Walleye Tournament Pro Mike Gofron and a Lake Gogebic walleye.



Captian Larry Smith and a 5-plus-pound smallie from Lac la Belle.



My clients and Elk Lake/Lake Skegemog smallmouth bass.

Fishing's hot! (and you should be out enjoying it!)

MICHIGAN’S UPPER PENEINSULA

Just got back from a week-long trip across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula; fished 5 of the 7 days I was gone. I landed walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, and crappie.

I fished Lake Gogebic the first 4 days with 3 of the World’s top walleye tournament pros, Mark Brumbuagh, Mike Gofron, and Mark Martin. Casting artificials—such as Berkley Gulp! Alive! Minnows hooked up to Northland or Lindy jig heads and snapped onto spinner arms (like that of a Beatle Spin), and Rapala Original Minnows—over the tops of cabbage weed took a good majority of fish. Reef Runner Little Rippers and Lindy twister tail grubs would have taken plenty of fish, too.

We (my wife and I) stayed at West Shore Resort (westshoreresort.com) in some great little cabins on the southwestern shore of Lake Gogebic. VERY NICE PLACE! The pros hung their hats at Bear’s Nine Pine Resort (ninepinesresort.com). I stayed at the Nine Pines when I was here 5 years ago. ANOTHER VERY NICE PLACE!

Gogebic’s just chucked full of eater-size ‘eyes. We’d land 20 to 30 fish each trip out, with dawn and dusk the best times. Several northern pike, including a 38 incher, smallmouth bass up to 3 pounds, and crappie up to 13 inches where landed, as well. For you crappie anglers, Gogebic is one of those sleeper lakes you should check out!

We then headed north to the Keweenaw Peninsula, where we fished Lake Lac la Belle for smallmouth bass with Captain Larry Smith of Fish on II Charters (keweenaw.info/details_842_fishoniiinlandgreatlakescharters.aspx). Wow, was the bass bite ever hot! I have no idea how many smallies we landed. One, I know for sure, was well over the 5-pound mark. All fish were taken while drifting river chubs nose-nipped onto the thin-wire hooks of live bait rigs, and while vertical jigging Hopkins Jigging Spoons and blade baits.

Although I did not get the chance to fish it, the mouth of the Anna River in Munising is hot right now for both coho salmon and splake. Anglers were casting spoons and still-fishing spawn at its mouth in the surf of Lake Superior.

NORTHERWESTER LOWER PENINSULA

I had a smallmouth bass charter yesterday (Monday, Oct 1) on Elk Lake and Lake Skegemog. Right off the bat we landed several nice smallies. Crankbaits and 5-inch grubs were the hot ticket early on. Then weather changed… Fishing slowed as the seas grew dead-calm. Fishing stayed slow as a 30-mph south wind started cranking. Fishing then picked up towards the tail-end of the trip once the small front pasted through and the wind calmed. Spinnerbaits took top honors late in the day.

Chinook and coho salmon numbers in the Boardman River have leveled off. Not too many new fish have come in during the past week. As of Sunday, a fresh batch of chinook entered into the Betsie River. “You better hang on,” say’s River Guide Russ Maddin, “these fish are fresh, silver, and hot!” These new fish are mixing in with the spawners already there.

Walleye fishing’s been picking up on South Lake Leelanau. This lake’s full of small ‘eyes, as well as keeper-size fish right now. Top techniques and baits here are jig-and-plastic combos and suspending bodybaits fish over weeds in 6 to 12 feet of water. The warm weather’s kept this lake (as with most every other lake around here) from turning over yet.

Well, that’s it for now. As always, BE SAFE ON THE WATER!

Dave, WildFishing Guide Service