Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Please Support The Sport Shop Selling Certified Bait.
Houghton Lake- Many Sport Shop have opted to not sell certified bait but negative bait that can be used in inland waters, but the bad part is some bait wholesalers are selling bait caught out of positive water as negative water. So be sure you have clean certified bait and make sure they put the certified lot number on your receipt.
Fishing Report
Lake Margrethe by Grayling is real good for walleye and pike. Walleye are on a great bite with blues and sucker working best.
White Lake has been good for perch and pike the last few days with golden working best for pike.
Otsego Lake by Gaylord reports a good walleye bite also with some perch being caught.
Long Lake by Traverse and Lake Leelanau have iced over and will be ready in a few days for some good walleye fishing.
Higgins Lake is wide open and will be a couple of weeks if things stay cold.
Lake Skegemog by Kalkaska has good ice and they are just starting to get out to the perch grounds, seeing lots of big perch on there cameras but there waiting for blues that just good certified to sell yesterday.
I’m hearing of some good ice around Gladwin, and Harrison. Wiggins Lake there is very good fishing with limit catches of gills and crappie. Muddy Bay on Wiggins lake has started with a few fish being caught.
Black Lake went over and has about three inches of ice and many will be fishing this weekend.
Houghton Lake has a good bite with walleye and pike with some crappie mixed in
Lake Missaukee - Ice fishing is on and anglers are catching panfish off of Green Rd, Most are the size of your hand or 7 to 8 inches but limit catches.
Upper Peninsula:
Along Copper Harbor, anglers on docks are reeling in a few splake. Lake Gogebic is producing fair to good walleye fishing. The best ice is found on the north and south ends of the lake. Most of the walleye being caught are hitting on minnows hooked to the end of a tip-up. By Marquette, the walleye action is good on Teal Lake. Anglers will have to sort through the fish that are caught to find any keepers. The pike fishing is fair on the Greenwood Reservoir.
Around Gladstone, the walleye action is good on the north end of Little Bay de Noc. The marble eyes are hitting on both jigs and tip-ups. Anglers getting out on the Escanaba Harbor are catching a few perch and pike.
Out of the Manistique area, anglers are just starting to get out on Indian Lake to do some perch fishing.
And at Drummond Island and St. Ignace, fishing activity is slow this week due to the lack of safe ice.
Northwest:
Anglers are starting to get out on the ice covering Crooked and Douglas lakes near Alanson. The ice-fishing action is just starting, so reports are limited on how the fishing action is.
The lakes near Boyne City are beginning to freeze over, and by the weekend there should be a few people out on parts of Walloon and Deer lakes.
By Traverse City, anglers dropping a line through the ice on Glen Lake are catching good numbers of perch. Minnows are the preferred bait. A few perch and walleye are being caught on the south end of Long Lake.
In the Frankfort area, the perch fishing is fair on Arcadia Lake. Only foot traffic is able to get out on the lake at this time.
Out of the Kalkaska area, anglers are beginning to chop holes through the ice on Fife, Manistee and Skegemog lakes. The perch action on Skegemog is fair.
Winter-like temperatures are helping to make ice on Bradford and Otsego lakes near Gaylord. By the weekend, anglers should be able to start getting out on parts of those lakes. Access will be limited to foot traffic only.
And at Cadillac, the pike fishing is very good on both lakes Cadillac and Mitchell. Most of the northerns being caught are hitting on tip-ups. Lake Missaukee is producing fair bluegill fishing.
West:
Lincoln Lake near Ludington is producing fair bluegill and pike fishing. The gills are hitting on jigs tipped with a spike or mousy. The northerns are hitting on tip-ups. About 50-percent of Hamlin Lake is covered with ice. Anglers able to get out on the ice that is covering the lake are catching a few bluegill, pike and walleye.
In the Whitehall area, the steelhead fishing is fair along the White River.
By Muskegon, the pike fishing is fair on the east end of Muskegon Lake. Anglers are casting for the northerns from shore or from a boat during the daytime. At night, anglers able to drop a boat in the water are reeling in a few walleye. The upper section of the Muskegon River is producing fair steelhead action.
Chippewa Lake is covered by some solid ice, and the pike action is good on the lake. The panfish and walleye action is fair.
And at Baldwin, anglers are just beginning to venture out on the lakes covered with ice and feedback is too limited to put a report together.
Southwest:
By Holland, much of the ice on the local lakes is unsafe, so fishing activity this week is slow.
In the Benton Harbor area, anglers along the St. Joseph River are reeling in a few steelhead.
Fishing activity this week is slow by New Buffalo.
Due to a lack of safe ice on the lakes around Kalamazoo, fishing activity is slow.
