I know I'm getting into this late but what the heck, I can't let this string go unresponded to. Last year I assisted Bomba in getting the Sanford tourney off the ground. As usual the number of boats participating was low and even more troubling it was lower than the previous year. Sanford is my back yard. Is Sanford closer to me and nearer and dearer to my heart than Ovid, hell yes. However, I'm not ignorant to the fact that Skis on Sanford are becoming even harder to come by than they were in the past. Sanford never has been a numbers lake but to have a total of three fish caught by the entire tournament filed, well that is not good and probably not worth folks time and gas expenses to get there. If Sanford Lake is ever going to see its full perscription of stockings and become the great lake it has the potential to be the DNR must have the support of this club to supplement the meager budget Ms. Granholm has forced upon them. I'd rather drive the 1 1/4 hours from my Sanford home to Ovid for the tourney if it means more boats are going to participate and more fish are going to be seen and caught to keep people's interest for years to come. The tournament is a fundraiser and all those who don't appreciate that aspect of it really should take a step back and think a little. If the DNR doesn't have the funds to raise our little friends at Wolf Lake where do you all think the money is going to come from to stock them in your favorite lakes? Come on guys, let's stop complaining and embrace a great event that not only provides you the ability to mingle with your fellow musky nuts but also to provide the club with it's second largest fund raising activity of the year, espeically in a year where every penny we can give to the DNR counts.
I normally dont get into these frays but have some reasons for not attending past tournements. #1 , I dont like fishing in crowds. Sanford has many walleye boats,bass boats and not many Muskies. Boats travel at high speeds on this Lake and I dont like that when I am trying to fish. I did not attend the last Sanford tournement and was not planning on attending this one either. I for one think Sanford needs more Muskies and less Pike before I will fish it again for any reason tournement or outing. The last time I was there it was a Swill with slop all over. I fished Thornapple in November during the Ice up. We had the Lake to ourselves and it was not to bad. We caught Muskies and had a great time. I wished we could have attended the Intermediate outing but it was not in the cards. I have never fished Ovid but have heard a lot of good things about this lake. The best thing is the NO WAKE LAW!!!. No jet skis, no 250 hp bass boats flying all over the weed beds, no Walleye guys anchored on every point and it has a good population of Muskies. For you guys in the north its almost the same distance to Ovid. I live in Muskegon so it is more centrally located for me. The lake may be a little smaller but there will be less competition for available water. Add that to the fact that there is camping right at the lake and its a much better set up for us. We can fish it with our little boat and not be at a disadvantage and save a ton of money on Gas and lodging. I like the Idea of Ovid much more than Sanford simply because it works better for us. If the date is open on our calender we will be there. Mike and Michelle
I have one more thing to add. This is from Michelle and my own perspective in regards to why we fish anywhere. Whether we are fishing for bluegills, trout or Musky we only fish lakes and rivers where we almost always catch fish. This is why we have 60 Muskies between us already. We do not like low numbers lakes with heavy traffic and slim chances for success. Give me a choice between fishing Sanford and Osterhout and Ill take osterhout every time even though Osterhout will never put out a 50" fish. Now add the fact that it will cost us an entrance fee to fish a lake that we have never caught a musky at and you can see why its a no brainer for us. Tournements and outings should be at lakes with good numbers where every angler has a good chance of putting multiple fish in the boat. My opinion on best choices for tournement lakes are Thornapple ,Hudson, St Clair, Chain o lakes, and Margarethe when it matures. Thorn and Hudson are great numbers lakes with big fish . The chain has so much water with good size fish all through it. Margarethe and Hamlin will be great fisheries in several years provided the stocking continues. I think Ovid will be a good choice and there will be many fish caught. We will catch fish there before the tournement during and after. Ill make it a 5 day campout. That is our opinion on outings and tournements. We fished Thornapple during the ice up challunge and boated 43 and 46" fish. We fished the Ice out at Webster and caught nothing but did score after the event and the next day. WE LIKE TO CATCH FISH not fish all day for nothing. Mike and Michelle
You know guys I would love to be more involved but my job doesn't let that happen. I was involved in our local wild turkey federation and had to stop doing that 3 years ago, and that is why you don't see many fishing reports just no time to fish the most awesome fish that swims. I don't mind an explanation but be easy with the name calling. And no I don't plan on guitting I think my money is going to a good cause. For the little amount of people running this club I think your doing a good job and I know I said that before. Jayme
Perhaps should be casting only ..as many prime casting spots are next to trolling lanes..and lake is relatively small (400 acres??) to accomodate many trollers fishing among casters..(and evens playing field w/one rod/one bait/ person..)
