Where to stay on first trip to Traverse city at the end of may bringing boats.

[trebor2d]

HELP
Where should we stay, where should be our starting point. We are going for the bronze backs. Our first trip here so we are looking for some input from experienced fish releasers.

Thanks in advance.

Robert

[Dan]

If you are heading for Traverse the end of May you'll be way too early for Grand Traverse Bay. They won't be on the beds there until the end of June first part of July. You may want to look at Whitewater Park on Elk Lake. It's a nice campground with a good cement ramp and lots of room to park boats.  You will have access to Elk, Skegamog, and Torch from the campground. Lots of trailerable lakes nearby as well. You'll still be looking at prespawn fishing though even on the inland lakes.
If you are not in to camping then you may want to look at getting one of the cabins at Interlochen State Park. They sleep four and have room to park at least two boats at each cabin. You have to get online now to book them though.
At Interlochen you're right on Duck Lake, across the street for Green Lake, and just down the road from Long Lake. You are about 20 minutes from Traverse.
Check out my teardropbass.com website for the articles from the last several years. There are several on the lakes mentioned above.

[thedude]

my buddy is GM of the Fairfield Inn as you come into town. Very nice place as he takes great care of it. His bro usually keeps his jet sled up there so i'm sure he can help accomodate boats/chargers etc. He's a fisherman and hunter as well so i'm sure he can get  you situated.  shoot me a PM if you're interested i'll give you his info.

As for what dan said - i've never fished the bay, but have always been told that mid-late june is usually the time to be there by a couple friends who used to fish there regularly.

[capt charlie's charters]

can tell you this from experience, ya better know where your going on the Bay if you hope to catch fish.  you can read newsprint at 25ft, more structure (rocks and such) then you can imagine and your going to ask yourself
" where are da fish "

capt charlie

[Dan]

First week of June to mid June depending for Traverse area inland lakes spawn. They weren't on beds until the first week of July on the bay this year and just about any I can remember. They are not hard to find when they are in the south end. They'll start near town and then the spawn works it way up the peninsula. There is just so much water to cover that it takes time to find the beds. A lot of guys improvise long kill switch cords so they can put the boat in gear and use the big motor, steering with the trolling motor down. Big fish tend to be out further and they can be much tougher to spot. If there is very much wind, or the sun angle is bad, you are SOL. You'd better have them GPSed ahead of time then. Nice thing about them is that if you have them GPSed from last year they can, and often are, in the exact spots they were in the year before.

[skeeterman190]

 I would suggest. that u check out Lake Leelanau.. its a relitively smaller lake 2k a piece and the fish really gang up in easy areas.. We usually stay at the Super 8 right next 2 Hooters....ha ha strategy son..its pretty nice the parking is goood and  the electricity is available. The rooms are cheap and its closer to elk and torch and the east bay..