Bluegills were found at 20 and 25 feet.

Lake Cadillac: Boat and shore anglers were catching bluegills and crappie. Pike and bass were caught along the weed beds but the pike were running on the small side. Those drifting a crawler harness with leeches or crawlers have caught a couple walleye.

Manistee: Salmon were caught from the end of the pier out to 120 feet of water on flies and meat rigs. Pier anglers caught a few salmon in the early morning.

Manistee Lake: Salmon fishing has been very good at times for those trolling.

Manistee River: Brook trout and brown trout were hitting on flies in the upper river. Salmon are in the river but no big numbers yet.

Ludington: Boat anglers are catching salmon all the way out to waters 80 feet deep when using plugs and meat rigs. Try early morning off the pier.

Pere Marquette River: Has groups of salmon from the M-31 Bridge in Ludington to the flies only water in Baldwin. The fish are consistently moving upstream at night and in the early morning but as the sun gets higher, the fish are concentrating in the deeper holes. No fish were on the gravel yet. Try flies and small streamers in the upper stretches or drifting spawn in the lower stretches.

Pentwater: Has good fishing as those trolling in 40 to 140 feet of water have caught chinook, coho and lake trout just north of Little Sable Point and north of the Pentwater pier. Green and blue spoons worked well however flasher/fly combos and J-plugs were also starting to catch fish.

Upper Peninsula

Keweenaw Bay: Fishing was slow except from Traverse Bay where coho were caught in 40 to 50 feet of water off Buffalo Reef. Early morning was best. Those trolling around Five and Seven Mile Reefs caught fish in 60 to 140 feet of water while Big Louie and Gay Point produced fish in 130 to 185 feet. Jigging in deep water also produced a few limits of fish.

Marquette: Surface water temperatures have cooled to the low 60’s. Lake trout fishing was good with the light winds. Several limits were taken off the bottom near the “Clay Banks” and Granite Island in 160 to 200 feet of water. Spoons and flies with cut bait did best. No salmon to report.

Menominee: Anglers trolling near Green Island and Chamber Island reported slow trout and salmon action however walleye were caught near Green Island. Some are jigging minnows while others are trolling stick baits and crawler harnesses. Those trolling the drop-off along the Wisconsin shoreline picked up some nice walleye when trolling crawler harnesses.

Menominee River: A few walleye have been caught in the deeper holes by those trolling crawler harnesses or stick baits upstream of Boom Landing or the Mystery Ship landing. Pier anglers jigging crawlers in the early morning found some yellow perch. Those drifting crawlers caught freshwater drum, rock bass and smallmouth.

Little Bay De Noc: Walleye anglers reported good numbers of small fish from the “Narrows” north to the Center Reef. Water clarity was very good despite the wind so most were drifting or trolling crawlers in 18 to 30 feet of water. The East Bank in Gladstone also produced fair catches off the break in 30 feet of water. Breezy Point and south to Round Island produced mixed results with anglers trolling crank baits or drifting crawlers in 8 to 20 feet of water. Perch were caught near the Second Reef off Kipling when still-fishing with worms in 10 to 28 feet of water. Smallmouth bass were caught near Hunters Point and Garth Point when casting tube baits in 10 to 18 feet.

Big Bay De Noc: No walleye reported here but perch fishing was fair out from Goully Bay when still-fishing with worms in 10 to 16 feet of water. Smallmouth bass were caught off Ansell’s Point, Garden Bay and Ogontz when casting tube baits, crank baits or minnows along the breaks. Off Fairport, salmon anglers reported more catches but the fish were smaller. Try 75 to 80 feet down in 100 to 125 feet of water.

Au Train: Surface waters have cooled but the fish remain deep within 30 feet of the bottom in 160 to 180 feet of water.

Munising: More boats are attempting to catch coho but catch results were extremely slow. Those trolling for salmon have caught small lake trout or splake. A few coho were caught in Trout Bay. Lake trout anglers continue to take fish around the Wood Island Reef when trolling spoons or flies. Some are jigging. Pier and dock anglers managed to catch a few splake when casting spoons and spinners or using spawn.

Grand Marais: Lake trout anglers continue to do well five to seven miles north out to the shipping channel. Some limit catches were reported in waters 70 to 200 feet deep. Average size was 3 pounds. Most are trolling lures sometimes tipped with cut bait. White, watermelon and copper were good colors.

Manistique: A few chinook were caught by those putting in their time and trolling in waters 140 to 170 feet deep. No hot baits to report, instead anglers are using a variety of spoons, flies and dipsey divers.

Manistique River: Those fishing off the docks near the city launch found bluegill, rock bass and smallmouth bass when using crawlers and leeches. Boat anglers trolling stick baits, spoons or rapalas caught a few smallmouth or pike.

St. Mary’s River: Had good walleye action in Raber Bay on the east side of Lime Island as well as between Hart Island and Edwards Island when trolling purple crawler harnesses along the weed beds in 8 to 15 feet of water. Slow pike and bass in the upper river.

Detour: Drummond Island was slow for perch and walleye.

Cedarville and Hessel: Salmon were caught 25 to 35 feet down in 60 to 70 feet of water off Hessel, the Yacht Entrance and Goose Island. Hessel Bay had excellent pike and perch fishing. Pike are hitting in 8 to 13 feet of water when still-fishing with chubs. Musky Bay and Government Bay are also good for pike. Good perch fishing along the south shore of Hessel Bay, off the Marina dock, Haven Island and Snows Channel. Try minnows or crawlers in 8 to 13 feet of water. A few perch were also caught in shallow waters 4 to 6 feet deep in the Moscoe Channel.

St. Ignace: More anglers are heading out for trout and salmon. The salmon are averaging 5 to 15 pounds. Hit the track between the Coast Guard Station, the old fuel tanks, Round Island and Mackinac Island. Try black and white glow, green flashers and flies, or purple with yellow. Try weedless hooks off the primitive launch for large and smallmouth bass.

The post Weekly Fishing Report Sept 1st appeared first on Out In Michigan.

Choosing a Motor

Choosing the right motor is very critical. Whatever your budget is make sure you get the strongest your money can buy. Another thing to think about is how the motor’s controlled. In years past a cable driven bow mount trolling motor was a staple of many diehard river rats, but new motors like the Minn-Kota Terrova is starting to change things.

“If all you did was fish rivers, using a cable drive motor is best, as it allows for the fastest corrections. The innovations in the Terrova such as a larger foot pedal (easier to use with boots) and auto pilot feature make it a much more viable option for those that want a trolling motor to both jig with and use to open water troll. The steering speed is faster than those units in the past. “ – Captain Ross Robertson

Captain Ross Robertson with a nice Detroit River Eye

The other part of this equation is batteries, make sure you have enough juice to fish. Trolling motors come in three different volts: 12, 24, and 36. For heavy boats you need a 36 volt system. Lighter boats should have at least a 24 volt system. A good rule of thumb for deep V’s 12′ to 16′ a 12 volt system and 45″ to 54″ shaft, 16′ to 19′ a 24 Volt System and 54″ to 60″ shaft, 19′ to 22′ a 36 volt system and 60′ to 70′ shaft.If your under powered it becomes much harder on batteries and some days it just doesn’t cut it. So make sure you have the right amount and size battery for the motor you choose t o go with. There is nothing worse than to be on fish and suddenly not have the power to fish them. Captain Ross Robertson uses Optima D31M b atte ries which is a 31 series size deep cycle battery“The differenc e with Optim a is that the overall size is smaller than other 31 series batteries. This is a big a dvantage when trying to squeeze an extra battery into a compartment. They give me a lot more power and recover quickly on the charger.”

