Author Topic: COPPER HARBOR SPLAKE (Read 10319 times)

yooperdave · « **on:** Feb 06, 2008, 04:35 AM »

got out monday and tuesday with good success. four of us got 12 each day with 4 - 5 hours of fishing each day. all of the fish wer 12" - 18" we threw back many more each day. the ice still is not safe all the way to hunters point but if you know where to set up on the gravel/cobble beds on far side of harbor you can get fish. i had tip ups with live minnows in ass little as 2' of water and had consistent fish all day.

Zee UP · « **Reply #1 on:** Feb 13, 2008, 09:11 AM »

Went out Saturday, just across from 10th street boat launch, I got 4 splakes , all were less than 13”. I didn’t try by the harbor entrance but the bottom at the spot I was fishing was sandy.

most of tha action was on tipups. I was fishing 8' of water.

yooperdave · « **Reply #2 on:** Feb 18, 2008, 05:51 AM »

fished most 0f the day with my son and hia buddies, 4 of us had 12 splake for the day, threw back many small ones. we were out near porters island in 6 f.o.w. with small minnows. had 2 tip ups in 2 f.o.w. and they went off at least 20 times. the ice is good over almost the entire harbor.

Prehnite44 · « **Reply #3 on:** Feb 19, 2008, 04:57 PM »

Dave,
Did the splake seem to bite best morning/afternoon/evening/or night? or did they just "turn on" randomly throughout the day? Is the limit 10" or 15" in the Harbor?

Thanks

yooperdave · « **Reply #4 on:** Feb 20, 2008, 04:26 AM »

7:00 a.m. to noon seems to be the best time, but i have had them come through at all times. 10" is the size limit but i personally dont keep anything under 12".

bmbiff · « **Reply #5 on:** Feb 21, 2008, 10:59 AM »

yooperdave, i need a couple more posts before i can pm, you going to be headed out on the harbor at all sometime soon, i'm on vacatoin till this next tuesday was seeing if I could hook up and fish with the splake pro.
are they usually pretty aggressive, do they like to be jigged aggressive or neutral, holding the bait still, I know they are spooky under the ice and espeacially in shallow. my buddy and I fished monday from noon till dark and we never saw one come in under us all day, fished from 10ft-2ft on far shore of hunter pt., stayed quiet only ran the auger when we got there and never were running around on the ice.

yooperdave · « **Reply #6 on:** Feb 21, 2008, 07:05 PM »

I WILL BE ON THE ICE IN FRONT OF THE HARBOR HOUSE FROM PROBALY 700 AM FRIDAY UNTIL 2OOPM. IF YOU WERE FISHING IN 20 FEET OF WATER YOU WERE TOO DEEP. OFF OF HUNTERS POINT (anywhere on that far shore) WE ARE NEVER FISHING IN MORE THAN 6 - 9 FEET OF WATER, VERY OFTEN 4 - 5. I USE 1 INCH SWEDISH PIMPLES AND SMALL PERCH MINNOWS, YOU DONT HAVE TO JIG AS THE MINNOWS KEEP THE PIMPLE MOVING, I DO TAKE THE LARGER HOOKS OFF OF THE PIMPLES AFTER I BUT THEM AND PUT ON SIZE 12 OR 14 TREBLES. GOOD LUCK.

yooperdave · « **Reply #7 on:** Feb 23, 2008, 05:43 AM »

had out standing day on friday, 3 of us kept 9 solid fish ( 14 - 18 in.) and threw back at least 20 from 10 - 12 in. we were in a little deeper water today (12 - 17 f.o.w.) and that seemed to make lots of difference.

Prehnite44 · « **Reply #8 on:** Feb 27, 2008, 12:34 PM »

Caught 3 spake on saturday in about 10 fow, but from what everybody else on the ice was saying, it was a slow day. Anyone been out yet this week, and has the biting picked up? Are they still holding slightly deeper?

Chris Raymond · « **Reply #9 on:** Feb 28, 2008, 04:47 PM »

Quote from: Prehnite44 on Feb 27, 2008, 12:34 PM

Caught 3 spake on saturday in about 10 fow, but from what everybody else on the ice was saying, it was a slow day. Anyone been out yet this week, and has the biting picked up? Are they still holding slightly deeper?

How crowded was it? A lot of folks have been on the ice when I've been up there. I went south last weekend, might go north for a day this coming weekend.

yooperdave · « **Reply #10 on:** Feb 29, 2008, 04:56 AM »

there was plenty of room to fish. i tend to move away from groups as i like it quiet. 7 - noon seems to be most active period.

Chris Raymond · « **Reply #11 on:** Feb 29, 2008, 05:51 AM »

Quote from: yooperdave on Feb 29, 2008, 04:56 AM

there was plenty of room to fish. i tend to move away from groups as i like it quiet. 7 - noon seems to be most active period.

