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
Thursday, April 22, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
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….
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….
Friday, April 16, 2010
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.
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