Friday, December 25, 2009
Stress Relief
Friday, December 18, 2009
Dates announced for 2010
Friday, December 11, 2009
2010 Schedule
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Lake selection meeting
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Buying Season
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Banquet a success
All the awards for each tournament and AOY were handed out but there were also a few special ones as well. Kathy Maurer won the Dale Popp award which is a spotsmanship award and Scott Rice won a lifetime achievement plaque for his work over the years in the club. These are prestigious awards and the recipients were very deserving.
The club has a few weeks off but the December meeting will be held on the 10th and we will be picking lakes for next years tournaments so hopefully we'll get a big turnout. I look forward to this meeting every year although it never goes the way I think it should. Hopefully we go back to ten tournaments but that's a discussion for another day.
As far as the fishing I've been out several times lately but only had limited success. The water temps were in the high 40's Wednesday and I did catch about 6 fish including a 3.5 pounder out of Columbia but the bite has definitely slowed. I hate to say it but I may be done for the year. I know the weather is still pretty decent and I vowed to fish as long as the bass were still biting but it was pretty slow the other day. I'll still keep my rods in the boat for a while but it's not looking good is all I can say. I'll post any decent catches if I get out.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Still Fishing
I've been getting out on Lake Columbia lately through a good friend of mine who has lake access and it is an awsome lake. Yesterday Dwayne Mroczka and I caught close to 20 fish in a little under three hours with the biggest being over 3 pounds. Most of our fish came on shallow running crankbaits and the majority of the action has been coming in the back end of cuts and channels. I think since these areas are the warmest still and contain most of the baitfish is why these areas are productive.
Columbia does not receive the pressure like the public lakes and it has a little stain to it and seems to fish like a southern impoundment a bit as far as I'm concerned. I've never been on the lake early in the year because it gets pretty busy but it is a great crankbait lake and the fish on average are quite big. Our biggest last year was a 5.6 pounder by my fishing partner Mike Maske but I've heard bigger ones have been taken. I'll continue to fish here as long as my contact lets me so I need to stay on his good side. I've also heard decent reports of bass still being caught on Michigan Center and on Clark but I have a hard time going anywhere but Columbia. I also have an opportunity to fish a small private lake south of town next week that has a reputation for hogs so I will report any big ones.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
2009 Classic Results
2) Bill Maurer 1 fish 3.85 lbs
3) Roy Albert 2 fish 3.69 lbs
4) Mike Pritchard 2 fish 2.93 lbs
5) Brian Masters 1 fish 2.32 lbs
6) Matt Morgan 1 fish 1.96 lbs
7) Jim Rice 1 fish 1.60 lbs
8) Craig Deck 0 fish
8) Scott Rice 0 fish
Big Bass: Bill Maurer 3.85
Big Bass #2: Mark Dereadt 2.40
Upcoming Events:
The banquet will be November 7th at Knights Steak house and I believe all the forms have been turned in and it looks like we will have a group of about 30 people attending. There are some great prizes that will be raffled like the G. Loomis and Carrott Stix spinning rods, Shimano spinning reels and several other high end rods. There are some great non-fishing items as well and some of the big prints should be popular also. Hope everyone brings some extra money to get in on these great raffle prizes and I hope everyone goes home with a little something.
The December meeting will be here before we know it as well and this is my favorite meeting of the year for obvious reasons. This is when we pick the lakes for next years tournaments so hope everyone is planning on attending. You must be a member to vote so if your 2010 dues aren't paid then this meeting would be a great time to do so. I have a few good ideas I'd like to see for next year and I'm sure I will start my "politicing" at the banquet so be prepared. I will talk more on the lake selections as the meeting draws closer but the wheels are already turning. Hope to see everyone at the banquet.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Dereadt wins "Classic"
Some other highlights of the tournament which was held on the Portage Lake chain in Pickney included Bill Maurer catching the big fish of the day. Bills 3.5 lb smallie came on a topwater popper in 48 degree water. A second fish would have won the event for Maurer but he suffered the same fate as all the rest of the field. Lots of big cruising fish, some of which would follow baits to the boat but would not bite was the theme of the day.
I'm not sure if anyone else weighed in multiple fish or not but I do know there were many singles brought in and two members zero'd. More details will follow as they come available. Great job Mark once again.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Club Notes
The board will look quite a bit different next year with Scott Rice and Mike Pritchard stepping up to take spots and Bill Maurer accepting the tournament directors position. This is Bills first shot at weigh-master but I'm sure he will do a great job at his new post. His first course of action will be to direct the lake selection process which will take place at the December club meeting.
