Fishing Michigan

Prime northern pike hunting starts in the spring,  known as the “water wolf” for its endless appetite, they are also referred to as “gators”, because they will snap at anything!  Nothing is off the table when pike are feeding,  and I’ve been fortunate enough to see several of these take downs over the years.  Birds on low hanging branches, snakes, goslins, ducklings, adult ducks and muskrats have all fallen prey to one nature’s elite freshwater predators.  Other pike are not  safe either,  canabalism is just another word for a meal to to the “Esox Lucius”,  aka….the wolf.

Hunting wolves isnt all that different than other species of fish.  Know your body of water, get a map if you want to save time on your trip and eleminate areas on a lake.  Adopt to the season of the year; spring, summer and fall.  Have the right tools to do the job right.  If that sounds familiar to anyone who worked on a project with your dad or mom years ago,  good, because it still holds true today.  You should consider your rods, reels, line and baits,  all as applying the right tools to better your chances at catching your target.

Have the right type of reels, the line, the rods and make sure you bring the northern’s favorite four basic food groups.  Having a good selection of stickbaits, spinners, spoons and topwater baits will help ensure your success.  Then you just toss them to where the fish are!

Stickbait is a term that covers a range of minnow shaped lures.  Some will sink, while others will float.  There are deep and shallow runners,  plus those that suspend.  Some of the darn things even rattle like your favorite bass crank.  Smaller muskie baits work wonders with pike, as well.

Rapala Super Shad Raps and Drifter 6″ Believers are muskie baits that any good sized northern will not hesitate to take a swipe at while being trolled.  Suspending baits like the Lucky Craft Pointer 120 and Rap Husky Jerks work well over weedbeds and humps.  Floaters can be tossed into shallow water to work around structure.  Bring your boat in close to shore, and toss a deep diving lure over a drop-off and bring it back to the shallow water.

Spinners can be inline baits like your father’s farvorite Mepps or the hair pin style that bass anglers are familiar with.  There really are too many companies to count who produce good quality spinnerbaits.  Some my favorites are Terminators (bass and muskie size), Northland, Mepps, War Eagles, and Bucher Baits.  You can get a size 5 Mepps bladed bait if you want,  but I suggest going to the Musky and Giant Killer models.  Same blade, longer body and hooks with more beef.  Another good expample of using a muskie bait while pike fishing is the Mepps Musky Maribou inline spinner.  Its roughly 8 or 9 inches long, and is a pike catcher!

Few baits can provide the thrill you get from a strike on a top water lure.  There you are, just working your plug nice and slow, got that Jitterbug working just right so you can hear the gurgle sound it makes at the right speed, and then BAM !!!  The water explodes, the line goes tight and you are almost too caught up in the moment to set the hook.  If you set it too fast, you and everyone else in the boat better duck, because that lure is shooting back at you like a rocket. Your heart is racing faster than when you got to hold Betty Lou’s hand on your first date!

You have your wobblers like the Jitterbug and Heddon Krazy Crawler.  Poppers like the Raplala Skitter Pop or Storm Chug Bug.  The Mister Twister Top Prop and and Rap Skitter Prop are effective propeller baits.  If your reel is fast enough, you can even dance a spoon on the surface of the water.

Spoons are one of my favorite spring pike lures.  I have never heard a convincing arguement as to why they seem to be most effective in the spring.  Could very well be that pike are really on the feed after the spring spawn, and like a gator, they do snap at just about  anything.   A spoon provides that flash and wiggle that I believe most emulates the flash off the side of a wounded baitfish.

In the picture, on the left hand side, you will notice several spoons that are made for salmon fishing.  Chris Cogan, from Petersburg turned me onto using salmon blades for trolling over tall weedbeds several years ago.   Because of the blades light weight they just skim over the weeds teasing the fish below.  You can control the depth by the speed of the boat.  The slower you go, the more they sink and as you go faster, they will actually rise in the water column.

Weedless spoons,  like the Johnson’s Silver Minnow (1,1/8 oz) work well in and around all type of surface weeds.  If you like to bass fish, I am pretty sure you have some plastic worms in your tackle boxes.  Put one of these on the hook for a trailer,  it will get you more bites.  I have used lizards, 4 inch twister tails and pork ripple tails with good results.

My favorite casting spoons are made by Little Cleo, in either the 3/4 or 1,1/4 oz size.  Of all the spoons I have used, they make the best wobble action so far.  I get the same type of action in Michigan’s own Dardevle in the 3/4 oz size, just not so much in the 1 oz version.  For a far casting spoon that holds a tight wobble, try the Krocs from Luhr Jensen.  Not only do they shoot away from your rod like a bullet,  but they are versitile enough to be vertically jigged over deep water.

