Tittabawassee River Bonanza.

[walleye express]

Arrived at the Gordonville ramp this morning at 7:45am and was happy to see my clients from Dowagiac Michigan already waiting. I was also pleased to see a Backhoe busy cleaning the new layer of bottom land muck from the ramp, that had built up from the 2 week monsoon season we have just seen the end of (I hope). This was also followed by a water truck, that sprayed the ramp super clean. The workers told me that Dow had hired them to clean the ramp. I can only hope that my earlier posts about cleaning it myself this spring had something to do with them stepping up to the plate. But either way, I'm grateful.

As far as the fishing today. I'd like to be able to tell you how many we caught today, but I really could not guess. I know we ran out of the 10 dozen minnows I bought at about 2:00pm. Along with the uncountable Smallies, we did box 3 nice walleyes, and 2 monster whites. I do remember we had triples on 4 times today when I was trying to eat my lunch.

The water flow today was what I'd call high and dangerous to anybody new to the spillway. You can see in the pictures that the boulders at the spillway were almost flush with the lower level of the river. This in reality is not good. You can also see in one picture the sand bar under the smallie we're reeling in. This is where I had to beach my jet boat on this sand bar, to stay in the only productive spot below the spillway. My other spots were in torrents, probably holding few fish, and basically UN-fishable.

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[RichP]

That is a really nice sized white. Must have been a lot of fun.

[baydog2]

Nice to see a few eyes ( and decent ones at that) are still in the river. They do get more rare the warmer the water temps start getting higher, although us river rats do catch a few all year long. Nice catch makes me want to hit the Saginaw this weekend and fight the go fast boats.

Lonnie

[gmalicoat]

Good job out on the river. It's got me itching for the weekend

[waterfoul]

I hiked over the Tridge this past weekend. Do you guys ever fish that far up?

[Westlakedrive]

Yes but only for carp.
The dam is in the way.

[chamookman]

That's not a chenille jig in that Smallies mouth is it :D ? Will be headed that way Myself this weekend, but just a bit down stream - somewhere between My two favorite restaurants:corkysm55 ! Bob

[The Whale]

Nice pics. Fun to catch a mixed bag, that area is sure known for that. Great "eater" 'eyes, beauty. Gotta love the folks without boats that pay to come catch some fish such as this. As much as I've been out lately, I would be MUCH farther ahead to sell everything and just charter a few trips. (:yikes: , I can't believe I just said that. I take it back, "SORRY" to fish gods ! :D :lol: :lol: )

[walleye express]

That's not a chenille jig in that Smallies mouth is it :D ? Will be headed that way Myself this weekend, but just a bit down stream - somewhere between My two favorite restaurants:corkysm55 ! Bob


Nope.

Those are not my home made jigs they were using yesterday. These boys are no strangers to fishing and brought some refined equipment of their own with them. They also have their own boats for both rivers and great lakes fishing, and fish the lake for salmon, and the St Joe's almost year round for steelies and walleyes. They've chartered me now for over 10 years each spring for the white's and smallies. It's not just boatless people who take charters. In fact, I'd guess close to half of all my clients do.

[waterfoul]

So let me see if I have this straight:

These guys are avid fishermen. Have all their own, very nice equipment, have their own boats, including a river boat, drive all the way up to Midland, and still use yoru charter service to fish the river below a dam? Man, that's a good job you have! Can I have one like it (seriously!)? Something to be said for repeat customers.

[oleofish]

Very nice catch. Hit the Tibb. with my son yesterday also. Went to Immerman, they also had a backhoe and cleaned up the launch area and dock. Did a very good job of it. We ended up casting cranks as the river was full of junk--all the trees are shedding. Caught a dozen eye's kept 4 up to 17 in. Also caught about 20 smallies but not the size of yours and a few whites. Had some fun. We don't get together enough lately for some reason. Still lots of eyes in the system. Gotta go change a wheel bearing now. Good fishing Ole

[walleye express]

So let me see if I have this straight:

These guys are avid fishermen. Have all their own, very nice equipment, have their own boats, including a river boat, drive all the way up to Midland, and still use yoru charter service to fish the river below a dam? Man, that's a good job you have! Can I have one like it (seriously!)? Something to be said for repeat customers.


Thats right, and you can have a job just like it.

First quit your present job or retire after 30 years as I did, and then start chartering. Although I was guiding well before that on the PM/Big Manistee. Now, get a Coast Guards Captains license, buy and outfit your boat/boats to the CG specifications. Get/pass all the specified inspections, gear, liability insurance and start your new carear. But count on a few things before you start. You will never make enough money (at least on the East side of this state) to feed your family and pay all your bills. Breaking even or seing black ink in any year will be a miracle. And pray for perfect weather on every weekend to even break even.

Now as far as taking guys with their own stuff. Hell, the guys I'm scheduled to take this coming Saturday have their own Jet boat. I'm sure it's their intentions to see exactly what I use and where I fish, and then do it themselves with their own gear from here on out. This is nothing new, nor do I mind that it happens. I know at least 5 guides on the Pere Marquette/Big Manistee that had their very first ride in a drift boat, in my old Clakacraft back in the mid 80's to early 90's. Two weeks later I'd run into them with clients of their own. The catch now though is the licenses, certifications and Federal permits required on certain rivers like the Big M/PM. to be able to guide on them.

Same goes for the Bay. Lots of out-of-staters who have their own boats, but are here for vacation and fishing is only what they wanted to do on one day, and didn't have or want to take the time to learn where the fish are on that day. I've also taken PWT, FLW, MWC and other Pro's out in the Bay, days before tournaments to pre-fish. Mostly guys who could not, or did not want to pre fish with their own boats, or who just wanted to do so in comfort. On a few I'd simply run the boat where they wanted to go, or to places and waters new to them, use my gear, and they would set all the lines the way they wanted to run them. Oh they would pick my brain about the bay and it's fishery all day, and/or try any techniques that I use and they did not. But basically paying me for my experience and knowledge. No different than any of us paying a plumber for his. And if I was going to a new lake for the first time and could afford a guided trip for that first day, I'd save a lot of scouting time paying a guide for his aquired knowledge.