Gull Lake; 2019

[smeltbuster]

 Hi everyone, thought I would get this popular thread ,finally started, again !  I have an Ice Report  . Smelt jr. informed me, a few hrs. ago, that most of the lake is skimmed over. The bay has been locked up since this past Friday . I don't know if anyone has been out yet, but I will start doing more checks, myself, starting on 1/17 .  I have a huge favor to ask everyone that fishes Gull ,this year. Our DNR district biologist, Matt Diana is asking us to fill out creel census forms for all of our trips this year. Please read his thread at the top of the Mich. Threads for all the details. The DNR is taking an interest in Gull, lets help them . As soon as I can get on the ice, I will be targeting Smelt & the recently planted Steelhead, along w/ Lakers & Pike. Our summer fishing trips produced very few Lakers this year, but the pike & Bass fishery was pretty good. Lots of concern about the Smelt, but we will see, very soon.   Good Luck & hope to see several old friends & make some new ones in the near future , Phil   

[anthonyjj]

Saw a guys walking out on the ice and fishing today on the Gull Lake baycam.

Stay safe, spud every step, and tight lines!

[Jaybes]

3-4 people out there fishing now. I spudded it and didn’t feel comfortable, it’s very patchy. After the cold temps coming this weekend it should be fine.

Be safe if you’re going out there before hand, a few bug-eyed Gull gills isn’t worth falling in!

[SKIFFLAKEJIMMY]

Good Luck Smeltbuster! Hope you catch all you want.

[smeltbuster]

Thanks ! Guy on the bay right now. I am going to stop & check the ice, Thurs. after work. Hoping to try it ,Sat. morning, if its safe.

[Wgorby]

Praying that SB catches at least ONE smelt this year!!

[StabinCabin]

Hello everyone. I'm back!! Some how I fell of the map. Its been 8 years since ive been on here. Good to be back.

[GpaPerchEye]

Welcome back, S.C.

[smeltbuster]

OK Folks; roughly 2"-2 1/2" of clear hard ice on south bay. 2 guys were out fishing ,when I checked it. Others have ventured farther out, to at least halfway up the south bay. I was only about 50 yds. from shore & 100 yds. west of the dock where you walk on. The ice did not crack at all & I weigh 205. Was hoping to fish tomorrow morning, but I am going to wait 1 more day. I will be out there, Sat. morning, for sure.  As for 2nd. bay, I have some potential BAD news. It appears that Gull Lake marine has put bubblers or something else in, to keep the water at that access point  open. all the other docks on the bay are froze in, the docks @ the launch are wide open. We may have lost that access point. I will keep an eye on the situation. I did not check any other areas, because they have only been locked up a few days, the south bay has now been locked up for a week.  Keep ya posted on what I find. Wgorby,  hoping for more than 1 smelt, but for right now I will be targeting Trout !

[Jaybes]

OK Folks; roughly 2"-2 1/2" of clear hard ice on south bay. 2 guys were out fishing ,when I checked it. Others have ventured farther out, to at least halfway up the south bay. I was only about 50 yds. from shore & 100 yds. west of the dock where you walk on. The ice did not crack at all & I weigh 205. Was hoping to fish tomorrow morning, but I am going to wait 1 more day. I will be out there, Sat. morning, for sure.  As for 2nd. bay, I have some potential BAD news. It appears that Gull Lake marine has put bubblers or something else in, to keep the water at that access point  open. all the other docks on the bay are froze in, the docks @ the launch are wide open. We may have lost that access point. I will keep an eye on the situation. I did not check any other areas, because they have only been locked up a few days, the south bay has now been locked up for a week.  Keep ya posted on what I find. Wgorby,  hoping for more than 1 smelt, but for right now I will be targeting Trout !

Smeltbuster, what’s your strategy for targeting Lakers? I live on the east side of the lake and only hooked them by accident last year. How do you approach them on Gull?

[Smeltman]

    I would say that is really bad news for that access point, if they have bubblers going.

[smeltbuster]

Smeltbuster, what’s your strategy for targeting Lakers? I live on the east side of the lake and only hooked them by accident last year. How do you approach them on Gull?

  Tip-ups & minnows in deep water, suspended 1/2 way down. Most of my laker fishing is done in the summer, using big Lake trolling methods. When I said that I was going to target trout, I was talking about the Steelhead that the DNR has been planting the last few years. Gonna try some Oldschool methods that I used back in the 80's & early 90s'. If they work I will let ya know. Also I am going to be out on South Bay Fri. morning, chasing Gills w/ my brother. Wasn't going to go, but since I have a Buddy, gonna give it a shot.  Smeltman, give me a call when you can, Miss swapping LIES w/ ya   

[stevenmang85]

Hey everyone! Might see y'all out there Saturday morning. Cant remember if I shared my lake trout slamfest story from the soft water.  Phil I lost your number. Pm me. And jaybes,  pm also. I can share some fall tips for Lakers. Tight lines peoples!