There is still open water and I have not put the boat up yet and have actually fished a few "buddy" tournaments lately. Hopefully the weather will warm up a little and turn the bite on. I will post any meaningful catches as well as the Classic results soon.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Classic Date Set
Last years event was held on Wamplers Lake and the classic contenders were greated with temperatures in the high 70's and fishing was a little slow with only one limit coming to the scales. Scott Ferris won that event but we will have a new champion this year. Congradulations to Craig and Matt and to all of the nine qualifiers, you all did a great job this year and I'm jeleous I cannot join you. Results and reports will follow.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Last Big Outing
This coming weekend will launch my fall fishing season and will also be my last out of town trip of the year. I'm heading to Burt Lake for my annual fall up-north trip, the fourth year in a row for this destination. The weather won't be particularly good but any up-north trip with the fellas is a great time. Just four in the party this year and we'll be staying at the state park in a 12' by 12' mini cabin so it will be tight. But hopefully we'll be on the water most of the weekend and hope to post some good pics when I get back. By the way, my biggest limit during the fall at Burt was two years ago that went just over 24 pounds. I hope to top that and then some.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Jim Jr wins AOY
If anyone is counting I personally think this title makes number six but all I know is it's a lot more than anyone else. I was thoroughly impressed by his consistency in 2009, when a lot of anglers were struggling during this weird year, Jimbo caught limits in six of the eight tournaments and won twice. Probably a more impressive stat is on day #2 at Wixom when he brought nearly 15 pounds to the scales, almost doubling anyone elses weight.
I look forward to 2010 and the chance to win my second AOY title but I realize this, as long as Jim is in the club, I will have to earn it and would not be suprised if he puts #7 in the closet. Hopefully I didn't just jinx him but I can use all the help I can get. Great job Jim.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Maurer wins Center
Bill paired up with fellow club member Brian Masters and he was hoping to put Brian on a few fish to lock up his classic berth. The pair started with topwaters and Bill scored a small keeper with an Iovino Splash It popper but after a while it was obvious the topwater bite wasn't happening. "We decided to go into Round Lake because I can always catch a keeper or two there", added Bill. But as he entered the small lake there were already about 5 club boats fishing it. "After fishing the whole lake with plastics I pulled out a small shallow diving crankbait I always have tied on and believe it or not, I quickly caught two more keepers."
With the bite being as slow as it was, Brian suggested they try Dollar and Alcott Lakes next and after a few hours of small fish, they decided it was time to go under the Napoleon Road bridge and fish Big Alcott. "Brian commented that he's caught some good fish from this lake and after working the whole lake we came up on a small weed clump near a sand point." Maurer pitched his patented Yamamoto grub into the clump and set the hook on the tourneys biggest fish which went 3.37 pounds. Bill then used the grub to fill out his limit a few minutes later and secure his second win on his home lake in two years. "I couldn't believe I caught that many keepers from Center after how bad it was fishing all year", added Maurer. "I think I only caught 10-12 fish all day and I think Brian actually caught more than I did". Masters did qualify for the classic despite being one of several anglers to zero at Center.
Gear Notes: Bill uses spinning tackle, a Shimano Stradic reel spooled with 30 lb braid. His grubs vary in color but are 5" Yamamoto twin tails and he uses an 1/8 oz shakey jig head.
Tourney Notes:
-17 anglers participated at Michigan Center
-13 of the 17 weighed in one or no fish
-2nd big bass went to Roy Albert at 2.82 pounds
-Three limits were caught: Maurer, Roy Albert and Connie Honsinger
-Club newcomers Matt Morgan and Craig Deck nailed down classic berths on Sunday
-Jim Rice Jr. captured another AOY title with Maurer finishing second
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Michigan Center Results
2 Roy Albert 8.84
3 Connie Honsinger 8.43
4 Jim VanAken 3.35
5 Tim Chapman 2.30
6 Chico Gonzalez 1.90
7 Craig Deck 1.67
8 Scott Rice 1.65
9 Mike Pritchard 1.58
10 Tom Curry 1.45
11 Art Honsinger 0
12 Brian Masters 0
13 Jim Rice 0
14 Matt Morgan 0
15 Mike Maske 0
16 Nick Neves 0
17 Jerry Smith 0
Friday, September 18, 2009
Center Patterns
The slop: Two weeks ago this would have been my primary pattern, throwing frogs and toads into the slop and pads but with the recent colder weather and the weeds slowly starting to thin out, I was not able to catch many fish doing this. I will not eliminate this pattern but will check it out later in the day on Sunday.
