Steve Pardo / The Detroit News

Federal officials say DNA evidence shows the aggressive Asian carp may have breached the electronic barrier designed to prevent it from invading the Great Lakes.

Officials with the Army Corps of Engineers said today that DNA of the giant carp has been found north of the barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The Cal-Sag channel leads to Lake Michigan. Environmentalists fear the carp could wreak havoc on the region's $4.5 billion fishing industry.
"This means we have to take aggressive action now because an invasion is imminent," said Jennifer Nalbone, director of Navigation and Invasive Species at Great Lakes United. "This is not the time for deliberation. This is the time for action."

Asian carp escaped from Southern fish farms in the 1990s and have been migrating up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. They grow to more than 4 feet long and weigh up to 100 pounds. The powerful carp are known to knock boaters from their boats.

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20091120/METRO/911200420/1409/METRO

It's not often that you'd describe the angler, rather than the fish, as the one that got away.

But that was certainly the case for Tim Smith, who lived to tell the tale after tussling with a crocodile over this monster 6ft Nile perch.

The art teacher, 39, had already been engaged in a titanic battle to reel in the 249lb fish for 45 minutes in his tiny motor boat on the Victoria Nile in Uganda when he realised he had a fiercer rival.

Fortunately, however, it was the 39-year-old art teacher who turned out to be the one that got away, managing to tether his catch to the boat before firing the motor into life, leaving his opponent empty-mouthed in his wake.

And he was able to pose by his giant prize - which may be a record - for this spectacular photograph.
Back from his Ugandan trip and home to mercifully crocodile-free Northern Ireland, he told yesterday of his transformation from being the hunter to the hunted.

He had been grappling with the fish while in a small boat on the Victoria Nile in Uganda, about a mile downstream from the stunning Murchison Falls, for about 45 minutes when he realised he had competition.

'Suddenly the boat lurched and I nearly fell out,' he said. 'I didn't really know what had happened.

'The next thing is, the crocodile launches itself at me, mouth wide open.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1220924/Fisherman-reels-monster-6ft-perch--battling-CROCODILE.html#ixzz0UNuOGLKP

Caught on Sept 20, 2009 it was 54" and tipped the scale @ 36lbs 

Scientists advise caution with transgenic fish
SWEDEN - Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Researchers studying transgenic fish at the University of Gothenburg at the behest of the European Union (EU) have highlighted the potential of the fish to revolutionise fish farming but warned against its open system cultivation.

"Until further notice, transgenic fish should be bred in closed systems on land," specified Fredrik Sundström at the Department of Zoology of the university.

The fast-growing fish, however, can go a long way towards taking the weight off endangered and overexploited wild fish stocks, he noted.

The scientists furnished fish with transgenes, or genes from other organisms, and were able to produce fish that can grow substantially faster and can resist diseases with greater resilience. It was found that fish genes can be modified to handle different situations more smoothly, such as survival and spawning in colder temperatures, and yield higher production volumes.
Regardless, if these fish should enter the wild, they may cause harmful effects to the ecosystem.

In terms of toxins, these fish ...

See the source (http://tinyurl.com/l54zfs) for the full story.

Walleyes are really hitting in most parts of Lake St. Clair right now, especially in the Middle and Shipping Channel. Most people who are going Walleye fishing are coming back with their limits.

Also, perch is doing really well in channels and by the lights houses, but be warned the perch are running on the small size. There are reports of the larger perch being caught in the weeds and down the Sni.

Bass is still doing very well in the channels.

Good luck this weekend and enjoy the holiday!

Southeast:

Anglers fishing Lake St. Clair are doing well near the St. Clair Light for walleye near Mac and Ray’s and the Dumping Grounds. Anchor Bay and Fairport anglers are doing well for perch near the shipping channels. Throughout the Downriver area the Detroit River is giving up plenty of walleye in the early morning and late evening hours around Celeron Island, Rat Island, pretty much the entire lower Trenton Channel, off of Sugar Island and near the Cross-Dyke. Anglers are finding good numbers of walleye all around Grosse Ile and Gibraltar. Straight out of Monroe good numbers of walleye and perch are hitting near Stony Point, Pt. Mouille, Banana Dyke, Bolles Harbor and Luna Pier in waters 12-25 feet. Walleye action continues to be good around the Islands, Toledo Light, dumping grounds and near the Sputnik Buoy. Anglers are finding decent fishing for bass, a few walleye and good fishing for carp and cat fish on the Huron River.

East:

Off of Port Austin walleye action is good in 20-50 feet of water trolling crawler harnesses. Steelhead and lake trout are biting in about 150 feet of water. Off of Lexington anglers are doing decent for a few pike, small mouth bass and some salmon. The steelhead action is better for anglers fishing in 100-150 feet of water. Perch numbers are nice with anglers fishing near the weed beds and lake trout are biting more toward the bottom. Around the Port Sanilac area anglers are doing well for salmon, steelhead, lake trout and a few perch. Off of Harbor Beach decent numbers of walleye are hitting right inside the harbor on a variety of spoons with blues, greens and yellow the most popular. Bass action is very good. Try fishing in 80-160 feet of water for lake trout on body baits. The steelhead activity remains good on orange spoons in deeper waters. Anglers fishing on Saginaw Bay near Linwood are finding nice walleye numbers in 15-20 feet of water. Quanicassee anglers are getting great numbers of walleye in very shallow water near the river. Anglers near Bay Port are having good success around North Island for walleye. Callahan Reef continues to be hot for walleye on crawler harnesses

Southeast:

Around Fair Haven and Algonac, the walleye action on the south channel is producing good results. Perch fishing has picked up from the Fair Haven area to Grass Island in the bay. Bass continue to be plentiful no matter where you cast a line.

On Lake St. Clair, walleye action has been hot around the dumping grounds, the St. Clair Lighthouse, the 29 and 30 cans and in front of the Grosse Point Yacht Club. In Canadian waters, the best place to fish is near the Belle River. Perch fishing around the shipping channel and buoy 26 is producing good results. For the best musky fishing, head toward the red barn or over to Canadian waters and bass can be taken just about anywhere.

Around the Detroit River, anglers are hand-lining, drifting and jigging for walleye with success. In the northern part of the river, hand-lining is working well at dawn, dusk and at night. From Trenton to Celeron Island, on both sides of Grosse Ile, jigging has resulted in good numbers of walleye. Walleye are also being caught in the channel cuts of the river, near the last green buoy and near Sugar Island in 14 feet of water. Perch action is good from buoy 10 south to the Detroit Light and south of Celeron Island.

Near Monroe, walleye activity remains good around Estral Beach, Stony Point, Bolles Harbor and out in front of the Fermi Stacks in water up to 23 feet deep. Perch action has increased near Luna Pier, E-Buoy, the Toledo Lighthouse and C-can. Minnows and worms are the bait of choice.

Further out on Lake Erie, anglers are doing very well around the Sputnik and McDonalds buoys for walleye. In Canadian waters, walleye can be found near Harbor Beach in about 21 feet of water. Around Colchester, try fishing near the helicopter pad or near the One Mile buoy.

In the Belleville area, Ford Lake is producing nice crappie, blue gill, Small Mouth bass and walleye. The Huron River near Geddes Road or Argo Park in Ann Arbor are good spots for a variety of fishing. Popular baits overall include leaf worms, minnows, wax worms, leeches and night crawlers.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; The Bait and Tackle Box-Trenton; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale.

East:

Anglers heading into the Saginaw Bay from either Standish or Bay Port continue to work for their catch. The walleye are being caught in about 20-25 feet of water fishing the bottom. A variety of baits are working well including crawler harnesses, spoons and even the occasional Hot ‘N Tot.

Out from the Standish area, anglers are finding success near the sand bar. The best attracting colors have been pinks and purples. The occasional perch is being caught as well.

Near Bay City, the best areas have been close to the edge of the shipping channel and between the Spark Plug and buoys 1 and 2. Anglers looking for perch can try near the Spark Plug or out from the Quanicassee River. The fishing around Bay Port has been very spotty. The most consistent fishing has been beyond Sand Point with Hot ‘N Tots as the bait of choice.

Around the tip of the thumb, walleye action has been excellent. Try using a crawler harness or bomber near the Grindstone area in water 20-25 feet in depth. Lake trout have moved in closer out from Port Austin with good numbers being caught.

Perch fishing out from Port Sanilac or Lexington has been very slow with no report on walleye action for the week.

Drift fishing near Port Huron has remained solid and hand-lining is beginning to pick up using an F7 Rapala. In the Black River, the silver bass bite has remained consistent near the city building. Farther up the river, Large and Small Mouth bass and pike are being caught.

Information providers: 1st & Main-Bay Port; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Eagle Bay Marina-Standish and Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron.

Boat registrations drop but fishing licenses soar
BY L.L. BRASIER • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • JULY 27, 2009

More Michigan residents are hanging out their "Gone Fishin' " signs this year, looking for a cheap afternoon of fun -- and with some luck, a free dinner.

The number of fishing licenses has jumped by more than 54,000 since 2007, state records show.

But, while more people are fishing, they appear to be doing it mostly from small boats or shorelines. Boat registrations have dropped in Michigan in the past year: There were 8,200 fewer boats registered this year, down from 950,772 in 2008, according to state records.

Boat sales are down and more boat owners, especially those with larger vessels, are keeping them in dry dock because of rising fuel costs and a sluggish economy.

With Michigan's rich abundance of freshwater lakes and rivers, boating experts predict that boat sales and registrations again will climb once the economy recovers.

"There is no place like this in the world," said Van Snider, president of the Michigan Boating Industries Association. "It's the place to have a boat."

Like raising home vegetable gardens, fishing may be another enjoyable way to augment the family pantry in tough economic times. Although there are no numbers kept to show how many people are frying up the walleye and filleting the bluegill, people in the industry said the trend is obvious.

"You can't eat golf balls," said Veronica Pinto, a co-owner of Lakeside Fishing Shop on Jefferson Avenue in St. Clair Shores, where she has been selling fishing gear for 33 years.

Fewer customers come in looking for high-end equipment these days, she said. Now, it's families on a budget. Pinto said she recently began stocking a Lady Shakespeare rod and reel for $39, designed for women. A young angler can get started with a $14.99 package.

"The face of our customer has changed," she said of fishing. "People don't have the money. And, hey, when you're done, you can sit down and eat dinner."

Click here for the entire article

BY JOHN SEEWER • ASSOCIATED PRESS • JULY 19, 2009

OAK HARBOR, Ohio — Gulls shrieked overhead as Bob Hall lugged a pair of plastic 5-gallon gas cans down the dock to fill up his fishing boat, then hopped on a golf cart and headed to a gas station for another load.

Hauling the fuel rather than buying it at higher-priced marina pumps will save $20 — a worthwhile effort when bookings are down 30% for his charter fishing business on Lake Erie.

Fishing boat captains all along the Great Lakes are struggling to stay afloat this summer, some losing half of their customers because of the manufacturing and economic slump in the Midwest.

“Fishing is a blue-collar sport,” Hall said. “And a lot those guys are getting laid off.”
Many companies have eliminated annual fishing outings that they would use to reward employees, said Bob Zales II, president of the National Association of Charterboat Operators.

“If you’re laying people off, it’s hard to justify taking the others out to have fun,” he said.

Along the Great Lakes, longtime customers who fish for walleye, salmon, perch, bass, and trout are canceling trips or booking shorter stays. Some charter captains have put their boats up for sale, while others are barely able to cover their costs.

“For the guys that are making $800-a-month boat payments, it’s going to be very tough,” said John Atwell, who runs a charter boat on Lake Huron out of Port Austin, Mich. “They may not be around next year.”

Charter captains on the East and West coasts and along the Gulf of Mexico say it’s been a rough ride, too. But states surrounding the Great Lakes have been hit particularly hard by auto plant closings and extended summer shutdowns. Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois all have unemployment running in double-digit percentages.

Auto workers accounted for one out of every 10 customers a few years ago, Atwell said. Now barely any are booking trips. One customer who had been fishing with him for eight years pulled out last week, Atwell said.

“Let’s face it, fishing is an option,” he said. “It’s not a necessity.”

Click here for the entire article

Southeast:

Around Fair Haven and Algonac the walleye action remains strong on crawler harnesses and Hammer Lures with beads. Perch action is spotty. Bass are everywhere but try around Grass Island, near the cut, or the mouth of the North Channel, spinners are working well.

Great walleye fishing taking place near Harrison in 28-30 feet of water near the Fire Cracker and anglers are obtaining limits using crawler harnesses. Small Mouth bass are all over the lake in 8-14 feet of water and tubes are working well. Musky action is very good generally all over the lake, but one hot spot is near the middle and dumping grounds. Hi-Fin Bucktails are working well and fish are measuring up to 53-inches and some near 35 pounds.

Fishing near the St. Clair Shores area anglers will find perch out in front of the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, around the 29 and 30 Cans, near the St. Clair Lighthouse and the Nine Mile Tower. Lake St. Clair has some nice walleye activity in the early morning hours.

Walleye are still present on the Detroit River from the Ambassador Bridge down to the lower Trenton Channel on both sides of the river. Anglers need to move around a lot. Some anglers are jigging, but it seems that hand liners may be doing better in the evening hours and crawler harnesses and Wyandotte worms continue to work. Out on Lake Erie the walleye action is strong using spoons, Dipsy Divers, In-line planer boards and crawler harnesses remain popular. Perch action is good south of Celeron Island in 8-13 feet of water, near the Detroit Light and Rat Island. Stren series bass tournament takes place July 23-25 out of the Elizabeth Park Marina. For details call 734-675-8051 for details.

Near Monroe walleye activity remains good around Stoney Point and Brest Bay and out in front of the Fermi Stacks in 19-20 feet of water. Hot-n-Tots, Wiggle Warts, minnows and worms are working well. Luna Pier is giving up nice walleye numbers in 14-feet of water.

Further out on Lake Erie, anglers are doing very well around all of the Islands and near Buoys 1 and 2. Heading towards Leamington plenty of walleye are being caught in 30-feet of water. Further south, Pelee Island has great walleye action and all of the charter services are limiting out. Perch action is good near the Sputnik and McDonalds buoys, near the S and W-cans but watch for lots of nets.

In the Belleville area some great crappie and walleye fishing is taking place near Sandy’s Marina and near the Rawsonvillle Road Bridge in the early morning hours. Belleville Lake is producing nice crappie catches near the bridge and walleye near the Dam. The blue gill bite is good and the Small Mouth bass are starting to bite better as well. The Huron River near Geddes Road or Argo Park in Ann Arbor is a good spot for some nice bass fishing with artificial frogs. Ford Lake has limited angling due to the heavy algae at this time. Popular baits overall include baby crawlers, minnows, wax worms, leeches and night crawlers.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale

East:

Standish anglers continue to find good catches of walleye in 35-feet of water. Green, yellow, pink and purple spoons in a variety of combinations are working as well as crawler harnesses. No perch action at this time. Linwood anglers are heading straight out to the edge of the shipping channels in 20-25 feet of water for some nice perch action. Fish are averaging nine inches. Straight out from Bay City three to four miles, near Finn Road and the Spark Plug the walleye fishing is good. Perch activity is decent near the last buoy bout 13 miles out. Catfish are hitting around Quanicassee and a few bass can be had near the Lafayette Bridge on the Saginaw River. Sand Point is a good location when the winds are calm for some good walleye fishing in deeper water with crawlers and harnesses. Anglers fishing early were limiting out by 11 a.m. Overall the entire Saginaw Bay is doing well on walleye on crawler harnesses.

Anglers fishing right in the harbor at Harbor Beach are getting walleye biting on crawler harnesses, pink is a hot color. No perch at this time.

Information providers: 1st & Main-Bay Port; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Eagle Bay Marina-Standish and Gander Mountain-Saginaw.

SOUTHEAST

Good walleye action for Fair Haven anglers fishing in the north shipping channels, near Grass Island and near Decker’s. Crawler harnesses are the bait of choice for walleye. Perch action is good near Buoy 27 and the shipping channels on minnows.

Lots of anglers are out just off of Harrison where the musky and walleye fishing is hot on crawler harnesses in 19 feet of water. Musky are measuring in 40-51 inches. Perch are also active in 14-19 feet of water. Small mouth bass are biting around Nine Mile on brownish colored tubes.

St. Clair Shores anglers are having good luck fishing for walleye on the Detroit River near the sand piles, near the Ambassador Bridge towards the Canadian side, in front of Windsor Casino and off of Joe Louis arena. The evening hours seem to be best. Lake St. Clair the bass are biting all over.

The Detroit River is alive with walleye once again and anglers are just killing them around Belanger Park near River Rouge on Wyandotte worms and lead head. Actually all up and down the Detroit River the walleye fishing is good on both the Canadian and U.S. sides and hand liners are doing very well near the salt mines and all the way down to the Trenton Channel, around Celeron and Horse Islands. The evening hours seem to be better. Rapalas, Stubbies or fat pencil plugs, Vampire and Bleeding Copper Flash are working well. Walleye are averaging 15-inches. Bass action is good around Celeron Island using tubes, center and gulp baits. Carp Tournament July 18th and Huroc Park in Flat Rock, call 313-388-3474 for details.

In Rock Wood the Lake Erie Metro Park Boat Launch near the south end has some good fishing taking place. The Huron River is loaded with catfish. Perch, large and small mouth bass are active near the mouth of Lake Erie and around sandy spots.


Off of the Monroe area, the walleye are hitting in 19-20 feet of water near the Fermi Stacks on spoons. Popular colors are purple and chartreuse, purple and gold, pink, Hot Lobster and Blueberry Muffin. Walleye are hitting pretty much all over Lake Erie, but especially near the E-Buoy, Dumping Grounds and Luna Pier on Hot-n-Tots and Wiggle Warts. Walleye are moving in closer towards Stoney Point, near the Toledo Light and around all of the Islands. Perch action is good near the C-Can, Luna Pier, Sputnik Buoy, Turn-Around Buoy and the edge of the shipping channel. Pointe Mouille, anglers are catching a bit of everything including bass and catfish.
Belleville Lake has some good fishing for crappie and walleye during the evening hours and in deeper water. Pike and blue gill activity is also good, but the bass seems to be off. All types of baits seem to be working well with baby crawlers and a variety of green colored crawlers quite popular.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale and Gander Mountain-Taylor.

EAST

Off of Standish walleye are biting on crawler harnesses and spoons. Preferred colors include bright yellow and purple, chartreuse and pink combinations. Bay City anglers are pulling in some perch near Buoy’s 1 and 2 off the channel on crawler harnesses and worms. In the same location walleye are hitting on bottom bouncers, popular colors include chartreuse, pink or purple and south of the Spark Plug anglers are obtaining limits. Saginaw Bay is giving up limits of walleye on the west side of Callahan Reef in 9-12 feet of water. Crawler harnesses 10-20 feet back with quarter ounce in-lines running 1.3-1.5 seems to be working well with purple, pink, red and chartreuse bead combo’s with various #6 Colorado blades, gold or copper backed. Bay Port anglers are finding good fishing despite windy conditions and rough water. Walleye are in deeper waters past North Island and taking a little longer to get limits. Perch are hitting on minnows and closer in. The Sebewaing area is on fire for walleye.

Port Sanilac is crazy with catfish especially during the evening hours. Night crawlers are working on the bottom and egg sinkers on a three foot lead. Perch action is spotty in Port Sanilac and Lexington. Hot walleye activity in Port Huron where anglers are drifting with blades and crawlers. Popular colors seem to be a variety of greens and chartreuse. Shore anglers are doing very well all up and down the Boardwalk, near Thomas Edison and Pine Grove Park. The mouth of the Black River is mass producing Silver bass and the fish are huge and anglers can expect to find large quantities of Silver bass around Marine City as well. Minnows are running and the walleye are following. Twisters, Rapalas and spinner baits are working well during the evening hours. All up and down the Black River anglers are reeling in good numbers of bass, pike and catfish.

Information providers: 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Eagle Bay Marina-Standish; Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; WalleyeKid.com and Lance Valentine’s Walleye 101.

Southeast:

Off of the Fair Haven area the bass are just about everywhere and anglers are finding good results using golden shiners and spinners. Walleye activity is good around Decker’s Landing and around Marine City. Grass Island is producing nice numbers of perch near the Baltimore cut. Walleye action is good off of Algonac in the Middle and South Channels and a lot of bass are being caught in Lake St. Clair.

Anglers fishing around the Harrison and Metro Beach area are doing well for perch out at the St. Clair Light and near Buoy 27. Walleye are in the same line. Crappie action is good behind Metro beach and walleye great behind Gino’s. Small mouth bass are hitting in Lake St. Clair. Musky action is good using trolling baits, jointed body baits or Buck Tail Spinners.

Windy weather slowed up fishing in the past few days, but conditions are improving off of the Ecorse, River Rouge and Melvindale areas where walleye fishing is decent on the Detroit River. Shore fishing is good off Delray and Belanger parks. Bottom bouncers and harnesses are working well. Hand lining is working but drifting seems to be better.

In the downriver area, thunderstorm threats and high winds kept many anglers off the waters the last few days in the Trenton, Riverview, Wyandotte and Grosse Ile areas. Anglers getting out are getting some fish in various locations. Try the Livingston Channel starting near Turtle Bay and work your way up the shoreline towards the Hole-in-the-wall and lots of fish can be had, including walleye in 25-30 feet. Night crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers are working well. Perch fishing is good all over and perch rigs, minnows and Emerald Shiners are doing the job. South of Celeron has good perch fishing as well as near the shipping channels and Rat Island. Small mouth bass are biting on tubes drifting bobbers and leeches. The Silver bass are gone in the Detroit River but now anglers are dealing with plenty of weeds that have moved in. Walleye activity is decent hand lining from the lower Trenton Channel to the mouth of Lake Erie but the white perch fishing is actually better at this point. The Amherstburg Channel is also good for jigging walleye. The Huron River near Rock Wood is giving up lots of small and large mouth bass catches.

Off of the Monroe area just north of the Fermi Plant plenty of fish are active in 20-22 feet of water particularly near the Bell Buoy. Weeds, murky waters and plenty of Mayflies are making trolling difficult. Off of the River Raisin fish are active just outside of the muddy water in 18-23 feet. Crawler harnesses are working well and trolling less than 1.5 mph. Anglers are getting results using one ounce in-line weights about 25-35 feet behind planer boards. Purple is a popular color. Stoney Point and Brest Bay producing an abundance of fish on crank baits and spoons in 18-20 feet of water. Anglers are getting results fishing half way down the water column. Walleye activity is also good off the Banana Dyke in 15-feet of water. The average size fish is ranging from 16 to 22 inches long, many undersized. Luna Pier is giving up nice numbers of perch. Worms and minnows are working well on perch and trolling is working better than drifting.

Out on Lake Erie walleye fishing is good in the shipping channels, near the Detroit Light, Sputnik and E-Buoys. Perch action is good off the E-Buoy, C-Can, Toledo Beach, in 21-feet of water around Holiday Beach, near Colchester and off all of the Islands. Ohio waters continue to produce fish three to five miles northwest of West sister Island and just east of Buoy 1 in the Toledo Shipping channel. Spoons and crawler harnesses are both working well.