YD--Thanks. Was going to go up there tomorrow morning but it would appear that I'm headed to MQT instead. Maybe Sunday if I don't go to Baraga.

Prehnite44 · « **Reply #12 on:** Mar 02, 2008, 05:40 PM »

Went out saturday and easily caught my limit, including a couple missed fish and a breakoff. Bad news is, when drilling in too shallow water, I nicked my auger on the bottom, and now it won't drill anymore. Hopefully this question is allowed on this site, but is there anyplace in the Keweenaw that'll sharpen Strike Master Hand Auger blades? Thanks.

yooperdave · « **Reply #13 on:** Mar 03, 2008, 04:43 AM »

for the price you pay to get them sharpened you can almost but new ones.

JKneibel · « **Reply #14 on:** Mar 03, 2008, 08:42 AM »

This may be a dumb question after already fishing up there, but does anyone know what the limit for splake is on copper harbor? I cant find it anywhere in the michigan trout fishing guide. I thought it was 3, over 10 inches.

Prehnite44 · « **Reply #15 on:** Mar 03, 2008, 09:56 AM »

JK,
Check out the great lakes trout and salmon regulations in the general fishing guide. Limit is 5 fish over 10" with no more than 3 of one species and a minimum size limit of 15" on lake trout. 20" minimum on brook trout with posession limit of one.

natorious · « **Reply #16 on:** Mar 03, 2008, 10:20 PM »

10" in the Harbor. I don't know if anyone goes for em' outta Lake Fanny Hooe, but they gotta be 12" there, because it's a designated trout lake.

yooperdave · « **Reply #17 on:** Mar 04, 2008, 05:09 AM »

that is correct

yooperland · « **Reply #18 on:** Mar 04, 2008, 06:19 AM »

There's a hardware store in Ontonagon that sharpens auger blades, but I haven't heard of any place locally. The splake bite in Copper Harbor slowed down for a few weeks, although the fish were more aggressive this past Saturday. Saw 6 caught 4. I've been using minnows on swedish pimples. Has anyone else had luck using anything else?

BroncoNick85 · « **Reply #19 on:** Mar 04, 2008, 06:30 AM »

Try the shoe store under the parking deck in Houghton for your auger blades. The old timer in there just sharpened mine and only charged $5. Cuts like butter now.

Prehnite44 · « **Reply #20 on:** Mar 04, 2008, 02:22 PM »

Thanks for your help everyone, I ordered new blades, but I'll get the dull ones sharpened too. I plan on attacking the splake this weekend again.

The Splash · « **Reply #21 on:** Mar 10, 2008, 01:33 PM »

Would love to see some pics of your splake.

yooperland · « **Reply #22 on:** Mar 15, 2008, 05:45 PM »

Here are three splake caught today in Copper Harbor (11, 12 & 24 inches). We saw several big ones (20+) and smaller ones, but many didn't show any interest in the bait. There should be a lot of good fishing left this spring.

Chris Raymond · « **Reply #23 on:** Mar 16, 2008, 03:48 PM »

The big one is nice. Lots of 10 - 13ers it would seem this year. That plus the crowds (and gas prices) have pushed me more toward Keweenaw Bay the last three or four weekends.

yooperdave · « **Reply #24 on:** Mar 17, 2008, 05:15 AM »

4 of us had one of the best days ever sunday. 12 splake with 8 of them 20" - 26". never saw so many big fish in one day. we threw back at least 15 fish from 10" - 15". my son had one fish to the bottom of the hole on a tip up that was at least 10+ lbs. if i can figure out how to get pictures here i will.

Prehnite44 · « **Reply #25 on:** Mar 17, 2008, 07:27 AM »

10+ pounds... that's huge for this season, in fact they're all huge for the typical fish this season. Great job. Hopefully the ice will still be good for a couple more weekends.

Chris Raymond · « **Reply #26 on:** Mar 17, 2008, 03:29 PM »

Quote from: yooperdave on Mar 17, 2008, 05:15 AM

4 of us had one of the best days ever sunday. 12 splake with 8 of them 20" - 26". never saw so many big fish in one day. we threw back at least 15 fish from 10" - 15". my son had one fish to the bottom of the hole on a tip up that was at least 10+ lbs. if i can figure out how to get pictures here i will.

Some nice fish.

natorious · « **Reply #27 on:** Mar 17, 2008, 08:01 PM »

Sounds like some nice fish Dave, looking forward to see those pics. Were you fishing relativly shallow, or did you move out to a little deeper water? Better cut some double holes tomorrow to pull through the big guys.

yooperdave · « **Reply #28 on:** Mar 18, 2008, 03:44 AM »

we were in anywhere from 4ft. - 9ft. of water , and we were using 3" - 5" live suckers. the fish were very aggressive when they came in they smacked it right away.

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Author Topic: COPPER HARBOR SPLAKE (Read 10319 times)