Stump Fields: Center is basically a huge flat with a few deeper holes and getting out in the middle of the lake and covering water is a pretty good approach, especially in the fall. There are several flats with a lot of wood on them and I like to cover water with spinnerbaits, shallow cranks and then a little slower with senkos. But I think the fish are still between a late summer pattern and an early fall one and this has not worked great for me lately. If we get some good wind tourney day which I think we might then this could be the ticket.
Deep edges: There are several deep sections of Michigan Center, the most popular being the School Section and this is where most of the tournaments are won on Center. This is where I had my best luck during practice and I threw senkos, grubs and a drop-shot rig to get my bites. This pattern works great from about post-spawn on but deteriorates as the water cools. I will probably spend a lot of time on this Sunday and let the fish tell me if I should keep doing it.
Other Lakes: This is a big risk/reward scenario with greener patsures and a little less pressure over in Alcott and Wolf Lakes but there is a time investment involved and going there for just an hour or so is not very efficient. I spent significant time on Wolf Lake this week and though I did see a few decent fish cruising, I was not able to identify a good way to catch them and don't believe I will venture over there. There was a time when good stringers came from Wolf Lake but none in recent memory.
Overview: I think we are just a little early for a good fall bite and the fish are in between phases. I don't think many limits will be weighed in and really don't think it will take much more than 9 or 10 pounds to win. The nights have been cold lately and maybe the fishing will turn on by Sunday but it was not that way earlier this week. We will be launching from the 5th St. launch on Michigan Center and fishing from 7-3 this Sunday. The forecast calls for sunny skies and temps around 72. The water temps should be in the low to mid 70's and 15 mph winds are predicted.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Michigan Center Practice
The weeds are still quite heavy and there are a lot of floating weeds to deal with as well. There are a few areas that have been treated with weed killers I've heard but overall the majority of the lake looks unaffected.
I have talked to a few club members who have done pretty good recently and I heard one report of a 6 pounder being taken lately so good fish have been showing up but I believe this will be a grind it out for a few keepers kind of tournament with a 4 pounder going a long way. More reports to follow.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Wixom Day #2
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Classic Berths
What does all this mean? Plenty to the six club members who hold spots #8 through #12 seeing only six pounds seperates them. And Jim VanAken is in 13th place but he is very good on Center and is only six pounds from 10th. Of these six mentioned, only two have fished in a classic before adding extra incentive to make it.
So not only will these fishermen (myself included) who are on the bubble be fishing for three classic spots, but it may be shrunk to only two invitations pending the participation. Lots of drama on the last day of the tourney season but I wouldn't want it any other way. Good luck to everyone involved and from the reports I've been hearing, the big fish should show up at the weigh-in making it that much more interesting.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Scott Wins Again
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Wixom Day #2
2 Bill Maurer 8.48
3 Paul Spooner 8.34
4 Scott Rice 8.05
5 Roy Albert 7.43
6 Mike Pritchard 6.56
7 Mark Dereadt 5.41
8 Connie Honsinger 4.73
9 Tim Chapman 4.67
10 Steve Hartley 3.12
11 Brian Masters 1.45
12 Art Honsinger 0
12 Tom Curry 0
12 Trish Rice 0
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wixom Day #1
2 Mike Pritchard 11.25
3 Jim Rice 11.17
4 Bill Maurer 10.81
5 Brian Masters 9.66
6 Mark Dereadt 9.64
7 Paul Spooner 8.06
8 Terry Johnson 6.39
9 Tim Chapman 6.11
10 Art Honsinger 5.71
11 Connie Honsinger 3.03
12 Steve Hartley 2.95
13 Trish Rice 1.95
14 Roy Albert 1.75
15 Matt Morgan 1.72
16 Tom Curry 1.33
17 Charles Morgan 0
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wixom Preview
Wixom is approx 1980 acres and is a river system located near in Gladwin county near Edenville. It has both largemouth and smallmouth swimming in it's waters and the water has a slight copper tint to it. There is every possible type of water available to fish from points and weedlines to rock and wood. The upper reaches of the rivers has quite a bit more color to it and contains much more wood and slop as opposed to the clearer water down by the dams.
As with most river systems, Wixom fish rely heavily on current and when water is moving the fishing can be downright awsome. "You can go anywhere when the current is moving and smoke em' but most of the time they stop pulling water on the weekends", says club member Scott Rice. "As the weekend progresses, the water slows down and rises, scattering the fish and making them much harder to pinpoint".
