Spring

It’s Open!

May 27, 2010

Dan Donarski is back, and this time, he’s sharing some great advice on how to make the most of bass fishing season, which opens this Saturday!

The last Saturday of May is upon us, and that brings bass fishing season! (Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers don’t open for a few weeks yet)

One of my military instructors implored our class to “Go for the bronze.” He felt that unless you were incredibly lucky that the gold was out of reach. If you achieved silver then you’d be green with envy about not getting the gold and be mad at yourself. For this fellow, if you got the bronze you got your medal, everyone behind you did not, and you should be quite happy. In military parlance, you’d be a stud.

When it comes to the bass world, going for the bronze may as well be going for the gold. Smallmouths or bronzebacks, no matter what you call them, are the studs of the Great Lakes bass scene. To be quite frank, smallies make largemouths look like pigs with fins.

For the fly rodder, particularly in the early part of the summer, smallies will give you the time of your life. Going for the bronze doesn’t get any better than right now.

It’s romance time in the world of the smallmouth bass. The fish are cruising the shallows, anywhere from two to eight feet of water, searching out the perfect matrimonial bed to do their duty and ensure that the species continues to flourish.

Fine gravel or gritty sand is what you should be looking for in these shallows. A nice break, where the water drops quickly to deeper water, makes the area even more enticing. Throw in a few good sized rocks or even boulders for added cover and you’ll be in the smallies’ version of the No-Tell Motel.

Here’s what you’re going to need to get in on this late May and June action:

A nice, fast action 7- or 8-weight rod is perfect. Attach a matching reel that has a smooth disc drag and you’re all set. In most cases with this early summer bite you’ll be just fine using a weight-forward floating line. When you do need to go deeper, you can always attach one of those short lead heads to help get your fly down. Or simply use a small split shot a couple of feet above the fly.
For a leader you can stay away from the pre-tied variety that go for four dollars or more. Instead grab a couple 100 yard spools of mono, one in the 10-pound class and the other in six.
Tie up your leader using six feet of the 10-pound attached to the fly line (or the lead head) and then tie in a 4-foot section of the six to use as your tippet. The easiest knot to tie these pieces of mono together with is the double surgeons, which is basically just two overhand knots. Of course, you can always get fancy by tying a blood knot or two uni knots but these take a bit longer to tie.
Fluorocarbon lines definitely have their place for leaders and especially tippets. If you find yourself in clear water these new semi-invisible lines will go a long way towards improving your hook-up rate. Smallies aren’t particularly line shy, but they are aware of their surroundings and what looks like trouble.
Flies are an easy matter. Like just about anything in the fly fishing world you need to match the hatch. For smallies you’ll need to have a selection of streamers that imitate the local baitfish and a few that come in hot colors (yellow seems to really excite these fish). Then you should put a few crayfish imitations in the fly box along with a variety of leech patterns. Always leave room for a number of Wooly Buggers. These impressionistic flies, rather than the imitating varieties, are smallmouth candy. Depending on the retrieve, they can give the impression of a baitfish, crayfish, or leech.

Fly rodding smallies in late May and early June is a load of fun but, like all things with flies or fake baits like spinners and plastics, sometimes they just don’t do the job. While I’d rather catch them on a fly or plastic, the mission is to catch fish, not to practice your casting.

So, when the fly, plastic and hardware bite isn’t biting, go to the real thing. Big juicy crawlers and/or squiggling minnows. These are as close to “no-fail” baits as you are going to get.

The set up is simple. For rivers, simply tie in a No. 4 hook on the terminal end and place a splitshot about 18 inches above the hook. Load that hook up a crawler or minnow and send it into the current, preferably a current break or a hole created by a mid stream obstruction. Now, keeping a tight line let the thing tumble with the current. When it gets directly below you reel it back in and cast again.

In lakes it is the very same set up. While you could simply cast this offering out and let it sit on the bottom and wait for the fish to come to you, there is a better way. Start casting and let the bait fall to the bottom. Now, very slowly start reeling the bait back to you keeping the bait next to the bottom. When, not if, you get that tell-tale tap, stop reeling, give the fish some line, and when the fish moves off with your bait, hammer the hook home. If you fish two rods, let one sit and fan cast the other. Unless you like buying new outfits, you’ll want to keep the bail open on the stationary rod.

