Upper St. Clair River Tackle

If you intend to fish the St. Clair River upriver from the mouth of Black River, you need to be keenly aware of the necessary tackle needed to successfully “still fish” this unique stretch of the river.

Anglers that like to cast lures and spoons can use anything they would use when fishing for medium to large game fish. Twisters are popular all season long, and the colors vary, most fellow anglers will be happy to let you know what they are hitting on! You can find the occasional backwater or “pool”, where the current has little effect; often the local kids have these spots memorized, and head there to catch perch, rock bass, and occasional trout or walleye.

If you are planning to get out into the current, you need some special gear; first, you need a heavy pole and reel. (See the pictures) You will be using at least 25-pound test, and a heavy sinker. If you attempt to cast out with anything less, the current will bring your line back to the shore, if you are fishing around other anglers, it will probably tangle several of their lines.

 The sinker is usually around ½ to 1 pound, triangular, with cleats molded into it to help catch the bottom. (See picture) It takes some skill to cast this amount of lead and hit the hole you are attempting to reach. Practice at home or you will probably spend more time untangling a backlash than fishing!

In the spring and fall, anglers often slide plugs. This simply means they attach a pencil plug, Rebel, or other available plug to a lead, usually 5-7 feet in length, and clip one end on their line with a small sinker attached to get the plug to the point in their line where a stop is in place to keep the plug above the river bottom. As the weather warms, night crawlers on wire spreaders become the rig of choice. I like to use Lindy type rigs, shown in the photo.

A long net to bring your fish in is necessary, and you might want to bring some extra rope to make sure your stringer will stay in the water. This may seem like some heavy-duty gear, but remember Lake Huron is emptying directly into the river. The current is fast!

If you have never fished this stretch of the river, I hope you find time to do so. If you have questions about gear and tackle, Anderson’s Pro Bait, near the corner of Pinegrove Ave. and Garfield St. can help you out.