Patterns range widely from throwing tubes to some of the rocky areas for smallies, finessing the weed flats with senkos or targeting the murkier upriver wood for bigger fish. Most of these tactics will work earlier in the weekend but as the water slows, adjustments will have to be made. Add to the equation the colder temps with rain also in the forecast and the club anglers will have a lot to digest. Most of the bigger weights will come on Saturday and it will probably take from 11-13 pounds to win usually with 9 or 10 pounds winning on Sunday.
Most of the club members will be camping near Edenville and there will be a club cookout following Saturdays weigh-in. It is always an intriguing event and and one we hope will have a big turnout. And with all the variables this weekend the folks who make the biggest adjustments will do well. I will not be attending the event myself due to family obligations (aren't there always obligations?) but will hopefully have all the results posted by Monday.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Wixom up next
This lake has been an out of town favorite ever since I've been in the club and for various reasons. First it has numerous campgrounds and sets up well in that aspect since most of the club will stay overnight. Secondly, the fishing is always pretty good and it is one of the few places around where you can catch a double digit limit during the middle of summer. It is a good fishery for panfish and walleye as well and it is also unique in that parts of the system will fish like a river and larger portions still fish like a natural lake.
One more characteristic that makes this lake very intruguing is the pre-fishing stories that undoubtably will be shared this week. I'm not sure if it's the current that is present during the week or what but the practice rounds are usually legendary. I myself found this to be true two years back when on a weekday I caught a limit of largemouth that probably pushed 16 pounds and I left them biting. Of course I struggled and never caught my five on tournament day but that is very common up there. It should be fun and I'll talk more about the fishing later on in the week. Hope we have a good turnout.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
August Meeting
Mike Pritchard is a longtime member and one of the 3 at the meeting the other night and he mentioned that this is what the meetings used to be like years ago and it would be nice to incorporate some "fishing talk" back into our meetings instead of business and money all the time. I thought it was a great idea and as the tournament director I should take the lead and try and get helpful fishing info discussed at these monthly get togethers and I will make it a point from now on to do so.
I can still remember about 12 years ago when I went to my first club meeting and hardly knew anyone. It was in the dead of winter and I was very excited to go and discuss how to catch more fish from some of the best fishermen in Jackson. I walked into the meeting and took a seat and prepared myself for all of the knowledge that I knew was about to gain and to my dissapointment listened to folks argue about money for the next 45 minutes. What a downer that was. So all we can do is try and hopefully at the September meeting the anglers who did well at Wixom will pass along a few tidbits and possibly a few GPS coordinates.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
It's frog time
vegetation. The club will visit Wixom lake in a few
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
My Day on Belleville
Practice: I only had one day to practice on Belleville but what I wanted to do was to target largemouth mainly because I thought they would be more predictable. But I also thought I could hit a quick smallmouth early in the day tournament morning before I honkered down with the largies. I decided since Belleville was a river system, I would concentrate on the areas where the main river channel swung close to shore and where there was also rip rap present. I found several of these areas and caught fish on topwaters and crankbaits. Nothing big but I did get 3 keeper bites so I thought I had my early morning spots dialed in. I then went to the far west end of the lake where there is more weeds and flats and after getting a couple bites on a frog, I figured I would fish the west end slop for largemouth. Great plan.
Tourney Day: I had a boating partner, Craig Deck, fish with me on tournament day and I let him know we'd run and gun a few spots early for smallies and then lethargically fish the pads for largemouth for the remainder of the day. My plan was off and running as spot one was a point that contained rock and had the main river channel sweeping close to it. I caught two 13 3/4" smallies on a topwater and lost three that all may have kept. I also caught several smaller fish, mostly on the cranks but failed to boat a keeper. As luck would have it, Craig was also getting bites but he was able to land a small keeper on a crankbait so at least he was on the board.
I ran to several more of my early morning spots and kept getting bites but still wasn't able to land my first keeper. As the bite slowed I decided to fish a small piece of structure I found in practice down by one of the bridges in about 15 fow but never got bit. Time for the largemouth stuff. Unfortunately, there was another tournament fishing Belleville this day so as I went to the west end to fish the few pad fields that there were I encountered lots of boats that had the same idea. I then decided to change gears a little and flip some of the wood and laydowns located at the backs of the bays but only landed one small fish after about an hour.
