Fishing Michigan

Its that time of the year,  like the Christmas ornaments,  your local tackle stores will be bringing out the ice gear soon.  Each year it seems like the product hits the shelves just a little bit earlier than the year before.  The reason being is that they want you to get fired up and buy early,  just in case there isn’t a really good ice season.

Really its okay with me,  ice fishing is one of things that really never leaves me.  When its 90 to 100 degrees during the summer,  I long for cooling my heels on the winter’s iced up lakes.  At the end of last season, I made my list, and checked it more than twice.  For the past two weeks, I have been getting things in order for the North American Ice Fishing Championship held in Dec this year.  Its a long trip to Alexandria, MN,  roughly 14 hours,  and I have left things behind before.  This year I have to be packed ahead of time,  I will be working up at the Bass Pro Shops for an Ice Team event in Auburn Hills on the 8th.  We leave for MN on the 9th.

At the end of the season I picked up a few items.  Auger blades,  Strikemaster smokeless oil and few odds and ends.  There are some new jigs (paint jobs) available at Your Bobbers Down this year in their tungsten Fiska line up.  Picked up a cold weather Cold-Snap suit from Vexilar .  This year Lindy has/will have some new spoons on the market.  Like the Buck-Shot Rattle spoons from Northland , these will have a rattle incorporated into the spoon.

There are some more items I will be looking at it as the season comes closer,  like I said, there is a list.  Before heading out to actually pick these items up,  check with your local retailer on the phone, to make sure they are in stock.  No sense in a wasted trip,  and while some of the product is hitting the shelves,  more will be coming in the weeks to come.

Just to keep things fun, here are some more pics of the pups and Bonnie.  Bon Bon is tolerating them for the most part, if they keep their distance that is. 

This is Gauge who seems fixed upon staring at her reflexion.  Who said, chrome on a truck was a thing of the past?!

The girls really like the pieces of pig ear that I cut off for them with the garage’s ban saw.

Bon always get the big section with the knuckle/flap.  She enjoys them at a safe distance.

Belle’s favorite ear to gnaw on seems to be Gauge’s.  This wrestling seems to their fav pastime.

Gauge finally takes a break from their wrestling match.

Thats it for this week.

Bass Pro Shops’ Fall Angler catalog came out recently.  One of the things marked down were the BPS Keel Weights.  From $6.49 and $6.99 down to $5.19 for all sizes and packages.  I will have my order in by morning.

These work great for getting your crawler harnesses down to a desired depth, while providing a little flash for an attractant.

You are on your way, going on that big fishing trip you had planned for months.  You finish the 4 to 10 hour drive,  you unpack and settle in for the night.  Get your rods all rigged up,  knots retied and you are all set for that morning bite.  You leave the cabin, cottage or resort early in the morning while its still dark outside and head to the bait shop.  You’ve done all the planning a person could,  but did you plan on having the shop being out of bait?!  Or not carrying the bait you want?

Well in the modern world, you can prepare for that little scenario as well.  Whodathunk, you can get bait delivered to your home via UPS or FedEx!  There are several online services where you can order a wide range of baits, and have them delivered on time before that trip, and guranteed to be fresh and wiggling when it gets there.

One of the first companies to get online and provide this service is Vados .  They have all the bait you would need for that walleye, panfish, steelhead, trout or salmon trip.  You might have to check your regulations about some of the trout streams, they prohibit live bait in a lot of cases.  I know lots of guys on the ice tour who order their bait for the season from Vados,  follow the instructions provided and always have bait at hand.

Locally, over in Brooklyn,  Knutson’s have started an online service as well.  Since starting two years ago,  Tom and Jim Knutson offer a wide range of baits to the Michigan angler.  Want to get some herring to put into a rig for trolling for salmon,  right from Canada, they have it in stock.  This nice oily fish also pulls double duty during the winter as a good ice fishing bait for rigging tip ups for Northern Pike.  The scent it gives off is an ice fishing key,  and I never saw a pike yet that would pass up a meal.

There are other services available,  google “bait delivery”, then surf through your options.  There are quite a few.

Ok, the perch trip got put off today due to weather,  so I have read and sent my mail, surfed the forums and weeded out my offlines.  Had the pups out twice, changed one paw print t-shirt and gave them their treats.  Have some calls to make later,  and got back on the computer to do a little window shopping.

Ebay is not only a place to shop, but can be a helpful tool if you are looking to sell something you have.  A viewer can get an idea of what their items are worth,  and what the market will bare.  A wily seller will know that there is a time and place to sell their items,  when they are in season.   I’m looking at selling some of ice fishing items, and this will give me an idea ofwhat price tag to put on them.

