Gone fishin'

St. Ignace: Fishing pressure decreased over the past week as the salmon run was nearly over. Anglers fished the Carp River for steelhead using beads or spawn.

Little Bay de Noc: Yellow perch anglers reported mixed results, with success varying from one day to the next. Anglers fished in front of Kipling boat launch, in the narrows, around Aronson Island, and near the Escanaba River. Most anglers used minnows on perch rigs. Walleye anglers reported fair to good fishing. Boat anglers were jigging or trolling crank baits. Anglers also reported good success when trolling after dark. During the daytime, anglers fished deeper, whereas anglers fishing during night hours targeted shallower areas, on top of the drop offs.

Manistique: Water levels were low in the river, allowing for sight fishing in many areas. Most anglers in the river were targeting what remained of the Chinook salmon run or steelhead. Anglers reported more steelhead in the river this week and were catching them when drifting natural bait, such as skein or artificial beads. Shore anglers had success near the lumberyard and by the “flumes”. Anglers using boats targeted the paper mill.

Ontonagon River: Fishing efforts on the river were extremely low over the past week. Anglers reported an extremely slow bite with very few fish caught. The fish cleaning station at the Ontonagon Marina is closed for the season.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: These ports saw somewhat low angling efforts over the past week. Weather conditions slightly limited lake access on some days. Anglers reported catches of lake trout in fair numbers. These fish were caught in a variety of water depths. The fish cleaning station at the Ontonagon Marina is closed for the season.

Black River Harbor: The harbor saw extremely low fishing efforts over the past week. Angler reports suggest that recent common catches consisted of lake trout in low numbers. These fish were found in a variety of water depths.

Marquette: Boat anglers fishing out of the upper harbor that went out for lake trout did very well. A few anglers were making their way down to the mouth of the Chocolay River to try for coho salmon and had mixed results. Coho salmon continued to be caught from the Chocolay River mouth all the way up to the M-28 fishing pier. Brown trout were also reported to have been consistent. There were many Chinook salmon and steelhead were reported in both the Chocolay and Carp Rivers, but anglers had trouble getting them to bite. Those who managed to land a steelhead reported decent-sized fish.

Hessel: Anglers reported catching smallmouth bass and yellow perch out of Hessel.

Fishing tip: Fall is an important time to think about gear maintenance

With the colder months quickly approaching, many anglers may be getting ready to store their gear for the season. Below are a few maintenance tips you should follow so your gear is cared for and ready to be used next season.

Make sure your gear is clean and completely dry before storing it. Start by cleaning everything (rods, reels and line) in fresh water with soap or with the manufacturer’s recommended solution to remove any materials that may have become attached or embedded.

Inspect your gear for any damage and make any repairs or prepare for replacements.

Don’t store any of your gear in direct sunlight and don’t store any of your gear where heat or moisture might build up.

Air your waders out completely, and don’t forget to hang them upside down for the months they are out of use.