"swanezy" said:
That is really interesting, never have fished LSC. I would like to fish it someday, but the way a lot of you guys describe it the traffic would probably turn me off real fast
If you want to fish the sturgeon hole in front of the Windsor marina then yes the traffic will turn you off if Bondy doesnt run you off first. Swan, the lake is around 28 miles across. There are thousands of little secret spots that are just waiting to be found. I see Bass guys casting spots where we troll all over the lake. Michelle and I have fished sometimes for days without another boat getting within 2 miles of us. Other days everyone seems to pile up on one edge or Cabbage bed. But the beauty is if you dont like it where you are you have thousands of other areas to move to. On the two days in October 2006 when we caught three 50 inch fish there wasnt a boat within 5 miles of us. Two of those fish were caught on castable humps. W e did this while 20 boats were fighting over one spot at the mouth of the Detroit river.
This is for everyone. Truth????? The Lake is Full of Muskies from one end to the other. How do you all think these little secret spots get found??????????????????????????? Ah work maybe? Maybe you all need to go out and do some legwork? I know, Will already did that. Will spent years learning his spots. Any one of you can do the same thing. Get a good map and good GPS and do the work. There are still thousands of Muskies out there that have not even seen a casted lure yet. I now one spot I was shown in 2004. Muskies were visible cruising a weed line almost a mile long . Some day Ill cast that edge and catch a lot Muskies. Not one Musky fisherman that I know has casted this spot. It is never mentioned. My guess is its as good as any other spot on the lake.
Anyway, A few TV Shows, Guides and fisherman are not going change Lake St. Clair. Its too big for that. Musky fisherman are still the smallest group on the lake. You will find more trouble with drunken pleasure boaters then you will with other Musky fisherman unless of course you just want to join the circus and fight over a half dozen known areas. There is truly no need to do that. Mike
"Kingfisher" said:
Anyway, A few TV Shows, Guides and fisherman are not going change Lake St. Clair.
No, it won't change the lake but it will change the number of people on the lake. In turn this will change the appeal of fishing out there, just like Bondy changed one of my favorite "quiet areas". Things will change and those days of putting four over 50 in the boat with no one else around are likely in the past.
"swanezy" said:
hopefully i can get there someday, cept i wouldn't be able to take my boat probably in most areas with it being too small
Jon, I've seen kids out in Anchor Bay with boats smaller than yours. You just have to keep a close eye on the weather. And if you stay in the Bay, and within eyeshot of Selfridge, you'll be fine.
The thing is, that what some of you are talking about happens everywhere. Difference is, that the lake (LSC) is much bigger than some other lakes over here, so it can handle the increased pressure.
I haven't been on Thornapple in YEARS, but from how everyone talks about scarce action, it's obvious to me that the same increase in pressure has hurt that place. That was the best fishing lake in MI in the early 90's. Now I keep reading about how putting fish in the boat is next to impossible.
Gas prices are keeping Michelle and I from keeping our 24.5 footer at Emerald city this season. For us to take our Starcraft(18 feet) to St. Clair just the gas pulling it there and back will be around 150.00 plus 10 gallons on the lake and food,beverages? easy 200 bucks for one day.
One other thing about change on Lake St. Clair. The Bondy spot? Called the STURGEON Hole by many. This area prior to the invention of the Bulldawg and double 10 was a trollers spot. Thats right trollers. There used to be 20 or more boats that got in line to troll that one edge all the way out past the gravel bars into the lake. Now casters pushed the trollers off by camping on the spot. Now a troller cant even fish there. I used to troll that with Bob Devine and was there when the first casters started showing up . I witnessed Bondy almost running into Wills Boat and dropping his anchor damned near on Will'S deck. Bob said on that day looks like the end of trolling this spot. I think its funny as all get out. Now casters are saying its the end because there are too many casters. Maybe the next round will be scuba fisherman and their bouys will keep the casters away. This tiny little area because of a couple of big fish every fall causes fighting and bickering between all these fishermen. I have been there and done that with Spring Walleye on the White Lake pier, Salmon and Steelhead, and trying to find a safe place to rifle hunt deer on federal lands. Nope , I wont do it again. Once I broke us out of that mind set we caught 7 – 50 inch fish . St Clair has many secrets and with today's sonar units and GPS units a smart guy can locate his own milk run of great spots.