Where to go? Let’s see, there’s Little Bay de Noc, the Menominee River, Lake Gogebic and the Les Cheneaux Islands, along with Drummond Island in the U.P. In the lower peninsula look at Wilderness State Park, Beaver Island, Grand Traverse Bay and the Lower AuSable River. The Kalamazoo River, along with the other drowned river mouth lakes along the Michigan coast will also be worthwhile.

Dan Donarski is an award-winning journalist/photographer and author. He specializes in the outdoors and adventure travel. When he’s not out and about he lays his head in Sault Ste. Marie.

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A Morning at the Dunes

May 25, 2010

in Beaches,Outdoors

Thanks to guest blogger John Nicka for his story on camping in northwest Michigan, and his climb up Sleeping Bear Dunes.

In the summer of 2008 I went camping in Northern Michigan to celebrate the end of college. Suttons Bay, Elk Rapids, Old Mission—uniquely named places beckoned me as I drove my little Nissan up U.S. 131 to my own little paradise. I pitched my tent in Traverse City that night and slept soundly.

The next morning I rose early and headed west on M-72 through Leelanau county with the intention of climbing the “Big Dune” at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a massive dune complex that snakes for 35 miles along the Leelanau and Benzie county lakeshore.

After forty minutes of driving past cherry orchards, fruit stands and gorgeous countryside, I got to the park, paid my ten bucks and went in. I drove a couple of miles, parked my car, got out, and there it was—the Big dune. Actually, it was freaking ginormous. Over 400 feet high and so steep you can’t see the shoreline below, climbing it is no small feat. Beyond the dune was Lake Michigan—simply known as “The Lake” to us. This morning it was a stunning sapphire blue. The waves gently moved toward shore as a few boats lingered on the horizon. Nobody was on the dune itself, but several were on the lookout deck a hundred yards away.

With the sun climbing higher, I knew I had to get this done. So I peeled off my shirt and started down the dune. The shore slowly got bigger as I bounded down, and reaching the bottom only took ten minutes. Peering up from the lake, the tourists looked like ants milling about. “Why do guys like me do this stuff?” I asked myself. No matter. Climbing was my only way out of this, so I sucked it up, planted all fours in the sand, and began climbing, almost apelike, up the dune. I fell one foot for every three feet I climbed. Still, I was doing alright until halfway up, when I had to stop and rest. The view was sweet, but I noticed those two boats had parked on shore. Were they watching?

Turning, I noticed some tourists atop the dune. They had migrated from the deck, apparently wanting a closer look at the weirdo down below, so now I had an audience. The pressure was now on, but I still stopped three times, panting and sweating, wondering what on earth I was thinking.

I clawed my way to the summit to the tourists’ applause, and tried not to look exhausted as a couple from Detroit came up and asked me about the climb. Sucking wind, I looked back at the lake as I spoke to them, and we all agreed there was no more beautiful spot on earth than Michigan in the summer. And they agreed that they’d never try what I just did.

I returned to my car, dried off, put on my shirt, and moved on to the next town—Glen Arbor. But that’s for another day.

A native of West Michigan, John has just finished his first year of teaching in North Carolina, where he teaches High School History and English. He still enjoys visiting Michigan and is enthusiastic about promoting his home state as a place to visit and to live. You can share your thoughts with John on Twitter, or by leaving a comment below.

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Michigan’s Summer Palace

May 19, 2010

in Places To Stay

Kristin Bienert, Michigan Travel Ideas editor, experiences the timeless classic Grand Hotel on tranquil Mackinac Island (no motorized vehicles allowed) for the first time during the Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference: Driving Tourism 2010.

As waves crash over the bow spraying the ferry windows, I’m glad I opted for a seat below deck. A voice comes over the speaker, but I’m too busy taking in the sights to listen. From here, the imposing five-mile-long Mackinac Bridge looks small against the vast blue water.

To the east, on an uninhabited island, I spot the red-and-white lighthouse seen in the 1980 movie, Somewhere in Time (filmed at Grand Hotel) starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. Mackinac Island comes into view. Summer cottages line the shore; on a bluff, the Grand Hotel stands out among the trees.

In less than 20 minutes, I’m on the island’s main street where horse-drawn carriages await passengers. Rental bicycle stands, gift shops, fudge shops, galleries, restaurants and lodgings fill pastel-colored buildings.

A courier whisks away my luggage. I wonder, how do they know which red suitcase is mine (no barcode tags/hand-held scanners here!)? Within minutes of checking in, my suitcase arrives. I’m beginning to understand why the Grand Hotel, the world’s largest summer place, has wowed vacationers for 124 years.

