Spring 2015 has Sprung!

We’ve made a slow but relatively smooth transition from Winter to Spring.  There have been none of the dramatic temperature swings or massive thaws that are so common to Michigan Springs.  But over the last few weeks we’ve undeniably crept into the new season.  Recently, schedules aligned with a brief window of (predicted) relative warmth and acceptable river flows and clarity.  I decided to celebrate the beginning of My Spring by going fishing for suckers.  A trip to the Flat River in Lowell was in order; I’d inaugurate my open water fishing season like I have for the last five or so; with worms soaking on the bottom, light rods braced in forked sticks.

I thought I was a little early; there was still some snow on the ground, and I’m sure the water temperatures were still in the 30’s.  So I knew I might get skunked; but last year I felt is if I were too late; and since I could go, I decided that I might as well try!  Plus, my spot usually affords a surprise or two (bonus carp, exceptional numbers, or perhaps a shot at some game fish) every year.

I don’t think I ever caught or even saw a sucker in the Rhode Island waters of my youth (although creek chubs are another story.)  I know certain New Hampshire rivers were flush with them (Saco, Connecticut, Mink Brook, etc.), but I never targeted them specifically.  It wasn’t until I started steelheading here in Michigan (1986) that suckers entered my angling awareness.  My first-ever drift for steelies on the famed Betsie River was intercepted by a nice redhorse; and another angler that day caught a giant pre-spawn pike just downstream from me.  Everybody was there for the steelhead; but that pike was there for the suckers!  Detroit River walleyes, Muskegon River brown trout, Rogue River rainbows, Grand River salmon; all have subsequently morphed into suckers between my hooking and landing them.  Although not specifically targeted, each has been welcome to me.

But it wasn’t until five or six years ago that I settled into the habit of beginning my spring with suckers.  We had spent a pleasant evening at Fallasburg Park (one of our institutionalized Fun Family Friday destinations), and I got to observe a couple of locals partaking in the seasonal sucker fishery.  I wasn’t overly impressed with their beer or litter, but they were catching some fish; and this particular spot had all the elements for some migrating fish to pile up.  The spot got mentally filed away, and what do you know, I fished it with the kids one beautiful afternoon soon thereafter.  I’ve been coming back since.

With my day’s work done, Ollie having been sufficiently walked, worms procured and all else in place, I found myself stream-side at about 3:30 PM.  The specifics of the day are chronicled elsewhere (see below), but I enjoyed a pleasant 90 minutes or so, and I encountered a few fish.  Nothing amazing happened, but it was more-than-nice to finally start the 2015 Open Water Season, especially with some fish actually caught.

Today's set-up; light rod, 6-pound test, a hook, a worm, a couple of split shot and an extendable forked stick.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Catch!  Photograph!  Release!  It's not just for muskies!

Here's a shameless plug; if you're less interested in my "philosophies" and more interested in the actual fish I encounter, please check out the account of this day in my other blog:

NumenOn the Water

That's my Open Diary of my modest fishing exploits.  Not much has happened yet in 2015, but there's some recent ice fishing content, too.  There's always a chance something truly noteworthy might happen in 2015!  Enjoy!

P.S.  I was foolish enough (or motivated enough?) to go again, a few days later.  I was armed with the knowledge that conditions certainly had not improved, and there’d likely be few, if any fish, available at my spot.  I merely confirmed those suspicions; I didn’t get touched in an hour of fishing in deteriorating conditions.  I could have found another spot, more protected from the wind, or more likely to hold fish; but that seemed like too much work. 

I don’t always choose to sucker fish; but when I do, I like it to be pleasant.

Festival! Festival!

"Here for the Festival, are you, Friend?"

So asks a rather creepy citizen (IMHO) of a strange planet (IMHO) in a rather cheesey episode (IMHO) of a cheesey sci-fi show (IMHO) from the 1960's.  But at least he was SO creepy and SO cheesey that he somehow stayed with me; and now I get to celebrate the coming of his Red Hour every year (sans debauchery), because I live in Grand Rapids!

Bilar from Beta III!  And the Web!

So let it be heard, across time and across the universe; "Festival!  Festival!"  Because Grand Rapids is home to the Festival of the Arts every June.

