Blog
July 14, 2009
Lake Michigan Skunk or Where Mat fails to do his research
The internet is a wonderful thing. If only I would have made one click to check the most important thing that will determine if the fish will come on the flats or not. I failed to check water temperatures.
I was caught up in the excitement of the whole experience. I had new flies I wanted to test out, a new pair of sunglasses, the boat all hooked up and ready to go. I was pumped enough to get up at 4 a.m. and make the drive up and throw the boat into the water. My world came crashing down on me when a couple of other anglers at the launch said they were on a guided trip all day yesterday and the fish never came on to the flats to the point that they had to resort to smallmouth fishing!
Carp are temperature sensitive, and if the water temps are not in the high 60s to 70s you just do not see the numbers on the flats in the big water. They stay deep.
I did manage to have a shot at one fish, a tricky feeding fish deep in the rushes in about a foot of water with sandy bottom. A warm spot on the flats. That was it for two days of fishing. All I needed to do is check HERE. It would have saved me some drive time.
At least I got some practice on the push pole and got to spend my days in pretty much solitude checking out a couple different bays for carp.
If you have not had a chance to fish Lake Michigan for carp, do so. Even if you are a bonehead and neglect to check water temps you will love the fishery (even if you too have to lower yourself to fishing for plain old sportfish)
I was caught up in the excitement of the whole experience. I had new flies I wanted to test out, a new pair of sunglasses, the boat all hooked up and ready to go. I was pumped enough to get up at 4 a.m. and make the drive up and throw the boat into the water. My world came crashing down on me when a couple of other anglers at the launch said they were on a guided trip all day yesterday and the fish never came on to the flats to the point that they had to resort to smallmouth fishing!
Carp are temperature sensitive, and if the water temps are not in the high 60s to 70s you just do not see the numbers on the flats in the big water. They stay deep.
I did manage to have a shot at one fish, a tricky feeding fish deep in the rushes in about a foot of water with sandy bottom. A warm spot on the flats. That was it for two days of fishing. All I needed to do is check HERE. It would have saved me some drive time.
At least I got some practice on the push pole and got to spend my days in pretty much solitude checking out a couple different bays for carp.
If you have not had a chance to fish Lake Michigan for carp, do so. Even if you are a bonehead and neglect to check water temps you will love the fishery (even if you too have to lower yourself to fishing for plain old sportfish)
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