Michigan Smallies

[Sam Elkins]

Just now had a chance to go through my March issue of Bassmaster. There's an article in there about smallies in the Traverse City area. Man them sure is some nice looking fish!!! Looks like they were all caught on the same trip. I could sure use a day like that. Is fishing in Michigan really that good?

 

[Rob LaMoy]

SAM!!!! Come to the rally. As you will see in the posts below, NI is good, but NY and VT are the best! LOL Great lakes are awesome. I've only ever fished Ontario, but it was good. Look at my pic library and see what to expect at the rally on Champlain. 50-60 fish days, averaging 3 lbs+, and over 5 species each day. Sorry, bragging about my lake again. Yeah, that's right Ken it's MY lake! LOL

 

[Pierre Voisine]

Last year for the Everstart.....day 3 had the top three anglers bring in 21.08-21.09 for 5 smallies....That's pretty damn good, and average of 4.21lbs per fish.....Any idea what the Champlain tallies will be for the rally ? Champy not included...



pierre

 

[gone bye bye]

Pierre do you mean the Everstart on Ontario or Champlain?



Notice where all those guys were from on the Ontario tournament? lol....



To answer the original question....yes the fishing in Michigan is AWESOME. Grand Traverse Bay was and is some of the best smallmouth fishing you will experience. Especially for trophy fish. A Michigan BASS Classic was held there a few years back in the fall and it took over 52 pounds to win (two days, 5 fish per day). Some of the smallies here have never even seen baits. I know of a guy that won a Tuesday night tourney up there with 28+ pounds on FOUR FISH!!!!!



Mini

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Well, in one of our bigger tourneys I had to cull 4 lbers! On a good day, it takes 20 lbs just to cash a check here, over 25 to win. All jokes aside, Champlain is comparable to the great lakes. 115 miles long, 6 miles wide, 500 ft deep at it's deepest, and over 100 islands, and every kind of fishing structure known to man. It is the 6th largest lake in the country, right behind the great lakes. But I have been wanting to get out there and fish one of those Erie reefs, out in the middle of nowhere that spans for acres, with nobody in sight, and hundreds of smallies and eyes under the boat! Now, that sounds like some fun anywhere you go!

 

[Sam Elkins]

Maybe I can bring you guys all together. Wasn't Champlain classified as the 6th Great Lake a few years back? I was thinking it was.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Sam,

Yes, but it only lasted a week or so and some PEOPLE in MICHIGAN started crying a$$in and Billy Clinton was true to his nature (spineless, worthless, walking pile of human debris) and said "just kidding!" They retracted it. Sorry guys, nothing against MI, but it was people on the 5 great lakes, that didn't want to let little brother into the club. Just not right I tell ya! Not right at all. Hey we even have our own fairytale creature. Doesn't that count for anything anymore? LOL I'm done now!

 

[gone bye bye]

It was as Rob said for a week or so (closer to 9 days....lol). Champlain is no doubt a great lake! I cant wait to get there. But since I fish my arse off in the spring/summer AND live in a state with a bass "season" I have conflicts. I will be thinking of you guys when you are there.



But then again, I will be on the Great Lakes Inland Waterway! Burt, Mullet, Crooked Lakes and the Indian River sytem is only surpassed in beauty by the great smallmouth fishing! Not to mention you CAN get to Huron and Grand Traverse Bay, but it would take a while....



So in closing, yes I admit.....we are spoiled in Michigan!



Off to the Novi Outdoorama and boatshow!



Mini

 

[gone bye bye]

Rob,



Chaplain does deserve the money that the Feds give up to the Great Lakes right after St. Clair gets it! Good news is that the Army Corps of Engineers are now involved with St Clair and our water (or lackof) problems. That is the start of classifying us as another Great Lake.



So bide your time buddy, you're next!



But did you know that there are more boats registered per square mile from Port Huron, MI to Detroit (St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River) than anywhere else in the world? This is truly not only Motown, but BOAT-TOWN!



Mini



man i gotta get goin, i am gonna be late and Kneeley is gonna kill me!

 

[Sam Elkins]

Woooooo.....That didn't work. Both Michiganders and Champlainites should, and I'm sure you do, feel very fortunate to live near such great fishing waters. Look at the other side...you could live in Indiana. Come On Retirement!!!!!

 

[Pierre Voisine]

I've never fished 'clair...and hope i do soon. I was lucky enough to lightly fish Champlain last year and looking forward to going again.....Rob, Champlain is something else! the weights I read about in 'clair is also incredible.



