Crystal lake Benzie

[icebreaker]

Any reports from crystal lake on smelt? Might head up that way this weekend.

[jdgambler]

I personaly don't do the smelt fishing but I've heard that they are biting on crystal. lobb rd area

[Joe in T.C.]

From Buc's Fishing Report 3-26-15 : "Crystal Lake: In Benzie County is also producing some smelt off of Lobb Rd"

Another good spot for smelt is almost directly North of Lobb road, on the other side of the lake.

Its called  Hurdmans Bay you will see the shanties.

Good luck,

[icebreaker]

Thanks guys for the information. Ill be up there Saturday night and ill report what I catch

[jdgambler]

i'll be out there Tuesday-thusday

[WestSideAl8x8]

Because smelt have a mouthful of little teeth, put a 1/2" square of nylon pantyhose material on your hook with your bait. Their teeth get hung up in it and your catch rate will go up.

[jdgambler]

while your out there smelt fishing put one of them on a tip-up and show us a picture of a laker or burbot.

[icebreaker]

Managed only 50 smelt on the trip out. Bite was good during the day, but once people started showing up the fish stopped biting. No luck on the burbot lines this time either. Lots of ice out there so a power auger does come in handy! Good luck guys. We fished from 3:30pm to 10:30pm

[netminder34]

Thanks for the report Icebreaker. Was up there a week ago and put 65 in the bucket but mostly has been slow.  Laker fishing has been really slow with more burbot than trout coming from the guys I fish with.  Started picking up about this time last year so hopefully this weekend we will flip the switch on the bite.  I have noticed the fish are a little smaller this year on average also, just an observation.

Thanks for the advice WestsideAl, I will give that a try this weekend headed up on Thursday.

[icebreaker]

Funny that you mention small smelt this year. I was thinking the opposite ha ha as the smelt we caught were pigs. We did manage however some smaller ones that you don't nomally get on Crystal lake. I think a group of us will be heading up Friday and staying the whole weekend so hopefully the bite does change. Good luck everyone.

Icebreaker

[netminder34]

We had some nice ones but not as many as I would say I am used to from Crystal.  Some of my buddies have mentioned it also but I think the bite is just starting to get good so maybe the bigger ones will be showing up over the next couple trips.  Good luck this weekend, I will be out there for sure weekend forecast is looking pretty good with warm days and cold nights.

[netminder34]

Fished Smelt on Friday and Saturday nights what a letdown from last trip, fished the boathouse and herdsman bay pretty pitiful.  Caught enough on Friday at the boathouse for bait to fish trout on Traverse Bay Saturday and Crystal on Sunday.  The bay was more active than Crystal for trout, picking up 3 trout, a whitefish, and a couple burbot while only pulling 1 Trout through from Crystal.  Was hoping the weather would change things up but made it worse it seems as most other reports were the same.  18+ solid clear ice so hope it holds for a couple weeks and the fish turn on but talking to guys that have fished Crystal for 40+ yrs they can not remember worse fishing than this year so far.

[jdgambler]

just wondering if anyone has gotten out on  crystal or  big platte and how much clear ice remains.

[netminder34]

I got a report from Crystal last night the top few inch or so were pretty slushy but still a lot of solid ice under that.  Of course that doesnt mean its all safe as guys are pulling shanties there are a lot of possible big holes out there that may only have a couple inches of ice.  Looks like over night temps should keep a good base and may tighten up the surface next week with highs in the 30's and below freezing overnight.  Good luck and Definitly be careful.  No reports from Platte.

[jdgambler]

thanks that's kinnda what I figured with 14 "of clear ice still in Livingston county. I'm gonna make one last trip this weekend.

[netminder34]

There was a little rain last night but not much, cold today with possible snow showers.  Cooler temps for the rest of the week, if it stays like this there is a shot at the end of the month to still be on hard water.  Good luck, I was supposed to go this weekend also but headed south instead, death in the family.

[netminder34]

Anyone fish Crystal last weekend?  Heading up and just wondering if it was any good.  Looks a little warmer this week but still cold at night and cooler heading into the weekend.  I have the piers and river to fall back on if crystal is a no go.

[jdgambler]

I would NOT recomened you go on the ice. The steelhead and browns are running though . We went out on the 20th and the ice was spooky at best. didn't go back out till the 22nd and that was enough for me. 3-4" of hard ice on top in the morning with 12" of clear underneath that was bad. Yes bad clear ice. We drilled holes and got to fishing and touched the clear ice with a rod tip and pieces easily broke off. it was "stalagtite like " very brittle. not safe. bring your wadders . i'm going up in two weeks with the boat!

[netminder34]

Thanks that what is was afraid of, dang it.  Had a family emergency that has kept me tied up the past couple weeks so guess I wait until next winter.