2006 BFL Michigan Schedule

[djkimmel]

Here's the 2006 Michigan BFL schedule. I plan on fishing them. It's great looking schedule. Hope to see you there:

Date      Event           Marina                    City / State        Pri. Deadline  Late Fee Strts  Final Entry
6/10      Burt - Mullet  The Landings           Indian River MI   5/23             5/31               6/9
6/24      L. St. Clair     Metrobeach             Mt. Clemens MI  6/6               6/14               6/23
7/29      Grand River   Riverside Park           Grand Haven MI 7/11             7/19               7/28
8/26      Detroit River  Elizabeth Park Marina Trenton MI       8/8               8/16               8/25
9/9        Detroit River  Elizabeth Park Marina Trenton MI       8/22             8/30               9/8

10/5-10/7  Regional  Fort Madison/Lake Cooper  Captain Kirk's Marina  Fort Madison, IA

[dartag]

curious which lake is better bass fishing burt / mullet..   i have cruised the chain of lakes from crooked to lake huron but never fished..   still trying to decide if i want to fish BFL. 

[blakstr1]

Mullet gets the most publicity and puts up the numbers too, but Burt can also be really good...Most guys will be racing around Mullet during the BFL tournament.

[5alive]

I have to agree with Blake, Mullet will get alot of attention, but you may find the ability to cover more water on Burt. Should be an interesting year for the BFL.

[djkimmel]

I've always liked Mullett better because bass in Burt Lake seem a little too smart for me. There are probably bigger overall bass in Burt, but probably more numerous in Mullett. Tournaments have been won on both lakes depending on pressure and wind, which can funnel oddly through those valleys.

You can get out to Lake Huron, but it's a looonnnnggg trip and the little I've been out there has only made me go back into Burt and Mullett.

Mullett may seem easier to figure out, but those big bass on Burt keep calling the big bass experts back.

[MBell]

That Burt/Mullet one looks interesting, how small does burt/mullet fish in a 200 boat tournament during the spawn?  Never fished there, I've seen some big bodies of water fish real small during the spawn.  I'd love to fish that lake in a big tournament just worried that it will just be a boat race, I may fish this event just to encourage to BFL to travel.  I wonder how many guys are fishing BFL this year, hopefully the schedule will bring the numbers back up. 
-Matt

[smbassman]

I think that the burt/mullet BFL will get a max of 125 boats, but probably more like 75 or 100 with the increased competition with the BASS series.  But even at 100 boats the lakes could fish small and depending on how many people sore lip the bass during practice it could be a tough tourney.   I'm sure there will be plenty of people pulling a David Dudley whether they have a late starting number or not.  You definitely better have 15-20 good(4-5lb) fish picked out and gps'd by blast off and don't waste too much time trying to force a bite.  And if your fish are the shallow ones - you can bet that two dozen other fisherman have marked those fish as well - so concentrate on the deepest beds you can find.

My guess is that the winning weight will not even come from Burt or Mullet and most likely it will come from Lk Huron and possibly a long run on the big lake.   What do you guys think?

[rudycard72]

I plan on making the move up to the bfls this year and i am very excited. Burt & Mullet will be interesting i dont know if the long run to huron is worth it. Its got to be at least an hour to a hour and a half run and the locks can only fit 4 or 5 boats max. I'v waited in lines for the locks for hours before on saturdays in june. Theirs alot of water to cover up there and alot of jumbo smallies too. Good luck to all , i'll see ya there.

[djkimmel]

From the Indian River to Lake Huron and back is a 5 hour trip if things go farely smooth. I've never done that well in Duncan Bay and the smallies out there bed super shallow - just right to be creamed every year by wading anglers coming out from the State Park.

I don't like Les Cheneaux (made that run from the other direction once - once was enough) although there are two or maybe three spots that hold big bass if they have warm water by then. I'd have no idea otherwise out there so I'll stick to Burt and Mullett.

They don't fish as small as other 'big' lakes especially if conditions are good for a big spawn and there are plenty of small schools of bass that wander out there if you can trip over one (that's all it takes sometimes). I don't know about the status of running to Crooked and Pickerel. I've never done it in a tournament and heard Crooked River is all no-wake now.

The BFL won't need a permit since they are going out of a private ramp. The 'sheriff' over in that county has supposedly raised his hackles before about "needing a separate permit" for Crooked and Pickerel, but the sheriff isn't directly involved in the tournament permit anymore and should only be enforcing boating laws, not where tournament angler can and can't fish. Hopefully a non-issue in reality, but I don't know if BFL has considered those two lakes.

If someone does run to Lake Huron and win, then congratulations, but the federation has been won with big weights in the past few trips all out of Burt or Mullett and maybe never won out of Lake Huron despite rumors. Heck, I've had some guys tell me I won the federation in 2000 out of Huron because they saw me there on Friday. Well, I was actually in the boat on tournament day and we weren't in Huron.