Lets take a look at some of the “in season” items up for bid now:

Fall can be prime time muskie fishing, crankbaits and jerkbaits shine during this period of feeding before winter takes hold in the area.  These shad baits and bull dawgs are good baits and prices are better than average with less than10 hours to bid.

Want to get some new Power Pro line, surf this page and skip the bowflex machines.  Not sure how they got mixed up in the search.

If you were trolling for salmon this year, and everyone was catching them on spoons,  these Silver Streak spoons are priced right.

Thats just a sample of what you can find at a good price.  Will revisit this from time to time.  Ebay can be a very useful tool in getting gear this year.  Heck, there will be Christmas decorations in the stores soon.

Ok, I’ve got to take a little break from all this open water talk and just touch on some of my favorite fishing.  Bring on the ice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are thinking about trying it for the first time, or just getting that itch, start feeding that hunger.  A lot of manufactures are begining to update their websites and will be introducing new product lines in the next month or so.  The forums and discussion boards are in full swing.  In the Fishing Minnesota forum,  ice fisherman are already outnumbering those visiting the open water forum by over two to one.  And its really no wonder, the folks up there have seen ice in their ponds already.

I just received a fax yesterday from my Northland Pro Staff rep, and they will be introducing two new lines of ice rod/combos.  Each combo will come with a 15 pc fish kit. Rumors are that St. Croix will be introducing a sight rod for their ice rod lineup.  Rick over at Little Atom, is going to be introducing a “Micro Nuggie” into his plastics line up at the end of October. When things get a little closer to the season there will be a review of most of the new items available to us iceheads.

In the meantime, if just one ice forum doesn’t quench the thirst, try some of these on for size.  The Fishy Spot is the home of Team USA,  yes Virginia, there were really is a national ice team.  Most of the participants on the site also fish competively on the Trap Attack schedule.  Ice Shanty  seems to be made up of mostly New Englanders, and those Eastern types with a sprinkling of a lil’ Canadian flavor.  They offer a different perspective, and have come up with some good ideas from reading on this site.  Outdoors First, has its own ice fishing section,  and it seems to be growing in its membership.

Some of these guys on here are like salesman, and you almost have to take everything with a grain of salt.  If their website is sponored by particular products, don’t be shocked if they are mentioned an awful lot on the boards.  Are they bad products, nope not at all, in fact some of them are the best on the market today.  Just don’t get caught up in all the hype.

There be beagles in the house again.  Well the garage anyway.  Two weeks ago, I brought home two black and tan female beagles, then six weeks old.  One of the good guys I used to work with had the word sent through the grapevine,  that his 13 inch female had messed around with a 15″ male across the street.  The house has been pretty empty since my last beagle passed almost two months ago,  and losing two good dogs in one summer was pretty rough for the whole family.  Including Bonnie, the 11 year old lab.  The old gal just kind of shut down, even though the trip to the cabin in the begining of August did wonders for her,  having  these two around has flipped her “on” switch back on again.

I finally figured out getting the camera installed again on the new computer,  so here they are.  In the  front is Belle,  named after Shelby,  whom I always called Shel-Belle.  In the background is Gauge.  That name took a while to come up with, but I knew I didn’t want to give her another “people” name.  My favorite gun is a hand me down, from my grandfather,  a Model 12, 16 gauge.

Belle was the runt of the litter,  always one of my favorite choices.  Don’t ask why, but I think because they fight for everything,  they just have more determination later in life. This little gal has plenty of both,  Gauge who is easily twice her size thinks twice about sticking her nose in Belle’s food dish.  Here they are after their first run through the back field. 

Finally, just one more shot for the heck of it, its cute as the ladies would say.

Want to learn more about casting crankbaits, or throwing bugs (flies) for the river salmon?  I’ve got to save some topics for next year/season to write about.  Not crazy about leaving comments for others to see?  Thats ok,  because the internet is full of useful information literally at your fingertips.  Google (any search engine will do) ” michigan salmon” and start opening up pages to explore.  Just type in the word salmon, by itself, and look at how the folks in Maine, Alaska, Washington and Oregon fish for salmon.

The one thing I  have learned over the years from fishing for many different species, is that if it works in one place, pretty good chance it will work in another.  If it works for bass, pretty good chance it will work for pike.  Same can be true for the salmon and steelhead relationship.  Sometimes you have to monkey around with a technique to “groove” it to your application.  Change the size of the line, the hook or even the rod and reel itself.

So just for grins,  I did a little searching this morning with my coffee.  Had the pups out already, so it was time to relax a little and look around.  Here are some of the websites I found to be the most interesting, but there were many more pages filled with results still to be explored.