Face your adversity

Mark Martin

When you’re on the water there is many factors that will affect staying vertical while jigging. You have to stay vertical. If you can’t stay vertical you will lose jigs on snags all day. You can’t catch fish if you don’t have lines in the water.

On calm days the strongest adversity is the current. In the river, the surface current is faster then what the bottom current is at your jig. This is where you want to kick your motor on and point the bow upstream. You want to match the speed of your boats drift with that of the jig. This is know has slipping the current.

On days that the wind is blowing you have to adjust your boats position to compensate for how the wind is pushing you. You may have to point the bow into the wind no matter its direction. Always do what you have to do to follow your jig downstream.

“Sometimes the wind is blowing upstream so hard that you literally have to pull yourself downstream into the wind and with the current to maintain vertical presentation.“ – Mark Martin

“Chase the jig – use the bow mount to basically chase your jig. You motor in the direction of your jig, this will allow you to stay vertical. “ – Captain Ross Robertson

Importance of Electronics

Screen Shot of a Humminbird 1198

This is something fisherman forget about. Good electronics will allow you to read the bottom and pick out fish holding tight to the bottom. You may even be able to see a fish rise off the bottom and hit your jig. Units now days have larger screens and display more info than ever before. Being able to see more of what is around you will really help you find and stay on fish. “Being off 20 ft can be the difference between nirvana and an empty box…My Humminbird 1198 allows me to see more of the river and make setting up the drift much easier. “ – Captain Ross Robertson

Fish Locations

Understanding how fish move and position themselves in a river is very important. Any thing that changes the flow of the current will attract fish. Also the amount of current can also affect the depth you will find them in. Understanding how current moves around objects in the water is key. Mark Martin uses his Lowrance HDS10 with bottom scan to locate fish. “Knowing the conditions will help narrow your search time, high water pushes fish closer to the banks and current breaks and sometimes into the marinas and backwater areas, normal conditions you look at the edges, front and back of holes, current breaks such as bridge abutment’s, logs, piling’s, islands, rock piles, seawalls, mud lines, small depressions or cuts with shallow water around them.”

So now that you know what rods, reels, line, and lures to use, and you understand staying vertical through proper boat control, get out there and fish, the bite is on in the Detroit River now. A recent MWC event had a team weigh in over 43 lbs of fish for only 5 fish. That is over an 8lb avg per fish! There was even a 15.9lb walleye caught just last week, full story to come on this fish soon.

Captain Robertson has been featured in magazines such as In-fisherman, Walleye In-Sider, FLW Outdoors, Outfitter Journal, as well as many newspaper and other national publications. He specializes in two person educational trips and trophy walleye.  Aside from averaging more than 100 walleyes over 10lbs per year, a 15lb walleye and 8lb smallie were caught last year.   www.bigwaterfishing,com

Part 1 – Detroit River Eyes – Part 1 Rod, Reel and Line

Part 2 – Detroit River Walleye Part 2 – Jigs and Jigging with Mark Martin

The post Detroit River Walleye Part 3 – Boat Control and Fish Locations with Capt Ross Robertson and Pro Mark Martin appeared first on Out In Michigan.

Spring fishing continues and catch rates will improve once the weather stabilizes. Steelhead fishing continues to build as we move further into spring.

Southeast Lower Peninsula

12.5 lb limit from Ohio waters

Lake Erie: – The daily possession limit for walleye in the Michigan waters of Lake Erie will be as follows: April 1 through April 30, 2011 the limit will be five (5) walleye. Beginning May 1, 2011 through April 30, 2012 the limit will be six (6) walleye. Rain did decrease water clarity but increased water temperatures. Crappie, perch and bluegills were in the Metro Park Marina however it closes to fishing on April 15th. A few walleye were caught by those trolling in Brest Bay, but the better action was near Turtle Island when using jigs and blade baits.

Huron River: Steelhead are being caught along the entire river including up near the Flat Rock Dam. Most are using jigs and wax worms or flies, but a few were using spawn. No word on crappie yet. Reminder: Walleye season is closed.

Detroit River: Had fair to good walleye fishing for those using a jig and minnow, but those using stinger hooks caught more fish. Perch are still being caught however the number is starting to wind down. Try the mouth, border waters or the back bays.

Clinton River: Is producing steelhead and suckers.

Lexington: Boat anglers have caught good numbers of coho, chinook, steelhead, brown trout and lake trout when trolling body baits in 5 to 15 feet of water just north of the harbor. Pier anglers are taking a few perch and the occasional lake trout.

Port Sanilac: Boats are getting out but the bite was still slow.

Saginaw Bay: Had excellent perch fishing off Pine River and Palmer Roads. The bite was good one day but shut down the next. Boats were fishing around the commercial nets and taking 50 to 60 fish per boat on the good days. Perch were caught at Sebewaing, be ready to sort out the small ones. Pier anglers at Caseville caught perch, walleye, brown trout or lake trout. Nothing at Port Austin as Bird Creek was still high and turbid. Suckers are starting to run in most of the rivers in the Thumb area.

Saginaw River: Is producing some perch in the lower river.

Southwest Lower Peninsula

St. Joseph: Boats are likely still going out however we have no report for this week.

Grand Haven: Pier anglers caught brown trout, steelhead and the occasional coho on spawn. Catch rates are good one day and slow the next. Boat anglers trolling the shoreline caught steelhead and brown trout on gold and black stick baits. Some are trying for perch off the State Park however water temperatures are still pretty cold.

Grand River at Lansing: Steelhead can be found over at the Moore’s Park Dam. Try crawlers, spawn bags or spinners. Those casting spoons at the point where the Grand meet the Red Cedar caught steelhead. Prairie Creek in Ionia is producing good numbers of steelhead. Catfish action has started to pick up at the North Lansing Dam and the Moore’s Park Dam.

Muskegon: Pier anglers are still trying for steelhead and brown trout however catch rates were slow. Boats fishing north of the State Park had no luck.

Whitehall: Pier anglers using spawn bags caught some steelhead and brown trout. A couple walleye were caught in the big lake.

White Lake: A few perch were caught along the west side near Indian Bay and the old post office. Some nice bluegills were caught off the pier in the marina.

Northeast Lower Peninsula

Ocqueoc River: Recent rain should get the steelhead moving. The few fish caught were taken on spawn bags under a bobber. No luck with spinners or body baits.

Rogers City: Should be fishable soon, especially for boat anglers. Shore anglers should try casting small spoons or body baits off the breakwall. Good colors are chartreuse, green or blue with silver or fire-tiger. Fish the stained waters which are slightly warmer for Atlantic salmon and brown trout.

Rockport: Anglers are fishing off the old pier but no fish were caught. Atlantic salmon should be moving in soon but it appears that it is still a bit early. The launch is still iced but it is breaking up. One boat went out and did manage to catch a brown trout when trolling body baits along the shoreline.

Thunder Bay River: The launch on the marina side was still iced in but the river is open so boats are launching behind the Post Office. Shore anglers caught steelhead and brown trout using pink and white flies, artificial lures or spawn.

Higgins Lake: Has open water one quarter mile out from shore. Any remaining ice is not safe. Boat anglers are launching from the North State Park and the west launch. They are trolling along the drop-off for lake trout, brown trout and rainbows.

Houghton Lake: The ice blew off and is piled along one side. The canals are opening up so crappie fishing should start soon.

