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42 degree air temperature with 43 degree water temperature and constant rain made for a tough morning.  During the short trip we boated three quality smallmouth (up to 4.5 lbs.) and a keeper northern pike.  When the weather stabilizes–HANG ON!

It has been a week since ice-out.  For those of you who are temperature watchers, the water has ranged from 39 to 43 degrees.  It has been a good week with a few surprises.  The fished are grouped more than in previous years.  It would be easy to fish for several hours without a smallmouth.  When you find the group, however, it has been fun.

As I prefished before my first clients of the year, a five pound plus was caught each day with several over four.  My best five-fish bag for a day was just over 21 pounds.

During this early season fishing not many 14-15″ are showing up.  This will change shortly.  Now, when you get one, it is probably a very nice fish.

I am not a photographer but I am a fisherman.  I promise you better pictures when the clients arrive.

If you call during the day you’ll probably have to leave a message.  I will return your call.

260-519-1168

Fish are schooled.  Expect more scattering in days.  Three over four lbs. Thursday.  Next group of clients are going to hit it right.

19 keeper smallies and one big northern.  The winds finally let up.

Not big numbers but up to 21.5 incher.  39 degree water.

Although only about a half mile of open water, the Atlantics were stacked on three spots. Very aggressive fish and easy to catch. Great fighters!

Most of my clients book well in advance but several will make last-minute calls for a day of fishing.
I am okay with that and have been able to accommodate on several occasions.
One of my June clients last year called me one evening in August. I assumed he was calling from his central Indiana home and it sounded like he was under the weather.
Wrong and wrong!
He was on a family vacation in Traverse City and had told his wife he would not take any fishing tackle on this vacation.
After spending two days up here without fishing, he couldn’t stand it.
He called from his motel room wanting to fish the next morning. The whispering was because he didn’t want his wife involved in the conversation. He was adamant that he had to be done by 11:00 am.
We started at 6:30 and by his choosing, we finished at about 1 pm. It was a great day of dropshotting and he has since indicated that everything is okay at home!
Feel free to call me for last-minute trips. If I am open we will go.

We are very excited about following the weed and grass growth this year. Will it be different from other years?
I cannot say for sure but if growth is different, our hotspots will change. The crayfish and many other food sources are packed in the growth and obviously, a smorgasbord for the smallies.

I have had years where my grasses did not grow. It didn’t hurt the fishing–just changed it.

Even on normal years, cabbage weed growth on our favorite smallie waters varies.

It is up to me to find the new areas before you arrive. We want to do more fish-catching when you are here. I’ll
do the baitfish/vegetation hunting ahead of time.