Watch Your Terns on the Bridge

From Blogger Pictures

  Now that the coal ship is freed from the Trenton Channel I wanted to talk about terns on the bridges. Not the bad turn the ship made or anything to do with a car or truck. I'm talking about the little black capped water birds you may see diving in the water for food, the common tern. As you drive over one of the bridges look on either side at the big protection cribs. On these islands are colonies of nesting terns. You can also see these from a fishing boat if you slow down and stand up, just don't get too close because the terns are protected now. This is thanks in part to Bruce Szczechowski who did a Masters thesis on this bird and how they've been affected by our industrial abuse to the river.


    Bruce is a teacher at Anderson High in Southgate and with John Nasarzewski they formed the Downriver Citizens for a Safe Environment(DCSE). The Stream Team is an off shoot of the group and offers a chance for students to help with projects they may not have a chance to at their current school. The team cleans up stream, bands birds, created and cares for the Southgate Community Nature Preserve and performs Downriver Benthic Monitoring w/ Wayne County. This is a great experience for anyone interested in helping the areas ecology. But back to Bruce.

From Blogger Pictures

    Bruce's became interested in the areas ecology at an early age when his biophilic bonds became strong while riding a bike along the shores of the Detroit River. This was when he first notice the terns nesting on the cribs guarding the bridges. Little did he know that the fascination with the tern would take him on a fabulous journey throughout the Great Lakes Region. In obtaining his Masters Degree from Michigan Technological University Bruce found that the nesting pairs of terns had dropped from 4000 in the 1960s to just 300 now. He contributes this to many factors including predation from gulls and night herons to chemical toxicity in the region. You may have received a survey from Bruce for one of his studies of the effects of legacy contaminants if not it can be found on the DCSE web site( http://www.dcseweb.org/dcse.php?page=index).

   So here's to Bruce for overlooking our ecological health and helping the local population of common terns to create new and improved nesting areas. Hopefully with Bruce's help some students from the Stream Team will carry on with more river monitoring. Also congrats to Bruce for getting a Masters Degree from Michigan's Toughest University!

Pics

Got a couple of pictures in. This is one of the big perch taken this year near Wyandotte. The Lindberg Flash looks very happy, which isn't very often. The 16 incher is now being processed.

From odds

Here's a pic of the corner of 23rd and Pennsylvania. This 4 to 6 pointer made sure to look both ways before crossing.

From odds

A future Downriver Walleye Fed. member

From odds

A nice trip this time of year is Cabela's, here's what awaits you at the front lobby.

From odds

Here's somebody that knows what they want.

Opening Day was here and gone, nary a deer was even sawn

  I know it's a horrible title but I've been very busy lately and that's the best I could come up with. Yes Opening Day, what a great happening, like Xmas morn to most hunters. There's electricity in the air and hopefully in your camp, the aura of getting away and the magic of bagging the biggest buck in the world. All these feelings make the experience addictive and keep hunters like me coming back for more.




  This year the opener fell on a Monday which is bad for most that can't get away from work. It put a little damper on our camp, we lost 5 hunters to the constraints of the working stiffs. To their credit they did make it up on Friday night for 2 nights of camaraderie and remembering hunts gone by. This is the stuff hunting is made of, the exchange of information and experiences to try to out wit the elusive whitetail. Now more than any other time I've been hunting everyone in our group needs help. We hunt in the DMZ, that's the Deer Minimalized Zone. Baiting is outlawed, many does have been taken with extra permits and now you can't harvest a buck unless it has more points on one side than I've seen in 5 years. We hunt state land and it isn't like anything you see on the outdoor shows, but we have a great time.



  A highlight of the hunt is usually the Michigan football game and this year was no exception. The camp doesn't have cable so we try to find the game on a local establishment. This year it was at a local club that one of our hunters just joined. The Wolverines won and the club member only got 2 demerits in the process. Loud cheering is against one of their rules. The biggest project this year was moving Uncle Jerry's outhouse about 2 miles to the camp. It's in good shape and will be appreciated for many years to come.



  The biggest problem with losing so many hunters was the heaters couldn't keep up with the temps outside due to the loss of body heat. It got pretty cold at night and frost covered most of the leaves. Plus with only the 4 of us the deer weren't pushed to move around causing more sightings. There may be others in the area illegally baiting drawing the deer away from us but with only 2 or 3 days hunting every year we don't know for sure. All we can be sure of is that the numbers of deer sighted has dropped off drastically over the last few years. It's probably a number of problems that are hard to pin down but in over 30 man hours of hunting we saw 3 doe and 1 tail. So there's very low interest in missing work or buying a license which will hurt hunts in the future.



If you had some success this year send in your pics so I can post on my slideshow.



Get out Downriver....

Calling All Train Enthusiasts

  I know you’re thinking what have trains to do with the outdoors? Well I could go on about how the train workers used to stock streams and ponds with smallmouths and carp near where they would stop for water or a pick up. Doing this they spread the range of these fish throughout the country some for good, some not so. I want to cover some interesting things Downriver that are interesting and could interest people on off days.

From Blogger Pictures

  The Lincoln Par Train Club, formerly the Trenton Train Club, have been Downriver for quite some time. Thanks to the city of Lincoln Park they have a semi-permanent set up in the J.F.K. Memorial Building, some may know this as the bandshell building, and are open every Saturday from 10am till 1pm January thru Thanksgiving. For the Christmas season they help the city with Fantasyland operations.

From Blogger Pictures

   They have 3 different scale train set ups with HO, O and S all running during the open sessions. All the members are very helpful if you have questions about a set up or trouble shoot. Some members may even be persuaded to fix some old equipment you may have. Special arrangements can be made for groups such as schools or seniors to come in for a tour, please do this a month in advance. Call 624-1462 for info. If you do have questions or any interest in trains then this is the weekend to take advantage of their train show.

From Blogger Pictures

On Sunday October 24th at the J.F.K. building the 3rd annual Train Show will be held. From 11am until 3pm for the $3 admission you can swap and buy all things trains. If you’re not familiar with the area the J.F.K. building is just east of the Veteran’s memorial or the First Baptist Church on Fort Street between Emmons and Champagne.

Remember get Outdoors (indoors) Downriver

The perch, the perch, the perch are on fire!

This is one of those feel good stories. The numbers and size of perch this fall are incredible. Reports of foot long double headers have come from more than one source. This would be unheard of just a few short years ago when the commercial fishermen were making big hauls the perch were small and harder to come by. The Ohio operations were bought out and the Canadians are keeping a closer watch on their quotas. The results are a rebound of magnanimous proportions of this fine table fair.




The reports are in Lake Erie east of Stoney Point in 24 feet of water. Use this as a starting point and move around if you must to find a biting school. As always for perch emerald shiner minnows are a must. Check the bait shop link for the phone numbers to call to make sure the dealer has them. If you’re like me, and have a smaller boat, in rough weather stick to the river. Anywhere in the triangle between the crossdyke, Celeron Island and the boundary marker look for an opening in the weedbeds and plant your speader there. Or look for Ray’s marker to make a killing.

From Downriver Outdoors

On the other hand the walleyes are declining without a good explanation. The powers that be are seriously considering a reduction in limits. Hopefully they’ll see a rebound soon. One way to help is reporting any cormorant sightings. According to Larry Meijer who’s on the cormorant advisory Committee for the state the ASF+G considers Lake Erie to be cormorant free. So if you see cormorants please report to the MDNRE to establish a baseline for possible control. Go to: http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/cormorantobs/ for the form.