Again this week anglers are doing very well on both Belleville and Ford lakes for good numbers of walleye using Fathead minnows, wax worms and night crawlers. Blue gill action is also good on both lakes and the Huron River particularly near Le Forge Road and Huron River Drive where the old Crown Vantage Paper Mill use to stand in Ypsilanti.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; WalleyeKid.com; Lance Valentine’s Walleye 101; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale; Gander Mountain-Taylor and The Bait & Tackle Box-Trenton.

East:

Saginaw Bay near the Standish area continues to be a good location for walleye. Anglers fishing in 15-16 feet and deeper in 25-27 feet are doing well with crawlers, harnesses with spoons. Purple, Chartreuse and bright colors seem to be best. Plenty of rain and windy conditions for anglers around Bay City but the weather is improving and the walleye continue to bite around Finn Road. Linwood to Quanicassee is producing fish in 8-10 feet of water. Most anglers trolling are running quarter to half ounce in-line weights on crawler harnesses trolled 10-20 feet behind planer boards. Gold blades with Chartreuse beads continue to work well. A few anglers are starting to pick up fish casting crank baits around the weeds. Pan fish are good all over.

Bay Port anglers continue to do well for walleye around North Island with crawlers. Bass activity is very good and the fish are good size as well several five pound fish have been caught right off the docks. Pike action is decent.

Perch are in the harbor and are overall small in size at Harbor Beach. There is a few bigger fish in the mix and the best bait is worms.

Information providers: Frank’s Place-Harbor Beach; 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Gander Mountain-Saginaw and Eagle Bay Marina-Standish.

Southeast:

Fairhaven anglers are doing well out near the shipping channel near Buoy 28 for perch on minnows. Perch action also good northeast of Grass Island around the cut, 10-feet out in front of Selfridge and in the reeds on Goose Bay. Walleye are hanging in the river and good action is taking place from Marine City to Algonac using crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers.

Off of the Harrison area bass and blue gill are being caught around Gino’s Surf and the 400 Club in 8-12 feet of water. Bass are active near Masonic Boulevard in eight feet of water. Out in the shipping channels near Buoy 26 and around the St. Clair Light the perch and walleye are hitting in 18-feet of water.

The Detroit River between Melvindale and the Ambassador Bridge seems to be turning back on for walleye. Could be that since the silver bass have slowed tremendously the walleye are just easier to catch. Near the Ambassador Bridge on the Canadian side hand liners are doing well at night typically getting limits. Anglers fishing around Fighting Island are pulling in decent size walleye on crawler harnesses generally getting limits.

Perch fishing on the Detroit River is decent north of Grassy Island and on the north side of Grosse Ile, the south side of Sugar Island, around the Cross-Dyke and south of Celeron. Shiner minnows on perch rigs work well. Lots of yellow perch caught at the mouth of the Detroit River and ranging 12-15 inches. The Trenton Channel is slow for walleye but the fish are moving back in and up the river and anglers are trolling with spoons, hand lining and averaging 6-10 fish per boat. Walleye that are in the river are larger this time around. A Mayfly hatch seems to have triggered the fish to eat. The Detroit River is slow for bass and the fish are small.

Anglers fishing Lake Erie and out by the Detroit Light and Buoy 10 are pulling in a few good size walleye on minnows and some perch are biting on shiner minnows on perch rigs.

Off of Rock Wood shore fishing is good for catfish on shrimp and crawlers, while bass are hitting in good numbers on spinner bait. The Huron River is producing a few bass and some catfish near the mouth of the river.

Near Monroe Lake Erie is producing nice numbers of perch near Toledo Beach, Sputnik and E-Buoys, off the Banana Dyke, near the Dumping Grounds and around Luna Pier. Walleye activity is good at Stoney Point, Estral Beach and out in front and north of Fermi in 13-20 feet of water using crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers with purple and pink the best producers. Anglers also are using whites and blades with some gold in them and Erie Deeries. Weeds are a problem pretty much all along the shoreline. Mayfly hatch is heavy in several areas.

Out deeper anglers are getting walleye in 24-30 feet of water near the shipping channels, near the Michigan and Ohio line. Walleye are on fire near Middle Sister Island, northwest of West Sister Island, east of Buoy 1 in the Toledo shipping channel and near Holiday Beach and Colchester. Crawler harnesses, spoons and Hot-N-Tots are all working well.

Belleville and Ford lakes are producing nice numbers on a variety of fish including walleye, bass, crappie and blue gill. The bass bite is particularly good. Four Mile Lake near Chelsea has great fishing. The Huron River near the paper mill is great for bass and walleye fishing. Several baits are working well including Golden Shiners 2 ½ inches long, pan fish worms, night crawlers, wax worms and leeches.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale; WalleyeKid.com-Canton; Gander Mountain-Taylor and The Bait & Tackle Box-Trenton.

East:

Off of Standish walleye action is good in 25-27 feet of water and best results are found using crawlers, harnesses and spoons.

Saginaw Bay, the fish are hitting off of Linwood in deeper waters around 20-24 feet on crawler harnesses and Hot-N-Tots. Take part in the Scottish Rite 1st Annual Walleye Tournament at Linwood Beach Marina. Anglers need to be registered prior to 6:30 a.m., call 989-832-3360 for details.

Near Bay City the walleye fishing is phenomenal everywhere from Oakhurst to Au Gres. Water depths range from 3-20 feet. Crawler harnesses are popular as well as Hot-N-Tots for deeper waters. Catfish and Gar pike are hitting on crawlers, dough balls or dried shrimp around Finn Road.

Callahan Reef is a hot spot for limits of fish on Saginaw Bay. Try using quarter or half ounce in-line weights and crawler harnesses trolled 10 to 20 feet behind planer boards. Anglers are doing best in 7-9 feet of water using gold blades with chartreuse beads. Mid-day seems to be most productive and trolling at low speeds less than 1.3 mph.

A few larger fish are hitting in 5-6 feet of water. Hot weather has heated up the walleye fishing and Bay Port anglers are heading straight out to fish around North Island and using crawlers with very good results.

Anglers fishing in Port Austin are finding that the walleye are moving in and some good fishing is taking place for King and Coho salmon.

Kings, Coho and lake trout are abundant near Harbor Beach. Anglers are doing well on Lake Huron fishing in waters 80-110 feet with a variety of spoons. Bass are active in 12-feet of water on leeches, while walleye are found in 45-feet. Perch action is good fishing 18-25 feet and using minnows.

Perch are starting to move in to Port Sanilac and around Lexington in good numbers.

An overload of walleye has anglers limiting out quickly in Port Huron. Anglers drifting the river are finding walleye three deep with crawler harnesses working well. Out on Lake Huron anglers are whipping and hand lining with good results. Shore fishing is very good for walleye and even an occasional Brown trout, Coho and steelhead. Thanks to the silver bass, they brought a lot of fish to the area.

The mouth of the Black River is loaded with silver bass and minnows on crappie rigs on the bottom are working well. The Black River has small mouth bass and pike everywhere and hitting just about everything.

Mill Creek is good for small mouth bass. All of the ponds in the area are giving up plenty of bass on spinners and even a few pike. Anglers will have to deal with plenty of weeds though.

Information providers: Frank’s Place-Harbor Beach; 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Eagle Bay Marina-Standish; Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron and Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood.

Southeast:

Algonac anglers are finding plenty of perch starting to hit in Lake St. Clair. Lots of bass are being caught and this weekend bass opens on the American side. A few walleye are being caught in the North Channel, St. Clair River and South Channel. Off of the Fair Haven area the St. Clair River is producing decent numbers of walleye. Walleye activity is good near Sans Souci and Marine City as well. Anglers are vertical jigging and using crawler harnesses. Perch action is picking up around Harsen’s Island.

Walleye action remains strong around the Harrison Township area near Metro Beach, Gino’s Surf, and the 400 Club. Anglers are fishing on Lake St. Clair in about 14 feet of water and drifting crawlers. Small mouth bass and musky action is excellent around 9 Mile Road near the shallows. Green tubes are working today, but some anglers are starting to transition to light green or greenish/brown.

St. Clair Shores anglers are heading right out in front of the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club for some pretty good walleye action on the Detroit River.

Off of the Melvindale, River Rouge and Ecorse areas the fishing has slowed a bit on the Detroit River; possibly due to a transition of many fish heading out to the lake. Silver bass may be slowing down some and the walleye that are left seem easier to catch. Perch are starting to run in the Detroit River and are biting in most canals and around marinas and yacht clubs. Near Fighting Island and down to Buoy 94 anglers continue to jig for walleye with decent success. Fish are deep in the channel and generally smaller in size. A Mayfly hatch is just starting. Walleye fishing is decent around Celeron and Calf Islands using Chartreuse jig heads. When the fish are biting, hand liners are doing great. Popular baits include bottom bouncers, crawler harnesses and a variety of spoons with no particular color. FLW Walleye League Tournament takes place this Saturday on Lake Erie. Call 313-388-3474 for details.

In the Rock Wood area the Huron River is producing good numbers of large and small mouth bass. Perch action is picking up and anglers should find good numbers in front of Lake Erie Metro Park and towards the shipping channels. Silver bass are still on the heavy side in certain areas of the Detroit River and walleye remain in the river but overall the majority seems to have moved out from the Gibraltar area to deeper waters of Lake Erie. This may change as walleye follow spawning shiner minnows back into shallow water once the water temperature gets to about 70 degrees, right now the water is 65 degrees. Popular baits include bottom bouncers with harnesses and jigs with Wyandotte worms as well as Jet Divers and Michigan Stinger Spoons.

Straight out from Monroe heavy walleye fishing is taking place in 24-30 feet of water on Lake Erie near the Turn-Around Buoy out in front of the Fermi Plant. Bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses are working well, especially in purple and pink. Perch activity is really good around Luna Pier, E-Buoy and the Dumping Grounds. Stony Pointe and Brest Bay anglers will still find a few walleye. Trolling is better than drifting right now. Worms and minnows are still popular. Further out near the Michigan/Ohio/Canadian line and the Sputnik Buoy walleye fishing is great however Mayflies and bugs are really bad on the lake. The FLW Walleye League Tournament comes to Sterling State Park in Monroe Saturday, June 20. Call 313-910-0229 for details.

Anglers are finding hot walleye action in Ohio waters three to five miles northwest of West Sister Island and just east of Buoy #1 in the Toledo shipping channel. Anglers are getting results in 27 to 30 feet of water. Purple and watermelon colored crawler harnesses and one ounce in-line weights 40-55 feet back seem to take most fish, but a few are hitting on bottom bouncers. In the same area, charter boat services are doing well trolling spoons and jet divers 80-100 feet.

Blue gill are hitting in good numbers on Belleville and Ford lakes. Otherwise fishing overall is steady but don’t expect huge quantities of any fish. Jumbo and baby night crawlers, leeches, wax worms, Fathead minnows and worms are popular baits working on a variety of species.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale; WalleyeKid.com-Canton; Lance Valentine’s Walleye 101 and Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac.

East:

Straight out from Standish and towards the north, anglers are fishing in 14-18 feet of water for some nice walleye catches. Purple spoons are working well.

Night crawlers are working ok for Linwood anglers fishing Saginaw Bay in 16 to 20 feet of water. Bay City anglers are fishing the Saginaw River for catfish using crawlers with harnesses and walleye catches remain good off Quanicassee and Finn Road. Anglers fishing straight out from Quanicassee are also doing well on catfish with cut bait and limiting out on perch using minnows.

Sand Point off of the Bay Port area is producing good numbers of walleye and anglers using Hot-N- Tots and crawler harnesses are limiting out. A few walleye are being caught close to shore off the Long Dock. Walleye are good size too. Off of the Bay Port Public Access the catfish and bass fishing is good. Off of Port Austin, Saginaw Bay is producing nice numbers of walleye particularly around the Pointe. Anglers are doing well trolling with crawler harnesses in 8-15 feet of water.

Off of Harbor Beach Lake Huron is giving up good numbers of perch and walleye in 45 feet of water. A few Kings, Coho and steelhead remain and the lake trout fishing is great along with plentiful bass. Butterscotch spoons are hot.

Off of Lexington and Port Sanilac, King fishing is decent in 70 feet of water. Water temperatures have improved greatly. A smelt run is coming up the river bringing a lot of other fish with them. Perch are starting to show up as well. Perch are starting to hit off of Lakeport.

In Port Huron anglers fishing off the boardwalk continue to pull in good numbers of walleye and an occasional Brown. The water clarity has improved. Walleye fishing above the bridge while drifting is getting good results and when using crawler harnesses, Chartreuse and Copper Blades. Huge numbers of Silver bass are biting all along the mouth of the Black River and near the filtration plant. Minnows and crappie rigs seem to be working well. Pike and small mouth bass have really turned on in the Black River and Mill Creek. Local ponds are producing good numbers of bass.

Information providers: Frank’s Place-Harbor Beach; 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Eagle Bay Marina-Standish; Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood and Gander Mountain-Saginaw.

Summer: June 13 - 14, 2009

Two days twice a year, families and friends can enjoy one of Michigan's premiere outdoor activities, Michigan Fishing, for FREE!

All fishing license fees will be waived for two days. Residents and outstate visitors may enjoy fishing on both inland and Great Lakes' waters for all species of fish. All fishing regulations will still apply.

For many, the annual Free Fishing Weekend has become a tradition - a time to get together and have some fishing fun. While some may find time to reflect while fishing, there are no limits to variations on a great theme!

Michigan offers some of the finest freshwater fishing in the world, with more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, over 11,037 inland lakes and 36,350 miles of rivers and streams. Included are 12,000 miles of trout waters, for which approximately 1,000 miles are considered Michigan's finest blue ribbon trout mainstreams.

So grab a pole and your family and friends, and let's go fishing!

Source: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364_52261_50497---,00.html

Southeast:

Note: Boat traffic will be banned or limited along a portion of the Detroit River roughly between the Joe Louis Arena and Chene Park for the “Red Bull Air Races” Thursday through Sunday. The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard will enforce the safety zones, visit www.DetroitAirRacing.com for time restraints.

Harrison anglers are finding phenomenal fishing in the area just below Metro Beach on Lake St. Clair in five to seven feet of water and between Nine and 16 Mile Roads. Small mouth bass are extremely active, walleye is fair to good and musky is excellent. Anglers are catching and release up to a 100 bass in a day, fish are averaging five pounds. Walleye are hitting on night crawlers and crank baits in 12 to 15 feet of water. Musky are biting on Buck Tails are the hot location is near 14 Mile Road or Masonic. Fish are large in size up to 30 pounds. Off of the St. Clair Shores area the walleye are hit-or-miss on the Detroit River with best results jigging or hand lining. Silver bass continue to cover the entire stretch of the River.

From River Rouge and Ecorse to Gibraltar and Grosse Ile, the Detroit River still has plenty of silver bass and walleye activity taking place. Anglers will find that when the walleye are on limits can be had, when they aren’t plenty of patience is needed. Hand liners are doing ok. Sugar Island anglers are jigging with crawler harnesses and getting a mixture of walleye and silver bass. Anglers are catching decent amounts of blue gill on the north side of the cross-dyke. Carp are spawning and creating a stir in several of the yacht clubs on Grosse Ile and averaging 20 to 25 pounds and right along with them silver bass are in abundance. Rooster Tails are hot for silver bass.

Near Rock Wood, right out in front of Lake Erie Metro Park the walleye action is good as well as south of Calf Island. Also straight out from Lake Erie Metro Park the perch action is good and further out towards the shipping channels and around Buoy 3. Perch minnows are the bait of choice. The Gibraltar Rotary Walleye Tournament takes place June 14 out of the Lake Erie Metro Park with check in at 6:30 a.m. For details call 734-379-9762.

Off of Monroe, anglers fishing Lake Erie for walleye are doing well near Stoney Point in 23-27 feet of water, near Estral Beach in 19-20 feet and near the north side of the Banana Dyke in 15-18 feet of water. Crawler harnesses, bottom bouncers, purple and chartreuse spoons all are working well including Michigan Stinger Spoons with a Jet or Dipsy Diver and Wolverine Tackle Jr. Streaks. Off shore fishing is great off Pointe Mouille at night for catfish and on the Huron River for large and small mouth bass. Bass are biting on spinner baits, Kelly worms and Rapala Shad Wraps.

Further out on Lake Erie the walleye action is good around West Sister in 24-28 feet of water, around the shipping channels, near the Sputnik, Turn-Around and E Buoys, and near the Dumping Grounds, worms and minnows work well.

Belleville anglers are finding that fishing is picking up on Ford and Belleville lakes. Walleye, bass and crappie are hitting on leeches and worms. The Huron River between Ford and Belleville lakes is producing good amounts of walleye and silver bass. Nearby, Kent Lake is also great for walleye, bass and crappie fishing.

Information providers: Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale and Gander Mountain-Taylor.


East:

Standish anglers are doing well for walleye on Saginaw Bay near the Catfish Hole and in waters 14-feet deep. Crawler harnesses in green and yellow seem to be working well. Saginaw Bay around the Linwood area continues to be hot for walleye in 16-feet of water. Plastics, spoons and crawlers are very popular. Overall walleye on Saginaw Bay is strong and steady and bottom bouncers, sinkers and in-line planer boards will do the trick. Deeper water 16-24 feet deep and north of Pinconning is producing good sized walleye on crawler harnesses and gold spoons. Anglers are doing well trolling at speeds between 1.5 and 2.0. Good action around Sebewaing, Quanicassee, Finn Road and Thomas Road in 7-10 feet of water, try using crawler harnesses with gold blades. Many anglers are obtaining limits. Catfish action is pretty hot too. Bay Port Anglers are limiting out for walleye near Sand Point on crawlers. The Saginaw River has decent fishing for white bass, sheephead and small mouth bass on crank baits.

Wixom Lake and Sanford Lake are both producing nice numbers of blue gill and crappie, fish are spawning. Try using tube jigs, micro-soft plastics, wax worms and Fat Head minnows.

Holloway Reservoir is producing some good catches of walleye for anglers trolling on both the lower and upper reservoir. Try shad style crank baits in 4 to 8 feet of water. Both sides of Goose Point productive and following the river channel in the upper reservoir near Columbiaville.

Off of Port Sanilac and Harbor Beach the Coho are in tight and lake trout are fairly active. Water remains about 10 degrees cooler than it should be for this time of year.

Port Huron anglers are finding a lot of walleye near the boardwalk and near the parkways. Pencil plugs and blue ladder backs with pink heads are working well, chrome is also an option. Some anglers are finding success in the evening hours. Out in Lake Huron anglers are drifting for walleye and getting good results using silver and copper blades, pretty much any variation.

The mouth of the Black River has a few perch, walleye and steelhead and the silver bass are just starting. The Black River is very good for a variety of fish with small mouth bass consistent. Most ponds in the area have fish on the beds and close to shore and spinners are working well.

Information providers: 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Eagle Bay Marina-Standish; Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Lance Valentine’s Walleye 101; WalleyeKid.com and Gander Mountain-Saginaw.

Research biologist says cause of thousands of deaths happened somewhere out on the lake
Jim Lynch / The Detroit News

State wildlife experts want to know why thousands of dead fish are floating on Lake St. Clair near St. Clair Shores.

Rotting fish, including smallmouth bass, muskie, walleye, perch and bass, are littering boat wells and shorelines across several miles.

"It was just unbelievable," said Adam Jankowski, a Harrison Township resident who usually puts his boat in the water at St. Clair Shores. "Thursday and Friday, my wife and I were on the boat coasting south from 11 Mile Road to Seven Mile Road. We saw fish after fish after fish -- all dead."

Officials with Michigan's Department of Natural Resources began receiving complaints about a fish kill last week, but answers remain a long way off. Biologists removed fish -- both live and dead -- from Lake St. Clair and sent them on to a laboratory in Lansing for testing.

However, many of the dead fish were already so decomposed that they may yield nothing to investigators. The live fish taken in showed no outward signs of disease, said Bob Haas, a DNR fish research biologist. Results from the samples taken won't be available for six to eight weeks.

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090609/METRO/906090346/DNR-investigates-fish-kill-in-Lake-St.-Clair

Southeast:

The St. Clair River continues to produce a good bite for the walleye. Areas that have been doing well are near the south channel, Algonac State Park and Nelly’s Hole. Anchor Bay has been very quiet for all fishing action.

Walleye fishing on Lake St. Clair is excellent from the 400 Club to Metro Beach. Anglers are using planer boards, crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers with great success in about 10 to 12 feet of water. Along the shoreline, blue gills and sunfish are moving onto their beds with leaf worms working well as bait.

Along the Detroit River, good numbers of walleye are being taken around Celeron Island and the majority of the lower Trenton Channel. Anglers continue to fight off heavy quantities of Silver Bass. Anglers are using bottom bouncers, Dipsy Divers and Silver Streak Spoons on walleye with good results. Silver Bass are biting on minnows, Rooster Tails and white or pearl colored jig heads. The best perch fishing can be found near the Detroit Lighthouse and the edge of the shipping channels.

Anglers heading over to the Canadian side are catching good numbers of walleye near Holiday Beach and the rock pile. Perch fishing is also very good around Holiday Beach and the Colchester area. Hand lining after dark is working well on the Canadian side north of Bob-lo.

Anglers fishing out of the Rock Wood and Monroe areas are finding choppy waters on Lake Erie. Fish are most active in waters 22 to 24 feet. The best walleye fishing is near the shipping channel, the Michigan-Ohio line and the Turn-Around Buoy. Minnows and worms are still working well as bait. Perch activity remains good near E-Buoy, Mc Donald Buoy, the Dumping Grounds and off the Sputnik Buoy with minnows and worms the preferred bait.

Good fishing is taking place in the Belleville area. Anglers are catching walleye in Ford and Belleville lakes using jerk baits and minnows as the bait of choice. Blue gill and bass activity is very good on both Ford and Belleville lakes and at Argo Park. Popular baits are crawlers, wax worms and fat-head minnows. Fishing in the Huron River below Edison is producing a few steelhead using flies tipped with a wax worm.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait, Fair Haven; Lakeside Fishing Shop, St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery, Harrison Township; South Street Tackle, Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle, Rockwood; Erie Party Shop, Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box, Melvindale.

East:

Anglers are traveling north of the Standish area to get a good walleye bite. Crawler harnesses are providing the best results in 14 to 18 feet of water. The best bass fishing can be found near the marina in the weed bed areas.

Walleye fishing in Saginaw Bay near Linwood remains steady even though the weather is not cooperating. Try using a crawler harness in about 12 to 20 feet of water. For those anglers fishing the northern portion of the bay try trolling with stick baits in 25 to 30 feet of water.

Near Bay City, walleye fishing near Finn Road is a good spot. The fish are found in about nine feet of water using a crawler harness. In the Saginaw River, good walleye fishing remains consistent when using a jig head.

Windy weather continues to keep the water very choppy. Anglers continue to limit out on walleye across the Bay Port area near Sand Point. Crawler harnesses are the bait of choice.

Shoreline fishing in the Port Austin area has improved with higher water levels. Small numbers of bass have moved into the cuts between Bay Port and Grindstone and the fish are small in size.

From Harbor Beach to Port Sanilac anglers are heading out into 60 to 110 feet of water for King Salmon and Silver Bass. Fishing from the breakwall in Harbor Beach is producing good numbers of Coho fishing with spoons and body baits.

