Lake St. Clair late September

[Bassky]

Planning a trip up to Lake St. Clair in late september. Is this a good time to hit the smallmouth or is later better? Also looking for a place to stay, launch a boat, etc. Never been there. Also some good patterns, lures and areas if you can.
Catch and Release only, unless we catch some perch or walleye!
Thanks,
Bassky
Dave

[Revtro]

Hi Dave,
It's always a good time to fish St. Clair!    In September, (depending on when in Sept) the fish should be in the channels and the river pretty well.  Deep jigging with tubes and dropshots are pretty effective ways to get them.  Of course, for main lake fish, now is the time!  I can't believe how great the fishing is on the main lake this year.  Come on over and enjoy the bite while it's hot. 

BTW - Welcome to GLB!

[Skulley]

Dave,

Don't pass up Lake Erie while your here.  You can launch out of Erie Metro Park in Gibralter Michigan and from there explore the Canadian shoreline.  The fall fishing is OUTSTANDING.  An Ontario Fishing License is required.  The smallies can be had on tubes and crankbaits all the way from Bar Point to Colchester on to Point Pelee.  You should do good between Bar Point and Colchester and not even have to go to Pelee. 

On St. Clair you will catch some good numbers this time of year, but on Erie you will catch less but they will be bigger on average.  St. Clair will give you a 3 pound average for 50 fish where as on Erie a 4.5 pound average plus will be the norm for 20 to 25 fish.  I have data that substantiates this.  I have been keeping a log for years.  Good luck and have fun when you get here.  I will see you on Erie in September mostly but sometimes I go to St. Clair.

BD                 

[Mojo]

Hey Rev - Would Late September be a great time for the club to try an Eric or Algonac launch ? Maybe Dave would be enticed to run with the club and have some fun ?

[Eric]

I'll take that as an invitation to fish with you guys.  Never had anyone want to have an Eric launch.  Give me deatils and I'll be there.

[LAPORTE]

Did this happen yet ? Ill invite myself along for some smallie fun... I just need the time and place... and If anyone is intrested I can carry a co angler if they can put up with me.... Don L. 

[Mojo]

no not yet - We proposed a sept, so far we a tenative Oct date to launch out of Eric Metro Parkway (Im gonna stay on that one til Eric poses outside the DNR entrance with his favorite fingers covering part of the 'e').

I really want an early Oct out at Erie or North in the Channels ? Who's up ?

[Revtro]

I'm up for Erie per the other post on Oct. 20th.  However, who's also up for the channels/St. Clair on the 6th? 

[Mojo]

I'll join you on the channels on the 6th

[Revtro]

That's it, just me and Mike?  Man the channels were ON pretty well on Tuesday.  I probably had around 17lbs easy and caught a TON of smallies.  I left good fish a few times, so I'm sure I would have upgraded that.  It was a blast.  I fished the main lake yesterday and whacked 'em pretty good too, but not as good as when I was up in the channels. 

Mike, this is your chance to come on my boat and prove there is no "Schoeman Effect".  ha ha  I'm really taking a chance here buddy.  he he he   

[Revtro]

Anyone else up for the channels on the 6th?  You're welcome to join in for a day of fun fishing.  Maybe if we get enough guys we'll have a big bass pot.

[Mojo]

hey now - none of this 6 degrees of Mojo !!!!

We will be fine. I dried out my suit and washed it. I really think it had some narly mojo on it.

Heard about some areas on LSC that were on fire this week. Ill call ya and catch up. I went out with Grant a few weeeks ago, and we lit up over 22 lb ! I hope we catch another drift like like one.

[Skulley]

So what is the scoop???  Still meeting to fish the channels on Saturday??  I am planning on being there.  I am coming as a boater.  My neighbor may be joining me.  I have a lot of main lake knowledge but have never spent a lot a time in the channels....so I am kind of interested in checking it out a little more.  I have Wayne's map series so I have at least an idea.  I have probably been missing out on some really great fishing although the southern Detroit River and Erie have been very good to me in the last couple three weeks.     Found some excellent largemouth areas that I knew held fish.....I just didn't know they held the quality I was catching.  A local down there told me that the water temp was not quite there yet...........  

