Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Fall Weather Finally Here
Today we had a big blow out of the north with a high in the 50’s so fish should get on the fall feeding program.
I’m still hearing good fishing reports on perch on many inland lakes with East Grand Traverse Bay has both a whitefish and perch bite with wigglers working best. Lake Margrethe, Higgins, Lake Leelanau, Fife Lake, Big Glen Lake, Long Lake, Manistee Lake and Portage Lake are reporting good perch bite.
Betsie River - Fishing was slow with only a few fish caught just below the dam.
Manistee River - Anglers fishing up near Tippy Dam are still taking some Chinook. Look for more fish with the cooler temperatures.
Traverse City - Salmon fishing slowed but a few fish were caught around the bay and off the mouth of Mitchell Creek. Near Elk Rapids, steelhead were caught off the breakwall in the early morning. Whitefish action has been very good in 70 feet of water off the Center Road launch site. Jigging Swedish Pimples on the bottom worked best. In the West Bay, steelhead were caught off the mouth of the Boardman River. Yellow perch have started to show up, but no big numbers or size at this time.
Elk River - Coho salmon are still being caught regularly at the dam when drifting spawn or casting hardware.
Boardman River - Salmon fishing continues to be very good from Union Street to the Trap and Transfer Facility. Spawn bags and casting spoons worked best.
Little Bay De Noc - Walleye fishing has improved with anglers marking and catching good numbers of fish. The Black Bottom and Portage Point areas were best when trolling or drifting crawlers in 12 to 22 feet of water. Walleye were caught off the Third Reef and north to the mouth of the Whitefish River. Some nice perch were caught off Butler Island when jigging minnows. Smallmouth bass have also been caught.
Ford River - Shore anglers have caught salmon when casting spoons or crankbaits.
Big Bay De Noc - Usually has low angler participation for this time of the year. There were rumors of walleye being caught just south of Big Bay Shoals, but no details were given. Good smallmouth bass action continues just outside Snail Shell Harbor when drifting and casting tube baits and minnows along the shoreline. Northern pike were caught off Ansel’s Point when trolling crankbaits.
In the Manistique area, anglers on Indian Lake are catching good numbers of perch, using minnows as bait. The steelhead and salmon fishing is good along on the Manistique River.
Saginaw Bay - Perch fishing has been good around the commercial nets that are set from Killarney Beach all the way north to the Black Hole. Buoys 9 and 15 were also productive. Anglers were consistently catching 10 to 12 inch fish, but some were taking the occasional 14 inch perch. The successful ones were using pieces of store-bought shrimp instead of minnows. Near Quanicassee, perch were caught off the channel in 6 to 12 feet of water. Sebewaing, Bay Port, and Caseville were slow.
Lake Leelanau - Reported good walleye fishing and a great perch bite on the south -end.
Lake Margrethe reports a fair walleye bite with minnows working best and perch are biting also.
Portage Lake - Catch rates for panfish are starting to improve. Bluegills, sunfish, and perch have been caught in 17 to 25 feet of water near the marina and the green buoy. Large rock bass and pike have been caught when trolling in front of the Inn, and along the north shore near the city launch.
Wixom Lake the gills and crappie are on the bite right on the drop-off.
By Kalkaska, the perch fishing is very good on both Skegemog and Manistee lakes. Both minnows and wigglers are working well as bait. Anglers on Skegemog are catching good numbers of smallmouth bass. The salmon action is good near the Elk River Dam. Fife Lake is producing good perch fishing. Minnows are working well as bait in water ten to 12 feet deep.
Higgins Lake - Some boats are still out trolling for lake trout, but angler numbers have dropped with the onset of hunting season. Perch fishing has been good with wigglers working best.
Houghton Lake - This should be a good weekend to target pike and walleye. Look for the panfish such as bluegills, crappie, and rock bass in waters 8 to 12 feet deep.
And at Cadillac, the pike fishing is very good on both lakes Cadillac and Mitchell. The best spots to fish are near the weed beds.
Cedarville and Hessel - Yellow perch activity has picked up slightly. Anglers are fishing Government Bay, Musky Bay, Hessel Bay, Middle Entrance, Snows Channel and around Little Joe Island. Use minnows, crawlers or wigglers. Smallmouth bass and northern pike were caught in Snows Channel and the Middle Entrance when still-fishing with minnows or casting spinner baits.
FISHING REPORT
Upper Peninsula:
The lake trout and splake fishing is fair on Copper Harbor.
Anglers on Lake Gogebic (go-GEE-bic) are catching a few walleye during the early evening hours, before it turns dark. The best fishing is found in water about 10 feet deep, with minnows being the preferred bait.
