The Public Boat Launch at Deckers Landing is critical access to the Saint Clair River Delta on the North Channel of the Saint Clair River. Here it spreads out and gets shallower at its mouth going into Lake Saint Clair. Some times, Big Smallmouth are out in the current. Usually Large Mouth Bass and Pike are on the edges in pockets of still water. Musky fishermen have some good days here. A kayak is a great way to get to these fish when and where wind and power boat traffic allow. When you can find these fish in water relatively clear water, they usually will rise up 10 feet or more to take big flashy poppersl. Today, Thursday was overcast with an afternoon thunderstorm forecast. Several boats were drifting the channel then trolling back upstream. They are fishing deep.
I was looking for the White Bass run and the Hex hatch. I started out drifting down stream over 8 feet of water, casting across over deeper water looking for the big Smallmouth. A good fish rushed the 3/0 popper throwing up a lot of water without touching it. I jerked it out of the strike zone and couldn't get him to come back. Small fish were toying with the big popper.
On the other side of the channel where the Smallmouth sometimes are, on the 3rd cast a good fish hit the popper hard and ripped off 20 feet of line then jumped high. A Steelhead! But I knew it was an Atlantic Salmon, about 20 inches. It never was hooked in the mouth, when I got him somewhat under control I thought he was hooked in the middle, when I got him closer he was hooked in the tail.
White Bass were occasionally harassing or hitting the big popper but mostly not getting hooked well enough to stay on. On a #4 White Bead Head Jiggy, (like a Clouser) I got about 8 White Bass while figuring out a good rip and fall retrieve for drifting in the current and also while anchored. About the middle of that bunch of white bass I hooked another Atlantic. He didn't fight much but I got the net out and netted him and then he went crazy.
