Up North Success

Last week, on our annual trip to the Crooked River Lodge on the Crooked River near Alanson, Michigan, I tried my luck fishing from the dock behind the Lodge, again.  I did not have high hopes, as we have been coming to the Lodge for years, and I have never caught anything larger than a four-inch sunfish from the dock.  But I was pleasantly surprised this trip by abundant pike, bass and walleye.

My first encounter with a sizable fish Up North happened Sunday night, when I was fishing a chartreuse Lucky Craft jerk bait in the stained waters of the Crooked River.  This fish happened to be a legal northern pike, which surprise me quite a lot.

The next morning, I enjoyed more success from behind our hotel by one of the nicest walleyes I have ever caught and in one of the most surprising places.  At first I thought the fish was another pike, but I was surprised to see it was a walleye that had taken my jerk bait.

Throughout the rest of my time at the Lodge, I caught many pike and a nice northern Michigan bass.

I went to the Oden State Fish Hatchery a couple of times;  it's one of my favorite places to visit in all of Michigan.  Kids can fish on Tuesday and Saturday mornings in the big pond behind the hatchery visitor center, and it is a great way to get little kids started on fishing.  I'm a little old to participate now, but I helped kids fish. Teaching kids to fish is very enjoyable and I look forward to helping out again!