View Full Version : Your History on L.S.C.
Dick Graves
10-16-2002, 11:57 PM
Been reading various posts through-out this evening. Finished cleaning my sons first deer with a bow, ate part of it, the good part, drank a bottle of wine and got to thinking about a new topic.
:confused:
How about some history about one of the greatest "sports lakes" on the planet.
How long have you fished or hunted on L.S.C.?
Do you you have any great memories or really sad thoughts about "the lake"?
I have many, started fishing on the Detroit River about 1958, think I was about 8 years old, used to fish for Carp at the foot of St. Jean, with dough balls.
My first boat ride on L.S.C. about 1960, fished with a steel rod and a bait casting reel, really screwed that up.
Bought my first boat at 18, 16 foot Wolverine, molded plywood boat with a 40 Scott Atwater & a trailer with airplane tires, used to drag wire in the river with that boat, my inlaws worked for 35 years at Helein Tackle. Fondest memories, duck hunting on Strawberry Island, 3 grown men, 75 decoys in a 16 foot boat. Looking back, it was very dangerous.
More stories will come! Reveal yours?:confused: :confused:
northern_outdoorsman
10-17-2002, 12:15 AM
Well I remember way back, when I was too young to remember how old I was, Fishing Lake St. Clair with my father and Grandpa in my dad's little 16 foot Boat. This is the only memory I have of the outdoors with my Grandfather because when I was about 10 years old he came down with all-timers (Spelling...LOL!) Dad always says to thank Grandpa everytime I thank him for my love of the outdoors cause if it wasn't for Grandpa teaching him he would not love the outdoors as much as he does today. This early Memory was of Chugging for Walleyes, (Handlining?) I remember Fishing line wrapped around a piece of wood and the line had a big torpedo shaped sinker with a treble hook below it that we wrapped a BIG Night Crawler on...Hello up there Grandpa! Thanks for watching over me and sending the big ones to my Baits!;)
The next memory I have is when I was about 12, doing the same kind of fishing on my friend Brian's Dads Boat. Brian feel asleep and woke up to a fish on! After some Bloody Hands and a 20 minute Battle we had a HUGE Dinosaur (Sturgeon, LOL!) in the boat and I still remember the Look on Brian's face when his dad said he had to throw it back it was too small...LMAO!
After that we moved to Lake Erie Walleyes and Perch. Which brings me back to Lake St. Clair and the Present Day which most of you have heard my adventures over the Past 2 years...
Memories...ahhhhh....Great Post Dick!:D ;)
Dick Graves
10-17-2002, 12:33 AM
My dad's side of the family was from Tennessee. My Grand-dad owned a boat livery on the Tennessee River along with about 500 acres of Tennesse farmland. I remember fishing with him on the Tennessee River, that is a different thing down there, mostly Catfish, which they consider big trophies and Crappies, which they consider a delicacy, like we consider perch and muskie. If you caught a catfish, it was sold to the local resturant for cash, if you caught a Crappie, you took it home to eat it.
There are islands on the Tennesseee River where the "old timers" used to go, start a big bom-fire and have fish fry's and drink a few cold one's, it was a dry county, and tell more lies then most people have ever herd in their lives.
New this topic would stir a lot of memories, thanks for the reply Don, think it will get better and we will hear some "fish tale's" and other stuff, "ain't this what this is about?" Now I'am on my second bottle of wine!