Perch and walleye fishing is spotty due to cold water temperatures around Port Huron and Lexington. The walleye only seem to bite for a couple of hours during the evening with Twisters as the preferred bait. The best area to fish is the Black River taking large and smallmouth bass, pike and a few steelhead.

Information providers: 1st & Main, Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman, Bay City; Eagle Bay Marina, Standish; Gander Mountain, Saginaw; Anderson’s Pro Bait, Pt. Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors, Linwood.

Southeast:

Good fishing for anglers out of Harrison Township and the Metro Beach area. Excellent catches of small mouth bass hitting out in front of the yacht club all the way to Metro Beach in 10 to 12 feet of water. Tubes and crank baits are working very well, but fish seem to be biting on just about anything. Between Metro Beach and the 400 Club walleye activity is good in 12 to 14 feet of water drifting rigs and bottom bouncers.

St. Clair Shores anglers are doing well on the Detroit River getting limits of fish near the Canadian side. Shoreline fishing is good just about everywhere along the Detroit River for Silver Bass on the American side from Joe Lewis to Belle Isle. Anglers fishing the St. Clair River between Marine City and Algonac are finding good walleye action hand lining, drifting and whipping is picking up.

Huge numbers of anglers are fishing near Belanger Park near River Rouge for Silver Bass using mainly minnows with a few trying pearly whites, white Twister Tails and Rooster Tails. Walleye activity is good for hand lining at night with Pencil Plugs during the day anglers are just fighting off the Silver Bass. Small mouth bass activity is minimal with some anglers using tube jigs and spinners.

When the wind dies down and anglers can get out the perch action is decent off of Gibraltar, Grosse Ile and Celeron Island, throughout the canals and near the marinas. Perch can be found in shallow waters, however fish are not found in big numbers but definitely quality fish. Plentiful sun fish can be caught near Banana Island and off the tip of Ford Yacht Club. There is still a lot of walleye in the Detroit River on the lower Trenton channel but anglers will work hard to get past the heavy amount of Silver Bass that seem to be taking over. Walleye activity is starting to pick up in Lake Erie. Pike action is decent around the cross-dyke using six-inch jigs.

The reef in front of the Erie Metro Park in Rock Wood is giving up a few walleye on crank bait and crawler harnesses. The Huron River is producing nice numbers of large mouth and Silver bass in good numbers. Take part in the Carp Shoot on Saturday beginning at 7 a.m., call 734-379-9762 for details.

Straight out from Monroe, fish are starting to move to deeper waters. Walleye activity is good off the south end of Bolles Harbor, in front of the Fermi Plant, in the shipping channels, near the Sputnik and Turn-Around Buoys and off of the Island’s using mostly minnows. Walleye action is spotty near Turtle Island and the Detroit Light. Perch action is good near the E-Buoy, Dumping Grounds, Sputnik Buoy, and the Banana Dyke. Minnows and worms remain popular baits. Walleye are hitting near Holiday Beach and closer to the Canadian side. Popular baits include bottom bouncers, Michigan Stingers, Jet Divers and crawler harnesses. Catfish are abundant in most canals and near bridges.

Blue gill activity is really good on Ford and Belleville lakes as well as many inland lakes surrounding the Belleville area. Wax worms, worms, crawlers and rubber baits are popular. Belleville Lake is producing fair amounts of small mouth bass in the two and a half pound range and 16 to 17 inches. Crappie, blue gill and catfish are abundant on the Huron River around the paper mill and Argo Park. Belleville and Ford lakes are both better than usual for this time of year for bass and walleye on leeches.

Information providers: Gander Mountain-Taylor; Chuck Shivel; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale.

East:

Again this week, windy conditions prevail in the Standish area creating choppy water. Bass are in the weed beds and near the base of the channels. Saginaw Bay is giving up plenty of walleye in 12 to 16 feet of water on crawler harnesses. The Saginaw River is giving up White Bass and some walleye. Saginaw area anglers are doing well on Sanford Lake and Wixom Lake for crappie. Several different baits are working that overall that include flathead minnows, walleye shiners and wax worms. Windy conditions are also curtailing angling activity around Bay City, but anglers getting out are finding decent walleye action on Saginaw Bay in 12-20 feet of water on worms and night crawlers.

Bay Port anglers are finding killer catches of bass on Saginaw Bay typically obtaining limits in one to two hours. Night crawlers are working very well and the best timeframe is before 8 a.m. or around 5 p.m. Sand Point continues to be the hot spot this week.

Port Sanilac anglers are heading toward the north and fishing in 30 to 60 feet of water for King, Coho and some steelhead. Body baits, spoons and cut bait seem to work well.South of Lexington anglers are reeling in some perch and off of the Port Huron area the fishing seems to have slowed down a bit with some bait fish coming in. The best timeframe is fishing after dark and casting with Twisters, also try glow tails, pearl bodies and chartreuse baits. Silver Bass are just starting to run in the Black River and at the mouth of the river perch are biting and a few pike. Anglers are whipping for walleye more than vertical jigging at this point. After dark seems to be the best time of day and expect to move a lot.

Information providers: 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Eagle Bay Marina-Standish and Gander Mountain-Saginaw.

Summer: June 13 - 14, 2009

Two days twice a year, families and friends can enjoy one of Michigan's premiere outdoor activities, Michigan Fishing, for FREE!

All fishing license fees will be waived for two days. Residents and outstate visitors may enjoy fishing on both inland and Great Lakes' waters for all species of fish. All fishing regulations will still apply.

Free Fishing Weekend Events

For many, the annual Free Fishing Weekend has become a tradition - a time to get together and have some fishing fun. While some may find time to reflect while fishing, there are no limits to variations on a great theme! Michigan offers some of the finest freshwater fishing in the world, with more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, over 11,037 inland lakes and 36,350 miles of rivers and streams. Included are 12,000 miles of trout waters, for which approximately 1,000 miles are considered Michigan's finest blue ribbon trout mainstreams.

So grab a pole and your family and friends, and let's go fishing!

Pass on the Fishing Tradition

Experienced anglers who offer a child or young adult the chance to take their first fishing trip can provide a rewarding experience for all. People who fish tend to understand the natural aquatic network of plants and animals that help to sustain fish.

A day spent fishing can offer the opportunity for one generation to pass on their experience with a new generation of anglers.

Research shows that young people today do not have access to fishing opportunities that once enjoyed. Some of the reasons: living in urban or suburban areas where fishing access is not readily available, competition for time by an ever-increasing schedule of special activies, and too little time for unstructured leisure.

Taking "time out" by fishing can be a great way to offset some of the many challenges and stresses that we all seem to be faced with today. Sometimes just being some where away from the fast pace of life - even if just for a few hours - can provide a new perspective and a fresh outlook.

Have a Great Time With Friends and Family -- Plan Your Own Special Fishing Trip!

For many, the annual Free Fishing Weekend has become a tradition - a time to get together and have some fishing fun. While some may find time to reflect while fishing, there are no limits to variations on a great theme! Many have found this special weekend to be a good time for a reunion with friends and family with fishing and fun a great combination for all!

Source: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-43225--,00.html

Southeast:

Algonac and Fairhaven anglers are finding that walleye are starting to hit in the North Channel near Decker’s Landing and jigs and crawler harnesses are working well. The murky water from recent rain and wind should be cleared up by the weekend. Overall walleye have migrated from the Algonac area and moved up river towards Marysville.

Near Harrison Township anglers are doing well for small mouth bass and pike on cruncher tubes. The Detroit and the St. Clair rivers are both producing nice numbers of walleye. Lake St. Clair is giving up very good catches of walleye from Metro Beach to Nine Mile Road in 10 to 12 feet of water and out in front of the spillway, anglers are using bottom bouncers and drifting with good success as well as using night crawlers when fishing Lake St. Clair and using jigs in the rivers. St. Clair Shores anglers fishing the Detroit River are doing very well for walleye on both the American and Canadian sides mainly at night hand lining with Rapalas. Good walleye action can be found from St. Clair Shores all the way to the Ambassador Bridge.

Anglers in the Melvindale, River Rouge and Ecorse areas are hand lining for walleye on the Detroit River at night to get past the strong presence of silver bass. The #11 Vampire Rapala seems to be working well. Anglers are also finding decent walleye near the salt mines on the Canadian side across from the steel mill. Fishing for silver bass is outstanding on the Detroit River from Delray to Trenton with anglers finding good results with white pearl jigs.

Walleye action is consistent this week in several areas. Hand liners are doing well on the north side of Fighting Island getting three and four pound fish, jigging also works but not as good as hand lining. The Canadian side seems to be more productive lately and some anglers are trolling with bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses. South of buoy 94 is still the hot spot this week in either U.S. or Canadian waters.

From Wyandotte to Rock Wood the walleye action remains good. On the Detroit River anglers are hand lining and jigging using crawlers and minnows. Anglers fishing the east side of Grosse Ile, in front of Erie Metro Park or out on Lake Erie are tending to use crank bait and crawler harnesses. White bass are abundant in the lower Trenton Channel and large walleye minnows are working well. Perch are being caught near the shipping channels, the Detroit Light and the south side of the cross-dyke. Anglers pre-fishing large mouth bass on the Huron River near Rock Wood are getting good results using #5 shad wraps.

Off of the Monroe area good walleye fishing continues to take place in 22-24 feet of water around Bolles Harbor, River Raisin, Stony Point, Brest Bay and out at the Detroit Light. Walleye action is also good near Turtle Island and the Dumping Grounds near Ohio. Anglers fishing off of the Banana Dyke are finding best results in waters 15-17 feet deep while off of Stony Point 23 feet of water is better. Some perch activity happening around E-Buoy. Anglers are still using minnows overall with a few starting to migrate to worms. The waters are still murky today, but by Friday the clarity should be very good. The winds have died down the weather is beautiful and a great weekend for fishing is in the forecast for the area.

Great angling action is taking place in the Belleville area for walleye on Ford and Belleville lakes. Limits can be had around Rawsonville Road and near the Ford Dam. Road Runners are hot for walleye and crappie. Private ponds in the area are giving up just about everything. Blue gill activity is good along the shorelines and crappie action is good when anglers use small minnows.

Information providers: Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; WalleyeKid.com; Lance Valentine’s Walleye 101; Gander Mountain-Taylor; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale.

East:

Despite the windy conditions this week, Standish area anglers are doing well for walleye on Saginaw Bay in 12 to 14 feet of water and using crawler harnesses. The weather has greatly improved today and a great holiday weekend is anticipated for fishing. Walleye action is strong around Bay City and near Finn Road in Quanicassee with fish ranging in size from 17 to 22 inches. Anglers are typically getting limits two to three miles out and in about 8 to 10 feet of water. Anglers are finding success with spinners and gold blades. A few catfish are hitting around Quanicassee as well. Saginaw Bay has steady walleye action straight out from Linwood in 12-20 feet of water and anglers are finding success with crawler harnesses. Good walleye fishing around Bay Port where anglers are obtaining limits near the buoy at Sandpoint.

Straight out off Harbor Beach anglers are fishing in 40-feet of water for good numbers of Coho, lake trout, steelhead and a few perch on Lake Huron. Small regular spoons are popular. Bass season opens Saturday for the area.

Off of the Port Sanilac area fishing straight out 10 to 12 miles or so anglers can still pick up a few King salmon.

Information providers: Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Eagle Bay Marina-Standish and Gander Mountain-Saginaw.

SOUTHEAST
From Algonac to St. Clair, anglers are doing well for walleye on the St. Clair River this week. Again this week the walleye continue to hit around Gino’s on Lake St. Clair. Fair Haven anglers are finding good walleye action at Nunley Hole near the state park. Anglers are vertical jigging and whipping and using lead heads and Finesse Minnows.

Excellent walleye fishing is taking place around Metro Beach where anglers are getting limits trolling with night crawlers and jigging while drifting. Small mouth bass are abundant and anglers are catching and releasing while drifting with tubes or casting with crank baits. Catfish action is very good at the mouth of the spillway and near the Harrison Township Park using catfish bait.
Walleye are pretty much everywhere on the Detroit River, a good location is in the upper river from Belanger Park north and jigging is still preferred. If fishing near Belanger Park keep your eye peeled for a few elusive sturgeon, even though you can’t keep the fish, it is quite the feat to reel one in. This week a local angler took 45-minutes to pull in a sturgeon measuring 5-feet.
Walleye action is still good around Fighting Island near Buoy 94, Grassy Island, and Mud Island between the main channel markers on the north end and in front of the blue steel plant in the main channel by Buoy 104. Green and chartreuse jigs with a brown or camo colored Wyandotte Worm continue to do the trick. Early risers are getting the fish on heavier jigs in the ¾ to one ounce size.

Walleye fishing in the lower Trenton channel is a tough go because the Silver Bass are so thick that anglers are bumping jigs on the fish. Try hand lining at night near the Trenton Power Plant and the east side of Grosse Ile to avoid the Silver Bass. Anglers are using night crawlers with bottom bouncers, some crank baits and Tail Dancers. If fishing for Silver Bass, try using flashers, white Twister Tails, spinners and anything that glows or shines seems to work. Walleye have started to move out to the lake and some decent fishing can be found in the 20 feet of water and near the shipping channels, Hot-n-Tots seem to be working. Some perch action is also taking place near the shipping channels.
Near Monroe anglers are out in force today despite the dirty water from recent winds. Another storm is in the forecast for this evening. Walleye action is great around Stony Point, Brest Bay, Bolles Harbor, near the shipping channels and the Detroit Light. Further south walleye activity remains good around Turtle Island and Toledo Beach in 17-feet of water. Anglers are shore fishing from the Banana Dyke, 15 feet from the gray shed.
Good fishing for anglers around the Belleville area. Crappie and walleye are biting on leeches and night crawlers on Ford Lake. Belleville Lake is also giving up nice numbers of walleye near Rawsonville Road in the early morning and late evening hours on jerk baits.

Information providers: Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; WalleyeKid.com; Lance Valentine’s Walleye 101; Gander Mountain-Taylor; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale.

EAST
Walleye action in the Standish area continues to be very good out on Saginaw Bay in about 19 feet of water and when using crawler harnesses. Many anglers are getting limits.

Saginaw Bay is giving up nice numbers of walleye in several locations. Off of Linwood, anglers are using crawler harnesses on walleye with good results in 12-20 feet of water. Sebewaing has good walleye activity in 13-feet of water and out of Quanicassee anglers are heading 13 miles out and using crawler harnesses and bottom bouncers to get results. Other hot spots include near Finn and Joan roads and jigging around Gull Island. Walleye are biting near North Island off of Bay Port and near the Gap on crawlers.

Off of Harbor Beach Lake Huron is producing nice numbers of steelhead, King and Coho salmon in about 35-feet of water. Good results are found using chartreuse spoons. Browns, walleye and lake trout are also being caught in 30-50 feet of water on orange spoons.

In the Port Huron area the salmon seemed to have slowed down and moved more north, however anglers can pick up a half dozen or so about 10 miles out on Lake Huron. Walleye action is very good in the Port Huron area and near the mouth of the Black River. Anglers are getting great results vertical jigging using ¾ to one ounce jig heads and Finesse Tails. Whipping is also getting results in the evening hours and Night Stalker Pencils are working well. The mouth of the Black River is a great location for crappie, some perch and the Silver bass are just starting. The flow has slowed and fishing is very good. Mill Creek has some action for small mouth bass. Marysville doesn’t have great quantities of perch but the fish pulled in are decent size. Good fishing can be found from the boardwalk to St. Clair and Marine City.

Southeast:

The St. Clair River is hot for vertical jigging walleye from Algonac to St. Clair now that the water clarity has improved and the temperature is now around 48 degrees. Around Harsen’s Island pan fish are hitting on small crawlers and wax worms. Lake St. Clair is giving up good catches of walleye near Gino’s Restaurant, south of Metro Beach, near the 400 Club and south of the Clinton River spillway. Crawler harnesses and night crawlers are working well. Pan fish action is also picking up and blue gill and crappie are hitting on wax and leaf worms.

Near St. Clair Shores off of Masonic Boulevard anglers are catching and releasing good numbers of small mouth bass and some perch on small minnows. The Detroit River has outstanding walleye fishing taking place on the American side from the MacArthur Bridge near Belle Isle to the Ambassador Bridge. Anglers are getting limits easily when using large walleye minnows. On the Canadian side the fishing is getting better and the water is clearing up and best spots are off of the casino, near the Canadian Club plant and out in front of the fountain in Windsor. Finesse minnows and Wyandotte Worms are very popular baits.

The Detroit River around Belanger Park near River Rouge is coming on strong for Silver Bass as well as south of Trenton where the fish are moving into the river. A good spot already very active with anglers is out in front of the Trenton Stacks. The big females have just arrived and numerous fish in the one to two pound range are being caught.

Walleye action is very hot all up and down the Detroit River. Hot spots include Fighting Island between the candle stick and the water intake on the American side in 31-38 feet of water using green or chartreuse jigs with a brown Wyandotte Worm or a live minnow. Buoy 94 near the south end of Grassy Island, the west side of Mud Island, off of the golf course between Wyandotte and Trenton and around the east side of Grosse Ile. The early morning bite has been strong but a second wave of action has been taking place around noon. Hand liners on the lower Trenton channel are using Rapalas during the afternoon and at night. Other baits that are working on walleye include bottom bouncers, live bait, green jig heads, gulp minnows, stinger hooks and some anglers are starting to use crawler harnesses. The Detroit River is clean, visibility good and warming up with the temperature around 50 degrees.

The Michigan Walleye Tournament takes place Friday and Saturday on the Detroit River and Lake Erie with weigh-in at Lake Erie Metro Park. For details call 734-379-9762.

Lake Erie is giving up some perch that are hitting near the Detroit Light, in the shipping channels, near the Sputnik Buoy and out in front of the River Raisin.

Off of the Monroe area Lake Erie is dirty due to northeast and east winds recently. A storm in the forecast may affect fishing conditions during the next few days. Straight out from Bolles Harbor walleye are biting when anglers use jigs and trolling night crawlers.

Walleye are also found in good numbers off of Luna Pier, in the shipping channels, around Turtle Island, near the Detroit Lighthouse and near the water in-take in Ohio. Minnows and worms seem to be the bait of choice.

In the Belleville area walleye action is hot and anglers are getting limits within a three-hour trip on both Ford and Belleville lakes. Shiners seem to be doing the trick on crappie at Mill Pond and on most private ponds. Blue gill are in good numbers on Belleville Lake near the Dam. The Huron River still has steelhead running. Quick selling baits include pan fish worms and night crawlers, along with jerk baits.

Information providers: Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, WalleyeKid.com; Lance Valentine’s Walleye 101; Gander Mountain-Taylor; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale.

East:

Off of Standish the perch seem to have shut down, but outstanding walleye fishing is taking place. The walleye are really turned-on in 13-18 feet of water and limits are being taken in short order on crawler harnesses. A few hot spots include near the Rifle Bar, black hole and catfish hole.

Walleye are everywhere around the Bay City area and anglers are giving a thumbs-up for good action. Saginaw Bay is producing good quantities in 10-feet of water on crawlers. Anglers are also doing well fishing from shore along the Saginaw River jigging with minnows.

Bay Port anglers are finding good action around North Island where the walleye activity is picking up when using crawlers. Some anglers are finding a bit of perch action near the Gap and several anglers are marking bass with a few catching and releasing.

Harbor Beach, Port Hope, Port Sanilac and Port Austin are good locations to fish for Kings, Coho, Silver Bass and steelhead which are moving to deeper and north waters. Orange and lime green baits seem to work well on lake trout in the Lexington area where the trout have really turned-on. The walleye showed up in Port Huron this week and are running strong even along the wall. Vertical jigging, whipping and casting twisters all seems to be working well. Minnows arrived in huge quantities from Port Huron all the way to the Black River bringing plenty of fish in with them. Spring perch are biting at the mouth of the Black River and around Marysville, not in large quantities but big in size. Emerald Shiners are working best. The Black River has some steelhead remaining but mostly Silver Bass at this point.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City and Eagle Bay Marina-Standish.

East:

Heavy winds have really curtailed the fishing for anglers around Bay City, Bay Port and Saginaw. Water is high, dirty and white caps were common on several days. Bay Port had a few small perch catches and a few anglers were catching and releasing some bass. Saginaw Bay gave up a few walleye on golden shiners, husky jerks, body baits and minnows during the evening hours, but overall the fishing opportunities have been limited. The Saginaw River has high water levels and is churned up like a chocolate milkshake.

Port Sanilac and Lexington anglers are trolling in 10-20 feet of water using some spoons but mostly body baits. Gold and orange are the best colors. Lexington Harbor has perch action picking up but you will need patience and put your time in. Anglers are finding that one day the fish are small in size the next day they are large, very inconsistent. The Port Huron Boardwalk has some nice numbers of Coho, Kings, walleye and steelhead for the taking. Red Eye spoons are hot on set lines. The mouth of the Black River the perch are starting to pick up with best results using Emerald Shiners and small perch bait. A few whitefish can be spotted at the mouth of the river and anglers are vertical jigging for walleye. Mill Creek the sucker run is slowing down.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City and Gander Mountain-Saginaw.

Southeast:

East winds around the Harrison Township area has angling activity slowed today. A few anglers have been out catching and releasing small mouth bass in 6-8 feet of water on Lake St. Clair but overall rough conditions.

If the wind would just stop the walleye fishing would be phenomenal between Gibraltar and the Ambassador Bridge on the Detroit River. Over the past weekend, hundreds of walleye anglers were out despite very windy conditions and white caps. Anglers have been plagued with high winds since Saturday causing rough waters and tough fishing conditions. Today the winds are high again keeping anglers off the water. Shore fishing is decent from Delray Park for perch and silver bass, but walleye is only rated fair thanks to dirty water. Hand-liners are doing well at night. Baits of choice include Finesse minnows, Wyandotte Worms and a variety of gulp baits. Also try two-eyed jigs, chartreuse baits, Pumpkin Seeds and Melon Belly on the walleye. When the wind dies down, expect anglers to be back out at the hot spots that include off the wall near BASF, and near Great Lakes Steel Boat Club and the steel mill area where anglers were getting limits easily.

Off of Monroe, high winds kept anglers off of Lake Erie earlier this week but today some attempted are back at it fishing around Bolles Harbor, Brest Bay and near River Raisin seeking walleye. Most anglers are trolling with crawler harnesses, Rapala Shad Wraps popular in silver and black and Wyandotte worms. One ounce jig heads also seem to get results. Silver bass are very active and it is hard to keep them off the line when walleye fishing. Walleye activity is very good around Luna Pier, near the shipping channels, Turtle Island and the Toledo Light. Purple Hair jigs, minnows and worms are working well. The Huron River in Flat Rock still has some steelhead activity near Metro Park, by the Dam and near Edison.

Good fishing around Belleville where anglers are getting decent catches of walleye and pike on both Ford and Belleville lakes using suckers and Red Devil spoons. Pike are hitting on gold walleye shiners. A good location for some crappie action is around the flats on Ford Lake using minnows and walleye minnows. Blue gill are biting on the Huron River and both lakes on wax worms. A few anglers are catching and releasing bass. Popular baits include night crawlers and baby crawlers and wax worms for blue gill is starting to pick up.