How do you launch these morsels to where the fish are?  By combining the right reel to the right rod.  The best bang for the buck when it comes to reels, bar none, are the Ambassadeur C3 5500 and C4 5600 from Abu Garcia.  These round reels provide the reliability and effectiveness that would cost you 200 or 300 dollars from another company,  for less than $90.00.  The C3 5500 with its 5.3:1 gear ratio is best suited for the stick baits and top water lures.  The C4 5600,  has a gear ratio of 6.3:1,  and because of its fast retrieve, would be the lure of choice for spoons and  spinners.  There are occasionally times when the lures I use are a little lighter than these reels will handle.  This is when the low profile reels come in with their extra tension adjustments.  Unfortunately from my expierince, there isn’t an inexpensive reel on the market that holds up to pike fishing, and you a really are looking at $100.00 or more.

The rods should match the method of fishing, as well as the weights of the lures that you use to catch northerns.  You can tell from the picture that most of the rods handles are longer than you might be used too.  Those longer handled rods are for getting some distance on your casts when you are chucking spoons and spinners.  They also help in controlling the dirction of your cast by acting as a counter to the force created by your casting arm. 

Most pike rods are really just suped up bass rods.  Actions are usually “medium heavy or heavy” action.  Lengths range from 6 to 7 ft, 6 inches.  With some of the muskie lures I mentioned to use,  lighter muskie rods are required to handle the greater weights when casting or trolling.

You can find several excellent models from many of the companies producing rods.  St. Croix has many models available in their Premier and Avid series.  Shimano, Berkley, and Ugly Stik,  all make something that will help you catch fish.  Retail companies like Gander Mountain, Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops, with their house brands offer some viable options, as well. 

good luck

The meat rig,  more commonly known as the crawler harness, it is one of the most effective baits available for catching walleye.  You can spend anywhere from two dollars, or as high as four dollars to add one of these rigs to your eye catching arsenal.  The alternative is to build your own, for a dollar or less!  I will also show you an inexpensive and time tested method to store your harnesses at the end of “lesson”.

Here’s what you need to purchase:

(one) 1/4 lb spool of Trilene Big Game clear mono,  15 or 20 lb test.

Some colorado blades, sizes 2,3,4 or 5.  The size depends on the method of fishing you enjoy most.

Hooks, like the Mustad Ultra Point Beak Hook, either size 2 or 4.

Selection of beads, 5 or 6 mm

Piece of styrofoam,  for tieing several rigs at once.

Size 1 or #2 folded Clevis

Bottle of Flex-Loc from Larva Lace, head and knot cement

Pair of small  spring loaded wire snips

4 inch water noodle or foam pipe insulation

wooden toothpics

one applicator brush (arts and crafts store variety)

Ok, those are the ingredients, time to start cooking!

For starters I dont measure the line when I take it off the spool.  It would just take too long, and even though you might not burn through a spool of line in a week like me, it is time wasted neverless.  For a rough guideline, cut your casting rigs a little less than 2 ft long, dragging rigs about 30″, trolling lengths vary from 3 ft to 12 ft long.  Rather than play with the traditional finger nail clippers,  trust me and get a pair of those spring loaded wire snips.  Should not cost you more than $3.00 at your local ACO, ACE, Meijer or Harbor Frieght Tool Store.  Also, take them out on the boat with you when you go fishing,  they are just too handy to leave behind.

Next step is to choose what kind of rig you want to make, and select the proper hook to make that harness work to its best ability.  For casting and dragging, size 4 works best.  It is a slower presentation and you can get more of the hook into the bait.  For trolling, size 2 is the hook you want.  You are covering ground and because walleye will take swipes at the bait,  give them a bigger hook to sink their teeth into.

Now that you have the hook selected,  take one of the end of the line that you took off the spool.  Slide the end through the eye, down the length of hook’s shaft.  Take the opposite end of the line in front of the eye, and pull it behind the eye. Start with ten tight wraps over the shaft and line that you ran through the eye.  Hold these wraps tight between your forefinger and thumb while you get the opposite end of the line, and run it back through the eye.  Pull it through the eye, and take up any slack there might be in the line or the wraps.

Now you have a casting rig, and if you want to make a dragging or trolling harness, just repeat the process to add one or two hooks to your length of line.  Spacing between mulitple hooks should be roughly an inch and half.  Take these leaders, and sink the hooks into the foam.  It can be any kind of foam you have handy around the house.  It can be from a box that held your new TV, microwave or stereo.  A strip of pink of insulation foam works, too.

Make as many rigs as you want,  could be enough for the whole season, or just enough for your next trip.  Once you are done tieing these up, grab the bottle of Flex-Loc and the applicator brush. Wet the brush, and dab a little of it on the wraps you made on each hook.  If you cannot find this particular brand,  you should be able to find a suitable subsitute at your local fly fishing shop.  These are pretty quick to dry,  so come back to it in a half hour or so.

The next step is to choose the beads you want to use.  The 5 mm size will work for any rig you choose to tie up,  and if you are just making trolling harnesses, you can use the 6 mm exclusively.  If you want to make a casting or dragging presentation, choose a #2 sized blade and #1 clevis.  Sizes 3,4 and 5 are for trolling with the size 2 clevis.  You can determine the number of beads you want to use by having enough to where the blade just hangs on top of the eye of the hook.  It is totally up to you, whether you want to put an additional bead in front of the blade and clevis on the line.