I just wanted to mention the rebound in sturgeon also. Not as prolific as the perch but a good start from the spawning reefs near Fighting Island in the river on the Canadien side. Here’s proof positive they’re working thanks to DR. John Hartig.

From Downriver Outdoors

If you want to catch an adult specimen of these fine fish contact Walleye Mike from the MI sportsman web site. http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=349532, he’s running a special up on Lake St. Clair and the SCR. Fish aren’t guarantied but they have been having great luck and he supplies everything including the proper tags.

Calendar - Many opportunities this weekend

In an effort to disseminate more info I'm posting a few of my calendar events:

Great Lakes Council - Boy Scouts of America – 100th Anniversary

Boy Scouts, Venturers and Explorers from thorughout southeast Michigan will gather at Willow Metropark the weekend of September 24-26, 2010. They too will have numerous exciting activities to choose from. Their evening will end with an Arena Show, featuring Chuck Gaidica from WDIV Local 4 as our emcee, FiftyAmpFuse...A live band, country/pop singer Whitney Raenan and an exhilarating fireworks show. Check out their web page http://www.glcscouting.org/rendez-vous/arena.html
 
 
Harvest Moon Hayride- Oakwoods Nature Center

When Fri Sep 24, 2010 call for a time (734-782-3956‎)

Where Oakwoods Metropark http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Oakwoods+Metropark&hl=en
Also - Fall Festival

Appreciate fall with crafts, games, cider making and guided hikes. $

When Sat Sep 25, 2010

Where Oakwoods Metropark

Lincoln Park Train Club

Take a step back in time and enjoy a miniature version of yesteryear.

Admission is FREE!

•Meets every Saturday from 11am-1pm

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Lincoln+Park&hl=en

That’s a Fine Kettle of Hawk?

   Yes, that’s right, hawk. Most have heard of a fine kettle of fish but hawk. I was confused until the folks at Hawkfest 2010 explained it all to me. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself just yet. I was impressed with the turnout. I didn’t know there were so many people out there interested in raptors. When I got close to the nature center the road was blocked and I thought there may be an accident but it was the scouts directing traffic.

From Downriver Outdoors

   Traffic, how many people out there are interested in raptors? Ask the scouts they’ve been helping out for Hawkfest for over 15 years and they’re from Ferndale. Boy Scout Troop 1204 and Cub Scout Troop 1245 were directing cars and shuttles without a hitch. I’m estimating 400 cars were there just in the short time I was there and that‘s not counting all the cars by the boat launch.

From Downriver Outdoors

From Downriver Outdoors

Members of the Michigan Hawking Club brought hawks and discussed falconry. Live birds of prey were brought out during special programs by Joe Rogers. Presentations on the Osprey Recovery Project, Peregrine Falcon research and the Oak Openings Raptor Project were featured. The binocular/digital camera tent hosted a variety of cameras, spotting scopes and binoculars for demonstrations and sales. Jerry Wykes had many activities for the kids from the wall climb to hawk puzzles and crafts scheduled thru out the day.

From Downriver Outdoors

From Downriver Outdoors

A kettle of hawk

From Downriver Outdoors

Jerry said the birds have usually passed thru before Hawkfest but this year is different with only a few thousand birds recorded as of yet the main bulk of over 500,000 is staging close by and will be coming thru with the next north or northeast wind. It looks like this Saturday will be prime time for viewing. So if you remember the next time it blows from the north look up to find a kettle of hawk. This usually looks like a number of small circles of birds floating together on thermals pushed by the north wind.
Don't forget Luke the eagle. He lives in this large enclosure behind the nature center but the proud eagle heeds fresh fish to eat. If you launch at the park to fish you can drop off a meal for Luke but Jerry would rather have it cleaned and frozen. Don't forget Luke.

From Downriver Outdoors

Get Outdoors Downriver.

The Rush to Fall

   Happy Labor Day, everyone. Hope you enjoyed your day off, if you got one. The last days of summer are winding down and the outdoor activities are ramping up. No it’s not about the Lions offensive line preparing for the season, this is serious, hunting season is upon us. All I’ve been writing about so far is fishing. With the water cooling off fishing is on a comeback but will be playing second fiddle soon. September 15th is opening day for small game hunting. It’s usually just for squirrels around here, rabbits aren’t ready yet and grouse are up north. The most important aspect about September is getting ready for deer and pheasant seasons, the most popular by far.

   There is a new opportunity for bow hunters this year, the crossbow. The crossbow was illegal to use until this year unless you had a disability permit. Thanks to some local folk the DNRE has relented to allow all hunters to use them. Plus, the fact that many hunters had dropped out of bow hunting because of old age, not a disability needed for applying to the old permit. The traditionalist bow hunters were against it but the lure of attracting new hunters and more revenue persuaded the powers that be to ok the use of these weapons. I believe these bows are easier and safer to use than compound bows. Once cocked the crossbow is just like operating a gun and this will allow even 10 year olds to deer and turkey hunt this fall. Check with the new hunting regulations before taking anyone younger than 17 hunting.

   Now the rush part for people like me, I like deadlines they keep me on track though I rarely meet them. For the bow hunters here’s a refresher checklist. Equipment first, for arrows or bolts (arrows for crossbows) Frank at Trenton Lighthouse, near the entrance to Elizabeth Park, Frank has been making these for over 40 years. See him for a more personal fitting for your bow length draw. Otherwise the big box sporting good stores will have what you need, but you’ll have to customize yourself. Once your arrows or bolts are strait and shoot worthy you’ll need to accessorize. Arrow rest, sights, releases, limb savers, string silencers, peep holes, stabilizers and quivers, just to name a few. See Frank or one of the associates at Gander Mountain for all the possibilities and what’s appropriate for you. Gander has an indoor archery range that goes for $8 / hour, if you buy an accessory you may be able to get some free time to line out the new equipment. Wayne County Sportsman’s Club also offers an archery range at $6.50/ hour. Practice, practice, practice…

   For gun hunters accessories are limited to maybe a scope for deer hunters and the type of shot for wing shooters. Besides the big box sporting goods stores the only gun shop around is Westborn’s on Ecorse in Taylor. If you can’t find a gun or type of shot at the bigger stores Westborn’s will usually have it. I’m told their prices are even cheaper than the sale prices at the big stores, it pays to shop around even with guns and ammo. They have over 200 rifles and handguns there and specialty items like 20 gauge steel shot. Hunters’ associate steel shot with duck hunting and while it’s still true to some extent the application of steel shot I’m familiar with is using it at game farms. Dundee Pheasant Farm (734-735-7271) is where I’ve gone for some guaranteed pheasant action. It’s pricey, but it’s a matter of convenience after state land has been hunted hard and farm access hasn’t been found.

   Along those lines no matter that you’re paying a premium with money or leg work, if you hunt on state land, to get the most out of the investment you need to practice. Shooting at live birds is a lot harder than it seems. Most people think you just look down the barrel and the quarry is yours. Ha, even at a skeet range where you know from where and when the clay pigeon is arriving, for the average amateur shooter, 50 % is outstanding. Wayne County Sportsman’s Club offers any pheasant or duck hunter a chance to sharpen up for the ensuing seasons. They’re located just south of Pennsylvania Rd. on Inkster, look for the sign on the west side of the road, it is a smaller sign so look carefully. At $6.50/shoot, plus a box of shells, you’ll gain a lot of experience and confidence, for just over $10. Call 734-941-9688 for times and the type of shells to bring. This place is quite a gem in the Downriver Outdoors and well worth the trip even considering the long driveway.

