I’m attending a meeting Wednesday evening.
One of the items on the agenda is: What are you experiencing/seeing on the lake? (Not just related to sedimentation-maybe you saw a rare bird or rare bird activity, fishing? Good/bad/in between? More fishermen on the ice?
I’ll take anything and everything along and voice them.
PM, text, voice mail, email or post here. Up to you…and Thanks!
Frontenac-State-Park-Overlook.jpeg
My Informal Observations:
-Heavy sedimentation (seems to be exponential in the last 5 years)
-larger population of smallmouth and largemouth bass (no science behind it, just catch more without trying)
-fewer walleyes and saugers in general (I’m not a “sky is falling” guy, but I won’t buy for a second that the populations are what they were 10 years ago)
-dozens of dead sturgeon and paddle fish on multiple occasions in small areas(have contacted DNR twice) and was shocked how routine they thought it was during the heat of the summer
-far more shad in the system than I have ever seen before
I know none of these are scientific observations. However I did log time in the boat on Pool 4 for 62 different days in 2017, with another 25 or so through the ice.
Thanks buckybadger, I’m not looking for science…just observations. Thank you!
My observations, even less educated and less scientific but very serious!!! I only spent a half dozen times on the lake in 2017
1) CHIGGERS! I always say I won’t swim in that water in July every year, then I do, then I get chiggers….rinse repeat
2) If you are going to take your little 2 year olds out for a canoe ride in 25mph winds on the lake, stay close to shore or you better hope some nice fisher guy rescues you and your kids from the water. Also, you should probably thank him too and not make excuses the whole ride back or he will whine about your yuppy self on a fishing forum.
3) I saw a wife give a yelling husband a “rare bird” once at the bay city boat launch.
4) The lake has this odd phenomenon where sometimes it is full of a bunch of walleyes and saugers and sometimes there are none. At least that is what my testing has found.
5) When the wind blows strong from the north there seems to be an odd smell of stink bait and spam…
5) When the wind blows strong from the north there seems to be an odd smell of stink bait and spam…
Most educated and scientific statement you’ve made since I’ve known you! 
My Informal Observations:
-Heavy sedimentation (seems to be exponential in the last 5 years)
-larger population of smallmouth and largemouth bass (no science behind it, just catch more without trying)
-fewer walleyes and saugers in general (I’m not a “sky is falling” guy, but I won’t buy for a second that the populations are what they were 10 years ago)
-dozens of dead sturgeon and paddle fish on multiple occasions in small areas(have contacted DNR twice) and was shocked how routine they thought it was during the heat of the summer
-far more shad in the system than I have ever seen before
I know none of these are scientific observations. However I did log time in the boat on Pool 4 for 62 different days in 2017, with another 25 or so through the ice.
X2 on Bucky’s comments. I’d add that panfish populations and perch seem to be doing better in last few years. I also have become quite the expert sheepshead fisherman in recent years. Sadly.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