Luv it!.;) :) :D
Gone Fishing
10-17-2002, 08:14 AM
From the time I was born till about14 years old, I spent every summer weekend and a couple weeks vacation at our cottage on the Sni. My Dad would get up well before dawn and give me a nudge to get up and go fishing. I would usually jump up and head out with him and usually catch a mess of Walleye. I specifically remember the times that I didn't get up and later running to the dock when he returned to see his limit of 10 Walleye. I'd be all jazzed and grab my rod and head out but I would be lucky to come home with a fish or two. He taught me drift fishing, handlining, chugging, casting, Perch fishing and Muskie trolling. I hated Muskie trolling back then. He would drag me out for an all day trip and we never would hook up unless it was a Pike or some other species than a Muskie. He caught a few from time to time but it was nothing like the fish that LSC produces today. I have very special memories of slamming Perch in Goose Bay with double headers coming in the boat as fast as you could pull them. Pike fishing, casting spoons was another fond memory from the back bays. My Dad would take me out there in the early Spring and on some days they were hitting on nearly every cast. What a blast! Bass fishing in the main lake was really great at times also. With no GPS, my Dad would line up landmarks and triangulate his position. When he said this is the spot, he was usually right. Catching frogs, turtles and snakes, spearing Carp and Gars, swimming, boating and water skiing, man life was good. My Dad passed on when I was 18 but he left me with a lot of wonderful memories. Thanks Dad! Hopefully I can leave my son with some of the same kind of memories. Thanks for the post Dick, I need to reflect on this stuff from time to time.
My first memories of fishing LSC would be somewhere in the area af 1964 or 65. 15' Lone Star closed V bow, planing hull. 35 HP Evinrude that weighed more than todays 90's. A whole 12 gal fuel capacity! Fished the lower lake/ upper river mainly. Perch and Walleye in the dumping grounds, the occassional Smallie. Pike in the weedy bays and marinas. (Not nearly as many weeds with the water clarity the way it was) Water was always a nice shade of green, visibility generally about 1'.
Went handlining for the first time at ten (1969). I thought that was the coolest thing ever, and stayed with it faithfully, untill I was 16 and went Muskie fishing with Brian Helin (grandson of the Flatfish inventor). That was the end of my sanity, from that day forward I was a Muskie nut. I'd spend every moment possible prowling the Scott Middle Grounds, Delphine, Dumps etc. The only time I wasn't fishing, I was at school or working for gas money. (No free rides in our house, we still had the Lone Star, and Dad would do everything but put gas in it.)
One of the things that sticks out in my mind the most were the evenings spent casting Walleye during the fall evenings after the sport and commercial fishing ban due to mercury contamination. (around '74 and '75). No one would look twice at a 10#er, we'd get limits of them all the time. A fish had to be 14# to get any attention.
I had a buddy with a place on Harsens (South Channel) and we'd spend weekends up there and take an old woodie over to the Walpole area and nail Pike after Pike on Daredevles. What fun the teen years were, able to drive and boat all over the place, with practically no responsibility, other than grades and gas money.
My folks moved out to the New Baltimore area just in time for my senior yr of high school. I started fishing Anchor Bay and the flats most of the time. Bought my first new boat in '83, a 16' Crestliner Superhawk with a Mariner 60, I was on top of the world..
long enough........sry, and I haven't even gotten to the changes in the lake since Zebra Mussels.
kroppe
10-17-2002, 12:48 PM
Thanks to the guys on this site, I started fishing LSC this year for the first time. I look forward to many years of fun.
My deceased uncle used to live on the water at 12 Mile and Jefferson. In 1972 he had a large family reunion at his house, and I remember the dikes that the Army Corps of Engineers (I think) built in everyone's front yards to keep the high water at bay. I also remember that he got interviewed with his picture in the paper when the dikes came down, I think in the late 1970s or early 1980s.
Reeltime
10-17-2002, 07:08 PM
My first time out on LSC was w/ my father and grandfather. They had a place up near Port Sanilac but in the winter it was ice fishing time! My first fishing trips were ice fishing on Anchor Bay, but the best was when I could skip school, get up really early (no idea how early when you're a kid, its just very dark and nobody else is out and about) to go on the big trips to Mitchell's Bay. We would bring back the perch in coolers and clean them in the basement. Times have changed, Grandpa's gone, we do most o fishing from the boat, but I will still take perch fishing w/ Dad over anything else!
