What can you fish for now???....legally speaking

[Duke Fishing]

Quick question,


Since you can't fish for bass in the Great Lakes right now, what can you fish for?

[fiker]

Try this using cut and paste in your address bar:

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/general-fishing-regs_272352_7.pdf

[LennyB]

On Michigan waters of the Great Lakes you can fish for just about everything except bass.

[TCook]

Everyone has been limiting out on coho in st joe for the last two weeks. I went down to the pier wen and thurs without a clue on that type of fishing. Skunked wen got 3 yesterday some guys had nonstop action around us but we just couldnt figure out what we were doing wrong. Especially since we were using the same fresh steelhead spawn on thursday as the guys who were smoking them.

[Duke Fishing]

Thanks for info....I usually stick to inland lakes this early.  Big water scares me when it is still so cold.  Although might try to head out on erie this upcoming week and find some walleye.

[thedude]

st. joe is always sick with cohos this time of year. find a buddy with a boat and some planar board. run jointed raps, pretty much any stickbait or hot-n-tots right up on the sand bars and you'll catch fish from the piers all the way to the power plant.  you can do it on bass gear no prob. might even stick a nice brown.

[fiker]

"you can do it on bass gear no prob" 

So you're saying that my Bass rods & reels (medium spinning) are strong enough to handle Salmon? 

[Performance Tuned]

yeah, that's exactly what hes saying Fikar.... don't tell me you've never manhandled a salmon on med spinning gear? but wait... there's 8ft heavy action casting rods that can take on a salmon no problem... so the question is..... What "bass gear"
are you using??

[Firefighter Jeff]

   TCook was there anyone throwing Oslo Spinnerbaits off the pier???

  Justin, do they get many BIG fish this time of year?  Thought most of the coho were what they call Spring Jacks.  Say 2 to 5 pounds.  I remember trolling Michigan City years ago as a teenager once and a small spring jack hit my bait with out me even knowing it. Had the rod in hand.  Finally at some point I decided to switch baits and reeled in the rod.  That poor coho was drug so long he was dead with his mouth wide open.  lololol  woops  

  I have cast a lot for summer run steelies here in town, and for salmon on the Pere Marquette lake.  I use the same exact gear I use for bass fishing. 7ft medium action baitcaster with 14 pound test line.

[TritonTR20]

Tim:  hot bait has been spawn sacks soaked in red gateraide...subtle difference but affective.

[fiker]

I guess I just always thought that one needed a heavy duty Salmon rod (whatever that is).  I just didn't want to take my St. Croix Avids after Salmon and then watch them break at the weight of a large fish like that. 

[thedude]

"you can do it on bass gear no prob"  

So you're saying that my Bass rods & reels (medium spinning) are strong enough to handle Salmon?  

i'm saying you'll have no trouble catching coho on them. you have the chance to snag into a big brown - maybe a steelie - but most fish you will catch are gonna be 2-4lb cohos. I'd probalby go with baitcasting gear just for line capacity, but yeah, i've caught 20lb pike on a 7' M bass gear - on purpose even!

this time of year the cohos get right up on the beach along with a few browns.  The few times i've trolled them with a friend - we were using 7' M bill dance rods with 12lb test and line counter reels.  Point is, you're fishing in 4'-15' fow and not going after kings. Coho are fun, but catching a 4lber is about like catching a 13" smallmouth.