From Downriver Outdoors

Get Outdoors Downriver….

Whoaaaaa!

It's been hard to keep up with my articles here in the summer long stretch. I've got a few on the burners but the research has been slow. I did get out for a salmon trip recently heading out from Port Frankfort in the NW lower. The five of us caught 50 in 3 days and much like deer hunting it's a long period of inaction followed by brief intense encounters with some big fish.  So it seems...


As you can see it can get crowded at the back of the boat some times. It's one of those great problems to have. We were on Captain Dan's Stormy Chinook and I really like the way he fishes. He usually knows where the fish are and isn't happy when the boat isn't putting fish in the cooler. Many times he'll say the fish are slashing, he can see this on his depth finder. To a normal person it's just a little streak on the graph but to Dan it's a fish that should be on one of his lures. This is the type of charter to look for, a fisherman that guides to catch fish and be in on the action. There are many other charters in the area and most are of the ilk that they're giving you a great experience on their floating living room and fish are just icing on the cake. I like the catching better.


This is an interesting way to fish with all the technology out there. First is the fish/depth finder. It's much more sophisticated than the one I have. As mentioned earlier the more you use it the more you can interpret. The best thing I could tell right away was the thermo cline where most of the fish congregate. This is the depth where cold water of the deep meets warmer water of the surface. Loosely defined as a change in temperature of one degree or more per foot for so many feet. The bait fish associate with this temperature structure and the salmon follow the bait fish. This trip it was about 100 feet and that depth reading now determines how the lines are set. First the downriggers are set with a 10 lb. weight on the end, three rubber bands are attached to the fishing line, after a fair amount of line is let out and the rubber bands are attached to the downrigger ball. Two downriggers off the back and one out each side with the depths of each separated to prevent any line tangling. So the right side of the boat would have the riggers set at 100 feet and 60 feet and the left side would be at 80 feet and 120 feet. It takes me longer to explain it than it takes the captain to set them up.

Now the long lines go out, dipsy divers and lead core and copper wire. The dipsy divers are disks that steer the line off to one side, so go right some go left. The lure is put on a lead and attached to the dipsy and the main line is attached to the other end of the disk. When a fish hits the dipsy springs open so it no longer tracks to either side and just becomes part of the main line but the extra length of the lead to the lure can cause problems when landing a fish(sorry Dan). These lines are set back 250-300 feet for a 100 foot intended depth. The other lines are the lead core and copper lines and these can be out up to 500 feet, that's a tenth of a mile. Just a little advise when the long lines take a hit and you're not fighting a fish at the time have a backup excuse or plan to evade the curse of reeling one in. Head to the front of the boat for a drink, or a bite to eat , or a cell phone check, or a potty break. Hopefully the youngest member of the party volunteers to take the line or is order to take the line, otherwise you'll eventually make eye contact with the captain and now you'll be reeling for about 30 mins. and your arms will not work for many minutes after. Did I mention 1/10th of a mile?

Such problems to have. It's all very enjoyable but a bit pricey. Hopefully you know someone with a big boat with all the equipment. Just recently steelhead trout were biting in large numbers off of the north shore of Lake Erie. Erieou and Wheatly are the most mentioned spots with catches of steelhead and walleye coming at the same time. How much better can it get, especially with this hot water we have now.

Hopefully things will start cooling off and the fish will start biting again. There was a big bass tourney recently with the weigh in at Elizabeth Park right by the free bridge in Trenton so the bass fishing should be good south of the bridge for a while. Now's the time to get ready for bow season. The Trenton lighthouse sells arrows and bolts for you cross bowers. Gander Mt. has a shooting range for $8 / hour. Start practicing.

Get Outdoors Downriver!

Dog Day Musings...

It 's that time of year when there isn't too much going on DR. Fishing for walleye has slowed, there still in the river if you work for the. Even in the lake they’re spotty and fast action is followed by long slow bites. So other than my calendar entries the only other things I've done or heard about are;


3 Mikes, 3 Strikes We're Out - Went on the Lindberg Crest with 2 other Mikes. We BBed for over 4 hours mid river without even sniffing a walleye. The weather was great however and we had a great time. I did manage to catch one of the catfish in the river. 20" of some fine sweet meat from these fish. It went with all the walleye cooked up behind the hospital near a boat house. Quite a bit of R+R.

My Daughter's family recently went out to Sterling State Park and they had a wonderful time. I was surprised they went after the horrible news about a swimmer there. The Grand-Daughters stayed close to shore so everything went well. If you consider occupying a 6+4+2 year old for 2 hours at the beach and another 4 at home going well. They had a ball collecting seashells and sorting them and cleaning them and then dividing them which is always tricky. It's the closest beach around and has a reasonable admission.

We went to the Humbug Marsh for their open house and a macro-invertebrate program. The program was cancel due to weather but we toured the grounds and enjoyed the solitude it offered. Being so close to cities all around it the atmosphere is quite nice there. Check the calendar or their web site for open house dates and up coming events.

Talked to Joe at the Point Muoillee about hiking opportunities for boy scouts there. A badge is given for a 10 mile hike and they have one there. This is a premier birding and hiking area, especially birding for being rated in the entire country. There are many dikes and paths to walk on to increase your chances of seeing some unique shore birds and other wildlife. Back to the 10 mile hike, if you start at the parking area just East of the storage buildings that are South of the Huron River, you can hike the entire banana dike and the follow the roads back to the parking area. This is just over 10 miles for you boy scouts or other health enthusiasts. There are other paths and dikes in side this area for other activities such as birding or fishing. It's a nice place to check out. You can also launch a boat there to fish the back waters or go out on Lake Erie. Call Mon. or Wed. for info (734) 379-9692.

I'll be heading up to Frankfort for salmon in the morning and will post a report after I get back so...

Get Outdoors Downriver.

7-22-10 Fishing Report

   Fishing has been really good for this time of year. Many fish are still in the river with good catches coming on BBs deep in the river. Read the last article for bb use. The surprising fish this year is the catfish. Many shore anglers are hooking into these like never before. The river supports so many fish it’s nice to see a new species take off.




   A couple of years ago it was the shad that went crazy. Not many were caught by hook and line but the walleye gorged themselves on them. That was bad because in parts of the river the walleye bite stopped, they were all eating the shad. Some of the fish from that year actually tasted like shad, not to my liking. When the walleye go crazy no body notices because they’re so happy catching fish. If you remember the year that a lot of 13” and 14” fish were caught that was the start of some wonderful walleye years. Then there’s the silver scourge, silver bass. Two years ago I was jigging in the river late in the season when my depth finder jumped from the usual 27’ to 20’ and stayed there. I thought the depth finder had bit the dust but no it was a giant school of silvers. It felt like they were playing volleyball with my jig. Needless to say walleye fishing was done for that year.



   From all accounts people are catching fish everywhere. In the lake Lil’ Bill says bell bouy from 23’ to 27’, watch the state lines so you don’t go into Ohio. He’s really pushing the Kelly worms for bass. There’s a big bite from these fish closer to shore on Lake Erie. You just have to fight the weeds. There are many reports of muskies also, they’re making quite a comeback. Very fun to catch but the smell turns some people off. Hopefully I’ll get some huge sheephead soon so I can try a new recipe. Good luck fishing…



Get Outdoors Downriver!