[dgb]

Hey everyone! Might see y'all out there Saturday morning. Cant remember if I shared my lake trout slamfest story from the soft water.  Phil I lost your number. Pm me. And jaybes,  pm also. I can share some fall tips for Lakers. Tight lines peoples!

Boy you can tell that laker is starvin...venture to guess that's becuase the lack of the smelt.

[dgb]

Anyone caught a steelhead yet on gull?...not sure what size was planted though.

[smeltbuster]

Anyone caught a steelhead yet on gull?...not sure what size was planted though.

  dgb , Hi ! Fished for them (steelhead) this fall, no luck. As for the Lakers,  Yup they are skinny enough to be a runway model in NYC !  Cant, (wont) say on here , but Smelt jr. caught one this summer that had something that was a HARD  plastic like material in its stomach. Lakers are looking pretty bad, but we did get some really nice pike & bass that were potted out. No smelt in the stomachs , but lots of crayfish & small gills & some plastics. Did mark some clouds of baitfish in the deepwater , so  there is some hope of  smelt. Cant stress it enough, lets keep the MDNR informed of what is happening out there.  I have seen lots of negative talk about the DNR this past year (mostly deer hunting), & even some for the fisheries division. The guys in the Plainwell office are really interested in this lake, lets help them, & ourselves in the long run .

[stevenmang85]

If I recall steelhead were all in the 2-4 lb range. Haven't heard of any being caught.

[dutch3376]

I was reading thru the latest fishing digest, and it looks like we can no longer run an unlimited number of hooks for smelt?  Anyone else see this?

[Wgorby]

I was reading thru the latest fishing digest, and it looks like we can no longer run an unlimited number of hooks for smelt?  Anyone else see this?

Yup...copied directly from the DNR website....6 hooks max, 3 poles max.  So I usually fish 2 hooks per pole on 3 poles anyway, so personally my setup is still legal.

See Link: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79119_79146_84934---,00.html


For hook-and-line fishing: a legislative change, made at the end of 2018, now affects anglers targeting smelt in Michigan. This change consists of the removal of a provision in state statute that allowed anglers to use any number of hooks attached to a single line in the Great Lakes or recognized smelt waters for taking smelt, alewife or other bait fish.

Anglers will now be allowed to use no more than three lines per person with no more than six hooks or lures on all lines when fishing for these species. All hooks attached to an artificial bait or "night crawler harness" are counted as one hook (note: for crappie/perch rigs and umbrella rigs each hook is counted as part of the total six allowed). This means anglers may use up to six hooks on one line or spread the six hooks out over up to three lines.

[smeltbuster]

Thanks for sharing that info .  I went to 1 rod w/ 6 hooks, 3 yrs. ago. Got tired of throwing pike back, that hit my smelt rig. As for this A.M., I ended up w/ 11 nice Gills ,my Brother had 7 . Probably 15 guys on the bay. No one on 2nd. bay.

[Fish Killa]

Fished the bay for a few hours last night. Slush and water everywhere. After dark it started to freeze up but made an icy mess of most of my gear. Managed 7 keepers, 5 gills and two specks. Filling out my creel survey to submit to the DNR right now.

[smeltbuster]

Smelt jr. checked the north end today , & It is unsafe, but should be safe, soon. Fished south bay this afternoon & quite a bit of the slush is freezing up. Where I fished, there was about 3" of  clear hard ice & frozen slush on top. Ended up w/ 20 nice Gills & should of had my limit. Still ,had a blast ,even though it was 8 degrees. Thank God for a nice shanty ! No luck on the Trout, yesterday. Keep ya posted on the lake ice as best I can, this next week.

[Jaybes]

It was a good day in the Bay for sure, nice to see they’re finally biting.

[smeltbuster]

Smelt jr. checked the north end & Baseline today. Still unsafe, but she is making ice , by the hour . Hoping to get on the north end, this week-end.

[Jaybes]

Couple of nice gills from the Bay today.

[chalky1489]

Just checking the bay cam and seeing 4 groups out there is really giving me FOMO 

Can anyone give an ice update?

[smeltbuster]

  3 of us fished the north end this A.M. for pike ,& had no runs. About 4-6" of ice w/ about  1- 2" of snow on it. Smelt jr. said there were a few guys out in the smelt grounds last night, but we have no idea how they did. Guys fishing the Bible Conf.,but there is limited parking this week-end, due to an event ,there. Also seen some guys ,north of the island ,on the west side.  Guys have also been walking on @ Baseline rd. . I may try for smelt tonight, & will go on @ Baseline, if I do.

[Kziceman]

Fished in the Pike tournament this morning.  Between two of us we had 7 flags but only landed 3, all undersize.

33 inch won the tournament and 31 inch took 3 rd. Guys fishing Baseline won.

Ice is about 6 inches with about an inch of snow at the Bible Conf.

[dgb]

So anyone tried for smelt yet?

[smeltbuster]

So anyone tried for smelt yet?

  I will be trying for them ,Thurs. or Fri. night., not expecting much, but I gotta give it a shot. All this snow, is going to make for a tough walk out to the smelt grounds.