gsepan
10-18-2002, 06:31 AM
Great stories guy's... I'm currently making memories of LSC as I've been living on a canal next to Bouvier Bay for the past 6yrs. I have lots of childhood memories from Erie though... My grandpa had a cottage in Ceder Beach on the Canuck side of the lake. In the 60's we fished from his 18' Alumicraft with a 50hp Johnson. I started fishing at 4yrs of age and we used short (5') steel rods with old baitcaster reels. Steel spreaders and shiners brought many a doubleheaders and the size, UNBELIEVABLE!!! Never kept the small ones (10" or less). Spent every summer at the cottage as soon as school let out until it resumed in September. Used to walk the beaches for miles picking up "Soft-Glass" which was glass bottles that were broken and rubbed smooth by the waves and the sand. There was an old lady that was paying $0.25 cent a pound for the stuff so she could landscape her flower beds with it. The dark blue bottle pieces were the rare ones. I can remember seeing smelt runs and my grandpa and my dad out wading in the water scooping up 100's of them and filling many 5 gallon buckets for us and all the neighbors.
I could go on for hours but need to get some work done...
Keep 'um coming... Especially ESOX... Very interesting story you were telling, please continue...
WALLEYE MIKE
10-20-2002, 09:44 PM
Fished LSC only at ice time back in the late 60's. Did not have access to a boat then. My buddy bought a new 12ft. with a 4hp in the early 80's. Started fishing for walleye down by the 400 club in spring. Bought my first boat about 1984. 14ft/ 7.5hp. Fished mainly out from Selfridge. Also fished alot in the north channel and SCR in Algonac by Russell Is.
Bought my present boat in Sept. 99. Have been a fishing fool every since. (18ft walk-thru windsheild with 125hp) The 14ft boat was just too small and only went out when calm.
Just this year I have been going places I never tried before. Places like the firecracker, Sc light, GPYC. Getting to know the lake better with everytime out. Running 10 miles to a spot now is getting much easier.
DANN09
10-21-2002, 11:05 AM
I was born and raised in St. Clair Shores and started fishing the lake with My Dad in about 1955. We had a 16' cedar strip runabout with a 25hp Johnson and fished mostly out in front of 11 mile rd. and used the ramp behind the library. Anchor Bay was the option if the wind on the main lake was to bad. Always came home with a mixed catch but mostly perch. It was an every sat. deal with My Dad and my uncle and they would take Me and my cousin whenever we wanted to go. A lot has changed around the lake but it is still one of the most diverse fishing lakes in Mi.
Enough of this nostalgia I have to go check the Lo-Jac signal on Gone Fishing boat to find the hot spot this week...LOL
BigDaddy
10-21-2002, 12:36 PM
Not much from a boat. I remember many times my father and I would go off of the pier. I think it was off over South River Road. We would catch a ton of Sheephead. One time we caught some and were bringing them home, we were in the parking lot when I jumped up and hit my head on the trunk of the car and had to get stiches. From there we began fishing along the St Clair River. Going to Alganac, Marysville, St. Clair and catching walleye and silver bass when the run was on. Now I have a boat and dad and I stiill fish together. Now we like to ice fish and pull wire in the Detroit or St. Clair Rivers. Was hoping to learn perch fishing LSC this fall but with getting sick this summer that didn't happen. But by spring should be ready to try. When we first started I know it was only Sheephead but I'll tell ya the night before going I could never sleep. I will remember those days forever.:D
ahartz
10-21-2002, 08:53 PM
First memories of LSC are bobbing around the St. Clair light in my dad's restored lapstrake lyman circa 1975 or so. it was a double cockpit with the original motor custom made for a doctor on Grosse Ile. many of our memories center around the boat huh. My dad didnt teach me whole lot about fishing but he did teach me seamanship skills that I use to this day to helm 16 foot lund's up to his 35 foot Bertram. Being a boater on LSC used to be different, there was respect and courtesy among the fraterity, something that I fear is now gone. There are very few boaters out there...just people who use boats...thats a whole another story. Hanging around the boatyards of the Detroit river looking for old boats and junk are some of my best memories. Dad is still around teachin me every day about the water.