Information providers: Gander Mountain-Taylor; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shop-Monroe and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale.

Southeast:

The lower Trenton Channel is the hot spot this week for walleye in the downriver area. Large numbers of the fish are hitting on jigs and minnows in 10-12 feet of water. Hand-liners are also successful using orange knuckleball jigs. Further north between Wyandotte and Ecorse anglers are getting good numbers of walleye on minnows. The hot spot again this week is near Great Lakes Steel Mill and near the BASF wall. Around Fighting Island anglers are hand lining and dragging Rapalas and using live minnows in dirty water. Over on the Canadian side of the river, a few perch are being caught. Further upstream the mouth of the Detroit River at Lake St. Clair is doing well for walleye on Finesse minnows, live bait, Wyandotte worms while jigging. Walleye action has also been pretty good around Belle Isle.

Off of the Harrison area the Detroit River is giving up walleye on plastics, jig heads and Finesse minnows. No action as of yet on the St. Clair River. Anglers are catching and releasing small mouth bass that have turned-on this week out on Lake St. Clair. Fish are averaging 4-5 pounds and up to 70 fish per angler have been caught on tubes, crank baits and tube jigs.

This weekend, the Masters Walleye Circuit holds its East division tournament on the Detroit River. Sixty-three teams from 12 states are scheduled to participate in the event taking place at Elizabeth Park in Trenton. For details call 877-893-7947.

Farther south, walleye fishing is good around Luna Pier especially at night. Reef runners and bombers are working well as baits. Crappie fishing is scattered from the area’s ponds and marinas. The Huron River in Flat Rock is giving up steelhead on streamers, egg sucking leeches, flies, little Cleo’s and bouncing single eggs. Walleye are also being caught and released drifting eggs and worms. The River is also producing bull head that are biting on everything.

In Ohio, activity near Turtle Island and the Toledo Lighthouse was good before the weather turned. In the Maumee River, the walleye continue to spawn, with success being reported along the banks and the white bass are starting to move in.

In the Belleville area Ford and Belleville lakes are producing a few blue gill and perch. Crappie are hitting in the early morning and before dark. Huron River in the area is producing nice catches of steelhead. Popular baits include minnows, wax worms, night crawlers, pan fish, worms, neon crawlers, fat head minnows, earth chubs and golden shiners.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Gander Mountain-Taylor and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale.

East:

License purchases are up in Bay City, just in time for a decent small perch run. The fish are biting with minnows in the Quanicassee and Sebewaing areas. Walleye anglers are finding success in the mouths of the Saginaw and Kawkawlin rivers using jigs or drifting with crawler harnesses.

It’s been cold and windy at the top of the Thumb, and that has limited fishing activity around the Bay Port area. A fair amount of perch are being caught in the cuts using minnows and crawlers, but that’s pretty much it. Some bass are also biting, but they’re being thrown back until Memorial Day weekend.

Life on the water in Harbor Beach is pretty good this week. Anglers are spearing suckers in many locations, while smelt dippers are having luck seven miles north of town near Rock Falls Cemetery.

Over in Lexington, smelt and browns are also in good supply. Salmon fans are reeling in good numbers of fish ahead of a weekend tournament between Port Huron and Lexington. Orange-colored body baits are working well 19 feet down in Lake Huron.

Information providers: 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City and Frank’s Place-Harbor Beach.

Southeast:

Fair Haven anglers are doing well for blue gill around Harsen’s Island using pieces of crawler, wax worms or bobber fishing. The St. Clair River is producing some Coho and a few walleye. Some anglers are catching and releasing a few bass out of Anchor Bay.

Near Harrison Township the walleye action is pretty good in the north channel of the St. Clair River, in the deep waters around Algonac and in the Detroit River in 20-30 feet of water either vertical jigging and deep trolling. The St. Clair River is also good for whip fishing and using pencil plugs. Lake St. Clair is not so hot for walleye due to the spawning process right now. The Clinton River is giving up nice steelhead catches at the dam and spillway. Perch and sucker action is good around Metro Beach the mouth of the spillway.

Now that the wind and cold weather is moving out the walleye action is picking up again on the Detroit River from Ecorse to Wyandotte but fish are not hitting in great numbers. Anglers are jigging in 15 feet of water or less, or 35 feet and deeper before 10 or 11 in the morning for best results. The Great Lakes Steel Mill is a good location and on the Canadian side around Fighting Island. Plastic baits in bubblegum and chartreuse seem to work well.

From Trenton to Gibraltar the Detroit River is good for walleye catches as well as near the mouth of the Detroit River, the east side of Grosse Ile and near Dunbar Sullivan. A variety of baits are working for anglers that include; big walleye minnows, four-inch Finesse Tails and Wyandotte Worms and stinger hooks are essential. The average walleye is weighing in around six pounds, but a few have been caught in the 11-12 pound range. Get in the action the “Michigan Walleye Tournament” takes place Saturday and Sunday on the Detroit River, launching out of Lake Erie Metro Park, call 734-379-9762 for details.

Rain and windy conditions limited angling in the Monroe area earlier this week stirring up the Lake and making it look like chocolate it could take three to four days for the water clarity to return. Off of the Edison piers the Hot Hole is giving up white bass and catfish on shrimp and minnows. Anglers are casting off of the Luna Pier in the evening hours with bombers and getting good results.

Ford and Belleville lakes both have some good fishing for blue gill and crappie on just about anything. Best locations are near the boat launch and near the bridges.

In Ohio the warm waters are creating for excellent walleye action near the Toledo Light, on the Maumee River, around Turtle Island and in the shipping channels. For information on how to obtain an Ohio fishing license in Michigan, call 734-457-0006.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Gander Mountain-Taylor and Andy’s Tackle Box-Melvindale.

East:

Bay City anglers are headed to the Kawkawlin River for walleye action. Perch are hit or miss in the cuts around Bay City on minnows. Angling activity is starting to pick up around Bay Port after plenty of wind and cold weather. Some perch are being caught near the public access in the evening hours and around the marinas activity is slower. Sebewaing fishing is fair to good for perch, but fish are small in size with crawlers and minnows working ok.

Weather has created slow action for Standish anglers on Eagle Bay. A few small perch are hitting in the cuts. Some walleye are biting near the mouth of the river jigging with minnows. Warmer weather expected Thursday should improve action by the weekend.

Port Huron and Sanilac fishing has been limited this week due to high winds and dirty water. Some Kings, Coho and steelhead are biting during the day. Smelt dipping is good close to shore. Coho are being caught in Lexington Harbor right from the dock on Cleo’s and crawlers. The Black River is giving up good size Coho and steelhead. And as soon as the water clears up the walleye action will be great.

Information providers: 1st & Main-Bay Port; Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City and Eagle Bay Marina-Standish.

Southeast Lower Peninsula
Huron River - Those fishing around the coffer dam are still taking steelhead.
Detroit River - Boat anglers are taking walleye when jigging or handlining up near Gibraltar and the Edison Plant. Orange has been a good color. Those fishing the cuts, canals, and marinas are finding perch.
St. Clair River - A good variety of fish including steelhead, whitefish, coho, walleye, and suckers were caught in the upper river near Port Huron.
Lexington - Lots of perch have been caught inside the harbor but many are small. Keepers are running 7 to 9 inches. Coho and steelhead were also caught on minnows, crawlers and body baits. Boats are trolling planer boards with body baits in 8 to 18 feet of water and taking coho, steelhead, walleye and a few chinook salmon.
Saginaw Bay - Boat anglers fishing out around the commercial nets were getting some nice catches of perch. Shore anglers are catching small perch from the cut at the end of Palmer Road and off the docks at the Linwood Marina. Boat anglers fishing off the mouth of the Saginaw River had mixed results. Fishing here should pick up in the coming weeks as post-spawn walleye drop back down the Saginaw River system and re-enter the bay. The Hot Ponds were muddy so only a couple catfish were caught. Not much to report at Bay Shore Marina near Bay Port however keep an eye on this spot for perch and crappie.
Saginaw River - Slow perch fishing in the marina basins, and canals.
Quanicassee River - High muddy water made for slow fishing.
Sebewaing River - Lots of small perch are being caught in the river and the marina.
Pigeon River - The water is high and muddy. A few small perch were caught.

Southeast:

Near Metro Beach the blue gill and crappie action is good. Around Harrison Township walleye and perch activity is good in front of Beacon Cover and the spillway. St. Clair Shores anglers are finding murky waters and tough fishing due to the high winds and adverse weather earlier this week. The Detroit River is giving up nice numbers of walleye vertical jigging.

Anglers fishing the Detroit River are killing the walleye in the lower Trenton channel averaging 10-20 per boat. Anglers seem to be doing the best in shallow water jigging with pink, gold and chartreuse lures, stinger hooks, walleye minnows, four-inch Finesse Tails and gulp grubs. A few walleye caught have weighed 11 and 12 pounds. Walleye activity is also hot from Trenton to Wyandotte in the early morning hours or late evening hours with some anglers limiting out. Those anglers are using a jig with artificial worms. The Detroit River is also giving up some pike on pike suckers under a bobber.

Anglers fishing around Grosse Ile are finding spotty perch action while some perch and blue gill are being caught around south Gibraltar. Around Rock Wood the Huron River is doing well for dip netting suckers and steelhead. Flies, spawn, minnows and Cleo’s are working well.

In the Flat Rock area the Huron River is producing steelhead at the dam on flies and spawn. Between the two dams anglers are using a jig with a wax worm. Suckers are hot just below the dam on flies and jigs.

Off of the Monroe area, Silver Creek near Pointe Mouille is producing blue gill and perch. Bolles Harbor anglers are fishing off the pier and pulling in some decent number of bullhead, perch and crappie. Minnows are doing the trick. The Huron River in the area is dirty.

Belleville Lake is producing nice catfish on pike chubs. Ford and Belleville lakes are both doing well for perch and crappie and the hot spot is near Rawsonville Road. The weekend should be really good for pan fish, steelhead and crappie. Little jig heads with pink and green flies and a hologram sparkle are working well. The Huron River is giving up a few steelhead. Most ponds in the area are hot for fishing.

In Ohio the Maumee River continues to be super hot for walleye, as well as Crain Creek and around Turtle Island.

Information providers: Pro-Fishing & Archery-Harrison Township; Little Dipper Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Gander Mountain-Taylor and Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood.

East:

The Rifle River is good for suckers on worms. Quanicassee is decent for small perch around the Iron Bridge, boat launch, Akron Road and Palmer Road. Anglers getting out in small boats are finding some action around Bay Harbor Marina.

Pink perch rigs are working well for anglers fishing for perch on Eagle Bay in the Standish area.

Lexington, Port Sanilac and Port Huron angling action is picking back up after a few days of very heavy north winds. Around Lexington the Coho action is good in 10-15 feet of water on body baits, popular color is orange. The Boardwalk in Port Huron has some nice activity from the Thomas Edison Inn to the Black River. Red eye spoons and big Emerald shiners are working well. Smelt action is good at night and bringing in a lot of other fish.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City and Eagle Bay Marina-Standish.

Southeast:

Algonac anglers are pulling in a few walleye from the St. Clair River this week vertical jigging. A few Coho and steelhead are running near the power plant. Around Harsen’s Island the fishing is good for blue gill and perch using minnows, wax worms and crawlers. Off of the St. Clair Shores area the bite is still light and the water is still very cold.

The Detroit River has some walleye running but the bite overall is still light. The best locations this week continue to be around the steel mills, the lower end of the River and near the Trenton Power Plant. Perch action is spotty around the south side of Grosse Ile and even around the cross-dyke. Some shore fishing is taking place for perch near Gibraltar Road. The Downriver Walleye Federation is holding a tournament this Sunday at Elizabeth Park in Trenton. For entry details call 734-379-9762.

The Lake Erie Metro Park in Rock Wood still has some anglers fishing from shore for perch and having good results. The dredging activity in the main channel is now completed. Suckers are on the move in the Huron River and dip netting is open for some fun, especially for kids.

Around Monroe Silver Creek near Pointe Mouille is giving up some perch. The lake continues to be dirty this week as well as cold and anglers are only getting one or two fish per boat. Below Edison the Huron River is good for steelhead and whitefish action on jig heads with wax worms or chartreuse and green baits.

Ford and Belleville lakes are really heating up for perch and crappie with a variety of baits working well that include night crawlers, wax worms and minnows. The lakes in the area as well as the Huron River are producing good quality catfish.

Further south the Maumee River is still hot for walleye since fish are spawning, lots of angling activity taking place in the area. FLW Walleye Tournament takes place Saturday out of the Port Clinton area on Lake Erie, for details call 734-287-7420 or 270-252-1000.

Information providers: Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Gander Mountain-Taylor and Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood.

East:

Off Linwood, the majority of ice is gone, a few large chunks still floating so use extra caution if you are going out at night. Perch action is hot in the cuts and around marinas. The Rifle River is giving up suckers and steelhead are picking up. Around the Bay Port area anglers are doing well right off the docks with crawlers and minnows and fishing late in the day. A few anglers are out in boats and pulling in some walleye on minnows.

Good fishing taking place off of Lexington and Port Sanilac for Coho in 15-feet of water. Bombers and silver streaks on planer boards seem to do the trick. Port Huron fishing is good off the wall for Coho on red eye spoons. Fishing is good for a variety of fish on the Black River near the mouth, from the shoreline and trolling downstream in 20-30 feet of water. Anglers are reeling in browns and whitefish at a good pace, while only a few walleye are biting and the smelt action is spotty.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood and 1st & Main-Bay Port.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Southeast:

Around Algonac a few walleye are being caught in the North Channel by Decker’s on jigs and minnows. Anglers fishing near Fair Haven are vertical jigging in the St. Clair River using minnows. Perch are hitting in good numbers around Harsen’s Island on minnows and many anglers are using slip bobbers. Live minnows work best in murky water. The cuts and bays and around most marinas in Anchor Bay are producing fish.

Trenton, Wyandotte, Grosse Ile and Gibraltar the fishing is certainly improving around all of these areas. The lower Trenton Channel is giving up walleye, particularly around the Trenton Power Plant. Flicker jigs with large walleye shiners are working well and 4-inch Finesse minnows in shallow water, maybe 5-8 feet and trolling very slow. Perch are being caught in the cuts off the lower Detroit River, around the Elba Mar Boat Club harbor and Frenchman’s Creek. Perch have been very small in size around the western basin of Ford Yacht Club on Grosse Ile and the activity near the cross-dyke is hit-or-miss. The perch overall are small in size but with plenty of sorting you can make yourself a dinner. Shiner minnows and perch rigs seem to be working well with some anglers using slip bobbers.

Around the Rock Wood area, anglers fishing off the docks of the Metro Park Marina are doing well for crappie, perch and blue gill. Fishing off the docks right now is day-to-day, so if you are planning to fish off the dock, call ahead first. There is some dredging activity in the main channel but it doesn’t seem to be affecting dock fishing. Wax worms are working best. The Huron River has high water but anglers are finding some steelhead around Rock Wood and Flat Rock when using spawn or wax worms under a bobber. Walleye are also active in the Huron River, however the season will not open until April 1, but anglers are doing well using wiggle rats and jigs with twister tails and tossing back.

Off of Monroe activity has been slow all week due to rain and very high winds out of the east that caused three foot waves leaving waters very murky. South of Monroe the Maumee River is very good for walleye action. Tons of anglers are out but extreme caution is needed since there is so much floating debris. Near Crain Creek and around the reefs is very good walleye action as well.

Good fishing around the Belleville area on Ford Lake for perch, crappie and blue gill. Wax worms, minnows and night crawlers are working well. Independence Lake is giving up nice pan fish and the crappie action is good near wooded areas and around fallen timbers.

Information providers: Sunseeker’s Boating Club-Gibraltar; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac; Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro Fishing & Archery Center-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Gander Mountain-Taylor and Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood.

East:

Around Linwood the ice is just about gone and fishing opportunities are improving daily. In Bay City the perch are starting to come in and mostly found in the cuts, however the action is has been hit-or-miss. Perch rigs and minnows seem to work well.

Port Sanilac and Lexington harbors are both clear of ice and small boats are starting to get out. A few Kings and Coho are being pulled in close to shore. The water temperature is still around 36 degrees but activity is starting to increase. Port Huron anglers are headed to the Black River which seems to be the best location for steelhead, whitefish, walleye, smelt and a few brown trout. Steelhead action is good under bridges and near Pineville Park. Brown trout are more active in the early morning hours. Sucker fish are in large numbers on the Black River further up the system, not near the mouth, try using a night crawler on the bottom for good results. Mill Creek is just starting to see steelhead.

Perch action is good in the Standish area in the tributaries but anglers need to watch for some ice chunks bouncing around that could damage small boats. Rifle River near Omer is giving up nice perch catches in the cuts and canals around most marinas and near Palmer Road. A single hook with a minnow is working well.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City and Eagle Bay Marina-Standish.

East:

Bay City anglers are doing well for perch off of Quanicassee and at Sebewaing for perch in the river using perch rigs. Boat launches are open and a few anglers are getting out on Saginaw Bay. A few anglers off of the Bay Port area are getting out and fishing for walleye on Saginaw Bay, but as a reminder the walleye season is closed on the river.

Anglers around the Port Sanilac area will find open water and the Coho are starting to appear. Off of Lexington Coho and steelhead activity has picked up considerably. Off of the Port Huron area whitefish are showing up in good numbers. Anglers fishing the Black River are getting browns and steelhead jigging near the mouth. There is still plenty of ice in the river system and the water is very cold. Suckers are moving in on the Black River as well. Everything is really starting to move this week thanks to the warmer weather.

Around the Standish area the ice is gone and several anglers are fishing off docks and doing well for perch on minnows and perch rigs. Perch are small in size. By the weekend perch should really be active and biting.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; 1st & Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City and Eagle Bay Marina-Standish.

Southeast:

Off of the Fair Haven area, Harsen’s Island has some good action for blue gill and perch on minnows and wax worms. Good walleye action on the lower end of the St. Clair River taking place from Grassy Island to Algonac and anglers are jigging. Watch for ice flows that should be on the way. Around Harrison Township and the Mt. Clemens area wonderful fishing conditions exist. The Clinton River and near the spillway are producing nice numbers of steelhead. Anglers are casting with crawlers, bottom bouncing and using spawn bags with success.

Spring fishing is certainly getting in gear in the downriver area. Today Elizabeth Park Marina in Trenton opened up for the season, and Lake Erie Metro Park Marina in Rock Wood has all docks installed and ready to go. Anglers are fishing from the docks and doing well on perch, blue gill and an occasional crappie. Perch rigs and shiner minnows are doing the trick. Perch are biting strong around the cross-dyke with smaller fish hitting on the north side, and the larger fish biting on the south side. Best bet is fishing in 12-feet of water using slip bobbers versus traditional perch rigs. A seven-pound walleye was pulled from the Detroit River today. Popular baits include Finesse worms, gulp and walleye shiners. Walleye fishing is hit-or-miss right now due to the water being very cold and fish still lethargic. The Detroit River is also giving up some good catches of northern pike with fish biting on walleye shiners under a bobber. Best locations seem to be around marinas and near the mouth of the River. The canals around Gibraltar and Grosse Ile are producing some perch action. The Huron River is giving up a few steelhead on spawn under a bobber in the Rock Wood and Flat Rock areas.

Anglers are out in force around Bolles Harbor fishing for perch, but many are landing bullhead fish. Bullhead bite on a variety of baits, but try a half-ounce sliding sinker or just as effective--bacon.

Belleville anglers have great conditions on the majority of inland lakes in the area. Fishing is best near most of the dams or swift waters. Crappie and perch can be located near the bridges. The Huron River is producing steelhead. Four Mile Lake is giving up nice crappie and perch catches. Anglers are using minnows, wax worms and most popular are night crawlers.

Information providers: Erie Party Shop-Monroe; Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro Fishing & Archery Center-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville; Gander Mountain-Taylor and Sunseeker’s Boating Club-Gibraltar.

East:

Around the Linwood area the ice is diminishing fast and it is not recommended to venture out on Saginaw Bay. The Saginaw River is running very high and murky and no activity is taking place at this time. Most anglers are gearing up for spring fishing. Bay City anglers are in the transition mode thanks to unstable ice. Off of Quanicassee some anglers are getting a few perch in very shallow water, but the shore ice is really broken up and bad. Anglers in the Bay Port area are getting out in airboats to pull in a few walleye and perch. The ice is really unstable and jagged so use extreme caution. Jack hooks and minnows seem to be working at the moment. Watch for windy conditions.

The ice overall is gone around Standish and what remains around the shoreline is questionable, be sure to use a spud and don’t venture more than a quarter mile or so out. Anglers are getting some perch today, but basically the next two weeks will be a transition mode just waiting to get the boats in the water.

Port Sanilac has wide open water and not activity taking place and Lexington anglers are getting a few perch and steelhead fishing off the docks. Heavy ice, from side to side, is flowing between Port Huron and Georgian Bay. Anglers continue to fish near the boardwalk and water filtration plant with some success for steelhead using Emerald shiners on the bottom. The Black River has some suckers showing up and night crawlers and large Emerald shiners are working well. Steelhead are headed towards Mill Creek and good crappie action can be found around local marinas.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; 1st and Main-Bay Port; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City and Eagle Bay Marina-Standish.

Southeast:

Fair Haven anglers are watching huge chunks of ice floating down the river and Anchor Bay certainly has unsafe ice, overall no angling action this week. Off of the St. Clair Shores area the ice is breaking up rapidly and the only anglers getting out are using airboats. Off of Harrison Township the ice is not safe and activity seems to have been halted. The Clinton River and the spillway are giving up a few pike, steelhead and catfish. Anglers are using three quarters to one ounce jigheads with minnows or plated twister trailers.

The Detroit River still has plenty of ice flowing and the water is very high from melting snow and heavy rains. In Flat Rock, the Lake Erie Metro Park Marina boat launch has two docks operational and a few anglers are launching boats and heading towards Gibraltar for perch action around the canals, near South Gibraltar Road and Kingsbridge Road. Fishing off the docks around Gibraltar is also a great option if you have access. Shiner minnows and perch rigs are working well. The Huron River is running very high but anglers are finding good numbers of walleye and steelhead. Steelhead are biting on spawn and wax worms under a bobber. Don’t forget walleye season closes for the Huron River on Sunday.

Off of the Monroe area rivers and lakes are running very high and no one is fishing. The ice is pretty much gone and chunks are headed for the Detroit River. Any ice remaining is unsafe.

Around the Belleville area, the ice has blown out due to extremely windy conditions. Any ice remaining is seriously deteriorated and dangerous. The lakes will be busy on Saturday since pike and walleye season closes on Sunday and reopens in April. New DNR guide books are available at your local bait shops now. Walleye are stacked up near the mouth of the Huron River, near the bridges and around swift waters. Crappie activity is good on Ford Lake under the bridges when using night crawlers and jumbo pan fish worms.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro Fishing & Archery Center-Harrison Township; South Street Tackle-Belleville and Gander Mountain-Taylor.