Use BBs on Your Summer Quarry

   Did the laws change to allow hunting in July? BBs for squirrels or bb shot for geese? No, it’s just a great technique to use for the favorite quarry on the river or western Lake Erie, bottom bouncing. Bottom Bouncers are an easier to use version of the 3way swivels. 3 ways are attached to the main line with a lead to a weight and a lead to your lure. Cumbersome to use, but more versatile in that you can change the length of the lead, to the weight, to change the depth of the lure. However, with the favorite quarry in the area being walleye, the bottom in bottom bouncing is more important. This keeps your lure in the strike zone where the walleyes are, unless you’re Redcan.


   The bottom bouncers are very handy when it comes to trolling for walleye this time of year. The gorge on the mayfly hatch is still fresh in their minds and they can’t resist an imitation spinner blade presented in the strike zone. At least that’s a theory and not only are spinners used but also spoons and lipped lures. It’s an imitation of handlining or maybe a precursor (which came first the chicken or the egg?). Both techniques have been around so long no one really knows. The big difference between the 2 is weight. Handliners you 1 -2 lb weights to keep the line at 45 degrees in the water column heading upriver. Bottom bouncers are much lighter and so are more conducive for use in the lake or in the river heading downstream. Many reports are being posted about nice catches of walleye all along the river using bbs and spinners.

   In the lake a standard set up for trolling consists of lighter bbs(2oz) on the outside with in-line planer boards, medium weight bbs(3oz) on a rod perpendicular to the boat and heavy bbs(4oz) strait out the back. This will help keep the lines from tangling up unless the old curse of a sheephead decides to take your rig from here to Niagara. For spinners boat speed is 1.5 to 1.8 mph, for spoons 2.5 to 3.5 mph depending on the whims of the fish. On the river heavy weights are needed to keep the spinners in the depths being reported of 25 to 40 feet. Added note from G. Warsaw from the 7/19 DWF meeting, after hooking a fish on an outside rod ecspecially, give the fish some line until it swings directly behind the boat then reel it in thru the chute between all the rods.

   Speed on the river is very tricky so a gps is a basic piece of equipment. You can get a floating speed of your boat and try to go the speeds for your lures above the floating speed. You can also troll downriver increasing speed until the blades are spinning or the spoons and crankbaits start wobbling and take note of that speed and maintain it. As in any type of trolling speeding up or slowing down can make a difference until the fish tell you what they want. Or you can just look for Cliff in the Lindberg Crest.

Good Luck and Get Outdoors Downriver.

What A Weekend

Here’s hoping this finds you hale and hearty. After this weekend everyone should be. Thanks to all that served, thanks to all that volunteered and thanks to the weatherman. After reading the fishing reports on the web the boys and I went fishing Saturday morning. We got 6 walleye in just a few hours before the wind made it a chore to fish. I’ve never witnessed this before but a boat about 40 yards up wind from us caught a fish. In less than 2 minutes we all knew what was caught, musky. The fish of 10,000 casts has a very distinctive odor. Much like their cousin the pike they release a slime when stressed and the musky is the worst smelling of the 2. We had a great time and the weather was perfect. I was impressed by the amount of boats out on the river and lake. That was probably the reason we didn’t get checked by the Coast Guard of either country, the Border Patrol , the County Sheriff or the MDNRE which is rare these days.



Now with the official start of summer, schools out and the temperatures rising, now’s the time to get the boat summerized. That’s right if you haven’t been out fishing in the spring you’ll need to get the boat ready for the boating season. According to Al Anderson from Aquamarine Boat Brokers in Ecorse you need to summerize. Checking the spark plugs, the air filter, the gas filter, all gas lines and fitting, all belts and on the larger boats the bilge blower among other things. There was a boat fire recently at a gas station on the river. The blowers were on but unbeknownst to the captain an animal built a nest or winter home in the blower system. Add leaking gas lines to the mix and there was a little explosion and fire that could have been a lot worse Thank God no one was hurt. So summerize, summerize, summerize to try to catch those hidden dangers.



By the looks of things there must be fish biting out there. The river had plenty of takers and the lake was also populated with many boats. I understand the lake has seen a prodigious mayfly hatch and the walleye bite is off for a while. So in Michigan stay in the good old DR. It’s hard at times, especially this weekend with all of the parades, fireworks and cookouts, to get out and fish. My buddy Rick only gets out for 1-2 hours at times and does very well. He does it often though and gets to know his spots and how the fish react to weather and water clarity. So get out and fish and don’t forget Luc at Lake Erie Metro Park. He’s the injured eagle that needs fish to survive. The fish can be of most kind but must be frozen. Call first to see if they'll take your catch.



Get Outdoors Downriver.

Happy Fathers Day

   This may be late but bloggers are fathers too. I’ve been writing this article for 2 weeks now. I’ve been busy lately. Fathers Day is for that though slow down and go see dad. Finding something for dad can be tricky. Mom is easy, just buying a sappy card and maybe some flowers and she’s happy. Mostly the gift is just to see the kids or grandkids. Dads are different. They don’t want sappy cards, they aren’t supposed to sniffle.

   Moms are the caregivers. They patch the scrape on your knee and give it a kiss and you’re back in action. Dads are the adventuregivers, fishing, hunting, camping, golfing, hiking, catching a ball game or just going on a Sunday drive. For knees it’s just rub some dirt on it and quit whining. But oh those adventures, those are what memories are made of. The most memorable are when something good or bad happens. As long as nobody gets hurt everyone involved remembers what happened for a lifetime. So the best thing to get Dad is an adventure. Probably the easiest adventure for most offspring to procure is a fishing charter. The prices vary greatly with deep water fishing going for $400-$600 per day to a perch or walleye charter for ½ that. I guess it depends on what price you put on your memories. A good place to start is on my link page, go to the DWF link and look for charters on their page. I know George Cini and he’ll put you on fish even if it takes a lot of moving around. Depending when you go you may not catch a monster but you’ll definitely have a great adventure. Just remember the guides could be fathers too so schedule accordingly.

   I was on a father-son adventure not long ago. It was an impromptu trip that just came together. Someone had expressed interest in catching a certain type of fish and before we knew it the 4 of us were sitting under the 7 Mile Bridge of the Florida Keys fame. The bridge is halfway between Key West and Miami and is an early season tarpon spot. The dad and son took the first shift in the back of the boat, sipping beverages and fishing with live bait. My buddy Mark and I were relegated to the front of the boat with casting rigs that cut out drinking of any kind. The live baiters were having a ball catching all kinds of fish including a master angler mangrove snapper.

   Finally after 2 hours of casting and reeling and casting and reeling the sands in the hour glass drained out and it was our turn in back with live bait and unlimited beverage. The captain set us up with pin fish, dancing in front of the hungry fish below. About 3 sips into our watch I heard a loud splash 50 feet from the boat. I looked over to see a big tarpon 8 feet in the air trying to spit the son’s lure. “I think I got one” he says and without hesitation hands over the rod to his dad. It seemed natural at the time; we all knew Pops wanted to catch a tarpon. He even grew a beard that made him look like Hemmingway, we were in the keys. However this was a fish of a lifetime, over 6 feet long, 135 pounds and taking line out like a patriot missile.

   I didn’t think anything of it until I saw the video that the communication between father and son is often silent. It’s could be just a gesture, a look or a grunt nothing sappy or emotional. Without asking the son handed off the rod, helped put on the rod belt and made sure the rod was in properly. The son held his dad up when the fish tried to do an end run around one of the bridge trestles and at the last second backtracked to the other side, causing the guide to slam the motor in reverse, all the while holding up a light so they could see in the pitch dark night.

   It was like a chapter out of The Old Man and The Sea. Akin to a boxing match between man and fish, back and forth until the guide lifted his hand from the water and the bimini twist looked like a bowl of spaghetti in his hand. You never know when an adventure might happen and memories will be made.