Blade colors vary,  mostly by personal choice of the individual. Some of the basics to have are your copper, greens,  gold and chartruse/orange colorado blades.  You can go one step further and paint and design your own blades.  Try and match the beads to the color of the blade,  honestly this is probably my own personal hang up, but it works. 

Last of all put a loop know in the end of the line.  You can find a better diagram on any website that you found while searching fishing knots.  Here is just one example of a webpage with a diagram… loop knot .  If it starts to slip, cut it off and do it again until it locks into place when you pull it tight.  For the casting and dragging rigs, place a bead inside the loop.  Make the loop long enough to slide through an egg sinker, the bead will protect the knot from the sinker, and you can attach your snap and swivel to the opposite end of the loop on the top of the sinker.

All the components for your rig can be bought at either of these locations;  Jann’s Netcraft , Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops.  Whatever you see on the Netcraft website can be purchased in their showroom.  Call ahead to make sure Cabela’s or Bass Pro has these items in stock.

Your first “meat rig” is now completed,  now how are you going to store them?  You can go out and spend some  big bucks for different units,  or you can try this simple solution.  Take that water noodle that you got at the dollar store, or the pipe insulation from the local hardware store.  Place  the first hook behind the beads and bury it into the foam.  Then stretch the line tight behind that hook and repeat the process until they are held secure by the foam.  Take the line in front of your blade, and wrap around the foam unitl you come to the loop.  Take your toothpick, break it in half and use one end to secure the loop by pressing it into the foam.

 You are all set with your own harnesses and ready to go drown some worms, good luck!

A few years ago, I purchased a video from In-Fisherman that claimed that the jig was the greatest walleye lure ever.  Since then I have come to the conclusion that they might be right when it comes to the lakes of Minnesota, and  around the Canadian shield.  These fish hold to certain patterns, and even to structure to a certain degree.  When it comes to the Great Lakes, and we are talking about the Bays de Noc, Saginaw Bay, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, then the crawler harness rules supreme.

In so many ways the basic harness is just as versatile as the jig on bigger bodies of water where most of us in Michigan fish for walleye.  You can cast it for suspended fish, drag it on the bottom, and by using a wide variety of methods,  you can troll it.  On larger bodies like the Great Lakes, the fish roam the massive flats that make up much of the terrain below the water.  The harness gives the flash and thump (sound) to lure walleye in and strike at the bait.

Previously in another blog entry, I mentioned that I prefer to cast and drift for walleye out on Lake Erie.  To me this is fishing, you are more in tune with what is going on, and actively taking a part in the catching of the fish. This method is best suited for early in the mornings, before the sun really starts to heat the water up. During this time is when the fish are most often suspended in the water column, anywhere from 8 to 20 ft down. For casting after suspended eyes, I make up several harnesses each year referred to as “weapons”.  These are a single #4 size hook rig, made with a small  blade,  about 20 inches long with an egg sinker in the front for getting the bait out there.  I like using two different weights, 1/4 and 3/4 oz.  The 1/4 oz is used on spinning tackle, and really is more of a drifting  through water column type of presentation.  The light weight allows it to stay up.  My favorite blade for this is a 1 inch “Smile Blade” It is a unique, lightweight blade that takes very little resistance to make it spin.  These are available from Mack’s Lures, and you can purchase the blades separately or already tied up on their website, www.mackslures.com or shop around at your favorite outdoor store or well equipped tackle shop.  The 3/4 oz sinker goes on a strictly cast and retrieve presentation.  This employs a countdown once the bait hits the water, and you can estimate the depth by one foot,  every second.  If you are marking fish at 15 ft in the water column, then give it the old  15 mississippi  count.  On these rigs, a #2 colorado blade is used for flash and attraction.

Later in the morning, usually around 11 or 12 o’clock the water has started to warm.  As this happens the walleye tend to head for the bottom and hug it for the rest of the warm period of the day.  During this time, dragging the bottom can be the most productive method of catching fish.  The rig itself changes slightly, from 24 to 30 inches, two #4  hooks instead of one, my metal blade is still a number 2, and when using the Smile blade, an 1 ½ inch size.  Depending on your rod, and the waves, you can choose an egg sinker anywhere from 3/8  to 1 ounce for your weight.  The method is simple, you cast
your rig out, wait for it to hit bottom, then as the boat is being pushed by the waves, sweep your rod tip back towards you.  As the movement of the boat takes up the slack you created, allow the slack line to be taken up, and then repeat the process.  During this time, keep tension on the line by allowing the rod tip to go away from the boat slowly.  You can get bites during the drag, and as the line is being drawn tight again.