With the pad fields crowded I fished the weediest, gangliest slop I could find and got in there real deep but only Craig had a hit on a frog and I was still fishless. At 12:30 now it was time to scramble. I decided to head up river as far as we could and try and find some matted vegetation to fish our frogs but could find nothing of the sort. Only one thing to do, go back and crank our smallmouth stuff but we only had a few bites and our boat brought one whole fish to the weigh-in. This was the first tournament I had zero'd in in five years and I was very frustrated. Craigs fish weighed in at 1.29 pounds, good for 6th place and one of only 6 guys to weigh in anything.
Summary: I liked my gameplan and the smallmouth were biting but I just couldn't land a keeper. My biggest mistake I believe was not targeting the largemouth but the way I approached them. There are not many weeds on Belleville and even fewer pad fields. But the wood is plentiful and even though I could not get many bites on it in practice, I believe the laydowns were the primary cover and I should have tried to develop some sort of wood strategy. I didn't think Senkos would be a good bait in the dirty water but all the top finishers were throwing it so I guess not throwing it was another big blunder. If we were to go there again I think I would try and expand on my early morning smallmouth crankbait bite and then flip jigs and senkos around all the wood until my arms fell off. But I learned a few things and that's what the club is all about so I'll be ready next time.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
VanAken wins Belleville
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Belleville Results
2) Jim Rice 4.72
3) Art Honsinger 3.20
4) Patty Rice 3.03
5) Connie Honsinger 2.19
6) Craig Deck 1.26
7) Jerry Smith 0
7) Tom Curry 0
7) Mark Dereadt 0
7) Brian Masters 0
7) Scott Rice 0
7) Rich Rice 0
7) Bill Maurer 0
7) Tim Chapman 0
First Big Bass: Jim VanAken 3.33 lbs
Second Big Bass: Connie Honsinger 2.19 lbs
Friday, July 31, 2009
Belleville Practice
The water was 75 degrees and current was not very evident. The water is dark, probably only 3 foot visibility at best. There are not a lot of flats which is where I usually like to start my practices so I just put the trolling motor down and covered water. There is a lot of rip rap and most banks drop quickly into deeper water and weeds were definitely at a premium. I decided to throw crankbaits, topwaters and a football jig and cover lots of water, hoping to find a smallmouth pattern. I caught several small brown fish on the crank early but nothing of any size. I shifted gears to largemouth and did not find much of anything worth noting.
All told, I had about a dozen bites and caught 8-10 fish with only two being legal. The bite was very slow and I may need to shift gears again on Sunday. The body of water is very intriguing and it is different than anything we normally fish which is cool, but it will definitely be a challenge. A few pre-fishing reports have trickled to me and a few guys have caught them so I still think limits are a possiblity but it won't be easy.
As far as the launch goes, I exited at Belleville Rd and went south about 1.5 miles and then made a left on Huron River at the police station. The launch is about 1/2 mile from there and it is a pretty good site. Hope to have a good turnout and I'll see everyone there.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Belleville Lake Preview
Type: Impoundment on the Huron River system
Size: 1270 acres
Clarity: Stained with average clarity about 3 feet
Structure: Points, flats with lots of gravel and a river channel that runs the length of the lake
Cover: Weeds (bulrush), stumps, docks and laydowns
Weather: Forecast calls for 80 degrees and partly sunny. Slight chance of t-storms.
Projected winning weight: Probably around 8-9 pounds.
Belleville Lake is located near Ypsilanti and is a riverine system containing both smallmouth and largemouth. It has a maximum depth of 29 feet and contains many types of fishing options such as rip-rap, islands, seawalls, roadbeds and old foundations. It is known as a decent largemouth lake but smallies do show up at weigh-ins. The east end is the downriver portion of the lake, closest to the dam and contains most of the gravel and rock. As you head upriver the lake becomes shallower and weedier and that is where most of the wood is located.
Since the club has not been to Belleville in 20 years, most of the members will be seeing it for the first time. The members will be confronted with many challenges such as to target the more dependable largemouth on the west end or go after the smallmouth on the rockier and deeper east end. Current is a big factor on river systems but many times water is not pulled on weekends making fishing that much tougher. The low water clarity should also be factored in as most of our tournament lakes are clear and weedy. Crankbaits may come into play as could flipping and frog fishing.
Due to the close proximity to I-94 and the Metro area, this lake receives lots of pressure and those who have fished it say it will fish tough. Bringing in a small limit could very well take home first place. The event will be this sunday from 7am to 3pm and will go out of the Mayberry State Park area located on Huron River Dr., halfway between Haggerty Rd. and Belleville Rd. Thunderstorms are in the forecast for the weekend which could also add to the drama.