While "Festival!" was a welcomed addition to the calendar when the kids were young, at this point I'd just as soon avoid the crowds.  But this year's Festival was unique because it coincided with the Gathering of the Gars!  Longnose Gar, unworldly fish, are prominent June spawners here in West Michigan, but this year the Grand River was packed with the largest aggregation of spawning gar I've ever witnessed.

One hole, dozens of gar.

Actively spawning gar.

They were neat to see and fun to watch.  I'm sure the channel cats, fresh off their own spawning activities, were chowing down on their eggs, and I'm certain to be looking for the gar next year.  Maybe I'll be ready with a nylon rope fly.

2014 Warm-up; Sucker Fishing

I’ve opened each of the last four or five open-water seasons here in West Michigan with a session of sucker fishing on a quiet section of a local river.  This started as a simple way of possibly putting the kids on some fish; but I have to admit, I’ve grown to like it!  I’m becoming attached to both the incipient tradition, but also to the simplicity of the act; and I enjoy the satisfaction of the first “real” fish of the year sliding up on the bank.  Plus, you never know what might happen!

Once again it is Spring Break.  The girls are off at college or traveling to visit relatives; I’ll be flying to Boston later in the week to hook up with all of them at a regional collegiate championship tournament and to make the long drive home.  (This, too, is becoming a tradition!)  Most of West Michigan has been vacated for points south, and my primary work is pretty quiet, since the local exodus includes many of my customers.  We’ve now enjoyed several consecutive days of seasonally nice weather for the first time in about 5 months, and I’m admittedly distracted.

There’s still ice on Lake Michigan and many of the local lakes, and the new sonar is not yet installed; so boating right now isn’t feasible.  I was smart enough to conclude my most recent shift at C’s with the purchase of a few dozen garden worms and some split shot.  The light spinning rods are already rigged and ready, and the rest of my sucker gear collection (a portable cooler with some small hooks, extending forked sticks, and a pair of needle-nose pliers) has stayed intact; and so it was very easy to hit my spot today after work.

The first things I purchased when C’s opened were these forked sticks; that must say something about my affection for this.

My favorite spot is basically an eddy below an extended riffle.  I can fish with a light shot here in the slower current and still find bottom.  The sweet spot in the eddy seems to shift, both between visits and during a session.  I haven’t quite figured out “Why?”, but usually in a few casts I can figure out where I’ll get bit.  As I approached, I could tell somebody else had already tried the spot; they had left behind their forked stick and some litter.  The litter (packaging) indicated to me that their sinkers and hooks were way too big (in my experience or for my taste); I can only hope that they weren’t wildly successful, because I don’t really need to clean up after them again.

Perhaps the calendar says “Spring Break”, but local conditions are a couple of weeks (or so) behind schedule.  There’s still some snow on the ground, the lakes are still covered in ice, and we had a frost a couple of nights ago.  I didn’t really know if the suckers would have arrived yet.  They’ve been there for me each spring, but in different sizes, quantities and species each year.  I questioned whether I was too early to hope for any success.

This concern was partially alleviated by the observation of a garter snake and some stoneflies hatching.  I was also pleased to see that the water was not too high, and reasonably clear.  My timing concern was quickly dismissed when the first worm I offered was inhaled and 2014’s First Fish (again, discounting ice fishing and my trip to Florida) was landed.

2014's First Fish!

Each beauty was released.

I landed a generous Baker's Dozen or so in the next hour and a half. The action started off hot and then dwindled; I don’t think there were too many fish in the hole.   All were the same species (redhorse, I believe), and all were about the same size.  I’d guess that these were male scouts, the first to arrive for this year’s spawn.  Fishing here should only get better as spring progresses.

The pursuit of suckers is not the most exciting sport; but these fish were big enough and strong enough to bend my rods and pull some drag.  The session gave me the opportunity to try out my new 2014 Michigan Fishing License, to get a little slimy and muddy, and to appreciate the quality of my custom sucker rod (6.5 feet, slow action and medium-light action) and new Nanofil line.  These paid off handsomely with a double-digit bonus carp.  This hole seems to be good for one a year, and this one seriously tested my gear.  It was a simple, fun, successful outing.  I suspect I’ll be back in 2015.

Double digit, bonus carp.

I suspect I need fishing experiences beyond suckers; but I need this experience, too. ***

A Spring Favorite of mine.  

*** I'm not alone; check out this blog from In-Fisherman that I found today (but after I'd decided I was going to go); http://www.in-fisherman.com/2014/03/05/sweet-sucker-fishing-thing/

Baker's Dozen

Open water fishing season has finally begun!  While Reeds Lake is still iced in (although no longer safe), and one of the most common questions at the store is "Where's the ice fishing stuff?",  there are a few signs of spring, including paired waterfowl and overhead flights of sandhill cranes.  I'm due for a new fishing license, and usually my boat has already been out by this time of year.  With the day totally off, I wanted to get out and catch some fish!  But Lake Michigan is likely too cold for success and it was certainly too windy today; and so, much like each of the last few years, I turned to my friends, the Suckers.

I have a favored spot for them, where I visit them a couple of times each spring; and that's where I went today.  There's still snow in the woods, and there have been no signs of the main steelhead run (or the suckers that follow) on the Grand yet; and so I thought I might be too early.  They still represented the best chance for bending a rod today, and so I was willing to accept whatever happened.  But I was relieved when my spot was unoccupied, and I was doubly relieved when my rod's quivering indicated the first bite of the day.

Not quite a Great Lakes trolling spread, but good enough for me, today.

A nice pound-and-a-half golden sucker came to hand and was quickly followed by another; and then I continued a slow pick of the available fish until I'd landed a Baker's Dozen or so.  I don't think too many fish were "in", but there were certainly enough to be interesting, and each put a nice bend in my light tackle and pulled some drag. It's simple fishing, but not necessarily easy; and it took a bit of effort to zero in on today's "Sweet Spot".

Quite an attractive fish, in its own right.

Each fish let me reflect on my tackle and those who have shared it with me.   Katie's home-made ultralight blank proved to be the best set-up today, and it was a pleasure to fish with.  Each fish loaded it to the butt, and it was paired with a reel given to me by my brother.  Other fish came on my fine drop-shotting combo, and I couldn't help but find some humor in the fact that I've spent the last few months surrounded by some of the finest tackle available; and yet my first purchases and success of the year involved forked fishing sticks and worms.

I'd probably rather start my season with a 12-pound brown trout, or a couple of dozen Lake Michigan coho salmon.  But a Baker's Dozen of suckers is quite an acceptable start to my season, too.  I couldn't have asked for anything more, today.

Memorial Weekend at Ludington

DATE:             5/27 and 28/12

LOCATION:    Ludington

With:              Self, Numenon

TIME:             Both mornings

HOURS:          About 9 (great lakes trout and salmon, drum and pike combined)

WEATHER/CONDITIONS:  Post thunderstorm; windy; wicked thunderstorm; and then more wind and hot

Woke up at 3:30 AM and checked the radar; nothing on the screen and forecast seas of <1 foot.  Set off for Ludington and enjoyed the electric light show as I approached Muskegon and turned north along the lake.  By the time I got to Ludington, it seemed as though the storms had passed, and so I launched in pursuit of Great Lakes salmon and trout.  (One of the ideas of the trip had been to escape the seasonal transitional doldrums of our more southern ports on Lake Michigan.)  Winds were brisk from the SE, and not really expected to abate over the weekend, so I figured I’d fish south of port with the wind at my back for an easy return.  Once out of port, however, it seemed like an ill proposition to go offshore in any direction; and so I hugged shore and hoped for a brown trout or drop-back steelhead in shallow water.  Water temps were about 55 F, and so I’m not sure I’d have escaped the doldrums, anyway.

Near the Pump and Store Project, I glanced to the northern horizon and noticed an unsettling blackness beyond port, with some occasional lightening.  I raced back to port and was the first boat back; but just barely had the boat back on the trailer when this roll cloud passed through; it was accompanied by some gusty winds, thunder, and followed with a torrential, but brief, thunderstorm:

Ludington roll cloud.