Trolling these blades is just as effective, if not more so.  The angler covers more  water and cuts a larger path along the boats  heading.  Trolling speeds should be from 3/4 to 1.5 miles an hour when trolling meat rigs.  Colorado blade sizes range from #3, 4, 5 and  6.  Yes, you can catch walleye on a
big blade like a #6, and often it will keep all but the most determined sheephead off your line. Most of your store bought harnesses are either sizes 4 or 5. On the rigs tied up with a #3 blade, I will still use two #4 hooks.  The bigger blades get three #2 hooks evenly spaced apart.  You can also play with treble hooks for your last hook on the rig.  On the rigs with #4 hooks, I will tie on a red #10 treble from Mustad.  The bigger rigs get a #8 “Triple Grip” Mustad treble hook. 

The treble is  a little trick I learned from Adam Marchbanks, a veteran angler on Saginaw Bay and has produced well for him over the years.  If it works for someone else, why not make it your own?  The biggest thing in fishing today is getting stuck in a rut.  Do not find yourself presenting your baits the same
way year after year.  The more you mix it up, the more interesting it becomes.  There is no bigger thrill than catching a fish on something you have devised on your own.  In future entries, I will bring up several different twists that you can use to present your baits.

You can buy your trolling rigs just about anywhere in the area; Cook’s Sportland, the State Park Party Store, Jeff’s Bait, Gander Mountain, Wal-Mart,  Bottom Line Bait and Tackle, and Cabela’s all carry a good variety.  Almost all of them come in a standard 36 inch length and you will catch fish with them.
A standard rule when making your own harnesses is at the very least match the length of the rod you are using, at the most make them 2 feet longer than your rod.  For an example, most of my  trolling rods are the 8′ Premier Glass Trolling Rods, from St. Croix ( www.stcroixrods.com ), so all my harnesses are roughly 10′ long.  There are two main  reasons for making them this long.  The first is that the further away from your method of getting the rig down to where the fish are, the less apt they are at being
spooked by it.  The second is being able to control the rig when you are retrieving a fish. When you stand near the side of the boat, and have your arms raised with the rod in your hands, that extra 2 ft in my case, just brings the fish to the surface, or just below, and allows your partner to net the fish with relative ease.

I briefly mentioned methods of getting your harnesses down to your target area, where the fish are.  If the fish are hugging bottom, you should have a good selection of 2 and 4 ounce bottom bouncers.  The 2 oz bouncers are well suited for running your rigs further behind your boat.  Less weight equals more line let out to reach the bottom.  The 4 oz models go straight down from your rod tip, just call them a poor man’s downrigger, except you don’t have to deal with the line releasing prematurely out of the clips.  Why not have all the rods set up with the same weight?  Its called a spread, and it allows you to have the maximum amount of lines in the water without getting tangled.  Example would be three people in the boat, by Michigan law, that six lines maximum in the water.  An easy spread would be two harnesses spread out away from the boat on planer boards, then two 4 oz bottom bouncers down right at the side of the boat, and you would run the two 2 oz bouncers behind the boat.  It gives you the maximum spread and you normally will not tangle other lines while you bring your fish in.

Other methods of getting your baits down that are popular out on Lake Erie and the other big water walleye havens  fall into the “diver” family.  These are good presentations for finding suspended fish, as well as getting down near the bottom of the lake.  You can use the following to get your baits down; Big Jon’s Mini Discs, smaller Dipsey Divers, Luhr Jensen Jet Divers (sizes 20, 30 and 40), and Pa’s Lures.
There are trolling guides available that you can purchase, that will tell you how deep these divers go, based on how many feet of line you let out from your reel.  It is actually cheaper to buy the Pa’s lure with the hook attached, than the models available with the harness in the packaging.  You just simply remove the hook, and attach your own harness to the bait.

There are weights you can attach to your line as well to get your rigs down to the desired depths. Snap weight systems that you attach to your line with a clip and allow you to change weights as you follow the fish.  Inline beaded chain weights that work well too.  One of the methods growing in popularity is a weight from Bass Pro Shops, called the “Fish Weight” inline weight.  At 1 mph, with an 1 oz weight, you find the depth of the fish on your finder, then double the amount of line you let out to reach that depth.  If the fish are suspended in 17 foot of water, you measure out 34 ft of line from your reel.  BPS weight

All of these reasons and concepts add up to the harness as the most effective lure, overall, on big bodies of water.  Its not to say I am going to trash all my Hot-n-Tots, Wiggle Warts, Rapalas, Reef Runners, Erie Dearies, Nuggets and spoons.  Some baits just have their time and place. 

Next up: “How to Make Your Own Meat Rigs”

Cabela’s was bustling on Saturday as they kicked off the begining of their “Spring Expo”.  Most of the traffic came through the fishing, marine and hunting departments.  As busy as I was, working in the fishing rod section for one of the manufactures,  I still managed to wander a bit during lunch to some of the other areas of the store.

One of my favorite departments has always been the furniture area upstairs. It always amazed me how so many different fish/fishing themes can be worked into furniture designs.  The ladies that work up there are “good people”.  They know their product,  and can work with any type of “outdoor” interior design you might have in mind.

