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Walleye In The Weeds
April 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment
When anglers head to the weeds to catch fish, they usually pursue bass or pan fish. Bass anglers enjoy hanging out around the edge of weed beds casting for large bass. This holds true for guys who enjoy fishing for pan fish. Bluegills love hanging out in the weeds because the weeds protect them from larger fish.Â
One of the last places most walleye anglers go to catch fish is the weeds. However, according to Ernie Miller of Last Cast Charters in Muskegon, weeds are the perfect place to prowl if anglers want to catch a few walleyes.
           “Walleyes like to hang out in the weeds like other fish. There are always large numbers of bait fish in the weeds, which can provide walleyes with an easy meal,†Miller said. According to Miller, fishing in and around weed beds can provide anglers with good walleye fishing opportunities, regardless of the time of day. However, Miller changes his techniques as the day progresses.
           Early in the morning, Miller enjoys fishing the edge of the weeds on a flat or drop off, near a large weed bed. Just before and after the sun rises, many walleyes will be a few feet from the bottom, patrolling the edge of the weeds looking for a meal.Â
 Miller uses crank baits and fishes off the bottom early in the morning. During the early hours of morning, walleyes are still aggressively feeding and Miller typically covers lots of water if he doesn’t start catching fish in a short period of time. If fish are on a weed bed edge feeding, Miller says it shouldn’t take long to begin catching fish.
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      Once the sun rises, the tactics change slightly. “As the sun rays begin to penetrate the water during the mid-morning, I use a crawler harness on the bottom of a flat or drop off near a weed bed. I fish on the bottom because often the walleyes near the weed edge sit on the bottom outside the weeds to avoid the sun,†Miller added.
 These walleyes often sit on the bottom for hours and in order to put one in the boat, Miller says the harness must be on the bottom. “At this point, many of these walleyes are shutting down and not feeding as heavily. They will still feed, but it needs to be an easy meal which is why I put the bait right in front of them,†Miller said.
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       In the mid-morning and early afternoon, Miller likes to head to the shallows to fish for walleyes in the thick weed beds. “I like to find a weed bed in the shallows where the weeds come all the way up to the surface and troll over these areas with planer boards. Very few fishermen use this tactic for walleyes because fishing in the weeds can be a pain, but I have found that walleyes are often suspended in the weed beds a few feet from the bottom looking for bait fish swimming above them,†Miller explained. Walleyes hang out in the weeds during early afternoon to get out of the sun, feed, and to obtain cover and protection.
 When trolling with planer boards along the tops of weed beds, Miller prefers using crawler harnesses and trolls at about one mile an hour. After a few passes over one weed bed without a hit, he heads to a different weed bed.
           During the afternoon, walleyes don’t move far from the structures and weed beds they feed in during the night. Miller likes to check out weed beds that are extremely close to deep water or other structures. “At night, walleyes like to use the weeds and other structures as an ambush point. They patrol the edge of the weeds in the deep water or the structures that are near the weeds looking for bait fish. Many of them won’t travel far from these areas during the day,†Miller explained.
 When fishing the structures and deep water near weed beds in the afternoon, Miller likes using spoons and a Jason Mitchell Rod. Jason Mitchell Rods are relatively new to the fishing industry. Many of the rods are designed for specific fishing applications. “The Jason Mitchell Rods are extremely fast, so I can get good momentum and a lift of a spoon with a quick snap of the wrist. They are extremely sensitive,†Miller commented.
           During the day, another tactic Miller uses is casting a jig equipped with a slip bobber into holes in the weeds. “I often find holes in the thick weeds and go from hole to hole casting a jig. Walleyes will congregate near these holes because they can see into the open pocket of water and ambush bait fish that swim into the opening.â€Â A new bobber that Miller likes for this style of fishing is called the EZ bobber. It is made in Michigan and simply snaps onto your line. Water can be added to the body of the bobber to increase the weight of the bobber, which helps if you need to cast great distances.Â
Miller does this when fishing holes in the weeds. “When fishing in the open areas in the weeds, it is important to stay as far away from the opening as you possibly can so you don’t spook fish that are sitting on the edge of the hole,†Miller said.
