Michigan Guides?

[LonLB]

Three places I've never fished and want to this year are huge bodies of water.

I would think a guide would be a good way to learn about these places.

Specifically Burt/Mullet, Traverse Bays, and St Clair.

Do guides typically let you mark spots on a GPS? Do you guys have any recommended guides?

I 'think' I could break down Burt/Mullet on my own, but not sure about the other two.

Any information appreciated

[Skip Johnson]

Heres a cheap book on st clair from one of this sites sponsors...if you have a boat it will save you a ton of time and gas.

http://www.greatlakesbass.com/store/glbstore2.html

http://www.electronicguideservice.com/Lake%20St%20Clair_nosecrets.htm

[Revtro]

Lon,
If you book a trip with a guide(s), you will learn a quite a bit about technique and perhaps some general fish locating stuff.  However, I am not aware of any guide that will allow you to GPS their spots.  They work for years to develop areas and since it's their livelihood, they don't want get out on a trip only to find a dozen boats pounding their areas.  So I wouldn't plan on that.  This isn't a plug for my club, but truly the best way to learn a body of water is to fish a local club and get out on the lake with guys who fish it all the time.  Fishing in a club is a great way to learn a body of water relatively quickly. 

I would certainly recommend going out with a guide to get you acquainted with a body of water, but just so you won't be disappointed, keep in mind that a guide's job is to get you on fish quickly and help you catch numbers.  They aren't primarily about teaching prospective tournament anglers, but rather taking families out to have a fun day on the water.  I've fished with a few St. Clair guides and had an awesome time.  But in truth, I learned a ton more fishing with our club along side of guys who have been fishing the lake for 30 years. 

And be sure to check out Wayne's stuff.  He's got some good info for newbies on Clair.  If you're up for it, come fish with Eastside Bass Anglers some time this summer if you want to learn more about St. Clair.  We have a couple of pretty heavy hitters who really know the lake and are willing to share info with the guys in the club. 

[LonLB]

The reason I thought of using a guide is that I'm 3+hours from st clair, and 4+ to the other destinations.

[djkimmel]

Wayne Carpenter is also a licensed captain on the Great Lakes specializing in Lake St. Clair. Call him at 877-485-2223.

Up north there's less options, but I can probably think of one or two to try if you decide you want to pursue up north.

[ROI Outdoors]

Three places I've never fished and want to this year are huge bodies of water.

I would think a guide would be a good way to learn about these places.

Specifically Burt/Mullet, Traverse Bays, and St Clair.

Do guides typically let you mark spots on a GPS? Do you guys have any recommended guides?

I 'think' I could break down Burt/Mullet on my own, but not sure about the other two.

Any information appreciated

St. Clair - WAYNE CARPENTER will teach you the most about particular spots and break them down in detail for you, and he has a few spot that he might let you GPS ;, if you think you might want to go out with Wayne I would recommend getting ahold of him soon because he is a very busy guy! 

For Burt/Mulllet I recomend the Michigan BFL guide service - the BFL co-angler guide service goes there when the smallies are exposed - and they even give you a chance to win money.

And like DK said up north has less options so I would do your research before booking, if anyone can put you in touch with the right peolple it is Mr. Kimmel.

Definitely give Wayne a call if you want to learn St. Clair, he is the Dean of St. Clair University and will teach you how to be successful every time you come back - and you will be back there after you try it.  If you have never been on St. Clair and plan it right you will be moving closer shortly after you get back lower that 3+ hour trip - YES IT IS THAT FUN!!!!!

[bassassasin88]

Get the books from Wayne. They are full of info and GPS coordinates for St Clair. They will cut your learning curve in half.

[motocross269]

I would like to hire Jon Bondy for a guided trip for a day...I would like to learn how to vertical jig for Muskies......

[djkimmel]

I would like to hire Jon Bondy for a guided trip for a day...I would like to learn how to vertical jig for Muskies......

Man... I don't know... pretty weird fishing with a Canuck with a southern accent?!?

[motocross269]

I would like to hire Jon Bondy for a guided trip for a day...I would like to learn how to vertical jig for Muskies......

Man... I don't know... pretty weird fishing with a Canuck with a southern accent?!?

He does get his Y'ALLs mixed up with his Ehhhs!!...... Take off Y'all ehh!!!

[WayneC]

Thanks guys for the kind words and LonLB, I think the family of support products I have available on Lake St. Clair can bring more value to your guided trip and seriously shorten the learning curve.  The following is the best description of my guide services:

I think most guides would be happy to take the time to show an angler special skills and techniques as well as go and catch fish, but I can only speak for myself.

I have over a decade of experience teaching and training bass anglers about how to improve their game.  Your trip begins long before, and the exciting journey to learn more long after a single outing.  I have the most comprehensive and easy to use support products available for Lake St. Clair and smallmouth bass fishing.  My new book, "Smallmouth Confidential" is geared specifically toward anglers who want to get deep into the techniques and idiosyncracies' of both the bass, and our own approach to fishing for them.