Time was running out on my lunch break so I went to the Bargain Cave before heading back to the rods.    This area behind the mountain, in the back of the store always seems to have that “one” cannot do without item everytime I go there.  It might be an end of the season, store closeout, customer return or manufacturer discontinued item, but the price is almost always  worth  walking in.  I prefer to use  baitcasters over spinning reels,  and I  have bought quite a few of mine out of the cave in past years.  People see “the pros” on TV using them every weekend on the bass tour shows, so they would rush  out and get them at the store.  I mean good quality reels, basically in the hands of inexperienced anglers.  They would get so flustered by the backlashes that they would give up, and just return them.   If you arent sure about an item, dont hesitate to ask the employees back there, or actually take the item back to the fishing or marine department and have one the outfitters  there go over it to see how it performs.

I didnt have the opportunity to attend the bass seminar,  but was glad I did make the walleye trolling seminar put by the Mack’s Lures pros.  It was everything I thought it would be and a bunch more.  Some excellent tips were given on both technique and equipment.  One was using 40 lb Power Pro, which is the only company out with a 40 lb line, with the dive chart recomended 10 lb diameter. 

Thanks to all the people who walked up and said hello.  It was amazing to run into 20 some individuals  and couples who remembered me from days working at the store.   The vendors and pro staff personel were out in force to answer any questions that customers might have had about their products.  All in all, a good day for those who came out.

With the weather hitting the 70′ mark yesterday,  I started thinking about what kind of line I will be putting on the reels this year.  The reels will be spooled up to match the target species of fish, and the methods used to catch them.  Both monofilament and braids have their place, as well as fluorcarbon lines.  You should replace your mono lines every year, and reverse your braided lines as well. 

There are places you can take your reels to get spooled that have a machine,  but I  prefer doing it  at home.  That way you control how the line is put on your reel in both the tension and speed.  You can do it with someone holding the spool while you crank the handle, or there are different tools you can purchase.  Berkley has a small line winding station that really works well for casting, spinning and fly reels.

Panfish needs vary, as there are three main ways you can fish for them.  There is casting, using a slip bobber, and deep vertical jigging.  These methods can be used all season long in combination or by themselves,  while targeting bluegill, crappe and perch.

Choose a mono line for casting, either in 4 lb or 6 lb weight.  For most applications 4 lb is perfect,  you might want to go with 6 lb if there are weeds in the areas you fish.  Good brands to use are Berkley XL in 4 or 6 lb,  and 4 lb P-line X-tra Strong.  The P-line comes in a green finish and is rated lower than its actual breaking point, while the XL is a smooth casting line.

While using a slip bobber, or even drifting over a weedbed, choose either a mono or fluorcarbon line.  In this application, 2 lb would be best suited.  The reason being that this is either a stationary presentation, or one that is slowly moving through an area.  The smaller line gives an angler more of a stealth approach and the best chance of getting a bite.

Vertical jigging requires a line that doesnt stretch.  This applies to mid-summer bluegill and crappie on the inland lakes, as well as perch out on Lake Erie.  The braided lines work best for this.  There are many brands with various weights to choose from.  Power Pro offers an 8 lb, with the diameter of 1 lb monofilament,  in three color choices.  If you fish by feel alone, the moss green is the color to have.  If you are a line watcher, or tightliner, then yellow or red would be your best choices.  Berkley Fireline is another choice, that comes in a 4 lb/1lb dia.  Color choices are smoke, or flame green.

You can employ a number of tactics when it comes to bass fishing.  In a lot of cases, 6 or 8 lb will be more than enough,  but there are several options available depending on the number of rods you want to have rigged up.  If you want to finesse a bite, then 6 lb mono would be your choice.  Casting crankbaits would require either 8 or 10 lb mono,  depending on the size of the lure.  If you want to pitch jigs into heavy cover, choose 17 to 25 lb mono or 40 to 80 lb braid.  Sounds like a lot for the size of the braid?  Well it is, but when you look at the diameters of the line, its not.  40 pound has the dia. of 10 lb mono and 80 lb has the dia. of 20 lb.  Vertical jigging can be used with either 10, 15 or 20 lb braid.  The smaller diameter allows you to have better control of the jig.

Walleye reels get spooled with another variety of line sizes and types.  The methods used to catch the fish determine what you will be putting on your reels.  There is jigging, trolling cranks, trolling divers, bottom bouncers (drifting and trolling), casting, drifting and dragging.  Some have their reels set up for downriggers, leadcore, and wire.  Since I dont use the last three methods very often,  I will leave that for comments or questions that you might have.

Most of my jigging happens in the Detroit River where the current can be really strong.  I want my line to be as thin as can be to keep the jig vertical from the rod tip to where the line enters the water.  I will spool up either 8 or 10 lb Power Pro, in the yellow color.  If my jig has been hanging straight down, then all of a sudden starts to drift, even though I havent felt a bite,  more often than not its a walleye on the other end.  The line color helps me see that.  I use 8 lb Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon leaders tied to the main line with a “double uni knot”, sometimes called the “back to back uni”.  The river is notorious for snags, and the leader will break before the braid does,  possibly saving you from a broken rod.

