Great Lakes Bass Fishing Forum

Bass Fishing => Bass Fishing Great Lakes => Topic started by: gotfish on June 12, 2012, 02:07:42 PM

Title: Heading to GTB
Post by: gotfish on June 12, 2012, 02:07:42 PM
Hey guys just joined the forum absolutely love it I look at it about everyday. I am heading to the Traverse area next week to try my luck on some smallies just wondering what the temps on the bay is and if they are on beds? Also may try the surrounding lakes Elk, Skeg, Torch etc. If anyones has some pointers on the productive lakes that would be great. Thanks
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: motocross269 on June 12, 2012, 04:28:24 PM
Welcome to the Forum.....I wish I was headed up to GTB in the near future...Love it up there....

I don't have any current information up there but any of the lakes that you mentioned should be good, I would add Charlevoix and Walloon to the list...If it is windy head down to Green, Duck or Long south of Traverse city..They are smaller lakes but have decent fishing. 

Pay close attention to the weather if you are headed out to the Bay...It gets rough out there pretty quickly.  I am sure they are still on beds on GTB, it may be in 30 FOW but the fish bed up there late into the summer..


Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: mwagner0071 on June 12, 2012, 08:43:34 PM
We were up on GTB - East end of last week.  Water temps varied from 55 (north) to 66 at the south end.  Fish were on beds on the south end, with no beds spotted on the north end. Did not see many beds on the south end however.  It was a tough fish for us with crystal clear water and no wind.  We managed 6 decent size smallies on the south end.

We also fished Lake Charlevoix and had a blast.  Fish were aggresive, far more aggresive than GTB.  Ended up with 30 smallies, 2 over 5, the rest were really nice fish between 2 - 4.5 lbs.

We are headed up again this Saturday to give it another shot for a few days.
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: TheFishinPollock on June 12, 2012, 10:51:15 PM
the Bay should still be good. Alota lakes are reaching post spawn/tight lipped in Antrim county.
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: fiker on June 13, 2012, 06:41:29 AM
Dog gone it.  Another year I've missed it. 
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: Waterfoul on June 13, 2012, 07:26:32 AM
Was on East Bay Sunday.  Lots of beds on the south end, anywhere from 4' of water to 10'.  Deeper than that was impossible to fish because of the wind but I'm sure they are there too.  Caught about 30 fish in a couple hours. 
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: mwagner0071 on June 13, 2012, 10:15:00 AM
How is the Mission Point area to fish this time of year?
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: motocross269 on June 13, 2012, 12:09:04 PM
I have fished Mission Point a few times in the Summer and have never done well there...It sure looks good though...

Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: djkimmel on June 13, 2012, 01:18:27 PM
I fished Mission Point once. It was calm. I could see bottom in ~35 foot. I think I saw 1 bass but that is the Bay for you. Tons of great looking water. There are plenty of nice bass but you have to hunt for them some days. Last year they were moving up and down in the water column real fast and often. Not sure yet about this year.
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: gotfish on June 13, 2012, 09:20:41 PM
Thanks for the info, I hope the wind cooperates I'd like to fish the bay. We're is the best place to put in by Elk Rapids, or on the peninsula? Mwagoner0071 make sure you give me a report after you fish this weekend.
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: djkimmel on June 13, 2012, 10:50:40 PM
I've only put in at the Elk Rapids Harbor ramp. Nice ramp. Lots of parking. You can go North. You can go South. I catch more bass more often South. I have run down from Lake Charlevoix a couple times. Nice run when it's calm. Only been out there 5 or 6 times. Too much good-looking water so if you don't see or catch bass just keep moving.
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: TheFishinPollock on June 13, 2012, 11:25:28 PM
Depending on what side of TC your comming from will help with launches.   ER if your east side  Center road launch on the penn. would be better if you are west of TC .    There is a small concrete ramp in YUBA halfway up 31 outa TC . Its at Sawyer? park .  No dock and you might have to wade a little to your knees , but it is usually empty cept for a few of us " locals"  There is parking  for a good number of boats cause the road is really wide and has broad shoulders.
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: gotfish on June 14, 2012, 08:23:35 AM
We are staying in Elk Rapids so depending on the wind and waves I don't mind trailering a little bit to a launch closer to where were going to fish (I get better mpg with my truck than with my boat  ;D) just in-case the wind picks up. We will have to play it ear and check the winds for that day. Tubes seem to be the #1 choice on the bay?
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: mwagner0071 on June 14, 2012, 08:58:57 AM
We plan on fishing GTB Sat & Sun (launching out of Elk Rapids), heading up to Lake Charlevoix on Monday.  Won't be back online until Tuesday evening, will post a report then.

Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: gotfish on June 14, 2012, 09:06:35 AM
Perfect, we are heading up on Thursday and staying through Sunday so I will be intrested in what you come up with. Good luck!
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: 6 lb Smallmouth on June 16, 2012, 07:54:12 PM
gotfish, mwagner,

I am staying in ER for the week.  Gonna fish the south end of the bay Sunday but the forecast is calling for 20+ winds on Monday so I'm not sure about that.  Let me know how you guys do.  This is my first time here so I'm just hoping to get lucky! 
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: TheFishinPollock on June 16, 2012, 09:33:37 PM
Well today was not stellar for us.   Met a guy on here, prolly saw a bunch of ya at the bottom of EB or around Yuba.    Just 1 good fish and 2 dinks.   Heard mission point was even worse.  Giving it a shot tomorrow morning. Wind got a tad brutal around 2 ish.   Lota empty beds . found some stacked up off a drop , but I'm pretty sure they were lakers .   Did see a few big browns way up shallow.   
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: 6 lb Smallmouth on June 16, 2012, 10:28:52 PM
Fishin' Pollock
I'll be solo in a white, 17' Lowe.  Stop by if you see me.   
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: gotfish on June 19, 2012, 09:38:42 PM
One more day of work the I can go fishing. It's been windy the past few days, looks like its going to lay down and hopefully turn the fish on. A bad day of fishing still beats a good day of working. I have a blue and silver Nitro maybe we see you out there.
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: TheFishinPollock on June 20, 2012, 12:18:57 AM
My best advice . Fish south outa the center road launchon the pennisula. Wayyyyyyy shallow.  We found fish on some very fresh active beds for there south.  And skip the plastics. For some reason they are really agressive. Big femals too. I boated a 4.7 that had just spawned. Fins were still fresh bloodied. They just were not hitting  hard I guess would be the word. Spinnerbaits stopped completely , but they spit it back out as fast as they sucked it in, No time to even set the hook.  They just looked at soft plastics and  left um alone.  Like I said  strange, bedfishing with big flashy 'special color" spinnerbaits. Our group had its deal today out there. 19 LBS won it.  Of course I  lost big fish to a 5.9 pounder.
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: mwagner0071 on June 20, 2012, 11:07:27 AM
We got back last night after a tumultuous few days in Elk Rapids.  We had 3 major storm cells roll through while we were camping/fishing.

Saturday afternoon we fished south of ER, around the Tobeco area.  We managed 15 for a few hours of fishing all under 2.5lbs.  Saw many beds, some active most were empty.  All on tubes.

Sunday AM we hit Mission Point.  No fish, saw a very large fish on a bed that spooked and took off as we drifted over.  My 11 year old somehow managed to hook a goby on a tube, right in the mouth.  We moved across the East bay to fish the ER side (north of ER) and managed 1 3lb'r.  Saw a few beds, just the 1 bedding fish.

Sunday afternoon we went back to the Tobeco area and had the same results with 11 smaller fish.

Monday we let the boys sleep in and headed up to Lake Charlevoix about 10am.  Fished for about 3.5 hours and caught 12 nice fish, biggest about 3.5 lbs.  Headed back to camp early as a storm was headed in and we wanted to be hunkered down in the tent before it came in.

Tuesday we hit Lake Charlevoix again, fished about an hour before another major cell kicked us on the road home.  Managed 1 4lb'r.

Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: Dan on June 20, 2012, 12:28:43 PM
Fished East Bay last Thursday. Had a 60 fish day. Got a little report and pictures up on my http://www.teardropbass.com/ blog.
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: gotfish on June 20, 2012, 12:56:39 PM
Well thanks for the report sounds like the main spawn is on the verge of being over but thats not going to keep me off the water. I think we will hit the bay tommorow and see what we can come up with. I will give a report next Monday when we get back. Everyone have a great weekend and good luck on the water.
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: Waterfoul on June 20, 2012, 01:49:26 PM
Really?  I big ole goby bait on a drop shot hanging out in the bed didn't elicit a strike?  Strange in deed.
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: bigmojet on June 20, 2012, 07:19:11 PM
I was gonna fish east bay yesterday but weather forecast of some storms and sttong winds kept my shallow running 18' in the garage.

