My predictions for tomorrow:

[Waterfoul]

Heading up to either Manistee, Pentwater, or Pere Marquette Lakes (or maybe all of them??) tomorrow with my good friend Fastrack and his dad for some smallie action.  My predictions are that we catch 8 fish over 4 lbs with 2 of those being 5+ and one 6+.  Total fish will be in the 50 range.

Pictures to follow!

Anyone else going to be up that way??

[Mike S.]

That's a pretty tall order there. Good luck. Can't wait to see results. Must be nice going out to play while some people are working.

[robhj]

I was hoping to get out this past wknd but house chores kept me from going. I'll be heading up that way this Thursday. Hopefully I can have a day half as good as your prediction!

[Mike S.]

I sure hope your day worked out. I tried Muskegon after work today, and it was not fun. Heck, the lake is just about dried up. REALLY big waves today.

[Waterfoul]

Well, our day was cut a bit short because one of our party had to be back to GR at 5:00.  Fished Manistee till around 12:30.  We managed only 19 fish.  We did get 3 fish over 6 lbs. though.  A 10 sheephead, a 6 lb 1 oz walleye (??), and a dogfish that didn't fit in Marc's net that HAD to go at least 13-14 lbs.  Biggest dogfish I've ever touched (I tried to get it in the boat for a photo but it got off on my second attempt).  I landed a 10 pounder once and this was way quite a bit bigger.  Our biggest smallmouth might have gone about 3 lbs. or so.

We tried Pere Marquette for about an hour on the way home with no luck at all.

The wind was the biggest factor today.  We could not fish a straight line to save our lives, not to mention that the 8' bow in our lines made it nearly impossible to feel a bite. 

Better luck next time.

[Mike S.]

Amen brother!  The wind......  The weather app on my phone said 15 to 25 mph winds. It was every bit of that, from the south, southwest. It sure seemed to be more west than anything. Bet I drove through every bit of 4 footers today, no joke. 

[thedude]

the mi state record bowfin is like 14lbs. just saying. we had this discussion at the dk open - figured this is a record thats been beat a hundred times but no one knew it was only 14lbs.

[Waterfoul]

the mi state record bowfin is like 14lbs. just saying. we had this discussion at the dk open - figured this is a record thats been beat a hundred times but no one knew it was only 14lbs.

I know!  That's one reason I tried to hand land it... it litterally did not fit in Marc's little rubber bag "play" net.  I kept saying that the record is only 14 or 16 lbs and this one would challenge it for sure.  I hate that net.  This was a BIG fish.

[djkimmel]

BIG doggies over on that side of the state. If I ever decide to go for the record, I would probably fish Muskegon. Plenty over 10 pounds in there! I do have a lake full of big doggies up North but they seem to top out so far at about 10 pounds. Lots of them. Just not much bigger. I've seen orca dogfish on your west side! I even had a few come after my trolling motor prop a few times like a St. Clair muskie will!!

I did catch a whopper in Kent Lake though a few years ago. Maybe there's some whoppers in there too?

If any of you catch the state record dogfish, make sure you call me. And get good pictures!!

[BIGSHOW]

Ive never caught a dogfish. Ive seen them while bass fishing. Either swimming by or breaking the surface. What are they going after when you get em? I thought people use live bait to get em. Just not that familiar with them

[LennyB]

They are predators just like bass and you can catch them using bass techniques, spinnerbaits, jigs, swimbaits, and anything else that looks like a meal. The times I have caught them have bee in the shallow muck and weed areas of lakes that are traditional largemouth lakes.

[Dan]

Yes they will eat all of the traditional bass baits and when you first hook them they kind of look like you have on a record smallmouth on. My first dogfish I caught many years ago I lipped. You don't want to do that! I have caught some huge dogfish. Probably my biggest was on Manistee.

[Waterfoul]

I had what I'm sure was a state record dogfish on at Morrison Lake about 10 years ago.  It hit a beaver in some brush right up near shore just like a bass would.  It broke a 4/0 heavy wire gamagatsu hook right at the boat.

Martin (my RDT partner) lost one on Muskegon this summer during a tournament that I also know would have challenged the record.  It was every bit as big as the one Marc and I lost yesterday.

They are not a fun fish to have IN the boat.  They thrash about and can actually throw gear OUT of the boat.  I wrecked a net getting one in the boat once too. 

[thedude]

you just need some dogfish pliers.

[Waterfoul]

you just need some dogfish pliers.

You still have those in your boat?  LOL!!

[BIGSHOW]

Maybe a dumb question, do they have teeth?

[Dan]

I would describe them as having a hard bony mouth. When I lipped mine it tore the skin all the way down my thumb, but I don't recall them having teeth like pike. They are more of a small serrated type tooth along the bone, but they can hang on if you put your fingers in their mouth.

[Waterfoul]

Teeth?  As Dan said, not like a pike or walleye but they are more than what a bass would have.  But it's not so much the teeth that get you it's the fact that they can bite down on your fingers VERY hard and not let go, then thrash and twist till you wish you'd never put a finger in their mouth.  They are voracious eaters with a temper!  They slam a bait like no other fish and usually destroy whatever you were throwing.  I've seen them destroy spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and break EWG hooks.

[Mike S.]

Very vicious fish. Can't say it would hurt my feelings if they were all gone. There is a forum specifically for the bowfin. Apparently there are a number of people who consider them a sport fish, and think they are the greatest fish in the water. I am guilty of reading some posts, and they don't like us bass fishermen very much. But, to each their own.

I admit, I have gone fishing for them specifically a time or two. We used to bobber fish them in Pottawotomie bayou. Got some pigs. Really don't like them when I have a Lucky Craft hanging out of their mouths.

[BIGSHOW]

First time I saw one was in Hamlin lake. It just kept circling my boat and looking at me about 6" under the water. Felt like I was being stalked. I just remember thinking what a weird looking fish, the way his fins were swaying in the water.