My buds, Tom (left) and Andy, with a 12-plus-pound king from West Bay in Traverse City.



Close-up of a sunfish that ate a tiny jig and rubber-bodied lure.

May is a tough month for the angler… There’s so much to do and so little time.

I got out to three different bodies of water in one day, yesterday, Tuesday, May 6. (With gas prices soaring, when I go fishing, I GO FISHING!)

First was Spider Lake for panfish. The weather started out cold, wet, and gray, and then turned to full high, bluebird skies. The water in this little lake had cooled about 3 degrees since my last trip there the end of last week (down to 54 degrees), and the panfish responded by heading to deeper water where they sulked. We did land some ‘gills and sunfish in 3 to 5 feet of water, but only a few keepers. The fish came on tiny jig heads (1/16-ounce) and small rubber-bodied baits, as well the good old-fashion chunk of night crawler under a bobber.  

Then I hit South Lake Leelanau. The skies were still high and bright and there was a steady east wind blowing. We landed one walleye about 17 inches as well 3 northern pike. All fish came out of 8 feet of water and all hit a 1/8-ounce jig head tipped with a 4-inch rubber worm. We tried several other types of lures (crankbaits, Beetle-Spins, and the like) but to no avail.

Last but not least was West Grand Travers Bay. At dark, while trolling fairly shallow water, came a 3-pound smallmouth bass and a 12-plus-pound chrome-colored chinook. Both fish hit bodybaits trolled about 1.5 mph. If you found warmer water (44 degrees) then you found fish. The surface temperature averaged 41 degrees in most of the bay.

Save your pennies, by some gas, and get fishing!

And as always—BE SAFE ON THE WATER!

Dave ~ WildFishing