Each of the 385 guest rooms is individually decorated; I like mine, it matches my personality. Bold shades of emerald green complement the brightly colored flower wallpaper, which adds a subtle feminine touch. Even better, it’s on the third-floor above the main entrance with incredible views that include the Straits of Mackinac. Below, a few evergreen trees partially hide the 220-foot long Esther Williams Swimming Pool (she made her famous swimming movie there). It’s too cool to swim, but ideal weather for a leisurely walk downtown before dinner.

I check my watch and make a mental note to keep track of time; all hotel guests must be properly dressed (coat and tie for men, pant suit or dress for women) after 6:30 p.m. I admire that the third-generation, family-owned hotel maintains this tradition, yet stays modern in other ways (free wi-fi, in-room refrigerators and flat-screen TVs).

Every evening, attentive staff flawlessly serves five-course dinners in the elegant Main Dining Room. The fine china, adorned with red geraniums looks too pretty for everyday use. My dining companion tells the story of how you know it’s time to stop eating when you see the center plate decoration. I heed his advice until the fourth course arrives with almond-crusted Michigan whitefish and scallops. For dessert, I select the hotel’s signature Grand Pecan Ball. I tell myself, just one bite (a taste). I dig my spoon into the baseball-size scoop of vanilla ice cream making sure to catch the pecans that fall into from-scratch fudge sauce. Hmm, the sides are uneven, maybe just one more bite.

After dinner I head outside, where wooden rocking chairs line the world’s longest front porch. For the next hour I listen to the clip clop of hooves, crickets and other sounds of nature, wishing this night could last forever.

Kristin Bienert, Midwest Living’s Custom Media Editor, thoroughly enjoyed her stay on Mackinac Island and plans to return next month for Lilac Festival (June 11–20, 2010).

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Enter Michigan, Turn Right

May 17, 2010

in Golf

Thanks to Greg Johnson for this guest blog post on golfing the sunrise side of the state.

Thunder Bay Resort is 21 miles west of Alpena, 54 miles east of Gaylord and in a little village called Hillman. One might think there can’t be much to do there, and they couldn’t be more wrong.

Golf, of course, tops my lists in all places, and it was right outside the fairway cabins we used on a family visit. It was fun, affordable, isolated, and relaxing – everybody can play this track.

It also seemed like the perfect spot to venture from in search of other golf, unless of course you wanted to see some elk, make a quilt, attend a wine tasting or even do a Murder Mystery weekend (sort of theatrically like playing the game Clue without the board).

It has seemed to me for many years that Michigan golf (in the national order of things) gets a little bit ignored. And in Michigan, the sunrise side of the state takes the brunt of it. Go north, golfers are told, to the rich resort areas of Traverse City and Gaylord, and catch the beauty of golf and a sunset on the Lake Michigan side. And I agree. Those things are great, worth the time, wonderful. But don’t be afraid to turn right and get up early for the sunrise. The sunrise side has similar stuff going on though, and in all price ranges. Also, it is in perhaps even more natural and less crowded settings.

Among a couple of my favorite golf spots is Red Hawk Golf Club in East Tawas. The award-winning course, designed by Art Hills, is an escape to the hills for great golf. It’s scenic and if you take it on from the right tees for your game, you will love it. Oh, and the restaurant on site is a great 19th hole as well.

The other place that you have to see to believe is Lakewood Shores Golf Resort in Oscoda, which is like visiting one place and getting three remarkably different golf experiences. The Gailes is a replica of the links courses in Europe, and you can be out on the golf course and truly feel you are visiting another place. It’s one of Michigan’s most unique golf experiences. Also on hand is The Blackshire course, which is more of a classic design that tests golfers at all levels. Beauty and challenge are combined, so be sure to bring your “A” game. Of course, you don’t have to leave if you just want something nice and fun, or a place to play with everybody in the family. Lakewood Shores offers up the Seradella course, which is a golf course in a garden.

There’s more on that side of the state, of course. It just takes some seeking and the willingness to have fun.

Enter Michigan, turn right.

Greg Johnson has been writing about Michigan golf since 1982 primarily as the golf writer for The Grand Rapids Press and Booth Newspapers. He is a native of Three Rivers, grew up in St. Joseph, a graduate of Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor and Michigan State University in East Lansing. An award-winning writer, he has lived in Hudsonville for the last 20 years and worked in Grand Rapids for the last 27 years.

