Have been chomping at the bit to make a run up to St. Clair. Couple small windows of opportunity coming up this week and next. Cold weather/water temps and rain have kept me away. Not much to see on the satellite images and what I did see looked pretty soupy. Does anyone have any idea if there is any favorable water to fish ??? Or heard of others out and catching any?? Made the 3 hour trip a few years back and in three days we caught 2 smallies because the water looked like coffee with creamer. After giving it the ole college try each day we resorted to fishing the channels. Also does anyone have a good link to a water temp site??
Thanks in advance for any assistance. Much appreciated.
Many have fished there including me... Look at the BBC Michigan forum for details... I'm not going for 1-2 more weeks... It's chocolate milk and will be for a while. Lk Huron is muddy too keeping it from clearing up.
Man I was afraid of that . Thanks Mike !!!
Google belle isle water temp
To me it's not worth the trouble driving over and back until May. It takes me 50 minutes in the morning and almost 2 hours in the afternoon. I will suffer it out on inland lakes until May. Only catching 30-40 a day will have to do. I will have to go practice to defend out title in the DK.
You'll have to teach me how to catch 30-40 a day.
Quote from: Firefighter Jeff on April 10, 2017, 08:10:28 PM
Have been chomping at the bit to make a run up to St. Clair. Couple small windows of opportunity coming up this week and next. Cold weather/water temps and rain have kept me away. Not much to see on the satellite images and what I did see looked pretty soupy. Does anyone have any idea if there is any favorable water to fish ??? Or heard of others out and catching any?? Made the 3 hour trip a few years back and in three days we caught 2 smallies because the water looked like coffee with creamer. After giving it the ole college try each day we resorted to fishing the channels. Also does anyone have a good link to a water temp site??
Thanks in advance for any assistance. Much appreciated.
1) Pretty much any link you could ever want can be found on one page: http://www.greatlakesbass.com/weather/ (http://www.greatlakesbass.com/weather/).
2) If someone is catching them recently on St. Clair they aren't talking apparently... but I suspect as many have pointed out - the lake is mud with lots of floating trash and no one is really on them yet! I was told Monday that the ramp at Crocker still needed to be dredged and cleaned out yet with no docks. That could change any day but I would confirm or check before heading to that ramp.
Quote from: dartag on April 11, 2017, 06:56:01 AM
To me it's not worth the trouble driving over and back until May. It takes me 50 minutes in the morning and almost 2 hours in the afternoon. I will suffer it out on inland lakes until May. Only catching 30-40 a day will have to do. I will have to go practice to defend out title in the DK.
Had a meeting in Detroit all day yesterday. The looonnngg drive home with frequent dead stops for no apparent reason reminded me why I could never live in that part of the state...!! sheesh!
Had a meeting in Detroit all day yesterday. The looonnngg drive home with frequent dead stops for no apparent reason reminded me why I could never live in that part of the state...!! sheesh!
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BUT I can be on St. Clair in 15 minutes any day, and that's with those frustrating stops. So for now I will deal with it LOL
I could handle 15 minutes too!
Saw a video fishing report from Justin at Sportsman's Direct yesterday and they have dredged Crocker launch. Not sure if all lanes were open but you can launch a boat.
Oh, and when I go to St. Clair, the trip has to be at least an overnight to go that far. I used to do the one day trips to Erie at Sandusky. Leave about 1-2 am and get home about 10-11. I'm way too old to do that stuff in a day. ZZZZzzzzz :)
i do day trips - little over 2hrs to get to mile road ramps. Leave early, arrive around 7 or 8 - deal with a little traffic, stay until dark, leave - no traffic ;) home by 10 or 11
I know this is GreatlakesBASS.com...but guys are catching the Walleyes on the river.....I wouldn't want to be there on the weekends, I saw pictures of guys lined up out of Elizabeth park for a mile this morning...If I was going to get out I would definetly go chase a limit of walleye right now for a couple of meals..During the week.. ;)
I would be willing to bet the bass are biting somewhere on LSC...Seems like guys always find ways to catch them..
I will be going walleye fishing during the week. The last couple years with FB and the other sites it is about an hour to launch during the week to. Erie Metro Park Launch was full this morning. My first LSC bass outing will be around May 1 getting ready for the DK Open. Lot of inland lake fishing to keep me amused.
just got home from st clair spent 4 hours on the very muddy mile roads , no bits but did see some clean water coming out of the channels
Unless we keep getting lots of rain and wind, it can clear up within a few days so it could get good soon. I just have seen no reports from ANYONE of catching more than a bass or two out there in the past couple weeks. I guess that just means that sometime soon probably anglers will be out there catching a bunch of hungry bass!
Glad to hear they cleaned out the Crocker Ramp - thanks for sharing that! I figured it could be any day considering past seasons.
I know I heard in the past of plans to build a breakwall out there somewhere in the bay to minimize the pileup of debris and muck at that ramp but no one now seems to know about such plans (or where I heard it from??). One Parks person told me if they had discussed such plans in the past maybe they figure now the money might be better spent elsewhere in the long run? If that has any positive effect on a nice, new boat ramp on Belle Isle I would agree with that. Hopefully there may be some public meetings on this very topic in a couple-three months.
Quote from: djkimmel on April 15, 2017, 03:58:00 PM
Unless we keep getting lots of rain and wind, it can clear up within a few days so it could get good soon. I just have seen no reports from ANYONE of catching more than a bass or two out there in the past couple weeks. I guess that just means that sometime soon probably anglers will be out there catching a bunch of hungry bass!
Glad to hear they cleaned out the Crocker Ramp - thanks for sharing that! I figured it could be any day considering past seasons.
I know I heard in the past of plans to build a breakwall out there somewhere in the bay to minimize the pileup of debris and muck at that ramp but no one now seems to know about such plans (or where I heard it from??). One Parks person told me if they had discussed such plans in the past maybe they figure now the money might be better spent elsewhere in the long run? If that has any positive effect on a nice, new boat ramp on Belle Isle I would agree with that. Hopefully there may be some public meetings on this very topic in a couple-three months.
I heard the same thing about them building a breakwall or something there. Only makes sense. I remember last year it was down to only two places to launch out of 6. I think this was near the end of April. You couldn't leave your motor running while you parked the trailer because even with the motor trimmed up it would suck in floating crap and block the water intakes. I by chance had the number of the local DNR and asked when it would be dredged. He said the following week. I told him by then all the launch would be unusable !!
Every time I launched last year I would trolling motor out about 100 yards. Saw quite a few guys get stuck in the GOO. Sure hope they clean it up. Makes it so much easier to fish where I like to fish the mile roads.
It does need a more permanent solution really of some kind. Maybe I will ask about the break wall idea again next chance I get and see what they say this time.
Quote from: dartag on April 16, 2017, 10:38:15 AM
Every time I launched last year I would trolling motor out about 100 yards. Saw quite a few guys get stuck in the GOO. Sure hope they clean it up. Makes it so much easier to fish where I like to fish the mile roads.
I agree, for being such a big lake it really doesn't have a lot of convenient launches one can use. What is it like 7 miles from Crocker to 9 mile. That's a long ways when it's windy. Then to have a launch nearly unusable doesn't help. I purchase the out of state, State Park/DNR pass for my truck. Get's me in a few launches. But I couldn't even tell you where the next launch south of Crocker is that I can use that pass.
Just sitting here thinking...I think everything down to Sterling is either a metro, county or city park..That's alot of water to cover without a DNR launch..
Boles Harbor in Erie is probably the closest launch. 9 mile is not bad just the long walk after you park. Hopefully they will clean Crocker out.
i think the dumbest thing ever is the blossom and 11 mile ramps not open to the public before memorial day. They pay some dude to sit in that booth all day so 2 boats can use them when they could at least cover their costs with letting early fisherman pay the 10$ fee.
Quote from: dartag on April 17, 2017, 10:31:20 AM
Boles Harbor in Erie is probably the closest launch. 9 mile is not bad just the long walk after you park. Hopefully they will clean Crocker out.
Well, the walk and isn't it like $15 to launch there now ???
Quote from: thedude on April 17, 2017, 01:52:23 PM
i think the dumbest thing ever is the blossom and 11 mile ramps not open to the public before memorial day. They pay some dude to sit in that booth all day so 2 boats can use them when they could at least cover their costs with letting early fisherman pay the 10$ fee.