Here are some things I can cover with you both on and off the water:

How to approach different types of structure - Points, flats, weedbeds, weedlines, patches of weed, rock/sand combinations, weed/sand combinations, sand grass flats, current, open water, sloping breaks, fast breaks, seawalls, rip-rap, channel markers, deep river structure (drops, flats and slopes), spawning flats, isolated humps in the lake, rock shoals, etc..

Presentations that are most effective during each season - Pre-spawn, spawn, post-spawn, summer bite, fall transition and fall

What high percentage baits are and how to build confidence in what you throw - This doesn't just have to do with my bait designs but everything you use.  The bottom line is that confidence will catch more fish than any bait in your tackle box.  I'll work with your bait lineup the way it is and help you to define what the best baits are for your current skill sets.  Once you are sure about how and when to use what you have, it will be easier to decide which baits to add to your arsenal.

Boat control - Especially on the big water, expert boat control can turn a good day into a great day.  Learn how to deploy wind socks (sea anchors), use the trolling motor in a drift, use the trolling motor in the river, where to position the boat along structures like rip-rap, flats, rock piles and shoals and more.  Learn to let current do most of the work for you or even how to power fish through it to get a bigger bite.  

Learn how to take advantage of bass chasing forage - Gobies have become a favorite food and smallies respond well to certain colors and presentations.  Know when to fish the bottom or bring a bait up a little higher with other bait presentations like the drop-shot or the 3-way rig to get a bigger bite.  With any luck, we'll get caught in a mayfly hatch and I can show you a technique that will put 100% of the bass you cast to into the boat.  The day I finally learned this my last 15 fish of the day were all over four pounds with some over five.  Know where the zone is when baitfish stack up in front of the channels and are aggressive.

Fill out your skill sets by learning a new presentation - Sometimes getting better at bass fishing can be as easy as picking up a new skill.  If learning fast presentations is what you want then getting the most out of a rattle trap, spinnerbait, jerkbait or one of my favorites...the buzzbait will put you on bass that are looking for it.  If fishing slow is what you want to know then you'll love hanging out with me.  My motto..."The slower the bigger" for soft plastic presentations in the lake and the river.  It's not just about the fast or slow, but where and when they work the best.  We can work with wacky rigging, drop-shotting, crankbaits, topwater, tubes, Texas rigs, 3-way rigs, deep vertical jigging, dock fishing and more.

Learn to fish open water when the only structure you see is on the electronics - Fishing spots that have no visible structure is a special challenge.  Using marker buoys is a skill that can keep you on the fish and avoid hours of fishing dead water.  There are many helpful GPS techniques at our fingertips too which can orient us in open areas.  Marking spots is one but also how to use the track log to find a spot or a productive drift is another.

Get some inside info. on productive ways to eliminate water -  This is one of the best skills of all to have for dialing in on the bite.  It's one thing to find hot spots but they can let you down from one day to the next.  Eliminating unproductive water can lead us to productive water under all conditions.  Learn ways to identify dominant structure elements that don't hold good numbers of bass before the boat even hits the water.  Find out how seasonal changes take large chunks of water out-of-play.  On the water see how each cast and each catch can tell the story about an area that won't give you the fish you are looking for.

Fish with baits designed by me that have stood the test of time as well as some exciting new additions - I've also been designing soft plastic baits for over 10 years and depend on their success to make a living.  If something doesn't work I fire it, then build something better.   In 2008 Mark Frickman won the amateur side of the FLW event on the Detroit River and $30,000 with St. Clair Crayfish.  This year looks to be an exciting one too with the 2010 addition of Mayfly.  Some of my other baits are: Great Lakes Perch, St. Clair Goby, Great Lakes Craw, Firetiger, Erie Goby, Canadian Mist and more in drop-shot tubes, 4" tubes, 5" tubes, skirted twin tails, X-worms, goby baits and tube trailers.

If you just want to go out and catch fish we can do that too!

A brochure about my guide service is attached to this posting if you would like to view or download it.  You can also find my information products in the GreatLakesBass store: http://www.greatlakesbass.com/store/glbstore2.html

Books:
   Smallmouth Confidential
   No Secrets on Lake St. Clair Vol. 1
   No Secrets on Lake St. Clair Vol. 2
Maps:
   Marked Map Series 1
   Marked Map Series 2
   Marked Map Series 2C (color)

Fishing Reports:
   www.fishingspotspecs.com
   Marked Maps Live!

There really is no substitute for time on the water so any way you can get it is a good thing.  I'm familiar with the other guides mentioned in this posting and have a great respect for them all.  My hope is that when you do get out there the experience meets or exceeds your expectations and that you can build on that for years to come.

Stay in touch with everything about my guide service, baits and information business at:

www.basstothefuture.com

Wayne Carpenter
Great Lakes Captain

[gbaade]

I dont see the brochure for your guide service, where exactly is it?

[WayneC]

Ah yes...you can find it at the bottom of the post now.  Thanks for noticing.

[peters_skeeter]

Fished with FLW pro Art Ferguson last year on St. Clair. Had a great time. It was so much fun to talk to him about all the people he has meet and the places he has been. He is a really nice guy.
www.artoffishing.com

[Bobber]

Marcel Veenstra is a great guy.He does Burt Mullet, St.Clair, Erie and other inland lakes.

http://www.marcelsguideservice.com/

http://www.marcelveenstra.com/