Can I get a little Torch Lake help???

[bigjc]

I am leaving tomorrow for a conference up near Torch Lake, and I am trying to decide if it is worth the aggravation of pulling my boat all the way up there (260 miles), only to fish for a few hours here and possible a couple hours there.    

[Mike S.]

I can't tell you much, other than it is connected to Skegemog and Elk. There are good fish there. I would take the boat, no questions asked.

Go to Skeg. Fish the breaks and all of the stumps you can find. I'm sure it will give you something. There is an awesome stump field at the mouth of the torch river. If you look across the lake, provided you launch at Skeg, you will see a bunch of big stumps stickimg out of the water. That is the Torch River. Go to it, and you will see all the wonderful wood on the bottom. It is crazy there. I can't guarantee there are fish, but you'd have to believe there would be.

The guy to talk to would be the fishinhg pollock. He lives right there, that's jis home territory. Shoot him a message. He's a nice guy. He may just help you out. Good luck. Dont go without the boat!

[thedude]

we just had a classic up there. 26lb bag came out of torch but i wouldn't say its the kind of lake you will figure out in a day or 2.

Elk is a good lake as is the the bay, bellaire and intermediate.

[32eml24]

Goodness sakes!

[djkimmel]

Torch is a big, big lake! A few hours might be real frustrating or real awesome depending upon the weather and conditions, maybe some good fortune and how much you like fishing ultra-clear, deep, deep lakes. I would take my boat if I could afford it just because it is such a beautiful lake even if the days turns out slow.

Skeg can be good this time of year. Every year, the theory is that bass move from Skeg, and maybe Elk, through the Torch River up into Torch Lake for the winter. I don't know if that is really true, but I do know that bass move into the Torch River and some seem to generally head up the river into Torch.

Sometimes the narrow from Skeg to Elk gets some bass too though the very limited time I've had to fish there for a while now seems to show that not as consistent as it used to be.

I have always liked Torch Lake but Skeg is easier and more fun in the fall for anglers who like to fish cover (weeds, reeds, wood) and shallower. You can spinnerbait the entire East end sometimes and do fairly well.

Clam can be fun too in the fall. It is more like a Southern Michigan lake with lots of weeds and smaller. It has a mix of smallmouth, largemouth and lots of pike with some muskies moving through or in to feed too.

Bellaire has been known for big, big bass for as long as I've known about it. It is a quirky lake for me but I've caught some good smallmouth there, and anglers who like that type of lake - kind of a mix of Cass Lake and Torch Lake - do really well there.

If you only have a few hours at a time to fish, and you definitely want to catch some fish regardless of size or how, stick to Skeg, Clam or Bellaire. You still have a shot at bigger fish, particularly in Skeg and Bellaire, and it will take a lot less time to figure out something that is working.

[bigjc]

Well, I opted out of bringing the boat, yet I can see Bellaire Lake from my hotel, so it is torture to know that I should have brought it.

I did the same thing a couple of years ago, at a conference in Bay City.  One of these days I will learn.  Fish now...there will be plenty of time for work later!

[djkimmel]

I thought we had already cleared all that up for you?!? Who cares if there's time for work when there's fish nearby!!

[bigjc]

Dan,

I guess I am a slow learner

[djkimmel]

We all have a lot in common. But we're here for each other, right?!?

[bigjc]

Yes Sir!