Get Outdoors Downriver!

Great Time

   Thanks to the Wyandotte Jaycees and to everyone involved for a great Kid's Fishing Derby last Saturday. The weather was perfect and the fish cooperated. More fish were caught this year than in any of the 5 previous years. A big thanks goes out to the bait shops that donated bait for the derby. The Wyandotte Boat Launch donated all the worms and minnows were donated by Bottom Line Bait and Tackle of Gibraltar, Bait and Taclklebox of Trenton and The Lighthouse Bait Shop also of Trenton. Minnows are hard to come by this time of year and the donators really made a sacrifice for the kids.
     The Derby is usually held on the free fishing weekend but was early this year. Even if you're just helping the kids' fish the grownups need a license. Something my nephews found out a few years ago. This weekend it won't matter because it's the free fishing weekend. So all of you procrastinators get out and take a kid fishing. It's always been a problem in the past. Dad, or Mom, doesn't want to buy a license just to let Johnny fish one day out of the year. Now the MDNRE has a great solution to those with a cell phone and reception.

*Michigan DNRE allows for Mobile Fish-ing *

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment says anglers now can buy a 24-hour fishing license with any Web-enabled mobile device. The agency announced the project, called Mobile Fish, today. It's a joint effort between the DNRE and the Department of Technology, Management and Budget. Mobile device users can purchase a 24-hour, all species fishing license with a credit or debit card for $7. Purchasers choose the date and time they would like their 24-hour license to begin, enter their valid Michigan driver's license or State of Michigan ID, make a payment and receive a confirmation number. DNRE Director Rebecca Humphries says Mobile Fish is intended to "make it easier to get out on the water and go fishing."

So now there should be fewer excuses to get Outdoors Downriver!

    I just got the fishing report from Redcan. He's the one that likes to jig high, about 2-4 feet off of the bottom. Anyway he's on his way out to the Detroit Lighthouse and being the spendthrift he starts to fish on his way there. He's not sure exactly where he started bottom bouncing but it was about half way from Point Moullie to the lighthouse. Did I mention the launch there is free? Not long after he got his poles in he thought he snagged something and turned off the motor to deal with the snag. The snag started to pull back and take out line and soon he had an 8 lb walleye in the net. Good job Jim, Mickey would be proud of you.

    You can try to do what Redcan did but the reports from the people in the know say to head for the Bell Buoy. It's about 2 miles SSW of the Detroit Lighthouse, GPS coor. N41'57.032 - W083'09.56. Troll with bottom bouncers and gold blades with a worm enticer about 1.5 mph. Send in your reports or pics when you get them.

Get Outdoors Downriver

Kid's/Fun Fishing Derbies

It's that time of year, when the silvers are in, to have the Wyandotte Kid's Fishing Derby. All are invited but you must register.



June 5th, 2010 at 12:00 AM (All Day)

This is a family friendly event.

Event Location:  Bishop Park

Wyandotte , MI 48192


Event Description:

Fishing contest is open to children ages 5 to 13. All contestants will receive a fishing contest participation award and gift bag. Prizes will be awarded to winners for the longest fish, most fish caught, smallest fish and most unusual item caught. Registration at the Wyandotte Recreation Department, Special Events Office. Contestants are limited to 200. Contestants must bring their own fishing pole, hooks, lines and sinker. Live bait is available at the fishing pier. Admission to the fishing derby is free, but children must be pre-register. Registration begins May 1st at the Yack, 3131 Biddle Avenue, Wyandotte

Kids Expo following in Bishop Park, games, bounce, prizes. For more information you may contact the Special Events Office at 734-324-4502 or info@wyan.org.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DWF Kids Tournament
You must be a member for your Kids, Grandkids or young freinds to participate.
(If you join now you'll be invited to the annual fish fry June 21st)

When: Saturday, June 5th, 2010 2:00 PM
Where: Weigh In at “The Bait & Tackle Box” 4088
W. Jefferson – Trenton, MI 48183 (Near the
entrance to Elizabeth Park Boat Ramp)

Hot Dogs & Hamburgers at 2:00 PM Weigh In - Awards for first 3 places & for fishing.
Donations Accepted at Weigh In to Cover Expenses

Contact: Mark Schaller 313-406-6753 or Greg Warsow 734-552-4693

------------------------------------------------------------------
For a little excitement you can enter this derby with a chance to win some prizes and get a fish fry to boot.

June 12th and 13th are the free fishing days for this summer so you'll save the cost of a license.












Get Outdoors downriver.

Fishing Report

It's unanimous from all bait shops, the silver bass are in. There are so many the bait shops are having a hard time catching minnows. They are catching limits in boats almost everywhere but from shore it's hit or miss depending on the area. Walleyes acn still be had in the deeper waters and the lower river but worms are needed for them. Lake Erie Metro Park and Point Moullie have had some catfish action that's better towards dark but make sure you know the hours of operation so you don't get locked in over night.

Get Outdoors Downriver


Just as some food for thought from the hiking article...
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_re_us/storytext/us_the_big_walk/36315423/SIG=10t84a2g6/*http://www.imjustwalkin.com

Barta Returns

   Before you get too excited, no Jim won’t be writing a blog for the paper. He’s still really busy with his new endeavor down in Alabama. He wrote for the Heritage papers for about 10 years but had to give it up when his Hunter Safety Harness business took off. He’s partner with some old high school buddies and they are doing great. Hunters use the safety harness when they hunt from an elevated tree stand. As mentioned in a previous article after hours in the stand without seeing any deer a hunters mind can begin to wander and this can lead to a state on restfulness. Sometimes this can cause one to close their eyes and drift off, or so I’ve heard. When you’re 15 to 20 feet up in a tree this is a dangerous situation. Jim’s company’s harness is what you need if this happens. If you fall asleep, or slip, or misstep and fall, the harness will save your life. Some hunters will just tie a rope around themselves and then to the tree. If you fall and can’t get back into the tree stand you may start to get constricted and this could lead to asphyxiation. They also have a life line which helps getting into and out of the stand. That’s something my cousin Jojo could have used a few years back, he fell but was lucky to be able to walk away with just some bumps and bruises. Jim’s company has received hundreds of letters from hunters and their spouses thanking them for keeping them in one piece and being able to be with their families again. It’s got to give him a great feeling of accomplishment knowing he’s helping people like that.

   I saw Jim out on the Detroit River fishing for some hog walleyes. Each spring he comes back downriver to scratch that itch he gets from the walleye fever. The fever that drove him to learn the ways of the fish, and chase them, up and down the river, and into Lake Erie. His passion for catching walleye probably would have caused Jim to become a professional walleye fisherman but the big tournaments and money didn’t exist then. Jim started guiding other fishermen when his schedule of being a Lincoln Park fireman would allow. One day he made a comment to a client about the deficiencies of a local store’s sporting goods department. The next day Jim got a call from the client’s mother, who just happened to be the store’s regional manager of sporting goods. Well they met at the store and Jim showed her how some items were sorted by brand and if he wanted to buy fishing line he needed to look in 4 different places. The manager agreed with the things Jim was pointing out and changed the displays around. The two became good friends.

   This led to Jim being asked to talk at the State Fair and demonstrate his fishing techniques. He did that for a few years and each time his popularity grew and he added more clients. Then he was asked to talk at Outdoorama, and then at the Silverdome, which led to Ford Field, which was the precursor to the Ultimate Fishing Show in the Rock Financial Showplace. At each one of these shows Jim would give out a lot of advice and his popularity grew leading to more charter customers. I saw him at Ford Field talking about trolling Lake Erie. Jim has a gift of gab and although he can’t out talk a radio he stays in close competition.

