Good report with plenty of action NJ! A nice variety of wildlife to enjoy while catching those fish!

Plurpa...gurgle...sashay and WHAM! What a treat to catch a PB at night on a topwater lure! Congratulations!

That's a shame about your fishing rod, but from the great numbers of large bass you catch it was probably quite fatigued!

Hey there Jarheadfishnfool! I've been quiet over the Winter months in MI...no ice this year so I ended up getting back into an old hobby of building scale model airplane kits to keep busy.

Spent the last month down on the Gulf in Alabama and had a good time with the salty fish from the beaches and seawalls...pompano, snapper, redfish, bluefish Spanish mackerel and even a modest sized shark.

I am waiting for things to get warmer locally and then I'll be plying the waters as usual! Thank you for your comment!

Nice story Bric! That black jig was just the ticket for some great action!

Wow...some thrilling catches there 40Grit! Best of luck on the remaining days of your adventure!

That's an awesome day on the water Outcast! Glad you found them hungry and willing to sample your offering!

They are starting to get active around our area as well. Right now they are still in the schooling mode but as the water temps rise they will be pairing up and getting away from the pack.

Wow, That's a jumbo!

Well done Matt! Way to take advantage of a beautiful day! Were you in your kayak...or from shore? I've been thinking about going out in a kayak but the water around here is still very cold!

The current fishing report is much appreciated! It might be an oddball season starting up this Spring due to the wacky Winter we had. The lake trout might end up spending extra time in shallow and close to shore over the next few months. The brown trout should be doing the same. A lot will depend on how fast the water warms up!

Glad you were able to get the boat out for the first trip of the season. I had some routine engine work done on my craft late last Fall and did not get a chance to run it before Winter storage, so I am anxious to put it thru the paces and start fishing soon too!

Good luck on any future coho trips you are able to make happen!

Welcome to the Stage! You are definitely living in a beautiful spot! I pass thru your area quite often during various seasons, and the Jolly Inn always offers up a great meal. If you have room for dessert...those enormous cinnamon rolls will satisfy your craving for something sweet!

The North, Central and South Manistique lakes all seem to harbor good fish populations according to local legends and the folks at Fish and Hunt in Curtis. Maybe they could reveal a few secrets!

The Manistique river has always intrigued me as a place to catch some trophy brook trout, especially the very rural segments! Just bring plenty of bug repellent along!

Northern Pike fishing within the Seney Wildlife Refuge can be a lot of fun too, depending on the time of season. As you know, the fishing is limited to what you are able to reach by casting from shore. If you wear hip boots you can step in a bit farther. Just be careful not to get stuck in the soft mucky bottom!

Good luck once the water opens up. The old punky ice from what formed this Winter should be gone in another 2 or 3 weeks!

I hope that your timing is perfect and the fish are there awaiting your arrival! Enjoy the outing!

The browns should be showing up about now, but catching anything at all will be rewarding!

Thank you for the kind words 40GRIT! There are many many "yakers" on this site, so hopefully some other folks will chime in to this inquiry. There is a lot more to be said....

Trolling, vertical jigging and just drifting around while casting are all possibilities when fishing, and for the most part, any kayak will do the job but some might be more comfortable than others. Staying seated or standing are some other considerations.

One nice thing about sit on top styles (which nearly all dedicated fishing kayak designs are) is that if a person is comfortable with their balance, then being able to stand up is a nice capability. In traditional kayak designs (like narrow touring "rec" kayaks), it is nearly impossible to get up and stand from the seat.

It will be fun to see some future feedback, updates and photos that are generated from this posting by HAEINC.

Welcome to the Stage!

There is some good fishing to be had in both locations you mentioned, and I assume that you have been doing so from shore or possibly via a boat from time to time. Now you want to get stealthy and have fun from a kayak approach. Get ready to enter a world of excitement while fishing from a kayak!

There could be a lot of parameters to cover regarding some good kayak choices, so as opposed to writing a short novel, maybe I can throw out some ides for you to ponder....

1. Consider a used kayak for a first time purchase. That way your initial investment could be more modest as you grow into the routine and see how much you like it, and see if it fulfills your intentions as you had envisioned.

2. Depending on the distances you plan to travel from a launch point, "paddling" a kayak should suffice...as opposed to pedaling or using a small electric motor. That being said, "paddling" a wide styled fishing kayak is a bit more cumbersome than paddling a narrower styled touring kayak that you are still able to fish from. If you enjoy bicycling, then a pedal style kayak might be a better fit.

3. Dedicated "fishing" kayaks will already have been designed with thoughtful dimensions (length, width and draft), features and stability built in...so if your intentions are purely towards fishing...look in that direction instead of getting a generic kayak that would work for both fishing and simple recreational use. A 12' length is a nice target length, and just make sure that it has the weight payload capacity to safely carry both you and all intended gear will still leave you with plenty of unused weight. You do not want the gunnel line to be right at the water line like a submarine ready to submerge!

4. Make sure that you are easily able to load and handle the kayak by yourself without straining your physique. Pick up truck beds work out well, and car topping works too as long as you are able to get safe leverage without hurting your back and shoulders. A small trailer is a consideration too...depending on the weight of the kayak itself.

5. Most dedicated fishing kayak models are what they refer to as "sit on top" styles...whether in a low profile molded seat near the waterline...or in a small elevated chair. Scupper holes in the hull can be left open for easy drainage of water that slips in, or kept plugged to keep the ride a bit drier. Keep in mind that most fishing kayak hulls are designed to be "self bailing"...thus the scupper holes. If you do paddle with them plugged, be very sure that you are able to quickly "pull" them out in case you suddenly take on a big wave or some other form of water surge.

6. Look for a steerable rudder feature via your feet. That makes navigating much easier.

7. Don't get too hung up on brand names. There are a ton of models to choose from. Look for durability and reasonable construction quality and use of solid materials at mounting points (rod holders, etc.).

8. Your paddling destinations will have a very large number of boaters sharing the water with you. Be sure that you stay very visible to boaters, and always wear a PDF...don't just have it stashed on board under a bungee cord. When in a kayak, you create a very small profile, especially when being viewed from the front or behind.

If you are able to share more thoughts on your fishing style and past experiences then others may be able to hone in more specifically on responses back to you.

Good luck...Spring is just around the corner! If I lived closer it would be great to hook up and paddle together, but it's about a 5 hour dive for me to reach the Metro Beach region.

It might be worth driving over to the boat launch just upstream of the Independence Bridge and making some long casts out from shore. The small squared off breakwall next to the ramps protrudes out into the river a fair distance...

Since you are pressed for time, it would save the bother and logistics of launching a boat!

Good luck if you go. I just polished off a 5 pound batch of walleye from farther downstate in the St. Clair River...where the action has been red hot as well!

Well said! Frogs beware once you get to start the lily pad season on the bass! I think your body will thank you as well...saving you from having to muscle the kayak around in the old ways....