Van Ettan Any Reports?

[Nu_2_MI]

Heading up tomorrow to hit Van Ettan. Hoping to get into the walleye morning and dusk and whatever is biting in between. I have heard the lake level has been up. Just looking for any bit of advice. Not looking for honey holes. If things are not good on the lake we could also hit the Ausable as well. Anything is appreciated.

[Weekender#1]

Last week while casting for pike in Cooke, we kept hooking into those pesky Smallmouth Bass. Yellow spinners is what we were using just working the drop off in the river channel. Not a darn pike though, you know and we were catching them before the season opened while perch fishing, just figures. I heard they are starting to get some walleye in the river near the pier, but I did not go into town last week. I was supposed to be remodeling the bathroom of the cabin, it rained, I mean it really rained up there for the past few weeks, one neighbor says over 7 inches, he should know as he is full timer up there.

[Nu_2_MI]

Well...the bite was off. Went up and hit the lake the first day......big mistake. Winds were 35 mph and during dusk and dawn the temps were down into the 30's....not a good combo. Couldn't get a decent troll and drifting was way too fast even with the drift sock. Tried the Au Sable the next day but with the wind and rain the current was ridiculously fast. We got out to the edge of the pier and my buddy went to start up his motor and found that the fuel line had ruptured. So there we were drifting out into Huron in a 16 ft Lund. Waves were huge just past the pier. Threw the drift sock out off the nose of the boat to keep the nose pointed into the waves....very scary. Trolling motors were of no use at that point. Luckily the waves eddies around the pier and took us into much calmer water and where the wind was blocked. Trolling motor got us to shore where we were able to fix the boat.

Eventually we found a spillway of a local lake and got into some nice smallies.....some 30 inch pike and quite a few walleyes. We stayed there the rest of our time in Oscoda. Did quite well and caught many different species. All in all were hoping to spend more time on Van Ettan, but you gotta go with what is working. Thanks for the report.

[Weekender#1]

From this weeks on line Oscoda Press Newspaper, FYI
Fishing report
by Rick Asmus

Nice walleye being taken off the AuSable River mouth

Rick of Wellman’s in Oscoda reports some nice walleye at the mouth of the AuSable River. Fishermen are having success by drifting crawlers with a slip bobber, as well as casting Rapalas between the mouth and the US-23 bridge.
Some walleye are being taken on both Cedar and Van Etten lakes, as well as perch on Van Etten, though they are running on the small side. And catfishing is very good after dark.

Steve of All Seasons in Tawas reports that the lake trout and salmon fishing have been good off Tawas Point, with a couple of salmon weighing in the 15- and 16-pound range. Perch have been taken from the state dock, but its necessary to sort the smaller from the keepers.

And the bluegill fishing in Tawas Lake has been good.

Karen of The Dam Store at Footesite said the steelhead fishing has been spotty to fair. Cooke and Foote Pond fisherman are catching some bluegills.
Helen of The M-65 Bait Shop said that the bluegill had moved in a bit, but with warm weather coming should be moving onto their beds soon.

[Bd7]

I would never trust that paper !

[NEMichsportsman]

Welcome to the site Weekender

Hmmmmm? "...salmon fishing have been good" I haven't heard any one use that term to describe things in a few years. Doesn't lend a lot of credibility to the whole report.

[DaveW731]

Winds were 35 mph and during dusk and dawn the temps were down into the 30's.... Waves were huge just past the pier. Threw the drift sock out off the nose of the boat to keep the nose pointed into the waves....very scary. Trolling motors were of no use at that point. Luckily the waves eddies around the pier and took us into much calmer water and where the wind was blocked. Trolling motor got us to shore where we were able to fix the boat.

Man! Glad you guys weren't blown out into the lake! My guess is that God still has some work to do with you, in order to complete your growth into being a conservative. As always, I stand ready to assist in any way I can.:evil: