Old Fishing Reports
Organized by date, in reverse order

One word:  BUCKTAILS.

Everyone we talk to says that bucktails are the best thing going right now, especially copper and brass.  We've sold a ton of the Cat's Tails, and have had several requests for Double Cowgirls.  Run them high, 2 ounces, 80-100 feet back.

Email from Bill B:  Thought you guys may want a little more info on last Saturday’s fishing (7/12/08). My partner and I took five nice fish on the South shore out of Belle River.  All fish were taken on Tuff Shads and Artifacts.  The biggest fish were 46”-48” and my partner Scott took a Super Tanker at 56 inches and over 40 pounds! All fish released to fight again.

Got a call on a 55" and a 53" picked up Saturday on the South Shore.  Artifact Perch WB, running high, 30-1

Not much has changed, except the fish are finally beginning to go now.  The water is still clear with lots of floating weeds on the US side.  Look for the off color water.  We got good reports coming in this last week from the dumps.  Stick with the small baits - some guy reported he was slammin' them on the 5-6" jointed - and stick with the unusual color patterns (although we've had reports of St. Lawrence and Walleye picking up several recently).  The storms we have coming in today should stir things up a bit.  We'll keep you posted as things change.

Update from Bill: Picked up a nice fish today in the Northern end of the dumps, on a Fire Tiger jointed Loke, corner rod , 4 & 25.   There were a ton of fish along the whole Eastern side of the dumps. The fish seem pretty fat for this time of year - must have been feasting on those silver bass!

The lake is still clear water, but now with floating weeds.  We fished the north end of the dumps, running all small baits.  Our setup was 2 & 30.  Hot colors: Pretty Baby, Red Head Carp, Northern Sucker, and St. Lawrence.  Went 5 for 7.  Got reports of fish starting to go on the South Shore around Red Barn.  The water temp is still below 70 due to the clean water and the recent colder nights.

A good friend reported that the Ministry is being really tough on violations.  We were told that if you're caught over rods, you will not receive a monetary fine.  Instead, they're taking EVERYTHING (meaning all the rods in the water, not just those over) and giving you a court date.  Furthermore, if you don't have a receipt for the minnows, they take those, too.  Fish legal: 2 rods per person, and you must have your license with you.

June 21, 2008

Here's the good gossip on fishing (from the last LSCMI meeting):  stick with small jointed baits; guys reported that Wileys, Lappers, ZBaits, and Producers seem to be working best.  Use the off colors - like those with black bellies; Helin & Helin Scale; anything with silver.  Tuck in as close as you can & look for the off-color water.  The Bay has a little warmer water, and a little better fishing if you can get up there. 

There's a big pack of fish reported in the hole off 9 Mile (and along the other Mile Roads), from the weedline to about 17 foot of water.  The fish will probably be there for 2-3 weeks, but last Saturday they just weren't biting.  Around mid July the pack will probably move to midlake.

The cold front has passed through, and we've got scattered t-showers predicted for this week.  Hopefully this will get those fish biting.  A few people have emailed, concerned that VHS was the problem again.  We think it's the overabundance of baitfish that's making the muskie more picky right now.  There's tons of silver bass out there, and the muskie have the pick of what they want to eat.

This weekend was mostly tough all over, although we had some customers report excellent numbers off the 400 Club on small baits (like Gotchas and Wileys).  That seems to be your best bet at this point - the small jointed lures.  Try your off-color lures (like reds) and those with dark bellies.  Hot setup: 2 & 25 on the board.  Look for the off-color water because that's where the bait fish are.

June 10, 2008

Yesterday ended up being a bust for most people.  The fishing seemed to have shut down by late morning.  We went out in the evening, and went 1-2, but it was a small one.  Caught it on a Wiley Red Sucker, inside board, 2 & 25.  The other fish on was a Producer, $9 Bass, inside board, 3 & 15.

We got similar reports from across the lake - It was pretty slow all over the lake.  One guy boated a nice fish on a custom 8" Nils jointed, Eddie Sucker, 2 & 25.  The water is mostly clear, temp is about 66 degrees.  The weeds are growing in tight, and we were fishing with 15-20 mph winds all day yesterday.

Suggestions for today:  find the off color water where the bait fish are stacked up.  Try your odd color baits: bass and silver should work well.  We got 3 calls before 11am today saying the fishing is awful.  Good luck if you go out.

The first day of muskie season, and our phones have been ringing off the hook about how great the fishing is today!  The muskie gods have smiled favorably on the fishermen on Lake St. Clair today so far....or maybe it's the moon phase or the stormy weather!

Either way, the fish are stacked up in Anchor Bay.  We've also gotten reports of fish coming out of the Thames and along the Mile Roads early this morning.  We're supposed to have storms come through later, and we already have dirty water, so the fishing is expected to pick up even more later tonight and tomorrow.

We're heading out in a few hours, so we'll keep you updated on what works for us. 

May 15, 2008

The walleye are going good in the river. 
It should really pick up as soon as the nights start getting warmer.

Muskie Season is just around the corner!

October 1, 2007

There's still a nice pack of fish out in front of Red Barn.  Fish are being taken from the Thames River to C-Ball along the South Shore... all on big baits now. 

10" Nils Invincible and Ziggies seem to be working the best.  Stick with darker colors like Black Perch, Dirty Belly Perch, and Lawton. Hot set up: 2 & 20.