And at Three Rivers, the bluegill fishing is fair on many of the smaller lakes where anglers are able to get out on the ice. Both spikes and mousies are being used as bait.
Northeast:
Out of the Alpena area, anglers are catching a few perch through the ice on Grand Lake. The best area to fish is on the north end of the lake.
On Lake Margrethe by Grayling, anglers need to be very careful because the ice thickness varies on the lake. On the west bay, the walleye action is pretty good. The walleye are hitting on both jigs and tip-ups.
By Oscoda, the perch fishing ranges from fair to good on the backside of Foote Dam Pond. Van Etten Lake is producing fair to good perch, pike and walleye fishing. Anglers on Cedar Lake are catching a few bluegill and perch.
Due to the lack of safe ice, the fishing action is slow on Higgins Lake.
Houghton Lake is producing some good walleye fishing. Anglers are dropping jigs through the ice and evenings are the best time to be out. The pike fishing ranges from fair to good and the panfish action is slow.
And at Au Gres, the perch action is fair on Saginaw Bay near the mouth of the Pine River. Try using a jig tipped with a minnow.
East:
Around Linwood, the ice along the shoreline is pretty good. The perch fishing is fair, anglers will have to sort through the fish that are caught to find any keepers.
Out of the Bay City area, anglers are catching a few perch through the ice near Mud Creek, the Quanicassee River and north of Bay City. Anglers wading out and casting lines into the ā??hot pondā? are catching a few walleye.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Blue’s are coming online
We got certification for perch blues and lrg. blues or Emerald Shiners and will start thrusday getting certified VHS free minnows to your local bait-shops.
Many lakes will go over tonight so by christmas we may be fishing some of the deeper lakes by then.
Black Lake went over this week and reports 3 inches of ice tody so by the weekend 4 to 6 inches if the snow holds off.
Check out Buc’s Fishing Forum
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Most Shallow Lake are getting four to six inches of ice
Fife Lake- I was at Fife Lake today and the ice has been over for a week but very few out on the ice yet. It is always a great place for big perch on that first ice.
Wiggins Lake by Gladwin is reporting a great panfish bite as the waxworms are flying out of Chappel Dam Grocery.
Fishing has been good around Leroy and Reed City for panfish and pike.
Spider Lake by Traverse is starting to get a gill bite the last couple days.
Please check out the fishing forum @ http://bucsfishingreport.com/cgi-bin-local/forum/Blah.pl?
Monday, December 10, 2007
Buc’s Fishing Forum
I have installed a new fishing forum on my site at http://bucsfishingreport.com/cgi-bin-local/forum/Blah.pl?
I hope to see a post about a fishing adventure along with photos, I hope baitshops will posting fishing reports in their area.
Fishing Reports are Starting
Hearing of a good gill bite on Lake Missaukee by Lake City off of Green Road. Waxworms working best
Also they have started to get out on Lake Margrethe by Grayling and have been good for pike, walleye and perch.
Reported Black Lake by Onaway went over last night as baitshops are getting ready for a good perch and walleye bite.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Things are Looking Good
Interlochen- Green Lake by Interlochen has some shore ice and the snow is settling so the cold is now making more ice. Most shallow lakes are reporting 4 to 5 inches of ice.
Leroy and Lakeview reporting in with good ice conditions with panfish and pike biting. Call The Eyes Have It in Leroy 231-768-5653 for ice conditions and Tamarack Sports @989-352-7527 in Lakeview.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
Weā??re back on the ice!
Fishermen are itching to get on the ice because first ice can be some of the best fishing of the year.
Some started fishing lakes Cadillac and Mitchell Thursday, December 6.
Depending on where you are, ice thickness varies 3 to 6 inches with snow cover. Fortunately most is at the 6ā? level.
Our favorite fish - Pike 
have started strong.
Pictured is Jeff Leatherman. Heā??s always one of the first out and kept one of several pike caught, a healthy 31 incher.
Tom Fisher, another first icer, is seen with his limit of 30 inch pike. Heā??s a believer in jigging Rapalas.
The fish of the week were caught by John Dunbar and Gordon Reed. They have a reputation for catching monsters. The largest of their limits was 37 inches, 12 pounds.
Unfortunately most Panfishermen donā??t bring in their catch for photographs. However, weā??re hearing of perch, crappie and some gills. Havenā??t heard of limits but worth while numbers.
Donā??t take the ice for granted. Use your spud to check you way. Itā??s early and thereā??s lots of lake no ones been on yet. Keep a set of ice spikes with you just in case.
See you on the ice.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Snow Has Hurt Ice
Snow has hurt the ice north of M-55 as we have lots of slush with a couple of inches of ice.
