Charity Island

[red68prostreet]

Anyone know how smallie fishing is around Charity Island? I took my wife on the Charity Island boat where we go out to the island tour the lighthouse then have a great perch dinner. All total 96 people had dinner. One boat came from Caseville. The one we were on came from east Tawas. My wife and I enjoyed it and the perch was great.
I asked the Captain how the fishing was and he said he see's bass boats out by the island all the time. The trip from east Tawas is 16 miles but it looks alot closer from Au Gres or Caseville. The shore around Charity Island looks like prime smallmouth territory in the spring but I can see issues being that far away from the mainland if the wind kicks up. We had 3-4 foot waves going out and about 2 feet coming back. The captain says it gets flat on many days so I guess an 8 mile trip at 60 will only take 8-10 minutes.
Just wondering if anyone had any details about the fishing.
      Thanks,
              Mark

[LennyB]

Fishing is great out there. Just make sure to watch the wind forecast.

[djkimmel]

Some of the dumbest big smallmouth bass in Michigan live around the islands. Too much rock and not enough smallies but once you find them you can catch a bunch in a hurry at times. They don't seem dumb all the time either but I've been out there a number of times in the past without another bass boat in site.

Watch the weather very carefully remembering the big island is just big enough to hide how rough it might be on the other side (and therefore on your ride back). Also, tons of very shallow, long reefs all over around and between the islands. You cannot just run anywhere without knowing what you are running into below 10 to 12 feet. They can come up really fast. The last thing you want is no lower unit with the wind building in the evening. The tow boats aren't as busy out there as on St. Clair but they do a pretty good business with unprepared boaters of all kinds.

Pick the right days. Take it easy until you learn where it is safe to run and not safe to run and you can have an amazing fishing experience. If the wind blows too much, there's plenty of inshore bass fishing that is pretty good to very good around the bay too. I used to fish all around the bay quite a bit.

I make no bones that it is a dangerous place for the unprepared who don't know where to run and where not to run, or when to run and when not to run, but it is a fishing paradise on many days once you start finding some of the key fishing areas. A lot less pressure in general than other parts of the lower Great Lakes. It may not be more dangerous than any other part of the Great Lakes but I have broken more items there than everywhere else put together - mostly back when I was younger and probably a little crazy. Part of the issue was that we always launched from Bay City in the tournaments and had to run right up the Bay too. We had ways to minimize the pounding in some big winds but sometimes you either took it or stayed in the river. Part of me wishes I had stayed in the river a few more times.

It's a lot easier to fish there safely when you can pick and choose your boat ramp. Quite a few options near good fishing. I have always liked that it seems a little more wild and remote there too compared to other parts of the Great Lakes. Since the water has greatly cleared up, you can see a lot more of the stuff to avoid more often now or see what you can't believe you used to run through and didn't know was there before!

I haven't been to the Bay in a few years but it is way up on my todo list right now so it is just a matter of time before we meet again.

[MBell]

Like Dan said, the fishing is stupid in the spring.  The fall is good too, but the summer is hit or miss out there.  Au Gres is the closest ramp to the west side of the island where most of the fish are.  Caseville is close too, but that water is exposed to the north and east and can churn up quick.  IMO the best ramp is Bayshore Marina just outside of Bayport, MI.  At bayport you have north island withing 2 miles, if it does get rough.  Saginaw is not a place to mess around, come prepared it can get bad in a hurry.  If you have a good boat watch the weather and a good map chip, it's really no big deal.  Just take it easy til you learn your way around, anything under 10ft can to jump up to 3-4ft real quick. 
-Matt

[red68prostreet]

Thank-you for the replys and advice. Much appreciated.
     Mark