Harrisville: Ice in the harbor is gone, one skid pier is in and the boat launch is open. A few boats are targeting walleye with body baits, crawler harnesses or small spoons.

Oscoda: Steelhead were caught off the mouth of the river by those casting spoons or body baits. Walleye are in 20 to 30 feet of water.

Au Sable River: Steelhead are making their way up the river. Fish range from 5 to 12 pounds and were hitting on wax worms.

Tawas: Pier anglers caught a few lake trout and walleye. Boat anglers were not doing very well for walleye.

Au Gres: A lot of boats are heading out for walleye but catch rates were slow. The fish are still in the river for spawning and will move back to the lake soon.

Au Gres River: A couple steelhead were caught in the surf near the Singing Bridge. Walleye are still up in the river however anglers are reminded that walleye season on the inland waters is closed until the last Saturday in April. Cold water temperatures will most likely push the smelt runs back a week or so.

Rifle River: Is producing a good number of suckers and steelhead.

Northwest Lower Peninsula

Elk River: Had fair to good steelhead action for those floating wigglers and crawlers off the bottom near the power dam.

Traverse City: The West Bay was producing some lake trout along the east side in 100 to 130 feet of water. Perch fishing in front of the Boardman River was slow.

Boardman River: Had a good number of steelhead at the Union Street Dam.

Frankfort: Boats trolling north to the point caught lake trout and brown trout in 50 to 75 feet of water. Anglers caught fish off both piers before first light.

Onekama: A few nice walleye were caught off both piers after dark.

Portage Lake: Is ice free. Anglers were out trying for perch but the bite was slow.

Lake Cadillac: Ice fishing season is over and any remaining ice is not safe.

Manistee: Boat anglers caught the occasional steelhead, brown trout or lake trout when trolling the shoreline with small spoons or body baits. Pier anglers were using fresh spawn.

Manistee River: Is producing steelhead between the mouth and Tippy Dam.

Ludington: Boat anglers trolling in the channel and around the piers have caught brown trout on body baits in natural patterns. Steelhead and brown trout were also caught by surf and pier anglers.

Pere Marquette River: Those fishing below the M-37 Bridge in the flies only section have found a good number of steelhead on the gravel. Fish were hitting on spawn bags between Rainbow Rapids and the Walhalla Bridge. Sucker runs are just getting started and fish were caught off Scottville Park.

Pentwater: Steelhead action was still a bit slow however those fishing the channel have caught some nice brown trout.

Upper Peninsula

Lake Gogebic: Ice fishing is done. Anglers are advised to stay off any remaining ice due to the honeycomb effect. Some boats were fishing out of Silver City but no reports have come in yet.

Marquette: Catch rates improved for coho but only a light number of splake and brown trout were caught. Both harbors are ice free so anglers can use the boat ramps. Those trolling did better in 10 to 20 feet of water between the lower harbor and the Chocolay River. A few coho and splake were caught off the power plant breakwall. Shore anglers did best in the early morning using a single egg, crawlers or Cleo’s. Water temperatures range from the upper 30’s to 40 degrees near shore.

Menominee River: The bay still has ice so boat anglers are fishing the river between the mouth and the Hattie Street Dam. Try jigging minnows in the deeper holes. Those wading near the dam and Stephenson Island have caught light numbers of steelhead and brown trout. Walleye fishing was hit-or-miss. All the boat launches are open except for the one at the lighthouse.

Little Bay De Noc: Has open water. The rivers are flowing high with little or no ice. The Ford and Rapid River launches are usable but no docks are in yet.

Big Bay De Noc: Is pretty much open water except for the unstable ice in the bays. All the launches appear to be usable except for Fayette because of the ice. The only dock in was at Ogontz. The rivers are open, look for steelhead and smelt.

Au Train: Had good steelhead fishing along with the occasional coho. Try early morning off the mouth of the Rock River or the Au Train River with spawn. Steelhead averaged 20 to 30 inches while coho were a bit smaller at 15 inches. Ice has finally left the bay except for some areas along the shoreline. Docks were not in yet at the Brownstown launch.

Munising: The ice has since broken up and for the most part moved out of the bay. Flow ice remains in the east channel and around Grand Island. The docks at the city launch are in and the small craft launch at the mouth of the Anna River is also being used since water levels are up. The first of the boat anglers have only caught a couple steelhead. Coho action was slow. Shore anglers are seeing rainbow trout however most were on the small side.

Grand Marais: Ice has moved out of the bay. The launch has been dredged and should be ready for use as long as flow ice does not move back in. The snow and ice buildup on the pier should be gone soon. Some were surfcasting for steelhead and coho but catch rates were slow.

Manistique River: Steelhead fishing at the first dam has picked up. Anglers drifting peach colored yarn did well while those using spawn bags reported fair catch rates. Boat anglers trolling spoons were not having much luck.

DeTour: Steelhead anglers are fishing the rock pile near the mouth of Albany Creek. Try casting stick baits or floating spawn bags.

Cedarville and Hessel: Ice fishing for perch is done however boat anglers should continue to do well in 10 to 12 feet of water.

Nunn’s Creek: Has started producing some smelt.

Carp River: Steelhead were starting to show up near the mouth. Smelt runs were underway with limit catches reported.

The post Weekly Fishing Report April 14th appeared first on Out In Michigan.

Spring fishing is getting started at least in most of the Lower Peninsula. Look for catch rates to improve as temperatures rise and we get more rain. Ice conditions are deteriorating on a daily basis now so anglers need to use extreme caution.

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie:  ATTENTION WALLEYE ANGLERS – The daily possession limit for walleye in the Michigan waters of Lake Erie will be as follows: April 1 through April 30, 2011 the limit will be five (5) walleye. Beginning May 1, 2011 through April 30, 2012 the limit will be six (6) walleye. Water temperatures are anywhere from 34 to 40 degrees depending on location. Walleye fishing is behind this year due to the extended cold temperatures. Most anglers are jigging or trolling in Ohio waters of Maumee Bay and around Turtle Island with jigs and minnows, hair jigs or blade baits.

Huron River: Steelhead were caught between Flat Rock to Rockwood. Remember, walleye season is closed. The catch and release trout fishing which opened on April 1st is going well.

Detroit River: Walleye fishing is just getting started. The new walleye possession limits for Lake Erie DO NOT apply to the Detroit River. The daily possession limit here will continue to be five (5) fish.

Clinton River: Anglers caught suckers along with a few pike in the Spillway however pike season is closed. Steelhead are moving up into the river as fish were caught at Yates Park in Rochester Hills.

St. Clair River: Still has lots of flow ice coming down.

Lexington: Those trolling have caught chinook and lake trout on body baits in 10 to 14 feet of water. Pier anglers caught perch and a few lake trout inside the harbor.

Harbor Beach: Still had ice in the harbor.

Grindstone City: Was unfishable as there is still ice in the harbor.

Saginaw Bay: Ice fishing is pretty much done. Some are shore and dock fishing for panfish in the marinas. It is about that time to start fishing the cuts and lower rivers for perch. If anglers wait to hear the perch are biting, it will be too late, and they will miss the opportunity. A few lake trout and whitefish were caught by those fishing off the pier at Caseville.

Flint River: Sucker runs are underway. Anglers are reminded that walleye season is closed.

Shiawassee River: Sucker runs are underway.

Southwest Lower Peninsula

St. Joseph: Boat and pier anglers continue to take limits of coho along with a few brown trout.