Around Marquette, the lake trout fishing is good on Lake Superior, including the lower and upper Marquette harbors. The salmon action on the big lake is fair. The brown trout fishing is good on the Dead and Chocolay (chalk-oh-lay) rivers.
Anglers on Little Lake are catching a few perch and walleye.
By Escanaba, the pike and walleye fishing is fair on Little Bay de Noc. The salmon fishing ranges from slow to fair on the Ford and Escanaba rivers.
In the Manistique area, anglers on Indian Lake are catching good numbers of perch, using minnows as bait. The steelhead and salmon fishing is good along on the Manistique River.
The upper end of the St. Marys River near Sault Ste Marie is producing some good perch fishing. The walleye action on the river is fair.
On Munuscong (muh-nuss-cong) and Raber bays the walleye fishing is good. The perch action is fair and the musky fishing is starting to improve. In the Drummond Island area, the perch fishing is fair on both Maxton and Scott bays. Minnows are working well as bait.
And at St. Ignace, the salmon fishing is good off the docks along the Straits of Mackinac. Evenings are the best time to cast a line in the water.
Northwest:
Crooked Lake near Alanson is producing good perch and walleye fishing.
Around Boyne City, the perch fishing is good on both Lake Charlevoix and Walloon Lake. Minnows, crawlers and wigglers are all being used as bait. The salmon and steelhead fishing is fair on both the Boyne and Jordan rivers.
The walleye fishing is good on both Leelanau and Long lakes near Traverse City. The fish being caught on Long Lake are on the small side.
Evenings are the best time to drop a line in the water. Anglers along the Boardman River are reeling in a few salmon.
In the Frankfort area, the salmon fishing is fair on the Betsie River. Strong winds have been keeping people off Lake Michigan.
On the Big Manistee River near Manistee, the salmon fishing is good.
By Kalkaska, the perch fishing is very good on both Skegemog and Manistee lakes. Both minnows and wigglers are working well as bait. Anglers on Skegemog are catching good numbers of smallmouth bass. The salmon action is good near the Elk River Dam.
Out of the Gaylord area, the salmon fishing is very good on the Boyne and Jordan rivers. Bradford and Otsego lakes are producing good bass and walleye fishing.
And at Cadillac, the crappie fishing is good on the east end of Lake Cadillac. The bass and pike fishing is good all around Lake Cadillac.
West:
Around Ludington, the salmon fishing is good on both the Sable and Pere Marquette rivers. Anglers on the upper end of Hamlin Lake are reeling in good numbers of bluegill.
In the Pentwater area, the salmon and steelhead fishing is good on Lake Michigan, when the weather allows anglers to get out. The fish are found in the top 50 feet of water that is up to 200 feet deep. The king salmon fishing is good in the Pentwater River.
Out of the Muskegon area, the salmon fishing is fair on the Muskegon River and Lake Michigan. On the lake, the fish are found 90 to 140 feet below the surface in water up to 160 feet deep. The white perch fishing ranges from good to very good on Muskegon Lake. Anglers on the west end of the lake are reeling in a few walleye at night.
Chippewa Lake is producing good bluegill fishing, fair bass and pike action.
And at Baldwin, the bluegill fishing is good on most of the local lakes. Both crickets and waxworms are being used as bait.
Southwest:
In the Holland area, the bluegill fishing is good on Lake Macatawa. Anglers on the pier on Lake Michigan are reeling in a few perch during the morning hours.
Northeast:
Anglers along the Thunder Bay River by Alpena are catching a few salmon and steelhead by the Ninth Street Bridge.
On Lake Margrethe near Grayling, anglers are catching a few perch. Afternoons are the best time to be out, with minnows working well as bait. The walleye action on the lake ranges from fair to good. Try using either a minnow or crawler as bait, in water 15 to 20 feet deep.
In the Oscoda area, the perch fishing is good on Van Etten Lake. Anglers on both Cooke Dam and Foote Dam ponds are catching good numbers of perch, pike and salmon.
Higgins Lake is producing good perch fishing, in water about 20 feet deep.
Out on Houghton Lake, the bluegill action is good in water four to six feet deep. Anglers drifting or trolling during the evening hours, are reeling in a few walleye.
And Au Gres, the perch fishing is fair on Saginaw Bay. The best fishing is found in water about 40 feet deep, from the Au Gres River—south.
East:
By Linwood, the perch action is steady on Saginaw Bay.
Anglers on Saginaw Bay by Bay City are reeling in good numbers of perch, using minnows as bait.
In the Saginaw area, the catfish fishing is fair on the Saginaw, Cass and Tittabawassee rivers. Anglers along the Tittabawassee are also reeling in a few smallmouth bass.