I’m hearing of some good ice around Gladwin, and Harrison. Wiggins Lake there is very good fishing with limit catches of gills and crappie. Muddy Bay on Wiggins Lake has started with a few fish being caught.
The snow has hurt the ice with very few going out on the ice in the Gaylord and Grayling area
If you plan on heading out, remember to check the thickness of the ice in front of you with a spud and let someone know where you will be fishing and when you plan on returning.
Upper Peninsula:
The ice-fishing season started around Marquette and on Lake Gogebic prior to all the snow from earlier this week. However, now that the lakes are covered with slush and snow, access for foot traffic on the lakes is limited for anglers.
Anglers on Little Bay de Noc, north of Gladstone, are starting to get out on the bay. Being that people started fishing through the ice on the bay just a couple of days ago, there are no accurate reports on how the perch, pike or walleye fishing is going.
All the snow that the eastern half of the Upper Peninsula received earlier in the week has put a stop to the ice-fishing action that had started in the Manistique, St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie areas.
Northwest:
With no safe ice, fishing activity this week is slow in the Alanson and Boyne City areas.
Around Traverse City, the steelhead fishing is fair along the Boardman River. In the Frankfort area, anglers venturing out along the Betsie and Platte rivers are catching a few steelhead.
By Kalkaska, very few people have been out. However, anglers by the Elk Rapids Dam are catching an occasional steelhead.
Out of the Gaylord area, the steelhead fishing ranges from slow to fair on sections of the Boyne and Jordan rivers.
And at Cadillac, fishing activity is slow due to the lack of safe ice on lakes Cadillac and Mitchell.
West:
Out of the Ludington area, anglers surfcasting along the Lake Michigan shoreline near the mouth of the Pere Marquette River are reeling in a few steelhead. The steelhead fishing is fair on the river. Anglers on the piers along Lake Michigan are catching a few whitefish.
By Muskegon, Muskegon Lake is producing fair perch and walleye fishing, when the weather allows anglers to get out. The perch are hitting on spikes and minnows, the best time to be out for the walleye is at night. Anglers are catching a few walleye along the Muskegon Channel. On the Muskegon River, the steelhead fishing is fair. In Baldwin, fishing activity is slow this week on Chippewa Lake due to unsafe ice.
Northeast:
Due to a lack of safe ice, fishing activity this week near Alpena and Grayling is slow.
The Au Sable River is producing fair steelhead and whitefish action for anglers near Oscoda. A few perch are being caught by anglers on Cooke Dam Pond and Van Etten Lake.
Some ice is starting to form on both Higgins and Houghton lakes, but there is nothing that is safe enough to get out on and do any fishing.
And at Au Gres, the cuts and marinas along Saginaw Bay are producing fair bluegill, crappie and perch fishing.
East:
Around Linwood, anglers are starting to catch a few perch on the cuts and marinas along Saginaw Bay.
By Bay City and Bay Port, some skim ice is starting to form on Saginaw Bay, nothing that is safe enough to get out on and that is keeping fishing activity slow this week.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Snow Hurting Ice
Northern Michigan has been hammered since Saturday Afternoon with a foot of snow and a half an inch rain. Mother Nature saw a nail and has been hammering us hard.
The small lakes have a heavy snow on little ice which is a very bad combination. Have not heard much on ice fishing as a few are getting out on some small bays. We will have cold weather all week and we will be fishing on some smaller lakes.
It is looking like greys, perch shiners and blues will be available before Christmas if all goes well at the lab. Prices will be up as testing is very expensive.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Get Your Ice Fishing Gear Ready
If the current weather holds we will be ICE FISHING next week. We have many lakes that are froze and a few have a couple of inches of ice.
Upper Peninsula:
Due to the recent wind and snow, fishing activity near Copper Harbor, Marquette and on Lake Gogebic is slow this week. People have put their boats away for the year and are waiting on the ice-fishing season to start up.
By Escanaba, the walleye fishing at night is fair on Little Bay de Noc. However, anglers will have to deal with slippery conditions on the boat launch ramps.
Fishing activity has come to a standstill in the Manistique and Sault Ste. Marie areas.
If anglers can get a boat in on Munuscong Bay, the walleye fishing is fair during the morning hours. Try using a blue and silver colored crank bait as bait.
And anglers by Drummond Island and St. Ignace have hung up the fishing poles for the final week of the firearm deer season and the action is slow on area lakes and rivers.
Northwest:
Fishing activity in the Alanson and Boyne City areas is on hold, as anglers wait for ice to form on the local lakes and rivers.
Around Traverse City, only a few anglers are heading out on Lake Leelanau. Those who are venturing out are reeling in a few perch. Anglers along the Boardman River are catching an occasional steelhead.