St. Joseph River: Continues to produce steelhead and a few brown trout.

South Haven: Boat and piers anglers were taking limits of coho along with a few brown trout.

Kalamazoo River: Still has good steelhead movement from the mouth to the dam.

Grand Haven: Was producing the occasional coho, steelhead or brown trout.

Grand River at Grand Rapids: Steelhead is the word with good numbers of fish being caught on spawn, flies and yarn. Orange, pink and chartreuse were good colors. Try to 6 to 10 foot leaders with extra weight up near the dam.

Grand River at Lansing: Steelhead were caught near the dams such as Webber and Moore’s Park. Try spawn, crawlers, and flies. Hot colors were orange, chartreuse and pink. Those fishing near Ionia caught steelhead in Prairie Creek. Some are looking for catfish but most are steelhead fishing.

Maple River: Is producing a few suckers.

Muskegon: Catch rates were hit-or-miss for pier anglers but some did manage to catch steelhead, brown trout or coho. Most were using spawn.

Muskegon River: Water levels are high and muddy. Steelhead are still being caught but fishing was a bit more challenging with the current conditions.

Northeast Lower Peninsula

Burt Lake: Still had ice.

Mullett Lake: Still had ice and is producing some perch. Extreme caution needs to be used.

Ocqueoc River: Is open but those fishing have not had much luck. Water levels are low, clear and cold.

Rogers City: Is still iced in but should open up soon so boat and shore anglers can get out and start targeting Atlantic salmon and brown trout.

Rockport: Some were casting body baits off the pier for Atlantic salmon but no fish were caught. Typically these fish are caught in the spring when still-fishing with large grey minnows.

Alpena: The bite is slow with only the occasional brown trout or Atlantic salmon caught when still-fishing with large grey minnows in the warm water discharge off the Lafarge Plant.

Thunder Bay River: The launch ramp in Alpena is open but the marina ramps are iced in. Anglers drifting spawn and flies up at the Ninth Street Dam had no luck.

Higgins Lake: Is giving up smelt, perch and lake trout.

Harrisville: The harbor was still iced in. A few walleye and steelhead were caught off the breakwall by those casting spoons or body baits.

Oscoda: The pier was iced over but the rocks were accessible. Some walleye were caught just outside the mouth of the river in 20 to 30 feet of water when using crawler harnesses, small spoons or body baits.

Au Sable River: Steelhead, brown trout and suckers have been caught at the mouth. Steelhead were caught near the Whirlpool, High Banks and Rea Road.

Tawas: Pier and boat anglers are taking lake trout, steelhead, brown trout and walleye. Catch rates were fair.

Au Gres River: Is high and muddy. A couple steelhead were caught in the river and in the surf near the Singing Bridge.

Rifle River: Suckers runs are going good. Steelhead have started to move up into the river.

Northwest Lower Peninsula

Harbor Springs: Great numbers of perch are again showing up this year for the late ice fishing season off Ford Park. With any luck, anglers will still get about a week of fishing before the ice starts to deteriorate.

Petoskey: Little Traverse Bay is still locked in with ice but should start to open up in the next couple of weeks.

Bear River: Steelhead are starting to show up at the mouth and adjacent harbor.

Boyne River: Steelhead activity was picking up

Jordan River: Is producing some steelhead. Try wax worms or wigglers.

Elk River: Steelhead were caught in the bypass in front of the power dam. Try wigglers under a bobber at first light.

Traverse City: Some of the launches in both bays are still frozen but could be thawed out by the end of the week. Lake trout were caught in the East Bay when jigging Swedish pimples in 115 feet of water off Elk Rapids. In the West Bay, anglers are catching perch out in front of the Boardman River in 90 feet of water. Catch rates were slow but should start to pick up soon.

Boardman River: Does have some steelhead present but few fish have been caught. Try drifting wax worms at the mouth and the Union Street Dam.

Frankfort: Low water levels had anglers fishing off the piers where steelhead and brown trout were caught on spawn just before first light. Steelhead are staging near the car ferry landing before they start their run up the Betsie River.

Portage Lake: Still had ice however it is quickly deteriorating.

Lake Missaukee: Still has ice with fair to good bluegill action.

Lake Cadillac: Ice fishing was still going strong for crappie in the early morning or late evening.

Lake Mitchell: Is also producing some crappie.

Manistee: Two docks are in at the First Street Launch. Boat anglers have caught some brown trout and steelhead when trolling the shoreline with small spoons or jointed body baits. Pier anglers caught fish when using fresh spawn.

Manistee River: The recent rain and snow melt should help push more fish into the river. This could be the weekend that anglers have been waiting for.

Ludington: Has one dock in on Loomis Street. Those trolling the shoreline have caught steelhead and brown trout. Try body baits in natural colors. Pier fishing has been slow.

Pere Marquette River: Fishing was slow and water levels were low. Rain in the forecast should help. Anglers are drifting flies on the gravel from Rainbow Rapids to the Lower Branch Bridge.

Pentwater: Catch rates off the piers were hit-or-miss.

Pentwater River: Steelhead anglers had better luck as fish have already moved up into the river.

Upper Peninsula

Lake Gogebic: Perch could be found just off the bottom in 25 to 27 feet of water. Still-fishing with wigglers worked best. Ice conditions are changing daily so use caution. Stay away from areas with moving water.

Keweenaw Bay: The bite was good but tapered off. Chinook and coho were caught out from the Falls River and Perch Corner however ice conditions have deteriorated off L’Anse and Baraga.

Marquette: Warm temperatures improved catch rates with limits of coho and a few chinook caught just before daybreak. Coho were 15 to 17 inches and were hitting on jigs with spinner combos or twister tails and cut bait.

Carp River: Steelhead could be found upstream.

Menominee River: Had slow catch rates. Anglers were casting rapalas from the Cat Walk, deck and the stairs near the Hattie Street Dam for steelhead, brown trout and walleye. Those wading near Stephenson Island caught few fish. Boat anglers jigging with minnows have caught walleye in the deeper holes. The only boat launch open at this time is the Stephenson Island launch. The bay is still iced over.

Little Bay De Noc: The ice is melting slowly as temperatures rise. A couple anglers ventured out near Kipling however anglers are encouraged to stay off the ice. Be patient, it could save your life! Some of the river ice has just started breaking up.

Big Bay De Noc: Ice conditions are pretty much the same as Little Bay. The Ogontz area is mostly open water. Boat anglers could be launching soon.

Au Train: Anglers caught coho when jigging spawn straight out from the mouth of the river however ice conditions are deteriorating everyday so use extreme caution.

Munising: Catch rates have started to increase as more anglers head out. Warmer temperatures mixed with rain are deteriorating the ice. Shoreline ice around Sand Point and the Grand Island dock have begun to break up and areas with soft ice can be seen along the shoreline especially near the mouth of the Anna River. The heavily fished areas are getting harder to reach. Catch rates for coho picked up with some limits reported. Try jigging rapalas or Swedish pimples with cut bait 10 to 30 feet down in 40 to 60 feet of water. A few smelt were caught by those jigging for coho. Look for whitefish in shallow waters when bouncing a single egg just off the bottom. Perch and splake fishing were slow. Herring can be seen under the ice but those spearing did not have much luck.

Indian Lake: Anglers are targeting yellow perch in 5 to 7 feet of water in Lange’s Bay. Most are putting in a lot of time to walk away with 6 to 12 keepers.

