Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Fishing Between Storms
It Seem this week we have been fishing between storms as more are coming in tonight. Overall angling action across the state is good for a variety of species.
Walleye have en biting good on Long Lake by TC and Hodenpyle by Mesick.
Lake St. Helen has been good this week with bass and bluegill biting.
Lake Missaukee - Is producing some nice panfish also walleye and bass.
Little Bay De Noc - Walleye were spotty when trolling or drifting crawlers in 10 to 25 feet of water in the evening. Lots of fish were marked in the south end of the bay but few fish were caught. A couple salmon were caught out near the Ford River Can when trolling 50 to 60 feet down in 80 feet of water.
Big Bay De Noc - Had pretty good walleye action with fair catches off Ansell’s Point and Garden Bluff. Try trolling with crawlers or stick baits in 20 to 32 feet of water. Good smallmouth action along the northern bank when casting spinners. Nice perch were caught off Garden Bluff when jigging crawlers in 25 feet of water. Off Fairport, salmon action is getting better by the week. Anglers are taking a mix of chinook, steelhead, brown trout and lake trout. Try spoons or artificial cut baits 60 to 80 feet down in 100 feet of water. The steelhead are closer to the surface.
Brevoort Lake - Anglers are still catching walleye. Walleye are hitting on crawlers.
Manistique has been good for fishing. Walleye and bass are decent.
Skegemog Lake - he public access site on Baggs Road will be closed July 14th through July 25th due to the construction of a new launch pad. Boat anglers can use the Whitewater Park site which requires a fee or the Torch River access site. Surface water temperatures have been about 75 degrees and the bass fishing has been good. Fish the east side near the mouth of the Torch River or the Narrows.
Big Glen Lake - Perch are still the favorite and can be found on the east end of the lake near the ski area. The mayflies are finally gone and the trout are hungry. Anglers have once again caught several lake trout and rainbow trout when trolling in 50 to 100 feet of water. The lake trout are hitting on green and black spoons and the rainbow trout on silver rapalas.
Little Glen Lake - Perch anglers are doing well on the west end of the lake.
Around Grayling, The walleye are biting on Lake Margrethe with Pike fishing sporadic on inland lakes and river fishing is fair to good with live bait, Hendricksonâ??s, and flies.
Hamlin Lake - Panfish and bass are being caught in moderate numbers..
Wixom Lake - In Gladwin County is producing some nice rock bass.
Lake Charlevoix - Perch anglers are finding fish at 30 feet but they are small. The bass are off the beds and along the drop offs. Those fishing the channel of the Pine River have caught smallmouth using live bait and artificial worms. Freshwater drum and catfish are also starting to show up.
Saginaw Bay - Walleye fishing throughout the entire bay area continues to be nothing short of fantastic. When anglers can get out, they are taking limit catches at all ports from Au Gres to Port Austin. Crawler harnesses continue to produce a lot of fish, but Hot-n-Tots were also working.
Upper Herring Lake - Walleye and largemouth bass have been caught during the day when trolling the weeds with either a crawler harness or a plastic worm.
Long Lake - The walleye are hitting on crawler harnesses after dark. Also Lake Leelanau has reported in with a good walleye bite. Warmer weather walleye are hittiing leeches real good
Portage Lake - Bass anglers are catching good numbers of fish along the south shore. Big bluegills can be found in waters 15 to 20 feet deep. Boat anglers trolling in the afternoon have caught small walleye and those trolling after dark are catching a mix of walleye and pike. Lots of small perch and rock bass have also been caught.
Hamlin Lake - Fishing has slowed due to the mayfly hatch. Anglers targeting bluegills are having a tough time finding fish willing to bite. Those fishing the North, Middle and South Bayou’s have caught some fish using wax worms or a piece of crawler but the better action seems to be up around Wilson Hill Park and the Boy Scout Camp in 8 to 12 feet of water. Smallmouth bass were caught in 10 to 15 feet of water on Lower Hamlin’s east side when using tube baits near the bottom.