So it was time for breakfast with all my new friends at McDonald’s; when an old vet offered me a seat, how could I say “No thanks” on Memorial Day Weekend?  Mel was full of good fishing advice; ‘gills in 8 feet of water (“not along shore!”) on Hamlin Lake, and walleye in the harbor at night (“why do they feed at night?”)

Fresh off my pike success on Reeds Lake, I figured I’d try Pere Marquette Lake for the first time.  Most of the lake seems to be 30+ foot basin, fringed by a short sand bank, a strip of weeds, and a steep drop.  The eastern end of the lake was quite a bit shallower than depicted on my plotter, so I learned to take care wherever water was advertised as less than 10 feet deep; and industrial “pilings” stretch into the lake at various points.  It seemed a bit like Manistee Lake, and so was familiar enough, but my initial strategy was to troll cranks along the edge, with a couple of baits in the basin.  In fact, my initial spread replicated my typical Reeds Lake approach to pike.

There were a lot of marks to keep me entertained, and there seemed to be a lot of bait (alewives, as expected?), so success seemed possible, but I started fairly slowly.  The first fish hit a chartreuse and white Flicker Shad (back 100’), and it turned out to be a Freshwater Drum of almost 20 inches:

Beaten drum.

This fish reminded me of Lake Erie, and so I put out a dipsey diver with a small scorpion-style orange/copper confusion spoon.  The diver was set at 45 feetback, at a setting of 3, so I expected a swim depth of about 15 feet, but I noticed that it had a great variance of depth based on speed; perhaps more so than at greater (normal) set-back distances.  Soon after deployment, a 24”, 8 or 9 pound drum ate this spoon and pulled some serious drag to validate the morning’s efforts.  It helped me forget the drive by miss on the secret weapon rig over the basin and the missed Great Lakes opportunities of the day.

Lake Erie adaptation.

There’s nothing like the forced transition from “Great Lakes Trout and Salmon Fishing” at a storied port such as Ludington (with so many associated fond memories) to “Trolling in an Industrialized Drowned River Mouth for Whatever Bites” to remind one of the world-class quality of the fishing we have on Lake Michigan.  And while Ludington’s Pere Marquette Lake lacks a certain charm, it’s upper end is relatively undeveloped (at least on one side), and with abundant bait and suspended marks, it kept me more than interested for a couple of mornings.  It’s always nice to try a new lake or new techniques and have some success; and truthfully, the fishing was probably better than a Canadian drive-to resort on any given day.  While I was thinking “pike”, I was amenable to “anything”, and the drum I encountered all took drag, all were stubborn fighters, and all were generally welcomed aboard.  I’ll continue to be haunted by Sunday’s fish that grabbed my Lake Erie-inspired dipsey/spoon combo with one of the most thunderous and violent hits ever aboard Numenon.  Like most haunting fish, it got away without so much as a flash of identification.  Probabilistically, it was a drum; but possibly, it was a pike, muskie, flathead, or sturgeon…(virtually anything else is possible in our drowned river mouths)…any of which would have enhanced my season.

Long ago I received a gift book, “Fishing for Buffalo” by  Rob Buffler and Tom Dickson.

The point of their writing is that “trash” fish can be worthy of our attention and efforts, and their pursuit is as legitimate as game fishing. I’ve occasionally embraced their philosophy, and if I’m smart, I’ll continue to do so.   Chapter 4 addresses the freshwater drum, and can be summarized in this statement from the book:

“The drum is a better walleye…They fight harder, taste better and are easier to catch.”

But perhaps the best fishing memory of the weekend was Amy’s explanation to Katie that “a 5-pound smallmouth bass fights like a 30-pound salmon.”  And while I understand her proposition, I especially appreciate her authority on the subject, what with her having never caught a 30-pound salmon.  (I’ll give her one 5-pound smallmouth.)  Unencumbered by fact, she simply shared what she believed; all during a weekend that she lovingly engineered for her family.  Fishing was different and pleasant, we shared several meals, we re-discovered Ludington State Park, and Ollie spent his first night in a hotel!  She made this happen, and I’m glad, so I’ll let her piscatorial editorializing pass.  In the meantime, I do feel confident that I can say “a 9-pound drum fights better than anything else I encountered this weekend, and better than most of the fish I’ll encounter this season.”  So why would I not want to fish for them?