A Day on the Water

I went back to this beautiful little Michigan Thumb river the day before Michigan's Great Lakes Bass are open to catch an keep.  It was the first warm day after two cold days and fishing would start out slow.  The river mouth park is at the base of a fishing pier.  Before loading up the kayak to go upstream, I got two bass from this easy shore fishing spot.  I counted down to about 5 feet before starting a rip and fall retrieve with a #2 Lead Eye Clouser made with Natural Brown Bucktail and Pearl Black Flashabou.  Last week...

I Joined the Michigan Fly Fishing Club's Annual Small Mouth Trip up to Michigan's Thumb.  This is the last weekend before it is open to keep Bass.  Many bays, harbors and flats where bass stage or spawn.  For 3 days, I chose a 3 Tributaries.   Quanicassee River flowing into southern Saginaw Bay for Large Mouth Bass and Pike.  A northern Thumb River that can have a great run near the mouth or far upstream in spawning gravel. A smaller stream where the fishing at the mouth is within an upstream kayak paddle to bass staging or spawning in remote scenic...

Sunday, up in river in clear water over shy fish the Banjo Minnow did well.  the 1/0 White Marabou Banger worked well on Small Mouth Bass in a shallow weedy Back water.  The White foam Diver worked well there last year.  Friday I will give the Flash Divers and other colors of the flies in the photo a shot.  I should also try some bead head Swimming Hex and similar natural fur Sculpins. Resupplying popper inventory with work horse 3/0 Marabou Bangers in White and Chartreuse.  Heads for 1/0 Divers and 5/0 Musky Hollow tie versions  The Purple heads are...

The big 1.5 square miles dyke enclosed marshes at Point Mouillie are difficult kayak fishing in any kind of wind.  Today was forecast to be light winds but here up against Lake Erie it is always windier than expected.  I started off in the lee shelter of the long dyke for some easy fishing in a spot that has fewer fish, but the bass were definately hitting big topwater poppers.  In spite of 40lb bite leader, a Pike cut me off early.  Typical big blow up followed by nothing but slack on the hook set.  No force at all, he...

Point Mouillie State Game Area is a windy place even on a day forecast to have low wind.  I mostly fished the Phragmites and Cat Tail stump cover.  Some green shoots and the moss were just starting to grow, The water was pretty clear.  I got about 10 Pike and 6 bass.  All were small to medium small except the two pictured.  I fished the windy middle water mainly by anchoring and casting to cover. Late in a long fight, I lost a pike longer and much thicker than this one.  I tried to back paddle to hold her out...