East:

Off of the Linwood and Bay City areas, Saginaw Bay is hot for walleye during the morning and evening hours. Rapalas, Swedish Pimples, Cleo’s and minnows are working well. Anglers are fishing in 12-15 feet of water for best results. Ice may be questionable and there are plenty of pressure cracks, use extreme caution.

Some good perch action taking place just a couple of miles off of Bay Port or Mudd Creek. The ice is good and anglers are using red beads and minnows with good results.

Walleye are on the move in the Standish area to shallow waters of 6-8 feet. Minnows seem to be doing the trick. Watch for bad pressure cracks in the ice. Walleye are also staging up for run in river.

Anglers will find open water around Port Sanilac with browns, perch and steelhead action decent. Lexington anglers will find a few fish in the harbor off the docks that have bubblers operating. Overall the water is dirty due to wind and rain. Port Huron anglers are fishing near the water filtration plant for some decent brown and steelhead action and success has been found using a large Emerald shiner bouncing off the bottom. Not much activity taking place this week on the Black River due to dirty water and suckers are no where to be found.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; 1st and Main-Bay Port and Eagle Bay Marina-Standish.

Southeast:

Shore ice is good off of Algonac on Anchor Bay and anglers are doing well along the shoreline for perch. Off of Fair Haven the perch action on Anchor Bay is spotty at best. A few are being caught in the murky waters with minnows. Anglers are fishing up tight near Mac & Ray’s or mid-Bay. The ice is ok with anglers still driving four-wheelers to get out but use extreme caution near any areas that water feeds. Near Harrison Township the ice is good. Anglers are finding the best luck fishing north of the boat launch at the spillway and up to Metro Beach, near Cotton Road and Selfridge. The bigger perch are starting to turn-on and the baits that seem to work include minnows, spikes and wigglers. Off of the St. Clair Shores area the ice has deteriorated around the edges and anglers need to check ice due to recent rain. A few pike are starting to hit. The Clinton River is slow this week for steelhead due to rain and dirty water.

Again this week anglers in the downriver area have a slow go. A few anglers have braved the windy and cold temperatures and have launched boats to get a hit or miss walleye on the Detroit River. However, the ice flow continues and anglers need to use extreme caution if boating. Anglers continue to pull in a few perch around the Lake Erie Metro Park Marina where ice is still 10-12 inches and off of the Banana Dyke at Pointe Mouille. Grosse Ile, Gibraltar and Airport Bay have minimal ice left due to high winds. Only a few fish have been caught this week. The Cross-dyke and off of Bob-Lo the ice ranges 8-10 inches and anglers are getting a few perch. The Huron River is slow this week for steelhead due to murky water from heavy rains.

Belleville anglers are doing well on Ford Lake for all types of fish and using a variety of baits that include mousies, spikes, wax worms and perch minnows. The ice is unstable on Belleville Lake and there is open water. Anglers have noticed that the walleye are starting to run and a few have been seen near most bridges.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

East:

Bay City anglers are heading to Quanicassee for some decent perch action and fishing in 10-feet of water for best results. Walleye activity is good about eight miles out.

Anglers around Bay Port are fishing straight out and around Mudd Creek for good numbers of walleye using red teardrops with minnows.

Standish area anglers continue to reel in good numbers of perch in 4-7 feet of water near Whites Beach. Walleye are active in 12-14 feet of water. Ice is still in good shape and at least a foot thick. Minnows, Cleo’s and Do-jiggers seem to be doing the trick.

Port Sanilac and Lexington no ice is safe at this point. Around Port Huron the 40th Street Pond is still seeing some angling activity, but use good judgment on the ice and especially near any springs. The water is very dirty. The Black River and Mill Creek are giving up some suckers.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; 1st and Main-Bay Port; Eagle Bay Marina-Standish and Michigan Sportsman-Bay City.

Southeast:

Ice on Anchor Bay near the Fair Haven area has improved and is overall clear. The ice is averaging close to a foot thick, but anglers need to use caution near any stream or area that feeds water. Pike action is decent behind the raft on Bouvier Bay. Near the launch some perch action is taking place.

Near St. Clair Shores walleye action is slow, no limits being had. Anglers are getting best results with Do-jiggers, spoons and jigging with Rapalas in 12-20 feet of water and between 5:30 and 6:30 at night. Harrison Township anglers are finding some decent results out in the Bay between Metro Beach and the Clinton River for perch, crappie and blue gill. Walleye and steelhead are starting to move into the Clinton River near the Shady Side Park. A variety of baits are working well including minnows, artificial baits, wigglers and spawn.

Downriver anglers are pretty much at a standstill waiting for ice chunks to melt and spring to arrive. Angling activity is very slow. A few perch can be had around the Lake Erie Metro Park Marina and near the Banana Dyke at Pointe Mouille. Lake Erie is wide open as well as the Detroit River. Anglers are advised not to launch boats just yet, wait for the ice flow to finish. The steelhead action is picking up on the Huron River with spawn working well.

Slow activity again for Monroe anglers due to open water and ice chunks flowing. Anglers are waiting the arrival of spring fishing season and for the ice to completely melt.

It has been slow angling activity this week around the Belleville area. Ford Lake is producing some walleye and the ice is still around 12-inches thick. Large golden shiners, wax worms and jumbo pan fish worms are working best. Belleville Lake is slow and the ice is unsafe.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rock Wood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Pro Fishing & Archery Center-Harrison Township and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Southeast:

Near Algonac and Fair Haven, anglers are fishing on Anchor Bay near the Raft Bar. Some blue gill being pulled out of the shallow waters on wigglers, spikes, wax worms and minnows. Plenty of anglers are ice fishing near Gino's Surf. Ice is 4-7 inches across Bouvier Bay and decent action is taking place near the Bouvier Bridge for perch, and blue gill. Saginaw Bay is giving up good numbers of perch, and many times anglers are getting limits.

Near Rock Wood good ice has formed near the Erie Metro Park Marina where good angling action is taking place for perch on shiners and tear drops. Around Grosse Ile, Airport Bay, Pte. Mouille, and the Banana Dyke, anglers are getting nice numbers of yellow perch and blue gill when using mousies and tear drops. Perch action is very good around the canals of Gibraltar. The Huron River is giving up some nice sized steelhead in the 8-10 pound range on spawn. Anglers will have to deal with ice chunks and heavy ice flowing. Use extreme caution.

Off of the Monroe area, angling activity is minimal due to open water, windy conditions and the fact that the Detroit Edison Plant is dumping thousands of gallons of warm water preventing ice from forming. The Raisin River is still running very high, use caution.

Ford and Independence lakes near the Belleville area have good ice and anglers are doing well for crappie, perch, and pike on wax worms, and pike chubs.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fairhaven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

Near Bay City, Hidden Harbor is producing good numbers of walleye on jigs and Rapalas. The ice is good and measures 9-10 inches thick. Now the ice on the Saginaw River is not safe just yet. Near Quanicassee the perch fishing is good.

Off of Bay Port anglers are walking on the ice but watch for big cracks. Rose Island and Mudd Creek have some sporadic walleye activity for anglers with plenty of patience.

In Port Huron the ice has firmed up and steelhead activity is decent when using Emerald shiners near the water filtration plant. Ice shanties are popping up off of Lexington and perch and steelhead action is good. Be sure to register your fish if you see the DNR census representative in the area. Lake St. Clair is frozen and anglers are getting some small blue gill and a few perch. Evening hours seem to be better for pulling in the bigger fish.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City, and 1st and Main-Bay Port.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

East:

Bay City anglers are being very cautious after eight anglers fell through the ice a few days ago. The recent weather patterns and high winds seriously deteriorated the ice and extreme caution is necessary. A few anglers are fishing near the water discharge or Hot Pond near Jones Road for good counts of walleye. A 12-pound walleye was reeled in yesterday. Ice is not safe near the Boy’s Club or near the marina in Sebewaing.

Around Bay Port the ice has melted and open water is everywhere. Some perch action is taking place on Mudd Creek.

High winds blew out the majority of water in Port Huron and Port Sanilac and the warm temperatures melted the ice. There is no safe ice at this point. Cooler temperatures are moving in overnight and by the weekend angling activity could be much improved.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City, and 1st and Main-Bay Port.

Southeast:

A mixed bag of weather this past week has created varied conditions for southeast anglers. The water is very high in many areas and anglers need to use extra caution.

Around the Gibraltar area, anglers are getting out in boats or fishing off docks for good action on perch. Shiner minnows on tear drops, wax worms, and wigglers are producing decent results. Near the Rock Wood area, anglers fishing near the Metro Park Marina are pulling in nice catches of yellow perch and blue gill on shiner minnows. The Huron River is extremely high and raging, and very dangerous at this point.

In the Monroe area, recent strong winds have angling activity at a standstill. The ice has melted and the water is wide open.

Anglers are reeling in a few perch around the Rawsonville Bridge and off of Ford Lake when using shiners, pike minnows, wigglers and mousies.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe, and South Street Tackle-Belleville

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Southeast:

Around Algonac and the Fairhaven area, anglers are catching a few blue gill, crappie, and perch by the Raft Bar and in the boat wells near Bouvier Marina. Some small pan fish are being caught near the Brandenburg Memorial Park as well. Minnows and bugs are working well. Some big bass have also been caught ice-fishing, but use caution the ice is only 4-inches or so thick.

Overall anglers in the southeast and downriver areas will find pretty much no activity taking place due to the weather conditions. Anglers are anxiously awaiting safe ice. Near the Metro Park Marina, some anglers are fishing from shore for perch.

Near Belleville area, Ford and Belleville lakes still have plenty of open water. Near Sandy’s Marina some anglers that are staying close in to shore are getting limits of blue gill and crappie on spikes, wax worms and mousies.

Four Mile Lake near Chelsea has 4-inches of ice and anglers are doing well for pike, blue gill and perch. But anglers need to use extreme caution since the ice is questionable.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Blue water Bait-Fair Haven; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

Bay City received a major snow storm this week that has pretty much halted any angling activity. Ice is not safe at this time.

Bay Port anglers are pulling in limits of perch while ice fishing on Mudd Creek and around Sebawaing.

Port Huron angling is very limited this week and ice fishing is about a week away. Around Port Sanilac the ice is busted up pretty good near the shoreline and about six brave soles hav set up ice shanties. Yesterday a few anglers reeled in some steelhead on spawn bags and Emerald shiners.

Harbor Beach received up to 4-inches of snow this week putting the cabash on angling activity. Also the snow is packed up on the ice leaving the lake very questionable.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City, and 1st and Main-Bay Port.

East:

Bay City anglers are ice fishing on the cuts for perch. The Saginaw River has no ice due to dredging that is currently taking place. Near Linwood some shore ice is forming and some fishing is taking place in the shallow waters.

A few steelhead are being caught around Sanilac and Lexington.

Grindstone Harbor is giving up a few brown trout when anglers take the time to bust up the ice near the shoreline and drop a line using crawlers.

Steelhead action is decent off of Port Huron near the city building. Anglers are getting best results with minnows, crawlers, Red Eye spoons and flatfish. The Black River has some ice forming and anglers are in a transition mode since the launch ramps will shortly be taken out for the winter. A few anglers are drilling holes from the docks and fishing for perch, and good size blue gill.

Harbor Beach anglers remain in a transition period, ice has formed, but anglers need to use extreme caution before venturing out.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach, and Michigan Sportsman-Bay City.

Southeast:

Algonac anglers are heading out to ice fish behind The Raft in Anchor Bay. Use caution when attempting to take to the ice. The temperatures are fluctuating rapidly.

Anglers fishing the canals around Gibraltar, Grosse Ile, and Horse Island are pulling in a few perch. Off of the Rock Wood area warm waters are flowing from the Edison Power Plant and providing some perch and blue gill action for shore line anglers fishing near the Lake Erie Metro Park boat launch and marina. Shiners and wax worms seem to work best. The Huron River is decent for perch on Hot-N-Tots. Belanger Park in River Rouge has slowed, but anglers are getting a few perch on shiners.

Off of the Monroe area angling action is really slow. Thin ice is starting to form on most bodies of water, however with the warmer temperatures that could all change by the weekend. Some walleye action is taking place off of Luna Pier and the State Park.

Around the Belleville area, Ford and Belleville lakes have open water due to warmer weather this past week. Perch, blue gill and crappie action is good under the Belleville Bridge and near the paper mill. Independence Lake has 3-4 inches of ice and some brave anglers are attempting to ice fish.

Around the Fairhaven area not much ice has formed, maybe 2 ½ inches in the canals and on the Bay. The ice is certainly not safe at this point. A few anglers are fishing from docks or shore and pulling in a few perch and blue gill.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Blue water Bait-Fair Haven; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

Southeast:

Angling activity is down to a minimum in the southeast due to weather conditions. So far no ice has formed on any southeast inland lakes, the Detroit River or Lake Erie as of yet. Overall anglers are waiting for ice-fishing and safe ice.

A few anglers around the Rock Wood area are pulling in some yellow perch around the Lake Erie Metro Park boat launch on small minnows. Metro Park Marina has decent pan fish activity when using wax worms. The Huron River is giving up some crappie on minnows, but overall activity is slow.

Anglers fishing on the Detroit River from Belanger Park in River Rouge are pulling in some nice perch on shiner minnows and a perch rig. Perch are averaging 11-inches.

Ford and Belleville lakes are frozen but not safe and there is open water. A few anglers are fishing from shore for pike, crappie and perch. Wax worms and pike minnows seem to do the trick.

Fairhaven anglers are in a transition period and no angling activity is taking place currently and so far no ice has formed.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Blue water Bait-Fair Haven; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

Off of the Bay City area some anglers are fishing from shore and breaking the ice by tossing a log tied to a line and fishing for perch. Some boats are getting out near the mouth of the river and pulling in a few perch. Ice is forming, but definitely not safe.

Lexington anglers are doing well from shore for pike and perch and minnows are abundant.

Slow activity taking place off of Port Huron for Coho, steelhead and a few brown trout. Red eye spoons seem to work decent and some anglers are casting twisters for good results on walleye. The Black River is producing some decent catches of brown trout, steelhead and some walleye which are in their winter pattern.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron, and Michigan Sportsman-Bay City.

East:

Port Huron harbors are giving up a few perch and steelhead, but overall activity is fairly minimal due to weather and a majority of the population hunting. The water is very dirty due to high north winds, so anglers fishing for steelhead, Coho and walleye need to fish close to the wall where the fish are hunkering down.

Off of the Linwood area perch fishing is still good on most of the channels and cuts.

No activity is taking place around the Bay City area mainly due to ice forming on the Saginaw River. The ice is not safe to venture out on yet.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood, and Michigan Sportsman-Bay City.

Southeast:

Adverse weather and windy conditions has limited angling activity in the southeast.Any fishing being done is mostly from shore and spotty at that around Rock Wood, Flat Rock, and Gibraltar. The Huron River is producing steelhead through out Rock Wood and Flat Rock. Action on the Detroit River is pretty bleak due to the weather one or two boats braved the conditions to venture out.

Monroe anglers are experiencing the same situation as cold weather takes hold and is keeping anglers from getting out on the water. Some skim ice is forming on shallow bodies of water and streams. A few more weeks of cold weather and ice fishing should start up. Very limited fishing is taking place around the St. Clair Shores area. Some small fish are being caught when using jigs. Canals are starting to form thin ice, but not safe to walk on yet.

It’s a slow go for anglers on Ford and Belleville lakes mostly due to adverse weather. Anglers that are braving the weather are pulling in a few crappie, perch and walleye.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St.Clair Shores and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Winter Prices Coming Soon! Some of the items that will be available this winter are wax worms, spikes, and mouses.

East:

Off of Caseville and Port Austin the lake trout have arrived early.

Off of the Port Huron area, a few perch and steelhead are still in the harbors. Some Coho, walleye and steelhead are close to the break wall due to murky waters. The activity is fair to good. The Black River and Mill Creek are both producing a few steelhead.

Good salmon action continues at Harbor Beach the fish are active inside the harbor.

Off of Tawas and Oscoda whitefish are starting to show up on Saginaw Bay.

Perch fishing remains good around the Bay City and Linwood areas when fishing around the marinas, and throughout the cuts and channels. No word on walleye at this point.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City, and Angler’s Rod & Sport-St. Clair.

Southeast:

Gibraltar and Grosse Ile anglers are doing fair to good for crappie, perch and blue gill when fishing off docks or throughout the canals. The Detroit River is giving up some walleye on jigs or hand lining with Rapalas.

Near Rock Wood, shore fishing for yellow perch is decent around Metro Park Marina and the Metro Park Boat Launch. Shiners and wax worms are working well.

The Huron River is giving up decent to good catches of steelhead throughout the River system including around Flat Rock, Rock Wood, and South Rock Wood. Near La Beau Park is a good location and between the two dams in Flat Rock is a good spot. Jigs or wax worms floating under a bobber are working well. Below the spillway anglers are using spawn, Hot-N-Tots and Rooster tails. Pan fish are also plentiful on the Huron River in the Flat Rock area using bombers and minnows.

Near the Monroe area, fishing overall is slow, however anglers are doing ok at night for walleye around Sterling State Park near Detroit Beach, Stony Point, and off of Luna Pier casting stick baits, with bombers the popular choice.

Off of the St. Clair Shores area some perch are being caught off the docks. Otherwise, weather conditions have been adverse and minimal angling activity is taking place. Some skim ice is forming on several canals within the area.

Belleville Lake anglers braving the cold weather are getting out in boats and getting limits of perch, walleye and blue gill. Minnows, wax worms and night crawlers are working well. A good location is near the Denton Road Bridge. Ford Lake is decent for walleye near the dam and Rawsonville Road.

No angling activity in the Fair Haven area this week due to adverse weather conditions. Not a sole on the water.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Blue Water Bait-Fair Haven; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Little Dipper Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Southeast:

Algonac anglers basically have awful angling this week due to weather conditions.

Downriver the perch action has slowed this week due to weather. Anglers that are getting out are finding decent action at Fox Island, throughout the Gibraltar canals, near the Livingston Channel and around the cross-dyke. Perch fishing from shore is decent off Horse Island and Metro Park. Flat Rock and Rockwood anglers are doing well on the Huron River. Steelhead are all over due to perfect water conditions and the ladder has been repaired and opened as well as the dam. Jigs and wax worms floating under a bobber are working well and Rooster Tails are very hot in no particular color.

Monroe anglers are finding a few perch off of Bolles Harbor. Walleye activity is decent on the lower Huron channel and casting off Luna Pier with jointed bombers.

Around the St. Clair Shores area perch action is hit or miss on the Belle River, but the action is pretty good in the South Channel. Walleye action is decent on the Detroit River jigging or hand lining.

Belleville anglers are finding decent crappie and walleye activity on Ford and Belleville lakes using big minnows. Perch action is decent on wax worms, minnows, and pan fish worms near most bridges. Bass are biting like crazy and ranging between 4 ½ to 5 ½ pounds, fish are hitting on big minnows, rubber worms, really just about anything. Get the bait right out in front of them and they will bite.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Little Dipper Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock, and Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac.

East:

Lexington Harbor is producing some nice perch catches, fish are plentiful. Minnows are the bait of choice. The evening hours seem to produce smaller size fish, while the early morning hours are giving up larger size fish.

Port Huron anglers are seeing more and more steelhead this week. On average, fish are ranging from 8-10 pounds. Some lake trout and splake are in the mix as well. Good choices of bait include Red Eye spoons and crawlers. Orange is the hot color. A new run of walleye is apparent, however fishing is slow. Mill Creek is giving up a few steelhead, small in size and salmon is over.

Harbor Beach anglers are getting a few salmon from shore inside the harbor on spawn. No boating activity due to weather. A few walleye are also hitting off the break wall.

Bay City has good perch fishing all over Saginaw Bay, in and around the cuts and the channels of the Saginaw River. Perch rigs and minnows are working nicely.

Off of Linwood perch are biting in the cuts around the marinas, near the Spark Plug, in the shipping channels. Perch are plentiful but small in size. Walleye activity is minimal.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; and Michigan Sportsman-Bay City.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Southeast:

Good perch action for anglers fishing near Rockwood, Gibraltar, Trenton, Grosse Ile, Monroe, and Luna Pier. Further south good perch action around Toledo Beach, and if you are headed north good locations include Fair Haven, St.Clair Shores and Grosse Pointe.

Anglers near Rockwood this morning pulled in steady buckets of yellow perch. Good action in the channels around the Lake Erie Metro Park, Horse Island, near the mouth of Lake Erie and the Huron River in 8-10 feet of water and off of the weed lines. Shore fishing around Metro Park and Pointe Mouille is good for crappie and blue gill. Monroe anglers are finding good perch action around the Sputnik Buoy, W-Can, buoys 1 and 2, near Luna Pier and around Toledo Beach. Evening hours seem to be best.

The Detroit River is producing good catches of walleye on big minnows near the bottom end of the river, off of Celeron Island and near the Trenton Power Plant. Anglers are hand lining with number 9 or 11 jointed Rapalas. Chartreuse is the hot color and fishing at night seems to be the best choice.

Anglers around the St. Clair Shores area are seeing walleye, perch and musky pick up. Perch are active around the Nine Mile Tower, Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. Musky are doing well around the south shore, and the south, middle and north channels are giving up nice catches of walleye jigging.

Off of the Fair Haven area, angling action continues to be on the slow side but picking up. Perch activity in the Bay is plentiful but the fish are small in size. A few walleye are biting near the middle channel and anglers are vertical jigging with big minnows.

Information providers: Blue Water Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; and Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores.

East:

AAA Tip: Sanford Lake west of M-30 in Midland County under US-10. Due to construction on the bridge, boat traffic underneath will be limited to a single channel now through the winter months. The channel will be clearly marked but may vary.

Anglers around Port Huron have mixed fishing conditions. Off of Port Sanilac and Lexington silver fish activity is poor, but fair to good catches of perch and pike can be had out of Lexington. Near the boardwalk and city building good action for walleye on crawlers and the Black River is producing fair counts of steelhead on spinners.

Off the break wall at Harbor Beach the walleye action is good. The salmon run is just about done as conditions are rated poor.

Near Bay City, perch fishing is good using minnows on the Saginaw Bay in and around most of the Islands. Perch action is good in the cuts off the Quanicassee River and near the Vets Bridge on the Saginaw River.

Information providers: Frank’s Place-Harbor Beach; Great Lake Outfitters-Port Huron, and Michigan Sportsman-Bay City

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Southeast:

Around the Algonac area walleye fishing has really picked up all over Lake St. Clair. Anglers are catching good quantities of walleye from Grassy Island to the North Channel and in the North and South Channels. Perch fishing is fair to good on Lake St. Clair particularly around Grassy Island.

Good action in the Fair Haven area, walleye are spotty but improving and can be pulled in around Sassy Marina. Grass Island is good for perch on minnows. Hot action for blue gill at the mouth of Swan Creek, and bass are biting just about every where.

St. Clair Shores anglers are doing well for perch on both the American and Canadian side. Try using dead minnows around the weather buoy as well as the Belle River. Expect plenty of bass in the mix when fishing for perch. Anglers remember you can not take live bait across the border to Canada, fines are stiff. Perch are biting around buoys 29 and 30, off of the St. Clair Light, in front of Grosse Pointe Yacht Club and off of the Nine Mile Tower.

