Yes it gets cold in the area in winter. How does below 0 sound? Lol. Those are some pretty bass though. You gotta love Thunder Bay!

Honestly I only got out to the mouth a couple of times this spring but didn't catch anything. I saw plenty caught though. When the walleye are in so are lakers, atlantics and even a few steelhead. You should try to make it to Big or Little Bay DeNoc for sure. I've never seen such great structure as the Little Bay has. No wonder it's such a great fishery. I understand the Big Bay is harder to fish because they are more scattered but I understand that is where the biggest ones come from in the summer months. I haven't fished it yet.

I love ice fishing. My son-in-law and I wet to Little Bay De Noc in March and caught a walleye that measured 29 inches! We lost a few others at the hole and also caught a few pike and perch. That was the first time I have been there but it won't be the last! I want to get up there again during the summer too. Fishyaker it sounds like you had a blast all winter! Good for you.

Fishyaker, are you located near Traverse City? You know, Catfish hunter just gave me a GREAT idea! I have no doubt that a baby lamprey bait, real or imitation, would work great for a LOT of fish in the lake. I think I'm going to have to try that. Jigging for Lakers with one it would be a blast.

Yeah, here in the Great Lakes region the DNR uses Rotenone these days I believe. It tends to kill EVERYTHING that breathes in the water. Unfortunately it is one of the only things that can kill all stages of lamprey including the eggs as I understand it. Not that long ago is when they started using sterile males to keep them in check. The St. Mary's River is the most infected river in our state for lamprey the last I knew and that is where they started using them. From what I have heard it seems to be working and the best part is that it DOESN'T kill ANYTHING. The larva just never hatch because they were never fertilized. I know I haven't seen all that many in Lake Huron the last decade or two. Back in the 60's and 70's, even 80's and 90's they were horrible! It seemed like every other fish had a lamprey on it or at least a bite mark from one. I know they have their place but I will never like them. They weren't originally in the lake to begin with. That happened when the locks were put in. It allowed them to migrate into the entire system. They are in fact an invasive species. I also noticed that for the most part anyway, they seem to only attack fish such as trout and salmon that don't have tough scales. The other fish are rarely if ever bothered. Good thing or we would be in trouble here!

I keep hearing they don't hurt the fish. I totally disagree. Here in Michigan on Lake Huron I have personally seen many salmon and trout with deep holes in their sides from lampreys feeding on them. These fish were either dead or on their sides barely alive. They absolutely DO hurt them. At one time our fishery was in serious trouble because of them. That's why here the Department of Natural Resources actively conducts lamprey removal operations every year. They use a number of methods including lampreycide. They even capture hundreds of males and sterilize them then release them back into the rivers in spawning season so that the eggs don't get fertilized. After many decades they are somewhat under control but will NEVER be eliminated. I think they do more damage here because the Great Lakes are sort of a closed system. Also, they have no natural predators here.

Fishyaker, I know what you are talking about. I live in Mikado. I'm sure you know where that is. I just went on a fishing charter out of Rockport and we caught a boatload of Lake Trout. A couple still had small lampreys on them. The lampreys were only about 8 to 10 inches long though. Didn't see any big ones.

At the AuSable River in Oscoda they are caught at the mouth in the spring. They are following the smelt which are coming upriver to spawn. It only lasts a month or two. I believe they also enter the Thunder Bay River in Alpena. Both rivers are in Michigan on Lake Huron.

Also, I agree with Spiritof27 about the trolling. I always trolled for them in 40 to 100 feet of water depending on the time of year. Spoons are an excellent choice when used with flashers or cowbells. Silver Streak spoons were always my favorite. They like dark colors such as black and white ( Michael Jackson ) and a purple and blue spoon made by Silver Streak. I can't remember the name of that one. Those trout would tear them up. They WILL work without cowbells or flashers but not quite as well. If they are in 40 to 60 feet of water you can even use dipsy divers or jet divers on long lines to get your lures down to them. Just keep the lures a little above them. Good luck! I hope this helps.

I would ask the local bait shops what the baitfish are in that lake. Buy some of those and put them on a 1/2 oz. Or bigger jig and drop it to the bottom. That's where they tend to stay so keep it within 5 feet of the bottom and you will do fine. Ideally keep it a few feet or so above the bottom so you don't foul the jig with weeds and simply drift and give a slow lift and drop with the rod tip. Lakers tend to be fairly easy to catch in the Great Lakes. I would think it would be the same on that lake since they love to eat! TIP...If there are Gobies in that lake I can all but guarantee that is their main diet. If gobies are there try any soft body that imitates them on your jig and hang on tight.

I agree Jim. Grab the line by the reel and pull it then grab it near the lure and pull. You WILL notice a big difference! Grabbing the line near the lure is a better approach as far as I'm concerned.

As a side note, the browns and Lakers are starting to bite in Tawas Bay. Troll near shore with planer boards or long lines and body baits for browns and out a bit deeper for Lakers, say 10 - 30 feet. You should see them on the sonar. I caught a 28 inch Laker off the pier head at Oscoda last year. They should be in the river and just off the mouth right now pretty heavy.

There are campgrounds and hotels/motels nearby. Drifting the river mouth and trolling just off the mouth are always best but fishing from the breakwall is also popular and produces plenty of fish. Fair warning though, you never know when these fish will decide to bite. It can be almost ANY time, day or night. Here's a tip, the size 12 or 18 capela in firetiger is always a good choice as ofcourse are jigs tipped with a minnow or crawler if you are drifting. If you go, have a great time and good luck to your. I heard yesterday that a couple have been caught but it's still a bit slow. I expect it to pick up next week because of the rain we are getting. The river was a little low and clear as well as a little chilly still. This rain is going to change all that!

While the walleyes that stay in the river above the dams don't average very big, the walleyes that come into the mouth of the river in spring can reach about 10 - 12 pounds. Although the average is around 5 - 8 pounds for the females. You should give the river mouth a try in April!

By the way, I also fish the AuSable River mouth in late April into May for walleyes. It doesn't compare to the Detroit River but there are a fair number of eyes there in spring for their annual spawning run.