Round-42deg, poor water clarity IMO (max to 5ft bottom visability).
Saw one smallish fish while searching for my Manta that busted off on a backlash with Stren "Super braid".
The launch at round is downright trecherous. You can NOT get it done by yourself without getting wet IMO.
The lake in general is/was very shallow. I got hung up in the shallows on the north end up from the boat ramp. The wind blew us in there so fast I didn't have time to react and position the boat into the wind, to drive out. Luckily my brother was with me, because if not I wasn't getting out of that one.
I vowed to not let the wind beat me when I bought this boat. Come summer and fall the wind will turn fish on. But this lake when wind blow is tough.
Long-probably the best ramp I've been to. However as you are powering out of the channel the ramp is in, watch out for shallow water on your left/east.
Very clear water, most 41deg and change. A point on the south side of the lake apparently was getting lot of sun exposure. 44 deg temps. Fairly quick break leading onto the point with a nice shallow bay close by. There had to be fish here but I sure didn't see them. Lots of weeds but nothing that looked like it had any life left.
All in all a rough day. Lost a Manta. Got hung up twice (once in Long too), And didn't see or catch much of anything. The one plus was the 6 hp Merc kicker I bought. Starts great, runs great, and is the single most usefull item BY FAR I've bought for this thing. Starting it and leaving it in gear with the big motor down, and turned into the wind, helped control the boat so much I still can't beleive it!
Now I guess I wait for opening day.
Boy I thought that I read Bankson/T-apple/Hudson as the only ones that closed Nov 30th. My manual is at work.
If that is the case sorry guys for the oversight. I'll definately be sure to watch more closely.
The ironic thing is that Fri evening I rode over to the access on Round to double check to see if it was thawed. There were some guys coming in with an assortment of bass rods, and some had bucktails on them. I mentioned that the season was closing soon (the 15th), and they said they thought the season was open all year. I tried to set them strait when I wasn't even strait.
Lakes with Northern Pike and Muskellunge seasons the last Saturday in April – Nov. 30:
BARRY: Thornapple L. (from McKeown Rd. to Barger Rd.) minimum size on muskellunge is 50".
KALAMAZOO: Austin, Crooked, and West Lks. LAKE: Big Star L. LENAWEE: L. Hudson
VAN BUREN: Bankson L., Brownwood L., and Round L. (Keeler Twp. T4S, R16W, Sec. 13),
SCHOOLCRAFT: On the BIG ISLAND COMPLEX LAKES of Big Island, Bluegill, Blush, Byers,
Coattail, Klondyke, McInnes, Mid, Townline, and Vance, artificial lures only, muskellunge or northern
pike open season May 15 – Nov. 30, minimum size limit is 42" and possession limit is 1. No wheeled
or motorized vehicles (including electric or outboard motors).
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