Elk and Torch Suggestions?

[Teachspark]

Is anyone familiar with Elk and Torch in early June?  I am headed there with 3 other boats for a small fish off to prove who is the smallmouth champion (a little male bravado tourney).  Not sure where to go or how to fish it for the best results.

[BigSmallie]

Then it already sounds like this fish-off is set up perfect.......who ever ends up finding the fish and winning.......will prove themselves as the "Smallmouth Champion".

BS 

[Dan]

Skeegmog will have the fish bedding first. Then you need to find wood on Torch or Elk. Some big ones in Skeegmog though so check it out first. There is a nice township park right on Elk. Very nice ramp with plenty of parking for a bass tournament. Whitewater Township Park. Check out the article on our last year's tournament on The Torch Chain on the teardropbass.com webpage. It should have some more info there.

[Teachspark]

Has anyone been to Skeegmog lately?  I have a feeling the bedding fish will be done in Skeegmog.  I live in Indiana and the spawn is finished here.

[Dan]

My guess is that they are about peak right now. They were just coming up on Portage Lake north of Manistee last weekend and they should be peak up on Crystal this weekend. Last year about June 12 was good on Torch.

[Teachspark]

Thanks Dan.  I've heard you can find them around the Clam River entrance.  Would you suggest this area?

[Teachspark]

Dan, as for Portage...Two friends of mine went up last weekend fun fishing.  They claim that for two years in a row soft plastics with red glitter outfished any other colors 3 to 1. 

[Dan]

I have fished the Clam River in a State Federation event up there. We got our limit but the guys that won it cruised the main lake drop and dropped senkos on deeper beds they found on wood right at the drop. Last year about the 20th of June found some fish still on beds at the very northern end of Torch. Beautiful rocky reef area there. Also if you run straight across to the west shore of Torch opposite of where the Clam takes off to the east and look for flats with wood and throw to all rafts and anchored boats with spinnerbaits you can do well. Have a grub rod ready for the fish that come off the wood to look at your spinnerbait because if they won't hit the spinnerbait they'll hit that grub in a hurry on a follow up cast. If you are looking for a good lunch as you enter the Clam there is a restaurant to the left north and a grocery type store on the right or south side. That grocery store makes awesome broasted chicken and fries and has great!!!! sandwiches. You can dock right at the store. Check the muskies out they have mounted in there. After you do, you won't go swimming. They said the muskies came out of Skegmog. Huge fish!! In the Clam I have done the best way down where it bends to go up to that other lake whose name escapes me. There is an island there and we caught our better fish there. There will be beds all along the shore down to it as well. If you checked my web page article (teardropbass.com 2006 articles button) on our last years Torch tournament, you will find directions to the Whitewater Campground. Very nice. Staying there you have direct access to Elk and are right across Elk from where Skegmog is. The canal to Torch is midway down Skegmog across from the DNR launch. Very stumpy. 45 minute idle from Skeegmog to Torch.

[Teachspark]

That is some great help!  Thanks.  DId you find any colors that seemed to work best?

[Dan]

This time of year the crayfish are a dark green so that is always where I start. But.... I often throw the kitchen sink at bedded smallies. Sometimes it just takes some weird color or piece of plastic. Hot pink, chartreuse, white, french fry, small senkos, and small berkley flukes. The flukes are a good little bait.