Manistique River: Some are trolling spoons near the mouth for steelhead while others are casting spoons and rapalas while wading near the first dam.

St. Mary’s River: Anglers are doing well for perch in Maxton Bay when using minnows in 6 feet of water off Kempenians Resort. There is still ice in most of the bays but stay off any ice that reaches out to the swift current.

Munuscong Bay: Had a few anglers fishing near Grassy Island and Fowlers Bay. Look for perch between Dan’s Resort and Bois Blanc Point.

DeTour: Anglers are steelhead fishing just west of the river near the Albany Creek rock pile. A couple nice fish were caught on spawn bags or stickbaits. Green and silver were good colors. At DeTour Village, the docks were still iced in.

Cedarville and Hessel: Reported excellent perch fishing around Cedarville and in Musky Bay in 10 to 12 feet of water. Use caution.

Nunn’s Creek: The mouth has open water but no word on smelt yet.

Carp River: Both shorelines have open water but no reports yet.

St. Ignace: Had no activity to report. The city launches and the Pine River were still iced in.

The post Weekly Fishing Report – April 7, 2011 appeared first on Out In Michigan.

Over the winter Lake Erie’s walleye had been on a lot of angler’s minds. A sub-par icefishing season in Ohio and Michigan has made things tenuous among anglers and charter captains. We have been waiting and speculating, if the limit is going to be cut, or a closure of some type will be put in place for the 2011 season. Everyone seemed to have a source of knowledge of what may be going to happen, but we wouldn’t be able to claim a prognosticator of the year until all data had been counted.

This year the MiDNR is joining Ohio in setting it’s walleye limits and starting the season on the same day. The season info was announced via a press release a few days ago.And what a shocker it was the limit went up! There was all kinds of talk about 3 fish limits and the lake was getting very close to the crisis level.

How did we get to this stage were Lake Eire the Walleye Capitol of the world, was being talked about as having a level so low in walleyes that we thought it was nearing the crisis zone? Who would be to blame for this and how do we stop it from happening again?

Spawning

Before we can even start pointing a finger at any one group we have too understand the breeding population within the lake. The majority of spawning happens in a few areas; the Maumee River, Sandusky River, Detroit River, and the reefs out in the lake in Ohio and Ontario waters. Smaller river systems in the western basin also see smaller runs of walleye in the spring. Through a few different study methods, fishery managers feel that the bulk of the population spawn on the reefs. Some people feel that number is as high or higher then 75%.

Photo Courtesy of the Ohio DNR

At first glance many people may think that Lake Erie’s breeding population stays and lives in Lake Erie all its life. Normally that thought process works, but that isn’t how it is on Erie. Biologists from Michigan, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, and New York have been doing tagging studies for some time now on Erie Walleye. In 2005 thru 2007, an expanded tagging program had taken place. The Walleye Task Group(WTG) which is made up of multiple states and Ontario, started using Passive Integrated Transponders(PIT) as an alternative to using jaw tags to estimate walleye population and travels. PIT tags, which are in bedded in the fish, has helped them collect even more data on the walleye movement vs the jaw tags. In fact it has doubled the amount of data they have been able to get. In 2005 to 2007 more than 31,000 walleye were PIT tagged in the study. What has been found is quite incredible, the bulk of the breeding walleye in Lake Eire are very migratory. Fish that have been tagged in Lake Huron have been recovered all the way down and around the spawning reefs in Ohio.The tagging and tracking of walleye is taking another step towards gaining further understanding of how these walleye move around. See my blog “Walleye worth $100”

Harvest

A Group called the Lake Erie Walleye Task Group(WTG), is charged with collecting data on the lake’s walleye population. The WTG uses that data to run population models. Those models are just one of the many factors that the Lake Erie Committee (LEC) uses to determine what a safe level of harvest is for that year. The LEC sets the lake-wide Total Allowable Catch (TAC). The LEC is made up of one Lake Erie administrator from each state and Ontario, each having a seat within the committee. It is also worthy to note that the TAC is not just a majority vote within the 5 LEC members, it is a consensus that each member of the LEC must agree to before it is accepted. That quota set by the LEC is then split up among each unit in the lake. The units are basically state and international borders for the most part.

How the group determines how much of the quota a unit gets is pretty straight forward. What they do is calculate the percentage of walleye habitat within that unit. Those numbers come out to 5.83% for Michigan, 51.11% for Ohio, and 43.06% for Ontario. New York and Pennsylvania are not assigned quotas, but they do watch their annual total harvest. Out of all the parties involved Ontario is the only one that has a commercial fishery for walleye.

For the past 5 years sport fishing and commercial fishing has taken under its quota granted to them by the LEC (TAC units). See the chart below.

Weather

This is one of the biggest factors for the Lake Erie walleye population. Walleye are what is called broadcast spawners. They do not build nest like bass and panfish do. They deposit eggs over an area of favorable bottom. How the weather affects it, is that if we have too much wind the eggs can become covered in sediment, which chokes out the eggs and limits the hatch for that year. Wind also affects them again, once they hatch. When the fry hatch and swim up, they depend on currents to carry them into warm, productive nursery areas near shore. If the prevailing currents take them to cooler, less productive areas then their chances of survival decline. Weather conditions, lake conditions, and the timing of weather events all come together to determine each year’s hatch.

Take 2003 for example, we saw just and unreal spawning success. Nearly 59 million walleye survived to age 2. Generally a walleye has reached or is close to reaching legal size by that age. But in 2004, 2005 , 2006 we had only 6.3 million reach that, combined. Those years we had winds that covered the eggs or pushed the fry to colder waters. In 2007 we had more favorable winds and almost 27 million fish entered into the system.

Summary and Opinion

I hope I was able to give you a basic understanding of this whole process. I also hope, I have been able to give you the info, so that you can form you own opinion and views on this topic. The LEC does a great job in trying to find a balance between what we as anglers want,and what our resource needs. It is a tough job, and they will never make everyone happy but they really do take everything into consideration and make the tough decisions.

But who is to blame? The commercial fishing, the biologist, or is it you, the angler?Right now I feel strongly that a slot limit needs to placed on the commercial fishermen and maybe even on us sport anglers. To protect the prime breeding fish in the system. I am currently research this topic and learning more about it. But what I really feel has  happened here of late is almost a perfect storm of factors. This whole debate we had this winter should really give us pause when it comes to our fisheries and our natural resources general. Too many fishermen fall victim to what I call “Fisherman Greed.” I talked a little about this in my stunted fisheries article.

So what ever happens in the  years to come with the walleye limit, we should remember to try and understand what is going on out there, and that the fish we grow here travel and affects other bodies of water not just Lake Erie.

2011 Walleye Regs

I would like to thanks Travis Hartman Fisheries Biologist with Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of  Wildlife for his help with this article and taking the time to talk with me on the phone.Also if you would like to read the report I sited click here for it.

The post Lake Erie Walleye in Crisis? Understanding the Lakes Walleye Population appeared first on Out In Michigan.

On Friday April 1st, all anglers 17 years of age and older will be required to have their 2011 Michigan Fishing License. Copies of the new Fishing Guides are available at all license vendors. With many seasons closed right now, anglers are reminded that it is unlawful to take or attempt to take any fish outside the open season.

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie: ATTENTION WALLEYE ANGLERS – The daily possession limit for walleye in the Michigan waters of Lake Erie will be as follows: April 1 through April 30, 2011 the limit will be five (5) walleye. Beginning May 1, 2011 through April 30, 2012 the limit will be six (6) walleye.Good numbers of Sunfish and Perch are being caught in the harbors and channels, with some great bullheads mixed in. Crappie are still spotty, Suckers are starting to stage at the creek mouths and rivers.

