Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Great Weekend for Ice Fishing
Reports are great with many bigger lakes going over like Crystal Lake and Big Glen Lake. Reports from Big Glen the perch are biting with minnows working best.
Higgins Lake has 8 inches of ice everywhere from the reports I got today and the lake trout are biting great. The smelt fishing is still good with 100 smelt being caught at night on halis tipped with waxworm or spikes. Lots of small perch being caught, but we hope when they get out around the sunken island they will get into the bigger perch You can call Phoenix Park @ 989-821-7220 for info off the west access site and Sports Barn @ 989-821-9511 for info on the south-end of Higgins Lake
Lake Margrethe has good ice and fishing has picked up this week with pike and walleye. Call Skip??s Sport Shop @ 989-348-7111 for the latest info.
Portage Lake by Onekama has been great for perch and walleye , with some getting walleye during the day. Call Osborn’s Sport Shop in Bear Lake @ 231-889-3775 or Don’s Sport Shop in Manistee @ 231-723-5028
Hamlin Lake has a great gill bite with good pike and walleye action. Call Pere Marquette Sport @ 231-843-8676 or Hamlin Grocery @ (231) 843-2058
The Eyes Have It reports great fishing in the Leroy area call Craig @ 231-768-5653
Houghton Lake - Walleye fishing has been good along with pike hitting hard. Call Lyman’s Sport and Shanty Rental @ 989-422-3231
Near the Kalkaska area, Lake Skegemog is good for perch action when using a Hali jig with a minnow and the crappie fishing is good with a blue tip up with a minnow. Lake Margrethe is giving up decent counts of walleye when anglers use blue or grey tip ups. Manistee Lake is producing nice counts of crappie and walleye and Fife Lake is providing nice catches for pike. Pike are biting on suckers or goldens. Call Jack??s Sport Shop for the latest info @ 231-258-8892
Lake St Helen has been good this week for pike, walleye and panfish and has great ice conditions. Call Malcoms Sport @ 989-389-2100 for latest info
Sanford Lake at the first fill has been hot for crappie this week with minnow working best. Call Sanford Sport Shop @ 989-687-5161 for latest info
Burt Lake has been good at Maple Bay for jumbo perch.
Green Lake by Interlochen has been good for smelt off both access sites with halis and waxworms working best.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
Last weeks cold weather continues to thicken the ice. Expect about a foot in most places. The purr of gas augers can be heard on both lakes. No cars or trucks out yet (not recommended), but snowmobiles and quads are out exploring new areas to fish. Even colder weather is forecasted for the coming week with more snow. Good ice for fishing, fresh snow for snowmobilers and skiers - Life is good in Cadillac!
It??s no longer first ice. Limits of panfish have slowed but they??re still there. Bluegills love the weeds because that??s where the aquatic bugs live. That??s why waxworms and spikes are their favorite bait. In the Big and Small Coves on Lake Mitchell gills and crappies are mixed. Use your electronics to find them. Drill more holes then you need and start above and fish down using a gentle jigging action. Crappies are usually suspended above the weeds while the gills will be close to the bottom. Catch a few and it stops. Hole hop to your other holes, then start over. Those that downsized their jigs are doing best. The crappies on the east side of Lake Cadillac have returned from vacation. Mixed catches of good size crappie and a few decent perch have been reported.
Bryan Turnbull caught a Master Angler size 14? black crappie, caught on Cadillac. Also from Cadillac, Tim Richardson shows off a 12 ¾? crappie and an 11 ¼? perch. While crappie fishing with her dad, 8 year old Mickayla Mae Riedel felt something heavy on her line. It turned out to be a 16 ½? walleye. Dad, take me back to Lake Cadillac!
Large mouth bass have been on the prowl. Tip-up anglers tell of catching big ones. Release them carefully because bass season closed December 31st.
Northern Pike, our favorite always co-operate. This week, most were caught or speared from Mitchell.
Jay Kempher, 32 ½?, 7.6 lb. Came from Mitchell; Eric Tola, 29? came from Mitchell; Rick Nye, 33 ¼?, 8 lb came from Cadillac; Tyler McConnell, with a 26 ¾?, 4.1 lb., is leading in the youth division of our spearing contest. His came from Mitchell; Tom Richards speared a 30 ½?, 5.8 lb on Mitchell; Thomas Jessup Jr., speared a 31?, 7 lb. On Mitchell; George Fox speared a 34 ½? 9.5 lb on an area lake; Chris Hansen speared a 31 1/8?, 7 lb on Cadillac and Larry Platz speared a 29 ¼?, 5.7 lb on Mitchell.
Pike seem to be any where there are weeds. That??s where the panfish are and they??re looking for an easy meal. Those setting tip-ups in 5 to 10 foot depths are doing best. Time of day doesn??t seem to matter.
Smelt Fishermen - we??re a month ahead of last year.
Green Lake - fishing off both launches.
Higgins - Smelt City has started off the west launch. Reports of very good catches. Much better then last year??s start. Also good size perch catches.
Crystal Lake - we??re told it??s skimmed over, but smelt areas are not safe yet. Reports tell us some are fishing perch/whitefish close to Beulah.
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