Muskegon Lake - Muskegon Lake - Some nice perch were caught on minnows. Those casting tube
Whitehall - Fishing has picked up with a few more chinook and lake trout coming in, but they have been small. The fish were caught in 80 to 120 feet of water and the lake trout were coming off the bottom.
White Lake - Walleye have been caught early or late when trolling or drifting. Look for both large and smallmouth bass around the points and along the weedbeds. For northern pike, try trolling with large spoons or plugs, casting into the weeds or bobber fishing with large sucker minnows..
East & West Twin Lakes - has picked up for walleye and bass with leeches and crwlers working best..
Houghton Lake - Word has it the mayfly hatch is done. Anglers are catching walleye on Hot-n-Tots or crawler harnesses with a crawler or leech. Pike are hitting on spinners and the bluegills are hitting on worms or leeches.
Tittabawassee River - Catfish has been good.
Cedarville and Hessel - Yellow perch have been caught off the pier in the marina at Hessel and around Haven Island in 15 feet of water. Northern pike action has been good but few are targeting them. Try casting from the pier or trolling around the islands with chubs. Herring are the target in Cedarville when fishing McKay Bay or the east end of Government Bay with wax worms or mayflies. Perch can be found in Moscoe Channel, Government Bay and Cedarville Bay.
Upper Peninsula:
In the Bergland area, another mayfly hatch has caused some slow action for anglers. Crank bait seems to be working well on walleye and perch. Escanaba anglers are catching some salmon near Fairport and the south end of Escanaba as well as Cedar River. Flashers and anything that glows in the dark is working well.
Good activity around Manistique on Lake Michigan for salmon fishing 5-miles out and using spoons. The Manistique River is giving up good numbers of walleye on leeches.
Around Sault Ste. Marie and Munuscong Bay, Lima Island is hit or miss for herring. The hot spot is Raber Bay and the St. Maryâ??s River for walleye. Atlantic salmon, perch and pike are decent out of Cedarville.
Near St. Ignace, Brevort Lake has some good fishing for brook trout and a few salmon.
Around Drummond Island, anglers are doing well for trout in the channels of the St. Maryâ??s River and around Harbor Island. Salmon are active on the St. Maryâ??s River when anglers use spoons. Scottâ??s Bay is giving up a few herring on tear drops and wax worms.
Information Providers: Nine Pines-Bergland; Bayview Bait & Tackle-Escanaba; Tip of the Lake-Manistique; Hankâ??s Sporting-Sault Ste. Marie; Wilderness Treasures-Munuscong Bay; Johnsonâ??s Sports-Drummond Island, and ACE Hardware-St. Ignace.
Northwest:
In the Boyne City area, anglers are doing well on Lake Charlevoix for walleye, bass and a few rainbow trout. Red and orange spoons seem to be working well. Salmon are being caught in the deeper waters, 200 feet or more and fishing down 140 feet. Anglers are using spoons, plugs, and flies.
In the Frankfort area, Lake Michigan is providing good catches of lake trout on flies and night crawlers. The lower Herring River is giving up walleye when anglers troll. Turtle Lake is good for blue gill on night crawlers and crickets. Big Platt is offering up plenty of perch on minnows. The Betsie River is decent for browns and Crystal Lake has good action for perch, rock bass and small mouth bass.
In the Manistee area, Lake Michigan anglers are catching plenty of King salmon on spin doctors and hoochie baits, and most any lure that glows. Portage Lake is good for walleye but so far, no perch.
Plenty of action in the Cadillac area, on the west side of Mitchell Lake, and the north shore and east end of Cadillac Lake are the best locations. Minnows, crawlers and beetle spins are working well for rock bass, crappie, blue gill, sunfish, bass and pike.
