IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Michigan => Ice Fishing Michigan U.P. => Topic started by: mjbuck on Mar 02, 2018, 08:42 AM
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Just an update from the two weeks about fishing at the head of the bay in Baraga. I fish between Baraga and L'Anse from the parking lot by the Willow Tree off US41 at the head of the bay. 4/10ths of a mile out in 38 feet of water. Fishing earlier in the winter was good to great there. Lots of Splake, a few Coho and even a Steelhead or Whitefish from time to time. All that seems to be biting lately are the smelt, of which I caught a handful yesterday during the day, even though I wasn't much fishing for them. I have a high-end Marcum underwater camera and at 38 feet the picture from the bottom is crystal clear. In the last three trips out this week, all I've seen go by is a handful of Splake or Coho, a few single or double herring coming through, but none even slow down to look at the bait, much less bite. Earlier in the winter, I would see dozens of them go by and usually catch my limit each time, but not of late. They aren't even around that area the last two weeks. Just staring at a blank screen. I know there are a lot of better places to fish on the bay, but I started fishing in this area about 12 years ago. At that time, I was targeting and catching a good amount of the Jumbo Perch (10-14 inches). They all but seemed to have disappeared from that area now, as I have not caught any this year and only saw two the entire winter on my camera. So, if you are heading out fishing this weekend, you might want to avoid my area. I know they call it "fishing" and not "catching" for a reason, but it has been real slow in my area for two weeks now. I've included a photo of what the Jumbo Perch used to look like when they came by.
(https://s9.postimg.cc/yps658ngb/20140304_095046_edited-1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/yps658ngb/)
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Thanks for the detailed report, hope it gets better for you
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Are the weeds still present this year?
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There are no weeds, other than a little patch here and there, and they are only about 6 inches high. Remember, I am in 38 feet of water. A friend and I fished there yesterday for about 5 hours and I fished today for about 8. We caught nothing yesterday (missed one) and saw very few on the camera or graph. I started early today, about an hour before daybreak, and caught about 20 smelt before daylight, but then they disappeared just like that. As did all the other fish other than 14-inch Splake I caught right after daylight. I only marked or saw four other fish the entire day, including one very large Whitefish that hung out near my bait for about three minutes, but would not bite. I got a good look at him on my camera and he would have been a good eater. I spoke with the DNR fish-survey guy and he said fishing was slow all over the bay all weekend. It was a nice two days to be on the ice. Sunny and 45 yesterday, partly sunny 39 today. Even though the fishing was extremely slow, I stayed on the ice a long time, as I had some minor repairs to do to my shanty. Hopefully, things will pick up in my area soon. It was great earlier in the year.
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Spots change, we have done pretty well on the bay this year on splake, and even those perch your looking for. Try changing it up, I've had spots dry up and just have to look for the new one.
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Interesting report MJ, I have fished up N, Squaw Bay, Sand Pt, in front of the Falls and the best place ive found is the bay. Most places ive fished have been very slow but in the the bay ive at least caught something. On Sat I started fishing about 4pm and caught 3 splake and some smelt. I lost a really nice one at the hole and another deeper in the water column. I will say ive only caught-landed 1 keeper splake though. Every time ive been out ive had several big schools of smelt come through multiple times throughout the day. With that said I was out in multiple spots today on the bay and did not catch a thing but marked several fish. Honestly this was the 1st time in the bay ive not caught 3 or more with some misses. I tend to cut a lot of holes when I go and move around. I caught 6 splake and lost 5 one day in about 5 hours but cut 30+ holes (norm within 50-100 yards of each other). I believe everything your saying but find it very interesting that we have had very different results. Today was the 1st time ive tried over by where those permanents are, well N of them. Ended the day where I was yesterday and marked several fish but nothing would bite. I do run a Vex and a camera as well. Please keep us updated and good luck to you.
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We went North off Sand Point, 18fow - had a blast catching huge smelt, one of them was 12" most in the 10" range. We thought perhaps there would be bigger fish mixed in with the smelt, but no luck..
I do well splake fishing in the summer, but have never been able to catch one through the ice, what is the best lure/bait/depth or technique?
Thanks.
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We were cleaning up on splake early in the year on tipups with a shiner.
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Thanks, much appreciated,