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Northeast Michigan fishing will be similar this year witch was very
good last year.
Atlantic Salmon
The
Atlantics provided some great fishing last year. As soon as the ice
is out and soon as I can get out ( sping weather can be tough ) I
put on the bodybaits and go to my hot spots. Hooking them is easier
then landing. We in the Roger City area get a good number of the
Atlantic from the planting from the Soo. I believe they are here
because of the bait fish we still have.
Brown Trout
The last two years the DNR has planted larger Brown (
10”+ ) in the fall to boost this fishery. Last fall showed a good
harvest of mature fish. Let’s hope they stay around for the
spring.
Walleye
In 2010 the Northeast area saw good to great walleye
catches in May and June, and really fantastic walleye fishing, with
better than averaged sized walleyes in Thunder Bay Last summer, for
the first time the fishing was good during the day, not just at
night.". As you went north the walleyes where mix in with other fish
caught. After June the walleye pulled out. To the best of the DNR's
knowledge, the walleye moved offshore to feed off smelt in the main
basin. Most of the walleye caught from Lake Huron will be within the
two to six pound range. ( Yes the smelt are coming back )
Salmon
Lake Huron Salmon is good to poor. However, the
further north in the Rogers City area up to around Detour, the
salmon fishing has generally been better. Salmon also are becoming
more self-sustaining, which the DNR learned around 2005 when making
surveys. The DNR now knows that 80-90 percent of the salmon are
wild, and close to half of the lake trout out there this year are
wild. The best thing about this “new” Salmon fishery it is not only
a deep water troll any more. They can be found out of temp looking
for feed.
Lake Trout
Lake trout are expected to have a good year. The
early season shallow water fishing for lake Trout will be real good
like It has been the past few years. And as the summer progresses,
like the walleyes in late June, the lake trout will go farther off
shore too where they'll eat smelt." This year the size of Lake trout
has been reduced to 24” or less with one over 36” north of Adams
point ( MH1 ) I have also added Presque Isle as one of my Lake Trout
ports for those who would like to keep larger Lake Trout. The DNR
has found the year classes in wild lake trout have gotten big since
the alewives collapsed in 2003.
Steelhead
In 2010 the
lake had a nice rise in the steelhead catch, especially in the
northeast. Last year catch rate for steelhead rose back to a high
level during last summer with Steelhead being 1/3 of my total catch
at times. As of this writing Alpena will be getting 22,500 and
Rogers city 20,500 steelhead.
Most of my charters are not targeted to one type of fish, ( except
Walleye ) In the spring as soon as the ice is out ( mid
April ) I will fishing the Atlantics and Browns and when Lake
Trout opens May 1 they will become part of my catch. As the
season moves on the Atlantics and Browns become less of the catch
and Steelhead and Salmon ( with walleye mixed in ) be come more
common. When summers fade Salmon, Steelhead and Lake Trout will be
the mix. When I do target walleye it is in Thunder Bay and Inland
Lake and there is always a chance that other fish will hit. The
boats ready, I’m ready, just waiting for the weather to cooperate.
Look for my
reports as the season progresses. Captain Rick Colonna
TLC Charters
4-17-11
Ocquoec River
It received its annual plant this
past week of 22000 steelhead. They
got away bird free. The good news
here is that we have had rain and
the river system is up. Anglers
have been hitting the river pretty
hard. This weekend I have finally
seen a few steelhead and some bright
silver fish so the run is
beginning. Anglers are using mostly
spawn drifted under a bobber. Some
are also using small spinners and
lures. The spawn under the bobber
seems to be the best. They are
mostly river hopping to deeper holes
in the river. As the next couple of
weeks moves forward things should
only improve with more silver fish
coming in from the lake to spawn.
Rogers City
Everything is open and ice free as
far as docks and fishing areas. The
docks are also in. The weather here
has been a real issue. Lots of wind
boat anglers haven’t really been
able to test the waters yet. There
is lots of brown water from the
river system so anglers fishing from
the breakwall should be able to
catch some browns or atlantics once
the weather clears up some. Try
casting small spoons and body baits
in chartruse and silver orange and
silver, fire tiger pattern and blue
and silver. I did work one day of
nice weather and had over 12 anglers
looking for fish but no one was very
successful. The water is just a tad
cool yet but I expect the next warm
spell things will be picking up.
Boat anglers should troll the brown
water if its out front of the marina
or towards swan bay and calcite.
Until next week tight lines good
luck fishing and be sure to hold
onto your hat this week.
4-10-11
Spring I think has finally sprung or at
least its working on it. The rains and
thunderstorms we had over night Saturday
night and into Sunday will really help
in moving the steelhead into the river
systems especially Ocqueoc. It should
also break up in remaining ice in Lake Huron
and hopefully melt the remaining
ice at Rogers City marina so that anglers
can get out with boats and start
targeting browns and atlantics off the wall
casting.
Ocquoec River
Its been slow a steelhead here and there.
The weather has been cold and no rain
to bring run off to trigger the steelhead
run in this river yet. A different
story definitely for this next week. Stay
tuned. The few steelies taken were
caught using fresh spawn bags drifted below
a bobber. Some casted with small
spinners and body baits but with no
results. After the rain Sat night and into
Sunday I expect things to really pick up
over the next couple of weeks.
Rogers City
Its been iced in and I have not been doing
any creel here yet. With the rains
and storms Saturday night and sunday it
looks as though it should be fishable by
Tuesday and hopefully by the week boat
anglers can get out. Anglers should cast
with small spoons and bodybaits off the
wall. Good colors to try are chartruse
and silver, green and silver, fire tiger,
and blue and silver. Atlantics and
browns should be showing up very soon and
fish the brown water as it is slightly
a degree warmer.
4-3-11
Its back to work
for me and back to updating with fish
reports on a weekly
basis. I will be covering the Ocqueoc River
system for the month of April
along with Rogers City and then back to
Rogers City and Presque Isle for the
remains of the season. The cold weather is
still here and the ice is pretty
much has the whole area englufed yet. The
river systems are open but very low
in water. We need some warmer weather and
rain to bring the river systems up
and to also draw in the steelhead
epspecially into the Ocquoec river system.
Rogers City
Ice all over the marina is still iced in
solid and now where to fish or nothing
at this point. If we get the rain and all
the weather is saying well hopefully
by next week things will have opened up. As
soon as it does expect to take
browns and atlantics both off the break wall
and trolling.
Ocquoec River
It is pretty much open and anglers have been
fishing but with no luck. The
water is low and very cold. We need some
warmer weather and rain to kick the
season off for there. Anglers are mostly
drifting with a tiny bit of weight and
spawn.
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