I will be pre-fishing the lake later on in the week and will detail all of my findings. The race for the classic and AOY are becoming interesting so this should be an intriguing event.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Belleville up next
Speaking of the senior club, we will hold a club event there for the first time in over 15 years. Belleville is a 1270 acre impoundment on the Huron River located near Ypsilanti. I will detail this event later in the week but have already begun receiving information concerning this body of water and it sounds as if it will fish tough. This was probably to be expected in the middle of summer, especially when you consider it's proximity to a major city and I-94 which makes fishing pressure a major issue.
The launch is located on Huron River Drive about 2 miles west of Haggerty. It can be reached by traveling east off of Belleville rd.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The Club from a Rookie Perspective
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Back to Back for Rice
Scott ran way down into Canadian water near Mitchells Bay to an old favorite spot his dad, Jim Rice Sr. had won a tournament on a few years ago and hoped to connect there. He came up empty but his son Rich started catching fish. The same goes for spot number two which was also located in Canadian water and pretty soon Rich was culling. "I didn't catch a fish until about 11:15 and by then Rich already had five", exclaimed Scott but after making a third move north up the Canadian shoreline, he went to work. "I was fishing a rock and weed mix in about 5-7 foot of water. Any deeper and all you caught were small fish. I didn't catch a lot of fish but I got some bigger bites." Scott was fishing a brown/cinnamon grub while Rich was throwing tubes, both on spinning gear spooled with 12 pound Berkley Big Game mono.
The victory for Rice was his second of the year and vaulted him back into the top ten for the AOY race. It also marked the 5th win for him in the last 14 club tournaments dating back to last year.
- Jim Rice caught a limit in his fourth straight event
- Scott Rice had big bass at 4.48 lbs and Jim VanAken had second at 4.08lbs.
- 8 of the 19 fishermen weighed in limits
Monday, July 13, 2009
LSC Results
7 Patricia Rice 9.39
8 Matt Morgan 9.23
9 Mark Dereadt 8.92
10 Jay Dereadt 8.80
11 Brian Masters 5.60
12 Tim Chapman 5.41
13 Roy Albert 5.14
14 Jim VanAken 4.08
15 Tom Curry 1.75
16 Kathy Maurer 0
16 Mike Pritchard 0
16 Tanya Pritchard 0
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Weekend weather
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Lake St. Clair preview
This Sunday is the clubs annual event on Lake St. Clair and it is a favorite of everyones for good reason. LSC is considered by many to be the finest smallmouth fishery for both size and numbers in the country. It measures over a million acres and connects the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers. The lake has fished a little tougher this year but it is still a fish factory and 15+ pounds is usually required to win the club event.
St. Clair is very diverse with the northern part resembling a huge sand flat with scattered weedbeds. There is a lot of current present, especially near the river mouths and the channels. The farther south you go the more rock that you will see, not tons but scattered boulders and gravel. The Canadian side of the lake gets the least amount of pressure and has a multitude of options available and this is where a lot of the huge weights are caught during big events.
Patterns: Yes dragging tubes is a great technique for LSC but you can't just launch the boat and start dragging. There is a lot of water and the fish may seem like they're everywhere but they're not. Locating irregularities such as slight drops, weedbeds and rockpiles are the key. Plastics are not the only way to catch the smallies either. The FLW tournament held here last year saw many high finishers throwing jerkbaits and crankbaits to locate active fish. Spinnerbaits will work as well and drop-shotting is also a great way to catch pressured fish. These smallies will feed on crawfish, small perch and the ever present gobies so matching the hatch is important. The mayflies may also be an issue so topwaters could come into play.
Factors
Run or stay close: There is a lot of water and the grass is always greener somewhere else so this will be a big decision for many of the club members. The Canadian side is intriguing and the mile road section is a great option. But with big boat rides come big risks like time lost fishing and the drive back from a far off location can be downright dangerous on this big lake. Remember, the last two club tournaments on St. Clair have been won within 5 minutes of the launch ramp.
Weather: As with any big water the weather must be considered when deciding where to fish. Big winds can come up in a hurry and make the ride back to the weigh in an adventure and it can also muddy up quality fishing areas. The clear water is the key to the sight oriented smallmouth so a few days of high winds can change things greatly. The water temps have been as high as 74 already this year but a recent cold front knocked the temps back into the high 60's recently so the fish may still be recovering from that although higher temps are predicted for Sunday.