           Walleyes can be lethargic during the day. Many anglers will tell you their favorite time to fish walleyes is at night. After the sun goes down, walleyes become aggressive feeders. Many of the walleye that hang out in the deep water during the day will head to the weeds during the night and feed for hours on the abundant bait fish that can be found there. “Trolling the edge of weed beds at night can produce a lot of fish for anglers. I suggest anglers who are learning how to troll for walleyes at night troll near a weed bed they are familiar with. As I mentioned earlier, weeds hold some walleyes all day long. Many walleyes will migrate to the weeds at night so anglers trolling the edge of the weeds at night will have an opportunity to catch the migrating fish and walleyes that spend their time there in the daylight hours,†Miller noted. Walleyes are always hanging out near structures including wood pilings and weeds.Â
If someone is just learning how to fish for walleyes, they should start in the weeds because they will learn how to fish structures without losing as many lures as they would if they were fishing other structures like wood pilings. Fishing weeds can be frustrating because anglers are always pulling weeds off their line and lures, but at least they still have them.
           Most anglers who enjoy fishing take a fishing trip or two each summer. Sometimes we head to a lake that we know as well as we know an old friend. Other times we explore new waters. When exploring a new lake, Miller always heads to the weeds.  “If I am fishing a lake that I have never been to, I ask the guy at the bait store where the weeds are on the lake. Most of the time, bait shop owners or other anglers will tell me where the weed beds are.
 Once I have an idea of where they are, I head to the woods as soon as I am on the water. Regardless if it is first thing in the morning or after dark, I know that walleyes will be in or near the weeds. Weeds are a great place to start. It doesn’t mean I will stay there all day. Often I put a few fish in the boat right away because I stopped to troll the edge of a weed bed,†Miller explained.
           Miller believes fishing the weeds for walleyes is a great way to catch fish and is a strategy many walleye anglers overlook. Fishing open water and near large structures is often the preferred method of most walleye anglers. However, Miller believes the weeds are a great place to fish because they consistently produce fish. “I have found that walleyes of all sizes tend to hang out in or near the weeds at some point during their daily routine. Hanging out near the weeds has allowed me to put more walleyes in the freezer which makes my clients and I happy,†Miller said.
             As you head to the water this summer in search of walleyes, don’t forget to head to the weeds. You may be cleaning your line off more than you’re used to, but you might also be cleaning more fish.                                    Â
Fishing River Run Salmon
April 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment
One of my favorite things to do is fishing for Salmon in the rivers.. Standing within 40 feet of a groups of 10 to 20 pound fish that are in one foot of water of less is a beautiful thing. For anyone who hasn’t experienced it for them self, I’m always inspired by it. Many people say these fish don’t bite once they get into the rivers. There is some truth to that. They aren’t as aggressive as when they are suspended out in the great lakes. They don’t feed as often but they do feed. They will also strike for other reasons. The will strike out of aggression, dominance, frustration and to protect their young.Â
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There are three things to consider that will help in getting river run fish to hit. The first thing is try not to spook the fish. The second thing is how you present your bait . The third is the size of your lure or bait. Being prepared with small less conspicuous baits and larger flashy baits is always best.
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Visually these fish are very sharp. If you can see them they can see you. These fish are typically spooky and for good reason . Most of these fish have seen and had to deal with people several times before they have had the opportunity to start spawning. The odds are they have tried to start their spawning process more than once and have been scared off by over eager fisherman before they ended up in front of you.
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 The fish quickly learn to associate people as a threat. When determining how close to get you need to keep in mind that It’s import to have good control over where your casts land in the water. You don’t want to be casting so hard to get your bait to the fish that you have to cast three times to get one in the zone. The odds are that if you can’t control you casts a few of your casts will land on or near the fish. It doesn’t take many times where your sinkers or lure lands to close to the fish and they become spooked.
The end result is they move on or won’t stay in one place long enough to concentrate on them.. What your wearing can make a difference on how close you can get to the fish. Try to dress in neutral or dark colors that don’t completely contrast with the background of the river bank. If you can stay close to the bank or structure on the bank.
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Presenting your baits is as important as anything. The main thing is what ever your fishing with, you don’t want it to enter the water near the fish. There are several presentations to key in on that can help with this. One is using bobbers with spawn. This is an effective technique when fish are in holes or deeper runs. This works well for several reasons. Your hook is up off the bottom which in the rivers usually has rocks, leaves or wood tight to bottom. If your fishing on bottom all that stuff can interfere with your presentation as it drifts through the fish.
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Let alone it can be very frustrating if you getting snagged and losing hooks and having to tie on new hardware several times at every stop. You don’t need to be at the same depth as the fish. If anything you can be 12 inches to 24 inches above them and still be in the strike zone. With this presentation it’s a good idea to use a barrel swivel below your bobber. Tie on to that using about a two foot leader. If your main line is 10 pound test use a leader of 8 pound. If your Main line is 8 pound use a 6 pound leader. If you do get caught on structure you can usually limit your loss to a hook and some leader line. Keep in mind you want to cast above the whole keeping the entry of your bait well away from the fish.