Christmas 1977 brought my brother and I a 16 foot lapstrake lyman outboard. Still had the original 35 hp merc that started on the second pull everytime. we restored it and took it to the Hessel boat show. I worked my ass off stripping the hull and interior, varnish varnish...no holidays, andrew!!! what fun it was to be a young man with a boat entered at such a prestigious boat show. that boat was kept at the Grosse Pointe City park through high shcool during which my brother and I turned into 100% all beef patty boy's and the boat was just too small and fragile for us. Chasin freighters and chicks at the other grosse pointe parks. we were something.
workin on boats during the summer as a kid, hangin around the water. That big pond is the reason I will not leave the Eastside. almost everything else in life can/will/has been compromised for me to live my life near LSC and raise my three kids on it as well. ...ENOUGH SAID...andy
pikeslime
10-23-2002, 01:01 PM
Well, i could probably write a novel on this subject. My dad started taking me out on LSC when i was around 3 years old. I don't know how he managed it. We rented a boat and fished almost every weekend. My best memories are bass and pike fishing at Walpole Island and harsen's Island. We had days of 100+ smallmouth at Walpole.
On June 2nd, 1985 (I was 11) we rented a boat at what is now called Jimmy's on Jefferson. We were drifting for walleyes right in front of Metro Beach and had 3 on the stringer. I remember my dad standing up in the boat yelling and waving his arms becasue a big Sea Ray was heading our way. Well, he never did see us from his 33' Sea Ray, and he ran right over the top of us in our 14 ft rental. My dad broke his back, shattered his elbow, etc. I broke my leg and anckle, etc. They used to have the baot we were in leaned against a tree out front of Jimmy's.
After that my dad didn't even want to hear about fishing...for a while anyway. But the next year, My dad bought a boat and we were back at it, and I spend every bit of free time I have on the water. Now I have a boat also, and I just bought a house at 10 & Jefferson to be closer to the water. I work in Novi, and people are forever asking me why i don't move out to the West side. I just shrug, because they couldn't understand. I feel bad for people who never had someone to take them fishing or hunting. It's part of my life that i could never life without.
Gone Fishing
10-23-2002, 01:45 PM
Man Pikeslime, that's quite a story about getting run over by another boat. Glad you guys are around to tell about it. I get real nervous when I'm out there in the fog and hear boats running at normal cruising speed. I can't imagine watching a boat coming and coming till it is too late! Lots of idiots of there!
Dick Graves
10-23-2002, 02:37 PM
Pikeslime think I mentioned bad memories in the original post, yours ranks up there with some scary stuff. Glad you and dad are still with us.
Suggestion for others, keep some flares handy for drunks and idiots in big boats, although our boat is fair size, I still give the rightaway to others, even though we have rightaway. Some boaters out there don't have a clue as to what it's all about!:mad:
Steely-Head
10-23-2002, 03:32 PM
I grew up and live in Grosse Pointe, right near LSC, and I have been fishing LSC and the Detroit river for all my life. I have too many memories to even begin to list. Great lake, great times.
BaitRunner
10-31-2002, 07:41 AM
Great stories guys,
I started fishing LSC in 1978 while I was assigned to the Army Tank Plant in Warren.
As I remember, I was so excided about getting out on the lake I bought the first boat I found which was a 18ft tri-hull with a Chrysler 125 HP outboard - boy was this a terrible mistake! You talk about going for a scary boat ride when the lake was rolling, well this was the boat of all boats. This thing was out of the water more then in while underway. Needless to say we parted as friends as soon as I found a sucker to buy it and thank god I did.
I then bought a 24ft Thompson hardtop, rigged it with a 6hp kicker and moored it at Selfridge. From Selfridge I could be at the Anchor Bay "B" marker in ten minutes and catch my 6 Walleye in about an hour every day. "B" marker used to be a great area for Walleye but no longer - I think the Zebra Mussels did the damage in this situation - but who knows!
