Traverse City

[ncbkc]

Headed up there May 18 thru 23rd.  Tell me what to expect on the Bays and inland lakes that time for smallies.

[Dan]

Definitely take an 8 in auger. You'll want a gas powered one. Jigging rapalas and tungsten jigs.

[Got Fish??]

Called a friend today,  He says there is still ice on the lakes. Look for 8ft flats next to steep drops. Throw lots of stuff plastic, cranks and spinnerbaits. The fish will let you know. Largemouth will be on wood or docks.

[capt charlie's charters]

be prepared, you may not even see a fish, been there done that and it was the first weekend of June, 20-23 ft of water you could read newsprint.  but it didn't matter shallow or deep the T Bone and I connected with dink bass on the bay.  on the inland lakes we fished that weekend for our club tournaments, were a combination of bedding and fry, what a difference.  Be interesting to hear how you do.
capt

[Dan]

You will be pre spawn on the Bay by about a month. Blade baits in 15-40 FOW. Silver buddies that have had the hooks taken off split rings and larger hooks added. Make sure when the hooks bend toward each other they don't touch. Look for deeper sand flats and fish the steeper breaks. You will want the silver buddies on the bottom and jig them 12 - 18 inches. Hair jigs fished slow, as the water warms into the low 50s jerk baits. Don't be afraid to try pink. Keitech swim baits long casts cranked slow along the bottom.

Inland lakes will, in my opinion, be mostly pre spawn as well, but further along, i.e. Burt and Mullet will have fish usually on beds first weekend of June. Cover water and you may find a few beds, but I would bet you would be early. The jerk bait bite should be on though, pointers, lucky craft, megabass if you can afford em. I'd still try the silver buddies deeper and move shallow trying other baits, all the way in to the dock post to check for early spawners.

[ncbkc]

Was up there this past Fall had a blast until Winter started in late October.  Using this Spring trip as an exploratory trip to get more familiar with both East and West Bays as well as the numerous inland lakes. I understand how to fish the "blade baits" and have caught them that way before. Which inland lakes have the history of being on first in the area. I learned that one needs to hop around both on one lake and between lakes to find the one that the bite is happenning. Given this year has been so cold I am expecting to have to cover water but fish the deeper breaks. 

[Jmcfarland]

Going to be cold water temps unless we have a major warm up. That said, if the sun comes out and you get a couple calm 65-80 degree days it will be insane. I live up around Petoskey and have had 50-100 fish days pretty consistently that time of year on the smaller inland lakes and bays/arms of bigger inland lakes. Have not been on GT Bay but this year I gotta think its still gonna be super cold water and tough fishing that early. I would definitly check out Skegmog. Duck and Green aren't as deep (I think) as Elk/Torch/Bellaire and might warm up a little sooner. The Ironton/East Jordan arm of Lake Charlevoix might be on like donkey kong by then also. If you can find 50-60 degree water you should have a ball. Like the other guy(s) said if it's not happening on one lake head to another. Three baits to have: Jerkbait, spinnerbait, t-rigged tube/beaver/craw. Steep drops and points attached to big flats is where its at. If there not there look shallower. Dark spots, such as isolated weeds, logs,rocks hold fish BIG TIME that time of year especially at the top of those drop offs. Have fun. Best time of year to fish in my opinion.

[ncbkc]

How's ice out coming along ? 

[bwebber]

   Ice is out, I was on Otsego Thrusday, water temp was 45-46 caught, 12 smallie's and my brother and I got our limit of Walleye in three hours.  The only lake that I knew of having ice on Wednesday was Mullet and Charlevoix, but they should be open now.

[djkimmel]

Been real cloudy up there the past few days so satellite images (MODIS links on GreatLakesBass.com Weather links page) are sketchy but it looks like Burt, Mullett and Charlevoix (though Round might be still iced in?) might be mostly ice free. Looks like there's still some ice on parts of Grand Traverse Bay. Might be some ice on Torch and Elk. Maybe Crooked and Pickerel too.

Hard to tell without a half day or so of clear weather for the satellites. I saw one prediction yesterday that parts of the farther North Great Lakes may still have ice in early June. Should be some extension on prespawn - spawn this year up North. Hard to say. Seems like some lakes or areas the bass just do their thing regardless of the 'perfect' temperature and other lakes more of the bass will delay.

[TheFishinPollock]

The ice has been gone for over a week now. Water is  just plain cold though. Was on Charlevoix sat night eye fishing. Temps were 39 to 42  but that is it.  Gonna take 2 weeks eaisly to warm them up to the 50's due to  20 degree nights and lots of cloudy days this week.

[thedude]

hell, a lot of the lakes just north of GR haven't hit 50 yet.

[stackenem]

Matt, get that boat out and stir up that water, Get it heating up.come on you can do it!!!!

[TheFishinPollock]

I was gonna go around and hook up everyone's outside hot water tank drains with hoses and put them in the lake Bill.  They ain't here for another month, never notice.

[ncbkc]

Well I am coming; doesn't matter my buds call me "Rainmaker" and "Cold Front".  They have threatened to wrap my boat with that theme !  Suspect I am going to be pre pre-spawn;  thats ok will just get on the steep drops.  However a couple days of warm weather for which is certainly due might just kick it in high gear.

[TheFishinPollock]

So you are the reason I had to jam my boat in a too short garage to clean it up and sloshing around the golf course on my cutter for the last 2 weeks!     Been raining here for pretty near a full 2 weeks.

[skeeter6217]

Be curious to hear how you do around Traverse. I usually come up there over Memorial weekend but I think I'm going to delay it by a few weeks this year.

[derick881]

For the record, you have held up your reputation as "Cold Front".  Just when we thought we were out of winter, you pulled us back in.

However, I hope you are having a good time.  The water temps in the inland lakes are 60 or better and we are finding fish on beds.  East Bay water in low 50s near shore and fish moving up on the flats.

[TheFishinPollock]

Next coupla night are gonan be down right cold. Had a massive frost this morning.Took forever to go away.  Last weekend my lake was 56. might drop some. Probably going to be out practicing Torch for our first event of the season this weekend. Long as the rain holds off.