Perch, perch and more perch are being pulled in around the downriver area. Outstanding fishing available off of Grosse Ile, Sugar and Celeron Islands. Also near the Detroit Light, off the W-Can, 3-way and McDonalds buoys, near the Dumping Grounds, and the perch are starting to move in around the cross-dyke. Minnows and shiners are very popular. Walleye are hitting on hard baits and minnows on the Trenton Channel in the evening hours hand lining or jigging.

Off of the Monroe area perch are hot on Lake Erie, at Bolles Harbor and even a few anglers are doing well fishing off of the Bolles Harbor pier in the early hours. Perch are biting on Luna Pier Beach in 20-feet of water, near Stony Point, the E-buoy, buoys 1 and 2 and near West Sister Island. Shiners and minnows are hot baits. Walleye are biting on minnows and hard baits off of Brest Bay.

Information providers: Blue Water Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores, and Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac.

East:

AAA Tip: Sanford Lake west of M-30 in Midland County under US-10. Due to construction on the bridge, boat traffic underneath will be limited to a single channel now through the winter months. The channel will be clearly marked but may vary.

Off of Port Huron near the break wall Kings are decent and of good size. Steelhead and brown trout fishing has picked up and should be good through the winter months. Good action for Kings on Mill Creek. The water is very clear and plenty of good fishing taking place. Small mouth bass anglers are doing well when shore fishing using two jigs and bouncing off rocks.

Port Sanilac Harbor has a few silver fish to be had, and in the Lexington Harbor, perch and silver fish are decent.

Bay Port anglers are finding that fish are scattered, a few walleye and some small sized perch can be pulled in around Sand Point. The Bay Port public access launch is closed.

In Harbor Beach the fall walleye bite is on and anglers are doing the best during the evening hours with night crawlers. Lake Huron and inside the Harbor salmon are still biting on spawn and Cleo’s.

St. Clair area it seems that anglers there are more interested in hunting than fishing this week and minimal activity is taking place.

Information providers: Angler’s Rod & Sport-St. Clair; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Great Lake Outfitters-Port Huron, and 1st & Main-Bay Port.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

East:

AAA Tip: Sanford Lake west of M-30 in Midland County under US-10. Due to construction on the bridge, boat traffic underneath will be limited to a single channel now through the winter months. The channel will be clearly marked but may vary.

Saginaw Bay is producing plentiful perch off of Bay City and Quanicassee in 7-11 feet of water and east of the Spark Plug in 16-17 feet of water. Other good locations include the shipping channels and around buoys 18 and 19. Anglers are using perch minnows with good results.

Bay Port anglers are experiencing minimal angling activity this week. Mainly due to heavy north winds creating rough waters. Walleye and perch are scattered and perch are limited. As a reminder, the Bay Port public access launch is closed.

Fishing is good on Harbor Beach for salmon thanks to cooler temperatures and rain helping to bring them in. Colored spoons are working well out on the Lake as well as in the Harbor. Perch are biting on minnows.

Information providers: Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City and 1st & Main-Bay Port.

Southeast:

Straight out from the Monroe area, weather conditions have slowed anglers from getting out and the algae on Lake Erie is pretty thick floating on the water. Perch action remains good around Stony Point, West Sister Island, C-Can, 1 and 2 buoys near the river, Pointe Mouille, the Banana Dyke and around the Sputnik Buoy. Good activity continues for perch between Sterling State Park and Bolles Harbor. The perch hot spot is in Canadian waters around Chandlerville. Be sure to have a Canadian fishing license before dropping a line and know the new rules on live bait.

Fairhaven anglers are doing well on blue gill out of Anchor Bay near Grass Island using minnows. Perch action is picking up around Harsens Island and anglers are using 50% minnows and 50% crawlers with good results.

St. Clair Shores anglers are pulling in some big musky near the south shore. On Lake St. Clair the perch are starting to pick up near the mouth of the Detroit River, off of Grosse Pointe Yacht Club and around the shipping channels. Anglers are using minnows with good results. Perch are ranging between 10-11 inches. Walleye action is back on and anglers are jigging near the Dumping Grounds and fish are biting around Belle Isle, the Sand Pile and off of Peche Island in Canadian waters.

Belleville Lake is producing good numbers of white bass on small flat heads. Anglers are limiting out in short timeframe. Crappie biting on minnows and walleye are hitting on Hot-N-Tots near the bridges while trolling. Blue gill are hanging out around the Rawsonville Launch and ranging between 10-11 inches. Blue Channel Cats are biting on chicken livers, night crawlers or minnows. Ford Lake is giving up ample counts of walleye and large mouth bass.

From Wyandotte to Flat Rock anglers can find perch around most any island off of Lake Erie and the Detroit River. Perch rigs and shiner minnows work best. Walleye have switched to hitting on minnows and going strong for the fall feed. Bass are doing well on crayfish and artificial baits.

Fishing is slow in the Algonac area due to weather conditions.

Information providers: Blue Water Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

Southeast:

Algonac angling is much improved after last week’s rain. Water clarity has improved. Lake St. Clair is producing fair catches of perch in deeper waters. Catfish activity is good all over the Lake.

Muskie action is good around the St. Clair Shores area. Some big fish in the 31-32 pound range have been caught using brown and natural colored baits. Yellow belly perch are doing well on Lake St. Clair near the Thames River. Walleye are still active on the Detroit River on both the American and Canadian sides. Anglers are hand lining and jigging. The St. Clair River is also good for walleye action near the Coast Guard Station.

Flat Rock, Huron, and Gibraltar the perch action is good. The two buoys just outside of the Metro Park Marina is a hot location. Walleye are biting throughout the channels and cuts of Humbug Marsh during the evening hours jigging and hand lining.

Off of the Monroe area good action for perch around Stony Pointe, West Sister Island, E-Buoy, near the shipping channels, Pointe Mouille and further south around Toledo Beach in 19-20 feet of water and near the Sputnik Buoy. Limits of perch are being caught between Sterling State Park and Bolles Harbor.

Information providers: Blue Water Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Rockwood; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside Fishing Shop-St. Clair Shores, and Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac.

East:

AAA Tip: Sanford Lake west of M-30 in Midland County under US-10. Due to construction on the bridge, boat traffic underneath will be limited to a single channel now through the winter months. The channel will be clearly marked but may vary.

Bay City fishing is much improved over last week. Perch is picking up off of Quanicassee straight out, and just west of the channel, and east of the Spark Plug in 17-feet of water. No fall walleye bite as of yet.

Bay Port angling has improved with walleye becoming active off of Sebewaing. Plenty of walleye activity taking place behind North Island, just a couple miles off of Bay Port. Don’t forget anglers, the Bay Port public access launch is closed.

Harbor Beach area anglers are doing well for perch inside the Harbor with minnows. Salmon are moving towards the shallow waters and jumping like crazy in 35-40 feet. Body baits and spoons are working best. Walleye are biting on night crawlers and crawler harnesses in 55-feet of water. Spoons are working well on steelhead in 65-feet of water.

In the Port Huron area perch fishing is starting to pick up as cooler waters set in. Off of Port Sanilac Kings are hitting in 30-35 feet of water on J-plugs and silver streak. Walleye activity is spotty due to dirty water on the American side fish are biting more on the Canadian side. North of the Black River some nice sized King salmon are hitting on Red Eye spoons.

Information providers: Anderson’s Pro Bait-Port Huron; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; 1st & Main-Bay Port, and Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

The sun is shining and the water is finally clear from all the rain, so it is the perfect time to go fishing.  In Lake St. Clair, perch fishing is fair in the deeper water.  Also, they are still catching catfish everywhere in the lake.  

In Lake Erie, they are catching limits of perch from Sterling State park to Bolles Harbor.

East:

AAA Tip: Sanford Lake west of M-30 in Midland County under US-10. Due to construction on the bridge, boat traffic underneath will be limited to a single channel now through the winter months. The channel will be clearly marked but may vary.

Bay City anglers are just starting to get back out to fish today due to adverse weather conditions and rough water the last few days. Perch are hit or miss at the mouth of the Saginaw River, near the first Spark Plug and around Linwood. Walleye are scattered and hard to get right now.

Bay Port anglers have had there fair share of rain and rough waters causing for slow angling activity. And the Bay Port public access launch is closed as well causing for additional inactivity. Action should start improving by the weekend as the weather pattern changes for the better. Anglers getting out are finding that fish are in deeper water and anglers need to work hard to find them. Linwood area, walleye activity is slow, salmon action is decent out of Lake Huron and some perch are being caught in 19-21 feet of water, however anglers are having to work hard to find the fish.

Information providers: Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; 1st & Main-Bay Port, and Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood.

Southeast:

In the Algonac area, anglers are not fishing as of yet, mostly due to the recent weather conditions earlier this week. The rain and wind has stirred up the water so much causing it to be very dirty. Best bet before heading out this weekend call your local bait shop to verify the clarity of the water.

St. Clair Shores anglers are finding minimal angling opportunities this week due to muddy waters from recent storms. Good weather is in the forecast and conditions should be much improved by the weekend.

Downriver anglers had a lull earlier in the week thanks to rain and some windy conditions. Perch action is starting to pick back up around Metro Park Marina, and Sugar Island, as well as up and down the Detroit River.

Near Monroe limited fishing taking place this week due to rain and windy conditions causing for rough and murky waters. A few boats ventured out yesterday but it will take a day or two for the fishing activity to pick back up.

In the Belleville area, the recent weather snap has cooled the water temperature causing walleye activity to slow down on Ford Lake. Belleville Lake continues to give up decent crappie and small mouth bass. Wax worms, minnows and jumbo pan fish worms are working ok.

Information providers: Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside-St. Clair Shores; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Mark Modrak of China Township took the individual lead and Michigan was tops in the six-state team event after the first day of competition in the Bass Federation's Northern Divisional Championship on Lake St. Clair.

Modrak caught five fish totaling 22 pounds, 4 ounces, while Nicholas Smyers of Franksville, Wis., was second at 21 pounds, 11 ounces.

Michigan's 12-man contingent totaled 170 pounds, 3 ounces for a huge lead over Indiana, which was second with 125 pounds, 12 ounces.

The tournament runs through Friday from the Selfridge DNR Ramp (Clinton River Access) in Clinton Township. The public is invited to watch the takeoffs (6 a.m.) or weigh-ins (2:30 p.m.). Admission is free.

Anglers are competing both individually and as state teams in an effort to qualify for the Bass Federation National Championship. The top three state teams will be awarded trophies and cash prizes. The top-finishing angler from each team will advance as a boater to the 2009 TBF National Championship. The No. 2 competitor from each state team will advance as a co-angler.

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080911/SPORTS10/809110365/1058

Click here for an interesting story on Urban Fishing.

Store:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/travel/escapes/12Fish.html?ex=1378958400&en=be8b1df6b71f3e70&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Photos:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/09/10/travel/escapes/0912-FISH_index.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Southeast:

Algonac anglers are finding a few walleye at the end of the Middle Channel, around buoy 19 and near the Cutoff. Perch can be found near the Firecracker and South Channel lighthouses. Anchor Bay is still spotty for perch. Pike, walleye, catfish and bass are being caught in the channels. The North Channel is giving up a few sturgeon and if you are fishing more towards the south, Lake Erie is hopping with perch biting on Emerald Shiners.

Off of the Fair Haven area, some bass are decent around Grass Island and a few perch are biting off of Harsens Island on minnows.

Off of the St. Clair Shores area, perch are sporadic, best bet is off the Nine Mile tower and the South Channel around buoys 29 and 30. Anglers jigging on the Detroit River will find plenty of action for bass, sheep head and white perch, along with a few walleye.

Wyandotte to Flat Rock and south towards the Ohio border perch are hot on the Detroit River, Lake Erie and the Huron River. Sugar Island is a great hot spot with best action is 24-25 feet of water on minnows. Walleye are still biting on the Trenton Channel and around the Detroit Light.

Off of the Monroe area perch are really hot around Stony Point, the two stacks near the Raisin River, out in front of the Fermi Plant, near the dumping grounds, and further out near Ohio waters off of the Sputnik buoy, Turnaround buoy, and near the Camp Perry Range near the E-Can. Walleye activity is spotty but a few are being pulled out around West Sister Island in 26-30 feet of water and near the water intake. Shiners are the hot bait.

Fishing in Belleville is very good. Anglers are doing well on both Ford and Belleville lakes for crappie, blue gill, walleye and bass. No specific location fish are being caught all over the lakes, with night crawlers, leeches and wax worms working well.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside-St. Clair Shores; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

Near Bay City perch are active around Callahan Reef the Black Hole and Buoys 18 and 19. Walleye action remains great north of Buoys 1 and 2 in deeper water and also in 6-7 feet of water around Callahan Reef.

Around the Bay Port area crawler harnesses and Hot-N-Tots seem to be working on fair catches of walleye. The fish are in deeper water and are scattered. As a note, the Bay Port public access launch is closed and will be open by duck hunting season.

Harbor Beach anglers are finding a few salmon near the shore by small boat, and near the break walls. Some good walleye and perch fishing is taking place in 45-50 feet of water. Shiners are the bait of choice.

Near the St. Clair area, fishing activity is picking up and many anglers are chugging for walleye.

Information providers: Angler’s Rod & Sport-St. Clair; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City; 1st & Main-Bay Port and Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

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• A few walleyes are being caught in the Middle and South Channels.
• Bass fishing is still good all over the lake.
• Perch fishing is spotty. Most are being caught in the deep water in the lake.
• Muskie fishing is still good.
• They are still catching cat fish in the South and Middle channel.
• In Lake Erie the perch fishing is really hot. Most people are catching the perch with Emerald Shiners. The following bait stores in Lake Erie currently are selling Emerald Shiners: State Park Party Store, Erie Park Party Store, and Riverfront Fishing Cleaning

Southeast:

Anglers fishing in the downriver area are finding great perch action off of Flat Rock, Trenton, Gibraltar and Grosse Ile. Just off Sugar Island and the mouth of Lake Erie is a great location as well as the Detroit River around Celeron Island in 25-feet of water. Rat Island continues to be a hot spot for perch on Lake Erie. Minnows are the bait of choice.

Between Estral and Detroit Beach, Stony Point is offering up good perch action on Lake Erie. To the south perch are biting on minnows near the Turnaround Buoy in Ohio waters. Walleye action is good out from the Raisin River in 25-feet and south near the water intake near Toledo. Fish are active in deep water on crawler harnesses.

Fair Haven angling is good for bass, fair to good for walleye and fair on perch. Crawler harnesses are doing the job on walleye when fishing off of Grass Island while minnows are the choice for perch.

Good action around St.Clair Shores where walleye are active throughout the day on Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River off of Peach Island, and jigs seems to be working well. Perch minnows are doing the trick on musky in 12-20 feet of water near the St. Clair Light.

In the Belleville area, Ford and Belleville lakes are giving up very good catches of crappie and blue gill on night crawlers, and bass on leeches.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside-St. Clair Shores and South Street Tackle-Belleville

East:

In the Linwood area the perch fishing is good on Saginaw Bay in 19-21 feet of water. Walleye activity is slow and salmon action is rated fair.

Off of Bay City, anglers are pulling in some really nice perch around the Black Hole and Buoys 18 and 19 on minnows in 17-feet of water. Hot-n-Tots are working well for some good catches of walleye just north of Buoys 1 and 2 in deep water.

Angling action around Bay Port ranges between fair to good for walleye and perch. Best location for walleye is between Sand Point and North Island in Wild Fowl Bay. Anglers are finding good results using crawlers and chartreuse Hot-n-Tots and fishing in 20-feet of water. Perch are hitting on minnows off of the Sebewaing area.

Port Huron anglers are reeling in good numbers of catfish on crawlers near Lighthouse Beach. Fair activity for perch is taking place in deep waters around Port Sanilac in 30-40 feet of water just north of the harbor, off of Lexington state Park, and Buoy #5 off of Port Huron. The Belle River is fair for King salmon on spoons and Rebel Rousers.

Information providers: Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Michigan Sportsman-Essexville; 1st & Main-Bay Port, and Great Lake Outfitters-Port Huron.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

The perch are biting in Lake Erie on Emerald Shiners. 

The following bait stores in Lake Erie currently are selling Emerald Shiners:

State Park Party Store
Erie Park Party Store
Riverfront Fishing Cleaning

Southeast:

All around Algonac a variety of fish are being caught in the channels. Sturgeon action is still good around Pearl Beach, and off of the St. Clair Light some really nice catches of perch and walleye are being reeled in. Some musky action is taking place on Lake St. Clair. Angling action around the firecracker and on Anchor Bay has slowed down.

From Wyandotte to Rockwood the perch action is hot on the Detroit River especially east of Celeron Island, both sides of the Cross Dyke, around Sugar Island and the Metro Park Marina. Perch activity is also great on the Huron River and south of Rat Island. Walleye activity is good on the Raisin River, the lower Trenton Channel of the Detroit River. Hot spots include in front of Humbug Marsh, south of the Detroit Light, all around Celeron Island, and between Toledo Beach and the Dumping Grounds.

Near the Monroe area, perch action is starting to pick up off of Bolles Harbor, Stoney Point, and the E-buoy in 26-28 feet of water.

A little further to the south, Lake Erie anglers will find the perch hitting around Turtle Island and Toledo Beach, as well as off of the Sputnik and McDonald buoys. Walleye activity is decent near Turtle Island and off of West Sister Island in 30-feet of water.

In the Fair Haven area, not much has changed from last week with walleye and perch still active around Grass Island. Crawlers remain the bait of choice for angling activity on Anchor Bay for nice quantities of small and large mouth bass.

In the St. Clair Shores area, walleye, bass, catfish and musky are abundant on Lake St. Clair in 70-80 feet of water. Best activity is taking place north of the St. Clair Light. Night crawlers, Hot-n-Tots, and River Warts are working well.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside-St. Clair Shores and Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac.

East:

Around Essexville and the Bay City area, the walleye may not be biting, but the perch are hitting on minnows around the west and east side of the Spark Plug.

Around Linwood, the walleye have moved off to the deeper waters on Saginaw Bay. Perch action is good near the shipping channels. Lake Huron is starting to give up nice catches of salmon.

Off of Harbor Beach, Lake Huron is producing decent perch catches on shiners. Walleye are being caught further out in deeper waters, and salmon action is picking up.

Information providers: Frank’s Great Outdoors-Linwood; Michigan Sportsman-Essexville and Frank’s Place-Harbor Beach.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Lake Erie - Walleye fishing was good in recent days with fish caught off Bolles Harbor. Most anglers are slow trolling with bottom bouncers around the E Buoy. Perch fishing was fair with fish caught near Stony Point when using minnows. Some nice largemouth bass were caught on jigs near the mouth of the River Raisin.

Huron River - Smallmouth action has picked up over the last week. Anglers are using leeches and crayfish. Largemouth bass are hitting on crawlers. Carp and freshwater drum are still being caught.

Detroit River - Walleye fishing was fair in the Trenton Channel. Some are back to jigging with a worm or leech while others are still trolling or drifting a bottom bouncer with a crawler harness. Perch were caught in the weedbeds in the lower river.

Lake St. Clair - Continues to provide excellent muskie fishing.

Lexington - Boat anglers were marking perch around the weedbeds but no bite.

Grindstone City - Boats trolling for lake trout are heading out to waters 150 feet deep. Try spoons or plugs.

Port Austin - Walleye anglers are heading back west toward the reefs. Smallmouth bass were also caught. Those trolling for lake trout are doing best northeast of the port in 130 to 150 feet of water.

Saginaw Bay - Walleyes are still hitting east and northeast of the Spark Plug in 19 to 23 feet of water and north of Quanicassee in 13 to 15 feet of water. Very good walleye fishing was reported from 30 feet of water east of Eagle Bay Marina, formally known as Great Lakes Marina. Heading northwest off Sebewaing, a few walleye were caught over the Bar. Perch were hit-and-miss, but some were caught around the Black Hole northeast of Linwood and north of the Quanicassee River.

Click here for the entire DNR fishing report:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-34956--,00.html

Southeast:

Around the Algonac area small mouth bass continue to hit in Lake St. Clair and Anchor Bay on live bait. Perch action remains slow for anglers fishing Anchor Bay. Sturgeon action is good, while only a few walleye are hitting in the Middle, North and South Channels.

Around the Fair Haven area, walleye and perch are active near Grass Island and the walleye are biting on crawler harnesses. Anglers fishing anywhere on Anchor Bay are coming up with great catches of small and large mouth bass. Crawlers are working very well.

Around the Downriver area, the Detroit River is really starting to pick up for catfish from the lower end all the way up to the St. Clair Shores area. A variety of bait is working on catfish. Walleye activity is decent from the lower Trenton channel, mouth of the Detroit River and off of the Monroe and Flat Rock areas. Bottom bouncers, night crawlers and glow in the dark lures seem to be working best. Perch action on minnows is good on the lower Trenton Channel, around Celeron Island, throughout Gibraltar in most cuts and channels, off of Metro Park, the south side of the cross-dyke and off of Rat Island.

Off of the Monroe area, windy conditions and rough waters curtailed some anglers from getting out this week. Walleye activity has slowed a bit, but anglers can still reel in a few from out in front of the Fermi Power Plant in waters averaging 24-feet. Steady action for perch this week, best locations include near the Sputnik buoy, E-buoy, Luna Pier, Stony Point, and off of Toledo Beach in 16-17 feet of water and lined up with the water towers as well as right on the Michigan/Ohio line.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; and Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac.

East:

In the Linwood area, Saginaw Bay is giving up some walleye on a variety of baits and anglers are finding best results in deeper waters. Perch remain constant again this week in the shipping channels in 19-21 feet of water, south of the Black Hole. Salmon action on Lake Huron is picking up particularly for anglers fishing off the wreck, around Presque Isle, and off of Rogers City.

Around Bay City, Callahan Reef is giving up a few walleye and perch action is decent around buoy’s 18 and 19 and near the Black Hole.

Salmon activity around Harbor Beach is picking up especially south of the wall and when fishing down 20-30 feet.

Information providers: Frank’s Bait shop-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach, and Michigan Sportsman-Bay City.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

It's back to schools on Lake St. Clair
BY ERIC SHARP • FREE PRESS OUTDOORS WRITER • AUGUST 7, 2008

It's testimony to the amazingly increased water clarity in Lake St. Clair since the zebra mussels arrived about 20 years ago.

The jerkbaits we're using are running about six or seven feet down in 17 feet of water. The smallmouths are hanging out just above the cabbage weed on the bottom.

Yet the fish are able to see those lures coming and rocket up 10 feet to intercept them with strikes that feel like the lure has hit a wall.

"I think that most of the fish out here have never seen a lure," Dearborn bass guide Gerry Gostenik said as he watched Windsor angler Dave Isley work a four-pound smallmouth to the side of Gostenik's 21-foot Triton bass boat.

Reaching over the side to lip the fish and remove the hooks before releasing it, Gostenik said, "You can still catch smallmouths in the shallow water off the mile roads (at St. Clair Shores), but this time of year the big fish are roaming out here in deep water.

"I call these bass the Cabbage Patch Kids because that's where you find them. They're schooled up, but they're not everywhere. You sometimes have to move around some to find them, but when you do you can usually catch 20 or 30 before the bite stops."

