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….