Written by Joe Robbins

It was something we have been threatening to do for several weeks. Finally, Monday night the time had come. Eric Kochenderfer, Dale Manley, and I loaded up the truck and headed for the wall in Port Sanilac in pursuit of catfish or any kind of fish for that matter.

 The weather couldn’t have been better, a balmy 90 degrees and a slight breeze. The water was calm; the swimmers and boaters were out in force. We made our way to our position on the wall and set up. Our bait was a variety of carp, venison and night crawlers. I drew first blood……I accidentally stuck myself with a hook.

 We kicked back to relax. Fish on!!! Eric was in a tussle. After what seemed like seconds Eric pulled up a….a….a gobi! His first ever. He was brimming with pride and I was beginning to believe he may have been thinking about getting it mounted. It was dispatched in proper gobi fashion. Time passed by, the lantern was on, the bugs were swarming. Over the course of the evening I picked up and very small white bass and an even smaller white perch. That was the extent of our catch. Dale was shut out.

 Fortunately for us, the bugs weren’t biting any more than the fish, otherwise we may have never been heard from again. Around 11:30 we packed up and headed for the barn. Great friends, great weather, great time, great trip, and best of all we didn’t have to clean any fish when we got back. Things couldn’t have been better.

 This report may have been embellished for dramatic affect.

 The next day Jim and I took off after a great breakfast of wild blueberry pancakes and went to the west side of the Fox. We talked to locals that said it would be easier fishing from Seney downstream. But we weren’t looking for easy. They had mentioned that the river was deeper upstream.  Besides, I had read in a DNR report that at the confluence of the West Branch and the mainstream, there was about a ½ mile of gravel bottom with great habitat for Brook Trout. I wanted to find that. Of course, we had to travel nothing but two tracks to get there. We stopped about half way to our destination at a spot that had about a 200 yard high bank, and it was almost straight down. We managed to get to the bottom and fished in this location for about 2 hours. We caught a few small Brookies. We then found the spot I was looking for, and it was great habitat. We were immediately in the fish. Most of them were small, and there were quite a few trees and branches to maneuver your bait around. At one point I had to retie 7 casts in a row. But, I was getting hits, and some of them were pretty solid hits. Jim went upstream and found a spot where a pine tree had fallen across the river, creating a pool with an eddy above the tree. He caught a couple keepers out of that pool. We had already spent a couple hours fishing, and it was going to be a long trip back, so we packed up and left. I enjoyed the adventure as did Jim. We saw quite a bit of beaver sign, and some bear scat (with blueberries). I have cataloged the locations in my head and am sure I will return.

Pictures Here

Written by Nick Cassidy

I should have known that it wasn’t going to be my day when after eating an early breakfast at Denny’s and waiting for our guide to pick us up a bum approached me and tried to start a fight.  Apparently, when a homeless guy is on his last cigarette and doesn’t have a light and asks you for one, you are not supposed to say, “Sorry man, I don’t smoke”  He kept staring at me, so I said, “I don’t have a lighter. Wish I could help you”   Apparently those seem to be the words that set off a hobo.  He started shouting profanities in his slurred drunken stooper, and then said “Since you can’t help me out with a lighter how about some money…like $100?”  It was definitely a different approach and one which he was probably sent down from the big leagues of pan handling to perfect in front of Denny’s before he is sent back up to Duvall Street where the big money is.   After I shared a few words of my own with him and tried to critique his approach, he went on to the next bystander and opened with the same line.  

Our guide Ryan picked us shortly after and took us up to the marina on Stock Island about 6 miles north of Key West.  This trip had been postponed for 3 days due to the excessive winds and this day seemed like it would be calm enough to get out on some flats.  I had expressed interest in hooking a tarpon, so we immediately headed for some mangroves.  At our first stop we spotted some tarpon in a cove and Ryan poled us close.  He told me that I might only have one shot at these fish.  Once we got close enough we couldn’t see any fish.  We just waited for a couple of minutes and then two tarpon appeared from underneath the mangroves.  I made a perfect cast and stripped the fly slow.  One tarpon came up and nosed the fly and turned away.  With my next strip, the other tarpon engulfed the fly.  I set the hook as hard as I could and the tarpon leaped out of the water and started to run.  With his next jump the hook popped out and the fish was gone.    Apparently, I made one mistake…with tarpon you do not set the hook with your rod.  You have to keep the rod pointed at the fish and pull the line to set the hook which will set the hook deeper.   We waited for about 15 minutes to see if any other tarpon would appear, but had no luck.  We went to several other mangrove spots but didn’t see a fish.  The tide was so high that most of the tarpon were in the mangroves.  With a lower tide they would be concentrated on the edges.   After burning about an hour searching for tarpon we decided to head for the flats and search out some bonefish.  As soon as we hit a promising sandbar the wind picked up…way up.  With winds pushing 30 mph and a strong tide going out, fishing the flats with a fly was basically impossible.   Ryan explained that our best option at this point would be to chum for bones and use spinning gear, at which time Andrea and I both could fish.  Since I wanted to see her fish and I didn’t want to cast in 3o mph winds, I put up the fly rod having made only one cast. 