**Exclusive inside note** We're getting jointed 10" Nils in this December!

With the cooler nights, the lake temperature is cooling down.  It's about 65 degrees, which means you should begin to slow down your trolling speed.  We usually troll around 3.5 in the Fall.

We've been busy fishing, but the conditions haven't really changed much.  We thought they were beginning to make the switch to the bigger baits, but then they change their mind again.  The big boys, like Ziggies and the 8" and 10" Nils should start going any time now.  Try throwing some out when you go, and see what happens. 

We went out this morning for several hours around Red Barn, and got 3 for 5, all during the major.  Hot lures today: Loke Northern Sucker jointed and 8" Nils Dark Frog WB.  Our best setup: 3 and 30.

July 28, 2007

We've been out several times, and it's hard this year to narrow down what those fish want!  Right now the hot area is in the middle of the lake, SW of the weather buoy.  The water is off color, about 71 degrees; not too many weed there.   The bait fish are all over the place!  We mark the graph in solid colors...and the size of the muskie on the graph are amazing!

We just got setup Thursday afternoon, and lost a big one off the boards.  Within a half hour we had a 51# in the boat.  We didn't even get the rods back out, and another monster hit - pulled that one all the way up to the boat, and he let go at the back of the boat.

We were running mostly the smaller baits: Wileys, small Z-Baits, and Loke jointed.  Our board rods were setup with 4 & 60 and 4 & 40.  Our hot colors of the day was Dark Frog WB and St. Lawrence.

July 15, 2007

Went out Saturday, and anyone who was out there will tell you it was rough - we had 5 footers at one point.  Eventually, though, it laid down.  We ended up 1 for 2, but that wasn't too bad considering we were only out for a few hours in the late afternoon... and on the Canadian side, that meant only 3 rods for us.

We fished the south shore around Red Barn, and by the Belle River.  The water was off color, about 71 degrees; didn't have too many weed there.  At first, we marked bait fish like there was no tomorrow, but later in the evening we stopped marking.

Hot colors: St. Lawrence and Olive Frog YB and setup: 3 and 30

Heard reports that the middle of the lake was HOT, but we had the kid and the dog with us, and it was just too "ruff" for them, so we stuck closer to the hot spots by the shore.

July 11, 2007

Bill tells us that he just returned from a HOT suntan weekend over on St. Clair. They only fished in the morning because of the heat.  Went 7 for 13, and the largest was 44".

Hot lures: Paper Eyed Wileys 5 1/2" in pike scale and brown perch WB.
Hot setup: 35 & 2
Hot location: Fish all came in front of the Red Barn from 11.8 to 14.9 feet of water.

Thanks Bill!

July 8, 2007

We were out of town for a few days feeding the machines in Vegas, but we did get a few good fishing reports.

Scott tells us that he did really well this past week in the Red Barn area on small jointed Z-Baits in Black Perch.

Bill was out for 4 days last week and went 9 for 15 (got a 50"er) from Stoney Point to the Thames in 15' of water.  Their hot baits were Wiley Brown Perch YB, Red Sunset Carp YB, and Artifact Special Perch YB.

July 2, 2007

We went out on Friday, checking out the middle of the lake because the whole south shore was weeded up due to the north winds the previous few days.  The middle of the lake was unsuccessful for us (we caught some beautiful bass on Z-Baits though!), but it should be turning on any time. We've heard reports of fish being picked up at the dumping grounds.  It will take about 3 days for the south shore to clean up. 

We got a good report from some of our customers that they did really well during the major on Saturday. He says they had no hits during the day until the major; then they had a few good rips, and ended up boating a 47", 25+ pounds!  He tells us they were trolling at 4.5mph, running off the boards with no weight, 60-80 feet back.  His hot lures were the small Wileys in perch and walleye, and the big fish hit on a bucktail.  Thanks to Harry & Jason for that update!

For this coming week, Capt. Mike suggests you could try the dumps.  Jointed baits have been working really well, and we've heard that bucktails are hot.  Good colors: $9 Bass, St. Lawrence, and Walleye.

Just got another report from a good friend:  They were out Saturday, too, and did really well right out front, on the American side, near 9 Mile, on the inside of the channel.  There's some weedbeds there, and that's where they're hiding.  He went 3 for 3 Saturday night, and pulled in a 46", 26#.  His hot colors: $9 Perch WB Paper Eye Wiley, Fire Tiger Producer, Cobra Perch WB Zing, and a small bait called a "Dick Muskie Lure".   

June 28, 2007

We fished the SOM tournament for the MOMC today, went 1 for 2 on a large jointed Z-Bait $9 Bass, 1 ounce @ 35 feet.  We fished C-Ball; the water was off color, no weeds.  We had reports of a LOT of weeds east of C-Ball, toward Red Barn.  Heard good reports of big fish caught from the middle of the lake.

Hottest colors: $9 Bass, Carp, Dark Frog, and Cobra Perch.  Stick with the larger jointed baits - they're going now.

We're heading out tomorrow to the middle of the lake (late afternoon/evening).  It's supposed to be a full moon and one of the best fishing days in June, according to the solunar tables (see below).  Besides the normal stuff, we're going to try out our new Ziggies, the new custom color 8" Nils, and the new Glitter Bitches.  We'll let you know how things go.

Based on the moon phases, majors, and minors, we predict that Friday and Saturday, June 29 and 30 (full moon!) will be the best days left to fish in June.  For Friday, we recommend fishing either 6:30am-2:30pm or 12:30pm-9:00pm.  For Saturday, go either 7:30am-3:30pm or 1:30pm-10:00pm.  Those time slots catch the major AND minor for each day.  We're going out fishing during both evening slots.

June 24, 2007

We fished the dumps to Belle River yesterday, went 1 for 5. 
The best set up was jointed Z-Bait $9 Bass, 2 and 35, outside board. Other hot baits: straight Loke: Helin Scale WB and 18cm Nils: Carp. Water was slightly off color, few floating weeds, temp about 66 degrees.  We heard of a big fish 53", 36# off the Belle River.

For this coming week, we'll be checking out Red Barn because there's still a lot of bait fish out there, and deep off Nine Mile.  The hot temperatures predicted for early in the week should bring up the surface temp of the water, which should help the fishing to pick up.  Color suggestions for this week: $9 Bass, Pike Scale, and Frog patterns.

June 9, 2007

We've had good reports of fish being caught from Huron Point and the 400 Club.  We know of 3 fish over 30# caught in those areas this past week. The bigger straights like Z-Bait Divers, 20cm Nils, and Grandma's seem to be working very well so far, in mostly yellow belly patterns. 

June 5, 2007

Well, the '07 season has begun!  The MOMC had their first tournament opening season.  We heard good reports from across the lake.  The hottest spots seemed to be the Thames River, the dumping grounds, and Huron Point.  A friend of ours picked up a 31# off Huron Point on a Lawton Z-Bait Diver.  Other hot colors this weekend were frogs and perches.

They tell us they're doing very well on the walleye at the 400 Club, and we still have no reports of any floating muskie.

May 13, 2007

Everyone's out working hard on getting their boats ready for the season. 
On that note, here are some things to consider before the season starts:

• Muskie season on Lake St. Clair opens the first Saturday in June (6/2/07)

• Make sure your lines are new (the old ones get brittle and you might lose that monster!)

• Check for holes in your fishing nets (zip ties work well for quick repairs)

• Check your hooks & baits.  Sharpen hooks and replace baits that need it.

• Check for cracks in your rods & make sure the eyelets are secure.  Even a small crack can cause the rod to snap on a big catch.

• Restock/repair your safety equipment - life jackets, flares, first aid kit, etc.

• Don't forget to get a fishing license!

Other than that, we've heard the walleye are going really well in the river. 

And, on a happy note, we've gotten NO reports of any floating muskie!

April 4, 2007

Here's the news you've all been waiting for, but I'm sorry it's not all good news. 
Two rods will happen...but not until January 1, 2008. 

Here are the official documents (both PDFs):
~ Ontario's Fishing Regulation Changes Delayed
~ Changes to Bass & Walleye Fishing Regulations

Thanks to our good friend, Bill, and to Capt. Terry from Rampage Charters for getting us the information so fast!

The next MOMC meeting is May 23.  We'll be there...  Why don't you join us?

March 31, 2007

Everyone wants to know about 2 things:  2 rods in Canada, and VHS/transporting fish.

On the 2 rods - our Canadian sources say it WILL happen, but nobody knows when.

On VHS - Bob Wyffles, President of the MOMC, has been talking with the DNR and the MNR, and they need your help.  If you see an area where there's a large die-off, they ask if you could take a digital photo.  Email the photo and the location information to ThomasMV@michigan.gov

On the transportation of live fish across borders:  If you are going to use minnows in Canada, you have to buy them in Canada, and keep the receipt with you while you fish.  For tournament fishing, they hope that there will be a tournament exemption, but it's likely not to go through until Fall or later.  Until then, the law states that you cannot take a live fish caught on one side to the other side.  However, there seems to be some questions about the enforcement of this law for fish caught & transported from one side or the other on Lake St. Clair.  The law was originally intended to stop the transfer of VHS from one lake to another lake.  For now, we recommend following the law as it is; changes are likely to be coming in the near future.  Email us or call if you would like to know more.

One last note on Canadian fishing:  make sure you have NO open containers of alcohol on deck while in Canadian waters - even empty ones.  You can have booze in the cabin, but if anything is out on the deck (even empty) you can be boarded, and they will search the cabin.  The captain is the one who will receive the fine.  We heard that the Canadian officials will be out in force this summer, so be wary.

All this information comes from the MOMC meeting.  The next meeting is May 23.  We'll be there...  Why don't you join us?

February 26, 2007

RE 2 rods in Canada:
Mike sent us this information he received in an email from the Canadian MNR:

So, based on this information, it looks like the 2-rods are a GO...but we just don't know when yet.  Thanks Mike!

Our friend Joe recommended a website, and we'd like to pass the information along to you.  Check out www.FishMichigan.net.  Among other things, they have a forum board, and you can get the most up-to-date ice fishing reports there.  It's not just for Michigan, either, so you might find reports for other areas as well.

February 23, 2007

We've been getting some good ice fishing reports, and they all say that the ice is good, and the fishing is good!

Our friend Joe recommended a website, and we'd like to pass the information along to you.  Check out www.FishMichigan.net.  Among other things, they have a forum board, and you can get the most up-to-date ice fishing reports there.  It's not just for Michigan, either, so you might find reports for other areas as well.

We still haven't heard about the 2 rods in Canada ruling yet, but we'll be sure to let you know as soon as we hear something. Mike R. sent us this information: Lake St. Clair will become a part of Zone 19.  I have not seen any mention of going to 2 rods on the OMNR website.  So, we called the MNR in Ontario (800-667-1940).  They provided us with this link to the "Latest News": http://mnr.gov.on.ca/. We asked about the 2-rod ruling, and the lady told us that they're supposed to make a ruling on it in March.  Thanks, Mike, for helping to keep us informed!

February 5, 2007

We haven't heard about the 2 rods in Canada ruling yet, but we heard that it WILL likely pass sometime in the future...as soon as the Canadian government gets the money.  We also know that you're not allowed to carry live bait over the border anymore because of the VHS disease.

If you haven't noticed, the cold weather is here, and the lake is cold!  A lot of guys are fishing the marinas in the bays.  The business at the local bait shops have picked up.  We've been busy with the up-coming Nils order, and haven't been able to get out on the ice.  If you have a fishing report, send it to us, and we'll post it here.

January 23, 2007

The Ultimate Fishing Show was a BLAST!  We appreciate everybody who stopped by to talk to us - we even got to meet Pete Maina!  Click here if you want to see pictures.

In other news:
We just got a report today that there is ice (finally) on the lake, up near Algonac.

We haven't heard about the 2 rods in Canada ruling yet, but we have heard that you're not allowed to carry live bait over the border anymore, and the live bait shops in Canada won't be carrying minnows anymore, either.

Well, another season has ended, and the late Fall was outstanding for those who could get out.
Nils were the hottest bait in the Fall - as always!

We would like to wish everybody Happy Holidays, and sweet dreams of your next monster muskie. 

We'll see you at the Ultimate Fishing Show in Novi (Jan 12-15).

On Sunday, Dwain sent us this fishing report:
We were down on St Clair and the Thames (Ontario side) yesterday. It looked as if the entire lake was brown.
Water visibility was terrible, floating logs, branches, etc. Weeds had to be pulled from the lures every couple of minutes. Managed to hook one but we lost it.
Thanks for the report!

September 30, 2006

Thursday, we fished the mouth of the Detroit River, on the Canadian side.  The water was about 59 degrees, off color, few floating weeds.  Wind out of the North, about 10-15 mph.  The cold front came through and shut the fishing down in the late afternoon. 

We fished between 6-12 feet of water.  We went 4 for 4 (with a big sturgeon!). 
Black sucker was a hot color, all white bellies.
-down rod, 1# 7ft 
-long down - 4 oz 20ft 
-board rods - 2 oz 30ft

We're expecting warmer temperatures the beginning of this week, followed by another cold front.  So it looks like it might be a good beginning of the week, depending on the winds.  All big baits 'til the end of the season. 

We fished Sunday - started at the red & white can, out from the Thames, in about 14 ft of water.  The water temperature was 65 degrees with a few floating weeds; off color.  We fished into the corner, and as the day went on the weeds got worse.  We went 3 for 4 - the biggest fish was about 20#.    Our setups: corner rod=4 oz, 10 ft and board rod=4 oz, 40 ft.  All fish were caught on large baits:  Sucker, Perch, and Carp patterns.  We didn't hear of any big fish caught on Sunday.

September 11, 2006

We fished Sunday near the Firecracker.  The winds were north at about 10 mph. The water was slightly off color with a few floating weeds. Water temp was 68 degrees.

We went 2 for 5, all on boat rods - all on 10" Nils.  Nils Sucker on the downrod 10', 1# was a hot setup.  We got reports from other fishermen that there are weeds along the south shore.  Very few fish are reported being caught recently. 

It's supposed to rain for the next few days, so that means that there will be some off color water coming out of the Thames.  As long as the weeds clear out, that would be a good place to fish - depending on the winds, of course.

August 21, 2006

The middle of the lake is still producing fish - the best time is at dark.  Some fish are also being picked up on the south shore.  One hot spot is by the red & white can, by the Thames. 

The nights are getting colder, and tonight it's supposed to go down to 57 degrees, which will start dropping the water temperature.  Due to high winds on Sunday, there are a lot of floating weeds throughout the lake; it should take a few days for it to straighten out.

For those of you who have 8" Nils, those are producing a lot of fish right now.  Unfortunately, we're almost out of stock on those, and we've heard that Nils are hard to come by again.  We've also heard reports of some fish being picked up on the 10" Nils (which we have only a few left...), and due to the cooler water temps, it's time to begin running the bigger baits like these.

Hot colors: Black Perch, Carp, and Blue Back Perch WB

August 11, 2006

We went out last night for a few hours by the dumps.  It started blowing pretty good, winds changed around out of the east, and it got a little rough. We heard reports that they were picking up some nice fish in the middle of the lake.

Hot baits now: Small Nils (8") & bucktails.  Lighten it up to 2 & 25.

The water is slightly off color @ 71 degrees, with weeds close to the mouth of the river.

August 1, 2006

Updated fishing report from David:

I went out on Mon. July 31, and the Canadian side of the lake was full of floating weeds. Weather buoy, behind the St. Clair light, deep off the Belle, and the Barn. Seemed everywhere we fished was a workout.

Thanks, David!

July 21, 2006

Some of you have been asking about bait sizes, and when to use each size.  Here's what Capt Mike has to say about it:

Some of the larger baits (like 8" Lokes and 8" Nils) are going now - and a lot of the big fish are being caught on them. But normally they start going when the water starts going down in temperature, right around September usually. The 10" Nils is the main bait in the Fall around here, and they start going the end of September.

Mike says to note that the key to fishing with bigger baits is to slow down your trolling speed to around 3.6

If you have any more questions about baits sizes or colors, just email us or call - We'll be happy to help you out!

We fished this weekend in the middle of the lake around the weather buoy.  The water was mostly clear - no waves, no wind, and HOT!  We didn't get into the weeds until Sunday afternoon.  Our biggest fish was 46" on Saturday.  Sunday was slow.

Hot colors going this weekend:  Blue Back Perch and Carp, 2 ounces at 20 feet.  The water temp is about 73 degrees.  A lot of large fish were being caught this weekend.  We know of one boat that caught a 52" muskie (and returned it to the lake). 

We hope to get out there this week again, depending on the weather.  The fishing should be excellent from Sea Marker to the Belle River.

On the 4th the wind turned around out of the NNW, and that slowed the fishing up again.

We've been getting reports of some bigger fish being picked up on the middle of the lake by the weather buoy, and the middle of the lake has some floating weeds.  Red Barn still seems to be holding some fish, too. 

The water temp is about 70 degrees now. Look for off color water - that's where you'll find the fish.  Haven't seen a lot of consistency for what bait colors are hotter than others, but white belly anything seems to be a good starting choice.  And Blue Back Perch and Dark Frog have seen a lot fish recently, from what we've heard.  Thanks to everyone who has been sending us their reports - Keep 'em coming!

June 30, 2006

We headed out this afternoon around 3:00 with a partly cloudy sky, and a nice breeze from the WSW.  We headed toward Canadian waters, just east of Red Barn.

Almost immediately we had a fish on - not a very big one - but after the "drought", I was happy to have even a small one!  During the major today (4:30ish) we ended up 4 for 5 - and the one that got away was a fighter!  He pulled out tons of line, and then just as quick, let it go.  The wind switched direction about 6:00 or so, and the fishing dead stopped.

Anyway, the ones we boated came on white belly lures: 1 was a Blue Back Perch large Z-Bait, and the other 3 were jointed Loke: walleye, $9 Bass, and blue frog.  We were in 16 foot of water, and varied everything from 2 & 30 to 4 & 15.

The water is finally getting warmer, about 67 degrees, and a little off color.

June 29, 2006

Another Lake St. Clair update from our buddy, Bill:

Spent 3 + days out on St Clair this past weekend.  Numbers were down
compared to previous years.  We had two days of cloudless skies and north
winds and struggled.  One cloudy day where we popped 5 fish.

Did manage to catch 8 including some real good ones (50, 49 and 47).
Terminators, Tuff Shads and Believers trolled at 5 MPH over 16' of water.

Capt Mike says the water is slowly warming up - still about 65 degrees.  Despite the colder water and unusual weather, we've gotten additional reports that some fish are still being picked up at about 14' of water, between the mile roads.  The large Z-Baits have been running well for some of the charter captains we've talked to.

June 27, 2006

Lake St. Clair update from our buddy, Bill:

Capt. Mike says: go more toward Red Barn, closer to the American waters, or head over to Stoney Point.

If the weather holds, we're heading out on Wednesday afternoon/evening, so hopefully we'll have something more to report then.

June 26, 2006

Well, we didn't get out this weekend, unfortunately.  You know how life tends to get in the way of fishing.  One of the things we did was visit John, and bought some 8" Loke.  Anyway, we've heard reports that the fishing is picking up a little bit, especially over by the Thames.  That north wind, though, is keeping the water temp down, and the muskie still aren't going like they normally do.

I got an email this morning that says:

Blue back perch was going yesterday at 60' and clean off the boards out by the weather buoy.

Ran into a guy that bought (Mordas) Minnows from you this week and he was happy because he got 47" on the blue back perch he bought from you.

So, there you have it.  That's all I have for now; hoping to get out this week and actually catch something worth writing about.

June 19, 2006

We got some new software that's supposed to predict the best times to go fishing, based on variables like date, lunar phases and weather.  I worked for a long time to find a good way to display the information on the fishing report, but it's just too cumbersome (which is probably why nobody else does it either!)  So instead, I've posted the majors for June for now.  Capt Mike says that's the best info anyway.

In the meantime, not much has changed on the lake.  It's still colder than usual, and the fish still aren't biting like we wish they would.  This coming weekend is a "new moon", and Saturday and Sunday are predicted to be the best fishing times all month.  We'll be out front this weekend, so give us a call on the radio (channel 80, "Don't Ask") - we'll let you know how we're doing.

June 15, 2006

It's tough out there, folks.  The cooler weather and colder water temps have made for some sparse muskie fishing.  With a wind switch and some warmer temps, we headed out front this evening to see what we could do.  We made some wide circles over points marked around the 8-9 Mile range.  We had a lot of hits, and one big one on, but nothing boated.  We heard a few fish were caught during the major today, but not much was going on for anyone later in the evening. 

There weren't any particular colors that were hotter than others.  More than one person announced on the radio that they were getting hits on uncommon color patterns.  Ours hit on Lokes & ZBaits: Walleye, Nite Rider, $9 Bass, and Black Perch. We were running 2 ounces @ 30 feet, and 1 ounce @ 40 feet.  They hit on both the board rods and the corner rod.

The water temp was right around 61 degrees, calm and clear.  There was almost no wind tonight.

Tomorrow they predict warmer temps and another wind switch, so we may head back out front to see if that does any good.  Hot weather and thunderstorms predicted for Father's Day weekend looks promising.

June 3, 2006

OPENING DAY, and we were out on the lake fishing the MOMC tournament.  In general the entire lake was slow today, and we didn't get any better reports from the Canadian side either.  We went 3 for 5, and the biggest one was 20#.  We got all our hits on straight Lokes - and dark frog wb was a hot one today.  Our first muskie of the season came on a custom Loke blue back wb perch.  Good setup: 1oz, 40 ft on the board rod.

