Archive for the ‘General Topics’ Category

One of those Dreary Days, come on ICE

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

One of those days when the weather dictates your actions, hate not being in control lol.  So made the best of it and got my paperwork done, made my calls, did the snail mail thing and the email thing as well.

Still hoping to get out a few more times for putting perch in the freezer, hit Irish Hills for some bull gills,  but must admit my attention is slowly turning towards the hardwater season.

I got my “care package”  from Northland two days ago and cannot wait to start dropping  jigs down a freshly opened hole. They have come out with some sized #14  jigs in both the Mud Bug and Gill-Getter that was introduced last year, as well as the new Hexi Fly that they are coming out with this year.

hexy

The flat surface behind the head is designed to read better on your sonar flashers, while looking at it from the side still gives you a very small profile. Crappie looking up from the bottom will still see a nice FAT target to strike at.

They also have some really nice steelhead jigs called Bugaboo jigs, which are also available  in  larger sizes can be used for walleye and smallies.  The Buckaroo jigs in the half ounce size will be perfect come spring time out on Erie for walleye down in Ohio waters.  They have also expanded their muskie lineup which looks GREAT, and some really nice new patterns available on their blades.

Talked to Thorne Bros. up in Minnesota and they have some nice things coming out in their ice rods.

Also made arrangements to have my power auger tuned up at the Strikemaster plant in MN.

So far have been signed up to do shows and seminars in Gander Mountains, as well as Bass Pro (not sure yet if its Rossford or Great Lakes) for Vexilar, St Croix, Northland and Clam. Clam has done a really nice job re-engineering both the Pro and Scout, and will be introducing two revamped shanties to replace them.

Love WTP products and will be taking the witch tape to redo some of my jigging spoons and give them a facelift soon. Also started shopping around to add to the arsenal for both walleye, pike and perch.  Maybe some crappie.

Need to do this, do that, and wonder why there just isn’t enough hours in the day.

Sunset in the country

Friday, September 18th, 2009

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Upper Peninsula Scenes

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

Even when fishing, stop and take a good look around you.  What you see can really be impressive.  Enjoy these shot on the lake the cabin is on, plus some of the lakes in the area.  Also, we had a visitor one night in one of our 90 year old white pine trees.

Munising Falls

Munising Falls

Jug Lake Split

Jug Lake Split

 

My Dock

My Dock

 

Skeels Lake Split

Skeels Lake Split

 

Moon shot

Moon shot

Clouds over Grassy

Clouds over Grassy

 

owl off the front porch

owl off the front porch

More Tournies in Monroe Needed

Friday, August 14th, 2009

Its crazy that there are not more fishing tournaments held in the Monroe area, considering  it is located on one of the nation’s best walleye and perch fisheries. Last year Matthews Bait and Tackle had one, it was a great time, good food, nice cash prizes, but they went out of business.

This year there was one held by Jeff’s Bait and Tackle, and they plan on having a perch derby over the Labor Day weekend.  If its conducted anyway like the walleye tourney was, I am sure it will be a good time for all who enter.

The point is, why are there not more being held?  You go up to Saginaw Bay and there is a local tournament practically every weekend.  The Marina has one, some auto repair shop has one..etc.  Every bait shop should be having one down here.  Good for business, free promotion in the paper and a whole more exciting than reading the softball beer league scores.  Not that I have anything against softball or beer for that matter.

If every tackle store held a tourney, that would be four in our area right there.  Throw in perhaps the new owners at Cook’s Sportland, and I know the name has changed, but I don’t know it yet, sorry. So there’s five, throw in two marinas in Brest Bay and Bolles Harbour, that’s seven. Start having them in May and by July when the eyes are normally getting scarce, its been a great season!

You learn a lot by talking with the anglers after the event is over.  What worked for them, or on the other hand you might be able to shed some light and help them out too.  Its not just about the competition, although that can be a good thing,  they really are just fun events.

Hopefully someone steps up in 2010, and this thing can start having that snowball effect that is needed in this area.

What goes good with a fish fry…

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

Horseshoes of course!  Finally got around to putting my temporary pits in yesterday.  I would pick the two hottest, most humid days of the year to do it, but like I told everyone who said wait for a couple of cooler days, they are done now!  It was so hot, this is where everyone goes at once, how hot was it Mace?  It was so hot, that it melted the ice build up in the keggerator closet! Not a good sign.