This was when the day got really interesting.  We were fishing with spinning rods, tipped with a jig and shrimp.  Ryan told us that for some reason whenever a couple comes out on the boat and has to spin fish the woman always catches more fish.   Within the first 5 minutes of her line going in the water Andrea had a fish on.  After a couple of minutes of her drag squeeling she landed a nice shark (I can’t remember what kind).  By this time I had my line in the water.  Then I had to reel it in again because Andrea had another fish…an even bigger shark.   After I finished my camera duty for the second time in the matter of 10 minutes, I threw my line out again.  Then all of a sudden I heard the drag squeeling again.  She had another shark on.  This is when she started apologizing for being a “Fish Hog”.   We had a few minutes of inactivity and then Ryan suggested moving.  The next two spots we tried didn’t produce fish in the first 10 minutes so we kept moving.  Then we stopped at an area where Ryan said he had good success as of late.  Sure enough, as soon as Andrea’s jig hit the bottom her rod was bent and her drag was squeeling.  She continually apologized for catching all of the fish while posing for another picture with her catch.  After the shark’s release we both rebaited.  This time Andrea told me to stand in her “lucky spot” and to “Try holding the rod at more of an angle like me”.   Obviously I didn’t have the right angle because in less than 5 minutes she had on a real drag squeeler.  This time she turned to me as the fish was running, holding the rod with one hand, and said “Why don’t you reel this one in so you can see how it feels?”   She might as well have just kicked me in the junk.  Anyway, after a few minutes of fighting the fish she landed a beautiful bonefish.   Andrea continued to apologize as we threw the lines back in the water.  Within 10 minutes she was at it again, hooking into another large shark.   After she landed the fish, I tried to cast in her spot and then tilted the rod at a little more of an angle as Andrea had suggested a few fish ago.  Unfortunately, time was running out, the wind was picking up, and a storm was moving in, so we decided to pull in the lines and head for shore.  We tried to stop at one mangrove spot, but by this time the tide had dropped so much we couldn’t get close enough.  The day ended with Andrea landing 6 fish to my 0.   She had a great time, but kept complaining all the way back to our hotel about how sore her arm was from fighting fish all day.   Despite only getting one cast with a fly rod, it was a good day on the water and maybe one that will get Andrea into the sport a little more.  She did say she would love to go out again, but maybe next time I should reel in a few of her fish so her arms wouldn’t get as tired.

Written by Nick Cassidy

I knew that I wouldn’t do much fishing this trip, but figured I would at least be able to find a few chances to go after a tarpon or bonefish.   We got in at about noon yesterday and were greeted by monsoon rains and high winds.  We went to our hotel to hang out for a bit and once the rain stopped we ventured out for a bite to eat at Sloppy Joes with hopes of listening to local musician Terry Cassidy (I am serious!).  Unfortunately, Terry was sick so we had to settle for his back-ups.

  We watched the sunset on the west side of the island and then walked around for a few hours until we hit Mallory Square.  That is when I heard some splashing off the docks.  Tarpon were everywhere and were feeding aggressively.  Unfortunately, it was already 10:30 pm and I didn’t have a fishing license.

I didn’t fret too much because I had a charter trip planned for today, but with the high winds it was postponed.  AJ and I decided to rent a car and drive to mile marker 37 and Bahia Honda State Park.  I heard there were a few flats there that offer decent fishing and it has what was voted “Best Beach In the US” (at least it was in 1992).  This time, armed with a fishing licence I took a walk and found some promising water.

I went back to the car and before I even got out my stuff I realized that I left my leader material in my bag back at the hotel room.  Instead of driving back 7 miles to the bait shop I decided to go over to the docks and see if anyone had a 10 foot piece of mono they could give me.  At first no one was there, but I found one of the “Discard your Line Here” bins and decided to see if I could find something there that would work for a leader.  There was nothing in there longer than a foot, but then a guy came in with and started prepping his boat.  He was kind enough to cut me off a 30 ft section of mono and then I was back to finding my fish.

I drove back down to the flats where I planned on fishing and started getting my stuff around and that is when I noticed that I couldn’t find my fly rod.  After searching the car I decided to call back to the car rental company in Key West to see if I somehow left it there.  After I asked Bob at Tropical Rentals if he found a black tube with a fly rod in it, he said “Yup, you left it layin’ on the counter.   I bet it is tough fishin’ without it.  Have you tried attaching your reel to a long stick?” 

Anyway, I scrapped fishing for the rest of the day and got some sun on the beach with Andrea.  Honestly, it was probably too windy to fish, especially with my limited casting ability.  Maybe I will find those Tarpon again tonight.  I am supposed to go out fishing on Sunday with a guide, but only if the weather improves.