Click here for entire article:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080807/SPORTS10/808070409/1058

Lake Erie - Has fair walleye fishing with most boats bringing in two or three fish per trip. Trolling bottom bouncers in 25 feet of water near the Fermi Plant and Stony Point was producing most of the fish. Perch were being caught in 18 feet of water off Stony Point and Bolles Harbor near the E Buoy. A few smallmouth were caught.

Huron River - Fishing has been slow. About the only thing biting is catfish, carp and freshwater drum. A few pike were caught on bluegills in the backwaters.

Detroit River - Catfish action continues to be good and a few perch have been caught. Walleye fishing has been fair to good. Anglers are using bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses in the Trenton Channel. Good colors were chartreuse, purple or anything that glows.

Lake St. Clair - Nice muskie have been caught when anglers can find clear waters to fish. The muskie is a sight feeder so the cleaner the water the better.

St. Clair River - Anglers are catching some walleye when trolling crawler harnesses with bottom bouncers.

Saginaw Bay - Walleye fishing has slowed considerably for the time being. Strong winds have stirred up the bay and floating weeds and algae were causing some problems with lines. Experienced anglers are reporting large quantities of forage fish showing up on their fish finders, and this may help account for the bite slowing down. A few perch were caught out near the Spark Plug and on the edge of the Black Hole.

Saginaw River - A few walleye are still being caught in the lower river by those trolling the edge of the shipping channel.

Click here for the entire DNR fishing report:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-34956--,00.html

Southeast:

Algonac anglers are catching plenty of bass in the channels and the perch fishing is on fire all over the lake. Some walleye are coming up on the lines while fishing for perch as well. Sturgeon activity is good in the evening hours throughout the channels however the fish are small and most anglers are catching and releasing.

Anchor Bay in the Fair Haven area is giving up some really nice quantities of small, large, and rock bass on spinners and golden shiners. Walleye and perch remain sporadic this week with anglers doing best when using minnows or small crawlers.

Off of the St. Clair Shores area, Lake St. Clair is producing good catches of walleye around the south channel and near the Canadian side.

Good action for perch In the Downriver area, hot spots include the south side of the cross-dyke, in front of Metro Park Marina, and on the Detroit River between Humbug Marsh and Celeron Island. Minnows are working well. Walleye action remains good in the lower Trenton Channel. Some decent perch action is taking place between Grosse Ile Yacht Club and Sugar Island.

Near the Monroe area, good walleye activity taking place in front of the Fermi Power Plant in 21-22 feet of water. Perch are hitting around the E-buoy and the dumping grounds on shiners and minnows. A little further south perch are active around Rat Island, the Sputnik buoy, and near the Michigan/Ohio line of the shipping channel; and walleye action is decent as well, but anglers are having to really work for them. Worms are working best on walleye.

Ford and Belleville Lake is giving up nice catches of blue gill, crappie, and catfish, with only a few walleye being caught. Leeches are doing the trick near the Township Park, all of the bridges, and near Huron River Drive near Ford Lake.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside-St. Clair Shores; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

Around the Linwood area, the walleye fishing remains strong and steady on Saginaw Bay. The fish have moved to deeper waters, and all types of baits are working well. Perch are active in the shipping channels in 19-21 feet of water south of the Black Hole. Salmon are decent on Lake Huron near Presque Isle.

In the Bay City area, on Saginaw Bay the walleye action has slowed a bit and fish are moving to deeper waters. Perch are just starting and the hot spot is near the Spark Plug. Saginaw River is giving up good catches of catfish and bass however fish are small in size.

In the Bay Port area, windy conditions are keeping anglers off the water for the most part. Anglers that are getting out are finding scattered catches of walleye and catfish.

In the Harbor Beach area good activity for walleye, steelhead and lake trout in front of the beach area on orange and pink lures. Anglers are finding that the perch are very scattered.

Information providers: Frank’s Bait shop-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City, and 1st & Main-Bay Port.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Lake Erie - Fishing has been slow with most anglers bringing in one or two walleye per trip. They are using bottom bouncers with crawlers in 23 to 25 feet of water near the Fermi Power Plant however anglers were catching more fish in Ohio waters. A few largemouth bass were caught near Bolles Harbor and the yellow perch action picked up with 20 fish per trip when fishing near Stony Point in 20 feet of water.

Huron River - Is still producing smallmouth bass, catfish, carp, freshwater drum and panfish. No word on steelhead for the past week.

Detroit River - Walleye were hitting with the warmer weather but may slow by the weekend. Bass fishing continues and some big carp have also been caught.

Lexington - For perch, drift in 18 to 25 feet of water to locate active schools of fish, then anchor. Inside the harbor, pier and shore anglers have caught northern pike, rock bass and bluegill.

Port Sanilac - Perch are still being caught by those drifting perch rigs with minnows or still-fishing with minnows.

Harbor Beach - Some perch were caught around the lighthouse and along the inside of the breakwall. Lake trout, steelhead and salmon have been caught in 80 to 100 feet of water.

Grindstone City - The experienced anglers are catching a lot of walleye and some smallmouth in 30 feet of water.

Port Austin - Anglers are taking walleye in 25 to 40 feet of water. Lake trout can be found in 80 to 100 feet of water north and northeast of the lighthouse. Pier anglers and those in small boats have caught a few perch inside the harbor.

Click here for the entire DNR fishing report:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-34956--,00.html

They are catching Sturgeon in the channels. Most people are catching them at night, but there are reports of a some being caught during the day.

Southeast:

Fair Haven is a hot spot for very good catches of bass all around Anchor Bay. Perch action is spotty around Grass Island and near the B-Buoy. The North Channel is decent for catfish.

In the St. Clair Shores area, anglers are finding the bass fishing very good in the early morning hours or just before dark. Lake St. Clair is giving up a few musky near the Canadian side. Perch action is good on crawlers again this week around Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, 9 Mile, Metro Beach and buoy’s 29 and 30. Fair to good activity is taking place for walleye on the Detroit River around Peche Island and up to Belle Isle. Anglers are jigging and hand lining.

In the Downriver area the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River is giving up good catches of walleye on jigs with a worm. Anglers are getting best results fishing near the edges of the weeds. Perch action is good on minnows off of Celeron, Rat and Sugar Islands when fishing in waters 8-15 feet deep. Throughout the cuts and channels around Grosse Ile the bass activity is good. Near the Flat Rock area, the Huron River is decent for catfish and bass when shore fishing and the mouth of the Detroit River is fair.

Off of the Monroe area, the walleye activity is rated fair on Lake Erie near buoys 26 and 29 and using crawler harnesses and spoons. Minnows are working well on perch near buoys 12 through 17 and near Toledo Beach.

Belleville Lake is good for blue gill on wax worms and fair for walleye when trolling with crank baits.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside-St. Clair Shores; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

In the Linwood area, walleye fishing is good in the deeper waters on Saginaw River and Bay. Crawlers and Hot-N-Tots are working well. In the channel and around the Black Hole, the perch action is good when using minnows.

Bay City anglers are finding good fishing activity four miles out from Quanicassee and around Thomas Reef using crawlers and Hot-N-Tots. Perch action is good on Saginaw Bay around buoy 18 and 19 when using minnows.

Near the Bay Port area, walleye activity has slowed a bit but persistent anglers using crawlers, minnows and Hot-N-Tots will reel in a few especially near the “gap”.

Around Harbor Beach the angling activity is very good for perch, particularly in 15-feet of water and when fishing the weed beds with minnows. Fair action is taking place for kings and lakers in waters up to 100-feet and decent action for walleye on crawler harnesses and jigs.

Around the St. Clair area, fair activity taking place for perch and walleye on minnows and crawlers while all other species seem to have slowed down.

Information providers: Angler’s Rod & Sport-St. Clair; Frank’s Bait shop-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City, and 1st & Main-Bay Port.


Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Southeast:

Anglers on Anchor Bay in the Fair Haven area are reeling in good numbers of smallmouth bass. The bass are hitting on a variety of baits. The perch action is spotty by buoy “B” and on the west side of Grass Island. The perch are mainly hitting on minnows.

The musky fishing is good on Lake St. Clair, especially on the Canadian side of the lake. Musky anglers are also reeling in a few walleye. The bass fishing is very good pretty much anywhere on the lake. The perch fishing is good out from the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, 9 Mile and 10 Mile roads. Early mornings are the best times to be out for the perch.

The Detroit River near Wyandotte and Gibraltar is producing some very good bass fishing. The perch action is good around Sugar Island. Out on Lake Erie, the walleye fishing ranges from fair to good in front of the Fermi power plant and along the sputnik. The perch action is good between the “E” buoy and the “dumping grounds.” The walleye are hitting on crawlers, the perch prefer minnows as bait.

And at Belleville, the bluegill fishing is good on Belleville Lake, with both waxworms and leaf worms working well as bait. The bass fishing is fair on the lake, while the crappie fishing is slow.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside-St. Clair Shores; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

The perch action is improving on Saginaw Bay near Linwood. The best fishing is found along the edge of the shipping channel in water 20-23 feet deep. The walleye fishing is steady on the bay in water approximately 20 feet deep.

Out of the Bay City area, the walleye fishing is very good on Saginaw Bay. Early mornings are the best time to be out, with crawlers being the preferred bait. Anglers on the bay are also catching a few perch. The catfish and bass fishing on the Saginaw River is good.

Around Bay Port, the walleye fishing is very good a few miles west of North Island. The marble eyes are being caught with Hot-N-Tots or crawlers.

In the Harbor Beach area, the walleye fishing is good by the harbor. The walleye are hitting on crawler harnesses up to 55 feet below the surface, in water that is up to 65 feet deep. The lake trout and king salmon fishing is fair straight out from the harbor, in water 80 to 110 feet deep. The perch fishing is improving daily on Lake Huron between Wagner Park and Deckerville Rd. The perch are hitting on minnows, in water 24 to 35 feet deep. The bass fishing is good in the shallows along the Lake Huron shoreline from Grindstone City to Harbor Beach.

On Lake Huron north of Port Sanilac, good numbers of perch are being caught in water 22-25 feet deep. Around Lexington, by the state park, the perch action is also decent.

By Port Huron, the walleye fishing is improving on the St. Clair River. The silver bass fishing is very good at the mouth of the Black River. Minnows are working well as bait.

And from St. Clair to Marine City the bass fishing is good on the St. Clair River, the perch action is fair.

Information providers: Angler’s Rod & Sport-St. Clair; Frank’s Bait shop-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Great Lake Outfitters-Port Huron; and Michigan Sportsman-Bay City.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

DNR has investigated release of sediment from ranch near Vanderbilt into the Pigeon River.
Gary Heinlein / Detroit News Lansing Bureau
LANSING -- Department of Natural Resources officials will meet this week with the Attorney General's Office over a fish kill on the Pigeon River caused by a massive release of sediment from an impoundment on a private ranch near Vanderbilt.

The release occurred the night of June 22, when a gate was opened on a dam at Song of the Morning Ranch, a private yoga center, DNR officials said.

Within three days, an array of stream fish that included chubs, white suckers, shiners, 62 brown trout, 25 brook trout and three rainbow trout had been killed by black sediments that flowed down the river. Forty of the brown trout were more than a foot long, said DNR spokeswoman Mary Dettloff.

"The sediment gets into their gills and basically suffocates them," Dettloff said.

DNR Fisheries Division Chief Kelly Smith said that since then, DNR investigators have performed a "full river assessment" to gather data about the amount of sediment released and the number of fish that were killed.

He said the agency is putting together the numbers now to determine how the incident compares to a 1984 fish kill when the same dam was opened at the same ranch.

In that incident, tons of silt swept down the river when the dam's gates were opened for cleaning.

Click here for entire article:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080728/METRO/807280370/1409/METRO

Southeast:

The Detroit River continues to give up good walleye counts in 8-16 feet of water near the Detroit lighthouse, off of Banana Island and the mouth of the Detroit River. Lake Erie Metro Park, Sugar Island, and either side of Celeron are hot locations as well. Anglers are using crawler harnesses, hand lining, and trolling with spoons or Rapalas. Yellow perch are steadily picking up in and around Sugar Island in the weed pockets off the east side of Celeron along the weeds in 6-10 feet of water and the best bait seems to e shiner minnows on perch rigs. Small mouth bass are picking up near the mouth of the Detroit River and anglers are getting good results with Berkley Gulp leeches and Gulp Goby’s, as well as 4 or 5-inch salty tubes. Pointe Mouille is providing good catches or catfish for shore anglers around the south end or Roberts Road. Green worms and live shrimp are working best.

Algonac anglers continue to pull in nice catches of perch by the Fire Cracker on the South Channel. A few walleye are hitting in the south and middle channels. Plenty of action for bass on Lake St. Clair and the channels are also starting to pick up.

In the Fair Haven area, the perch action is fair in the south channel and near buoy’s 28 and 30 with plenty of sorting required. Straight out in front of the 400 Club in 14 feet of water perch are doing well with a few walleye and small mouth bass also biting. Walleye action on the St. Clair River has slowed a bit, but anglers are reeling in a few on crawler harnesses.

St. Clair Shores anglers are doing well for walleye near the dumping grounds when using crawler harnesses with a bottom bouncer. Early risers are finding good results for bass out of Lake St. Clair.

Around Monroe, anglers are using chartreuse and fire tiger baits with good results. Walleye are active near the Sputnik buoy, and perch are hitting around Luna Pier and the E-buoy near Bolles Harbor.

In the Belleville area, crappie, blue gill and walleye fishing is steady on both Ford and Belleville lakes. The majority of walleye are being caught in the early morning hours.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Lakeside-St. Clair Shores; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Southeast:

Around the Algonac area, anglers are catching a lot of perch by the Fire Cracker on the South Channel, and plenty of bass near the light house. Bass are very active in the channels as they are on the move to cooler waters. Patient walleye anglers are reeling in a few from the North Channel.

Near the Fair Haven area, angling action is a bit slow this week thanks to high winds and rain that stirred up the waters. Night crawlers are working decent on blue gill, and a few walleye.

Walleye action remains great on the lower portion and mouth of the Detroit River in 8-14 feet of water, with the weed line a good bet for some decent size fish. Another good walleye location is off the Bell Buoy out in front of the Fermi Power Plant in 20-26 feet of water. One walleye angler pulled in a steelhead off of Sugar Island while hand lining. Walleye are averaging 2 ½ pounds with the typical catch ranging from 2-10 fish. Congratulations to Vic Vatalaro from Kent Ohio, the second place winner of the FLW Bass Tournament this past weekend, he purchased his bait and license from Bottom Line Bait and Tackle in Flat Rock. Yellow perch in 15-30 feet of water are being reeled in around Red Island (Pointe Mouille) and the action is also good between Celeron and Grosse Ile in 6-9 feet of water and near the weed line, anglers are averaging 15-30 keepers, most in the 15-inch range. Point Mouille and the Huron River is giving up plenty of bass on Kelly worms, night crawlers and top water baits, while catfish are biting on shrimp and green crawlers.

In the Monroe area, walleye are hitting on chartreuse and purple baits straight out in front of Bolles Harbor, the Sputnik buoy remains a great hot spot The E-buoy is also a great location for perch as well as Luna Pier and the dumping grounds, two miles off of Bolles Harbor.

Belleville area anglers are catching plenty of channel cats near Sandy’s Marina and under the big bridge and near Rawsonville Road. Blue gill and crappie are active on Ford and Belleville lakes. Leeches and worms are the top choice.

Information providers: Bluewater Bait-Fair Haven; Bottom Line Bait & Tackle-Flat Rock; Erie Party Shoppe-Monroe; Mackie’s Bait & Tackle-Algonac, and South Street Tackle-Belleville.

East:

In the Bay City area, anglers are doing great on walleye, and perch are active between Oakhurst and AuGres in 5-25 feet of water. Best baits include crawler harnesses, small spoons with a mini disk and Hot-N-Tots.

In the Linwood area, Saginaw Bay is giving up consistent walleye in 20-22 feet of water. King salmon are just starting on Lake Huron and are active around Rogers City.

In the Bay Port area, windy conditions have slowed angling activity a bit, but walleye remain active and chartreuse crawler harnesses are doing the trick.

St. Clair anglers are pulling in some really large perch biting on crawlers and minnows, while good size bass are biting on just about everything. Walleye are hit or miss at this time.

Harbor Beach has great fishing conditions for walleye on night crawlers or crawler harnesses. Perch are active on minnows around Forestville and Wagner Park, and some big fish are off of Sanilac, large enough to bend a hook.

Information providers: Angler’s Rod & Sport-St. Clair; Frank’s Bait shop-Linwood; Frank’s Place Bait & Tackle-Harbor Beach; Michigan Sportsman-Bay City, and 1st & Main-Bay Port.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

The Detroit River will have plenty of action July 10-13 as hundreds of anglers come to town for the FLW Tournament taking place right out of Elizabeth Park Marina in Trenton. Bass are active in the Trenton channel as well as around the Livingston Channel on Berkley Gulp or worms. Walleye activity hasn’t slowed down, good action continues around the Fermi Power Plant in 18-20 feet of water, out in front of the Edison Towers, near the Sputnik Buoy near the Ohio and

Michigan border and around Middle Sister Island, as well as all up and down the Trenton, Wyandotte and Grosse Ile channels of the Detroit River. Jigging and hand lining seems to be working well. Walleye near the Ohio border tend to be immature measuring 7-10 inches long and should be released with extreme care, try not touching them, the chance for survival is much better. Perch action again this week is good around Banana Island in 14-15 feet of water.

Very good angling activity is taking place in the Belleville area, where anglers are hitting on just about everything from walleye and bass to crappie. Night crawlers, leeches and wax worms are doing the trick around Ford Dam, Rawsonville Road and near the big bridge on Belleville Road.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

ERIC SHARP
JULY 6, 2008


On an average weekend last summer, Mitzie's Dockside Service in Ecorse sold 12,000 gallons of gasoline to boaters and on Monday had to call the fuel supplier to refill the tanks.

This boating season, Mitzie Hodgson said she barely sells 4,000 gallons in a full week, and she has put up the For Sale sign at her once-thriving business on the Detroit River.

From the icy waters of Lake Superior to the relatively balmy shores of Lake Erie, the marine industry and anglers alike are feeling the painful effects fuel prices over $4 per gallon and watercraft that burn anywhere from 10 to 100 gallons of fuel an hour.

And it's clear that anglers in small boats, those under 25 feet, are feeling the pinch more than the owners of bigger craft.

"We're probably down 5,000 launches from last year at this time," said George Campbell, who runs the Wyandotte Boat Ramp and Tackle Shop on the river 400 yards downstream from Mitzie's.

"On a weekday, we're launching 15, 20 boats where last year it would be 70, 80," he said. "And on weekends we're doing 30, 40 launches where we used to do 120."

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080706/SPORTS10/807060611/1058

If you are being harassed by Canadian law enforcement officers while fishing in Canadian waters, we strongly recommend that you contact your local Michigan government official and explain to them what is happening.  Hopefully, if enough people complain about this issue, our Canadian-born governor can put some pressure on Canada to stop this harassment.  You can locate your local government officials at the links listed below. 


Michigan House of Representatives: http://house.michigan.gov/representatives.asp

Michigan Senators: http://senate.michigan.gov/SenatorInfo/find-your-senator.htm

This week the fishing activity has really started to ignite now that the weather is cooperating. Angling activity is booming on a majority of inland lakes and rivers, as well as the Great Lakes for a variety of fish. The long holiday weekend should provide some great fishing opportunities.

Walleye hotspots this week include the lower end of the Detroit River, out in front of the Fermi Plant in 18-20 feet of water, and near Estral Beach. Worms and crawler harnesses seem to work well. Anglers are doing well with perch in 14 feet of water around Banana Island, as well as near the shipping channels. Around the Lake Erie Metro Park, bass and catfish remain active. Near the Monroe area, hot spots for walleye include Luna Pier and the River Raisin in 27 feet of water. Pink spoons and crawler harnesses are working best.

Excellent fishing taking place on both Ford and Belleville lakes with a variety of fish being reeled in that include bass, walleye, crappie, blue gill and channel cats. Minnows are working well but mostly leeches are being used. The best locations are near Rawsonville Road and around Sandy’s Marina near Edison Lake Road.

Near the Fair Haven area the walleye action is poor in the river, but plenty of perch can be had in the south channel and near the B-buoy. Buoys 27 through 30 are also decent locations for pulling in perch on minnows. Bass action is good using casting tubes and fishing anywhere between the south shore and the 400 Club.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Big fish hunting on Lake St. Clair

Video by ERIC SHARP/DFP
Join Freep outdoor writer Eric Sharp for a look at the fishing that has made Lake St. Clair one of the top destinations for the elusive muskellunge.

Click here for the video:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080627/VIDEO02/80626077/1058/SPORTS10

Lake Erie is giving up good catches of walleye on purple and gold spoons in 18-20 feet of water. Yellow perch are active in the shipping channels, near the Detroit Light and farther south toward the Bessie Power Plant. Near Lake Erie Metro Park the bass and pan fish are active, and out in front of Pointe Mouille, anglers are using green crawlers for good catches of catfish. Off of the Monroe area, decent fishing taking place around Bolles Harbor and in and around the cuts and channels of Sterling State Park and the Detroit Beach Boat Club. The River Raisin is giving up some nice perch when trolling with spoons, also around Luna Pier is a good location.

Ford and Belleville lakes are giving up good catches of crappie, blue gill and walleye. Hot spots include near Edison Lake Road by the Dam and near Rawsonville Road and bridges in town. Anglers are using leeches and minnows with good results.

Anchor Bay near Fair Haven is giving up decent catches of bass and blue gill on minnows, worms and crawlers.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Perch are being caught in the Great Lakes. Inland, anglers are catching bass, pike, walleye and catfish. Lots of rock bass are also being caught.

Lake Erie - Walleye fishing has improved to fair. Fish have been found in 25 to 27 feet of water near the Fermi Plant and Stony Point. Pink, gold and purple baits were the ticket. A few yellow perch freshwater drum were also caught. Smallmouth bass were caught near Bolles Harbor.

Huron River - Good numbers of catfish have been caught on crawlers, shrimp and even chicken liver. Smallmouth bass are hitting on spinners, crank baits or crawlers.

Detroit River - Jigging or handlining is producing fair to good numbers of walleye. Try rapalas, worms or leeches.

Lake St. Clair - Yellow perch have been caught by those willing to put in the time. Locate a school of perch and fish until the bite stops. Try perch rigs with shiners.

Lexington - Trout and salmon are being caught in 45 to 65 feet of water. Those fishing inside the harbor have caught walleye, pike and a variety of panfish.

Click here for the entire DNR fishing report:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-34956--,00.html

In the Fair Haven area, perch are active in the shipping channels and around number 26 and 28 buoys. Anglers are using minnows for best results. Small mouth bass are active in 6-8 feet of water on green or brown tubes. Walleye anglers are trolling all parts of the river and using bottom bouncers, activity has slowed however. Blue gill catches are decent around Harsen’s Island on leaf worms and small crawlers.

