Lbdn questions

[Freek]

Hello everyone, I realize I'm a new bee here asking questions can be fround upon so I will apologize first. I live down state near lake st Clair so I can offer help there in return for any info on lbdn. Also I fish Saginaw bay as well. I'm not looking for numbers just a some general stuff , ice conditions,depth, lures. Thanks in advance.

[Freek]

I forgot to mention that I'm coming up next Monday the 28th for 4 days.

[Den78]

Sounds like we have similar plans and I too have lots of questions. I am headed down Monday but only three days here. Would like to hit the walleyes one day perch it another and use the wait and see for the third. I also looking for any info someone would share all the way from a place to stay in or around Gladstone , to where to enter the ice anything.....One thing I have read and heard about is the pressure crack around butlers island so watch for that. The only advantage it sounds like I have over ya is I have fished the water twice this spring and launched from Kipling. So while I don't know the area well I have been on the water. Good luck and stay safe from the way it sounds fishin LBN is starting

[Freek]

194 views huh....tough crowed! I guess I understand in that I havent contributed anything to this site......yet....really I'm most interested in ice conditions I can find fish. Thanx

[RudyG]

I think people are hesitant to say anything about ice conditions this far ahead. The cold they are predicting is gonna change things alot by the weekend.. for the better I imagine. Right now .. most places.. 4 wlrs and snowmobiles are working but there are pressure cracks to be careful of.. terrace and south are not for this guy yet.. and the NORTH side of Butlers Island.. stay away!!! Better to go over it than to the north point.. again.. those conditions can change fast so talk before you go. Like maybe at Chris' Bayview Bait and Tackle. He'll be glad to tell ya what he can at the time and he has all the bait and lures a guy needs.

As far as the bite for eyes.. Havent heard much and from my experience the last week.. there isnt one. LOL Perch have been hittin pretty good from what I hear but again.. next Monday is a long way off. Maybe check back as it gets closer to your date.. I know there are guys that will have more to share then. Me.. I havent done anything worth sharing.. unless you want to know how good I am getting at moving the shack. :mad:

[Freek]

Up to 477 views already lol. Thanks Rudy for the reply and also for the pm from an un named source! I respect the locals for not responding, I get it.

[xtroll]

Up to 477 views already lol. Thanks Rudy for the reply and also for the pm from an un named source! I respect the locals for not responding, I get it.

Dont get discouraged by the lack of responce...

If things are slow people are hesitant to tell you Yihaa come on up.

The best source for info is:

CHRIS WAHL

Bay View Bait and Tackle Everything you need to fish the Bays de Noc.
Friendly, knowledgeable staff. Best minnow counts on the bay.
Voted "BEST BAIT SHOP" in the Daily Press "Reader's Choice" awards.
current hours - open daily 7 to 5 Eastern time
http://baydenoc.com/bayviewsports/

Mike

[The Bait Shop Guy]

Freek -Go ahead and ask questions, that's part of what this site is for.

There's at least 10 inches of ice on the upper bay. It's been extremely cold the last few nights, and I'm sure there will be a fair amount of truck traffic on the ice this weekend. I'd be leery of going out from Kipling or the Yellow Gate access with a truck, due to the crack. Days River and Vagabond will probably be good to go. Still, it's probably best to just use a quad if you have access to one.

Walleye fishing has been improving, but is still slow for this time of year, at least for legal sized fish. Still tons of dinks being caught throughout the bay. Tip-up fishing with sucker minnows has been more consistent for keepers, than jigging has. Most of the big fish we've heard of have been caught shallow, on tip-ups, at night, with large sucker minnows, (7 to 10 inchers.) If you want to jig for walleyes, the 30 to 45 minute period around sunrise and sunset is the prime time. Most of the rest of the day, you might as well fish for pike, perch and whitefish.

The best perch reports have been coming from the western side of the upper bay around Butler's Island, 1st Reef, and the Days River, in 10 to 20 FOW. Perch minnows and wigglers fished under a slip bobber work well. Fish them on a plain hook or tear drop. Small spoons like #2 Swedish Pimples and Forage Minnows tipped with a minnow head are good, too.

Den78 - click on the "Bays De Noc" banner at the top of the page, then click on "Lodging and Dining." All the hotels, motels and resorts listed there are geared more toward fishermen. You should have no problem finding a place to stay that's close to the water.

[Freek]

Thanx for the replys fellas! I do have a quad, no way in heck I would drive on the ice with my truck. Thanx again.

[IM MuskyTime]

General info on the Bay is not much of a secret---with ice conditions out there this year, a lot of posters on the site haven't been out much yet. As mentioned, stop in and see Chris at Bay View to get your bait and some direction on what your options are and where to start. His number is (906) 786-1488. There are also a number of guys who guide out there, so if you're making the trip and really want to try to get on fish rather than spend a couple of days exploring, that might be another good option. Based on the distance you're traveling, it might be the best option.