Hey Dan at teardrop, wish i read your site earlier. Fished Crystal Lake on Saturday and u had a tourney their Sunday. Also this bear lake guy is right behind your manistee guy in the fantasy fishing. I am ranked 2nd and 220 overall. Taking some risky picks this week to try to pass some people.
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: 6 lb Smallmouth on June 21, 2012, 06:30:50 PM
Fished the southern flats of West Bay on Tuesday and that was a mistake.  I caught about 6-8 males and the water temp ranged from 51 on the west side to about 55 or so on the east side.  For all the time I spend in the shallows I saw very few fish.

Wednesday called for gusts of 20-25 mi/hr which kept me off the water and at the beach with my wife and daughter.

Thursday, I launched at the thingyula launch and headed south as the Fishin' Pollock suggested.  Overcast skies and light west winds made fishing very comfortable.  Started the day catching an 11.5 lb lake trout and I caught and hooked into several others of those throughout the day.  Caught a few smallies in the 16"-17" range in 4-5' of water before I put a 5.2 lb fish in the boat.  Later, I put a 5.11 lb fish in the boat as well.  Caught more 15"-17" throughout the day.  The 5.2 and 5.11 puts to shame those stream smallies I catch back in Illinois and both were my PBs.  Needless to say, I was pretty excited about the day.  Everything I caught was on tubes.     Gonna put in another full day on Friday.
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: Firefighter Jeff on June 21, 2012, 09:01:10 PM
Quote from: TheFishinPollock on June 20, 2012, 12:18:57 AM
My best advice . Fish south outa the center road launchon the pennisula. Wayyyyyyy shallow.  We found fish on some very fresh active beds for there south.  And skip the plastics. For some reason they are really agressive. Big femals too. I boated a 4.7 that had just spawned. Fins were still fresh bloodied. They just were not hitting  hard I guess would be the word. Spinnerbaits stopped completely , but they spit it back out as fast as they sucked it in, No time to even set the hook.  They just looked at soft plastics and  left um alone.  Like I said  strange, bedfishing with big flashy 'special color" spinnerbaits. Our group had its deal today out there. 19 LBS won it.  Of course I  lost big fish to a 5.9 pounder.

  Hmmmmmmm special color ???  That the one you showed me at the Fall DK open  ????  :)
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: TheFishinPollock on June 22, 2012, 06:31:49 AM
yep that prettyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy one. LOL
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: bigmojet on June 22, 2012, 04:02:03 PM
Jerkbait, after reading below posts it says you would be fishing alone in a white zLowe. I think i ran into you on east bay Friday morning. We passed each other shallow on the west side. I was fishing with a buddy in a 18 camo aluminum war eagle boat. We both said hello as we passed.

I fished from 7:30 till 1:30pm. Only got 12 with half coming from yuba area and other half on the southern west shore and all coming on a shallow squarebill craw reddish brown in 3-5 feet of water.

Best 5 only went about 10#. Saw a bunch of fish wandering and very skittish on south end where water was only 58. Yuba area water was 62.
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: 6 lb Smallmouth on June 25, 2012, 08:55:36 AM
Yeah that was me bigmojet.  I did very well early in the morning in the first hour of daylight.  When you saw me things had already slowed down.  I got to get back up there this summer! 
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: bigmojet on June 25, 2012, 11:40:06 AM
I was trying to get out there by sunrise but didnt happen. Most of my fish came early too.
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: gotfish on June 27, 2012, 02:58:10 PM
Well we made it there and back and all in all it was a good time the fishing was ok not the greatest we mainly fished the East bay and saw a ton of fish even some big girls on the beds in a few spots but the bite was not on for us anyway the ones we did catch were in the 2 - 3 pound range with 1 at 4.5lbs mostly on tubes and crankbaits. Thanks to all for the info and I cant wait to go back next year maybe a week or two earlyier.
Title: Re: Heading to GTB
Post by: bigmojet on June 27, 2012, 06:27:00 PM
We had an early warm spring which i think made for an earlier better bite. Last year i went out on east bay 4th week of June and water temps were still in the low 50's.

Every year i dial it in a little better.