Fall is big fish time (all over the lake) . To me 3/4 of the fun is the hunt. Finding those spots on the spots, those little humps and weed beds, edges and depressions,flats and food shelves. I can tell you all that the lower Detroit river is under fished by casters. Fighting Island has some sweet water and structure around it. Even the old Boat docks and hot water outlets along the U.S. side near the Rouge river area are casting hot spots. The entire system from lake Huron to Lake Erie is a musky hunters paradise. Dont get hung up on a couple of spots just move and hunt. You wont believe what you will find.
To you guys with small boats. Lake St. Clair can turn on a dime from a beautiful lake to an ugly Monster. The weatherman does not have a clue most of the time. If they say 12 mph winds figure on 20. Even in our 18 footer with 115 hp we got into trouble three times, just ask Ricky about his first trip out with us. The ride home was a nightmare. Launch as close to the area you plan on fishing as possible and dont risk going too far from safe harbor in any small craft. Michelle and I have had three days out there where we were lucky to make it in(thanks to Starcraft Boats). Our Super fisherman is a great boat but even with the flares , the high bow and 115 horses its not enough to tempt the weather on St. Clair. We took a wave over our Bimini top in 2006. That one was around 7 feet. It filled our boat with water. Captain Craig Miller was taking waves over the bow of his 31 foot Searay last summer. He estimated these were 8 to 10 feet high. The biggest problem with St. Clair waves it they come very close together unlike Ocean or waves on say Lake Michigan which are longer swells. I call it super chop. Your bow drops into the hole and the next one lands on you and buries you in water. DONT TEMPT THIS LAKE. ERROR on the safe side. Also be very careful near the Ambassador Bridge with a strong south wind as this area can get real nasty as the river funnels the wind right down under the bridge and pushes up huge waves on the up stream side of the bridge. Been there done that.
Personally, Ill never fish this lake in anything less then 18 feet simply because I dont trust the lake at all. Weather men are fools who get paid to be correct 40% of the time. Thye have not a clue when it comes to Lake St. Clair. Mike
Kingfisher is right about cutting back fishing due to gas prices. I had to give up a great trip with 3-days of muskie fishing on LSC this weekend because of gas prices and lodging. All my former fishing trips are now dedicated community service, fishery projects, and DNR meetings. Today I'm on my way today to Ludington walleye pond meeting (harvest 6/7&8). I'll check out Hamlin muskie rumors. It is a 100-mile day for me to fish Hamlin Lake.
Yeah Mike, you'll NEVER hear me argue with you about how the lake can get. That was a very valuable, eye opening experience! Wasn't supposed to be like that either. We went swimming during dead calm conditions without a cloud in the sky. If felt like the sun was melting us, it was so hot. We were happy to have a breeze and chop on the water ….the fishing turned on ………then…….OH POO!!!
Seriously guys, that day is why I was asking so many questions about a casting spot out there in my 16 ft. boat. I wasn't asking for a honey hole at all! Just wanted suggestions as to where would be worthwhile for a smaller boat with safety in mind.
LSC is no joke when it comes to weather turning in an instant! When I was in the market for a new boat I knew it could be no less than 20ft if I wanted to get the most out of LSC. Lots of power, deep keel, wide beam and safe ride. There's been days out there with flat calm water and minutes later your running through short choppy 4 footers with occasional 5. I've learned of many "safe haven" spots where if you can't make it to launch you can drop anchor, walk on shore or tie up somewhere within 2-4 miles and wait out the storm(US waters only). It's no joke out there and would not feel comfortable fishing in anything less than 20ft. Sure you can fish in smaller boats but your limited to areas to fish.
I've seen many boats take a beating even on fairly calm days. Winds up to 15 can get nasty depending on direction. There's no system or pattern to these waves. As Kingfisher said, there not rollers like Michigan. Real short and choppy. Smaller boats in length can't cover the distance between waves and can be swamped with water. Summer brings on some nasty weather and last year we saw are share of outrunning storms, waiting them out or fighting through some real waves with nerves at all time high. If your gonna go out in a smaller boat you better know to drive your boat and understand how to operate in rough seas. I've been running boats in big water including LSC, Erie, Michigan, Huron since I was a boy and everytime I'm caught in some crazy weather I find myself still learning everytime out. Ive had saltwater guys in my boat on LSC, Mullet, Burt and Huron and they were shocked at how nasty these lakes can get.
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