IRON MOUNTAIN – Fishing activity has picked up, including good reports of Walleye, Northern Pike, and Largemouth Bass.
Walleye attacked crawlers and minnows, said Fay Whisler of Whisler Outdoors in Florence, Wisconsin. “There were some good goalkeepers caught over the past week,” she said on Friday.
Lucius meanwhile “I have not been too demanding,” as Whisler reported multiple catches on various baits and lures. Large minnows were the best bet for bass, he added.
The Wisconsin Youth Deer Hunt takes place today and Sunday and is open to both Wisconsin residents and non-residents. Hunters ages 15 and under, with or without hunter education certification, are eligible to participate with a mentor.
Hunter Orange or Fluorescent Pink is required for hunting. Archery and small game hunters must also comply, but waterfowl hunters are exempt.
The complete regulations are at https://p.widencdn.net/gpkljm/DeerYouthHunt.
Michigan’s new deer hunting reporting requirement as of Friday showed 83 deer taken in Dickinson County during the early days of the archery hunt. The total included $52.
A reported 59 deer have been taken in Iron County, including 38 bucks, and 208 in Menominee County, including 130 with antlers since the Oct. 1 opening.
Legislation was introduced to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday that would end the mandatory reporting requirement.
Deer harvest report summaries are available at https://www.mdnr-elicense.com/HarvestReportSummary.
With bear hunters pressing on, Ken Dabb at Whisler Outdoors got word of a 550-pound crop, location unknown. Silver Lake Resort in Channing has recorded about 20 Michigan bears, including A couple of big ones.
The Michigan DNR reported this activity from the Upper Peninsula:
Carp River and Nunns Creek: Nunns Creek and Carp River continued to produce salmon, but fishing pressure appeared to have eased in the last week. Some coho and rainbow trout were caught at Nunns Creek along with Chinook salmon. Low water levels were especially evident at the mouth of these two streams. At Nunns Creek, a moderate wind blowing off the lake toward the shore seemed to attract salmon and make them more likely to bite. A calm day may mean slower fishing, but they still bite.
Little Bay de Noc: Some salmon were in the river. Anglers cast spoon or body baits or sailed fresh spawn for best success.
Manistique: There were a lot of pink salmon in the river. Anglers looking for Chinook salmon were having success near the paper mill while fishing for skeins or beads. Some catches of rainbow trout were reported. There was an occasional double catch of brown trout and walleye.
Marquette: Lake trout were reported, however, there were some reports of brown trout and coho/chinook salmon. Most reports of lake trout were from anglers trolling 60-100 feet near White Rocks. Some reports of lake trout, brown trout, and salmon come from anglers fishing in more than 50 feet of water between the Chocolay River and Shot Point. For salmon, try to spoon fish higher up in the water column for the best opportunities. Anglers fishing the Chocolay River reported catching primarily coho salmon using drift spinners and spawning bags.
Munising Bay – Some boat fishermen were out this past weekend with no luck. Some splake/coho caught offshore and on pier, but generally very slow and most anglers caught nothing.
Grand Marais: Some anglers fished inshore and trolled with little success for coho or rainbow trout. Some anglers reported fishing for lake trout with reported limits. Lake trout were preparing to spawn in shallower waters less than 100 feet.
Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay: Most anglers out of the water with successful fishing trips brought in lake trout from the bays. Most boat fishermen trolled in deeper water, about 90 to 150 feet. Anglers fishing from shore near river mouths were able to catch coho salmon using natural and artificial baits.
Big Traverse Bay/ South Portage Entry: Anglers were unlucky during the last few windy days, however, some anglers were able to bring in some lake trout while trolling in waters around 50-70 feet. Those who caught fish used spoons and flies.
Les Cheneaux/Detour: Some pink and Chinese salmon were caught around the marina. Some perch were caught on the docks, but it was slow. Fishing in general was very slow in the area. There was a bass tournament last weekend and there were quite a few smallmouth bass caught with a 37 pound two day winning bag. A 6-pound largemouth and a 6-pound smallmouth were also captured.
Au Train: Lake trout was the only species reported as caught. All reports of lake trout come from anglers fishing around Au Train Island anywhere from 40 to 100 feet deep. Anglers should try trolling spoons or jigging baits for the best opportunities.
Lower St. Marys: Perch anglers on Drummond Island did well. Anglers were reaching their roost limit in Potagannissing Bay and the next couple of weeks should be really great with the ideal water temperatures setting in. Minnows and trackers on perch/crappie rigs remained the preferred setup.
Upper St. Marys: Fishing pressure increased in Upper St. Mary’s over the past week with more favorable weather conditions. Anglers targeted rainbow trout, perch, and northern pike with slow but steady success.
Munuscong Bay – Perch were moving so fishing activity picked up. Anglers targeting musk were trolling in the deeper waters of the channel.
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