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Now set the length between your hook and your bobber about 2 feet longer than the hole is deep. Start off by using less weight than what you think you need. You don’t want your bait to sink straight down. Ideally what you want is by the time your bait has drifter down to the hole where the fish are your bait has worked it’s way down toward the bottom. Because your bait is sinking as it’s drifting with the current your line will be at an angle. Furthest down stream is your bait. This will be what the fish will see first which is exactly what you want. If your not quite sure if your down to where the fish are and decide to add weight let your bobber tell you when you have added enough.
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 If you bobber begins to hesitate as it’s drifting you catching bottom and that’s not what you want. This presentation usually works best with a 2 inch ball of Skein Spawn. The large ball of skein well above the fish is a large target the fish will key on.
The easiest way I’ve found to keep the skein on is to use a snelled hook. Slip the knot down the hook about ¼ inch and pinch the knot to the hook to keep it from moving. With your other hand push your leader line from in front of the eye of the hook back through the eye. This will make a loop behind the eye of the hook. Push it until you have a large loop. Slip the skein inside the loop so it’s centered and pull until the skein is attached. To finish it off I usually make sure the point of my hook is turned into the skein so it’s not showing.
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While fishing for fish on beds I usually use a 7or 8 weight fly rod with a sinking tip or a spinning rod with split shot and a small wet fly. I find the sink tip with a small minnow imitator 18 inches behind a #12 single egg pattern is very effective. I usually try to target the fish that are hanging near the back of the bed first. What your trying to do is get your sinking line to pull the fly through the fish in a down stream direction. This represents a minnow chasing a single egg as it drifts down stream. This triggers the fish to feed for two reasons.
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 The first reason is they don’t like fish feeding on the eggs. The second reason is male dominance. There is a natural pecking order established in every group of fish especially when they are on beds. The smaller fish always get picked on and pushed around by a bigger fish in the area. Sometimes it takes fishing flies up to six inches long to trigger this response. When the fly lands you want it upstream and on the opposite side of the as you are. The sinking tip should land down stream from the fish. You want the current to pull your sinking tip which will drag your fly though the fish. You want this to happen without the sinking tip going through the fish if at all possible.
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It takes some practice. By the time you get the placement of your cast correct you may have spooked some fish. This is another reason I target the fish toward the back first. If some of the fish do get spooked with little adjustment you can cast a little further upstream and fish the front of the beds. Your now targeting fish that haven’t been startled by your previous casts.
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When fishing with a spinning rod and flies it’s a bit easier. I tie a barrel swivel on with a 5 to 6 foot leader to a fly or a spawn sack. When I tie on the barrel swivel I leave a tag end of about 4 inches. I use the tag end for split shot. If your split shot gets hung up in the rocks you can do a quick snap and the split shot will slide off. For someone who is buying their flies this can save them allot of money. Another advantage is It’s easier to put on a split shot than a whole new leader, especially when it’s cold outside. When deciding where you need to be when casting you should stand up stream from the fish. Cast well past the fish and up stream.
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 This keeps the noise from the bait entering the water away from the fish. As soon as it hits the water start reeling your line in. As your reeling in, your line will fade back toward the fish because of the current .You want to reel it in so your sinker ends up about 10 feet upstream from the fish. By this time your bait is down stream form your sinkers. This is where the long leader comes in. At this point allow your bait to drift down and through the fish. The fish see your bait well before they see your sinkers.
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 I try to use either small eggs of neutral colored flies when trying to get the fish to feed out of hunger. I will spend a good amount of time on a group of fish before giving up. I believe by drifting baits that aren’t bold or flashy a person is less likely to spook the fish. If you can keep the fish together in one location some of the fish will bite.
Muskegon Bait Shops
April 12, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Below is a list of what we have left in Muskegon for bait shops. There there are very few left . If you need more information  about where to get fishing supplies in the muskegon area just comment on the post. I would be happy to help if I can.Â
Shoreline Service
2080 Lakeshore Dr
Muskegon, MI 49441
(231) 759-7254
Snug Habor Motel Bait and Tackle
‎3492 Memorial Dr, Muskegon –
(231) 744-3440
Muskegon River Fishing Report
April 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Steehead fishing is hot and heavy. This week end is the annual Muskegon Anglers Association’s steelhead tournament.Depending on how much rain we get over the next couple of days it could be a great event. Ever wonder why fly fisherman use big streamers with tons of flash? Check this Brown Trout out.
