May flies

[TritonTR20]

Just wanting to know about what weekend the Mayfly hatch usally starts on St. Clair. I happend to hit it last year and had a blast.

[fiker]

I don't know when it happens first, but I'd like to know how to fish it.

[Cheetam]

I've heard some reports of some hatching flies, but I'm guessing with the warmer weather we're having, it should be any time now.  It is a great time to catch a whole lot of fish. 

Fiker, start throwing a topwater in the middle of the filies and you will have a blast.  If you can find big floating masses of flies, the fish are right there, and will show themselves to you.  Keep your eyes open and look for busting fish.  When you time it right, you could throw a sparkplug with a treble hook and catch 'em...

[Wolf_fisherman]

Was out last saturday trolling for muskies tween crocker launch and yacht club and seen some carcasses floating of flies. and a few @ 9mi when I was shore fishing.

[blakstr1]

Fiker,

Kim Stricker did one of his hook & look shows during the hatch, he was throwing a weightless tube out into the middle of the hatch slick, looks like it would be a blast.

[MadWags]

They are on my house today.

[fiker]

I remember that episode now that you mention it.
I think he threw his tubes weightless also.

Speaking of Kim Stricker and tubes....  as I watch him work tubes on his show I notice that he works his way faster, with many more twitches than i do.  I fish it more finesse like.  Let it fall to the bottom, sit, snap it up and repeat. 
If I'm fishing crawfish type colors, I use heavier weights, and fish the bottom.  Baitfish colors, I use lighter weights, and go for the slow fall.

How do you guys fish yours?  Drag em?  Twitch em?

[TritonTR20]

How long does the hatch usally last? Im planning on being there June 27, 28, 29th. Would they still be going on by then?

[Eric]

The crazy day Cheetam and I had last year was July 5.

[WayneC]

Last year the hatch started early and ended late.  Exactly what is early and late just depends on the year and the temps.  The key thing to look for is the size and color of the mayflies (one word or two?).  I tend to do best when the bigger, browner ones come out but there are several variations.  When selecting a bait I tend to go with the brown tones (because I look for the brownish mayflies perhaps) but I have heard of seafoam green and other colors being thrown effectively.

With the hatch it's all timing, both in the day you go and the presentation.  The best mayfly hatch bite for me comes on those days when it is miserable to be a human being on the water, but great fishing.  No wind, 90+ degrees with bugs of all species hatching everywhere and getting into any exposed openings (not to be too graphic).  It's not unusual to be hitting good numbers of big fish and both partners easily agree to leave the spot (at about 70 mph) just to get a break from the bugs.  As much as I get out, I still am happy to get about 3 perfect days during the hatch.  Last year I only hit one OK day.

See you on the water...

[Eric]

I don't know a whole lot about the hatches, but the bugs that were on the surface last year were white.  With kind of round looking wings.  There were big areas dotted with the bugs, not slicks like the husks form.  The fish would swim on the surface slurping them as they went, or come up, eat some, and sound.  Either way, we would see them, throw to them, and and catch them.  It was one of those hot, dead calm days, just like you described Wayne.

[djkimmel]

Maybe a trout angler could clarify some things, but the flies should be going strong about now, and then go on for a few weeks.

[motocross269]

I saw a few out sunday in Anchor Bay, but there wasn't that fly slick that you see on the water yet when they get going strong..

[WayneC]

Yeah Dan they should be.  Last year we had that hot, hot weather and that really brought them on early.  This year it cooled down after early May and I think that has slowed the hatch down considerably.  I've seen it in some years where we hardly have a hatch at all when it is "spring all summer long."  That rarely happens though.  Today (Thurs.), I did see a couple of mayfly slicks forming with husks but they were so weak you might not notice them unless you knew what to look for.

[WayneC]

I was out today on a small bass mayfly bite but tried some different stuff.  I was hanging a drop-shot tube under a bobber and tried dark melon tinsel, Formula G3 and Erie Goby.  The Erie Goby drop-shot tube under a bobber got all the attention.

[huston]

I was out last Friday and the topwater  hit was on. I had a gold color on and had the time of my life. The flats on the American side of St. Clair was producing. I went again Sunday to the same location between 10 mile and 8 mile but couldn't pay for a topwater strike. There is a green looks like strorage shed on the shore. That area is pretty good in 7 0r 8 ft of water. The water is so clear that you could see the fish. I watched a SM suck my pop-r up, This time of year, I usualy use a tube that's the color of baby doo. Sunday I caught all mine on that color. I'm going out tomorrow since that's the only descent day of weather this week. My job is hating me about know.

[cgronny]

I was out today on a small bass mayfly bite but tried some different stuff.  I was hanging a drop-shot tube under a bobber and tried dark melon tinsel, Formula G3 and Erie Goby.  The Erie Goby drop-shot tube under a bobber got all the attention.

Wayne I was just wondering were you fishing around Grassy Island or New Baltimore area because I was fishing by the mile roads all weekend and didn't find any mayflie hatches or slicks.  What depth were you finding these smallies? Any help would be appreciated.

[WayneC]

Well today (Mon.), I was working Strawberry Break in 3 to 7 feet of water and the mayflies were hatching now, right now, but the bass were small.  The winds were blowing slicks of mayflies into Anchor Bay and the fish should follow.

Over the weekend, there were some hatches on Grosse Pt. Shores but they were very slight and tough to notice. 

The mayflies started hatching strong in Anchor Bay on Saturday.  You can confirm that by checking with the shoreline residents who had to deal with the onslaught on shore.  If that's what you are working on, that's where you want to be.  The winds are going to be westerly all week.  This is an unusually long stretch with west winds and it should keep the bite in order until a wind shift comes through.

I didn't make it up to Grassy or New Baltimore this week but up to the Selfridge area.  Follow the mayfly slicks (that will be easy now) into shore and that should help.

In the Detroit River Open my partner and I worked 12 feet of water at 12 mile and that is where we found the best bite.  This can change daily.

[djkimmel]

That's interesting considering I was tossing a vveeeerrry light weighted Formula G3 drop shot tube around for the few bass that were slurping the very few mayflies Saturday during the NBAA Detroit River Open and caught my biggest of the day in shallow water. I thought the G3 would be the one.

I tried about 5 different colors, but had the Erie Goby ready and forgot to try it @#$@!#!!! Oh well. Thanks for the info Wayne.

[WayneC]

Here's one of them little fellers from today 6/24...