Anyway I think LSC is the best lake going for the different types and amounts of fish that can be had - "Can't Be Beat"
Bobby
Boy where do you start, lots of great memories. I guess around 12 we go a boat. Sixteen foot steel, flat bottom, three seats (sealed for air chambers). Bought it with my own money from being a Caddie at Beach Grove. Lived on Pike Creek. Moved there from Colchester. Had a ten horse Johnson on the back. Motor jumped off from hot rodding and turning too fast. No safety chain. Me and my buddy rowed the rest of the summer while I finished paying for this rig. Used to row way out to the markers and fish. Bought it from Mose Suzor who was our neigbor. Mose was one of the best fisherman I have ever met. His son still lives in the house. Moved over to the states and joined the service. Spent twenty years with one assignment to Selfridge. Bought a big boat (big for me) and kept it at the Selfridge Marina. Got sent overseas and eventually wound up in Florida. Retired and now work at the Warren Tank Plant. Got back in the Selfridge Marina but it closed this year due to 9/11 and security concerns. Now in Salt River. The time span I am talking about covers from late fifties to present. I love this lake. Grew up on it and it has never lost it's appeal.
BaitRunner
11-01-2002, 07:25 PM
Hi Icet,
I spent many a year and great times at SANG marina during the late 70's thru early 90's. My old buddies were Woodie,Leo,Tom, Gary and a host of others. The reason I left SANG was do to the new members who were not very friendly and did not fish coupled with the blow boat activity. Not to mention General Officers and the like receiving special bennys.
The Marina was organized and controlled by the SANG Rod and Gun Club when I first joined in 1978 and when the MWR took (or stole it from us) it over, the Marina went down the toilet as it became a business rather then supporting the military!!
However, I sure do have many fond memories of SANG
PS: We may even know each other?
Bob Fey
Hi Bob, yes we do know one another. Selfridge Golf Course and of course your old employer (GD). Small world. Funny that we talk once again on this site. I've put the boat up for the year, too cold.
Chris
Dick Graves
11-02-2002, 12:50 AM
And the world keeps getting smaller, PGA Bob now you have a fan club, just kidding! Life is good, lets keep B.S.'ing and see how many people can remember the good stories about LSC!
Over & Out :cool:
TBone pointed out that there is a thread similar to this running on another board. I thought some of you might have something to add.
I'll add one thing to my previous post.
When Zebra Mussels came into the system, everyone figured that was the end of Great Lakes sportfishing.
In LSC, I found that:
The numbers and quality of Walleye dropped dramatically.
Smallmouth populations exploded.
Pike became less prevelant.
Muskie populations took off.
Weedbeds grew larger and deeper, providing more places for nurseries.
Not all bad in my book.:)
I hope I feel the same way about those damn egg gobbling gobies in another decade.
leapin lunker
01-20-2003, 11:37 AM
In 1995 my wife had the opportunity to accept a promotion with what was then National Bank of Detroit. We are from Indianapolis and she had been with Indiana National Bank which was acquired by NBD. The promotion involved moving to the Detroit Metro Area.
We both enjoy the water and are avid fisherpersons. In fact, her family is from Kelleys Island in Lake Erie. So, we had some big lake experience catching walleyes and smallies. Well, when the promotion opportunity occurred I jumped right on it with the provision that we could find a property on Lake St. Clair.
She moved into the Sommerset Apartments in August of 95 while I readied everything in Indy for the move. I would drive up on the weekends and we would look at property and boats. (More boats than property). We finally found a place in St. Clair Shores that was in an estate and bought it right. We closed on the house on a Friday, like January 25 or so. And the next day went to Dunhams and bought a shanty, ice poles, baits, etc. On Sunday we went out for our first ice fishing adventure. We walked off our dock about 500 feet drilled two holes, set up the shanty and unbelievably caught 76 fish. A mixture of perch, pike and bass. We thought we were in heaven.
Over the years we have never achieved that success again thru the ice, however we have truly enjoyed our home and the great waters of this wonderful lake.
Welcome to Michigan and the finest outdoor site on the web Leapin Lunker.:)
ahartz
01-20-2003, 12:22 PM
Hey leapin...sounds like your move was good one. That first ice success was mother nature just stringin you along like a dope dealer. Give the guy a 76 fish day his first day out...then make him work for the rest!!! I will spend a lifetime chasing that musky I beat off the lure last year with the net, as I will always try to have another day layout duck hunt like "that day"last year. ...welcome to the eastside..andy
leapin lunker
01-20-2003, 01:40 PM
Thanks for the welcome guys.