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Tomorrow

May 14, 2010

in Fishing,Outdoors

Thank you to Dan Donarski for this guest blog piece on the opening of walleye and northern pike fishing season up in the Upper Peninsula!

Remember the old adage “Today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday”? Well, tomorrow is going to be the today you’ve been hoping for since the 15^th of March.

Tomorrow, the walleye and northern pike season opens in these parts – these parts being the U.P. of course. And with that opening come hoards of expectations. It’s just as it should be.

If indicators are correct, then Eastern U.P. area walleye waters like Waiska Bay, Baie de Wasi, Maxton Bay, and Munuscong should offer up some fine fishing. Water levels, while still down, are certainly manageable. Perch anglers out on Munuscong and the two bays are reporting more than a few walleyes finding their baits to the fishes’ liking. No, the lilacs aren’t blooming just yet but the ones in my backyard are sure showing signs of an early show of color. The weed growth on Munuscong is well ahead of last year. All very good things.

If there is one “downer” to the opener, and this happens year in and year out, it’s that the walleyes are widely scattered. It takes a good deal of weeds for the fish to congregate in these shallow places and we just don’t have that weed growth yet. The fish are going to be scattered.

Scattered fish mean one thing: you need to cover a fair amount of water in order to find them. One method that does this very well is trolling.

Trolling any time after early-to-mid June is a fool’s method with all the weeds grabbing a hold of your baits. Now, however, it is perfect.

You’re going to find two types of fish and what type you find is all dependent on the mood of the fish. On nice stable days the fish will be active. It’s your pick to the bait you use: a crawler harness or a trolled body bait. On days when the barometer is inching downward, the experts believe you should target the aggressive fish. Those mean ones that want to lash out. Rather than feed them you want to tick them off into chomping down on that thing in front of them.

One of the better baits for these aggressive fish is something like a Wiggle Wart or a Hot-N-Tot. Anything fat, short, and with a very tight wobble should do in the stained waters. The major vibrations call the aggressive fish in and hopefully they’ll hammer that thing.

Back to the nice days. Yup, those short and fat baits will still work, and you do troll them a bit faster than the next bait so you can cover more water, but there is one early season trolled bait that really shines when the fish are dumb and hungry.

That is where that magical mysterious crawler harness comes in. Troll them slow. Using the wind if it is just right, your trolling motor or your arms, just get the boat moving over likely water. Troll the crawler harnesses no more than foot off the bottom. Six inches is even better. Now just keep going.

Likely water includes changes in the bottom structure. Changes from gravel to sand or clay, or mud are a good bet. So is trolling by old weed beds and even better is if you can find some weed beds that are starting to show a good deal of green. These differences in the bottom or of the weeds represent an edge and walleyes like edges.

Now, keeping your crawler harness at the right depth will take some doing. A good rule of thumb is to get the boat to trolling speed and send the harness out on a free spool. When the harness hits bottom stop line from going out. After a few seconds do it again, stopping the line from going out when the harness hits bottom. And, after waiting five to 10 seconds do it all over again.

What this does is this– by letting out the line until it hits bottom you’re splitting differences. When you stop the line from going out the harness lifts off the bottom and climbs up. By doing this two or three times you are continuing to split the difference and getting ever closer to the bottom. And, the bottom is where the walleyes will be in these shallow waters.

There is another bait type that you should consider. If you are of the over 50 age you’ll remember one of the Godfathers of fishing shows, Virgil Ward. Well, ol’ Virgil had a favorite bait, so favored in fact that it took his name. That bait is the Virgil Ward Bass Buster Beetle Spin. Most shops carry the bait in simply the Beetle Spin name. In today’s world of gimmicks it’s nice to know that the old stuff still works well. Very well.

With a small blade on a piece of L-shaped wire that flashes above a jig head, which is dressed with a simple tandem tail plastic body, this “bass” bait, catches a heck of lot of walleyes. While I am not all that strong a believer in color making a difference in water that is heavily stained, I always put on a purple or black color to start. It rarely fails.

This is a bait that can be readily cast into likely areas but it can also be trolled very effectively. You’re going to want to get it close to the bottom, just like the harness. And, just like the harness, you can use the splitting the difference method to get it there.

Tomorrow I won’t be in the office. God willing and the weather doesn’t send a storm, you can bet I’ll be playing hooky. Some of you will, too.

Fresh walleyes are on the menu tomorrow night.

Dan Donarski is an award-winning journalist/photographer and author. He specializes in the outdoors and adventure travel. When he’s not out and about he lays his head in Sault Ste. Marie.