[Freek]

General info on the Bay is not much of a secret---with ice conditions out there this year, a lot of posters on the site haven't been out much yet. As mentioned, stop in and see Chris at Bay View to get your bait and some direction on what your options are and where to start. His number is (906) 786-1488. There are also a number of guys who guide out there, so if you're making the trip and really want to try to get on fish rather than spend a couple of days exploring, that might be another good option. Based on the distance you're traveling, it might be the best option.
Cool thanx, 10 inches of ice sounds good to me. I don't mind exploring its half the fun! Quad, power auger and a flasher helps. If I find fish I surely will pass on any info to those who helped me out. If..... Is the key word lol.

[KiplingHouse]

Went south off of about the middle of Garth Point and didn’t get much. 1 perch and maybe a walleye or 2 on the sonar but no hits from them.

The ice was about 12 inches and we took 4 wheelers. I think that’s pretty safe. I’m new to the bay and I’m not sure what’s considered safe, so I keep it pretty simple.

Question of my own: On Saturday we heard the ice crack a lot and 3 big cracks happened under our shack. It crossed between the holes and we could see others happen in other parts around the hole. It was a little unnerving and I didn’t care for it a whole lot. Does that sound normal? We stayed out and didn’t have any problems but I wondered if there is a concern of a pressure crack happening right below where you’re fishing and it sucks you in or something.

[FishBucket]

Kipling, i've experienced that happen many times. Every time you hear that boom a crack is happening somewhere, so my theory is that with the holes in the shack and the bit of weight there it makes the ice more susceptible to crack in that spot. With that amount of ice although unnerving as it is, I don't think theres anything to worry about, good ice is so strong, and its still butted up against eachother, now if it were to crack underneath a truck or something i'd be worried.

[BiG ARN]

When you hear that its a good thing......making ice!!

[RudyG]

Big Arn's so right! Still makes it pucker real tight.. to say the least.. but yup.. the ice is getting thicker.

[mecosmo]

Yes that is an eerie sound, but its is just what you want to hear. Seeing a crack actually happen is a wild thing indeed! but again its only because its its expanding and popping while making more ice.

[KiplingHouse]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. That is exactly what I wanted to hear. If you Google ice fishing safety or a similar term it seems like most of the articles have the caveat, no ice is 100% safe and that was getting in my head I think. :)

[KiplingHouse]

I have heard a lot about the reefs in the bay but I can’t locate them on any maps I can find online. Where are the reefs located? Is there a general way of describing them that would give me an idea of where they are?

[The Bait Shop Guy]

Pick up a map at our shop or Bayshore. Much better detail than the free ones you will find online. If you have a smartphone, there are several mapping apps that very good, for about the same price as a good folding map.

[KiplingHouse]

Why didn’t I think of that? :)

Thanks, I will.

[Slip Knot]

Here is the best online map that I know of. http://marine.geogarage.com/routes/
Not as good as the Hot Spots map Chris is referring to but still decent. Good luck out there.

[Like2Fish]

I have heard a lot about the reefs in the bay but I can’t locate them on any maps I can find online. Where are the reefs located? Is there a general way of describing them that would give me an idea of where they are?

The follow map is pretty good. The entire site has an online viewer of all the great lakes. I use them to plan trips to Green Bay and the Bay De Noc's.

http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/14915.shtml

Good Luck

Like2Fish

[Like2Fish]

The follow map is pretty good. The entire site has an online viewer of all the great lakes. I use them to plan trips to Green Bay and the Bay De Noc's.

http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/14915.shtml

Good Luck

Like2Fish

I just looked at Slip Knot's recommended site. I believe the maps from the site I made reference to are used by the other site. Both sites allow you to zoom in to locate reefs, ramps, etc. The data from these maps is old, however they are still sold as navigation maps for the Great Lakes.

Like2Fish

[KiplingHouse]

So there are a lot of trucks driving around now. What is the amount of ice that people usually go with before driving a truck? I have no intentions of doing that but just wondering cause they were not there last week.

Also, is there any etiquette to driving trucks? I notice them going where ever they please and honestly I don't appreciate trucks driving by our shack. Guess that's just how it is eh?

[xtroll]

Note to people not from around here...
I live on Lil Bay, North End. Both maps have the water in front of my house at 4 to 5 feet. In winter this doesn't matter so much but if you were going by those maps boating
your prop would be (el crap o.) The maps/charts show 3 to 4 feet more water than is really here. So again see Chris at the bait store for up to date info...