River Raisin:The fishing piers have reopened at Detroit Edison(April 1st). Suckers are starting to enter the lower river. Some Crappies have been taken up in Dundee by anglers fishing fathead minnows under floats.

An angler with a nice Huron River Steelhead

Huron River: Anglers are out fishing for steelhead and suckers.There has been some nice fish coming out of Haroc Park area. Spawn bags and flies seem to be working the best. The main park of the sucker run should kick in with in a week or so.

Detroit River: Boat anglers are still trolling for walleye. The new walleye possession limits for Lake Erie DO NOT apply to the Detroit River. The daily possession limit here will continue to be five (5) fish.

Saginaw Bay: With the colder weather, it looks like the fish runs will be anywhere from one to two weeks later than normal this year. There’s still some ice fishing activity in the isolated or sheltered areas however the shore ice is bad so anglers will need to wade out to the fishable ice. Walleye were caught at night in 4 to 6 feet of water. White’s Beach had good catches of perch in 3 or 4 feet of water but many were small. Boats are launching off the mouth of the Saginaw River where the skid piers are in. The marina in Sunset Bay is producing small bluegills and sunfish. At Sebewaing, anglers caught perch, but there is honeycomb ice so be careful.

Quanicassee River: Shore anglers caught a few perch at the public access site and the old State Road Bridge. Mornings are best but ice forming overnight has hampered fishing. Some fish are running 6 to 8 inches but most were smaller.

Sebewaing River: Shore fishing is possible later in the day. Overnight freezing hampers fishing efforts in the morning.

Pigeon River: A few shore anglers were out but catch rates were slow.

Pinnebog River: The sucker runs have not started yet.

Port Austin: Bird Creek was still iced over, so nothing to report yet.

Southwest Lower Peninsula

St. Joseph: Boat and pier anglers were catching limits of coho.

St. Joseph River: Had good steelhead fishing. So far, over 4000 fish have been passed at the Berrien Springs ladder since March 1st. Sucker runs have started.

Kalamazoo River: Had exceptional catch rates for steelhead below the Allegan Dam.

Grand River at Grand Rapids: Continues to provide good spring steelhead fishing.

Grand River at Lansing: Steelhead are slowly moving into the area with a couple fish caught over at the dam at Moore’s Park. A few fish were also seen near the Brenke fish ladder, which is closed to fishing. Some are looking for catfish.

Muskegon River: Boat anglers are getting some nice steelhead when floating spawn or flies. They reported a good mix of females and males.

Northeast Lower Peninsula

Burt Lake: Still had good ice fishing opportunities.

Mullett Lake: Is producing a few perch in Pigeon Bay and around Needle Point. Minnows and wigglers work best. Cisco were found in deep water. Ice fishing should hold for another week or so. The two pressure cracks have started to open up.

Indian River: Has ice and the waterway is locked up tight.

Thunder Bay River: Boat anglers are trolling for steelhead and brown trout.

Higgins Lake: Anglers are mainly smelt fishing, and many are going off the west boat launch. The ice is holding but this could be the last week for ice fishing if rain comes next week. There was about 6 inches of snow on the lake so some are taking quads or snowmobiles out.

Houghton Lake: Still has good ice, just be careful near the inlets or outlets. Those out fishing say the bluegill and crappie bite are picking up.

Tawas: There’s still some fishable ice near Jerry’s Marina. Walleye were caught near the edge in 20 feet of water in the evening. Pier anglers fishing in open water have caught a few lake trout, brown trout or steelhead. Some are casting lures while others are using minnows and spawn bags. Those wading just off the mouth of the river caught a few walleye.

Tawas River: Is producing a light number of steelhead.

Au Gres: Still had some ice fishing north of the breakwall, but success was spotty.

Au Gres River: Steelhead and brown trout were caught near the Singing Bridge.

Rifle River: Sucker runs are just getting underway as a few were caught in Omer.

Northwest Lower Peninsula

Below freezing temperatures over the last week is keeping ice on the inland lakes.

Elk River: Has some steelhead for those able to brave the cold temperatures.

Betsie River: Should also have some good steelhead action in the next few weeks.

Lake Missaukee: Still has ice and is producing bluegill and crappie.

Lake Cadillac: Ice fishing is still going strong however anglers are no longer driving out on the ice. Crappie are still hitting in the early morning or late evening.

Lake Mitchell: Still has ice and fair to good crappie fishing.

Manistee River: More anglers are turning to steelhead fishing. Boat and shore anglers are casting flies or jigs with wax worms and wigglers.

Pere Marquette River: Should have steelhead.

Upper Peninsula

Lake Gogebic: Still has ice fishing as cold temperatures have been making ice over the last week. A few perch were caught in 25 to 27 feet of water. Try wigglers 1 to 3 feet off the bottom in 25 to 27 feet of water.

Keweenaw Bay: Those ice fishing reported limit catches of coho, a good number of lake herring as well as a couple chinook, rainbow trout and whitefish. Hot spots were Perch Corner, just north of Linden Creek, off the Falls River and Sand Point. Try Swedish pimples or tear drops with wax worms.

Marquette: The better fishing has been in the early morning for coho, chinook, brown trout, herring and whitefish. Try near the bubblers using jigs tipped with a twister tail or cut bait. Hot colors were orange, green or pink. The few boats trolling near the Upper Harbor had no luck. Access sites were limited because of high winds pushing ice in closer to the shore. Ice has been moving in and out near the Carp River and the coal docks.

Carp River: Steelhead were caught upstream by those using crawlers or small silver crank baits.

Little Bay De Noc: Is now in between seasons. The recent cold snap is only delaying the inevitable. Angler participation was low due to ice conditions. Rivers in the area are still frozen except for the Escanaba River.

Au Train: Anglers need to be aware of wind and weather conditions as the ice was shifting and could be dangerous. A few were still fishing out from the Rock River and the Au Train River. Coho were caught out from the Brownstone landing at the mouth of the Au Train River. Try fishing early with jigs, spawn or silver spoons.

Munising: More anglers are showing up as catch rates increased. The surface ice is very slippery so anglers are advised to wear cleats and be careful. Coho fishing has picked up with most getting one or two fish, but some landing three or four. Try jigging rapalas or Swedish pimples 10 to 20 feet down in 40 to 60 feet of water. Most fish are averaging 15 inches. Whitefish were caught in shallow waters when bouncing a single egg just off the bottom. Good perch fishing in 30 to 40 feet of water with minnows and wigglers. Most average 7 or 8 inches however a few jumbo perch were also caught.

Indian Lake: Those thinking about heading out on the ice need to use extreme caution. There are areas with soft ice and open water. A few are ice fishing for perch along the north end in Lange’s Bay. Try minnows in 5 to 7 feet of water. Most of the fish were running on the small side.

Munuscong Bay: Only had a few anglers fishing near Grassy Island and off Fowlers Bay.

Cedarville and Hessel: Ice was holding however a few of the points were starting to open up. Those fishing in Musky Bay are using minnows, wigglers and wax worms in 5 to 10 feet of water. Catch rates around Little Joe Island were starting to pick up.

The post Weekly Fishing Report-March 31, 2011 appeared first on Out In Michigan.

The daily creel limit for walleyes in Michigan’s waters of Lake Erie will be six beginning May 1, the Department of Natural Resources announced today.

