Grand River

[Cy]

Well to get the ball rolling again for reports and stand up and be counted here on the West side of the state, I will post a fishing report.

A buddy and I fished the Grand Last night.  We focused on Stearns and Pott' bayous.  We picked up a couple of fish and few more bites in the pads on Streans.  We couldn't buy a bite in Pott'.  It was a busy evening out there, bass boats all over the place.

Strange side note - On the run back to launch up river, in the dark, we almost hit a deer with the boat.  Yes, I said with the boat.  We came within about 3 to 4 feet of a dear swimming across the river.  Neither of us saw it until we were right next to it.  I would hate to see what that might do you my lower unit.  I have never seen anything like that before!

Cfruel

[Duke]

That is awesome!! I wish I would have seen it! I'm glad, though, you didn't hit: PETA would be all over fishermen for a new reason!

I've never been to the Grand before, but planning on hitting in October. Is the river safe to run?

Duke

[canvsbk]

Duke: How many lower units you plan on going through this year???

[Cy]

Duke,

The river is normally safe to run in.  It is very easy and safe from Grand Haven upstream to the old gravel pit, the channel is all marked with bayous.  Past the marked channel you are pretty safe all the way to 68th Ave bridge.  Past that, you have to pay attention and be carefull.  In the parts where it is needed, guys have marked safe passage with PVC and jugs.  I have been as far up as Lake Michigan Dr bridge.

Good Luck...watch for deer.

Cy

[bshaner]

Happened to me about a month ago on Michigan Center Lake, if you didnt catch my post I was as shocked as you and both of our deer.

You just havent lived until you've lived that experience eh Cfruel?

After the initial shock is over, it's an awesome sight though!  I still wish I had my camera out at the time.

B

[Duke]

Thats a low blow Canvsback!! Hopefully, I'm done ruining lower units, and props, and fuel pumps, trolling motors, etc. Its been that kind of summer...


However, I went fishing yesterday and everything worked and nothing broke!!  I also hope when I go up to the Grand, I come back in 1 piece.

Thank you Cy for the info.

[bassinbob]

Be careful in the river upstream of the gravel pits. The water continues to fall and there are some exposed sandbars right now. As we get going into the fall the water will continue to fall. My son and I fished the FOX big bass last weekend and I hit some wood in the water just below T-Cut on the north shore where the channel is suppose to be. Right now Spring is better for me than the river anyhow.
Good Luck

[Cy]

B, It was a strange thing.  I have seen deer cross rivers on bridges before but never swimming.  It was dark enough that it took us a few minutes to piece the thing together and realize it was a deer.  My fishing partners bother is my insurance agent and my buddy said "I would love to hear that call to my brother."  I think it would hard to explain how I hit a deer with my boat.

Bob,  I was out their for the Fox tournament too.  We did horrible.  We caught one keeper and did even bother to weight it.  On the up side we fished another tournament on the Grand last weekend and did pretty good.  I won some Bass Boat Saver.  If I could have filled my limit I would have made a check.  Where and what is the T-Cut?

Cy

[djkimmel]

The T-Canal runs parallel to the river on the south side near 68th St. Bridge - beautiful looking water if you can get in (if you are crazy enough).

I haven't been in there in a number of years because my medication is working well...

When you drive over the bridge going south, you'll see the shallow, sloppy end of the T-canal just after you cross the river - another long channel with a lot of bassy stuff.

I have no idea what the narrow, shallow channel going in perpendicularly looks like. Most guys run it blind after turning in from the river at 90%, but I always wonder what would happen if someone is running out, because they have to do the same!?! It isn't wide enough for two boats (unless something interesting has been done to it recently).

[bassinbob]

My son and I caught a couple of fish in Spring by 8:30 for the FOX Tourney. We left to go up river (MISTAKE) after about an hour without a bite in Spring. I should remember to never leave fish to find fish. My son caught a 2lb smallmouth upriver.Only keeper we caught after leaving Spring. We weighed about 6lbs for day. I wouldn't have weighed in but my son wants to try and get some local sponsors next year so he wants to weigh in everything this year.
T-Cut is okay to enter in the spring but during the summer the water is to low for a bassboat to enter. There was a jon boat that went into T-Cut for the FOX and I believe they got a check for almost 13 1/2 lbs.
Glad you hit pay dirt in the BBT. I didn't fish BBT this year, did NBAA instead. Will fish BBT again next year as NBAA Saturday Northern didn't produce the boats.
Bob

[Cy]

Thanks for the info on the T-Cut/Canal.  I never really noticed that you could get in there.  I will check it out one of these days.

I am going to try the NBAA Great Northern Fall division and see how it goes.  It is going to be a considerably smaller field then I am used to but it might be fun for a change.  Hopefully I will get to know some of the other anglers a little better with smaller fields.

Next year, I think I am going to try BBT and Shoreline and save my fall for fun fishing and walleye.  I don't think the have any over lapping weekends.  I have a new baby coming in the spring so we will see if that plan holds together.

Tell your son he doesn't have to weigh fish to pick up local sponsors.  I picked up local non-fishing sponsor this year and made enough to pay for my season and then some.

Cy

[bassinbob]

Congrads on the new addition to your family. My son and his wife just had their 1st a few months ago. My son and I love to fish the river but it hasn't been that good for us lately. Back in "99 & 00" we caught over 100 LBS of bass from Pott and took money in quite a few tourneys. In 2003 we took a check in the FOX Big Bass with all of our catch coming from Stearns. It just seems that as the water continues to fall so does our success on the river. Maybe we'll see you on the river this fall.
Bob

[djkimmel]

Be careful trying to get in the T-Canal - I've been in there two or three times, but not in the past 4 or 5 seasons - just too shallow and scary thinking about the other guy coming out scenario. I've idled in there when the water was high and just got in... but I was always thinking... what if Nowyorkas decides to come blowing in right now while I'm grinding my way in...??

I've been to chicken to even run up to the 68th St bridge for a while after taking a slow ride up there and seeing several 2 foot spots in the middle with a few deadheads. I think losing two motors has made me gun shy (to be nice to myself).

As far as past the bridge - YOW!!! I remember running a ways past over 10 years ago - I used to fish up there a lot, and then it got real popular again. I remember many shallow spots stretching across the river with just a few punctuated 6 or 7 foot runs scattered around. I remember lots of wood and plenty of rocks along the edges of some of the deep spots.

I've talked to several anglers just this year (besides bassinbob's story) who have hit things going up to and past the bridge. I personally recommend whoever decides to try - take a day or so and take your time up there and check things out real good before you just run up. And remember, it's a river so new floaties can appear at any time to surprise you. It's a calculated risk.

Then, I remember seeing Brent Riley (and a couple others) running right through the middle of the 'forest' on Lake Marion and making it in a 'channel, we don't need no stinkin' channel' maneuver... so what the heck do I know?

[djkimmel]

As far as the boat/deer thing, I too have almost been part of such an incident - man! I had no idea a deer could swim so fast when scared by a large fiberglass monster bearing down in the middle of the @$@#$ lake!?! I think the deer got on plane!