Pressure: Lots of tournaments are held each week on this lake but it seems to bounce back quickly. There is a NBAA event going out of the Harley launch Saturday that will feature close to 100 anglers so that may also be a consideration whether to stick close or find less pressured fish. The mile roads seems like a popular destination for local club events but it can seem like bumper boats down there on a busy weekend.
Ones to Watch
Jim Rice Jr.: He has extensive experience on this lake and is a threat every tournament.
Scott Rice: He won the last club event and has a score to settle with St. Clair when a poor finish last year cost him the AOY title.
Mark Dereadt: The current AOY leader has a lot of momentum and is solid on St. Clair.
Matt Morgan: He's new to the club but not the LSC smallies. Matt has probably the most experience on this lake of anyone in the club and is a serious threat.
Mike Maske: A spinnerbait guru who always seems to do well here including a win on St. Clair in 2008.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
LSC practice 7/3
We fished water from 5-12 foot deep and just could not get into anything real consistent. Normally I like to get 5-6 different weedbeds marked and just rotate them during the tournament, making a "milk run". But with the big winds I've encountered this year, I havn't been able to locate very many new areas and my old ones don't seem to be producing yet. I may have to lower my expectations for next week but it's still St. Clair and anyone can catch 17-20 pounds in a hurry so I know it can still happen. I may get out one more time before the event next Sunday and I'll report my findings if I do.
Monday, June 29, 2009
State of St. Clair
I was on the water Sunday the 28th and found a lot of what was rumored to be true. Many of my good June spots were devoid of weeds and fish. Water temps were just into the low 70's and the water was not super clear. We also caught small fish but not tons of them. But we did manage to catch a few good ones and even a couple over 4 pounds so good fish are catchable. I will probably get back up there this upcoming weekend and reports will follow.
Friday, June 26, 2009
BASS DESTINATIONS
Mille Lacs is located about 90 miles north of Minneapolis and it's huge, about 130,000 acres. It is was formed during the last ice age and has characteristics of many canadian shield lakes with it's clear waters and rocky makeup. But with its immense size and dozens of islands, reefs and points, it seemed pretty intimidating. After a little map study we picked a good starting spot and it took about 2 hours before we figured out how to catch the smallmouth but when we did it was nothing short of awsome.
The key was finding big boulders in a little deeper water, off of the rock reefs and islands, and that's where most of the fish were hanging out. Water temps were around 64 and I believe most of the fish were on beds next to the boulders. We were able to duplicate this pattern pretty much anywhere we went as long as the boulders were present. We ended up catching approximately 25-30 smallmouth and 90 percent of the fish were 3 pounds or better. Nothing giant, I think the biggest was 3.9 but it was amazing how few small fish we caught. Mille Lacs is catch and release only for bass with one fish over 21" allowed for harvest per day. We caught fish on anything we wanted to as long as we were in the right areas. The highlight of the day was when I had four bites on four consecutive casts with a topwater. So if anyone is in the great state of Minnesota and wants to catch 3 pound smallmouth all day long, give me a call and I can set you up with gps coordinates for Mille Lacs. This will become an annual trip for me.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Rice wins Goguac
Bedding largemouth in the middle of June? It sounds crazy but that's exactly what the club members found last Sunday at the Goguac event. Most of the anglers never expected to find spawning fish and with calm sunny conditions, that's exactly what they found. Most were suprised by this discovery and tried to switch gears during the tournament, but Scott Rice targeted bedders right from the get-go and his decision earned him his first win of the season. Here's how it happend:
After a bad tournament at Michigan Center and a DQ at Hardy Dam, Scott had a lot of ground to make up for a classic spot. As luck would have it, he decided to fish with Mike Pritchard who had pre-fished Friday before the event. Mike discovered that largemouth were still on beds and relayed this info to Scott the morning of the tournament. The pair decided to target bedding largemouth first thing in the morning under low light conditions which made catching the leary fish a little easier. "After the sun got high, the fish were very difficult to catch but earlier they were much easier", said Rice. "Later in the day we had to drop a buoy and make long casts much like at Hardy Dam". When the winds died later in the morning the fish were visible to most of the other club members but by then it was almost too late. "It took up to an hour to make the fish bite once they saw you", commented Rice who also caught the big bass of the event at 3.82 pounds. Scott threw mostly a yamamoto grub at the bedding fish and although he did not catch a limit, his four fish weighed almost 11 pounds and jumped him right back into classic contention.