Michigan has adopted a process for setting regulations that allows the DNR to use real-time population data instead of using year-old survey results. This process parallels one adopted by Ohio last year.

“This change to the regulations process is critical to helping us manage walleyes in Lake Erie in a timely manner,” said DNR Lake Erie Basin Coordinator Liz Hay-Chmielewski. “In order to do that, we have to set regulations in March instead of the previous autumn.”

Michigan’s daily creel limit for walleyes on Lake Erie is based on its share of the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the lake, which is determined by the Lake Erie Committee under the aegis of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. The TAC is generally based on overall abundance of walleyes; the Committee establishes quotas for each jurisdiction based on the percentage of habitat for adult walleyes in each jurisdiction’s waters of the lake. The daily limit is based on a formula that projects how many walleyes anglers can keep but still remain within the quota.

See the table below for an explanation of the formula used to set the daily creel limit.

The Total Allowable Catch for Lake Erie for 2011 is 2.919 million fish, making Michigan’s quota 0.17 million fish.

The new regulations process means that the creel limit for walleyes on Lake Erie will not be set until TACs are determined each March, after the Michigan Fishing Guide goes to press. Anglers will need to check for changes annually.

There are no changes to either the fishing season or size limit for walleyes on Lake Erie.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

The post Lake Erie Daily Creel Limit for Walleyes Is Six Beginning May 1 appeared first on Out In Michigan.

Spring fishing was just getting started when Mother Nature decided to hit us with another blast of winter. The cold front will no doubt slow catch rates. Those heading out on any remaining ice need to use extreme caution. Those fishing the rivers will also need to be careful as the waters are high, fast, muddy and cold.

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie: Shore anglers caught a few perch, crappie and bluegills.

Huron River: Is producing steelhead up near Huroc Park. Water levels downstream are too high to fish. A few suckers are starting to hit.

Detroit River: Boat launches are opening up and boat anglers are seeking warm water outlets with hopes of picking up a few walleye. Some are trolling the Trenton Channel but catch rates were slow.

Lake St. Clair: Ice fishing is done as most of the Michigan waters on the lake are open. The ramps are ice free but the docks are not in yet, so launching is difficult.

Clinton River: Activity was picking up with more anglers targeting steelhead. Water levels are high.

St. Clair River: Had no fishing in the lower river due to ice flows causing an ice jam.

Saginaw Bay: Ice conditions are not good. Active pressure cracks along with wind and warm temperatures have made the ice dangerous. Ice along the shoreline is getting bad. Several rescues have been made over the last week. The ice off the Bay City State Park has broken up with the strong east winds and this is causing a mountain of ice to pile up along the shoreline. The cuts from Quanicassee to Fish Point are open and fishable from shore. The ice from Sebewaing northward along the east side of the bay has become unsafe. Ice in the marina basins should not be trusted. Some anglers are using airboats to get out for walleye and perch fishing.

Quanicassee River: Is open and boats are launching. Shore anglers caught perch.

Sebewaing River: Water levels are high and muddy with floating debris.

Pigeon River: Is also high and muddy. Floating debris is making fishing difficult.

Southwest Lower Peninsula

Galien River: Is producing steelhead. Suckers are also starting to run in the small streams open to fishing.

St. Joseph: Boat and pier anglers are catching coho and a few brown trout. Rumor has it fish are being caught all the way up to South Haven.

St. Joseph River: Steelhead fishing did slow as it appears most of the fish below the Berrien Springs Dam have pushed up through the ladder. Anglers are hoping the recent rain will bring more fish up into the river. Sucker runs are just getting started.

Paw Paw River: Is producing some steelhead.

Kalamazoo River: Steelhead can be found up near the Allegan Dam. Try flies, spawn or crawlers. Suckers were also starting to hit.

Grand River at Grand Rapids: Still had good steelhead fishing at the dam. Anglers need to pay close attention to water levels and debris.

Grand River at Lansing: Not much to report except for some steelhead being caught in Prairie Creek, which is in Ionia. Best spot is behind the Bumper Plant.

Looking Glass River: Has high water levels.

Maple River: Has high water levels.

Muskegon River: Is high and somewhat muddy which makes fishing more difficult. Boat anglers were still catching some steelhead.

Northeast Lower Peninsula

Burt Lake: Was producing some big perch.

Mullett Lake: With the close of pike and walleye season, most are targeting perch. Fishing pressure has slowed but anglers are catching a few perch in 10 to 20 feet of water in the bays. No trout or cisco to report.

Alpena: A few brown trout have been caught in Thunder Bay. There may also be some walleye to be found as they start staging.

Thunder Bay River: The boat ramp was ice free. Those trolling for steelhead and brown trout had some success. Walleye season is closed.

Heart Lake: In Otsego County still had ice fishing and some rainbow trout were caught. Big Chub and Bridge Lake were also producing some rainbow trout.

Higgins Lake: Smelt are coming into the shallows.

Lake St. Helen: Has been good for bluegill.

Tawas: The only remaining ice is in the northeast corner of the bay near Jerry’s Marina where a few small perch and walleye were caught. The ice along the west side of the pier is gone and a few boats were starting to head out.

Tawas River: Is producing a light number of steelhead.

Au Gres: There is still ice and people out fishing in shallow waters 4 to 6 feet deep. They have caught some walleye and steelhead.

Au Gres River: Water levels are running high and the ice is breaking up. Those fishing the East Branch have caught a couple steelhead and brown trout in the surf near the Singing Bridge. Anglers were actually shore fishing from the icebergs.

Rifle River: No word yet on suckers.

Northwest Lower Peninsula

Elk River: Steelhead were starting to show up.

Lake Missaukee: Anglers are catching panfish.

Lake Cadillac: Is still producing some crappie for ice anglers. Most are fishing in the coves. Try jigs tipped with wax worms, minnows or spikes.

Lake Mitchell: Is also producing crappie in the early morning or late evening.

Manistee River: Steelhead have started however the cold front could slow things down again. Boat and shore anglers are tossing flies or jigs with wax worms and wigglers. Good catfish and crappie action on the Hodenpyl backwaters.

Pere Marquette River: Boat and shore anglers saw a push of steelhead. With the cold spell, concentrate on the deeper holes.

Upper Peninsula

Lake Gogebic: Ice conditions are changing fast. Anglers should avoid areas near the inlets and outlets. Perch were caught up to 5 feet off the bottom in waters 20 to 27 feet deep however many are putting in a lot of time and coming up empty handed.

Keweenaw Bay: Good catches of smelt were taken northeast of the Baraga Marina. Whitefish were spotty. Coho were caught between Linden Creek and Perch Corner.

Falls River: Is producing some rainbow trout.

Marquette: Fishing was slow except for a few coho taken near the shallow bubbler in the Upper Harbor in 25 feet of water. Try a jig tipped with a twister tail or cut bait. Ice has moved out near the coal docks so anglers were taking a few coho and menominee when using a single egg. Ice has moved out of the Upper Harbor with partial ice in the Lower Harbor. Anglers are still launching boats off the beach by the bubblers. Strong east winds have been blowing the ice into shore.

Carp River: Is slightly higher with spring runoff, but no steelhead to report.

Little Bay De Noc: Ice conditions were deteriorating fast. Not many anglers and those heading out were traveling by foot only. Extreme caution needs to be used as ice conditions are changing daily this time of year. Most were perch fishing near Kipling in 22 to 30 feet of water when jigging wigglers or minnows. Those removing ice shanties and putting them at the Kipling boat launch are reminded that they can only store their shanty for 24 hours.