Salmon University : Recipe’s and even online courses for salmon and steelhead

Muskegon Flyfishing:  Something useful on using crankbaits.

Lake Michigan Angler:  Tips, techniques and whole lot more

Michigan Sportsman Magazine:  Online articles are a good source of information

Fishing Rivers:  Some have amusing stories and tales.

Tips for Catching Salmon:  More information on trolling techniques on the big water.

Not that Dave needs anymore people visiting his blog,  each month he just keeps getting more and more popular with the folks who visit blogsmonroe.  The pictures he recently posted from a visit to Chateau Louise’s in Luna Pier, are mouth watering.  Check out the perch sandwich and onion rings,  its no wonder he missed out on dessert.

He actually mentions something about me being able to eat a sandwhich like that on one of my fishing misadventures.  Professor types call that “foreshadowing”,  because coming in December before I leave for the North American Ice Fishing championship in Minnesota,  I plan on having a blog or two on cooking while on the ice.  Captain Kevin Winkler of MN has taken this to a whole new level,  and he’s going to help me share some of his on ice recipe’s on the blog.  Its not just chili and dogs anymore folks.

Have you ever ate something out of the freezer that hours later you wish you hadn’t?  Ok, so the hot wings I had at eight o’clock last night are the reason I am up at 4 something AM!  With the pups it was not such a bad idea to get them out and about a little earlier than normal.   Had to look for that silver lining.  UGH.

So since I am up, thought I would put out one of the last issues on river salmon fishing.  The use of spawn is one of the most effective methods of fishing for salmon,  and brown trout as well.  Just as in a recent lesson learned, fresh is always better.

Spawn, which is also referred to as roe,  does work best when fresh.  Second best is preserved at home.  Third best is from a jar.  I would suggest leaving the plastics at home,  but once in a while the stuff just plain works.

Best way to get fresh is from a recent catch,  and lots of anglers look to get their first fish with a spoon, take the roe and start using it right away.  Most will fish with the spawn inside a small mesh bag,  this is available at most sporting good shops and even your local Meijer’s.  Atlas Mike’s is a name brand most commonly seen on the shelves.  The mesh material will come in pink, orange or red.  You can either purchase these in pre-cut squares, or in small rolls.  They also have kits available, as well as little foam dots (will get to this later).  Place four or five eggs in each bag,  take the corners tight, give a small twist, and finish off by tieing the end with like colored thread.

There are actually hooks out there from most of the big brands like Mustad, Gamakatsu, and Eagle Claw already labeled “salmon hook, or egg” on the package.  Some people swear by the gold hook, others have started using red, or you can stick the black nickel.  All will catch fish.  Place the hook inside the mesh bag,  I prefer not to break an egg,  so place the hook in through one spot in the bag, and lightly out another.  You can also leave the hook inside.  You will know when one of these monsters is on the other end, and the hook comes through the mesh easily on the hookset.

Presentation is simple,  cast up river, and allow the spawn to come down current at a natural speed.  There are variations on this, that work best in certain situations.  Low water conditions, try using a float (bobber).  Thill makes some designed specifically for this.  There are also the Wing-It casting bobbers.  I strongly suggest you dispose of the spring, and treat it like a slip bobber.  Have lost too many of these to trust the spring to hold the line in place.

High water or fast moving current require weight,  this method will allow the roe sack to bounce along the bottom where the fish hang out.  A simple method to accomplish this is to tie a barrel swivel from your main line from the reel, to  your clear leader line.  In the eye where you tied the main line,  use some 4 or 6 lb test mono and create a short dropper about five or six inches in length.  On the dropper place a number of split shot on to keep the rig down.  How many is determined by speed of current and depth of the river.  Nice thing about this rig is that if you get snagged up, the shot will peel away, freeing your line.  If for some reason that doesnt occur,  the light test line will break before your main or leader line does.  If you want to get the baits down deeper, but still want to have roe sack slightly off the bottom,  there is a way.  Take those small foam dots I mentioned from Atlas Mike’s,  and place them in the sack before you tie the spawn into place. 

Your leader line should be made with fluorocarbon, at least 10 lb test would be reccomended,  not exceeding 17 lb.  Length of leader from the swivel to spawn, roughly five foot.  You will be using a long rod in most circumstances, so don’t be afraid to make it slightly longer if you are  confident in your casting ability.

There you go,  cast up river, allow the current to take it downstream, and repeat the process.  Somewhere in your drift, try to have the baits go around bends or holes in the river bed.  Salmon will use these areas as breaks or rest areas, before making their final push upstream to spawn.