Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Monday, August 18, 2008
Perch Fishing Still Good
Reports from Pere Marquette Sport is the perch fishing was great this weekend, but a wind switch will blow the cold water and perch back out. Salmon fishing has been good also as they are close to shore chasing alewives.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
The traditional early run of salmon has started on the Manistee River. Not big numbers yet but they are there. Some are even as far as Tippy Dam.
Pier fishermen at Manistee and Frankfort are cashing in with better numbers. Many are using Sabiki rigs or cast nets to catch alewives and using them for bait.
This is the time to book one of the many charters for salmon. Captains are catching limits for their clients. All the ports along Lake Michigan are good. It??s relatively inexpensive when you consider that all their tackle is first class from the boat to rods and reels. They know what the salmon are hitting on and take you to where the fish are. Your only job is to reel the fish in.
Crappie fishermen are congregating at the east side of Lake Cadillac. Those fishing in the 16 foot depths are doing well. The morning and evening bite usually brings limits of good size specks. Another good spot has been off the deeper drop offs outside the Naval Armory.
Large bluegills are harder to find. Most are fishing too shallow. The best sizes are deep with the crappie. Usually they??re on the bottom unlike their crappie cousins who normally are suspended. Lake Mitchell has given up some good ones. The area behind Mitchell State Park to Lakeside Charlie??s is basically 12 to 15 feet deep and has been good. Some are drifting the area and catching better then average gills on crawlers or leeches. This area has also been good for pike and bass.
Large mouths don??t seem to mind the heat. They shade themselves under heavy weed cover, docks or pontoons. Most have been in the 14 to 17 inch range. Live bait, crawlers and leeches have been effective.
While vacationing from Flushing Joshua and Haley Galer had good luck on Lake Cadillac. Bryce Canada also from Flushing caught his 17? large mouth on Lake Mitchell.
Small mouths have been scarce. Both lakes are full of them but most aren??t fishing where they live.
Pike fishing remains good for numbers, lots of them but most have been undersized. Most keepers have been 26 to 28 inches. Ice fishing is when we always see the big ones.