Need some suggestions

[Firefighter Jeff]

  I have a friend that has some physical disabilities from a stroke.  He lives in Clare Michigan. I told him I'd try to get him out fishing a couple times a season.  Looks like he will be able to have his wife bring him to Ludington so we can fish Hamlin Lake when we are up there on vacation.  The other time I hope to drive over from Ludington and take him fishing near his home.  Here comes the suggestion part.
   I have never fished that area and could use some suggestions on where to fish. He has fished a pond 3-4 times this year and gotten out on a bass boat just recently and not had any luck catching a bass.  I need a numbers lake if possible, within say 30-60 minutes of   Clare.  He just wants to catch a bass so bad. LOL  The launch has to have a dock so he can get into the boat.
    Looks like this trip may happen next week.  Any help would be greatly appreciated !!!    Thank you

[21XDC]

I just rented a lake house on "Lake Five" in Clare or 10 min N of down town. I hear that the bass fishing is plentiful. Only 120 acres but has numbers of bass.  I'll be there from July 15-22.

[Jay-MadWags]

Only lake I have ever fished in Clare is Doc and Tom Lake. I fished it with Dave always in May. A great LM lake with a few big pike.

[Firefighter Jeff]

I just rented a lake house on "Lake Five" in Clare or 10 min N of down town. I hear that the bass fishing is plentiful. Only 120 acres but has numbers of bass.  I'll be there from July 15-22.

    Mike I saw that on another site.  Interesting thing is that Joe went with a guy that owns a bass boat the other day for about 3 hours or so and 5 lakes is where they fished.  Not sure if the boat owner caught any bass but he did get a huge pike.  Joe didn't get any that day.  I can still try it if I can get some good intel.  LOLOL

[Firefighter Jeff]

Only lake I have ever fished in Clare is Doc and Tom Lake. I fished it with Dave always in May. A great LM lake with a few big pike.

  Thanks Jason, I'll check it out.

[djkimmel]

Clare is another kind of 'water-poor' area of Michigan so I haven't fished anything real close to it. Maybe look at Budd Lake in Harrison just to the north. Has a nice boat ramp and a respectable reputation for fishing.

Be a little further drive to the east for you but Wixom Lake can be good. It's big. I haven't been there in awhile but I can provide some info on things to try there. I've always found it a better lake to fish during the week than on weekends.

[Firefighter Jeff]

   I've had a couple suggest Lake Lancer.  Anyone on here fish it???

[FrickerDude]

Lake Lancer has been gaining big time as a great bass lake over the last 5 or so years even though it always has been. It can be an absolutely fabulous lake and has enough different areas to suit everyone's prefered technique. Shallow cuts, deep weed lines, open water, slop etc.  definitely one of my favorite lakes.   Bigguns live there.

[Firefighter Jeff]

Lake Lancer has been gaining big time as a great bass lake over the last 5 or so years even though it always has been. It can be an absolutely fabulous lake and has enough different areas to suit everyone's prefered technique. Shallow cuts, deep weed lines, open water, slop etc.  definitely one of my favorite lakes.   Bigguns live there.

   Thanks Kyle.  Keep you fingers crossed for us.  Give me two baits you'd throw Wednesday if you were going. 

[LAPORTE]

"20 lakes in 20 minutes" I seen this sign somewhere in the Clare area ...

Sorry no info on lakes... good on you for helping a buddy out..  best of luck Jeff

[FrickerDude]

Lake Lancer has been gaining big time as a great bass lake over the last 5 or so years even though it always has been. It can be an absolutely fabulous lake and has enough different areas to suit everyone's prefered technique. Shallow cuts, deep weed lines, open water, slop etc.  definitely one of my favorite lakes.   Bigguns live there.

   Thanks Kyle.  Keep you fingers crossed for us.  Give me two baits you'd throw Wednesday if you were going. 

always did good with a senko there, texas rigged in the shallows or wacky rigged on a weighted swim jig hook for deeper water.  Also I would throw a creature bait with a slip sinker for all depths.

Good luck!

[Tritonbasser]

If you go to Wixom I'd be more than happy to help you out with a place to start.You shouldn't have any problem getting into some nice bass there.You can launch at the store in Albright Shores,  might be a little close for you guys.

[djkimmel]

I forget about Lake Lancer because for years the ramp situation was so weird. It has produced some good catches and big bass in the past. Haven't heard much about it lately. I fished weed clumps and weed lines mostly with Texas-rigs and jigs to catch some nice bass though it has been years since I last visited. Keep forgetting the ramp situation has improved.

