Fishing Michigan

and the Perch fishing isn’t to bad either.

Here is the latest report from Mike and Jason from Matthew’s Bait and Tackle:

The date and time is yet to be determined,  but it sounds like I will be at the paper’s booth at some point during fair week.  When the details are worked out, I will post them and get them on the blog. It will be nice to meet some of the folks who have emailed me their comments and questions in person.  Depending on how much time I have at the booth I will try to have something set up for folks to see, perhaps tieing their own harnesses and have some rods rigged up as well.

Make sure you ask for the GPS waypts when you pick up your crawlers:

Yesterday in the Detroit News,  sports columnist Terry Foster wrote an excellent article about Michigan’s great waters.  Titled “Making Waves: Pro Fisherman Impressed with state waterways”,  he went on to describe the impressive catches on Lake St. Clair.  He quotes several of the pro’s who said nothing but nice things about the area’s smallmouth population.

BUT,  very little was actually made of the event itself.  Fishing,  whether it be walleye or bass tournaments, really gets short changed as a sport.  Mr. Foster’s article was fantastic,  but only in describing the fishery, not the sport.

I have been trying to think of other sports which get higher acclaim,  but could compare to the skill level needed to compete in a tournament series.  I came up with golf, and this is not a knock against those who track up and down the greens.  Golf takes skill, and tons of practice.  So does fishing.

I carry just as many rods as a golfer carries clubs.  Each designed for a specific use and situation. Each spooled with a different type or weight of line that enhances that technique.   I spend countless hours on the water to learn the lay of the land (lake bottom), and a golfer learns a knew course the week prior to an event.  So both spend tons of time in preparation.  Fisherman are constantly in motion, fighting fish, weather and conditions.  Each applies to how an angler attacks an event.  A golfer, endures the heat, the wind and rain, as well.  Takes into account each situation, and applies the best way to get that ball into the cup.

Its embarrassing the way I hit a wood,  which is turned 30 degrees to the left, just so the ball goes straight down the fairway.  But, I bet it would be just as embarrassing as the golfer who uses a baitcaster for the first time, and gets that bird’s nest of line built up in the reel.  That’s second nature for me, as easy as a flick of the wrist. 

Point being through all of this, its time for fishing to get its due.  Tell me techniques, real situations and how they were approached.  Give me the troubled times, and how they were handled and overcome.  Ask pertinent questions from those in the top tier of anglers,  not some fluff piece where the big names of yesteryear comment on the local waters.  Yawn.

That said, the amount of coverage was increased over last year.  The year before last, the series wasn’t even mentioned.  So I am thankful for that.  Its getting better in local tournament coverage, but its got a long way to go.

Just got the new sales flyer in the mail  from the Rossford, OH store. There are some pretty nice things on sale over a three week period that started July 14th and runs through the 7th of August.  Some of it is just 10 bucks off here or 20 dollars off there,  but it all adds up in the end.

If you are smoking meat like I was last weekend, you know how important it is not to open the doors on the box.  All that heats escapes and the temps drop drastically.  Having a digital, remote thermometer is essential.  Regularly $34.99, its on sale for $24.88.  I like the fact that I can be up to 100 ft away from the cooking and still know what is going on inside.

Lots of camping, hunting and clothing type items are on sale as well. Boats and kayaks, as well as other marine type items.  The fishing is a little sparse, but still some pretty decent deals to be had.

I am probably going to pick up some XPS Keel Weights @ 20% off of $6.99 which = $5.59 a pkg.  Love those weights for trolling crawler harnesses.  I am getting ready for an U.P. trip and some smallmouth spots that are really good.  So I am thinking some of the Berkley Gulp and BPS Goby plastics could come in handy.  Should also come in handy this winter, when I try that method through the ice for walleye on Saginaw Bay, or Brest Bay if we have the winter I think we are going to have.  It should work,  I was really surprised how well it paid off for catching Northerns last year in the Upper.

Lots of other fishing items are sale as well; nets, fillet knives, blades, line…etc.

Been trying to beat the rain before this weekend and the party, so not much from myself to report on fishing.  Luckily the guys at Matthew’s Bait and Tackle keep sending those emails and posts.

The big question seems to be, “Where have all the walleye gone?”  Luckily the perch have been producing in some spots,  and you have to be aggressive in your approach.  If the fish “ain’t there”, don’t be afraid to pull anchor and go find them.  A slow drift can help locate perch when they are on the move.

Here is the report from Jason at the B&T:

That time again, where the FLW Bass tour comes to town with the Chevy Open.

Wednesday, July 9th:

6 to 8 pm is Chevy Pro Night @ Jefferson Chevrolet (2130 East Jefferson, Detroit)

Thursday, July 10th:

6:30 am start from Elizabeth Park Marina with a weigh-in at 3 pm at the Marina.

Friday, July 11th:

Same times as Thursday, no new scheduled events.

Saturday, July 12th:

6:30 start at the marina at Elizabeth Park

Noon, Family fun zone opens at the Macomb Hall at Cobo

4 pm weigh-in at Cobo

Sunday, July 13th:

6:30 start at EP Marina

Noon, fun zone at Cobo

2 pm Youth Fishing Clinic, FLW Main Stage at Cobo

4 pm Final Weigh-in and Ranger Boat give-a-way @ Cobo.

Its always fun to come down to these pro events for the amateur anglers and their families.  The activities and the chance to question the pro’s about techniques and styles, not to mention the goodies that are given away.

Every trip is a learning experience, a chance to try new things and hone the skills you have developed.  Here are the results from the bait shops first annual tournament.

1st Place Team Tony Vitale 19.15lbs
2nd Place Team Bob Porcs 17.75lbs Also won Biggest fish at 6.65lbs
3rd Place Team Ron Crabtree 17.10lbs
4th Place Team Jay Mauter 17.05lbs
5th Place Team Paul Bolling 16.80lbs
6th Place Team Chuck Mason 16.15lbs
7th Place Team Steve Web 15.11lbs
8th Place Team Nick Girano 14.14lbs
9th Place Team Andy Wiltis 14.00lbs
10th Place Team Jason Soave 13.10lbs
11th Place Team Larry Amy 4.10lbs

So what did I learn?  It seems like the school of hard knocks was in session.  I learned to always check the plugs on the outboards the night before the tournament.  After catching that first 5 lb fish, the kicker conked out, crossing every single line we had out.  That half hour of fishing was valuable time lost, but all was not lost.  Still had a decent showing, had a blast thanks to the great event that Jason and Mike put on at Matthew’s.

Hope everyone enjoys today, and the weekend.  Be safe on the water, the roads and backyards.  Remember the struggle that was endured to secure our freedom and the risk taken by those who signed that document back in 1776.  God Bless!