Questions On Little Bay and Big Bay De Noc

Hey Tom, Our new friend bigdogx2 from Oregon has some questions for you as he is planning a trip to your part of the country. I cut and pasted the questions below from the General Discussion Forum. Thanks, Bill

Info needed on little and big bay de noc

#111088 – 04/13/04 11:23 AM Edit Reply Quote

Can anyone please give me some information on how to fish these bays in mid june?

What can i expect for the weather?

will drift socks be necessary?

What do the fair and foul weather boundaries mean and how rough will the water be to keep you within the foul weather mark?

Have heard that planer boards are needed due to clear water conditions is this true?

Are the fish still spawning at this time?

Sorry about the delay in responding…I have been guiding on the Mississippi the past few days. June can be fair to excellent , depending on conditions. The spawn should be over for 3-4 weeks.

I don’t know where the” fair/foul weather” boundary info is from. The Bay is generally shallow and can get rough. The best bite will be with a good chop and drift socks are necessary if you drift and vertical jig as most do. A Hot Spots map is imperaitive as the Bay is abot 36″ lower than normal for the past few years and care is needed to avoid rock bars and vast mud and sand flats of less than 2′ of water . The Gladstone and Escanaba Marinas are the only safe launch for boats larger than an open 14-16′ utiilty type. Planer boards are good tactcs to use(especially with a lot of fishing pressure) On weekends ther will be MANY boats up in the rivermouth areas and on the reefs. You have to stay clear of them when pulling boards. Yes the bay has become very clear due to Zebra Mussels and changing (deeper) weed patterns. Here is a good info website from a fellow guide. Hope I have been of help, Tom

http://www.littlebaydenoc.com/

Hey Tom, how did the fishing trip to pool 4 on the Mississippi River go? Next time you have to come up on a weekend so we can get together Bud.
Thanks, Bill

We worked pretty hard but had a great time.
I will put up a report soon on the River side. I am open to fish next Thursday Bill, but have weekend committments until later in the season.
Thanks, Ol Paddlefish Tom