GLF

A dredging project will close the Clinton River Cut-Off boating access site in Macomb County for an estimated two weeks, Department of Natural Resources officials announced today. Reduced precipitation and unusual lake currents have deposited about three to four feet of muck that extends about 40 feet offshore. These conditions make it impossible to launch a watercraft and the site has been closed for nearly a month. Dredging will remove the muck and restore access at this site, which offers 130 parking spaces. While the site is closed, boaters are urged to use access sites in other locations, including the Selfridge, Harley Ensign, the Brandenburg Memorial Park and Metro Beach. For more detailed information about each of these access sites and others on Lake St. Clair, please visit the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr.

A significant number of muskellunge, the second largest game fish in Michigan, have been observed dead over the last month in Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers, according to Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologists. The die-off is being monitored by the DNR and volunteer groups in the area. "Any time a significant number of fish die, we are concerned for the resource and monitor the situation closely to determine the factors behind it," said Gary Towns, DNR Lake Erie Management Unit supervisor. "We feel the current situation has likely been caused by a combination of factors which have impacted the muskies in the area." Towns said the DNR has essentially ruled out pollution as a factor. He said species such as walleyes, emerald shiners and other minnows, which are more sensitive to pollution, do not seem to have been affected. Anglers are currently catching lots of walleye, bass and other species which appear to be very healthy, Towns added. DNR fisheries officials feel the die-off of muskellunge could have been caused by several factors including a combination of spawning stress, a warmer winter which may have set the stage for a higher incidence of disease, and recent rapid warming of water over the past several weeks. It is unknown if the bacterial disease first detected in Lake St. Clair muskellunge in 2002, known as musky pox (Piscirickettsia sp.), is involved. Fish with visible signs of musky pox have red rashes and sunken eyes. Towns said the muskies that are being found in Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River appear to have died about a month ago and were likely on the bottom of the lake and river system. As they have been decomposing, they have floated to the surface of the water, he said. Due to the decomposition, DNR pathologists cannot test the fish for musky pox or other diseases. Only live fish or fish that have been dead for less than a few hours can be tested for bacterial or viral diseases, Towns said. The rapid warming of the water in the St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair area could be a major factor, Towns said. Normally in late April, the water temperatures are in the mid-40s. Towns said that presently the water temperatures are in the low to mid-50s, and some anglers have reported water temperatures in isolated bays in the 60 degree range. Rapid water temperature changes can put a lot of stress on fish, he said. In terms of musky pox, Towns said while many muskies may be infected with it, the disease is usually only fatal to a few fish. Musky pox could cause the death of some fish when the fish are under stress, for example during the spring when water temperatures can warm rapidly. The DNR has contacted Canadian fisheries officials to monitor their side of Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River as well, and they have reported some dead muskellunge, too. While a musky die-off was observed in the spring of 2003, very few dead muskies were reported in 2004 and 2005. "We want area anglers to know that we are aware of the problem and we appreciate their reports of dead muskies in the waters of the St. Clair River, the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair," Towns said. "We are actively monitoring the situation to determine the extent of the die-off, however; we feel at this time it is a combination of weather, spawning stress and perhaps some disease factors which have affected the fish."

I did not have anything to drink and it has me confused

Welcome to the site John. Thanks for taking the time and doing a proper introduction. Take a minute to fill out your profile. Give me a shout if you need anything. Mike

The oil companies are making a killing, but opec is dragging us through the coals

How big do the waves have to be before you decide not to take a charter out?

2 man Limit of ....walleye...correct? Thanks for the report!

We look foreward to seeing your report

Some ports are better than other ports at certain times of the year. What are the 3 best months to fish the port you normally fish? What port are you fishing? What are you catching during those months? ie...kings, coho, steelhead, browns, lake trout.

Some ports are better than other ports at certain times of the year. What are the 3 best months to fish the port you normally fish? What port are you fishing? What are you catching during those months? ie...kings, coho, steelhead, browns, lake trout.

Some ports are better than other ports at certain times of the year. What are the 3 best months to fish the port you normally fish? What port are you fishing? What are you catching during those months? ie...kings, coho, steelhead, browns, lake trout.

Some ports are better than other ports at certain times of the year. What are the 3 best months to fish the port you normally fish? What port are you fishing? What are you catching during those months? ie...kings, coho, steelhead, browns, lake trout.

Some ports are better than other ports at certain times of the year. What are the 3 best months to fish the port you normally fish? What port are you fishing? What are you catching during those months? ie...kings, coho, steelhead, browns, lake trout.

I have considered buying a horse and riding it to work. I am not sure what work would say about the horse droppings

Very nice Dan!

