Carp Rescue!

While I have spent a lot of time fishing this summer, I have also been able to help some fish.  At our church picnic, I noticed a small pool that had 14 large carp in it.  The pool had been connected to the Grand River at one time, but as the water had gone down, the carp were stranded.  I gathered a posse of carp rescuers, grabbed my big pike net from the van, and went to the pool.

I scooped up a carp, and carried it several hundred feet to the Grand River to be released.  I repeated the procedure five times during the course of the picnic.  Carp are not everyone's favorite fish, but I'm happy I was able to help them out!

Return of the Pike!

Late in the summer of 2012, I became concerned about the pike population in the Looking Glass River near DeWitt.  I was not able to catch or see any pike because, I think, the water was so low and warm.  But on July 7, I returned to the Looking Glass and the pike are back!

I cast a minnow into the river and a big pike came out of nowhere and grabbed it;  this might have been one of the best strikes I have ever had!  The pike constantly thrashed and jumped, which made for great entertainment.  As you know, I am a catch-and-release fisherman, so I put the pike back for the next fisherman to catch.

A few minutes later, an ever bigger pike hit my minnow.  I struggled with this pike for four or five minutes.  He must have been 34 or 35 inches long.  Unfortunately, he did a back flip and came off my hook.  I was sorry to lose this pike, but I enjoyed the great battle we had!

July Journey

 The week of the Fourth of July is a time when I usually go fishing Up North.  This year's trip took to me to Alanson, between Petoskey and Mackinaw City, on the Crooked River.  During our time in Alanson, we stayed at the Crooked River Lodge.  A couple of years ago, new owners took over, and they have done many good things, including hiking trails, a fishing dock, and a fish pond where you can feed the fish.  I caught a number of pan fish while fishing right from the dock behind the Lodge as well as near the lock, just outside of the town.

The Crooked River around Alanson is good habitat for water snakes.  I observed a number of these snakes during my adventures along the River.  The water snakes I saw are not venomous, but people should not handle them, as they will bite!  I estimate the largest snake I saw was close to three feet long.

I always enjoy being in the company of a good fisherman!  When we approached the big fish pond at the nearby Oden State Fish Hatchery, some people told us there was a bald eagle close by.  Sure enough, when we looked over the water, there was a great big bald eagle looking down at the trout!  I didn't see the eagle catch a trout, but I can also see how he became a great big bald eagle!


Meanwhile, back behind the Crooked River Lodge, I was pleased to see several turtles.  The turtles I saw were mostly painted turtles and snapping turtles.  When we were walking back to our room, we saw many turtle nests that had been dug up by raccoons.  The turtles were very skittish, and every time I would get close for a picture, they would swim off.


I love northern Michigan and the fish and the
wildlife I see there.  I look forward to returning
there later this summer!

The Longest Day of Fishing, 2013

People who read Whopper in the Water know that I call the Saturday closest to the first day of summer the "Longest Day of Fishing."  During that day, my dad and I spend almost the whole day fishing, starting at 6:00 in the morning and going until after 9:00 at night.  Some of the highlights from this year included fishing along the Grand River in Grand Ledge at Island Park.  When we first arrived, we noticed many splashes coming from the water.  I got really excited, and wondered what was under the surface.  But before I even put a line in, my eyes saw something in the shallow water;  it was a soft shell turtle!  I was surprised to see a soft shell turtle, because usually they are found in sandy areas, and where I was fishing was a little rocky.  

After I took pictures, I got back to fishing.  The nicest fish I caught at Grand Ledge was a 14-inch small mouth bass, which took a 4-inch gold shiner on a float.  The bass put up one of the best fights I have had all year.  The bass jumped out of the water three times and swam like crazy.

When we finished our trip to Grand Ledge, we took a break and headed over to Sleepy Hollow State Park near Ovid, MI, in the evening.  I went to Sleepy Hollow, expecting to catch large mouth bass, but, instead, I caught two channel catfish.

The fist catfish was 13 inches long and the second 11 inches long.  I was very happy to catch them, as they were the first channel cats I have ever caught.  In the picture, you will see I am wearing gloves because channel catfish have very sharp pectoral and dorsal fins.  Anglers will want to handle  catfish with care, as many can transmit a mild venom that creates a burning sensation.

2013 is the first Longest Day of Fishing in several years that I have not caught a pike.  My favorite pike waters, the Looking Glass River in DeWitt, are still flooded, and my usual pike fishing spot was not accessible.  But when those waters go down, those pike need to be wary.  Joseph will be back!

Urban Fishing

On Saturday, June 8, I planned to go fishing early with my Dad.  We first visited the Looking Glass in DeWitt, but it was flooded, so we decided to try the Grand River.  Fishing in downtown Lansing, just a couple of blocks from the state Capitol, my hopes weren't high.  For about half of our fishing trip, I didn't even have a nibble, but then, I finally got a bite!  A 13-inch small mouth bass hammered my minnow.

A few minutes after releasing the bass, I could tell I had another big fish on my line.  A second small mouth bass, bigger than the last, was putting up a titanic fight and was running to structure like a bobcat with a burr under its tail!  This second fish was a 17-inch small mouth.

I was on my last minnow for the day and had a five-minute warning from my dad when I felt another tug on my line.  I was surprised to land my favorite fish, the northern pike.  Although it was only 18 inches long, the fish meant a lot to me because it was my first pike of 2013.

Don't let the fact that you are in a city fool you.  There is good fishing in downtown Lansing!

Fishing on Ice

On January 26, I spent the afternoon ice fishing at Park Lake near Bath, Michigan.  Unfortunately, I didn't catch anything, but the people around us didn't seem to be catching anything either.  I was using a new "Slab Grabber" lure that I got at the fishing show in Novi earlier in January.  Even though I didn't catch anything, I was impressed with the way the Slabgrabber fluttered like a wounded bait fish.

Tip ups were part of my fishing strategy, too.  I was using a "Pikekilla" lure and attached to it was a golden shiner.

Because of the mild winter in 2012, this was the first time in two years I was able to fish at Park Lake, and it was nice to be back!

U.P. Fishing and September Success

Just before school started, our family decided to head up north.  We had a fun time seeing the sights, and we spent time fishing across the Upper Peninsula.  Dad took me fishing at Kingtston Lake along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  I caught a lot of perch there.  When we were leaving, I happened to notice a boat come into the dock.  I looked inside the boat, and it reminded me of pictures I have seen of muskie fishing boats.  Then, I asked the fisherman if he had caught any muskie.  He said not today, but the day before he caught a 42-incher and he gave me a muskie spinner!

A couple of weeks later in DeWitt, I was back on the sacred waters of the Looking Glass, fishing for pike.  Right under the Bridge Street bridge, I caught a 32-incher.  He did not take the bait at first, but I stuck with him.  He spat out the minnow a few times.  Then he stopped messing around and took my minnow  for good.  A nice mom and her little kid came along and asked if I caught anything, and I showed them a picture of the big scary fish I just caught.  I look forward to more pike fishing in the fall!