The weather was strange today!  First it was hot, then it got windy and cold and rainy.  Someone reported hail, although we managed to avoid that spot.   We fished the 400 Club to Grosse Pointe in 12-14 feet of water, about 61 degrees.  Some areas of floating weeds, but overall the water was clear sparkling blue!  We marked a lot of bait fish because of the recent fish fly hatch, which was early this year.

We're going out again tomorrow for the last day of the tournament.  BTW - the only valid fish in the tournament so far was almost 30# - and yes it was successfully released! 

May 26, 2006

Muskie Season opens this year on June 3rd. 
In preparation, we're expecting to get in a shipment of the 20cm/8" Nils Master Lures.  They're supposed to be here within a week.  They'll be available in factory and custom colors.

We went to the General Membership Meeting of the MOMC, and heard some of the information about the floaters in LSC.  Here's what was said at the meeting:

• According to the DNR, one of the causes of the dead muskie is the weather - the warmer water as a result of the colder nights and warmer days.  Plus the easterly blows are moving the fish all along the shoreline, making it seem like there's more dead fish in one area. 

• The muskie population in LSC is estimated at 30 to 50 thousand, and about 1% of the muskie population die every year.  This is normal - the weak die off!  It was also noted that this year wasn't as bad as 3 years ago, when there were a LOT of floaters.

• The DNR can't test the dead fish because they're DEAD, but most of the muskie in the lake are infected with the muskie pox - they're carriers, and don't show the signs.

• The good news: someone said the DNR tested the muskie recently in LSC.  They tested 40 muskie in 2 days, and said they were the healthiest they've ever seen!  There was no mention of toxic waste.
   

Well, that's all for now.  We're countin' down the days with ya!

May 16, 2006

With all the rain, there is going to be a lot of floating hazards in the lake, so be careful out there.

The good news is our Nils order came!  We sold out of all of the 20 cm with the preorders, but we're working on getting more for you.  They tell us they're supposed to be in before the season opens.  We still have some of the 25 cm left.

New for this year:  Gamma flourocarbon leader material!  We tested it all of last year and it's great!

Everybody is getting ready, and so are we.  New lure lines are coming in with lots of LSC exclusives and due to popular demand, we've added gift certificates to our product line!  Be sure to check back, as we have a few more lines we're still going to add.

April 28, 2006

It's getting close - only a month or so left!  We got the boat in the water just a few days ago.  It was beautiful weather last week, but a little colder and dreary this week.  Hoping for some good weather this weekend so we can do our shake down cruise.

The big news of the week is that we got a confirmation that the Nils order should be in on Tuesday, May 2.  We only have about 50 of the large Invincibles left available for pre-order, so get yours today!

There have been several reports of dead muskie floating in the lake.  The DNR reports that it's nature taking its course - natural kill off.

You may have noticed that we added 3 new bait lines: Hookers, Muskie Train (Mordas Minnows), and Tuff Shad.  As of today, only the Minnows have come in so far, but the other 2 lines are due to get here any day.  We're also working on getting a few more lines, hopefully Believers.

March 26, 2006

Well, it's almost that time -- Muskie time!!

The Jumbo Z-Baits are finally out!  Click here to see our Jumbo Z-Bait selection.  They are about the size of the 25cm Invincible Nils - and everybody we know is out of stock on the Nils!  We're still working on trying to get those Nils back in stock.  Check back closer to the end of this week to see if there's any news.

Next month a lot of people will be uncovering their boats. Here are some things to consider before the season starts:

• Muskie season on Lake St. Clair opens the first Saturday in June (6/3/06)

• Make sure your lines are new (the old ones get brittle and you might lose that monster!)

• Check for holes in your fishing nets (zip ties work well for quick repairs)

• Check your hooks & baits.  Sharpen hooks and replace baits that need it.

• Check for cracks in your rods & make sure the eyelets are secure.  Even a small crack can cause the rod to snap on a big catch.

• Restock/repair your safety equipment - life jackets, flares, first aid kit, etc.

• Don't forget to get a fishing license!

• That's all I can think of for now...Got an idea to add to this list?  Email it to me! =)

Other misc notes of interest: Haven't heard about 2 rods in Canada for 2006.  Had a lot of calls about people bringing their boats in from Huron and Erie to muskie fish.  Heard that the Muskie Inc. have started a Detroit Chapter.

March 19, 2006

We've added some new bait lines - the Cat's Tails and the small Nils - and they're both hot!  Plus we got the Muskie Specials back in stock!  Mike is still working on those Jumbo Z-Baits; they're just waiting to be painted now.  You'll see a sneak picture of them if you check out the "How Z-Baits are Made" section under our "education" link.

We're trying to get our hands on some more of the 25cm Nils Invincibles, but they seem to be out of stock everywhere!  We were told that they weren't being made any more...and someone said Nils was going bankrupt!  We've seen them going on ebay for as much as $40, and heard some muskie shops were charging almost double, but we kept our price the same...and sold ALL of our remaining stock within a few days.  Keep checking back...we're workin' on it.  We'll keep you posted, of course.

If you have a suggestion for a bait line you'd like us to get, or just want to muskie-chat, drop us a line.