Fishing fall at Sanford seemed acceptable ..and it can accomodate many more boats..(and chance at some big fish) …Thornapple would seem to be a good alternative ..(wrt size) …and almost as central as Ovid..
(for me at least in SE Michigan ..)
Gabe-
I don't think Fred has anything against trollers, its just that Ovid is very small. On Sanford there was enough room for all types of fishing. Plus Ovid is a strictly enforced no wake lake and you can't power troll unless you want a ticket. Ovid is also predominantly shallow I would estimate only about half of it is even troll-able at all.
Kevin
Well guys not that I'm aganst trolling. But I fish ovid alot its by my house. And when the bass guys have an fishing outing on ovid. I 've ben their trolling with the bass guys, bluegill guys small sailboat and kayakers out their on a Saterday it gets packed and it hard to troll. And the places you can troll get alot of casting by them and it would make it real hard to troll around the guys casting. keeping 100yds from another boat. Not that I'm aganst haveing the outing their it just not a large lake. And if we get a lot of people at the outing it will be packed. And I dont what to chase off people off from comeing to the outing next year.
LeMay OUT
Guys and gals…
Please note that two people, who fish Ovid quite often, have both mentioned that there could be a problem for a trolling angler to get around a casting angler.
If you have not been on Ovid… maybe you should consider that the people that have fished and know the lake might have a better understanding.
If you have not been on Ovid… how can you have an opinion on the subject of trolling or not?
The first year we had a tournament on Hudson trolling was allowed for the last four hours of the tournament only.
For the Ice Up Challunge, we knew that we would have a limited number of boats (under 20). With that number of boats on those two waters, there was no need to restrict trolling.
I wouldn't say I fish Ovid alot but have been out there 6 or 7 times now and I agree with LeMay. Basically the trolling zones are right adjacent to the week drop offs which is what will surely get pounded by the casting crowd. If we have 18 or more boats out there trolling the very small "basin" of the lake around the casters is going to be a bit of a challenge. Also, multiple boats trolling is going to be a challenge too since there is not a lot of open water to troll. Me personally, I'd limit it to casting only.
It seems no matter what we try to do someone is going to complain
about it. Lets just cancel the tournament all together, (they seem to bring out the worst in people) and make it an outing, that way if you want to cast, cast. if you want to troll, troll…and no one can bitch about what someone else is doing….
There, problem solved ❗ ❗
WOWWWWWWWWWWWWW…… 😯 I think the tournaments are a waste for our little group which I thought was going in the right diresction in the last month.To much headache,to many people unhappy(rules,hand landing,trolling to close,cheating),just a waste…..We can do better at raising $$$$$$$$$$ elsewhere !!!!!!!! We are to GOOD of a group of people to waste so much time/effort on something that in the end,really isn`t that much fun……
DU
I`ll third the pulling the plug… 
FYI………………….I also wasn`t referring to anyone……………Just that we put something together like this………..and people get accused of something or are unhappy with something.I guess it`s just common with any type of competition these days…….I don`t think we are that type of group anyway that is concerned with # of releases,winning a coupon for a event,biggest fish of the year,etc..I thought………. ❓ ❓ 💡 💡
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