Yes Mini, I know Vida and co did well on the Ontario waters fishing smallies, they were doing what they do best on 'clair....fishing open waters....wish I knew about that more!!!



Pierre

 

[Ken Neeley]

Rob,

Can't wait to come fish yer "pond" in June!!!



Mini,

You said you had car problems??????

 

[Rob LaMoy]

OK that's it Ken, now I'm releasing the controversial pics of you Nekkid water skiing with an intern drinking a bud light. Kiss your C&L sponsorship goodbye. Never tick off your chief of staff going into a major election! LOL And the intern wasn't even a hooters waitress! You're done for now mister!

 

[Ken Neeley]

Don't make me sic Trep on you now...

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Ohhhh, I'm shakin' in my muc lucs! Trep don't dare step north of the Carolinas, less he might get cold! Besides don't send a light weight to do a northerners job eh! Sorry Trep, you get slammed by default! LOL, That's it Neeley, me and the cabinet er gonna have us a secrit meatin' and vote you down ta VP and put Mac in charge! He knows what side his butter is breaded on! Don't be careful, and I'll send ya sum of the fever thru da male in spitoon! Got me dat durn bad cabin fever mixin wid a lil of nascar stupor! Durn winter!

 

[Rob LaMoy]

AND AN UDDER TING! never mind!

 

[Bill McElroy]

Check out the "DetRvr" .jpg in my Library,...I give credit when and where it's due!! Mini caught the one on the left (@ 5lbs),...I caught the one on the right,(4+lbs)... with back to back casts in the Detroit Rvr....it usually takes 5 fish like that just to get a check in our tournaments up here!!! BTW, that pix will also be on the back of KVD's new book coming out in March.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Yeah yeah yeah, we got those too! You just wait and see when you guys come up for the rally. If we have enough water! Geeze, we're 4 ft low in MARCH!!!! Should be 4 ft high. Gonna be a lot of lower units replace this year. Nice toon for March Mac, I ASSUME they're reviewing the latest BPS catalog right?

 

[Bill McElroy]

Butt of course they are!!!......What ELSE?!,,...LOL......I dare never venture into the darkest sanctums of your imagination!!!

 

[Bill McElroy]

Rob,.......What's going to happen if we have lowsy weather or the fish are just plain "turned-off"??!!

You should be telling us that the fishing is "just okay",....to CYA!!!...That way, if it's really ON and we all have spectacular days,....you can say,.."WOW,...you guys are GOOOD!!!!".......and if it's lowsy and nobody catch's squat,...you're covered!!!,..you can say,..."Well,...it's only fair at best and this weather doesn't help!!"...ahahaahh,...now you're screwed big dog!!!,...that lake better produce mega-weights from all your bantering or we're gonna send you up the river in a canoe with Scott and his plate of strawberries! Sans PADDLE!!!!

 

[Rob LaMoy]

See here, last May after a week of rain, with a cold front that just passed through the night before, in 4 foot swells, we boated over 60 fish averaging 3 lbs a piece. If you guys don't do well.....well, will it be a olympic size contoversy if I win each day including big bass? LOL With the caliber of anglers on this board, my BIGGEST fear is that when you yahoos are done, I'm gonna have to find me some unmolested water with fish left in it to guide on! However, we are experiencing the same surreal low water you guys are. Actually we are as bad as Michigan, 4ft low!!!! Worst in 30 years. I'm not that old, so I have no idea how to start fishing it. I've fished it low before, but never like this. In fact, as the rally draws near I will have to keep you all posted. Currently, the water is 3 feet of MUCK from the very end of the concrete of the Chazy launch. I may not even get a boat in this year. It's in God's hands now. Hoping for flood rains this spring!

 

[gone bye bye]

Sounds like Mac has had experience with that...womder who taught 'em that?



The entire Great Lakes watershed is low.....the fish are still around. Smallies are smallies.....they bite in 6" of water....lol



Mini

 

[Bill McElroy]

You're my hero Mini....I learn EVERYTHING from you,...the good,..the bad,..and the totally unacceptable!! Now go have a marlboro and relax!! LOL

 

[gone bye bye]

Unacceptable to whom? lol....



Mini

 

[Ken Neeley]

Mini, Mini, he's our man, if he can't catch 'em no one can!!!



Are you coming to Novi tonite???

 

[gone bye bye]

Cant make it my brother....I have been plowing the last two nights and I need to sleep to get back on schedule. Also as much as I hate to admit, it looks like crappie fishing will be out for Thursday.



Mini