January 30, 2006

Not much to report in the way of muskie fishing.  We've been working hard on getting the store stocked for this coming season.  In the next few weeks you can expect to see some more bait lines added, and an expansion of some of our existing lines.  We've got in some bucktails that are HOT, the Z-Bait line will be expanded to include "Jumbo" lures, as well as some special custom painted lures that you can't get anywhere else. 

I don't want to give away too much information yet!  Check back in the store in the upcoming weeks, and see for yourself!  And if there's something we don't have and you want, email me and I'll see if I can get it in!

November 15, 2005

Mark emailed us and wanted to know:
What lure colors and presentations work, if any, trolling in the churned up waters of late due to the winds?
We thought Mark might not be the only one with that question, so I decided to post Capt. Mike's response here.

November 11, 2005

Not much has changed for the late Fall.  Nils are still working really well. 

The hot areas to fish are:  Sturgeon Hole, Delfine, and in front of the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club.  Try up and tight - darker color Nils (Lawton, Silver Sucker, and Brown Bar Perch).

I'm off to the UP for awhile to hunt for those big brown animals, and won't be updating the fishing report as often, until conditions change.  If you'd like some specific words of advice from me, you can call me @ 586-747-3884, or email shop@lscmuskieshop.com and I'll get back to you right away.

October 5, 2005

Nils Nils and more Nils. That's what they want now.

We've been fishing the mouth of the Detroit River, east toward Pike's Creek, and in front of Grosse Pointe, where we can find no weeds in off-color water. ... 6 to 10 feet of water ...still 65 degrees.  The water should be cooling down after this coming weekend.

The hottest setup is 1oz, 10 feet for the board rods and 1#, 4 feet on the downrods.  The hot colors are Brown Bar Perch, Carp, Lawton, YB Helin, and Northern Sucker.

September 21, 2005

Saturday the 17th and this past week - fishing was slow all over.

Sunday we caught a 50" muskie on a factory Nils Chocolate Perch.

Nils Master lures are going now - they're HOT!  In fact, we've sold all of our jointed Nils already, but we still have a great selection of the straights - in factory and custom colors.

We're off for a few days, but you can bet we'll be using Nils out there this weekend.  Keep sending us your reports and photos, and we'll let ya know how it goes this weekend.

September 13, 2005

I have to apologize for the delay in putting up the fishing coordinates.  I have no other excuse except work keeps getting in my way!  Ok, on to our 2 best spots...

Saturday we fished C-Ball.  We had success (but a lot of other people weren't as fortunate).  Our best setup in the morning was a Straight Loke, WB Helin Gold Scale, on the downrod 1# @ 10 feet.  By mid-afternoon, Z-Bait Divers were going (all colors).  Later in the evening, they wanted Nils (everything was going, but our hottest colors were Carp and Walleye).  The best setup on the Z-Bait Divers was 3 & 30, and for the Nils, 2 & 30.

The water was clear to slightly off-color and flat.  There were some floating weeds, but they were no problem.

We're off the water (darn work again!) until Friday, Sept. 16.

Lots of people have been calling, asking where the good fishing spots are.  The problem is fishing has been tough these last few days!  With the funky weather patterns and all the weeds on the lake, finding a "hot spot" has been hard to do.  With gas prices the way they are, maybe we'd all be better off stayin at home & waitin for those Fall muskie.

On Saturday the lake was unfishable; there were floating weeds everywhere.  We did manage to boat one fish on a Nils Bay Perch.

Today was a little bit better, though.  We fished Ruscom.  We went 4 for 12 in eight hours of fishing.  Our biggest one was 44", 20#.  Z-Bait Rocco divers were hot on the downrod tonight, and Z-Baits Carp diver  & St. Lawrence diver were also hot producers tonight.  Good setups were 2 & 30, and 2 & 20, with 1# 10' on the downrod.

And for those of you who've been asking, tomorrow I'll go get the exact coordinates of some of the hot spots on the lake, including The Barn.

August 14, 2005

Saturday the 13th - We went 4 for 12.  We got one on a hot Loke:  St. Lawrence, jointed, standard setup (3 and 30).  The rest were all on divers (2 and 20).

Sunday - Couldn't get a hit on a diver (go figure!).  We were 4 for 7 all day.  Two of them came on a Dark Frog Wiley off the downrod (1# 15 feet).  We also got a 46" muskie on a Loke, $9 Bass, jointed (3 and 30).  It was a slow day for everybody except for Eddie who got a 52 5/8" muskie.  Good job Eddie!

For those who emailed us asking: Red Barn is west of Belle River.  We've been fishing there in 14-15 feet of water.  When we get back from Las Vegas, I'll give you the exact coordinates for The Barn.  See ya Friday!

August 7, 2005

We're still fishing Red Barn.  Same conditions: off color water, surface temp is about 80 degrees, no floating weeds.

Fishing was slow in the morning, but it picked up around 1:00.  We went 2 for 8.  We had a 48" and a 49", and lost a 50"+ fish at the back of the boat.  One was caught on a black and silver bucktail, and the other was on a WB jointed Perch Loke (which has been so hot, we're currently out of).  The 50"+ fish hit on a straight Loke Special Perch on the downrod, 1# @ 10 feet. 

We've heard that Nils #07 Natural Perch has caught a few nice fish on other boats.  Email us and tell us what's going for you, and we'll put it up here and give you the credit for it!

Just a reminder:  There's a one-rod rule in Canada.  They have a new boat:  a brown LUND.

We're off until Wednesday, and we'll probably be at Red Barn again.  Updates as conditions change.

