Author Topic: copper harbor splake (Read 10314 times)

Chris Raymond · « **Reply #30 on:** Mar 07, 2014, 07:37 AM »

Quote from: Prehnite44 on Mar 07, 2014, 06:28 AM

I'm thinking of making a trip up to the harbor tomorrow morning and would also be interested to hear any recent reports. Gratiot Lake had 39" inches of ice last weekend, and 1.5 feet of snow on top, so I don't even know if my auger will make it through there anymore.

Any luck? I usually hit Gratiot a couple of times each year but haven't touched it this year. With all the extra slush this year early on, I had no desire wasting gas on a sight seeing trip.

Prehnite44 · « **Reply #31 on:** Mar 07, 2014, 07:48 AM »

On Gratiot, one keeper and one undersized walleye. We also had a couple more missed flags. Much slower than normal, but it was negative temperatures that day which may have had an effect on slowing the bite. Earlier in the year we were catching ~10 fish per trip, about half keepers.

Chris Raymond · « **Reply #32 on:** Mar 07, 2014, 08:19 AM »

Quote from: Prehnite44 on Mar 07, 2014, 07:48 AM

On Gratiot, one keeper and one undersized walleye. We also had a couple more missed flags. Much slower than normal, but it was negative temperatures that day which may have had an effect on slowing the bite. Earlier in the year we were catching ~10 fish per trip, about half keepers.

Not bad ratios...I've seen a lot worse up there on keepers to undersized...a lot worse.

Have you heard of anybody ice fishing Bete Grise this year? I'm wondering if the ice set up enough this year that a guy could have some fun out there. Any thoughts?

Prehnite44 · « **Reply #33 on:** Mar 07, 2014, 10:13 AM »

The walleye seem to sort themselves by size to some degree in the winter at Gratiot Lake. I've found that certain spots only produce the 13" class, while others 16-20". Not monsters by any means, but edible.

I don't have any info on Bete Grise, but I would also be curious if there are any reports out there.

Prehnite44 · « **Reply #34 on:** Mar 08, 2014, 08:09 PM »

Fished the harbor this morning. Approximately 10 fish caught, 10-14" class, unfortunately. No signs of bigger fish where we were fishing from 6 ft to 24 ft depth. Others we talked to said the same thing, and there only appeared to be 4-5 groups out there in the morning. Ice was THICK! I tried drilling a hole in one place and the auger didn't make it through (~40" usable auger length). We were fishing on the south side, so I expect thinner ice on the north side of the harbor. Hopefully others had better luck.

As a side note, we were using walleye suckers, which didn't deter 10" splake from hooking themselves.

SnoHam13 · « **Reply #35 on:** Mar 08, 2014, 09:34 PM »

was up on Gratiot lake this afternoon till dark
1, 12'' eye that's all
the ice is thick but very soft with 3-4'' of water on top then 18 '' of snow
had to pull up on the strikmaster to keep it from threading threw the ice [taking a heavy cut]
we were strait out from the access about 1/2 way to the island
the fish was caught just under the ice in 25' of water

SnoHam13

63rfisher · « **Reply #36 on:** Mar 15, 2014, 11:12 AM »

Did the action pick up at all yet?

yooperdave · « **Reply #37 on:** Mar 18, 2014, 04:10 AM »

much better fishing in 20" - 26" FOW. starting to see lots of larger fish also. epic ice conditions yet. big, live suckers 2" -3" feet off of the bottom.

Prehnite44 · « **Reply #38 on:** Mar 18, 2014, 03:44 PM »

Quote from: yooperdave on Mar 18, 2014, 04:10 AM

much better fishing in 20" - 26" FOW. starting to see lots of larger fish also. epic ice conditions yet. big, live suckers 2" -3" feet off of the bottom.

How thick is the ice now?

63rfisher · « **Reply #39 on:** Mar 18, 2014, 11:23 PM »

I was there yesterday and tried four different spots. Very slow, but I did not fish as deep as Dave claims is the hot spot. Beginning to get frustrated up there. My biggest this year is 15 in. Dave at least you have the luck! Don't bother going out in front of fanny hoe. I couldn't get through out there 5 out of 6 times without an extension. Ice was doable with out an extension in three other spots further west that I tried.