Trolling for walleyes can be done with either a mono or braided line.  There are books available to anglers that show how deep your lure will go compared to the amount of line you have let out based on feet.  These charts are based on 10 lb mono, so you can use the mono or a braid that has a 10 lb diameter.  If you choose to go the monofilament route,  try Trilene Big Game, in green from Berkley.  You get 1,500 yards for 8 bucks and its good line. 

I have six Daiwa linecounter reels that I spool up for trolling.  Two SG 27 LCA’s  for my planer board rods,  and four SG 17 LCA’s for my divers (Jets, Mini-Disks and trolling weights) and long lining.  Also, I  troll 2 and 4 ounce bottom bouncers.  I want to be able to feel the bite, or see the rod tip react so I can move quickly to bring the fish up.  For these set ups I have 15 or 20 lb braid spooled up for the  no stretch qualities.

Casting, drifting and dragging for walleye are my favorite methods for fishing on Erie.  Trolling is fine for catching fish, and more often than not, will be your more productive method of catching your limit quickly.  If you see me on Brest Bay, before the sun really starts to beat down,  I will be standing up and using these three methods to catch my quota.

My casting reels get 10 lb mono because I want just a little bit of stretch.  You can go with XL for spinning reels or XT if you like to use a baitcaster.  For dragging and drifting,  braid goes on the spool for the better sensitivity.  Unlike casting where the fish attacks your bait,  a lot of time walleye will move up behind the bait and just swallow it or take a nibble here and there.  The no stretch lines will allow you to feel that better than mono. 

Pike and muskie are the toothy critters,  and I use braid on all my reels when targeting them.  Fireline works well for drifting, jigging and dragging for walleye,  but I have had problems casting it before, so I prefer Power Pro or Tuff-line XP.  There are six basic setups for pike and muskie; trolling, live bait, topwater, spoon/bucktail, light and heavy crankbait. The only difference between these two species is the size of the braid that I use.  For my pike reels, I will start at 20 lb and go up to 50 lb.  The muskie reels go from 50 to 80 lb lines.

I like to get out and steelhead fish from time to time up in Flat Rock on the Huron River.  For drifting spawn, flies and waxworms, I will have some 6 lb Maxima in a green color spooled with 4 or 6 lb leaders of Vanish.  For casting small cranks like Hot n Tots and Wiggle Warts I will go with 8 lb Trilene XL.

Salmon fishing on the Great Lakes, for the most part involves using big Dipsy Divers or downriggers.  I have 30 lb braid on my reels now for the divers, and am going to try the 40 lb this year.  The releases on the downriggers can be touchy sometimes, so I prefer mono when using them. The size of the line can be either 25 or 30 lb.

That is the breakdown on what I spool up every year for the types of fishing I do most.  I know I left out chasing cats, carp, sturgeon and some big river or lake fishing for salmon, trout and steelies.  I just dont have enough time in the year to do it all with the fun fishing, tournaments and then ice season.  Sometimes I think the beagles believe I forgot what a rabbit looks like.

Last of all,  are the knots that I use the most while attaching the line to the spool (arbor knot),  connecting line to line (double uni),  line to lures (improved clinch and polamar). You do not have to run out and buy a book on knots, its all available here on the net.  Type in “fishing knots” on your favorite search engine, then  look for a website with some good diagrams and written instructions.

Good luck.

For the next two weekends, starting on Saturday the 17th,  Cabela’s in Dundee will be holding their Spring Expo.  There will be seminars, drawings, and sales for the spring outdoor enthusiast.  Although the focus of the event will be geared towards the Fishing and Marine Departments,  they have several activities for turkey hunters and the upcoming season.

This Saturday, Bill and Bernadine Ayers from Mack Lures will be having seminars at 12 and 3 pm.  They are a husband and wife team that have many years of experience on the walleye circuits and sponsored by Mack Lures.  They predominately fish crawler harnesses with a unique twist, the Smile Blade.  It provides flash, and does not take a lot of speed to make it turn.  Perfect for slowing down and  keeping the rigs in the zone for longer periods of time.  Had the pleasure of meeting  the couple a few years back,  they are easy to talk to, knowledgable and very unassuming.  If you get the chance to attend the seminar,  you will walk away glad that you did.

If you get there a little earlier on Saturday, there will be a turkey calling contest at 10am.  The contest is free for those who participate.  There are individual categories for calling hens, jakes and toms.  The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) will be there all weekend with a table set up.

On Sunday, Tom Keifer from Snack Daddy Lures will be having a seminar at 11 am.  Keifer is an accomplished bass fisherman, and will be explaining the best methods to catch bass using tube baits.  With the growing popularity of bass fishing on Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes,  you should be able to walk away with a new trick or two to try out on your next trip.

If slinging bugs gets you out and fishing, the fly shop is well stocked.  The guys that work there are aces, look up Don, Mark, Joe (if he hasnt retired again) and Bill.  The Michigan Fly Fishing Fedaration will have a table set up and should be available all weekend.

