What is needed to fish ST. Clair?

[bbtt123]

Now that we are getting into the seaon coming up, a friend and myself are looking at places for our "fishing trip" that we do every year, basically a stay and fish destination instead of a 1 day drive and come back. We have wanted to fish St. Clair but I'm not sure what the minimum requirements would be to get onto a lake that size to be safe. Also, where to launch and possible places to stay that are reasonable priced if anyone knows. This would be a Bass excursion only if that matters at all.

[motocross269]

Watch the NOAA reports closely and let that dictate where you fish.....You can fish with smaller boats at many locations around the lake if it is a little windy...Anchor bay, Metro Beach, and just about any Canals or bays that are out of the wind...
If the lake is calm and lays down some you can go out on the bigger water with a small boat...You just have to be vary aware of boat wakes, they get pretty bad on the weekends..Stay close to shore (mile roads) and you shouldn't have any problems running to safety if the weather or the boat wakes get to bad...
As far as places to stay there are some great cottages right on the water on Harsen's Island.(They are a little pricey, but if you get enough guys to come it is worth it).There is also a host of hotels within 10-15 miles...
Do a search for Hampton inn on Vandyke and 16 mile..There are also a ton of hotels on Hall Rd and M53....There are a few hotels in Chesterfield North of the Selfridge Launch, but they can be a little rough, but they are cheap and alot of guys stay there..I am not really familiar with the places south of 14 mile, but I am sure some guys will be able to pipe in with better Ideas of where to stay..
When are you thinking about coming? What do you have for a boat???

[bbtt123]

Well as of right now the 3rd weekend in May might be a date set, my friends father and uncle want to go with their boat which is smaller than his. He has a bayliner cobra bass style boat which I believe is 17 or 18ft with a 120hp on it. I just dont want to get plans made and then find out everything is too small to fish anywhere on the lake.

Also, what is the best area to launch from, I cannot find much about launch locations to get on the lake, which is making it even tougher to plan this trip.

[motocross269]

http://www.marinecruiser.com/chart.html

Here is a chart that you can play with...

That time of the year there will be plenty of water for you to fish in that size boat...I wouldn't sweat that...Just make sure you have everything you need to be legal and it is running well....When you get closer to coming over start posting here and I am sure you will get plenty of advice where to launch and fish...

Make sure you bring Largemouth tackle in case you can't get out on the main lake..There is enough largemouth action on LSC to make your arms sore...Alot of it is within Idle of the ramps...


There are launchs all up and down LSC..Pretty much you can decide where you want to fish for the day and launch your boat within a few miles..

[bassassasin88]

I fish all over that lake with a 16 footer and a 40 horse. Crossed anchor bay in 3 to 4 footers last year. A little nervous when the waves started going over the front of the boat, never felt like I was in too much danger. Bring your raingear, your gonna get wet.

[Jay-MadWags]

You should launch out of Harley Ensign.
It is a DNR ramp and a great facility with plenty of parking.

[bbtt123]

We are hopefully gonna go the weekend of the 16th-18th, I have directions to Harley ramp right now but have also been told that crocker might be better? Any opinions on that and also directions to get there

[Bender]

I would play it by ear and decide in the morning depending on the weather and where you want to fish. They are only a few minutes apart, here's a map: http://tinyurl.com/cyow8z
Harley is "A" on the map and the Cutoff is "B".

[TCook]

What would be the best place for lodging? Want something cheap and close to the mile roads and not in a bad area of town.

[Revtro]

Search for motels in Roseville.  There are several within a few minutes of the St. Clair Cutoff Ramp.  There's a Microtel, a Super 8, and a Extended Stay America right across the street from each other off of 13 Mile and Little Mack.  You can then just take 13 Mile East to Harper, then Harper North to Shook.  Shook east to Jefferson North and the ramp is right there on the right about a half mile down. 

These are some of the motels that the FLW guys use when they're in town.  There is also a Red Roof Inn and a Best Western in Roseville.  If you want to launch at Harley, there is a Holiday Inn in Mt. Clemens, but I'm not sure I'd trust my rig there.  Not a great neighborhood.  Personally, even if I wanted to launch at Harley I'd stay at one of the motels in Roseville.  You're only talking about a 15 minute drive to Harley.

[Bass1350]

I come up from central Indiana a couple times a year and always stay at the Extended Stay in Roseville.  It's a pretty decent hotel for a good price.  We have never had anyone bother us or our boats.  It's also nice to walk across the street to eat at Texas Roadhouse.  A group of 4 of us our coming up this Wed. thru Sat.  and hope to get into alot of smallies.  Good luck during your trip.

[bbtt123]

Gonna be staying in Rosevill near 13th and little mack...is the cutoff ramp the easiest to get to? and what is needed to launch from there?

[Firefighter Jeff]

Gonna be staying in Rosevill near 13th and little mack...is the cutoff ramp the easiest to get to? and what is needed to launch from there?

Hmmmm  I'm confused.  Is it Cutoff or Crocker launch??  I see a Crocker street close by.  I just got back from there yesterday.  I stayed 4 nights at the Red Roof in on Little Mack.  I got there early afternoon on Tuesday.  I can usually get a first floor room in the front.  Just let them know you have a boat.  This way you can run a power cord to recharge your batteries.  Plus I feel safer having it out front of the hotel.  There were three other guys with boats there.  Rates are good $39.95 during the week and $54 weekend.  Decent place, clean, I've been in much worse around Detroit.

When I head to Crocker/Cutoff I head right (North) from red Roof, to Masonic.  Turn right and take it all the way to the lake.  Then follow the directions posted by Bender.  The mile roads were pretty decent last week.  The best day being the day it rained  !!!  I know of three 6 pounders caught over a couple days.

I'm not sure what you want to know about what you need to launch out of Crocker/Cutoff.  Sign posted said a permit was required.  $6 per day or $24 for annual.  I wanted to buy an annual, but they had no one working the launch any of the 4 days I was there.  Do you guys buy them online or something??  Or weekends??  Last year I bought a year pass.  I thought it was during the week.  Anyway the next day I went to 9 mile to launch.  Found out the yearly I bought at Crocker didn't work at 9 mile.  I was ticked.  Thought the pass was good for all the launches along there.  lolol  Anyway I paid $10 and launched.  Now this Spring I see guys on here say that you need to be a resident to launch there.  I know I went out of there in my brother's boat a year or two before that.  Maybe they let us in because it was during the week.  Last year when I got in it was a poor forecast for rain and only two other trailers in the parking lot.  Maybe that had something to do with it???

When I get a couple pics form the trip on the puter, I'll try and post them with a report from this last week.