First off I built these portable backstops out of treated lumber, and braced them with some shelf brackets.

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Then I built the frame for the sand to go around the stake.  Then I measured around the stake to make it kosher, then using the frame as a trace, I painted the grass around it and started digging.  After getting that finished up I picked up my sand and filled in the hole/pit.

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So wah-la, all done.  For official measurements it was as easy to find as g-o-o-g-l-e.  Stakes are 40 ft apart just like they said, got my 3 inch angle on the stakes, and they are 15 inches high…textbook.

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Hunter’s Safety Course @ Maybee Sportsman’s

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Its that time of the year to get the youngsters out and ready to take the field for the hunting seasons that Michigan has to offer.  You will be hard pressed to find a program that offers a better training program  and facility than the course offered by the Maybee Sportsmans Club over on 11490 Hoffman Road over in Maybee.

The dates for this year’s training program are Tuesday, September 8th (5:30pm-9:30pm), then Thursday September 10th (6pm till 9:30pm) and it wraps up on Saturday the 12th (9am to 4 pm).  The course covers gun handling safety, first aid, survival, hunter ethics and sportsmanship, with instruction given by members with years of  DNR training experience.  If the weather is uncooperative the club offers a top notch indoor facility, as well.

To pre-register you can visit the club online at  www.maybeesportsmanclub.netor if you have questions you can call Donn Wobser at 734.269.6394.  Both Mr. Wobser and my neighbor Don Keck are well qualified, and Mr. Keck is a former Michigan state champion in archery.  So you really are getting your youngsters trained by some of the best in the state.

Brandon Inge….All Star

Friday, July 10th, 2009

and he will be in the home run derby as well!!!!

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090709&content_id=5783112&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det

Jet Diver Charts

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

Straight from the factory, I must admit I haven’t tried them yet. I have the charts from Precision Trolling.

Dive Chart

Top Five Posts of All Time (Review)

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

Over the three years I have been writing this blog about fishing in Michigan, my most read posts have juggled for the top sport from time to time.  For a long time in the beginning it was about pike fishing,  or the moose that walked across my uncle and aunts lake front property in the Upper.  Since Kelly Gotch announced her leaving Michigan Out of Doors,  the outdoor sprite held the top position, but this morning that lead is no more.

It must be global warming, or the fact that it snowed in the Upper last week when temps dropped down to 28 degrees overnight, but there is a new leader.  Its all about the ice fishing around here from November through March, but this is a first for the month of June.    The blog about my favorite walleye ice fishing reels has taken over the top spot.  It wasn’t long, or full of lots of pics, just short and to the point.  More of a teaching thing that allowed anglers to pick a quality reel for a good price.

http://www.blogsmonroe.com/fishing/2007/11/walleye-ice-reels/

http://www.blogsmonroe.com/fishing/2008/09/gotch-leaving-michigan-out-of-doors/

http://www.blogsmonroe.com/fishing/2007/03/the-best-walleye-lure-ever/

http://www.blogsmonroe.com/fishing/2008/06/hybrid-perch-rigs/

http://www.blogsmonroe.com/fishing/2007/03/on-the-hunt-for-the-water-wolf/

Things you learn at a garage sale

Monday, June 8th, 2009

My first weekend doing a garage sale went fine;  had fun, sold a bunch of crawler harnesses, worm binders and some jigs.  A few things I learned over the weekend are the following:

If someone was a nice person 20+ yrs ago, they tend to be nice people today, and raise good kids.

Redneck girls are still the best, the Bellamy Brothers had it right in the song all those years ago.  There really is something about a gal with her name on the back of their belt.  Think I like the sight of a horse trailer coming down the road. 

A free bottle of water will make people smile, and to think I thought for years that bottled water was silly.

It really is a small world after all, you meet folks from far and wide, and you will have something in common with a few of them.  Hope the worm binders work for you.

Sold 25 crawler harnesses to one person yesterday (this is a fishing blog), but not for walleye fishing.  You really do learn something new every day,  turns out they work really well for cat fishing down at the “hot hole”.  That’s the warm water discharge at the Edison plant for the non locals who read the blog.  I have caught a few out in the river channel, so that makes and cats do like worms.

Now, the question is, “Can I get the grass cut before it rains?”