Other events this weekend of note; Chris Brackett, the host of Extreme Air Bow Fishing and the Stihl Lumberjack show in front (outside)of the store.  Brackett takes his bow and shoots the flying carp that have migrated up the Mississippi waterways.  The lumberjacks return for another visit and will be demonstrating log rolling, pole climbing and cutting logs with their tuned up saws and axes.

The second weekend will be the “do not miss” days of the expo.  Cabela’s went to a lot of effort to organize their first ever, Captain’s Weekend.  Charter captains from around the state will be holding seminars both days, starting at 10 am. More than 15 captains will be there representing fishing on Lake Erie, the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, Lake Huron, Saginaw Bay and Lake Michigan.  They will be having a free drawing for the public with winners receiving charter for perch and steelhead on Lake Erie, muskie on Lake St. Clair and salmon/trout on Lake Michigan.

Both weekends will have vendors and fishing pros to work with the customers. I will be there both Saturdays working in the rods area.  If you have any question about your fishing, marine and boating needs, there will be a ton of experienced people there to turn to.  The fishing department is all set up for the Maumee River walleye run, your lake and river fishing needs.  There are several new exciting housebrand reels and rods, available also in combos at a good price.

Upcoming events include;  Military Appreciation Days (March 16, 17 and 18th), you can rough score your turkeys (March 15-31st) and the Relay for Life event (June 16 and 17th) hosted by the Breast Cancer Society of America.

Thanks to store manager Joe Ross (congrats on the promotion), and to Rick Garrett (events coordinator) Scott Larner (marine sales manager) and Dave Nack (fishing sales manager) for taking the time and walking me through the events and the new floor displays. 

Now is the time to get your fishing and hunting licenses for this year.  There has been a lot of talk, townhall meetings and newspaper articles regarding increased fees for the ‘07 season.  As of right now, all the fees are at  2006 prices. 

This does not mean they will remain the same all season.  There is a chance that the state government could pass legislation where fees would be increased later this hunting and fishing year.  The only reason for it not taking place now, is that there was an outcry from the outdoorsman of Michigan. 

If you do not agree with the proposed legislation, contact your state representative in the house and senate, and let them know.

Ok, ignore for the moment one of the best late ice seasons in recent memory.  Its almost time to start hitting the open water for your favorite gamefish.  Rather than wait until the ice is unfishable, turn your attention to those wants and needs for the warmer season now.

In the upcoming weeks, there will be some posts announcing spring events at some of our local retail outdoor shops,  Cabela’s and Monroe’s own, Cooks Sportland.  Today I will be going over some of the events scheduled this weekend at Bass Pro Shops in the Great Lakes Crossings shopping mall.  I had a great phone call with Doug Phillips who coordinates all the events held at the store.

This is the last weekend of their spring instore event and they have it packed with seminars and special events.  One of the events for the kids,  a charitable trout pond, not only provides enjoyment for the youngsters but also serves the community.   All the money raised will go to the Boy Scouts of America.  The unique twist is that all the fish caught, are released back into the pond.  At the end of the event,  all the trout are donated to a local food shelter.

I related to Mr. Phillips, that my sister-in-law, Michelle coordinates the meals for GodWorks here in Monroe.  He was good enough to suggest that she contact many of the tours who hold events on Lake Erie.  Many of the fish cannot be returned to the lake,  and the organizations are always looking for food shelters to donate the fish to.  Great idea, but I think I just talked myself into cleaning a whole lot of fish this spring and summer.

Back to BPS.

There are workshops and seminars to cover all your fishing questions and lots of tips to help you improve in several areas.  It could be dropshoting for bass (now legal in Michigan), running boards for walleye, high speed trolling for muskie on Lake St Clair or improving your spring crappie bite.  There will be four main areas where the seminars will be held within the store, and will be running on the hour starting at 10am Saturday and Sunday.

There will be conservation booths and tables set up to hand out information and answer questions.  A large display of Moon Valley furniture.  Bill McElroy from Scales and Tails, and well known cartoonist for Bassmasters,  will be putting characteritures on the handle of  any Bass Pro Shops rod that you purchase.  If fishing is not the only outdoor activity you indulge in and you are into turkey hunting, they will have a seminar for you too.

As with most spring store events, one of the highlights won’t be found listed anywhere.  Its when you are going through the isles, looking over the product.   You will have vendor sponsored pros tripping over themselves to help you find the product you need or want.  The guy next to you could be Hall of Famer Keith Kavajecz.  Michigan walleye pro Mark Gwizdala from Saginaw, might be the guy helping you find the right planer boards for your next trip.  Todd Glover could be the person who helped you understand a little more about seasonal bass patterns.

For a complete list of events and times, click on the link, http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPage?appID=94&CMID=&langId=-1&pageView=image&catalogId=10001&partNumber=&storeID=1&storeId=10151&deptId=000000000&categoryId=000000000&jumpToPage=1&currentPage=0&subdeptId=000000000     and make sure you look at the dates for this weekend. (March 9,10 and 11th)

Upcoming event of interest will be their “Walleye Day” held on April 14th.  A lot of Lake St. Clair tactics, that you can take and adapt to fishing Lake Erie for walleye.

