Grand Rapids or Bust

In less than 36 hours I am heading up to Grand rapids for the Annual Men’s Fishing Trip. I went and bought a bunch of stuff that I am sure I won’t use. 5am Thursday can’t come soon enough.

Pug, good luck up north. Relax and enjoy.

Nice. Wave hello as you pass our place. We are up here until the 24th.

Good luck up there little buddy

May the walleye gods be good to your rod

I hope I can convince someone to troll some basins on the lake. Got some little rippers just for that purpose, in white, since there is a large sucker/whitefish population in the lake.

I am convincing myself to also take the canoe to a lake that I know has great bass fishing in it…even if I have to go alone.

have fun pug and don’t forget the PFD’s

Good Luck Pug don’t catch ’em all…

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Good Luck Pug don’t catch ’em all…

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There’s a safe bet.

There’s a lake up there called Pughole, you should check it out…

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Good Luck Pug don’t catch ’em all…

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There’s a safe bet.

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Very true, but I hope you give the ole’ college try at it. I looked a little more into Kremer Lake after you had mentioned and the DNR has been stocking Brown Trout and Splake for a few years, but the last time they surveyed the lake (2008) all they netted were Brown Trout, Whitefish, and Bass. The lake is actually bigger than I thought, even though it is only 77 acres, I thought it was much smaller than that. It would definitely be worth at least a half day of fishing to see if you could pull a couple of brown’s out and some bass as I am sure the lake doesn’t get a lot of pressure being a carry in only lake.

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There’s a lake up there called Pughole, you should check it out…

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I have fished that lake for Pannies in the winter and have done quite well if you have the patience to weed through the lil ones you catch one after another. Last time I fished it it was 10 to 15 fish before you caught a decent sized one and I picked up a few crappies.

Drive by Pughole on the way to the cabin.

What’s the countdown on your trip pug…

Mike, I am heading up to Pokegama from Iowa Saturday morning for the week. How has the fishing been??

What species are you looking to go after?

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What species are you looking to go after?

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I never have done real well with walleyes there, but that is what I am really going to try to get when I am up there. I do pretty well with bigger northerns with leadcore and down deep. So I will do that also. And, the bonus big smallmouth when lindy rigging is always a good possibility. If you see a black and white Ranger Reata with a 150 Merc, its me.

The walleye bite has picked up the past week with the cooler nights we have been having. I haven’t had a chance to get out but the word from some other guys I know and a few of guides are the weedline and in the weed bite is back on using crawlers and spinners. I personally would try pitching jigs in the weeds with half a crawler or some plastics.

They have been marking some fish on the deep water reefs and humps again. These fish which had recently been gorging on crawlers and leeches have moved back to minnows. Try slow rigging with redtails, chubs, or large golden shiners for your best bet at a Pokegama hog. I would try the humps between the islands and zorbaz to start. When the weather had been hot

The northerns are still there in the weeds, over the weeds, next to the weeds, and you can still get the ones deepwater trolling. I don’t know what it is about the northern population in this lake but seems like if you target them you will get plenty of fish. My favorite place for northerns is just east of the islands where three bars come together; I call it the Devil’s Triangle others call it the Trough.

I heard the smallie bite was on fire in the weeds with just about anything you threw down, even picked up a few myself trolling shad raps and salmo stings over the weeds. Haven’t heard lately how that bite has been.

If you are looking for a quick meal the panfish bite is still hot and withing a half hour once you find them you will have enough to satisfy your hunger as the average seems to be between 6 and 7 inches.

I will be lake for the better part of the weekend look for a Red Lund Pro V with a 175 merc verado full glass, I will more than likely have my parents and two kids with all weekend but may try to sneak out with just my dad and go for some ‘eyes and lake trout early in the morning.

Side note if you get a chance head over to Trout Lake in Coleraine I heard the Walleye Bite has been on fire and only a hand full of people have been fishing out there right now. Along the weed line by Kum on In Beach has been the word, but I haven’t heard what they have been using I imagine it is spinners and crawlers. If you decide to check it out let me know how you do.

Mike, thanks a million for all the advice! Probably see you on the water.

The fishing was pretty much what I expected, especially since we did not try another lake. Only a few walleye, a bunch of small pike, big panfish and no bass.

We tried all over the lake for walleye at all depths and using all techniques. I think we should have fished it at night because the water is so clear, but well, that would mean we’d have to stay sober and skip the poker games.

My brother-in-law managed a 10.25″ bluegill off the dock that had some wide shoulders. But that size gill is not unexpected from the lake. My brother and I caught a pair of 12.5″ crappies one evening in a half hour window bite at sunset. I didn’t check the length on the 2 walleye, but they were between 18-22″ I would guess.

Sounds like the weekend was a total success, you caught some fish, played some cards, had a few beverages, and I can only assume you told a lot of stories.

Yeah, we could have gotten skunked and it wouldn still have been a good trip.

The 2012 phrase was, “Pass ___ the panties”, whenever someone said something unmanly.

On the way out we saw a rather big fox cross the road by Pughole Lake. That was one healthy fox with the bushiest tail i ever saw in my life.

Still wish we went to another lake for half a day or so.

I couldn’t believe all the dogfish that were surfacing in the lake and pushing up baitfish. I would bet that the dogfish population in the lake is one reason there are so many big panfish. They wean out a lot of young fish, reducing competition for the younger year classes. In my armchair observation, I have found most lakes with a good dogfish population leads to bigger than average fish.

I still can’t believe there are not more bass in the lake. Seems like the perfect ecosystem and habitat for them. Everyone we have caught has been as healthy as any bass I have seen anywhere.