I think it will be like any northern spawning tournament. Some anglers will LOVE it  and some will NOT. I won't be sure which group I'll be in until I get up there and see what the bass are doing, but I do love those lakes. Too many great memories and fishing days out there to not love them... so I should at least have a good attitude regardless of whether 100 boats or 150 boats show up.

My main concern for now is like Matt's, I want to encourage them and anglers to give the alternative options a try, despite the distance, and help make the event a positive success for as many anglers as possible (not guaranteeing a limit for everyone - but at least smooth as possible in and out at the ramp and weigh-in).

[MBell]

I'll probobly be there, right now the top bass on houghton may be the only thing that keeps me away.  I thought it would be close to a full field because of the awesome fishing, sounds like that may not be the case.   
-Matt

[dartag]

got to believe there boat count will be down this year with the weekend bassmaster series and now i see CATT has scheduled there first event the same day as St-Clair June 24.  going to have lots of choices next year.

[djkimmel]

I'm thinking participation will be higher than last year, which was a low since FLW Outdoors went to the BFL variation.

I don't expect 200 boats up at Mullett because of the distance. I think more guys will like the new lake and the talk of the great fishing than not. I expect a big turnout, but it is hard to say if big will be 120 boats or 170+.

The biggest openers have always been on St. Clair on the opening weekend. I actually think having that event coming up as the follow-up will make the Mullett Lake event more attractive to anglers.

I do wish I had a shot at the HL Top Bass too, but I can only be in one place at a time and a choice has to be made. I want to make it to Iowa again and then... well, who knows...

[MBell]

I wonder if the indiana guys will travel up there, the last few BFL's I fished had a lot of indiana guys.  There won't be many everstart guys either, it's a long drive from Kentucky lake.  That St. Clair BFL will be a busy day on st. clair,  I just saw CATT is having there open that day. 
-Matt

[dartag]

CATT has updated the post on LSCN site to June 17 for there opener..  so looks like there is no conflict with BFL...

[djkimmel]

That would be good... hopefully for both circuits.

[Bulletproof]

Is it possible to get to Black Lake through Black river?  This Mullet/Burt tournament has got quite a few options.  I've never fished Pickeral or Crooked either.  Are these lakes legitimate targets?  Although the boat ride to Huron would take 5 hrs of your fishing time give or take there has got to be a lot of possibilites out there.  haven't had chance to look at the shoreline of huron yet that far north but i'm itching now big time.  time to start doing some homework.  How many days are you guys planning on prefishing?  In a perfect world i'd love to have a least 5 days.  One for each lake.  or maybe 6 if black is accessible?  Wow, i have got to get up there and start snooping around.  Best of Luck to everybody, should be quite a time!

[djkimmel]

Black is not accessible - dams in the way.

To get to Lake Huron, you have to go through a lock, but in the summer in the past, it has been consistent. I would confirm this season though since the MDNR runs it and there budget is TIGHT.

You can get to Crooked and Pickerel - that takes a while too. Used to be able to run parts of the Crooked River, but I heard they made it all no-wake no too long ago. (I haven't made that run in many years - I launch on Crooked to fish it and have always stayed in Burt or Mullett to fish.) Crooked and Pickerel both have good fish in them too. I'll have to confirm the no-wake situation this year on the Crooked River. I'll post it here once I confirm it (it will be a while). Tournaments have been won by guys running there (at least once for sure).

I have only fished around Cheboygan and Duncan Bay out in Huron. It is VERY treacherous along shore to the West.

I hope to practice 3 or 4 days for that one.

[Bulletproof]

Thanks Dan.....Your information is very appreciated.  If I fish this year(depending on whether my wife let's me buy a modest priced boat) I will be checking out Pickeral and Crooked as well.  I will probably spend at least 1-2 days on huron as well, snooping around and seeing if I cant mark some big brown bass.  It sounds as though burt or mullet has put up some crazy numbers. With that I couldn't possibly not spend an ample amount of time snooping those lakes as well.  What do you guys think will be a competitive bag for this tourney.  from what Ive seen in the past 20 pounds is no longer a gaurantee for a decent finish.  I'm assuming if guys play there cards right we may be seeing 25-30 pound bags.  Quite a fishery!

[rudycard72]

i plan on getting there tuesday and spending alot of time on the water, i'd like to have a few back up plans.i think it will take at least 23 pounds to see the top ten from what i've seen of the fishery, but what do i know, hope to see ya there.

[djkimmel]

Being an individuals event, I think top ten my be 19 and above. Depends on if the big girls on near beds, or still marauding in groups, and how many beds get hit hard before the actual event starts. These lakes have an incredible number of 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pound bass.

Now, if we do hit the main spawn on the head, the weights could go up a little since there are quite a few 5+ pounders in there right now too.