What time Saturday and where are we launching??  Bright enough at about 0730 or so.......Hope to see everyone there.

BD       

[Revtro]

BD - Glad you can make it.  Right now, it's just me and Mojo.  But I have 3 more nonboaters that want to come along, so if your neighbor can't make it and you're willing to take a guy or 2, let me know. 

Re: The Channels.  I did some recon today.  It was pitiful.  We did get out a little late (9am), but still, it was just terrible in the channels today.

Started out right by the ramp in an area that's held good numbers of fish all summer long.  Fished deep and shallow and only came up with 2 small fish.  Not a good start.

Moved up to Fawn Island and fished 2 of the wrecks: no bites at all.

Fished a 15 foot flat that still has great weeds on it.  Usually I can count on at least 2 solid keepers from this area, but today not a single bite.

So out of desperation, we moved to some areas that have been holding good numbers of largemouth over the past month.  On the first spot I attracted the largest musky I've ever seen.  He followed my bait all the way to the boat.  Never got a bass to bite.  That musky probably had a lot to do with it.

Went to our second largemouth spot.  There were duck hunters on it cutting reeds.  We didn't get to fish it.  Not optimistic about fish being there though at this point because it seems like the channels are DEAD.

Went further down the N. Channel and tried some other typical spots, but again: No bites.

One factor was the current.  In many areas where there is normally current, there were eddys.  It was really strange.  So the lack of current may really have had something to do with it.

Friday I was out on the main lake.  Fished the South Shore and got a few plus my partner got a 5 pounder.  Fished the Mile Roads just to see what's happening on the US side.  Not a whole lot.  The water is super clear and we never got bit.  I did manage one small keeper off of a shallow wreck last week, but that was it for the US side.  Fished Strawberry area: no keepers.

Now, back up to the past 3 weeks.  I've been fishing the South Shore a lot lately.  Every trip it seems to be fishing pretty strongly.  I know there are big numbers of fish there because I see them following my jerkbait in packs.  But they are very non-committal. 

So if you all want to, we can still fish the channels.  Keep in mind the N. Channel ramp is super shallow right now, we'll have to be careful.  My boat bottomed out a few times this morning idling out to the channel.  Once my partner moved to the front we were ok.  It's about a foot and a half deep.  The water is really down.

Another option is just to fish the lake.  BD - if you don't mind the potential for not catching much, I'd be more than happy to show you what I know in the channels.  Up until 3 weeks ago, they were fishing very strongly.  I've had no problems getting limits in the channels up until then.  But the past 2 trips seem to indicate something has changed.  The water temp is still 64.8 today, so I really don't know what's up.  I didn't fish the S. Channel today, so maybe it'll be different there.  Not sure... kind of skeptical.  But nonetheless I'm happy to show you around if you like.  Or we could launch at Harley and fish the main lake.  Maybe Anchor Bay.  Not sure.  Like I said, the US side hasn't been fishing strongly for me as of late.  I've found good fish though on the South Shore. 

Opinions fellas?  By the way, anyone else want to come along?  We could use an extra boat possibly.

[Skulley]

Usually what I have done this time of year is fishing perch colored lures around the perch fisherman where ever they are bunched up.  Usually they are around the 9 mile tower and out from the GPYC.  If the fish have left the channels then we could do that.  I know I have always caught good smallies around those guys because they are always complaining about the amount of bass they catch when fishing for perch.  I have been in the channels up as far as Fawn Island but it has been a couple of years.  Like I said, I got Wayne's map series so that is always a basis for me to try them.  I was going to launch at Harley.  From there you can go to the Channels or Mile Roads or Anchor Bay or...............  I went out there a couple of weeks ago and fished in front of the Old Club and at the Fire Cracker as well as the SCYC and several other spots on Wayne's maps.  I didn't do too bad per say.  I caught about 25 to 30 bass mostly keeps.  I still say Erie has fewer but bigger fish but St. Clair has the numbers although as I said in my previous post Erie has been very good as well as the lower River.  Maybe in the next few weeks we should go out there.  Lots of places to fish...........

