Curly's Photo and Fishing Blog
Thaw Helps Ice Fishing
The big thaw the fast freeze up to the snow down to the ice, then froze solid and we have great ice for fishing on most shallow lakes. Hearing from 4 to 8 inches of ice. Many of the deeper lakes will go over tonight as we have 10 degrees. The ice is safe on many shallow lakes so hope to see you this weekend and will have an update as we hear in from our customers.
FISHING CONDITIONS ON LAKES CADILLAC AND MITCHELL
FROM PILGRIM VILLAGE FISHING SHOP
Ice conditions are improving. In selected areas expect to find 5 inches or more. The heavy slush areas have frozen and are no longer a problem. Safest ice will be found at the causeway (west side of Cadillac) and the east side of Lake Mitchell (Mitchell State Park). There??s 5 inches of clear ice, a gap of water, then 2 or 3 more inches of ice beneath. Fishermen are out on other places on both lakes but are reporting much less ice.
Don??t be fooled when you see snowmobile tracks on the lakes. Not aware of anyone breaking through, but they stop for nothing. Use your spud and check the ice where ever you go.
Many of the better areas of our lakes have not been tested. We??re expecting very cold weather this week which will improve conditions and allow us to fish other areas.
The big fish have been cooperating and tip-up fishing has been fun. Pike are eating suckers and golden shiners attached to tip-ups. A few are bobber fishing or jigging. Most we??ve seen have been under 30 inches, but hearing stories of big ones. Set up in shallow weedy water and you??ll likely to catch pike.
A few walleye have been iced. No numbers, no hot spot. First ice usually they??re caught on tip-ups using light line. None have tried the better walleye spots on either lake.
Panfishing has been slow. Lots of small perch, that never seems to grow. As usual, you have to sort. Crappie fishing has been disappointing for first ice. They must still be deeper then were fishing. A few limits have come in. All were caught late afternoon into the dark. It??s been a late bite. Currently we??re unable to get into the best crappie areas. Especially the east side of Cadillac. Blue gills have been spotty. One here or there but no concentrations yet.
Robert Elliott from Grand Rapids caught a nice pike. He set his tip-ups on Mitchell near the State Park swimming beach. The Marr brothers, Bob and John, are pictured with a limit of crappies. They fished the causeway on Cadillac, late afternoon using red and white spikes.
Spear fishermen, what are you waiting for. The season opened December 1st. Chris Hansen, the 1st of the ice, is 1st in our spearing contest. He leads with a 28 incher that can easily be beaten. He??ll up grade himself. His partner Brian Brown is a close second with a 27 ½ incher.
Great news for Spear Fishermen!
The following changes were approved at the November 6 Natural Resources Commission meeting. ??The Spearing Season for pike and muskie will now run from December 1 - March 15. Instead of just January and February and the whitefish spearing season will now be open year-round. These regulations take immediate effect.?
Great news for the Dark House guys. Lakes Mitchell and Cadillac are known for the numbers of pike and big pike.
Sign up for the 7th Annual Pike Contest at the Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop. Great prizes and no fee, but you must be registered before fishing.
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