Good luck to those that are not Dave.

63rfisher · « **Reply #40 on:** Mar 18, 2014, 11:24 PM »

Not saying bad luck to you Dave!! Just that you are the only one who can catch them!

yooperdave · « **Reply #41 on:** Mar 19, 2014, 05:17 AM »

you just have to be in the right spots, and arguably this time of the year when you can get on the ice there are really no bad spots. there were three kids from tech fishing a couple hundred yards away from me last weekend and they kept 8 decent fish, they must of had 20 flags in the four hours or so that I was there.

63rfisher · « **Reply #42 on:** Mar 19, 2014, 10:40 AM »

Yeah I'm sure it will only get better. I didn't really fish deeper than 15 the other day. I will def try deeper next time.

63rfisher · « **Reply #43 on:** Mar 28, 2014, 07:32 PM »

What is the report these days Dave?

yooperdave · « **Reply #44 on:** Mar 31, 2014, 04:54 AM »

32" of very solid ice sunday (30 March). fished from 7 until noon. kept 2 around 16" -17". lots of flags but smaller fish. need mouth of harbor to open up. deepest ice I have ever seen in 35 years of fishing up there. snow cover makes it tough to see good in the holes also. I was right at the handles of the ice auger before I broke through to water, will put the 12" extension of before I go the end of the week. (FYI- got the new eskimo ION electric auger and it is superb, 40V lithium battery, did 21 holes and it still had juice left, also only 22 lbs and its an 8" auger)

yooperdave · « **Reply #45 on:** Apr 10, 2014, 03:34 AM »

fished Wednesday afternoon, kept 2 around 17 in.,, still thick ice with no sign of open water anywhere

Prehnite44 · « **Reply #46 on:** Apr 10, 2014, 11:40 AM »

Quote from: yooperdave on Apr 10, 2014, 03:34 AM

fished Wednesday afternoon, kept 2 around 17 in.,, still thick ice with no sign of open water anywhere

Thanks for the update. I should be up there saturday morning to try my luck there.

yooperdave · « **Reply #47 on:** Apr 14, 2014, 05:36 AM »

very slow Saturday,,,,need harbor to start to open up so water can tart to warm up a few degrees and get some current started.

Chas257 · « **Reply #48 on:** Apr 14, 2014, 06:27 PM »

Indeed a slow Saturday. 5 hours and caught 1 14 inch Splake. Oh well.

Prehnite44 · « **Reply #49 on:** Apr 17, 2014, 08:37 AM »

Quote from: Chas257 on Apr 14, 2014, 06:27 PM

Indeed a slow Saturday. 5 hours and caught 1 14 inch Splake. Oh well.

Five hours for two of us saturday morning also. We caught three jigging, all undersized. Hopefully the fish will be moving around more as the "spring" progresses.

63rfisher · « **Reply #50 on:** Apr 25, 2014, 07:54 PM »

How is the ice up there?

yooperdave · « **Reply #51 on:** Apr 28, 2014, 09:46 AM »

fished all day sunday,, lots of small ones but it was steady,,,ice everywhere, still solid, can fish anywhere you want

Prehnite44 · « **Reply #52 on:** Apr 28, 2014, 11:54 AM »

Sounds great. I'll try to make it up there next weekend if the ice is holding up!!

yooperdave · « **Reply #53 on:** Apr 29, 2014, 06:35 AM »

I am gonna try to get out Wednesday afternoon and see if I can get all the way across to hunters point. all the fish I had sunday were over there in 6' - 7' of water on the rock beds, lots of sculpin moving around.

Chas257 · « **Reply #54 on:** May 01, 2014, 12:37 PM »

According to the local radio station the Omega house charity fishing tourney is still on for Saturday.

yooperdave · « **Reply #55 on:** May 03, 2014, 06:19 AM »

good luck, I cant get out until sunday. put a post on about the ice conditions and any good fish caught.

yooperdave · « **Reply #56 on:** May 04, 2014, 06:11 AM »

anybody go to the harbor this weekend?

Chas257 · « **Reply #57 on:** May 04, 2014, 06:38 AM »

I decided to hit the Misery river instead. I drove by the harbor on Thursday, came home & put away the gear for this year.

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Author Topic: copper harbor splake (Read 10314 times)