It was floating on the surface of the Muskegon River because it couldn’t  handle the meal. Talk about your eyes being bigger than your stomach .
This is why big streamers work so well
Muskegon River Fishing Guide
April 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The Muskegon River is a large River. Connected to Lake Michigan it has it’s first of several Dams just up stream from Newaygo. Starting in early October the Steelhead begin to enter the river feeding on Salmon flesh and Salmon spawn. Through out the winter the Steelhead fishing is good to excellent.
The biggest issue with winter Steelhead fishing is the river. It’s hard to predict if the river will be open enough to fish. However the fish are there and often have been in the river with little to know pressure. T be honest November and December fishing offer some of the most aggressive strikes out of the season and the weather can still be pleasant.
- Sherri’s first steelhead
March and April bring the onset of the next group of new fish. This is the time when many techniques work for catching fish and the fish are generally the most plentiful through all stretches of River below Croton Dam. I would say the fish are the most aggressive when striking this time of year but they are definitely feeding.
We offer Steelhead fishing trips on the Muskegon River starting in October all the way through April . We have experienced catering to many levels of fisherman. We love to teach others and fishing tips not only for the Muskegon River but for Michigan waters as a whole. If you’re a hard core fisherman or just want to enjoy sitting back and catching a few Steelhead consider us for your next fishing charter on the Muskegon River.
Detroit River Walleye Charters
April 1, 2009 By 2 Comments
Most lake Erie walleye fishing charters offer little more than keeper size fish . The most common tail is one keeper after another but very little fight. Trolling and catching keeper size walleyes isn’t much fun if your dragging your fish at 2 miles an hour.
More times than not the tackle consists of down rigger rods with little to know feel.Detroit River walleye trips are another story. I don’t remember the last time I caught fish that were barely legal. Most of the fish are in the three to five pound range.
April fishing in the Detroit River offers the best chance at larger Walleyes. It’s not uncommon to pull the 10 to 13 pound fish. Their in there and other than fishing down near Ohio this is one of the best chances fisherman have at targeting the larger fish in the Lake Erie system .
If your looking for great fishing in Michigan in April I wouldn’t hesitate to check out the Detroit River. The walleyes are plentiful . If you’re just trying to get started on the Detroit River.Don’t hesitate to leave a question if you have one. Were happy to help others catch fish .
Michigan fishing in April.
March 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Walleye’s are starting to show up in the Trenton Channel as of 3/20/09. The Detroit river is about to bust wide open like every year as far back as I can remember. If you’re looking for some fishing to do in April the Detroit River is a good place to check out. MDNR has estimated in years around 10 to 15 million walleye migrate up the river every spring.
If your looking for a place to fish on your own or trying to book a fishing charter in April the Detroit River is a good bet for getting into fish. Vertical Jigging is very popular method for catching walley’s in the Detroit River but trolling is a good thing to be prepared for as well.
The early in April you fish the better chance you have at catching a wall mounter. Most of the smaller males are caught during the last part of April and the first part of May. Trenton Channel near Elizabeth Park down to Metro Park at the mouth of the river is a good place to start for beginners. Bring lots of jigs as this area is full of snags. Staying vertical is the key to success.
Muskegon lake night walleye
March 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The Muskegon River is full of spawning Walleye’s. Rolling all over int he upper stretches near Croton Dam down to Newaygo. The pot spawn walleye are begining to show up in the Muskegon channel ane the White lake channels. We are running fishing trips for night walleye . Even though Walleye doesn’t open up until the last Saturday in April we can still fish lake Michigan.
Night Walleye fishing trips out of Muskegon and Whitehall are very productive. The larger Walleyes show up first usually by the second week of April we start to see the smaller males in the 2 to 4 pound range. If your looking to for a walleye spring walleye trip this is one to check out.
Grand River Michigan Steelhead Fishing
March 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Steelhead fishing on the Grand River just below 6th street dam was great all lastt week up until Friday 3/27/09. Most of the fish that were at the dam push up through the fish ladder. We did see a few small Steelhead caught but most of the fish being caught were Suckers and Walleye.
Guys sucker fishing at the Johnson Park Launch were hammering the fish. SOemthign to consider if your looking for a good time for your kids. There should be plenty more Steelhead to come . It’s a bitter later in the run on the Grand River but by no means is it over.
We are still booking Steelhead fishing trips for the Grand River for the next two weeks. We start our grand river steelhead fishing in November. Keep us in mind.