I agree Justin. I got there last year before the booth person showed up. Think it was Blossom. First time I paid after pulling out they said nothing. Next time different person and they told me I couldn't launch there.
we luanched at blossom last year because the guy wasn't at 9 mile to let anyone in. She reluctantly let us. Just seems really stupid to see an empty parking lot at 11 mile (where i always preferred to launch) when there's 10 or 15 bass boats with 10$ bills hanging out the window ready to go and being turned away.
I get it once the pleasure boaters hit the lake, its probably busy with residents, but not in april and may.
I was out there Good Friday, caught 5 running about 22.5lbs. Shallow was muddy.
(//)
48 degrees
I've heard that some anglers are starting to pick up a few. Should get better soon.
As far as boat ramps, we keep pushing on the Belle Isle idea though even if it happens it will be a few years.
The 5 best or you only caught 5 ?
Launched at Harley ran to mile roads and finished the day in Anchor Bay. 12 smallmouth, best five went 19.75 pounds. 8 fow as shallow at 4 fow. Water was stained to dirty.
We ran up and down the beacon cove marina north side sea wall today from 10:30-8:00. All largemouth. Best 5 went 18lbs. Me and my buddy each got 22. A little over 91lbs total. White chatterbairs with shad trailers. Tails were sticking out of their throats and they were still eating. Females had fat bellies.
Jay - how was anchor bay? Muddy?
Quote from: Jay-MadWags on April 23, 2017, 09:16:13 PM
Launched at Harley ran to mile roads and finished the day in Anchor Bay. 12 smallmouth, best five went 19.75 pounds. 8 fow as shallow at 4 fow. Water was stained to dirty.
Jason, Glad to see you caught some fish. Man, when is it going to break out ??? Heading up in the morning.
Anchor Bay was chocolate milk. Still managed to catch 3 fish there. Jeff I would recommend not wasting time in Anchor Bay due to water clarity.
Does anyone have a good link to the LSC weather buoy information? No matter where I look, I can't find any useful information or marine forecasts. There used to be a couple of American and Canadian buoys that were pretty helpful, but now I can't seem to find them.
Thanks.
Anyone been to Muskamoot or Fisher bay yet. With all the road construction I am not looking forward to going over there this year.
Anyone want to take me fishing Friday the 5th? I have many hours to kill in Detroit that day.
With my boat motor being down I haven't even caught a fish in Michigan yet this year. Someone show some pitty! Please! LOL!!!
Quote from: Ryan on April 25, 2017, 09:48:41 PM
Does anyone have a good link to the LSC weather buoy information? No matter where I look, I can't find any useful information or marine forecasts. There used to be a couple of American and Canadian buoys that were pretty helpful, but now I can't seem to find them.
Thanks.
All the links you could ever want in one place!! www.greatlakesbass.com/weather/ (http://www.greatlakesbass.com/weather/)
Before you go there though - the St. Clair Light station hasn't been on for several years apparently. It is supposed to be restarted at some point in the future under 'new management' - don't know when.
The very helpful Canadian Weather Buoy probably won't be deployed until sometime in May considering the schedule last year (though I never saw it on, it was supposedly on from sometime in May until sometime in October).
The only weather station working right now on Lake St. Clair is the St. Clair Shores station. There is a link to that one too on the page above. If I remember right, this 'station' is at the U.S. Coast Guard station around 10 Mile Road.
My weather page also has links to all the marine weather forecasts, plus a lot more.
Thanks Dan! I guess that explains why I couldn't see the buoy information yet, the aren't in the water! I will have to check back periodically to see when they turn on.
Your weather link was very helpful, once again, GreatLakesBass.com comes through in the clutch!
You're welcome!
Quote from: Firefighter Jeff on April 14, 2017, 10:37:28 AM
Saw a video fishing report from Justin at Sportsman's Direct yesterday and they have dredged Crocker launch. Not sure if all lanes were open but you can launch a boat.
I was at the Crocker launch today (4/3). They did dredge it, but it's not a good situation. Only one ramp is open and quite shallow. Many boats were opting not to launch there and we headed to Harley. I would avoid it for now.
Well shoot! I would have thought by now that they finished cleaning it up! Hope they get it done soon!
We launched out of there on 4/23. The middle ramps were clear, the ramps on the outsides were not usable with more debris (both soft and hard). They had definitely dredged it as there was probably 5-6 truckloads of "stuff" piled on the pavement waiting for pick up.
Obviously that was a little bit ago and we have had more rain and wind since then.