Long Lake near Alpena

[GlennD]

I'll be heading up to Long Lake this coming week for the first time. I've read and watched some pretty good things on this lake for smallies so I thought I'd take the opportunity with the wife being gone to get up there. If anyone can help me with a few starters that would be very appreciated. I've read where it's not a gin clear like a bathtub clear lake but a green tinge color. The temps next week up there at night should have the water temps dropping. Not sure if it's true fall fishing yet or not. I'll report any luck back to everyone. Help me if you can 

[21XDC]

Be careful running around. There are many rock humps that you can tear up your boat/motor. I have never seen it green, But I have seen it chalky from the phosphate/limestone bottom.

Use Bing/Google images aerial and birds eye to see the rocky humps.... Fish them.    Tubes are tough to beat on this lake. You will loose many of them in the rock crevices.

Have fun.

[LennyB]

I've been to Long a few times in the Fall and have always done well with soft plastics like grubs and tubes, especially when the bite was off. One year however, we hit it just right and they were feeding like crazy. Best bait that trip was a Pop-R up shallow.

Have fun ~ Lenny B.

[GlennD]

Thanks guys and I definitely see on google earth what your talking about as far as the areas of rock !! Does the NW end tend to be better than the SE end ? Lots of nice looking points too I'll have to check out.

[LennyB]

I spent most of my time in the North end but KVD smashed them in the MLF tournament there a couple years ago from one end of the lake to the other burning a Spinner Bait. Everyone else tinkered around with Drop Shots and Tube Baits because that's what your "supposed to do". He literally doubled everyone elses catch by power fishing. I would fish the conditions at that time and just have fun. I would try fast baits first and let the fish tell you if you need to slow down. Use the techniques that work for you. There's a strong population of 2 to 3 pounders and they are all around the lake as KVD demonstrated.

[GlennD]

Thanks Lenny and 21 I'll post how I do !!

[t-bone]

I've always done best on the north end. Tubes and spinnerbaits are usually good.
Personally, I think Grand lake is better. Lots of islands to fish.

[djkimmel]

I liked those NW rock bars in the fall too. Always like burning painted spinnerbaits in the fall for smallmouth bass when they let me get away with it. Though sometimes I have to use a more natural looking spinnerbait if it is really clear and calm. I always start with the painted ones first though until the fish tell me they're having none of it...

[GlennD]

What's your best colors for your painted spinnerbaits ? Do you run both blades same color ?

[capt charlie's charters]

on the west shore there is a small dnr ramp thats excellent to use, also just out front of the ramp is one a good size rock pile just under the surface marked with a couple of big white plastic jugs, be sure to make note of that.  also heading south you have some sunken bars that'll ruin your day.

[Frank-o]

Down at the southwestern end there is a giant boulder about the size of a small VW....fish it if you can find it.

[djkimmel]

What's your best colors for your painted spinnerbaits ? Do you run both blades same color ?

I usually like all chartreuse (skirt and blades) the best because it can be so good during the spawn too, but I switch between that and all white to see if they seem to like one a lot better than the other. For the days when I can't make up my mind (maybe they can't make up their minds??) I just use chartreuse and white combination.

So I have all three on hand usually as long as I haven't run out from breaking them or losing them some other way. I have a few with silver or gold blades too just in case I can't seem to figure out what the bass want though if they follow or don't even hit the painted lures I will go to a more natural or subtle spinnerbait, or something else altogether.

Interestingly, from color studies done on bass that I have read in the past bass don't actually see the color chartreuse as chartreuse but as a brighter white.

[djkimmel]

Down at the southwestern end there is a giant boulder about the size of a small VW....fish it if you can find it.

I don't recall seeing that myself, though it has been quite a while since I was up there last.

[GlennD]

Guys I didn't make the planned trip to Long Lake last week. I just thought the winds were not going to make for a very nice trip since it's 7 plus hrs for me to get there. I'm still planning on going up this fall if I can get 3 days of manageable winds I sure hope that happens really wanted to fish that lake. If I can't get up there I'll try St Clair since it's 3 hrs closer for me. Today water was 58 degrees on the south end of Lake Michigan but never had a tap or even sighting of a smallmouth. Glenn

[djkimmel]

I've heard it gets really tough in the south end of Lake Michigan at this time of year suddenly. Some people still find them but many struggle. They're there somewhere though, right?

[LennyB]

Don't want to discourage you from the Alpena Area Lakes or Northern Michigan for that matter but keep in mind the mass advertising that's been going on with MLF, and Mark Zona with KVD up there. Fishing pressure is a lot more than it used to be in that area from out of towners. If I were that far away, I would look to Northern Minnesota or even just across the border into SW Ontario. There's a lot more quality lakes to choose from that are full of quality smallmouth fishing that few people in those areas fish for. Northern Michigan and LSC have been bombarded with all the TV shows and websites drawing attention to them. Just my opinion on where to go for a good fishing trip that is that far away. Who wants to go to a lake that dozens of anglers are going to, all of which are looking at the same satellite views of the same rock piles.