Walleye fishing is great on both sides of Grosse Ile, the mouth of the Detroit River, and the Trenton Channel. Anglers are hand line trolling with Rapalas or bottom bouncers. Walleye action is also good in Lake Erie in 20-feet of water using blue, silver and clown pattern spoons, as well as reef runners. Off of the Flat Rock area the perch action is good on Lake Erie right around the Ohio/Michigan line and near the Sputnik Buoy. Off of Pointe Mouille and Lake Erie Metro Park, anglers will find easy access, and some great conditions for catching catfish, perch and blue gill. Bass season opens Saturday.

Near the Monroe area, Lake Erie is giving up good catches of walleye in 20-feet of water in front of the Fermi Plant, and also around Little Sister Island between Ohio and Monroe. Three miles off of Bolles Harbor the perch fishing is good. Anglers are trolling with purple, gold and silver spoons and mini divers.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

They are catching perch by the South Channel past the Fire Cracker on both the American and Canadian side of the lake. Perch are also are being caught in Anchor Bay.

Around the Fair Haven area, small mouth bass are plentiful on tube jigs and spinner bait however it is still catch and release at this point. The official bass season starts on June 21, 2008. Walleye action has slowed on the river this week. The shipping channels are producing good numbers of perch on minnows around buoys 26 and 28.

n the Port Huron area, the mouth of the Black River continues to give up decent catches of silver bass, smallmouth bass and pike.

St. Clair anglers have good action this week for walleye in the 14-21 inch range between St. Clair and Marine City. Crawler harnesses, Rapalas, and pencil plugs are doing the trick.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.autoclubgroup.com/michigan/fishing.asp?zip=48220

Rivers around the state are experiencing high water levels, especially in areas that received heavy rainfall over the last week. Panfish are being caught in shallow waters or near the drop offs. We should start to move into the summer fishing mode now that warmer weather is finally here.

Lake Erie - Is producing good catches of walleye in the 17 to 21 inch size range. Most anglers are using crawler harnesses on bottom bouncers while others are doing well on spoons and body baits. Most recently, the best fishing has been in 23 to 25 feet of water near Stony Point and straight out from Bolles Harbor around the E-Buoy.

Huron River - Water levels are up but the river is still fishable. Anglers are catching good numbers of smallmouth bass, catfish and carp. Those fishing below the dam are still taking some nice crappie on minnows.

Detroit River - White bass are still biting, but not with the same intensity.

Lexington - The salmon and lake trout are scattered in waters 30 to 100 feet deep. Perch were caught in 50 to 60 feet of water south of the port. Pier anglers have caught smallmouth bass, rock bass and other panfish.

BY ERIC SHARP • FREE PRESS OUTDOORS WRITER • MAY 29, 2008

We're using a three-weight fly rod and an ultralight spinning rod to cast a glass minnow fly and a small white bucktail jig at boils on the surface of the Detroit River, and every cast results in a strike and a hard fight.

The target is white bass, and we've located a big school of them off Lake Erie Metropark by watching for baitfish exploding through the surface as they were attacked by the white bass from below.

They aren't the biggest fish in the Great Lakes, but matched with the right tackle they are among the scrappiest.

Michigan's Free Fishing Weekends are two special days when all fishing license fees will be waived for residents and outstate visitors alike on both inland and Great Lakes waters. All fishing regulations will still apply.

Free Fishing Weekend events are sponsored by many communities, businesses, and conservation and fishing clubs. Click here, for a list of Michigan Free Fishing Weekend events.

National Boating and Fishing Week is June 1-8, 2008. Look on the "Take Me Fishing" website at www.takemefishing.org for additional activities not only in Michigan, but other states as well.

This spring brought the usual plaintive e-mails and telephone calls from readers asking if anyone knew where smelt were running. And the answer was the same as it has been for 10 years -- no one has seen any, and if you find some, please let the rest of us know.

It turned out that one exception was the northern Lake Huron coastline along the Canadian shore and the adjacent St. Marys River, where dippers enjoyed some excellent smelt runs.

That raised hopes that the silvery little fish might be making a comeback and provide spring sport for people and food for Lake Huron salmon whose numbers have been decimated by the disappearance of alewives.

Jeffrey Schaeffer, a research biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor, has a different theory and says anglers shouldn't get their hopes up...

Click here for the entire article:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/SPORTS10/805150408

This coming Saturday May 24th is the opening day of bass season on the Great Lakes and all the inland waters except Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River and the Detroit River which do not open until the 3rd Saturday in June. The early catch and release season has been very good so the opener this weekend should also be good especially if the weather warms up and stays that way.


Lake Erie - Fishing has been hit-or-miss. Walleye were caught in 10 to 15 feet of water in Brest Bay. Drifting produced the best catches but those trolling crank baits or plugs also caught fish. Most boats were taking an average of two fish per trip. White bass were still hitting this week and large numbers were caught in Brest Bay. Water temperatures were 55 degrees at the surface and the clarity was improving.

Huron River - A couple steelhead were caught on minnows near the rocks just down from the dam at Flat Rock. White bass have been caught on minnows or crayfish.

Detroit River - Walleye angling has slowed but most boats are still catching a few. The white bass fishing is on fire! Most of the fish are 11 to 13 inches long and are great fighters. Many are being taken by shore anglers, but boat anglers are also doing well when fishing about any place where the water is less than 32 feet deep. Jigs and plastic worms, real worms or minnows are all working well.

Lake St. Clair - Walleye fishing is still on the slow side off Metro Beach, but a few more fish were caught in the south end of the lake.

Click here for the entire DNR fishing report:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-34956--,00.html

May 16, 2008 - 9:35PM

The world's wildlife populations have reduced by around a quarter since the 1970s, according to a major report published Friday by the WWF conservation organisation.

Marine species have been particularly hard hit as the human population booms, while numbers of birds and, fish and animals have also gone down, said the WWF in a report.

The study comes ahead of next week's UN convention on biological diversity in the former West German capital Bonn, which will discuss aims to achieve a "significant reduction" in the current rate of biodiversity loss by 2010.

The WWF, the world's largest independent conservation body, said it was "very unlikely" that the UN would meet its targets, despite the decline appearing to flatten off in recent years.

The WWF's Living Planet Index, which tracks the fortunes of nearly 4,000 populations of 1,477 vertebrate species from 1970 to 2005, showed an overall decline of 27 percent.

Over-fishing and hunting, along with farming, pollution and urban expansion, were blamed.

Click here for the entire article:
http://news.theage.com.au/world/wildlife-numbers-plummet-globally-wwf-20080516-2f6o.html

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie - Is very muddy and water temperatures have dropped into the 50 degree range. Walleye fishing was best between Stony Point and the Fermi Power Plant. Bottom bouncers were producing fish for those trolling or drifting. Good numbers of white bass are hitting on pretty much anything. Good catfish action continues near Consumers Hot Ponds.

Huron River - They are still getting some steelhead by the dams. Anglers fishing down from the walk bridge on the park side of the river were getting white bass and crappie on minnows. Walleye are hitting on Hot-n-Tots or crawlers.

Detroit River - Walleye are being caught in the lower Trenton Channel, near Wyandotte, and around Mud Island. Anglers are drifting Erie Dearies or trolling reef runners in 10 feet of water.

Lexington - Boats trolling in 15 to 40 feet of water caught trout and salmon on body baits or spoons. Pier anglers have caught small perch.

Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364-34956--,00.html

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie - Catch rates remain fair with the cooler temperatures. Anglers had mild success for walleye near the Fermi Power Plant and Stony Point when slow trolling with bottom bouncers. The Dumping Grounds near Bolles Harbor were also producing a few fish. Those fishing the lake side of the Banana Dike caught walleye in 10 feet of water. Large numbers of white bass are hitting on live bait. The catch and release bass action has been good near the shoreline and in the channel off Bolles Harbor.

Huron River - There are still light numbers of steelhead below the dam. Walleye fishing has picked up and the smallmouth bass bite has been good. The river has a lot of carp and suckers.

Detroit River - Has good walleye action along the entire river when using jigs with minnows or crank baits in the early morning or late at night. Perch have been caught around Stony Island but watch out for the rocks. Most are using perch rigs with shiners. The white bass are just starting to come in.

Lake St. Clair - Some walleye were caught when jigging or handlining but the action is slow. Better weather will bring better fishing.

Lexington - Boats trolling in 15 to 25 feet of water have caught coho, lake trout steelhead and brown trout with a few chinook and walleye mixed in. Bombers and rapalas were the ticket. Pier anglers have caught small perch.


Click here for the entire fishing report:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364_10848-34956--,00.html

The DNR is seeking input on two fishing issues: Increase in Lines Allowed for Fishing and Salmon Daily Bag Limits. The DNR is committed to providing consistent opportunity for anglers and continuing its efforts to simplify regulations. Neither proposal will have any negative biological impact on the state's fishery resources. They address social issues and perspectives on ways anglers may prefer to enjoy their fishing activities.
Use this link to read the press releases, Frequently Asked Questions and submit your comment.

Click here for the Proposal to Review the Daily Bag Limit for Salmon:



http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/SalmonDailyBagLimitFAQ_232622_7.pdf

ERIC SHARP
Detroit River run provides legendary walleye fishing
APRIL 24, 2008

When Nick Homayed was a teenager fishing the Detroit River every chance he got, he figured that stretchy monofilament line was a major reason for missing the hook set when a walleye struck.

"So I spooled a reel with dental floss, and it really worked. I thought I was on to something," said Homayed, a Dearborn Heights angler who is one of the most knowledgeable walleye guides in the state...


Click Here for the entire article:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080424/SPORTS10/804240402

Click Here for Out-of-This-World Fishing (PICS)

The new regulations are now in effect starting April 1, 2008.

2008 Fishing Guide 2008 Trout and Salmon Guide

Fresh is better
APRIL 17, 2008

For dinner recently my wife, Susan, and I had perch that were caught in Lake Erie about eight hours earlier. Dredged in spiced bread crumbs and sautéed gently, the fish were incredibly tasty served with a fresh salad and pierogi, the latter a relatively recent addition to our very British-oriented palates.

What made the perch so good was that they were so fresh. I've had the experience of rummaging through the freezer and coming up with a plastic-wrapped mass of something that I had caught or killed so long ago I couldn't even identify it.

Experience has taught me that thawing such packages and cooking whatever was inside usually results in a meal that makes the offerings of the greasiest diner look good.

Some fish keep better than others. Halibut is one. I've had halibut steaks that after a year in the freezer were as tasty as some "fresh" halibut I've bought that probably had been sitting on ice for several days before reaching the fish market.

But freshwater fish don't usually fare as well in the freezer, and those with higher fat contents -- including salmon, trout and whitefish -- often develop an unpleasant taste after three months because the fat starts to oxidize. Leaner fish such as walleye, perch and sunfish can be kept frozen for up to a year. But just because a fish is edible after months in the freezer doesn't mean it's palatable. After about 30 days, freezing causes subtle changes in taste and the texture of the flesh.

Anglers would do themselves a great favor if they worried less about catching limits of fish and more about keeping just enough to eat in the next week or so.

Eric Sharp

Source: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080417/SPORTS10/804170403

From: Dan Keifer

Hello, Metro West members.

The status of the proposed water use legislation is that it is currently being debated in Lansing. Your legislators need to hear from steelhead/salmon fishermen and cottage owners right now.

This weekend and next week is VERY IMPORTANT timing to send your comments to your legislators. Indications are that the legislature will try to wrap up the deliberations and try to arrive at a consensus on the legislation in the next two weeks.

If you want steelhead and salmon out in the Great Lakes, it's time to speak up for the rivers and streams where they grow up as juveniles and return to spawn.

As you may know, the House and the Senate bills are very different in how they would implement the new set of rules and regulations over groundwater withdrawals in the state. The Senate version is very unfriendly to rivers and streams, and that includes the river stretches that support the spring and fall spawning runs of steelhead & salmon. Missing from these deliberations is the voice for "Water in its Place." That is, the importance of Michigan's water to stay where it is now...in its streams, lakes, and wetlands...for the multi-billion dollars of recreation, tourism and property values that make Michigan the unique state that it is.

The big water user pushing for the excessive limits of water use is the Farm Bureau. No, agricultural irrigation water does not all trickle back down to the aquifers. A significant amount of that water is taken up by crops. Whether it's in a pound of cherries, a sack of potatoes, or a gallon of ethanol, increased agricultural uses can mean lots of water leaving the state in finished agricultural products.

The critical period where groundwater withdrawals can most impact salmon/trout populations is in the warm, low flow summer months. The Senate version of this legislation would allow up to 25% of summer flows to be withdrawn...without any permitting process or any public input...and acknowledges that this would reduce trout populations. Making matters worse, this is mean monthly flow...meaning no restrictions on what might happen on any given day or days during the month. All current users/usages would be grandfathered...including all the lake-level control structures that affect streamflows in the Muskegon, the Platte, the Huron, the Clinton, and many more.

The "Groundwater Assessment Tool" is a great start at modern-day water management in Michigan. But, it's unproven science, and it is incomplete. It is based on an inventory of 11,000 stream segment types in the state. Yet, there are only 230 USGS streamflow gages operating in the state. If the summertime flow of water on a trout stream is signficantly reduced
by withdrawals in years to come, how will you or I or some other angler prove that it is excessive?

Have you fished a Michigan river in July, August, or September? If not, you have no idea how low these streams get...now, before any new rules. It is unimaginable to me that our state would enact water legislation that says it's ok to reduce stream flows by 25% in the summer months. Fish need habitat 100% of the time, not 99% of the time.

Will all of these dire things happen to the state's trout streams? We don't know. What we do know is that the Senate version of the legislation would provide no means for any member of the public (individuals, groups, property owners) to contest a proposed large-scale groundwater withdrawal. What we do know is that the package of laws being developed now will determine
how groundwater is used in Michigan for decades to come. All the circumstances argue to go slow and cautious as this gets implemented for the first time.

There are just too many unknowns to the consequences of such a far-reaching new set of regulations like this, to be comfortable with being so aggressive right out of the box. A lot of the good trout/salmon rivers will be unaffected...AuSable, Manistee, Pere Marquette. But, others could be really impacted because of where the are in the state and/or their unique
characteristics: The Muskegon and the smaller rivers in SW Michigan come to mind.

Below is my mid-March message on this issue. Its attachment is included on this message as well.

Let me know if you have any questions or need more information on this. If you need help figuring out who your legislators are (both Senate and House are important here), start with www.vote-smart.org and type in your zip code. Or, email me.

All you really have to say is that you are in favor of strong protection for Michigan's salmon/troutstreams, that you support the House version of the proposed legislation, and that you are opposed to the Senate version. Anything additional would just be icing on the cake.

Dan Keifer
Metro West Steelheaders Club
and Clinton River Watershed Council


Click here for the mid-March message

ERIC SHARP
Border protection policy is fishing for more work
March 30, 2008

You may have heard that U.S. Customs and Border Protection will require fishermen to carry passports or other approved identification and check in with immigration upon returning from Canadian waters on the Detroit and St. Clair rivers, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, even if they don't touch land in Canada.

It's what you'd expect from the government that gave us the recovery plan for Hurricane Katrina: impractical, unenforceable, inconvenient, infuriating and expensive.

But if you're one of tens of thousands of local anglers who would be affected by this latest window dressing to create the illusion of national security, there's hope that sanity will prevail.

Chief Ron Smith of the agency's Detroit office has told his Washington headquarters that the plan is unenforceable and would create a bureaucratic nightmare.

"If we're going to require fishermen to check in every time they run a boat across that invisible border (on the water), we're going to have a problem," said Smith, adding that he hopes to have "clarification" of the requirement next week.

"The water boundary is our weakest link, but we need to make sensible decisions about how we protect it," Smith said. "I've been out on the Detroit River during the walleye season and have seen five, six rafts of boats with more than 100 boats in each raft. They're not anchored, just drifting down the river. How do we track all of them?

"I hope we get a decision (from Washington) by next week, because the walleye season is almost here again."

This mess started a couple of weeks ago when border patrol officials in Cleveland told local charter captains that if they entered Canadian waters on Lake Erie, they would have to file the same kind of paperwork required of large commercial ships transiting the lakes.

Besides the skipper and crew filling out paperwork and learning new rules before the season, charter captains also would have to fax in daily lists of their customers, including personal information such as citizenship and birthdates.

All passengers would have to carry passports or other approved official identification, and everyone aboard would have to check in with immigration upon returning to Ohio (after the skipper calls the border patrol at least an hour before returning to port).

It's the kind of goofy rules you'd expect from cubicle denizens who know little about the situation for which they are making the rules, bureaucrats who probably have never seen a fishing boat, never mind gone fishing.

Needless to say, it has not made the Ohio charter captains happy, or people on other parts of the Great Lakes who routinely pass through Canadian waters and have heard about the plan.

Meanwhile, Smith has been meeting Detroit-area boating groups and telling them that if they don't tie up to the Canadian shore, or land in Canada, they don't have to check in upon returning to the United States. He said that technically, the boaters should check in if they anchored in Canadian waters, but even that regulation hasn't been enforced because it doesn't make a lot of sense if the boaters anchor in the middle of a lake or river.

Smith is right about creating a bureaucratic nightmare. The border patrol simply doesn't have the boats and agents it would take to make this law effective.

If anglers want to see these rules repealed, I suspect the easiest way would be to follow them. How many hundreds of calls a day is the border patrol equipped to handle?

After all, what good is this law going to serve? If a group of anglers merely leaves the United States, motors into Canadian waters and then comes back, what does checking in do to make us safer? And if the boaters are terrorists or people smugglers who make an illegal landing in Canada, do you think they will check in upon returning?

Unless the border patrol is prepared to track the movements of a significant percentage of the boats on our waters, this latest plan is simply another government boondoggle.

There's hope: Rebecca Humphries, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, has asked the Natural Resources Commission to rescind a rule that bans the shooting of all-white deer.

Contact ERIC SHARP at 313-222-2511 or esharp@freepress.com.

EVENTS

Boating course: A 10-week boating safety course, sponsored by the Wyandotte Power Squadron, will start Feb. 18 at the Copeland Center, 2306 4th St. The sessions will run from 7-9 p.m. each night. For information, call 734-699-4275 or 313-382-4709.

Winter triathlon: The Muskegon Sports Council presents its Winter Triathlon on Feb. 3 at the Winter Sports Complex in Muskegon State Park. The event, consisting of cross-country skiing, luge and speedskating, is geared toward novices. Instruction and practice run from 10 a.m. to noon. The luge clinic is mandatory; others are optional. The competitions run from noon to 3:30. The fee is $20 for entrants 13 and older, $15 for 12 and under, or $40 for a family. Age divisions start at 9-under and go to 60-older. Entry forms can be obtained by e-mailing MadMarkJ@aol.com. For information, call 231-828-4627.

DNR FISHING REPORT
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources advises that ice is building in the southern sections of the Lower Peninsula but most of the lakes are still not safe. Ice fishing continues around the rest of the state. Those traveling on the ice should fish with a partner, take an ice spud to test the ice, wear a personal flotation device, take a cell phone and be sure to tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return.

Source: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080124/SPORTS10/801240396/1058

Two British anglers waded waist deep into a river to land a 100-year-old monster fish weighing over 35 stone - after battling with it for over an hour.

Nick Calleya, 36, from Cubert in Cornwall and George Carstairs from Scotland landed the 500lb white Sturgeon while angling from a boat in the Fraser River in British Columbia in Canada.

The 10ft-long giant was snared using a rod and line with salmon eggs as bait.

Mr Calleya said: "We hooked on to it and it shot off.
"The boat was anchored so we quickly pulled it up and sped after it.
"George is quite a small guy so I had to grab him and hold him down because the fish was lifting him off his seat."
The pair grappled with the massive fish for over an hour, taking turns to hold the rod when their tired arms threatened to let their prey escape.
All the time, their fishing guide was at the controls of their jet boat trying to keep pace with the fish...

Click here for the entire article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=509098&in_page_id=1&in_page_id=1&expand=true#StartComments

ERIC SHARP
December 30, 2007
E-mails arrive daily warning of new efforts to open huge acreages of Western wilderness to gas and oil drilling, clear cut forests on mountains vulnerable to erosion, destroy major fish stocks in the ocean or pollute the skies and waters with mercury and greenhouse gasses.

Continuing threats to the places where we hunt, fish and camp illustrate that while things are better than 30 or 40 years ago, all we've really done is slow down the rate at which we are destroying our environment.

Sometimes efforts to turn it around get harder, as under the administration of President George W. Bush, perhaps the worst environmental knuckle dragger in living memory. But even under the better administrations, things have gotten worse, because our system encourages politicians to sell out to those who profit from environmental degradation.

There isn't enough money or public interest to solve many of the problems. But one thing we can do is to concentrate our efforts on ending the continued introduction of exotic species into the Great Lakes by ships coming in from the oceans.

On this one, the good guys are winning. States are passing stricter ballast control measures than the Environmental Protection Agency, which has sold out to the businesses that want saltwater ships to continue to come into the Great Lakes with little or no controls.

But we have hard evidence now about how much damage they cause. John Taylor at Grand Valley State has shown us how much more they cost our economy than they add to it.

And we know from the work of David Lodge at Notre Dame that not only is the threat from ballast water inside the ships greater than we thought, the growths on the outsides of ships may be an even more significant source of invaders.

Politicians are loath to afflict the well-connected, and most bureaucrats are too timid to upset the politicians. So it's imperative that we see that researchers, such as Taylor and Lodge, get the support they need to continue their studies.

It's that kind of solid economic and scientific data that allows the private groups that are the real protectors of our environment -- the National Wildlife Federations, Sierra Club, Audubon Society, American Lung Association and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership -- to do two things that are important.

One is to sue bad guys and the government when necessary. The other is to make the public aware of failures of government, because politicians won't bite the hand that fills their campaign coffers unless they are afraid of losing races.

We will also need to protect our lakes from envious drought-ridden states within a very few years. Only days ago, a federal judge imposed new restrictions on the millions of people who use Colorado River water for agricultural, industrial and domestic purposes. So much water has been taken out of that river that it no longer reaches the sea at its mouth in Mexico. What was once one of the richest river deltas in North America for wildlife production is now cracked, dried mud for much of the year.

So while it won't hurt to make the usual New Year's resolutions about losing weight and stopping smoking, why don't we all add this one: 2008 will be the year in which we see the Great Lakes provided with meaningful and effective protection at all levels of government.

Contact ERIC SHARP at 313-222-2511 or esharp@freepress.com.

We are now handling the following Winter Bait:

WAX WORMS
Pre pack 2dz: $ 0.90
Bulk 250: $ 6.00
Bulk1000: $22.00
Bulk of 2,000 or more: $21.00

SPIKES (Pink or White)
Pre pack 2dz: $ 0.75
Bulk 250: $ 3.75
Bulk 1000-9000: $ 8.00
Bulk over 10,000: $ 7.00

Coming this spring we will be handling the following:
NIGHTCRAWLERS
LEAFWORMS
BABYCRAWLERS
GREENWORMS
LEECHES

*Note that Bulk items are not pre packed.
*ALL PRCIES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Awesome Catch On A Lake In Canada : 56" - 55lbs.

This is a new record Northern Pike in Canada. He caught it on Rainy Lake . Check this thing out. The man (in the photos below), was fishing and caught a 36" Pike, as he was reeling it in, a 56" Pike tried to eat it !!!!!

He landed them both in the same net. The last picture is unbelievable.