A Day on the Water

The forecast was for such ferocious North winds, to attempt fishing or kayaking anywhere near a river mouth would be insane.  There is a river where you can paddle up a winding dredged walled in channel past stately houses to a beautiful clear wild winding river.  Launching at the river mouth was a challenge.  The paddle up river over the deep still channel was exhilarating with that wind at your back.  The water levels were down over a foot this year and in the lower part of the natural river,  I could see some fleeing bass in the deep runs.  ...

Friday, the wind had shifted so I headed down the other side of the Thumb.  This small clear creek is easier to access on foot because of several steep shallow riffles.  It's a 2 mile paddle from the closest access I know.  I saw 4 guys hooking fish wadding out from the rock bar.  Inland from them I found some deep dark water and looped around it to anchor upwind.  On a #4 coyote fur, beadhead tied like a Clouser, I caught 4 small bass on 4 cast.  This was unusual, I kept track and got 16 bass on the...

Thursday I fished a tributary that was on the down wind side of Michigan's Thumb.  Near the mouth where I thought I might find a pike.  I started casting a 2/0 Black Banger, a flashy popper still on the rod from my last Largemouth and Pike trip. On the third bass hit I hooked this Smallmouth.  I ended up getting 17 on that popper and finding where they were concentrated in deeper water.   I switched to flashy #4 Tungsten bead head bucktail that was tied like a Clouser.  Oddly, they wanted it in a brisk stripping retrieve high in...

Portage Lake Bible Camp was host Shiver on The River steelhead camp.  I fished jigs on spinning tackle under a bobber.  Had to leave the dam at 5:00Pm to make it to supper on time and Sunday didn't get on the water till after 12:00 noon so 3 short days.  Friday Afternoon tried jigs down at the lower end of the pool and hooked 3 fish on 3 different color jigs.  Landed a steelhead and a skipper.  Saturday was crowded and I could only get in as the last man at the bottom of the hole where I quickly hooked...

Newly arrived Tungsten Beads, more beads in the $4.00 bag, please compare to other sellers.   Slotted Beads: 3.0mm (1/8 in) Silver, Black Nickel, Copper = 31 beads. Gold = 29 beads  $4.00 3.5mm. Silver, Black Nickel, Copper = 28 Beads,  Gold = 26 beads.  $4.00 4.0mm Silver, Black Nickel = 23 Beads, Natural Tu = 26 beads.  $4.00 4.6mm (3/16 in) Silver, Black Nickel = 16 beads, Natural Tu = 18 beads.  $4.00 Tungsten Counter Bored Beads 2.8mm Silver, Black Nickel = 34 beads.  $4.00 3.8mm Silver, Black Nickel = 28 beads.  $4.00 4.6mm Silver, Black Nickel = 17 beads. ...