Years of fishing bass tournaments has taught me a lot. Some of what I learned I apply to salmon fishing. One of the first things I did when I purchased a new body bait was tune it. Why tune a new lure? Lures are mass produced. When quality checking lures, the lure manufacturers check tolerances. If it meets the tolerance, it is shipped. They do not test each lure to see if it runs true. Some of the body baits you salmon fish with may need to be tuned. Some examples of lures that may need to be tuned are, Rapalas, Thin Fins, Hot-n-Tots, Rattle Traps, or any other body baits used for trolling. What is tuning? Tuning are adjustments made to the point of line connection on a fishing lure to get the lure to dive properly, run true, or swim in a straight line without running to the surface. A properly tuned lure will: Run straight in the water. Reach optimum working depth specified by the manufacture. Not twist the line. Permit trolling of several lures without tangling in each other's line. Allows the lure to achieve/maintain manufacturer's intended action. Basic Rules of Tuning: DO NOT "shave" the side of a plastic-lipped lure in order to tune it. Shaving is always permanent and should only be used to create an unusual action. DO NOT "Bend" the metal lip/bill on a metal-lipped as this will permanently destroy/ruin the lure. Bending the lip frequently causes water to leak inside the lure body cavity, making it uses. DO NOT "over-tune" by excessive bending of the front eyelet which is embedded in the lip. This will cause the eyelet to become "loose", resulting in a lure that is untunable and possibly causing it to become a leaker. Tuning Instructions You will need a set of needle nose pliers for tuning. To tune almost every lure, you must slightly bend the line-tie eyelet toward the lure side which is lowest in the water. In other words, bend the eyelet in the opposite direction of the way that the lure is going. If the lure runs to your left as you reel it in,or pulled beside the boat, you must tune by slightly bending the front eyelet to the right, and vice versa. It is better to under tune and readjust, then to over tune and risk loosening up the eyelet too much and ruining the lure. I did not have a pair of pliers sitting around when I took the photo's and used a pair of wire strippers Lures with eyelet embedded in the lip(i.e. any lure that has the eyelet in the bill) If the lure runs to the right when moving toward you, take your needle-nose pliers and, facing the lure, place the one prong of the pliers on the left side of the lip and the other prong on the line-tie eyelet. Squeeze the handles together very slightly, bending the eyelet slightly and evenly toward the side of the lip. Cast the lure, or put it beside the boat the boat to test the action. Continue tuning until lure runs true. If the lure runs to the right, reverse the instructions. Lures with metal lip and connection link(i.e. Hot-n-tot) The proper way to tune is to bend the connection link at the mid-joint where the clasp is located. this can be done with your bare hands and does not usually require needle-nose pliers. If the lure is swimming to the right, place the end of your thumb on the clasp, and your index finger on top of the connection link. Bend the top of the connection link slightly to the left. Cast the lure, or put it beside the boat and check its action. Continue tuning until the lure runs true. If the lure swims to the left, bend the top of the link to the right. Remember, never bend or twist the lip itself. This will cause permanent damage to the lure which cannot be fixed. Lures with the eyelet on the nose(i.e. Rapala, Thin Fin) If the lure runs to the left when moving toward you, take your needle-nose pliers and, facing the lure, grasp the front line-tie eyelet. Plier handles should be down with the prongs up on both sides of the line-tie eyelet. Very carefully, bend the eyelet slightly to the right. Cast the lure or put it in the water beside the boat to test the action. Continue tuning until the lure runs true. If the lure runs right, reverse instructions. Mike Heckman(GLF) www.greatlakesfisherman.com

Nice bird Rich. My season is almost over and I have only made it out for an hour

How many years do you think, before they make it into the Great Lakes? They are knocking on the door now

Welcome to the site and thanks for taking the time and doing an introduction. Please take a minute to fill out your profile also We look foreward to seeing you around. Mike

I will add to Shades post. If you have your dipsey on a 2 or 3 setting, it will not get as deep as it would on a 1 setting.

Columbia, SC -Shakespeare Fishing Tackle, a leading manufacturer of fishing rods, reels, kits and monofilament announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of XTOOLS, LLC. XTOOLS is a leading supplier of innovative fishing tools that float. Scott Hogsett, the President of Shakespeare, said "The acquisition of XTOOLS gives us a foothold in the fishing accessories market. One of the best things about this acquisition is that we can sell XTOOLS products to our traditional sporting goods retailers plus the broad base of marine dealers that carry our Shakespeare antennas." Shakespeare will begin shipping XTOOLS immediately from their existing distribution center in Columbia, South Carolina. XTOOLS' unique products and packaging are designed in cooperation with ROBRADY DESIGN of Sarasota, Florida. "We are pleased to be partnering with an industry leader like Shakespeare and we look forward to designing more innovative products for America's fishing enthusiasts," commented Rob Brady, Design Director at ROBRADY. XTOOLS complements Shakespeare's assortment of quality branded fishing products and will provide a base from which the fishing tackle accessory business can grow. Shakespeare also owns the Pflueger brand, known for high quality fishing reels, and the All Star brand, recognized for premium graphite fishing rods. Shakespeare Fishing Tackle is a division of K2 Inc., a premier, branded consumer products company for Marine and Outdoor, Fishing, Team Sports and Action Sports enthusiasts.

I would continue the troll if you had a fish on. If you hook one fish, there is a good chance that there are more in the area. If you stop the boat, you are missing opportunities. I would also fish with more lines in the water. I am not saying you need to have a dozen lines in the water, but I would run a minimum of 6. What it all boils down to is what you feel comfortable with. A nice spread for a small boat would be 2 riggers, 2 dipsey's(Wire, superline, or mono), and 2 lead core on inline planers. The depth you are targeting will determine what line's and core you need to be running. On the riggers, I would add stackers around 10' above the ball. This would give you 2 baits on each rigger rod. More lines in the water will improve your odds of success. You can run 12 rods off a 17' boat if it is set up correctly and not worry about tangles. I am not familiar with salmon in Lake Superior or the forage base. If there are 20lb fish in the rivers, then you would think there are bigger fish than your average size in the lake. Mike

There are a lot of new members, and the rules are not being followed. The rules are in place for a reason. Please make sure you read the Site Rules. Site Rules Thank you

Very informative post Butch. Thank you.

Thanks for the follow up!