[korean_bassmaster]

i live 15min from lancer.  its a great lake to catch fish outta weed beds on jigs or texas rigs, frog the back water, or skip docks with senkos.  i was just there last wkend.  they r just starting to come outta their post spawn funk.  there r some big fish in there as others have said.  should be good when u get there.   also if u want to fish in harrison id go to long lake instead of bud lake.  tie on a senko and go around the island by the launch and then head north on the west side on the drop off.  used to catch 30 fish a day.   its more of a numbers lake there tho. topwater in the morn used to be really good too.  if ur looking for small mouth head to wixom or sanford.  good luck kb

[Firefighter Jeff]

  Thanks for the input guys.  Much appreciated. We went fishing last Wednesday for a few hours in the morning at Lake Lancer.  Beautiful day.  Maybe too nice ??  Flat calm and sunny for a while before a light breeze started up. The launch is really nice.  $8 unless you have the county permit.



  I tried a ton of different baits.  I ended up only catching 7-8 myself and only one close to keeper size. Joe did end up with 3 bass and one pike but all were very small.  His best fish jumped and threw his bait. Thing is, he had a great time. Unfortunately we kinda figured them out towards the end of our time. Joe was tired out by 11:15.  Senco and jerkbaits did the best.  I was disappointed that my Lakemaster didn't have this lake.  I should have checked before the trip.  Made it more difficult to figure out.  I did talk with another boat and they were fishing pockets in the weeds with Carolina rigs.  But they said it was slow for them and they fish there a lot.  I don't usually fish C-rig but set Joe up.  It was just too hard for him to fish.  He didn't have polarizers and couldn't see the pockets. It's going to take a while for Joe to learn to work baits with his electric reel. And he won't be able to fish certain baits, like frogs.  Too light a set up he has.
    It took a little bit to get him in/out of the truck and in/out of the boat but he did a great job.  I feel bad I couldn't get him on better fish.  Hopefully his wife can bring him over to Hamlin Lake when I'm up there this summer and I can do better.

  Having trouble posting pics.  I'll post this then reboot computer.

[Firefighter Jeff]

  Very small fsih but this is the first bass Joe has caught since his stroke 5 years ago.  Pop-r




Joe in action. 





A little better

[korean_bassmaster]

That's great that he had a good time but sucks u guys figured em out at the end.   ya technically lake lancer is private. thats y it doesn't show on lake master or navionics cards.  hopefully u will b able to bring him up again in the future and put him on the big ones.

[cameraguy]

Lake Lancer is not a private lake. Lake Lancelot, right next to it, is private. Both lakes are within the Sugar Springs community. My parents used to live there.
Also, there is a hydrographic map available for both. Good luck trying to find it though. I just tried looking on that inter web thing and struck out. So, I went digging through my files and found my tattered copy. My dwindling memory thinks that I got it from the Butman Township City Hall, or the small bait shop that was near the lake (don't know if it's still there), or the Sugar Springs POA.
I can't post a photo of it due to the copyright associated with it. Plus, its wrinkled and kind of dirty. But I can post this proof of existence.

[cameraguy]

On another note...
FFJ, it's great that your buddy, Joe, was able to have a good time fishing on Lancer. As someone who hasn't been able to go fishing much in the last few years (due to being busy, not poor health [knocking on wood]), I can confirm that just getting out is a joy.

As far as Lake Lancer, my parents lived in Sugar Springs on Lake Lancelot. I had some great days on Lancelot but really wanted to get to Lancer since it was about 4 times bigger (a little over 200 acres vs. 860 acres and seemed like it was a more interesting layout, to appropriate a golf term).

After getting a bass boat and the ramp being built, I was able to explore Lancer. It was (is?) a really nice lake. Had some great days bass fishing. It offers a variety of options from shallow water bays with scattered stumps, to weedy humps, to deep points strewn with stumps and scattered weeds.

It can be tough at times, but most lakes are. Lancer has enough options to make it fun trying to figure out the puzzle every time out. That challenge is the key factor for me. That and carving out a bit of time to get outdoors, on the water or on a trail.

[djkimmel]

i live 15min from lancer.  its a great lake to catch fish outta weed beds on jigs or texas rigs, frog the back water, or skip docks with senkos.  i was just there last wkend.  they r just starting to come outta their post spawn funk.  there r some big fish in there as others have said.  should be good when u get there.   also if u want to fish in harrison id go to long lake instead of bud lake.  tie on a senko and go around the island by the launch and then head north on the west side on the drop off.  used to catch 30 fish a day.   its more of a numbers lake there tho. topwater in the morn used to be really good too.  if ur looking for small mouth head to wixom or sanford.  good luck kb

For some reason, I had thought that Long Lake was private but I see the small boat ramp now. Thanks for that info. Is it a local ramp - is there a charge to launch there? I ask because I met someone who lives on that lake and she told me they never catch any bass there, and were interested in maybe having me come up there some time to see if I could show them how to catch some bass there...