Airport Bay

[hardwatersteve]

How do you get access to the bay now? Can you still park by the yaht club by the wishing well and walk along the fence? I know there were a few parking spots by the yaht club enterance or you could park in the neighborhood and walk. Any onfo would be greatly appreciated, Thanks

Steve
AKA Tater

[Gary Dinero]

i haven't tried for a couple years now. used to park at wonder well, then they started writing tickets. sure wish i knew someone around hickory. good luck.

[soggybtmboys]

The bay has ice, but the canal is still mostly open and unsafe at the yacht club. Extremely limited parking, if you park in the neighborhood, I have heard thru the grapvine the police may be issuing tickets. Guess there were a couple of problem folks last year. Only safe access right now is Hickory Island or by boat. If you go to Hickory...better know someone....or you ain't gettin on.

[mike the pike]

Dont act like a ash hole and leave your garbage all over the place by the yacht club entrance...a word of advice , the older fella who lives the same side of the canal is very friendly with the police and has em on speed dial. He'll watch you with binoc's tresspass his property, litter, disturb his piece of heaven, etc ---now you wonder why the police write so many tickets on fantasy island??? There is parking limited parking for maybe 7-8 vehicles if we all cooperate, but when you park all cattywhompass and now there is only 4 spots , the rest of us are out for a walk. Just be courteous is all , because one day they might just take out the access.

[mapember]

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Mike and I just moved back to Michigan after spending the last 13 years in the military. During my last assignment in North Dakota, I got hooked on ice fishing. I am in the process of buying my own equipment, since I always fished with a friend. I have enough to start fishing. I am originally from SE Michigan, but have never been ice fishing in MI. I saw this forum while researching places to ice fish and noticed that people are ice fishing within minutes of my house. I am looking for any advice on where to fish around the island. Airport Bay and the canals seem to be the most talked about spots. Are there any good places to set up for walleye? How deep is Airport Bay and when can you start fishing it? Where is the best place for the public to access the bay?

[soggybtmboys]

Originally Posted by mapember

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Mike and I just moved back to Michigan after spending the last 13 years in the military. During my last assignment in North Dakota, I got hooked on ice fishing. I am in the process of buying my own equipment, since I always fished with a friend. I have enough to start fishing. I am originally from SE Michigan, but have never been ice fishing in MI. I saw this forum while researching places to ice fish and noticed that people are ice fishing within minutes of my house. I am looking for any advice on where to fish around the island. Airport Bay and the canals seem to be the most talked about spots. Are there any good places to set up for walleye? How deep is Airport Bay and when can you start fishing it? Where is the best place for the public to access the bay?

Hi and welcome to the site.

Airport Bay is pretty shallow, most spots are around 3.5-5 ft deep on average, a few spots I have found might get 6 ft. Look for the green weeds and set up on top of them. Alot of fellas like to move around quite a bit on that bay, I prefer to stick to my holes and on the weeds. The perch in that bay come in and out of the deep water of the main channel. When the perch seem to be absent, set up further out near the deeper water towards the mouth of the bay and wait for them to come back in....and they will. Becareful, there are a few guys (me included this year) that spear that bay for pike. Most the guys are pretty good about marking their spearing holes if they do not have a permanent out there. Not gonna drown out there, but a good soaker and long walk during a bone chiller can be pretty darn miserable. Access is very limited and be extremely polite and quiet, the canal by the yacth club is the only real access the public can get on at, everything else is private...unless you go by boat. It is a great place to fish, just remember you are guest when you go there and it would be a crying shame to loose that place. Becareful around the docks, there are bubblers in there and the canal needs some pretty good low temps to freeze well, pretty good current thru there as it cuts the island and dumps back into the channel. Good luck and have fun.

[mike the pike]

Well airport bay is 3-6 feet deep. the further you go out the deeper it is , but the current is swift towards the river. Mostly perch are taken in the bay and an maybe an occasional walleye further out towards the river, but rare. access is very limited so get there early...maybe 7-8 spots at ford yacht club and further down by the wishing well. LOOK OUT FOR NO PARKING SIGNS. they are everywhere and they produce alot of revenue for fantasy island.

[fishking93]

I was looking for some safe ice in mid michigan. Anyone doing any good out there?

[glongworth3232]

I was told by my buddy that you cant even park by the ford yatch club this year.They have that posted with no tresspassing signs now.If thats true thats gonna end that spot for a lot of people!!!!Better start looking for a buddy with a boat!!!lol

[fishindude644]

Everytime i go there i have to clean up after the slobs that just dont care. If people see you cleaning up their street and showing you care, they are more likely to not mind us there. If you see some garbage stop and pick it up. It only takes a second or two. I always clean the parking area up before and after i fish.

[bobd47fish]

The access site by the yacht club is totally closed off. Along the fence used to be a right-of-way (or whatever the legal term is) not owned by anyone. However, after last year, I think they sold it to the adjacent property owner so as to stop access for ice fishermen. There is a fence there now with postings, as well as a boat parked where vehicles used to park adjacent to the fence that borders the yacht club. There is plenty of ice on the Bay, unfortunately, if you don't know some one you aren't getting on the Bay. Noisy, piggish fishermen wrecked it for all of us. I only know 4 people with access rights now, and they all have relatives that live on the island. Sad, a few jerks wrecked it for all.

[Willie Tippit]

Originally Posted by fishindude644

Everytime i go there i have to clean up after the slobs that just dont care. If people see you cleaning up their street and showing you care, they are more likely to not mind us there. If you see some garbage stop and pick it up. It only takes a second or two. I always clean the parking area up before and after i fish.

Dude a showing like that goes a long way....Funny i take more off the ice anywhere i go than i bring on the ice...I havnt been down there in a long time,It used to be some awsome fishing there and easy access...To much trouble in my books...G/L mark

[litg8r]

Sounds like it's turning into a spot accessible only by residents, boats or AIRBOATS- OH YEAH BABY!! .. c ya soon on AP bay! Ted, no need to pick up garbage at Ford Yacht Club any longer.

[soggybtmboys]

Ok, just comfirmed it was driving me a lil nuts, its true. A fence has been thrown up, a boat is parked across the former parking spaces and there are signs posted on the side of the road. Public Access at Ford Yacth club is all done, better have a boat or know a resident who is nice enough to let you on off of their property....other than that, Airport Bay is done if you don't have the means.

Thanx to those who have messed it up for everyone, I have been fishing there since I was a kid. Good thing I have a buddy on the canal, I feel real bad for everyone else not as fortunate.

Ice on the canal is not ready to go yet, bout another week.

[mike the pike]

Yet another place with access denied to ice fishing because of the image of outdoorsman that we portray. Maybe this should be a wake up call to change our ways in '09....just something to think about.