Take the kids!

Sometimes, people ask me where they should take their kids to fish. Near Lansing, Sleepy Hollow State Park is good and Park Lake is good. I would like to recommend one place that has good fishing for both kids and adults. The small lake in Meridian Township's Central Park, behind the Meridian Mall, has good sportfishing and enough panfish to keep kids busy.

 

 

Your equipment does not need to be extravagant. A well-made Zebco combo will get you through the panfish and most of the bass, but if you are thinking about going after the carp and northern pike, I would suggest getting an Ugly Stick and a Shimano reel.  For panfish and bass, Eagle Claw swivels, splitshot weights and #4 snelled hooks will get you by.  However, for the northern pike, a must-have is a heavy fluorocarbon or steel leader.  You will need big, strong live bait hooks.  I like Gamakatsu hooks myself.

 

 

For bait, worms will supply all your panfish and smaller bass needs, but if you want to catch monster largemouth or big pike, you will need shiners or suckers.  I got mine for my most recent trip at my old standby, Grand River Bait and Tackle on Grand River in Lansing.  For those people who want to get started fishing or who are beginners, targeting small ponds in the summer can be one the best ways to have a fun first fishing trip.

 

 

Live versus Lure

As the summer has progressed, I have stayed away from using live baits, such as minnows.  Instead, I have used a variety of lures, and two types that stand out are tubes and crank baits.  First, I will talk about the tube jig.  I have caught many fish on this, including all three types of bass in Michigan:  the smallmouth, the largemouth and the rock bass.  I use tube jigs mostly while fishing in rivers by letting it drift down with the current and then hopping it back;  success has been good. 

Next up is the crank bait.  For smallmouth bass, I prefer a crayfish-color crankbait that almost touches or touches the bottom.  For largemouth bass, I prefer a minnow-colored crankbait such as the clack-and-rap.  My advice is to run them one or two feet below the surface.  With these tips for these two lure categories, I can almost guarantee that you will be catching some fish this summer!

A northern Pike

Every year, the first week in July, my family travels to northern Michigan, and I do some fishing.  This year, I caught some perch in the Crooked River in Alanson, but one of my sources told me that summer is not the best time of the year for fishing there, as the fish are not moving between the lakes.  However, I did do well at Spring Lake, along M-119 near Harbor Springs.  I was catching a lot of bluegill, and a dad was pointing out to his little kids how I was catching fish.  Fortunately, they did not see what happened next!  While I was slowly reeling in a small bluegill, a pike came out of nowhere and swallowed it!

 I was very careful bringing the pike in, and when I landed it, I discovered that the tiny hook the bluegill had bitten was lodged in the pike's mouth.  Apparently, this pike has a reputation.  A couple of days later, I was talking to an angler at Spring Lake, and he said the same thing has happened to him, and that this pike likes to hang out near the shore where people like to fish.  Sometimes, the pike gets a free meal out of it!

Also, while I was Up North, I made my regular visit to the Oden State Fish Hatchery.  I love this place!  I heard at Oden that some people have been trying to illegally fish in the trout stream, and that they have had to call in the Conservation Officers.  Other people have complained that they have too many fish in the hatchery!  I can tell the staff at Oden works hard, and they always make my visits there rewarding!



Grand Ledge is Grand Fishing

As I have mentioned, fishing is tough in the Looking Glass this summer.  The water continues to run high even in early July, and debris in the river continues to be a problem.  One place I have had success every time I have been there this summer, however, is the Island Park in the Grand River in Grand Ledge.  This place is great for smallmouth bass!

 

 



At Grand Ledge, there seems to be a high concentration of 11-to-15 inch bass, and there is possibility of catching an even larger fish.  The fish here seem to be very aggressive, and will hit a variety of lures, including tubes, jigs and crankbaits.  As summer progresses, and the level of the river lessens, look for smallmouth to be grouped in slackwater and in deep holes.

Although I have had great success at this location, live bait has not been the best bet for me there.  When choosing a color for a lure, I prefer colors that resemble a crayfish.  Lures that resemble bait fish do not seem to be very effective, either.