August 1, 2005

The fish are moving east toward Stony Point @ about 15' of water.  The water temp is about 78 degrees, off-color.  We put back a 50-incher today.  It was caught on a $9 perch jointed Loke, on 3 oz @ 30 feet.

Nils are just starting to go.  The last few days we picked up 2 great fish on Nils.  We're running those a little higher - 2oz @ 20 feet.

We've also put our Muskie Specials on sale.  We've got overstock, and need to blow them out to make room for Fall merchandise. 

We have the next two days off, and I'm going Up North to break in my new 4-wheeler.  Go see Glenn @ Mike Riehl's Roseville Powersports if you're looking for a great deal. 

July 26, 2005

We've been fishing the Red Barn area in about 14 feet of water.  The water is off color - some areas with weeds.  Our hottest baits have been jointed Lokes: WB Perch and Walleye.  Good setups - 3 oz @ 30ft and 1 oz @ 12ft. 

The mornings have been the best fishing if you're looking for good quality fish.  Six of the 17 fish we boated yesterday morning ranged from 24-29 pounds.  On the evening trip we boated 9 more, for a total of 26 for the day.

Tuesday's thunderstorms will leave conditions in that area a little messed up, with a predicted 10-20 mph north wind.  Tomorrow we'll be searching for off color water with no weeds, probably around the Basset or out front.  We'll keep you informed about what we find.

July 18, 2005

We've been fishing the middle of the lake.  The water is clean  with no weeds.  There's a lot of bait fish in most areas, and the water is about 77 degrees.

We averaged 12 fish per day this past weekend.  Our biggest fish was 48".  We've been catchin' em on Loke's - both straight and jointed.  Hot colors have been $9 Bass and Sucker.  A good setup for the down rod is 1# @ 10 ft and the board rod is 2# @ 30ft.

July 14, 2005

We're still fishing C-Ball in Canadian waters, the other side of the dumping grounds.  There are still large area of bait fish.  We're averaging 8 fish in a trip (8 hours).  Our best bait recently has been a Z-Bait Carp, with a setup of 2oz @ 20 feet.  Our largest fish today was 25# .

The water is still off-color and the weeds are beginning to show up.  We're probably heading back to C-Ball tomorrow.

July 11, 2005

We're still fishing C-Ball.  The bait is heavy in areas, and we're averaging 12-14 fish a trip (6 hours fishing).  The water is off-color with NO weeds.  The fish are still varying in size; we've seen 8# to over 30#.  We're having success on large Z-Baits, jointed Lokes, and Wileys....every color from St. Lawrence to $9 Perch.  Hot setups have been 2oz @ 20 on the boards, and 1# @ 8ft on the down rod.  The fish are just beginning to get in there, and the fishing is just getting better!

We're off for a day or two, so we'll see you back on the water on Thursday.

July 2, 2005

Sorry to say that the US side is all weeded-up, and probably done until Fall.  It was nice fishing out front - we didn't have to spend a lot of money on fuel.   We put back a 39-pounder, and there's a LOT of big fish still there. 

Fishing is picking up over at C-Ball area behind the dumps.  There are small groups of bait fish, but marking really well. A good setup has been 4 oz, 20 to 40 feet back.  Large Z-Baits are working well:  St. Lawrence, $9 Perch, and the natural colors have been hot lately.

Water is slightly off color, 72 degrees surface temperature. 
We'll be out fishing again tomorrow - You'll probably see us at C-Ball.

June 20, 2005

Today we're over at the Thames in Canada but the bait fish aren't there yet.

The water is about 70 degree.  It's muddy in spots, but clean up toward the wall.  Weeds aren't a problem.

 We're doing well on straight Loke's - WB Perch .  A hot setup is 4oz @ 20 feet, inside board.

In the first few hours, we're 2 for 5 so far today.

June 17, 2005

High NW winds kept us fishing the American side today.  We're fishing 8-10 mile in 14-16 feet of water.  The water is clean but rough, with no weeds.

We're averaging about 8-10 good-sized fish in the last few days.  In our last 3 trips, we got 4 muskie over 48", and 31# was the biggest.

A good setup is 1oz - 50 feet, and 4oz - 40 feet.  They're goin' on Paper-Eye Wileys - Light Frog YB.

This weekend we'll head to the Canadian side.

June 5, 2005

Today we took out Bob Bauer's Camp 2 Fires Crew.  The water was clean, slightly tinted, and about 67 degrees.  We were 4 for 14, with the biggest being 48", caught on a custom-painted blue-back Loke.  We fished east of the Thames River. 

The bait fish have not grouped up, and the nets are not out yet.  Wait for the nets to show up, and that means the fish are schooled up over there, and the muskie fishing should improve in that area.

Muskie season officially opened today, Saturday, June 4, and you can bet that we were out there on the lake fishin' today!  In the morning we had no wind - flat as a pancake!  We ran from 9 Mile & Jefferson all the way over to the Thames River in Canada.  We saw clean water all the way there.  The water temperature was about 62 degrees in the middle of the lake.  We put down in tainted water just the other side of the Thames, at a water temperature of 67 degrees, just on the outside of all the walleye boats. 

Our only success today was on jointed Lokes & Z-Baits.  We were running all perch patterns, white bellies, but got mostly smaller fish.  We fished til 2:00, but then heard reports that the fishing picked up later on in the day.

We're back out there again tomorrow (with Bob Bauer's crew), and we'll update you again as the conditions change.  We're expecting isolate thunderstorms tonight, which is good news - that should get those big fish goin'!