Gear Notes: Scott used spinning tackle, shimano reels spooled with florourcarbon line and a cinnamon/brown grub with a 1/4 oz jighead.
Tourney Facts:
-Only 2 anglers had limits, Jim Rice (4th) and Art Honsinger (2nd)
-Tim Chapman had 2nd big bass at 3.75 pounds
-Mark Dereadt had his 3rd top five finish of the year and leads they AOY race
-Jim Rice Jr. has caught a limit in all 3 events of the year
-There were 18 entries at Goguac and 12 boats
Monday, June 15, 2009
Goguac results
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Goguac Preview
Type: Natural Lake
Size: About 350 acres
Clarity: Mostly clear water, visibility to 10 ft
Structure: Three islands, lots of good points, a few flats, ledges
Cover: Several types of weed available, some pads, lots of docks
Water temp: 70-74
Phase: Mostly post-spawn
Projected winning weight: 11 pounds
Lake Goguac is located in downtown Battle Creek and has not been a club stop since I have been a member, about 10 years. Most of the club will be fishing this lake for the first time although the clubs' classic was held here in 2004, won by Dwayne Mroczka with 15 pounds. It is probably the smallest lake we have visited in a long time but as Dwaynes weight can attest, it holds some big fish. There are three islands, numerous points and weedlines and lots of docks so the lake should fish fairly big. Add in the post-spawn nature of the largemouth and you can probably catch fish anywhere and any way you want to.
I predict there will be half a dozen limits weighed in but the key will be getting a good "kicker" fish to upgrade with. During the 04' classic there were several fish over 4 pounds and a few 5 pounders as well. The lake should get a good amount of boat traffic with nice weather projected this weekend which should also be factored in. I was on the lake a week ago and witnessed a 15 boat tournament conduct their weigh-in. A few small limits and the winner brought about 14 pounds to the scales to win so good stringers are available. Scott Rice, Jim Rice and Mark Dereadt are good bets to do well due to the fact they probably have the most experience on the lake. But sometimes old "hotspots" cause tunnel vision which could open the door for some of the other anglers. Post-spawn fish are very fickle and sometimes running and gunning and throwing the kitchen sink at em' can be the most effective method of fishing this time of year. This should be a good test for the club and we may see some of the AOY contenders start making their moves.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Open Results
Thursday, June 4, 2009
SPRING OPEN
This tournament was held on Center last year as well and at least half of the 23 boats came in with limits and I believe it took about 15 pounds to win. It looks as if the weather is going to cooperate so hopefully we can generate a few more boats this year. Registration and entry fees can be done Saturday morning before 6:30 but pre-paid entries will have priority as far as take-off position is concerned. For more info contact Kathy Maurer at 764-0217.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Opening Day report
The busy atmosphere was a little frustrating at first but we managed to put together a decent limit of about 10 pounds and won the event. It's always good to win your own tournament. A few other boats had limits but nothing huge, with the big fish going to my buddy Dwayne Mroczka at 4 pounds. Water temps were close to 70 degrees and we found several largemouth on beds still. Most of the smallmouth seemed to be done spawning but the largemouth eagerly hit tubes or drop-shot worm rigs when the beds were located. But the interesting thing to me was how the second place team fared. They were catching what I figured to be post-spawn fish out on a weedline with a Flick Shake worm. They probably should have won if not for a few lost fish but catching lots of keeper fish seemed to come easily on the new finess technique when everyone else struggled. I will definitely look a little closer at this new bait in the coming weeks and probably do a little field testing. But overall, it was good to finally do well in a tournament and I'm looking forward to Goguac in two weeks.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Hardy Dam revisited
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Maurer wins Hardy
Monday, May 18, 2009
Hardy Dam Results
2) Mark Dereadt - 14.32
3) Matt Morgan - 13.18
4) Brian Masters - 12.74
5) Kathy Maurer - 12.70
6) Mike Pritchard - 12.07
7) Craig Deck - 11.58
8) Jerry Smith - 11.10
9) Terry Johnson - 10.10
10) Jim Rice Jr. - 9.87
11) Roy Albert - 9.33
12) Wendy Johnson - 7.60
13) Phil Priest - 6.57
14) Connie Honsinger - 5.07
15) Art Honsinger - 4.25
16) Tom Curry - 2.63
17) Mike Maske - 2.10
18) Jim VanAken - 1.94
19) Patricia Rice - 1.44
20) Tim Chapman - 1.25
21) Scott Rice - 0
21) Rich Rice - 0