St Clair River Report 7/07/02

[Marble-eye]

Put in at the Dnr launch on the North Channel. Went up in front of the algonac state park and trolled bombers with no success. Came back down to the North Channel and seen many guys handlining for eyes. Didnt see anything being pulled out and I wasnt marking many fish. I tried crawler harnesses with not a single bite all day. Moved again to the B marker on the lake for some perch and nothing again. There was no wind and no drift but I used the electric trolling motor. Now I'm new to the river fishing so any help would be a plus guys. I realize that river walleye seem to have a different approach to cathing them. Thanks for any help or tips for fishin the St Clair River guys...i'm pretty aggravated!!!::( :(

[Bob B.]

Marble-eye,
I don't know much about trolling the river, but I do know the guys handlining up around Marysville are using pencil plugs and getting some nice limit catches of Walleye. We got our limit Friday night whipping with Nite Stalker pencil plugs.........Bob B.

[Joe_G]

Hi Marble-eye,

I took a charter out of Deckers on the North Channel there and the guy pulls out and goes right to the sni (if you know where that is, and I'm assuming you do) right across from deckers where that yacht club is. We start fishing right there, heading down stream just fast enough to make the blade barely spin. We're going along pretty good though, with the current and all, just trying to go about 1 mph faster than the current. This is at 2 p.m. I think, not the best time to go walleye fishing in my opinion, but we pick up 2 little ones pretty quick between the yacht club at the mouth of the sni and about 6 or 8 cottages down.
we're staying on the right side the whole way down as you're heading towards the lake. Graph shows we're hugging the drop off, going along the bottom on the deep part. Dragging crawler harness with a pencil sinker below, ticking the bottom. We go all the way to the lake, and it starts getting a little shallower there, and everybody immediately starts catching every fish in the book except for pike, musky, and walleye unfortunately. We motor high speed back up to deckers, hang a right towards harsens island, and start using the same
method of fishing in some deep hole in front of a big blue building marina(forget the name of the place) but its a mile or so up past deckers on the M29 side of the north channel. Caught nothing.
Now it's 6 p.m. The daylight is getting dimmer, things should start happening now right? Wrong!!!
Charter times up, head back to the dock. I'm convinced that this is a great method to use, we just needed to be out in the evening to dark time of day. If I can make this work, see drawing below......


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0--------18 to 24 inch walleye
| harness with small spinner
| hammered copper color
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0
{}
{}
{}--------2 or 4 oz pencil sinker
{} (I don't remember which)
{} 12 to 18 inches below harness
{}
{}

Also, theres a lot of perch out by those seven sisters islands there just out side of the north channel, look for 4-5 FOW. spot tail shiner fished 8 to 10 inches off the bottom should fill you up a good bucketful if you use a slip bobbber to set the 8 to 10 inch...you'll see the big gaggle of boats out there......good luck!

Sorry for such a long post, might want to hit the ol' print button for this one........

[Marble-eye]

thanks alot guys! i really appreciate all your tips and help. I guess now its all up to me to fish the rivers more and use what you guys said. this is why i come to this site because of friendly people like you. thanks again fellas and good luck!!:D

[Reeltime]

Joe_G, where is a good place to get the spot tails? I am in NewBaltimore and many times the only minnows available are the "Goldens" which do not produce as well.

[Gone Fishing]

Reeltime, you might try Mackey's which is just before Deckers as your coming down Anchor Bay Drive. 586 or 810 (not sure since they changed them) 794-9962. He traps bait in the area.

[Joe_G]

hey reeltime,
I've been getting them at blue water bait and tackle. just down a couple buildings from the corner of palms rd & M29 next to the fairhaven
boat launch. Been getting about 24 when you ask for a dozen, maybe more like 30. I've been out
perch fishing every morning from June 29th until july 7th and they had them every day 2.50 a dozen.
My last day in there, july 7, they did say they were getting low, selling out by afternoon etc,
but every morning at 6 a.m. sharp the tanks were full....
phone...586-725-1448
hours....open 6 am....5:30 on weekends

[dene49939]

I tried trolling,jigging , pencils and couldnt get a walleye either all day and night sat and sun in the south channel. i just dont get that place . We did get some perch by the #11 bouy in 6 ft of water with minnows even that was slow though.
My uncle mentioned jugging alot but i never bothered to try it. He got an 11+ walleye last week on a pencil with huge weight holding it out there right off his dock.
Neighbor there told me im 25 years too late to get good walleye there right in front of his place . thats my luck i guess