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Brother whom lives in Lansing area , heard that Duck Lake is a good Crappie an Gills lake and wants to try it after the holiday weekend ,never been there. Any advice on where to start looking for them would be help full. We will only have a few hours after noon an sunset but we will make the best of it.
I used to fish it quite a bit and did pretty well on slabs. I normally would fish it in the spring right out in front ofthe boat launch out at the drop off or where the weeds ended and drift that whole weed edge about half way to the big point that comes off shore. I would use minnows on plain gold tru-turn hooks or pinkie jigs w/minnows or without under a slip bobber. Hope that helps some, let us know how it goes. I've been planning a trip back there pretty soon myself
sounds like a good start ,we will be using slip bobber and small jig with Gulp minnow or cast jigs with Gulp minnow. will let everyone know how it goes.
duck lake is hurting right now. the labor day boat traffic has water visability at 2-5 Ft . All weeds we picked up on drop shot , jigs ,road runners were brown a rotten( they had a weed control spraying end of July) Huminbird painted large schools of fish where skillet007 said , also found them around the other sunken islands drop off. The fish are there , but we could not get a bite stayed to sundown but nothing. we did not have any live bait. Summary; fish are there , I could not catch them today!
Still better than "Not sure if they are there, didn't go"!
I love fishing artificial as much as possible and have excelled in recent years with it but (always the dreaded but...) it always seems, at least for me, that during the fall (regardless of the weather) the fish are putting on the feed bags and meat is the way to go. The local lake I fish a lot can usually be counted for dozens of fish on plastics during the summer. Went about a week ago and couldn't get a hit on plastics yet we took all of our fish with meat (minnows).
One thing that has NOT happened yet. Normally, during this time of year, the lakes in our area have "turned over". The colder bottom water is rolled to the top while the warm water on top goes to the bottom. This usually brings fish out of the depths of summer and into a fall feeding pattern as they are closer to the surface and the cool water/oxygenated water. Last I checked the local lakes, they are still running very hot keeping the fish in those summer holding areas. They might swim up to a bait and look at it for 5 minutes before they decide to eat it. They don't like to chase the forage in hot water so they won't go a great distance to hit a bait.
You did however make a vallient effort.
I see you are in Howell. I'm over in the Dansville area. Fish a ton around Pinckney. I have a ton of lakes in that area you can fish for crappies.
We have been fishing the Half Moon -Watson - Bruin - Patterson- Chain of lakes still catching nice Gills and a few Crappies ,but working hard for them. I agree with lake temps. are really hot for this time of year. Leaves are turning can't wait for fall! Best Crappie catch for us has been on Woodburn just off of Patterson Lake.
STAY OFF of Woodburn... there isn't any fish there!!! Devil Icon
Woodburn is one of the lakes I speak of by the way! Trolling in front of the lillies in 16 FOW with jigs down about 10 feet has yielded great catches however the center of the lake from the Island towards the back end of the lake is loaded with crappies right now. The weed bed on the tip of the island off from Watson lake also has some good crappies in it right now as well as under the docks at round lake.
For Woodburn, during most times of the year, our best bait, hands down is a 2" Big Bite Shad casted with a 1/16th oz Bright green sickle hook jig towards the lillies. Our second best is a small berkley Gulp alive minnow. This time of year though, that bite dies off and minnows catch the majority for us. I have also done well with Big Bite tails in Parrot and Green Tractor.
I buy minnows just outside of Gregory at Tab's bait and meat cutting place. Used to get them at Corser farms but Ernie retired this spring. Won't be long and they will adjust the water flow and lower the water making the channels impossible to pass through between Bruin and Watson and really low from Halfmoon to Watson. The launch at Bruin is usually high and dry at that time of year as well (usually the end of October).
Green lake outside of Chelsea on 52 is another good one as well as Mill lake (electric only) and Cassidy (next to the prison). You need a small boat to fish Cassidy. South lake is okay but hard to find fish. When you do, they are BIG. North lake has more crappies in it but the weekend boaters need to go away.
Mill and Cassidy are my go to ice fishing lakes. Woodburn and Watson are go to crappie spots when I want to put fish in the freezer. For gills, you can't beat Williamsville however it is mostly private and there isn't a launch. I have a buddy that lives on it. Another lake that is dynamite is "Sharp's" lake (across from Williamsville). It is a walk to get back to but worth it. YOu can also come in via kayake or Canoe from the channel (another go to ice lake for me). Winnawana is another good impoundment but hard to fish in the summer. Best springtime blue gill spot I've found for big bull blue gills. I've had 100 crappie days at this place as well.
Most of this is done however when I am not chasing big Walleyes or Perch!
I will be off Woodburn an Watson soon then , brother worries about scratching the gell coat on the bottom of his ski boat ,so if they lower the lake levels will not be there until they raise it in spring. Back to Lake Chemung. Trying to talk him into a nice flat bottom, his wife want's a pontoon. I do not stand a snowballs chance....
Thank for the other lakes in the area , but if it doesn't have a 4 star launch he won't put the boat in .
I'm laughing right now. And that is the main reason I don't own a 70K fiberglass walleye boat! Not the wife thing, but the fact that I fish a ton of lakes that might tear it up a little bit. I put my 18ft deep V alluminum boat in until they lower the water then it is on to the 16 footer or the 12 footer. Either way, I'm getting in the water one way or another. Now, if a new sponsor wants to step up the plate and put a 70K Nitro deep V or a Triton or Ranger 621VS in my garage, I'll gladly drag it through just about any dirt flat there is. You get paid to be visable!!!
There ya GO ,your fishing.... using a ski boat is bad enough , but can not use worms or crawlers , might get dirt on carpet , all weeds must be pulled off over the water , Glup baits only opened over beach towels , if you eat trail mix, chips ,anything if it hits the carpet must be picked up so it will not get into the carpet. must put towels on seat cushions before stepping in or out of boat , if stepping in goose turds or dog crap must remove shoes before getting in . it is a lesson in good house keeping ,,the fun part is it looks like a football fumble drill if a fish slips out and makes it to the deck , yet it is always a good day with the kid brother. just can't teach him how to be a slob like his older brother , LOL.
You need to fish with me. I do have carpet but could care less if/when things get spilled on it. First day on the water spring walleye fishing last year, buddy loses a bottle of soda out of the drink holder (my fault at 50mph). It hit the deck, he looks at me, I shrug my shoulders and say, "can't be new forever". I've since had everything from fish roe, slime, goose turds, dried minnows and mustard vomit (my daughter got sick). Hell, one of the crappie dot com members daughters had an unfortunate accident in it... it's carpet, it cleans up.
I get one unsuspecting person to go fishing with me at least once per year and he cleans the boat for me!!! But, then again, it is a "Fishing" boat. I do however know guys that have "fishing" boats that are as anal as your brother. I like to drop potatoe chips on the floor behind him while he steps on them. Then I blame it on him! I also like to leave gifts in his cupholders and glove box!!
Right now, my carpet looks like a worm dirt bomb went off on it. We were fishing a tournament in the SOO. You don't have time to worry about it. Yes, I could have cleaned it when I got home however, that cuts in to my fishing time. I'll vacuum it when I am really, really, really bored! Or I sucker someone in to doing it while I clean their fish! Fair trade!
Go fishing with me, I won't chastise you if you get worm dirt on the floor, a perch vomits up a minnow, we play floor hocky with a crappie, or a walleye decideds it wants to roll around like a dog and scratch it's back. Usually, the only rule I have is that you take all the fish home with you. My freezer is full!
Thanks .Hope to see you on the water some where