Late Summer Fishing

It can benefit fishermen to focus their efforts on the late summer fishing available around the Blue Water Area. The crowds of summer have started to dwindle, and there are more fishing spaces open along the St. Clair River.

Bass Fishing along the break-walls is slowing, and twister fishing along the banks should pick up shortly. Grab your pole and get some casting before winter creeps up on the waterways and begins to coat them with ice!

Family fishing fun!

As the snow melts, the gear emerges!

Just a quick entry this week! 40 + degrees and someone is bound to break out the fishing gear.

I saw this family testing the early waters, and they sure looked happy to be down at the water. I must send kudos to this mother for taking time to get the boys to the river. It has been a long winter and it is good to see young kids ready to break out of the house and enjoy the great outdoors.

I never got back to see if they had any luck, but they were winners no matter what… they managed to wet their lines today!

Looking forward to Walleye!

Picture courtesy: http://bit.ly/1lvl0Lf

After this long, cold, snowy winter, I am setting my sights on the spring and Walleye. As soon as the ice flows are gone (perhaps June or July this year), the Walleye will slowly become more active, as the waters begin to warm. Just the thought of some fresh Walleye on the grill is enough to get me through these last few cold weeks of winter.

I realize that it will soon be time to fetch Bucky, what is a Bucky you ask? Why my son-in-law and I bought the trusty old craft for a couple hundred bucks from a friend of his at work. A little hard work, and some soap and water and it turned out to be a great little boat to get us out on the water. We will need to mount the fish finder my wife bought me, and the trolling motor mount, just a weekend’s chore! Then we will wait for the ice to clear. The last time I remember this much ice, it was still coming down the river in April; let us hope that is not the case this year.

Bug's first ride on Bucky! She was 2.

Bug's new fishing pole!

 I have managed to gather up my Gander cards from Christmas and my birthday, purchased my fishing license and a new spinning reel. Tackle box is topped off so we are ready to go. I found a cute little pole for my granddaughter, she is so looking forward to going fishing this year, we will just modify a few things and make sure her hooks are barb-less! 

See the picture of the unique little rig I found, her mother insists on a pink Disney pole, but Papa knows what will hold up, so Mom can buy the pink one and I will keep this one ready in case of a disaster!

Walleye are one of the most sought after species in this area. They are a great tasting fish, and give you a nice fight, especially if you are using spinning gear. The first bites on spinning gear often come on Mister Twister’s, or other soft bait offerings and they continue to hit this all year long. As the lilacs bloom, Walleye cam be caught using crawlers, from shore or drifting the river. If you happen to be down by the St. Clair River in the evening, you will likely see anglers casting or walking the wall with twisters. Look farther to the river and you will see the boats drifting downriver waiting for a Walleye to take their bait. The mouth of St. Clair River, and into Lake Huron is a great place to fish, most nights if the weather permits, you will see the fishing boats gathered just north of the bridges. As freighter traffic picks up, you will often hear the big boats blowing a warning to the anglers to move out of the channel so they can pass up or down bound.

 
I think the best thing about early season Walleye fishing on the river is, that when it starts, it is a sure sign that spring has arrived, something we can all appreciate after the winter we have had this year! As we begin to count down the days to spring (March 20th), I hope you all take time to enjoy the beauty and sport this area has to offer. I look forward to continuing this blog, providing an updated report on fishing in the Blue Water Area, so fellow anglers know what is biting!

Ice Fishing

Driving by frozen ponds, rivers, lakes and bays in the winter, you might observe the frozen surfaces dotted with shanties and pop-up shelters Hardy anglers who prefer to fish in the open on the frozen surfaces are scattered in-between.

 

Mess of perch.(2)

Perch through the ice.(4)

Why in the world would these folks subject themselves to this? There is a great fishing experience waiting under these waterways. Winter fishing on the ice is much different from open water fishing. First, the gear used is as light as possible. Tiny poles, ultra-light thin line, tiny bobbers, or spring bobbers, and bait that would make many frown in disgust.

 Ice fishing requires patience and a little skill, the bites are usually very light, and when you do hook a large fish, you must bring them up on the extremely light gear. All species can be caught ice fishing; most areas around our town produce perch, bluegill, pike, and sometimes a trout or salmon (depending on the body of water). If the pan fish are biting, you will often catch many throwbacks, too small for the frying pan! If the weather is not too bad, it is a great experience for young anglers, they might not bring home a bucket of keepers, but they will have a great time while practicing catch and release, and experiencing the outdoors

Ice fishing does require that you travel onto ice-covered bodies of water. It is important that you verify the safety of the ice, and carry a few simply items with you to assure your safety if you fall through unexpected thin ice. Every person on the ice should have some type of pick attached to his or her sleeves; these will help you to pull yourself out of the water onto the solid ice. 

Using picks to get out of water (1)

Rope to throw to someone who has broken through ice would also be a great addition to your gear. Basic safe ice is 4 inches for walking and ice fishing on, thicker if you intend to bring A.T.V.’s, snowmobiles, or vehicles on to the surface. Most sources will state this as basic safety thickness, the thicker the better! The most important thing to remember is that ice is unpredictable, and if you are on a bay or lake, be aware of your surroundings at all times. The news always seems to have at least one or two stories a year about groups that end up floating away from the main ice.

This is the type of ice auger I use.(3)

You might not want to gear up this close to the end of winter, but take advantage of clearance sales that will begin soon on gear, to be ready next season. Keep it simple to start; a hand ice auger are available for around $40.00. Poles and tackle will set you back around $20.00 during these clearance sales. Ask around to see where you might want to stake your claim on the ice next year. The next decent day you have available, wander out on the ice and ask a few questions. The anglers are usually willing to share a secret or two!

Picture Credits:

(1)http://www.outdoorblog.net/outinmichigan/2011/11/26/ice-safety/

(2)http://www.ontariofishingforums.com/cms-content/uploads/2009/01/cooksbayperchicefishing2.jpg

(3)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_fishing

(4)http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-perch-ice-fishing-image17604968

(5)http://www.outdoorblog.net/outinmichigan/2011/11/26/ice-safety/