2007 DK Fall Open discussion

[djkimmel]

Ok - I want to be fair to you westsiders. My challenge is you are spread out from South Bend to Traverse City. I don't have a ton of you yet over there yet either - I DO WANT TO CHANGE THAT!!!

I want to get to meet you and have an event over there we can have some face-to-face fun time with. But I don't want to only have 4 or 5 people there if it becomes too hard to pick a place and a date enough of you can make.

I'd like to think we can draw a few eastsiders over too depending on where we go.

What do you all suggest? Middle of the state? All the way west?

Who would fish and where would you like to fish at?

[Jmcfarland]

 I would definately be more apt to go to a mid-state lake than to go all the way downstate to fish. I would love to come down to St.Clair this spring but it doesn't look like its gonna happen. Anyways we'll see what everyone else says.

[Dan]

Well, I am a sunset sider in more ways than one. I have a small cabin on some acreage on a lake just west of Cadillac (about 40 minutes west). I can sleep six besides myself and more if you want to floor it. If you would like we could host something on Cadillac and Mitchell, Lake Missaukee, or all the way west on Hamlin Lake. For those that would want to stay at the cabin it's a first come first serve. If you have a camper I have about 4 acres on the lake. Hamlin is a great place to fish. Cadillac and Mitchell get hit hard but are also good lakes and are a little more centrally located.
There is a great county park up on the Elk/Torch chain that you could use as a base to fish a tournament up that way as well (Whitewater Park). From there you can also fish the bay if the weather cooperates.
Dan would be the expert on the midstate Lansing area. Just a thought.

[macbass]

DK there is also martiny flooding that is a little farther south and eaast of cadillac about 20 mkiles west of mt pleasant 2000 acres of prestine lakes the big o of michigan just swamp and fishing. and there are enough camp grounds and cabins for all to enjoy. and for open dates to fish it. I can get them for you when no one will be there. and the use of a private ramp with space for everyone. to launch boats and park...

[cwinsiii]

I'm interested all the lakes mentioned sound good to me.

[stackenem]

martiny flooding sound pretty neat. Never heard of that one.

[spinninbug]

Ok my first choice would of course be Hamlin,  Dan started it!  However I would be open for anything in the middle of the state too.  Hardy would probably be a ton of fun in the fall.  I have fished martiny and I wasn't really impressed but I would go if that is where everyone else wants to go.  Cadillac/Mitchell gets hit so hard all season, (that is why our new club voted to not go there),  however again I will fish there too.  If we decide on a westside lake like Hamlin or muskegon (I'm about 45 minutes from there) and Hamlin is only 20 minutes,  I have room for campers,  some room in the house, however I have to tell you one bed will already be spoken for if Joshimoto comes up he has first dibs..I do have two campers we could set up and a couple of tents,  just bring your own pillows and blankets.  I'm sure we could fit everyone and thier boats.  We could have a big ole' bbq after the tourney too.  

Hardy is only 45 minutes from here too,  but there are alot of campgrounds over there.  That water is a riot too.

So I guess where ever you decide would be good,  just as long as I don't have to drive for 4 1/2 hours.  I guess I would go down to Gun too by Kalamazoo,  if we could get more people there.  There isn't very many places to stay down there though and it is a 2 1/2 hour drive from here.  

So those are my thoughts the bay would be fun but that is a long way for alot of people.

[Hooksetter]

I will be there wherever it is, provided it fits in my schedule. Out of all the lakes mentioned I have only fished Hamlin. Had a great time every time.

[Cheetam]

DK there is also martiny flooding that is a little farther south and eaast of cadillac about 20 mkiles west of mt pleasant 2000 acres of prestine lakes the big o of michigan just swamp and fishing. ...

There's nothing like the look (and smell) of swamp water bass...If I had to pick, this lake sounds SWEET....

[McCarter]

Jeff is a master of shallow water swamp bass.  I have personally witnessed him catch bass so big in water so shallow,  they had to swim on there sides to get to his lure.

McCarter himself

[Dan]

I have fished Martiny in a Tear Drop tournament and so spent a couple days prefishing and a tournament day there. People there were great, but not many fish. Might just have been time of year. Was a lot of fun running those channels between the lakes. Was like a LeMans course. A little dangerous for a few bobber fisherman though.

[cwinsiii]

Those channels are fun to run but they are dangerous if someone is sitting across the channel.

The last time I fished it a Skeeter run into a Nitro and the nitro won.

The Skeeter was tore open all the way down the side and almost sank.

[macbass]

And it just so happened that that wreck happen to be on memorial weekend and i helped pull the boats out of the water. Luckly no one was hurt just a lot of pride. But you dont run channels all trimmed up and not expect  your boat to slide a little especially the older boats dont have the grip the new ones do.And actually july and august is the best time to really get serious and do some swamp fishing there. I personally have taken 7 fish out of there over 6 pounds and a large number of fish over 5 pounds and all but one was returned and it weighed 7 lb 3 ounces and i look at it dailey on the wall but that was about 15 years ago...

[Durand Dan]

  Probably doesn't hurt that you have a cottage on the LAke

[yukonjack2]

Anytime after mid september is good by me - I have not fished any of those lakes, so I'll go with the popular vote.  Looking forward to it!

Jack

[macbass]

doesnt matter where the cottage is you still have to spend time on the water to catch the fish no matter what lake you go to...but most of those fish were caught before you get out of bed in the morning because i was a fanatic for fishing at 2 am until 7 am running buzz baits

[djkimmel]

I don't believe we'll be on the water quite that early

[macbass]

I undersand that DK i was just trying to make a point to Durand dan there is not really a home lake advantage you still have to catch the fish and anybody can do that on any given body of water if they pay attention to details..

[Durand Dan]

  Hey, Dennie, you know I was jsut Kiddin

[Revtro]

Mid state of course would be easier for us far East siders, but if we could keep it to a minumum of a 4 hour drive so that we could drive home after the tourney, I'd fish wherever.  Much farther than that and we're looking at an additional night which would be tough.