catchem79
10-14-2002, 06:49 PM
Went to little bay de noc Oct 3 - 6th just getting around to the pc. Left home about midnight got to the boat launch about 8:00am Thurs. Went to the mouth of the Escanaba river was there about a half hour got a 32in. pike. Moved up into the river and covered it hard. Was ready to leave and pick up a keeper walleye in the old bridge pilons, lots of snags in there. Fifteen minutes later got another one in the same spot. Had to fish all the old bridges then but never got another fish. Got checked in to the hotel and some food and went back out. Fish till 8:00 pm without a bite. Friday was going to get out well before light. The alarm went of at 4:00am but I was already awake becuase of the thunder and lightening outside. I love fishing but I'm not dumb enough to go out in the lightening. Reset alarm for 6:00am went to sleep. Got up the second time just spinkling rain, no thunder or lightening. A little windy though. Went out of Gladstone harbor. Fished hard, it rain hard then let up, then stopped, then started again. Got another keeper walleye on this little flat on a big drop off. That flat could not have been more than about fifty ft. square. 10 fow. went from 4 fow to the 10ft. flat then dropped into 35fow. After I picked up that fish I camped in that general area but didn't get another walleye. Got a keeper perch off the flat in 35fow but every perch after that was small. Did get a 3lb. or so smallmouth on a perch rig that was fun. By supper time I was wet to the bone even threw rain gear I didn't go back out after supper. Talked to a couple locals at the launch they said the fish were all south so I thought I couldn't do any worse going south on Sat. Got up early but needed to what for daylight because I had never lauched out of Escanba Harber have aways fished north of there. Started at the mouth of the harbor nice dropoff right there. The harbor light is in 6fow with it droping into 40fow around it. Got several realy nice smallmouth up on the 6fow flat. Got light enough to see landmarks well so I motered south to this big point a couple miles south of Escanaba wind was picking up. Fish my way back north picked up a keeper about half way down the brake line jigging in 20fow. never got another fish till I was almost back to the harbor. Another walleye but just a keeper about 15 1/2 in. By now it was about 4:00pm and I was hugry and the batteries were getting low. Went in charged the bateries for a while and got something to eat. Was getting close to dark before I got back out. Went back out of Gladstone. There is a couple of nice flats near there were I have picked out alot of fish after dark. Not a bit. Saw Capton Marty a charter guy at the launch he had not caught a Walleye all day did get several smallmouth though. Sun. was going to go out before going home woke up to 35mph winds coming staight up that bay. Had to wait for the innkeeper to get up so I could get my fish out of the freezer then left for home. Stopped at Houghton on the way home and did get two pike there one was undersize and the other wasn't much better. Not the best fishing trip I ever had but not the worst . Still better than working. And I'm not ready to put the boat away yet.