In the Frankfort area, the steelhead fishing ranges from slow to fair on the Betsie and Platte rivers. Anglers on the pier on Lake Michigan in Frankfort are also reeling in a few steelhead.
By Bellaire, the walleye fishing is fair on Intermediate Lake, when the weather allows anglers to get out. Anglers casting a line in the water by the Elk River Dam are catching a few steelhead. Spawn bags are working well as bait.
Out of the Gaylord area, the steelhead action is fair along the Boyne and Jordan rivers.
And at Cadillac, anglers have hung up the fishing poles for the final week of the firearm deer season and the action is slow on both lakes Cadillac and Mitchell.
West:
Around Ludington, the steelhead fishing is good off the piers on Lake Michigan and along the shoreline for anglers interested in doing some surfcasting. Anglers on the piers are also catching good numbers of whitefish.
Out of the Muskegon area, the steelhead fishing ranges from fair to good for the anglers who are venturing out on the breakwall on Lake Michigan. Along the Muskegon Channel, the whitefish fishing is very good. Anglers are jigging spoons on the bottom of the channel, with the best fishing occurring at night. Muskegon Lake is producing fair perch and pike fishing. Most of the northerns are being caught on the east end of the lake, the perch are hitting on both minnows and spikes.
Anglers around Chippewa Lake have hung up the fishing poles for the final week of the firearm deer season.
And at Baldwin, the steelhead action ranges from slow to fair on the Pere Marquette River. Anglers are using spawn as bait and on the fly section of the river stoneflies and imitation eggs are working well as bait.
Southwest:
In the Holland area, Lake Macatawa is producing fair bluegill fishing. Anglers on Lake Michigan are reeling in a few whitefish.
Northeast:
By Alpena, the whitefish and perch fishing is fair on the Thunder Bay River. The whitefish are hitting on waxworms and rubber spawn, the perch prefer minnows as bait. Only a few people are out fishing near Grayling on Lake Margrethe, and for those who are out, a couple of perch, smallmouth bass and walleye are being caught.
Around Oscoda on the Au Sable River, anglers are catching a few steelhead and whitefish with an occasional lake trout being reeled in. And on Higgins and Houghton lakes, anglers have hung up the fishing poles for the final week of the firearm deer season and the action is slow on both lakes.
Anglers on the ā??state dockā? in Tawas City are catching a few whitefish.
And at Au Gres, the crappie and perch fishing is slow in the cuts and marinas along Saginaw Bay.
East:
Out of the Linwood area, the perch fishing is fair in the cuts and marinas along Saginaw Bay. A lot of the fish being caught are small.
By Bay City, the perch action is hit-or-miss for anglers in the cuts along Saginaw Bay. Anglers in the Bay Port area are catching a few bluegill and perch in the cuts and marinas along Saginaw Bay.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
We Will Be Ice Fishing Next Week
This cold weather is going to hang on and we will be ice fishing next week, I will keep you updated which lakes will have some action. Right now I’m just hearing Black Bass Bay on Grand Lake they are thinking this weekend they will be out.
Also Otsego Lake by Gaylord might be ready. Lake Margrethe is still open and is always super first ice.
Looks good for shiners this winter but will be after Christmas before we get all the paper work filed for VHS free minnows.
So were all doing our ice dance.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Ice is Hanging in
Ice in Northern Michigan is hanging around as it is still on many lakes, but not safe. Colder weather coming in and by next week we might be out fishing on some of the lakes. Blue and Grey Shiners are looking good as the test show no reaction to certify them VHS Free.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Skim Of Ice
We have a skim of ice on most shallow lakes as cold nights have started getting lakes ready for Dec.
I think this ice will go out tomorrow as high winds are coming in and 40 degree temps. We are close to ice fishing season so keep your fingers crossed.
Fishing pressure is very light with hunting season going on with good reports on firearm season.
I hope now that I have found a good hosting company and will not get hacked.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Happy White Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving Everybody. We got some snow in Northern Michigan, but I hear the southern UP had no snow as the Superior should have got some snow. I love first snow as it is a great photo opt.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Not Much Fishing Activity
Have not heard about too much about fishing since I got back with most places reporting no activity. It sounds good for having blues and greys this winter as they have sent in samples and have not had a reaction yet, so by Dec 15 we should have blues and greys available. Will keep you posted.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Back From Texas
Just got back from Texas after two great weeks of warm weather. It sounds like they had a good firearm opener with many deer harvested. Here is a couple photos from Texas of whooping cranes. The last day before I went back home on my three day road trip back home we took a boat into the Aransas Refuge. I shot lots of photos of whooping cranes along with other great stuff I don’t know what they are but I got photos.