   I then noticed Jim writing for magazines like Michigan Sportsman and Woods and Water. When I saw his article in Fur, Fish and Game about trolling for walleye in Lake Erie, that cemented in my mind that Jim was an expert in the ways of the walleye. When he left to pursue his business venture Jim left his customers in the hands of the Libra Marine boys. They’re located on Perry Place between Biddle and the river. Ron Berry and Tom Dinnewith are two who will take care of you in the early spring if they’re not booked up.

   Jim says there’re some new products coming up on his horizon. Research and marketing are so important to his business and it takes up a lot of time. Not too much time that he can’t scratch a little itch. Maybe you’ll see him next year on the river doing just that.

Get Out Hiking

   What is hiking? Huh? Who invented hiking? Such are the mind wanderings while waiting in the woods for something to happen. Hiking is something you wouldn’t consider a sport, but some do. It’s considered an everyday happening, or is it? In this age of the internet I ventured to find out what hiking is. One foot in front of the other, ha, ha, ha. What is the theory of hiking? After checking many web sites and asking jives all sorts of questions the only answer I could find was that walking is using your feet to get from point A to point B. Hiking is traveling on foot to an adventure. Walking to the grocery store is a hike but it’s just walking. Walk from Georgia to Maine and that’s a hike all right, a hike along the entire Appalachian Trail. That’s another difference, walking is done on sidewalks and hiking is done on trails.




   Trails are the heart of this sport. Hiking on trails can be easy or hard depending on the terrain and how well the trail is marked. Thru swamps, hills, hummocks, rivers and sand the going can be hard but if the trail is marked well you should have a pretty good idea of how long it will take to reach your next stop. So get a map from the National Park Service and start planning a 2178 mile 5 million step adventure. About 10,000 people have reported finishing the hike but many more have lost fortune and marriages trying to complete the hardest hike in America.



   So how to get started? The first consideration is comfort and finding a place to hike near by to see if you enjoy this. Boots are naturally the best place to bet your money. You want comfort and performance, sometimes both aren’t achievable. You want a good cleated sole that’s not too heavy. The more that your boots weigh, the more your leg muscles are picking up over time adding to fatigue and more soreness the next day. There are many sites that boast the best hiking boot so you’ll have to make your own choice, my only suggestion is to get the high top boot. This boot will give more support to the ankle which is a big plus once you get off a groomed trail. With the high top you can start with a less expensive boot to get an idea of what would help your foot be more comfortable.



   Where to hike? If you have new boots the local high school track is a good place to break them in. Eventually you’ll want to get out to see some sights. The Huron-Clinton Metro Parks have many trails. The Oakwood – Willow parks have 30 miles of connected trails. Lake Erie Metro Park has 6 miles of trail thru a very unique swamp/ grassland area of the park that utilizes a boardwalk over the wet part of the ecosystem. Lake Erie Park is a hotspot for the most popular activity while hiking and that is birding. Birding or bird watching is the identifying of birds, sometimes this is easy but sometimes not. You’ll definitely need a field guide to identify and to know what to look for. This area is so good because the birds have to come around the corner of the lake during migration. The birds can be of a higher concentration in the fall and that’s when they have Hawkfest. If you go, and usually the date is picked to coincide with the height of migration, you’ll see thousands of raptors in 1 day. Impossible you say? Let’s make a bet.



   Another trail system is the Midland to Mackinaw trail. This is what remains of the old Sauk trail which connected Detroit to Mackinaw and on to the Keweenaw Peninsula where copper deposits were mined. The copper was traded in Detroit or thereabouts for shell from the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico. This was long before the white man was here. The Midland to Mackinaw trail is 210 miles long and goes thru few places to gather supplies so support from the outside is needed. This would be a real adventure for those so inclined. The trail meanders somewhat and isn’t as the crow flies so it does cross roads and this would allow you to complete it in sections and over a period of time, say a summer. Start planning now for this summer. I got my map from a store that is next to the trail but you can get one from the Lake Huron Area Boy Scout Council (989)695-5593 or check with the DNR or the US Forest Service.



   Some things to keep in mind when setting out are be comfortable and be safe. Comfort comes in good boots, appropriate clothing for the weather and good weather. Lightning and hail don’t mix well with hiking. Check the weather many times before going out and be prepared by taking a raincoat or a light tarp to protect you during a flash storm. Always carry a map of the area, a compass, flashlight, whistle, walking stick and insect repellant. If you hike alone make sure someone knows where you are and where you’re going and what time you’ll be there.



Get Outdoors Downriver

Invasives

Check out the Bait Shop Blog for updates and pics....




  The video was quite compelling. It’s the kind of thing that you just can’t stop watching or thinking about. It’s still going on now pouring over 200,000 gallons a day and spreading the worst oil spill in history over 3500 miles2, that’s about 10 times the surface size of Lake St. Clair. It could take decades to clean it up if at all. The current strategy is a chemical that breaks down the oil into smaller particles that bacteria can break down. No one knows how long the process will take but it’s the best we have right now. We can pin point where a space ship will go but can’t handle something of this magnitude. So the oil slick becomes the latest invasive on our delicate ecosystems.



   Just 2 quick questions. When a gasoline tank truck rolls over and catches fire, the price of gas usually shoots up $.50 per gallon but not for this little burp. What gives? I’m not complaining but when gas prices were going up and down like a yo-yo we were told just little problems can cause big spikes. I’m sure glad those times are over. The other question is about the animal savers that advertise on the TV and internet all the time. You now the picture of the dog with the long eyes and a foot in a cast. Where were those people when the dolphins and turtles started dying because of the oil spill? I would have thought they’d be there cleaning up birds for photo-op but nothing. So I googled oil spill and HSUS and found only 1 article from W. Purcele stating they’re using patience to see when they’ll be needed. Maybe donators should be using the same strategy.



   It seems the whole strategy on this spill is out of sight – out of mind. The chemical is breaking up the oil but this is just making the slick sink down 6 to 10 feet below the surface. There’s also those little tar balls that are washing up on shore. Some aren’t so little, reaching an 8 inch across size. When the oil starts coming on shore no matter what phase it’s in the trouble will start. My Brother-in-Law was just down there on vacation. You can see some pics on the slideshow (hopefully). When he was there he saw the bottom of the gulf in a pinkish red tone. The red snappers were just getting ready to spawn. I believe there are many other species spawning at this time of the year. The implications aren’t good but nobody is speaking of them, they just closed fishing from the Mississippi River to the pan handle of Florida.



   Now something is happening to our fish. The Chinooks of Lake Huron are being displaced by walleye. No one is sure why but we do know by creel reports what is being caught now. One invasive alewife) was probably decimated by another invasive (zebra mussel) and the Chinook (another invasive but an invited one) over fed on the alewives and knock them out of the lake. One action causes another reaction and so on and so on down the line. That’s Mother Nature. Now in Lake Erie the walleye are in a pretty steep decline, mostly from poor spawning. At least that’s what the experts think but could it be the zebra mussels or the round gobies or some new invasive? Because of the drop it looks as though the walleye limit on Lake Erie will drop to 4 fish per day until the situation changes. Hopefully this year’s spawn effort will explode and the drop to 4 fish won’t be needed. Keep your fingers crossed.



Get Outdoors Downriver
drdownriverrat@gmail.com

DWF Tournament

sorry for the last minute notice...


