River Conditions

[Musky1]

Hello everyone. What a great site you have. I've followed several of the discussions over the past months and you all seem like a bunch of accomplished anglers. I felt it was time to post. I've had success of late jigging and casting for muskies in the river from Peche down to Fighting Island the past two weekends. Two largest to date are both 47 inches - all released to fight another day.

I plan to head up for two days tomorrow but wondered if the big blow on Sunday has made the River unfishable. What's the water clarity on the US and Canadian sides like around the Sturgeon Hole and points west? Is visibility less than 18 inches? I've accessed the Coast Watch site for satellite photos but with the cloud cover, you can't tell a thing. Any reports would be appreciated! By the way, I fish out of a Black and tan Triton DV 176 with a 115 Honda on the back. Feel free to say hello if you see me on the water. Thanks!

[Ed Michrina]

I haven't been out to the river the past few days due to the wind.

Here is a link to a camera viewing from belle isle. you can move the camera to check out the water quality, wind direction and wave height.

To check out the water clarity pan the camera down around the base of the rocks. if you see rocks in the water you know there is a clean streak in the middle of the river. you may also see a mud line further out. To see wind direction pan down right under the camera it has a wind gage bring the image in close to see the details.

Welcome to the site and have a great fish on the river.

http://www.glmi.org/webcam/

[Gone Fishing]

I was down there Tuesday and the Sturgeon Hole and sand pile area was very fishable. I went 3 for 5 on Muskie while trying to jig for Walleye. They're stacked in there right now. Good luck and welcome to the site! :)

[Musky1]

Thanks guys. I have Dossin Museum web cam link to my favorites, but for some reason it won't load now on my computer. Haven't been able to look at the river since last week. Hopefully, I can figure out what the problem is and check it out again soon.


Gone Fishing, I saw your post about jigging up the muskies several days ago and losing the big one. That's a shame. At least you had the thrill of fighting that beast before she got off. By the way, were they hitting just off the bottom that day or were they suspended higher up when they hit?

[Gone Fishing]

I was getting them jigging big Emerald Shiners off the bottom and also caught one on a flutter spoon but I noticed them suspended on my fish finder as well. I've caught them jigging the bottom before but never with any consistancy. I target Muskie on occasion and it is hard to have your bait too high but you can definitely have it too low. Their eyes are on top of their head. They can see up very well but down is more difficult. Yeah, too bad I couldn't have boated that big fish and gotten a picture. I still can't believe that I had a hold of it 3 times and couldn't hang on. Oh well, it was blast fighting that fish with Walleye equipment. :p Good luck!

[Ed Michrina]

To view make sure you have Java loaded in your computer.

[Mark Sylvester]

Welcome to the site Muskey 1 :Welcome:

[allucaneat]

I plan on fishing the mouth of the river tonight. I'll post water conditions when I get in.

[Hotwired]

Justin,
Don't hesitate to try the Sand Piles at night, I had one of my best nights last fall there.
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=79514

Mark,
How have they been doing up by Deckers, I might be there this weekend?

Thanks,

[Dick Graves]

Pulled the boat this morning. Pulling out of HPYC, next to the barge, got stuck on the sand bar. It appears that the N.W. wind has pushed all of the water from shore. Very shallow. Water was like coffee out to Metro and back around to the Clinton River. :dizzy:

Two docks still in the water at the end of S. River Rd. It was a treat getting the 25' Cherokee on a trailer, wind was blowing 20 to 25. :yikes:

As my bride says "time to catch a deer". Hope to get some more perch fishing in upon our return, if the wind ever dies.

Perch guys are taking fish along the 8-11 mile area, when it is fishiable. :fish:

Mackies on Anchor Bay Drive, next to Deckers was selling shiners at $40 per gallon last week. :lol:

Perch fishing is on fire in LSC when you can get out. :rant: Stay safe out there!

