Captain Dick Stafford of Take Five Charters reports from the U.P Lake Michigan and Superior:
6-11-09
The walleye have slowed up the last couple of days around Gladstone and Escanaba. Mayflies are starting to escape from the depths of Little and Big Bays de Noc. Cold temperatures and high winds have kept the lake pretty stirred up.
While the walleye have slowed here, excellent catches of walleye have continued around the Ford River area just south of Escanaba all the way down to Cedar River. Crankbaits have been catching larger fish.
Pike are on the prowl. They have been biting on both spoons and cranks. Perch have been hit and miss using crawlers or minnows.
Fishing at night has still been producing many limit catches. Trolling cranks just off the breaks accounts for most successes. Nevertheless, a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work. Get out and wet some lines.
Captain Dick Stafford reports from the U.P
5-25-09
Walleye fishing is picking up as the water warms. Unlike most years, the season started out slow but has been picking up with each day. Good catches of walleye can be had north of Gladstone using both harnesses and crank baits. I like to run cranks from 80 to 120 feet back. Depths can be obtained using either small dipsys, #20 jet divers or by downriggers. Jigging has also been producing good limits at the head of Little Bay de Noc. Limit catches of 18 - 24 inch walleye are being caught between Portage Point and Breezy Point using crawler harnesses or small crank baits such as Rapalas or Storm AJ's. In both of these places, night fishing has been very productive.
Bass fishing has also been great along the shores of Little Bay de Noc in the pencil weeds. Please consult local depth charts when navigating these waters.
08/06/08 9:3(CST)
Captain Dick Stafford reports from the U.P
Walleye fishing continues to be slow due to large amounts of alewives in the bay and mayflies are still hatching. Large walleyes can still be caught along the west shore line of Little Bay de Noc down to Cedar River. Crank baits seem to be the lure of choice although bottom bouncers and night crawlers are also producing some nice catches. Lead core line used in deeper water has been working well. The night- ime bite is still productive. The big news is that the salmon fishing is in full swing. Great catches of the mighty Kings are coming from waters just south of Little Bay de Noc. Salmon fishing here is done around the Ford River Can Area. Charters out of Gladstone are doing well. Such is the case at Cedar River. Whaleback Shoals is also producing good catches. Most fish are averaging around 12-16 pounds with a few fish weighing-in over 20 pounds. Manistique has good fishing with anglers catching mixed bags of both salmon and steelhead. Good numbers of these prime fighters can be caught around the Wiggins Point area which is West of Manistique. Call early for charter dates. The best dates are filling up quickly.
07/29 7:26(CST)
Captain Dick Stafford reports from the U.P
Walleye fishing has been excellent south of Escanaba along the shoreline around the Mouth of the Ford River. Walleye are averaging between 22-26 inches. This has got to be one of the best years yet. Anglers are using both night crawler harnesses and crank baits while they are trolling. Most fish are coming from waters 9-12 feet deep. The salmon are coming in. Although they are a little late this year, go numbers are showing up around the Ford River Can Area and Whaleback Shoals. Fish are averaging around 10 - 15 pounds. While downriggers and spoons are working very well, dipsy divers are also working great. This should be one of the best years yet. Book charters early for the best dates.