Tomorrow night (8 pm Thursday) is the entry deadline for the Saturday Tournament!! You don't want to miss this one! Get your entry form in to one of the locations listed in the rulrs or contact the Tournament Captains Kay or Shuan Ross at 734-285-2428



Remember , the more particpants, the more you can win!!! Thw wheather is supposed to be great (for a change) so come on and join the fun!!!!



Walleye Detroit River AND Lake Erie Tournament May 15th



This tournament will be open to the River and Lake Erie (within the boundaries shown on the maps in the Rules document)

See DWF in the links label.

Joe's big walleye

Joe S caught this 30" 9.5# walleye just off of Wyandotte. There are still some nice fish bitting but they are becoming less and less. Ofcourse now the silver bass are becoming more and more...

Happy Mothers Day

Don't forget your mother this Sunday. For some fun downriver outdoor activity try these metro parks.


At Oakwoods Metropark




“Mother’s Day Wildflower Walk,” Sunday, May 9 at 2 p.m., Oakwoods Nature Center. Treat Mom to a hike in the woods and search for spring wildflowers. Fee: $2 per person/moms are free. Pre-registration required. For more information, please call 1-800-477-3182 or 734-782-3956.







At Lake Erie Metropark:



“Welcome Home Bird Bash: Celebrating Migratory Birds,” Sunday, May 9, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Marshlands Museum and Nature Center of Lake Erie Metropark in Brownstown. Come for early bird or lazy afternoon walks, speakers, special exhibits, craft sessions and more. Donations appreciated. For more information, please call 1-800-477-3189 or 734-379-5020.

Turkey Tracks

   I’ve been out hunting the elusive turkey for the last 10 days. The turkeys didn’t cooperate at all. In over 40 hours in the field I didn’t hear 1 gobble. Very depressing, especially since last year 4 of us got a bird each. I tried every kind of call I know and nothing worked. We saw turkeys everywhere around us but nothing close. It was very frustrating but that’s why it’s called hunting and not shopping.


   The time spent in the woods was priceless however. All the little things really add up. From hearing a whip-or–will to seeing a rufous-sided towhee. At times the quiet is deafening. Very relaxing and good for recharging the batteries. The anticipation was high but the lack of gobbling was a big disappointment. I did see some birds in the field, they were very skittish, so there’s always hope for next year.

   Sitting in the woods with very little going on always makes my mind wander. I think of hunts long ago, some great some just bad. How family and friends are doing, what I’m missing at work. The eyelids start to sink and you go into a state of near sleep, sometimes a light sleep my just happen. Time seems to slow down and go by very slowly, like the house on the side of the road. God bless you Ernie, we’ll miss you.

   Traveling back from turkey camp I saw an empty eagle’s nest. Last year it was active at this time of year. Maybe it’s a late spring and that’s why the turkeys were tight lipped. I did see an eagle right over I-75 in Saginaw of all places. They’re really making a comeback from years ago, much like the Detroit River. You can’t believe the change from what I witnessed in the 60’s and 70’s. Brown effluent was coming from most manufacturing discharges right into the river.

   One of the more spectacular sights I saw back then was the quenching of coal into coke. Wyandotte Chemicals would heat the coal as high as they could without it burning and then dump water on it to produce coke. The coke burns much hotter because the impurities are driven out. I was very young at the time but it seems like yesterday because of the shock and awe of the operation. The sound was a series of loud explosions and the steam cloud that formed extended many hundreds of feet in the air. I think my uncle Pete new when they were going to do this because we were always half way across the river when it happened. That was ok by me. There were many operations that the steel mills and chemical plants did that were amazing to see. One that you can still witness is the dumping of off spec molten steel onto the ground at Great Lakes steel. You may see the sky light up at times in the summer from this process. From just 100 yards away it’s like watching fireworks.



Get outdoors downriver.

Links

Jerry Jordan's digiscoping blog - http://jerryjourdan.blogspot.com/

24 hour fishing license with a web enabled phone: http://mobile.mi.gov/fish

Downriver Walleye Federation - http://www.dwfonline.com/
                       Just a wealth of info on walleye fishing in the area and points nearby. Tips, articles and recipes to aid before during and after the trip.

Lance Valentine - Walleye 101  http://www.walleye101.com/
                         Lots of info regarding walleye fishing. Lance puts on a unique Trophy Hunt that's like going to school to catch walleyes.

Lockeman's Hardware - http://www.lockemans.com/ - (313) 842-0268
                          The experts for your boat. Specialists in Crestliner - Johnson - Evinrude - Shoreland'r

Ray's Prime Food - http://www.raysprimefoods.com/ (734) 287-8240
                           Deer processing and custom products from your venison.

Weather:
Wind - http://www.weather.gov/forecasts/wfo/sectors/dtx.php#tabs

Lake Erie - http://www.crh.noaa.gov/product.php?site=cle&product=GLF&issuedby=LE

Raining - http://www.outdoorchannel.com/Schedule.aspx

Mich. DNR - http://www.michigan.gov/dnr

Detroit Heritage River - http://www.mac-web.org/Projects/assets/DHRWT/DHRWT%20Poster.jpg

Health - http://www.rvproperty.com/enjoyyourself_theme.htm

The Tackle Box

The tackle box is essential to fishing and Spring is the prime time to organize. This can be a very daunting task. What’s important to your fishing? What’s important to your life? You’ve got some old lures, some that have been successful and some you’ve never used. It’s good to try to organize but not too critical. One of the most important goals is to keep things separated. Hooks, for example, which can scatter all over the box. Collect them, then separate them according to size and put each pile on a safety pin. You may not find the right size hook but if you do you’ll have all at your finger tips. At least you can find a similar size and have a good supply of each.

The bottom of the box is probably going to be harder if you’re like me. The space is never big enough. The size never changes but the stuff going in keeps getting bigger. When the box won’t close it’s time to reorder, I mean reorganize. First take it all out and then separate as best you can by order of importance, most used, highest potential to be used, never used but most liked or any other reason that would pertain to you. Try to get the piles down to a size that fits in a baggie. Arrange the baggies for importance and start to fill the bottom again. Once full keep the extra bags and store them in the plastic shopping bag you stored the extra bags in the last 10 years.

You’ll also have equipment that is essential to any fishing outing such as a fillet knife, a knife for emergencies (working on the boat or motor), a knife for cutting line (fishing and anchor), fingernail clippers for fishing line only, sun glasses, a lighter, antacid tabs, aspirin, prep H, sunscreen, duct tape and a candy bar. When all free space in the lure trays is full you will need to take some bags out from the bottom. Remember the least important bags come out first and put these in the plastic shopping bag.

Eventually you’ll get to a point that the bag of new gear fresh from the store, or catalog order, is bigger than the bags in the plastic shopping bag. This is a prime opportunity to purchase a new tackle box. Try to find the best bang for your buck in the largest size you can find. Now you’ll be able to organize the tackle boxes with certain subjects in mind. These could include general fishing, walleye, trout, shore fishing, trolling, lake or river, lure types and for me a kids fishing box for my grand-daughters. Each box has its own set of rules to consider for the importance of the gear. My problem now is it’s harder for me to remember which box is which. All the boxes are different sizes and shapes so I can usually associate each to their type of use. I have magic markered references on some, but not all. Some of the new boxes are more like bags and they’re black so duct tape is used to put the references on.