[Dick Graves]

Gone Fishing: Taking a good size Muskie on a walleye rod is fun, BUT we took one on a perch rig last Saturday, gusessing 47" about 25 lbs. A good 20 minutes to get the pig in the boat. :dizzy: My son was amazed that we managed to get him in the net. Will post a picture when it is developed. :lol:

6lb test fire line, on a perch rig and light perch rod was a riot. :yikes:

Needless to say, we did not catch another perch in that spot, which was not far from you guys that day. :fish: They will go good once the lake cleans up. :gaga:

[Will Schultz]

It's going to be pretty dirty for a few days. I was out yesterday for a while and it got muddy at the south end of the lake. This was the view out of the back of my boat heading back to the ramp.

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/1462/wavewallsm4wk.jpg

[Musky1]

Ed, thanks for the tip on enabling Java. I now can see the river and although it is stained, it looks like a foot or better of visibility. I'll be interested to see any posted reports of actual clarity from guys who might be out this afternoon. Thanks again, and thanks to everyone else for the friendly welcome.

[allucaneat]

Fished the Delphine 10pm-12am, 1 20" walleye and lost one next to the boat. Water was cloudy with visibility a foot or less. A beautiful crystal clear night on the water. Thats it for me gonna pull the boat in the morn and winterize on Sat. Good luck too all. See ya on the hard water.

[Houghton laker]

A sad day when the boat is pulled for the season Allucaneat!! Mine is coming out this next week....probably around thursday.....heading up north then for the weekend to do leaves!! Going out to the Delphine probably tonight for a while....winds may give me a break till sat. .......supposed to pick up again! :rolleyes: Hopefull can get out at least once or twice next week then pull it!!

[allucaneat]

Changed my mind, gonna leave her in one more week. Will be out tonight again from 9:30-? What time are you heading out HL? Maybe I'll see you out there.

[Musky1]

Well, I promised to post my results. Fished around Belle and Peche on Friday PM and all day Saturday. Water was really dirty on the Canadian side but found some slightly cleaner looking stuff east of St. Jean's. My partner trolled up a 35 1/2 on a homemade crankbait and that was it for Fri.

Sat. we hit it hard at daybreak. In the first hour he caught a fat 46" casting that same homemade crankbait over deep water by the Sturgeon Hole. I saw a big fish roll and threw to her. On the third cast, she walloped my jerkbait. I never got hooks into her and after about 15 seconds, she let go. Lost two others jigging and managed a 35 1/2 around lunchtime. At last light, my partner, yup, on that same crankbait, got a fat 41 1/2 casting to finish off the day. He also jigged up a brand new Bulldawg. Needless to say, he had a good time. Water was clearing up to near three foot vis. on the Canadian side by the end of the day.

Thanks again all for the advice and reports on water conditions last Thursday. They were helpful.

Geoff

[Houghton laker]

After looking at the satellite pictures of the lake after the winds today...and seeing the forecast for the week....I believe I am going to pull my boat tomorrow from the city well :( .....darn winds made it difficult to get out as much as I would have liked for the delphine......will start making my ventures to the north getting ready for that Houghtonlake ice!! Hopefully a few river expeditions will be left....may have to make it the st.clair river if things don't get any better for us at st.jeans!!

[shadow7663]

Yeah, after looking at the forcast for this week, I think the boat is done for the year. Going to try and get it all winterized tommorow after work. Possibly even haul her upnorth next weekend and stuff it away in the pole barn...:gaga: :help:

It was a great softwater year for me, Learned how to handline with the help of some our best members, The walleye and perch action on the lake was great too! It's time to for me to start focusing on the up coming ice season.

Kevin,Ed, Kurt,Eric, and many many more that I fished with this past softwater season, It was great and look forward to ice fishing with you guys too. Thats if we can keep kevin down here for a weekend or two...:lol:

[Hotwired]

Plan on hitting Decker's in the morning and will try to get up to the Saginaw River before I put her away before first ice.
I'm done with St Jeans for the year as I think they close it after Tuesday.
Man this being unemployed with severence ain't bad...yet.
Later,

[Houghton laker]

I'm done with St Jeans for the year as I think they close it after Tuesday.




Whew!! Looks like i am pulling her just in time!! Looks like not a lot of city work is going to get done today!!! :lol: :lol: ;)