2006 Annual Fall Big Bass hunt is on

[djkimmel]

I'm heading back up north to our annual fall big bass hunt - a little later this year - I'll be up at Aloha State Park the week of October 7 thru October 15. It will be a different this year without my regular fishing partner to fish with, but life does go on as always. Hey, if any of you might be in the area during that time, swing by Aloha and say hi - maybe jump in the boat if it works out. PM, email or call me and see if we can work something out.

Because I get bored easy and because I'll be more on my own for fishing locations this year, I'm thinking about taking an extra day trip or two to new water in the area. I like to experiment and go on mini-adventures.

Any suggestions for fishing spots within an hour or so of Indian River/Cheboygan from any of you? I don't have 4 wheel drive and a heavy bass boat, so small questionable ramps are unfortunately out. I'm thinking about trying Tomahawk Flooding again, but I remember the ramp was iffy a number of years ago when I tried it, so I may pass.

Let me know if you have any suggestions or have heard rumors about good fishing somewhere up there besides Burt-Mullett, Douglas and Long - already been there. I'll probably spend another day on Black Lake if we have warm weather again. Thanks my fellow anglers. I hope you are catching the big ones.

[chase5004]

Never been there, but I would like to try it sometime myself, that being Hubbard Lake. Just a thought.

Pat

[blakstr1]

the tomahawk ramp is doable, it really isn't that bad just a long dusty road leading to it...savage was out there about a month ago or so, have been hearing about locals hauling in some big ones there....

[rudycard72]

I know a little lake just east of gaylord loaded with big smallies if you want to drive that far

[djkimmel]

It's a ways, but a possibility. How's the boat ramp?

[rudycard72]

Boat ramp is great and you'll probably be the only one there . Take 32 east from Gaylord about 5 miles on right look for Big lake road,cant miss the brown launch sign easy to find and loaded full of confidence building,toad smallies.Well worth the trip.

[djkimmel]

Thanks! I'll add it to my list of possibilities for sure.

[stackenem]

Big lake is a good lake I used to live in gaylord. There are alot of good lakes around there.

[TheFishinPollock]

Big Bradford in Waters is about the best if ya want monster bass and pike that will scare ya. took a few nice 4 pounder out this sept  put many back.   

[djkimmel]

How's the boat ramp - my Ford F350 dually isn't the best on poor or slippery ramps? I've never been on Bradford before.

[djkimmel]

Anyone know about the boat ramp on Walloon Lake? I believe I've heard it is in one of the towns, small, with limited parking.

[canvsbk]

The ramp on the end of Bumner Road is very similair to the ramp @ Douglas. (without the restaraunt.) There's a ramp in town too, Walloon,  we tried it a few years back but it was VERY shallow. Maybe they took care of that?

[djkimmel]

Is that a Freudian slip? I thought there was a Sumner Rd?

We launched with Larry's boat at Douglas a couple years ago. I can't remember now what shape it was in. I seem to remember it was better than it was the first time I visited back in the 80s.

I was trying to remember where the Howell club (Rambo, Demarmalade, Cujo... all those guys) used to launch every year? I was thinking it was in town. I'm curious about walloon, but I think there are better choices. Maybe I'll wait until the new DNR ramp is in... or check the ramps later in the day after I fish somewhere else in the area.

Of course, it isn't that hard to make me happy. If enough big bass are biting all over Mullett and Burt, I may have a hard time driving away...

[cwinsiii]

Just make the trip to Grand Traverse Bay.

[djkimmel]

I still haven't hit GT Bay just right. I had a couple ok days out there, but also a couple miserable days (fishing-wise). I need to break that jinx by getting on some toads. I may head over there for a day. A lot depends on the weather and gas prices (and like I say, how good the Mullett Lake smallies are biting ).

[cwinsiii]

I might try it this weekend the fish with the pros are here this weekend. I have been seeing a lot of the pro wrapped boats.

I might drive around to see where they fish at.

[djkimmel]

Sure - send any hot tips my way if you like

[Dan]

Yea the fishing with the pros is this weekend and they fish all around the TC area. Know two guys who are going as the pros. If I was fishing the bay, which I am no expert on or hardly a novice, but I did talk to a number of the guys that fished this past weekend and I know what I did the didn't work. If I were to go which I intend to do several times yet this fall, I'd run the drops till I found weeds and then back off the drop and throw light colored tubes up on the sand and pull them down the drop. I would probably start south of Elk Rapids on the east side. The smallies there seem to pick up your bait and run with it like there competing with the school. I would consider a trailer on the tube of some kind. Several of the guys were complaining of a lot of pick ups and then when they would go to set they would pull it right out of their mouths. We had 10 boats there last weekend and that seemed to be the number one pattern. I know there were at least 5, 5 pounders and one over six that were weighed out of the 10 boats that fished. Only three limits though, but several of our guys have fished the bay once or twice and several had never fished it before.