Answer is…  right now.

While the ice season is still fresh in your minds, now is the perfect time to start gettting your gear for the next season.  It can be odds and ends, or essential (big purchase) items.  Start out with a list of things that you need to replace, or items that you think would enhance your ability to catch fish next season.

Most years this would be the perfect time to hit the stores and find some really good sales.  Unfortunately with the late coming of the ice this year, most places had their ice gear on sale early.  When the ice did hit, lots of inventories were cleared out.  Call ahead before making any special trips, and ask what items they might still have in stock.  You just might find that power auger at a price you can afford.

If you have been fishing off of a bucket or out of a sled, this would be an excellent time to look into a shelter on clearance.  Electronics normally dont go on sale in this area, but places like Reed’s in Minnesota tend to put them on sale where you can purchase them on the internet.  Most of the time its the nic nacs and certain lures that are the real bargains, that and some of the higher end rods. Thorne Brothers in Minnesota (and others) have internet sales going on right now on their jigs and equipment.   Last year I picked up some St. Croix 32″ rods that quickly became my favorite walleye rods this season.

Some of the things I look for are the rod holders for either your buckets, or free standing ones that lay on the ice.  I took my rotary tool and cut slots into my sled base on my Fish Trap Pro and placed the HT bucket holders into the slots to make rod holders.

Another good item that I got at 50% off were a couple of Otter rattle reels that I ended up using in my Clam 5600.

Other items to look for are the safety straps for your auger covers, extra blades are always nice to have on hand for quick replacement and replace some of your favorite jigs that you might have lost during the season.  Strikemaster smokeless oil is another annual item on the list for my power augers, along with scoops for taking slush out of your drilled holes.

Other items might not be found at the bargain prices, but still will help you catch fish next year,  and its a good idea to get them while you are still thinking about it.  Spoons, swim baits and jigs are always fish catchers.  Some companies are discontinueing your go-to baits, while others are already putting out some new and improved color schemes.  There are always the little bonus items that you didnt  think of it, but the light goes off  when you see it on the shelf.

Don’t forget about www.ebay.com .  Start with searches of items on your list.  If you are looking for a particular reel, put the company’s name in and see how many items you find.  Another way, is to simply type in “ice fishing” and you can surf through the pages of items.

Good Luck.

To start with, I would like to thank the Monroe Evening News for the opportunity to come aboard and contribute to community.  This is my first post and will be somewhat shorter than most because I have to travel to the Columbus area in the morning.

A little background on myself:

I am 36 year resident of Ida, where my brother Scott (Monroe) and I were raised by my parents, Richard and Karen Mason.  My fishing bug was initially fueled by watching my father and uncles leaving our camp in the Upper Peninsula to go pike fishing on Lake Michigan’s Big Bay de Noc.  As a youngster, it was hard not to be impressed by 40 inch northerns tipping the scales well over 20 pounds back then.  From there it was walleye fishing in Lake Erie, and the addiction just continued to get worse as the years passed by.  Currently I fish the series of multi-state tournaments called Super Trap Attacks, run by the Ice Team every winter.  Will be fishing the Michigan Walleye Circuit this spring and summer with my ice partner, Steve Webb.  I am also, on the Pro Staff for CLAM, Northland, Vexilar., and Power Pro fishing line.

Now for the topic of this post.

It is the begining of March,  and this year there are still areas where anglers can get out and ice fish.  I would cross off Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay off my list due to recent rains and strong winds eroding ice conditions.  Look to the Irish Hills area with its many lakes as a good place to start looking for fishable ice.

Wampler’s, Clark, Sand, Round and Devil’s Lakes still have foot plus ice.  You can find good bluegill, crappie, walleye and pike fishing in each of these locations.  Knutson’s of Brooklyn, Michigan is a good source of information, as well as meeting your bait and tackle needs.

There may also be good ice left at the Lake Erie Metropark off W. Jefferson in Rockwood, Mich.  Much of the wind is blocked by the number of trees in the park and the ice may have been protected.  Best bet is to call Bottom Line Bait and Tackle across the street from the park,  734-379-9762.  There was some excellent perch fishing earlier in the season in some areas that were easy to walk to.

As with any late season ice, use caution.  Always, fish with a partner and bring the essential safety items.   A spud for checking thickness,  a rope to toss if your partner falls through and some hand spikes to help yourself up if needed.

 In some of the posts to come,  there will be some hints of equipment care for your ice gear, a shopping list of must haves for the next season,  gearing up for the 2007 walleye season, spring crappies and more.  Some of the posts will be dedicated to making your own baits for walleye, how to rig up for steelhead, and springtime pike and muskie fishing.  There will be statewide updates, the latest news from the DNR and information from the Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC).

If you are looking to target a certain fish and need to get outfitted,  feel free to ask any question you might have.  Same goes if you are planing to make a trip,  I will do my best to get you set up, and do it within your budget as well.

Myself, Mike Smith, Dave Genz and Steve Webb, photo taken by Kevin Winkler of Minnesota. 

Mason