Written by Dave Kern

On Sunday afternoon (6/20) Joe, Sam and I took a quick trip to the Manistee after reports of the possibility of a Hex drop.  We left at about 2:30 and were fishing before 6:00.    We each hooked a number of small browns and brooks prior to dusk throwing both streamers and caddis dries.  

At 10:00 a light Hex drop occurred and a moderate feed began.  Joe hooked, landed and released a 16+” brown – his largest stream trout to-date.   It turned out to be an extremely enjoyable trip – and we may try one more night if Buck decides he’s up to it.  Pictures Here

Written by Nick Cassidy

I am a little late with this fishing report, but late is better than never.   Andrea and I made the trip up to Traverse City for the Memorial Day Weekend and were lucky to have our families join us.  We rented a house right on the East Arm of Grand Traverse Bay.   I packed my 5wt travel rod with hopes of hitting some local trout streams,  but we never had to venture out of sight of the house for some drag squeeling action and a ton of fun.

   In the morning we saw a few carp cruising the shallows so I rigged a spinning rod with a silver spider and a tiny chunk of orange twister tail.  After hooking several, I decided to go back and get my fly rod.  Nick Pennington (now called High Pockets by Dave) did the same.  Nick rigged up with a brown wooly bugger with rubber legs and after a few minutes he hooked and landed a big carp.  I followed suit shorlty after.  I began to gain a new appreciation for for these monsters.  They are very spooky, but if you spot them with their tail up they will hit.  Several times I would see them feeding and slowly strip a bugger in front of them and watch them suck in the fly.  Then the fight was on!  I have never had so many fish take me into my backing.  One fish I had to run out as far as I could so it didn’t line me.   The only thing that would have made this type of fishing more fun would have been a bow and arrow or a fly rod with a little more backbone than a 5 wt. 

We also made a few side trips to the Elk River in Elk Rapids, which was only about 5 miles north of our rental house.  We caught several smallmouth, a few trout, and High Pockets caught a big carp. 

I am heading out for a float down the Etowah River for some stripers tonight.  This beginning to get personal.  I have made about a dozen trips for stripers in the rivers near my house and have only ever hooked one.  Maybe tonight is the night.  I will be taking a fly rod and a spinning rod.

Written by Joe Robbins

May 29th marked 41 consecutive years that Eric Kochenderfer and myself have been on the waters of Cedar Lake for the bass fishing season opener. The string was in jeopardy of being broken this year with Eric’s daughter Melissa being an expectant mother. The big event could have occurred at any moment, but obviously baby realized the gravity of the situation and waited to make the grand entrance and the tradition lives on. However, I would like to add that I couldn’t think of a better way for a tradition to have to come to an end. 

The weather was perfect, sunny and warm with a slight breeze, the water was clear and the bass were hungry. We boated about a dozen and a half fish with many more that threw the hook. Size wise, nothing in the keeper range but on ultra light equipment such as we were using, even a nine incher is a good tussle. The only exception to the bass we caught was a lone 8 inch bluegill that Eric pulled in; what a beauty!

Postscript: 

As mentioned in my initial report, this year our tradition on Cedar Lake was in danger of coming to an end due to the impending arrival of a mystery guest. A mystery no more, Lincoln Paul Taylor came into the world this morning. Weighed in at better than 8 pounds. No catch and release this time, congrats to the new parents.

Written by Steve Kern

On May 1, Nate and I drove to Newaygo to the cabin my brother-in-law Al White has on the Muskegon River. Al was there with two of his boys Kenny and Greg. We split up into two boats, Al and I in one, and the boys in the other. It wasn’t too long and Al spotted some steelhead on a bed. We anchored the boat and crawled out. Al went after the steelhead with his 7 wt rod and I went to fish some runs for native trout with my 5 wt. I think on my 12th cast I landed a nice 12 inch brown.

 I caught a few smaller ones before we moved on to look some more. We managed to find a few steelhead, but frequently we spooked them or Al got tired of me hitting him in the head with the weight and egg hook. Sorry Al. But we were having a great time.   Al did manage to foul hook and land a huge male, which we let go.

Meanwhile in the boys boat, there was more success. Nate managed to hook several fish, but they soon broke off in the brush. Later his cousins hooked a couple and handed the rod off to Nate to land. So Nate did land a couple nice steelhead. Greg landed another one as well so the boys ended up with three for the day. We had a great time learning more about steelheading.

Pictures Here

Written by Dave Johnson

We decided to avoid the Mall traffic on the river and launched at Linwood Beach Marina. Got there at 6:00 a.m. and we were the 4th boat heading out. That was amazing to see but I guess the wind report may have had something to do with that.

The wind reports predicted 1 to 2 footers,  but I would say the waves were closer to 2 to 4 footers. We headed due east into 17′ of water and decided to just start drifting – rough ride out.

Three of us boated our limit within 3 hours after several throwbacks. We did just as well drifting as we did trolling all going with the wind. Crawler harnesses some on purple and some on fire tiger. Sure wish I had a boat that didn’t have an open bow though..first time ever taking on water and getting wet!  Also, I finally figured out that walleye seem to like cloudy days with some chop!