Into the Unknown
Anytime I head to a new fishery the first place I look is the internet. While it may lead to some bad advice there are always some general things you can gather. We are spoiled in that a lot of the work to getting to access points, productive sections, and techniques are readily available. I’m getting a chance to fish a large northern Michigan fishery and other than a couple access points and the species present is all I can find. I don’t really even know if the ice is safe but I guess I’m going to find out.
It’s really a family trip with a little fishing thrown in so if I don’t figure anything out it won’t be the end of the world. However it is probably going to be my one chance at an ice burbot this year so I am trying to plan at least a little bit. If you’ve ever followed along with any of my Grand Traverse Bay ice fishing adventures then you know I have a strange love for burbot. Not only are they amazing to eat but they are just so interesting and a lot of fun to catch.
Luckily I have that experience to at least give me the confidence that I can catch one. I’m not the most experienced burbot fisherman but I’m going to do my best to replicate areas and techniques on this body of water. It really isn’t all that much different than the bay. I might get lucky enough to run into lakers, browns, rainbows, atlantics, or whitefish as well. I don’t know for sure but I’m guessing there are some cisco around and I will punt to try and catch a perch if it comes to it.
I have a depth I want to target for the burbot and I’m looking for flat spots in that depth range close to 100+ feet of water. I turned my Humminbird Helix 7 on and hit the depth highlight on the Lakemaster chip. This gave me a quick idea of where the productive looking sections of water were. I just had to find an access point within reasonable distance. The less time I’ll spend walking on ice I know nothing about the better. Spud, ice picks, and Clam Rise Float suit will certainly give me some peace of mind.
The girls all want to go on a little perch excursion somewhere too. I’ve heard Clam Lake has easy access and plenty of small perch which will be perfect. I’ve got a lot of stuff to pack but the Clam rod bag has made this easy. Around home I typically don’t have to bring a whole lot of gear. A bucket and a pocket is usually sufficient. But whenever I go out of town or for bigger fish that rod locker is the deal. I’ve got 8 combos, 3 tip ups, and a bunch of tackle all nicely tucked in there. It makes not only packing it out on the ice easy but packing it in the vehicle on the way up. Knowing it is all there and nothing is going to be broken is a good feeling.
I’ll be sure to report back how it all goes although any fish of any species will be a major success. It is going to be fun getting away and spending time with the family regardless. Good, bad, or not even safe enough to try look for a report back next week.