If we went to the South shore where would we launch.  When I have gone there I have gone out of St. Jeans.  Not the greatest neighborhood but I have never had any trouble there..........but then I usually have my piece and the NRA sticker on my truck probably detours most "thugs".   

BD             

[Revtro]

Personally Harley sounds like a good option to me because we could hit some channel stuff and if it's not happening, fish the lake.  I'd even be ok running down to the South Shore from there if the wind is ok.  I have been launching out of St. Jean and haven't had any problems, but I hate the $10 I have to pay each time.  Plus it's a lousy ramp.  But it works. 

I'm totally down with getting to Erie in the next few weeks.  I've been dying to get out there, but don't know my way around.  So if you're up for it... I'm up for it.  Anytime. 

[LAPORTE]

I have to finish a deck project on Saturday... But Ill be on St.Clair All day Sunday weather permiting. If you guys do wackem I would be very happy if you could give me some gps locations .



I have been reading most of the post for the last 2 or 3 months and just have one quick question  whom on this site is fishing the regional in Iowa? I would like to follow the folks that are on GLB thru the FLW website... to see how they are doing. I know dashaver63 (Doug i think ) is going to be there who else ?

[Revtro]

Change of plans.  I'm launching over at St. Jean.  I'm gonna hit the South Shore. 

[Mojo]

well - we are going to launch out of St Jeans in the morning - around 7:15 - 7:30. Ill PM you with our cell phones. Look for the Blue truck and the Red Bass Cat. I hope you get a chance to check this. Sorry - I just got back in town.

[Revtro]

Got out today.  It ended up being an ok day.  So, is it like August or October?  It felt a lot like August to me.  Anyway... Met up with UAWBigDog today at the ramp.  Bill, I really enjoyed meeting you.  The "dog" was a heck of a nice guy and I enjoyed tackling the South Shore in tandem with him today.  Thanks for hookin' up BD.

I had Mojo with me on my boat and I'm proud and happy to say the Curse of Mojo has been broken... or has it?  Nothing went wrong with the BassCat today because it's.. well... A BASSCAT.    But we did meet up with another friend this morning at the launch.  I noticed that Mojo did lean on his boat this morning which did cause some slight concern.  But we went on with our day and enjoyed a decent day of fish catchin'.  At the end of the day we met up with this friend again and wouldn't you know it, he blew out an axle bearing on his trailer and was stuck in the lot.  Was it the Mojo?  Nah, can't have been.   We cast those demons out earlier in the day.  I guess it was just plain bad fortune.  NO MORE BLAMING MOJO... unless something goes wrong with my boat that is. 

So we got out our tools and went to work trying to help the guy get back on the road.  We got a wheel off, tied up the axle to the frame and got him on the road on 3 wheels.  Good enough to get home.  I have to thank the guys from the Detroit Bass Club for loaning us a tool we needed for the job.  They were some really nice guys.  I'm glad they were around.  If there are any Detroit Bass Club guys on the board, give me a shout.  I'd love to hook up with you guys for a tournament.

Oh yeah, how the day went...  We did fairly well although BD figured out a pattern far before we did.  But once he turned us on to it, we proceeded to do fairly well.  The key was finding rocky areas with patchy weeds in about 6 FOW.  We fished deeper for a good part of the day, but the fish stayed shallow.  We were in Canadian Water, but I'd guess the fish will be doing similar things along the Mile Roads. 

Mojo, thanks for a fun day.  You're a blast to hang out with.  Let's do it again.