Open water fishing on Fletcher pond

[maryp]

We go to Fletchers every year to ice fish. This is the first year we wont have ice. We hope to rent a rowboat and use open water tactics for pike. Can this be productive this time of year?

[SleePac]

maryp....

funny you should ask. our annual trip is coming up the tail end of January and I'm afraid we might have to make the same kind of decision. Either push out the date or improvise with a boat. Hopefully jackslanding can hook us up with some boats!

Lets see what others have to say!

[Banditto]

A dead minnow rig and a bobber would work fine for pike from a boat. But Fletchers has so many pan fish, why not just focus on pan fish?

[maryp]

Thanks for the replies guys. Sleepac, I think you will have ice for your trip. In fact its going to get cold by the 14th. Banditto Ive fished panfish up there and really caught only small gills and perch. We primarily fish for norhterns and do quite well through the ice. Thanks again!

[SleePac]

http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/common/images/wxicons/52x40/06.gif
Rather cloudy with flurries
Low: 21 °F
High: 34 °F



Tuesday (http://wwwa.accuweather.com/forecast-details.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=1&zipChg=1&zipcode=49707&metric=0&fday=7), Jan 9
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http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/common/images/wxicons/52x40/06.gif
Mostly cloudy and cold
Low: 17 °F
High: 28 °F



Wednesday (http://wwwa.accuweather.com/adcbin/public/premium_benefits.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=1&zipChg=1&zipcode=49707&metric=0), Jan 10
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http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/common/images/wxicons/52x40/06.gif
Mostly cloudy
Low: 23 °F
High: 33 °F



Thursday (http://wwwa.accuweather.com/adcbin/public/premium_benefits.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=1&zipChg=1&zipcode=49707&metric=0), Jan 11
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http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/common/images/wxicons/52x40/07.gif
Cloudy with showers possible
Low: 20 °F
High: 38 °F



Friday (http://wwwa.accuweather.com/adcbin/public/premium_benefits.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=1&zipChg=1&zipcode=49707&metric=0), Jan 12
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http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/common/images/wxicons/52x40/04.gif
Colder with clouds and sun
Low: 19 °F
High: 28 °F



Saturday (http://wwwa.accuweather.com/adcbin/public/premium_benefits.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=1&zipChg=1&zipcode=49707&metric=0), Jan 13
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http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/common/images/wxicons/52x40/07.gif
Clouds, snow possible; cold
Low: 21 °F
High: 23 °F



Sunday (http://wwwa.accuweather.com/adcbin/public/premium_benefits.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=1&zipChg=1&zipcode=49707&metric=0), Jan 14
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http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/common/images/wxicons/52x40/06.gif
Warmer with snow possible
Low: 14 °F
High: 34 °F



Monday (http://wwwa.accuweather.com/adcbin/public/premium_benefits.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=1&zipChg=1&zipcode=49707&metric=0), Jan 15
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http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/common/images/wxicons/52x40/06.gif
Colder with flurries
Low: 12 °F
High: 27 °F



Tuesday (http://wwwa.accuweather.com/adcbin/public/premium_benefits.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=1&zipChg=1&zipcode=49707&metric=0), Jan 16
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http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/common/images/wxicons/52x40/01.gif
Sunshine
Low: 13 °F
High: 35 °F



Wednesday (http://wwwa.accuweather.com/adcbin/public/premium_benefits.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=1&zipChg=1&zipcode=49707&metric=0), Jan 17
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http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/common/images/wxicons/52x40/06.gif
Mostly cloudy and colder
Low: 5 °F
High: 23 °F

[MSUICEMAN]

yay! maybe we'll have at least some ice up north... i have no problem driving up there to scratch the itch.

[steely171]

I have been thinking about this for my fishing trip.I'm not sure so don't hold it against me but when it would get cold on the river for steelys we would slow down the presitation the fish need more time to move or react so why would it not work for open water on the lakes use the same tackle you would use for late summer or early fall and slow it down some.:confused: I'm not sure but if we don't have ice for are trip it's what we are going to try.Oh and sorry for the bad spelling?:dizzy:If that don't work let me know so I can change my tactics PLEASE!

[maryp]

Hey Steely! I think slowing down the presentation is exactally correct! A golden suspended under the water with a bobber surely mimics that of a tip up below the ice with a golden.Im with you, hey spelling means nothing, some of the finest physicians i work with at my hospital cant spell at all, and well, heck, they get their point across. Well If youre headin out, good luck! Thanks for your response.

[Banditto]

I should know Fletchers Pond really well being my mom and dad grew up in Alpena, but the times I fished it we really didn't find any pike of size? Last year we ice fished it and caught limits on gills and even a few decent perch, but mostly hammer handle pike.

What part of the lake do you fish pike?