About a year ago, I met some fella's at a MOMC meeting down at the VFW here in the shores. Actually joined the club, but never participated actively or fished in any of the tournements. I'd like to get hooked back up with the club, but cannot find any info on them. Would someone out there give me a hand.
The addy I have doesn't work anymore, I'm sure one one of these other fine poeple will have contact information for you.
Gone Fishing
01-21-2003, 07:32 AM
For info on the MOMC, try contacting:
Jerry Felster (586) 725-8200 or Scott D'Eath (586) 725-7237
I think both those guys are still on the executive board. Those numbers are a couple years old so if you have any problems, let me know and I'll do some more digging.
Thanks John.
I hear the mouth of the Clinton is frozen over. Are you in the mood to sully yourself one evening soon? :)
Gone Fishing
01-21-2003, 07:50 AM
Are you out of your mind! The dang lake is all covered with that stuff that has my boat in the drive way. ;) Actually, I might be game if it ever warms up a bit. I have just been working in the heated garage, building planer boards and now I need to get going on my stuff so I can be ready when the lake gets soft again. Let me know when your going and I'll try to make it out there for awhile.
New boards? Those ones you had were works of art. Did you come up with a better design? Please enlighten me. I need some new boards myself, one of my old ones got knocked out of the rafters and cracked.
Gone Fishing
01-21-2003, 08:18 AM
No, I building some for friends. Same design but I must admit, those boards do run good. We ran them in 6 - 8 footers in a Salmon tournament last year and they only flipped and dove once which I thought was pretty good. According to my wife, I'm getting out of the board building business. I have sooo much time into the 3 sets I'm building. I think I literally have 1,000 pieces of exotic woods inlayed into these boards. I had them roughed out in a day and after about 3 weeks of making them look pretty, I'm just about ready for varnish. They won't catch any more fish but they sure look cool. I just pray that I don't get a call saying somebody lost one. If you need some, I could rough some out for you but I don't think I'm ready for another round of inlays quite yet.
GOTCHA
01-21-2003, 05:56 PM
John, I could really use a set of your boards, there the best:D what's my chances, don't need them for a couple months:)
Gone Fishing
01-22-2003, 07:33 AM
Mike, I really need to get working on my own stuff. I'm thinking of putting the boat up for sale in the Spring and I have a lot of work to do. If your not looking for anything fancy, I could rough out a set and you could do the finish work and assembly. They'll work great but just won't be much on looks. Hot Rod would be another option for a set of good boards. Also, when I get a little time, I'll put together a sketch of the boards with dimensions so other people on the site can build some if they want to. Take care. John
GOTCHA
01-23-2003, 07:00 PM
Thanks John, I really have a nice set of boards was just kidding, maybe you could donate a nice set to raffle off during the Fall Muskie Classic ;) let me know, thanks mike........
muskiebob
01-26-2003, 11:58 AM
Just found this post and thought I would put in a little line or two. I started fishing the LAKE in 1929 with my Dad on the oars of a leaky 12 foot row boat rented from on of the many livery's dotting M29 from Anchorville to St Clair. I have so many memories of the LAKE I don't have room here. I have fallen out of a boat in the North Channel and believe me that is scary. I have also gone through the ice and that is scarier. But I have had great years on this body of water. I have to go now getting stuff ready for the show at Ford Field this week. Come on over and say Hi. Bob
Mr. Twister
01-26-2003, 01:47 PM
First fished Lake St. Clair with my dad and uncle when I was about 7 or 8 in a homemade boat my uncle made. He died in 1959 when I was 9 so I'm pretty close as to my age when I first fished LSC. Uncle's grandkids still have that homemade boat by the way!
Fished with dad on St. Clair River where Belle River enters every spring when perch made spawning run. I can remember double headers and 100 fish days. Another thing I remember is that I was generally a kid who liked to sleep late but on Saturdays when going fishing, I was always laying awake in bed,waiting for alarm clock to ring in parent's bedroom at 4:30 A.M.
vBulletin® v3.8.4, Copyright ©2000-2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.