Escanaba River: A few shore anglers were looking for brown trout.

Au Train: This may be the last week of ice fishing as conditions were deteriorating. The Rock River is slowly opening up with water running over the spillway and there is open water near the mouth of the Au Train River. Catch reports were spotty for coho and menominee in Au Train Bay. The better action was in the early morning straight out from the Rock River and near the mouth of the Au Train River.

Munising: Catch rates were slow as angler numbers decline. Recent weather patterns have made ice conditions unpredictable on a daily basis so bring cleats and use caution on the ice. Most anglers are fishing for coho but rates were spotty. Try jigging rapalas and Swedish pimples 10 to 20 feet down in 40 to 60 feet of water. The fish average 15 inches. Only a few whitefish were taken in 50 to 80 feet of water when bouncing wax worms or a single egg just off the bottom. Schools of smelt are still being marked on a regular basis however catch rates were hit-or-miss. Try hali-jigs with natural bait. The occasional splake was caught by those using minnows or a single egg with an artificial lure.

Indian Lake: Angler activity has slowed with the closing of walleye and pike season. Those seeking yellow perch were fishing on the north end and also in Lange’s Bay. Try minnows with a jig or Swedish pimple in 7 to 9 feet of water. Many are small but a few in the 12 inch range were caught.

Munuscong Bay: Catch rates were poor to fair throughout the bay including the north end and Fowlers Bay. Ice is still present and perch numbers are expected to increase in the next 7 to 10 days.

Cedarville and Hessel: Some perch were caught along the east side of Hessel Bay in shallow waters 6 to 8 feet deep however Musky Bay was a little more productive. Fish were caught in 10 to 12 feet of water off Duck Bay as well as out in the middle. Try wax worms, wigglers or minnows.

The post Fishing Report March 24, 2011 appeared first on Out In Michigan.

Mark Martin with a nice eye

For part two we are going to cover the basic jigs and jigging motion some of the pros use. I asked Mark Martin who is a Michigan native and walleye expert to go through what he uses and how he works his jigs.

Mark uses between a 1/2oz. and 3/4oz. Northland round head jig with bait holder collar and stinger hook. Mark also went on to say ”There were times years ago I used 1/8oz. and 1/4oz. so the fish could easily inhale my offering with no stinger hooks. But there were more Walleye then and you didn’t have to attract them from a distance away like you have to now (bigger jigs more thump better profile gets Walleye’s attention). “ He likes to fish the jig with Gulp! (scent) plastics either a 3″ brown or black worm, or a 3″ Smelt. He also sometimes combos it up some by putting a 3″ Smelt on first and a small portion of the worm on last. Mark also said that he always carry’s live bait with him. “ Live bait is always with me, cause you never know when that’s going to be the key to catching walleyes”

Mark with Great Spring eye

Mark also doesn’t run a leader of any kind on his Med Heavy Fenwick HMG . “I don’t mess with leaders more things to tie when you break off and I have yet to see someone in my boat catch more by using a leader” He ties straight to the jig with 6lb Flame Green Fireline.

There is a few different ways you can jig in the river. The standard “thump” is were you hit bottom pick it up and repeat. The next method is great for “snaggy” areas like the Trenton channel “hit bottom and wiggle”. With this you hit bottom pick it up hold and wiggle a few inches off bottom then repeat. The third Mark uses is to hit bottom pick it up and hold it off bottom and just wiggle with a slow raise and lower motion without to much bottom contact.

Mark also added “Always remember when vertical jigging (face your adversity with your power source) calm days the current will be your only concern or adversity so you will face into the current with your power source watching your Flame Green Fireline.”We will cover boat control further in part 3.

Mark wrote a book called “Year Round Walleye, Fishing The Four Seasons!” In there he covers this topic in great detail with pictures and diagrams. You can pick up this book by going to markmartins.net click on books and videos.

Click here for Part one “Detroit River Eyes – Part 1 Rod, Reel and Line”

The post Detroit River Walleye Part 2 – Jigs and Jigging with Mark Martin appeared first on Out In Michigan.

So what I am going to do is cover every part of this season. The 1st thing we are going to start with is rod, reel, and line choices. I will also be getting local guides and pro thoughts and get some of their tips to landing a few more eyes this season.So lets dive right in here.

Rods

If you have a limited amount of money this is the one place I would spend a bit more of your budget on. You want to use a short rod in the 5 to 6 foot range. This length helps keep the line close to the boat that way you can watch the line and keep it vertical(more on that in coming parts)A rod in Medium to Med-Heavy rod power with a fast to extra fast action, made of Graphite and nothing else. That way you’ll be able to feel what is going on down there. Like I stated in the “Fishing Rod Basics” nothing tops Graphite for sensitivity. A line rating around 8 -16 lb and lure weight up to 3/4 to 1 oz is what you want .There is a ton of great rods on the market that meet these needs. These are just a few:

Shimano Convergence CVS60MHA retails for $49.99

Fenwick HMX 60MH-F retails for $79.95

St. Croix Premier PS60MHF retails for $110.00

Grandt Rods American Pro 003A retails for $137.00

G Loomis IMX SJR723 (IMX) retails for $250.00

Reels

There is a few key things to look at in a good DR jigging reel. The 1st is Instant Anti-Reverse. Walleye have very hard mouths and can spit the jig in and out very quickly.Also you could be fishing water has deep has 40ft so you don’t want anything that will delay the hook going into the fish. The reel needs to have a good strong smooth drag system. You never know when the odd steelhead or sturgeon my take your jig. This is where a front drag will win out over a rear drag.Your fishing a no stretch line(more to come below) so the only place that has any give is your drag and a bit in the rod.The only advantage a rear drag has on a front drag is if you are fishing with gloves, it makes it easier adjust the drag.Most rear drag reels have a trigger, so they will not have instant anti-reverse.A line capacity of 80 to 140 yards of 8lb test. I tend to stick with two brands when it comes to reels Shimano and Daiwa. Both brand have great reels in all price points. Below are just a few.

Daiwa Crossfire®-3iB retails for $29.99

Shimano Solstace® FL retails for $39.99

Shimano Sedona® FD retails for $59.99

Daiwa Regal® XiA retails for $54.99

Daiwa Exceler-TSH retails for $109.99

Shimano Symetre®FJ retails for $99.99

Line

With the line for this fishing you want a no stretch superline. These lines increase your sensitivity even more. It also increase your hook setting power. These lines have super small diameters when you compare them to a mono line with the same breaking strength. This thinner line helps you keep your light going straight vertical. It is best to use a line in a Hi-Vis color. The bright color helps you see if your line is vertical and it also helps you pick up on lifting bites. I prefer true braids Such has Power Pro or Suffix, but thermo fused superlines like fireline are very popular also. The line size I use most is the 15/4.That is 15lb test that is the same dia at 4lb mono. If you’re going to be tieing straight to the jig you may even want think about going down to the lighter lines that way you can break the line when the bait becomes snagged. It is important that you have a mono backing on your reels when fishing with superlines. These lines do not grip well to themselves so you can get some line slippage if you don’t. Also when tieing to your lure make sure you use the right knot I talked about this in an early article (see it here). I will talk more about attaching the line to the lure when we cover rigging and baits.

Part two-Basic lures and rigging.

Photos courtesy of Michael Thompson

The post Detroit River Walleyes – Part 1 Rod, Reel and Line appeared first on Out In Michigan.