Now the problem is knowing which box/bag to take. Depending who I’m fishing with I may have 4 or 5 of the things. If I ever went fishing with my buddy Hankie on Lake Erie I would take 5 box/bag combos. The walleye box, the trolling bag, the bottom bounce bag, the plastic bodies bag and the general box. We were targeting walleye but switching techniques was always a consideration depending on the weather. Sometimes we caught waldos but as often as not the trip turned into a sheephead outing. Those fish are really fun to catch. Good luck to you on your spring organizing.

It's On

  After reading Mike Zelinski and Jim Barta for 30+ years I waited for an outdoor page in the NH for 3 years. Not the throw away one connected to the pesky half page, like an amber alert during a highly watched sporting event that isn’t on any other channel. The guy from Missouri was ok but the DNR articles were really dry for me to read. I want to bring local news, lore or suggestions pertaining to the Detroit River area. Spending most of my 50+ years within a mile of the most diverse waterway for 1000 miles around. I’m sure I can find enough stories and info around here to keep my peeps happy. Even a blind squirrel can find a nut now and then.




  So to make it easy on me I’m just going to report on the current walleye run already into its 3rd week. According to reports quite a few big fish have been boated. Not such breaking news for this river at this time of year, but it seems early. Of course everyone is fishing early now because once the silver bass get here you can’t catch many walleye. The silver death of the walleye run eat anything and everything before it can get to the walleye on the bottom.



  The walleyes like a jig tipped with a plastic body, be it a Wyandotte worm or a Mr. Twister, or a minnow at this time of year or both. Don’t forget the stinger hook also to pick up the finicky biters. For $1 to .75 you can have the best lure for this area or any where in North America. Jigging should be done with your line perpendicular to the water’s surface, this is called vertical. Any deviation reduces your chances of hooking a fish. If it’s windy out an electric trolling motor makes life a lot easier, especially for the captain. Keep your lure on bottom where the fish are this gives you the best chance for the fish to see your jig. If you’re like my buddy Redcan you could try to jig high and it works for him at times but usually at a lower percentage of fish hooked. This technique is jigging anywhere from 2ft above bottom to the surface.



  As for a spot to fish it can change throughout the year but a good rule of thumb is to follow the other boats. Check with your bait shop and go from there. Click on my label for fishing info for bait shops in the area.



  Now for the serious stuff. I don’t wear a lifejacket as much as I should but I want everyone to know the dangers of fishing or just being around the water at this time of year. The water is in its mid 40s right now. At that temp survival time is only 30-60 mins and that includes getting warmed up again. That doesn’t sound too serious but in the last week I’ve heard of 20+ deaths from drowning in the news media. A father lost his son within the Detroit metro area. There were 2 deaths in Pennsylvania, An older man in Missouri that fell off his dock and before he could be found it was too late. My buddy Yezj had a close call at the marina he keeps his boat in. He was helping a friend getting his boat in and leaving the dock thought he was on his dock and missed the small section at the end that went off on a 45 degree angle. Sploosh he was in and no ladders in sight. The only thing that saved him was his buddy’s boat he just helped put in. How does it feel to fall in?

• You begin gasping for air immediately

• You find it harder to breathe

• Less blood goes to your brain making you disoriented, faint, and more likely to drown

• Increased heart rate overworks your heart

• You may suffer from heart failure or die

• Blood flow to your arms and legs decreases

• Limbs and hands become numb

• You lose the use of your fingers and are unable to grasp rescue lines or reach onto a rescue boat

• You lose your ability to swim

• When swimming, you are in a vertical position. With more of your body underwater you have a greater chance of drowning







Water Temperature Expected Time Before Exhaustion or Unconsciousness Expected Time of Survival



°F-(°C)

32.5° 0.3° < 15 minutes 45 minutes

32.5–40° 0.3–4.4° 15 – 30 minutes 30 – 90 minutes

40–50° 3.3–10° 30 – 60 minutes 1 – 3 hours

50–60° 10–15.6° 1 – 2 hours 1 – 6 hours

60–70° 15.6–21.1° 2 – 7 hours 2 – 40 hours

70–80° 21.1–26.7° 3 – 12 hours 3 hours – indefinite

> 80° > 26.7° Indefinite Indefinite



Today I heard a man died in Saginaw Bay when he tipped over in a kayak. So everyone be careful out on the river. Be courteous of others when running back up to start your drift and also respect the kayakers and our rowers because your wake may hit them long after you’re gone and they HAVE to deal with it. Be safe and be lucky.



Send in any pics and I’ll try to post. Send in any reports of good luck. I want to post everything so all interested parties stay in the know. I’ll try to post on the water myself. If I can get the hang of this blog and facebook and myspace and twitter and my cell phone and….

Bait Shops

                                                           
Andy's Tackle Box - 313-388-fish(3474)      
 located on Dix just south of Oakwood.
   Any hardware you need for fishing or making your own lures. They now have Bondy baits. They also have the area's best fly tying supplies but sorry ladies the fancy feathers for hair extentions are gone.

Bait + Tacklebox     *Under New Ownership* 734-301-3281            

  located on Jefferson just north of VanHorn




Talked to Mike the new owner and was told they're open from 5:30 am to 7:30 pm 7 days a week.  Located near the Elizabeth park boat launch.  We carry a wide selection of  Fishing tackle as well as live bait for the river and  Lake Erie.  We carry silver streak spoons, reef runners, Wiggle warts, custom painted baits and jigs. Fin-s minnows, offshore tackle, domka outdoors.  We are also a big jon dealer.  And of course we support the d.w.f. so they have handlining equipment.They also have boat batteries there. They now carry a lot more lures and equipment than before. Stop by and check them out.

Bottom Line – Gibraltar - 734-379-9762     
 located just south of the Lake Erie Metropark entrance.



  They cover all types of fishing including handlining. They have a large assortment of MI stinger spoons and reef runners for lake trolling although BBs and spinner rigs are working now.
They have the clinker jigs for the river. The jig has a tiny blade attached to the jig for sound production for dirty water.
L Bill says the bass are heating up and they have some tackle just for that.



Dip Net – Ecorse - 313-388-5811         
 located just south of Southfield on Jefferson
 


Stopped in and said hello. They have quite an assortment of Fin-s baits and Wyandotte worms. Hot colors are black and a light blue. A big assortment of jigs and lead sinkers for every type of fishing. The store has been there for over 40 years so they know what you  need including handlining equipment.







Jeff’s Bait - Monroe (Dixie hwy) – 734-289-4901   Minnows-$2.99/scoop
 located on Dixie near the Sterling State Park entrance


Little Dipper – Flat Rock - 734-784-4277  
 Associated with the Dip Net in Ecourse. 


Trenton Lighthouse – Trenton - 734-675-7080  
 located on Jefferson just before the Elizabeth Park entrance.



Talked to Frank, Frank has been around for 22 years at the same spot.
Ask him to blow his moose call if you go in.
Frank is all about bait but he does have all the tackle including handlining equipment and Bondy baits for muskie. The Lighthouse has most boating supplies including boat batteries.Frank has gotten back into archery equipment, especially arrows and bolts for crossbows.


Wyandotte Boat Launch –  734-284-6774      
located just northeast of Jefferson and St. John's.

Talked to Butch in the bait shop.
They have most everything but key on BBs, jigs and of course Wyandotte worms.
They are all about getting you launched here. They have 4 portable battery charger/motor starters all set and ready to go. The golf cart really speeds things up on busy days like Good Friday.
Rates are Res. $3 - non res. $6, Year pass Res. $60 - non res. $120. These rates are for boats 20ft. and under. Over 20ft. it's $6 plus $1 per ft. - no passes.