In the Gaylord area, the weather is great, the water levels have returned to normal and the fishing is good. The Boyne River is giving up good counts of brook and rainbow trout and anglers are finding that overall the fishing is best in the afternoon hours.
Information providers: Alphorn-Gaylord; Backcast Fly Shop-Frankfort; Boyne River Bait Shop-Boyne City; Rileyâ??s-Manistee, and Pilgrimâ??s Village-Cadillac.
West:
Excellent angling action for anglers headed to the Baldwin area. Walleye are hitting on minnows, wax worms, regular worms and the most popular green crawlers.
Chippewa Lake has some great fishing taking place particularly for walleye. To give you an idea on the size a 28-inch, 12.5 pound walleye was reeled in this week.
In the Muskegon area, bass are plentiful along the weed beds on leeches, with blue gill active and hitting on wax worms and regular worms. Perch are doing well but small in size. Lake Michigan is hit or miss on perch, but the persistent angler will find a few in 20-35 feet of water near the north and off of the pier heads. Salmon anglers are doing well in 90-130 feet of water, fishing down 50-90 feet and using lemon ice and caramel dolphins, atomic watermelons, and any lures that are yellow or green and glow. Blue gill are active in 15-20 feet of water and off of the weed beds.
Information providers: East Bay General Store-Chippewa Lake; King Sports-Baldwin, and Shoreline Bait & Tackle-Muskegon.
Southwest:
Holland anglers fishing Lake Michigan are finding a few salmon in 100 feet of water when using flashers with a fly. Perch activity is decent in 30-feet of water with fish biting on minnows. Lake Macatawa is giving up decent counts of blue gill on wax worms.
In the Benton Harbor area, good fishing is taking place for salmon and steelhead in 100-feet of water when trolling with spoons or flashers and a fly. Perch action is also good in 30-feet of water on minnows.
Around the New Buffalo area, salmon are biting in 90-feet of water on a variety of baits that include spoons, bait rigs, artificial baits, preserved smelt, dodgers and flies. Perch action is currently slow.
Good angling action around Kalamazoo. Austin Lake is giving up good counts of bass on pan fish worms. A four and a half pound bass was caught this morning. Sinko baits are working well especially when fishing near the weed beds. Pan fish are doing well when trolling with blue gill busters, the fish are starting to move to deeper waters. Cedar Lake is giving up plenty of pan fish. Lake Michigan is a bit stirred up due to recent wind and storms, but Berrien Springs Dam is decent for steelhead action.
Information providers: American Tackle-Holland; Captain Cookâ??s-New Buffalo; D.R. Sports-Kalamazoo, and Tackle Haven-Benton Harbor.
Northeast:
Oscoda anglers are pulling in great numbers of fish from the area. Cooke Dam Pond is giving up blue gill, walleye and perch. Anglers are doing well on Foote Dam Pond for perch, bass and walleye, and Van Etten Lake has tons of perch, and decent numbers of pike and walleye as well. The AuSable River is active with catfish, perch and a few walleye. Night crawlers, minnows and wax worms are working well on perch, and leeches are good for walleye and bass.
Higgins Lake has had plenty of windy conditions this week, but the bass are doing well on night crawlers and leeches.
Anglers on Houghton Lake are catching good numbers of blue gill in 8-10 feet of water or shallow depths with leeches and wax worms. Walleye are doing great on crawler harnesses with a bobber, and bass are everywhere and biting on everything.
Information providers: Lymanâ??s-Houghton Lake; Sports Barn-Higgins Lake, and The Dam Store-Oscoda.
East:
In the Bay City area, anglers are doing great on walleye, and perch are active between Oakhurst and AuGres in 5-25 feet of water. Best baits include crawler harnesses, small spoons with a mini disk and Hot-N-Tots.
In the Linwood area, Saginaw Bay is giving up consistent walleye in 20-22 feet of water. King salmon are just starting on Lake Huron and are active around Rogers City
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