Higgins lake report

[Marq]

Just got back from higgins.We
got 300-400 smelt last night.Glow tear drops 30-40ft down.DO NOT DRIVE OFF OF THE NORTH END BOAT LAUNCH trucks were getting stuck last night,ice conditions at shore are vary bad. Hay slammer, yes, on for next weekend when are you leaving from down there. Will meet you at bridgeport and follow you up there. there was a girl struck by a truck last night.If any one knows her condition let me please. We hope she will be o.k. MARQ. (P.S) thanks too the gentelman that let us use his auger, when the pull cord let go on mine. Hope shes O.K. OUT

[beer and nuts]

Report and clarification on the girl NOT being hit by a truck

Was out Sat. night and let me tell you I have never seen sooooooo many people at smeltville. I've seen the busiest 4rth of July days and that was nowhere near half the voulume of people and cars and trucks. WOW, it was pretty amazing. We did OK on the smelt catching but I did mostly to get bait for Sunday. I and a friend were the ones to call 911 on the girl that got run over by an ATV than was on a trailer already without the pin in the trailer and she stepped on the back causing the ATV to run over her and knock her to the ground. At the time it looked serious with a possible broken leg and a head wound but I think it might not have been that bad, but I know nothing on what her injuries really were. We actually told dispatch what really happened and by the time the sherriff dep. ran out, the story was an ATV struck her and the deputy was looking for a hit and run!?!? Than on Sunday afternoon as we were done fishing, we were talking to a guy and he mentioned the girl that got hit by the truck, funny what the story turned into less than 24 hours!

Sunday morning, two nice lakers 21 and 19 inches on tipups lost another nice one jigging with numerous hits and caught a 12 inch cisco as well. I know why people hide their caught fish and fib to others, we had one guy come up to us and ask how we are doing as our two lakers were on the ice, 1/2 hour later he came back with three other parties and setup about 50 yards from us and a spread of rods

How nice was it on Sunday out there in 53 degree sunshine and no wind, can't get any better than that!!!

[salmonslammer]

Sounds like you guys smoked em pretty good

Were you on the N or W side of the lake??

I read that there was some sort of accident up there last night..Hope she will be OK.. Someone will have some details soon, I'm sure.

I'll shoot you a PM later in the week....I may be in either cadillac or Mt. P on friday night and leaving from there...Kinda up in the air yet..


Have fun cleaning the little buggers....Snip 1, slice 2...

[sideshow]

Where about were you jigging for the lakers at.. or what water depth? I couldnt seem to get a thing on tip ups last time I was there but got a few jigging tubes in 100 fow. But will be heading up tuesday possibly for the last time this year.. any help would be appreciated!

Sideshow

[Marq]

Sorry I was tired,We were on the west shore Slammer.Cool on the timing.Have to get the auger fixed tomarrow the starting cord came out. Talk too you later M.

[Rat-Man]

Was talking to the DNR out on the North end of Higgins lake on Saturday afternoon. He said there were a lot of people out at smeltville, and they were geting a lot of smelt, he also said that the numbers of smelt are being deminished and that it looks like a limit should be put on smelt. DO YOU AGREE!

Remember the Golden Rule: ( Limit your kill - Dont kill your limit )

Pratice catch and release

[Marq]

Isnt that interisting! They rose a fuss when the smelt were introduced. Now they want too put a limit on them.(has me wondering) out. Marq.

[arcotraz]

went up to smeltville feb27 thru mar 1 with duckslayer and others had a ball but the fishing was bad will not put up #s thats how bad it was by the way marq was that 300 smelt you caught or 300 people you meet lol was not my weekend for smelt

[beer and nuts]

Was it a CO or a DNR fisheries person? First time hearing this thought. Considering smeltville is one of a million places you can catch smelt on Higgins(only reason is the access there and short distance to walk). Now granted there is a huge collection of smelt at the west access but that lake is filled with smelt and I see no way is Higgins being overfished of smelt. Smelt are cycle fish meaning they will see a crash in the population sometime soon, maybe not a drastic crash but numbers will go down, all part of nature. About 15 years ago(plus minus some years) rarely were people in this great of numbers fishing for smelt they were few and far between, I remember Redman(guys that owned a bait store on the north end) would sell the smelt and would have to go over to Green or Crystal Lake to fish for them and bring them back cause Higgins had populations unfishable. Fishing for smelt on Higgins back then a great night was 20 and most guys hoped for 5 or 6 just enough for laker bait, most guys caught zip. These are good times for smelt right now, maybe its peak, it won't last.

[garyrodbender]

If the smelt go in a cycling- down mode (low #`s), I would think we could get into some SWEET trout fishing do to the lack of food... And that would not hurt my feelings one bit.

[beer and nuts]

Garyrodbender, that is the upside to the smelt population going down. Plus I think the perch population would fair better as well.

[Rat-Man]

It was a CO, and the people that own homes around the lake are really talking up a storm to the people in Lansing about the number of people that park on the roads, and the amount of trash that is left behind by people, plus the fact that they fish all night and the profane language that is used. I guess they have found the goby and zebra mussel in the lake and they beleive that its just a matter of time before there insn't enough food for the smelt and then goes the trickle down effect, or should I say the trickle up effect. I guess it is starting to get just like it used to be on the AuSable back in the days of legal salmon snagging.

[beer and nuts]

All things considering, I'm not sure if this is not being blown up a tad for some sort of agenda by somebody. Reason being "people that own homes around the lake" besides the maybe 3-4 next to the smeltville are uneffective by noise and swearing, let alone a good portion of houses/cabins are seasonal. Trash on the lake is in its first year of trying to curb that, and people have to understand that with that many people in one location, there is bound to be trash left, blown away, dropped by accident, and of course some left on purpose. No different than summer when trash flies out of speeding boats, kids drop trash over the side, etc...etc...maybe we should look at outlawing boats that go faster than 15 mph and no kids on the lake!

The media jumped on the story about Lyon twp fire dept picking up a truck load of trash last year and they have not let it go. The trash problem is being dealt with, and its up to the people that use the lake from here. The parking problem is an issue but at smeltville it has min. effect on residences, as most parking is in the two lots and then on Old 27 or the lake. There is only one road end there and it might effect one resident. The road end issue around the lake is a bigger problem for summer and will be a issue for many years, its just now caring over to winter.

Warning for all shanties at smeltville, word is the CO's will be issueing alot of tickets in the next week or so and targeting shanties that do not have the proper name address labeling on them.

[Marq]

We ended up with 329 smelt.The only problem with putting a limit on smelt is that it will have too cover the whole state ,not just one lake. Then everyone suffers!! Besides smelt are not native too the great lakes. I though the DNR wanted too get rid of forin invadaers.oh well there are other lakes that have smelt in them. time too find them and go fishing. Later. Marq. (a.k.a Flatrock).

[beer and nuts]

Just an update on that girl, she did break her leg.