BASS FISHINGBass Fishing Sports Blog

Local volunteers that worked on the fish crib project included members of Wildlife Unlimited of Iron County, students from Forest Park and Iron County Sheriff Department public works crews. (Ziegler photo)By Bill Ziegler, Wildlife Unlimited of Iron CountyCRYSTAL FALLS—A fish habitat crib reef was constructed at the Michigamme Reservoir off WE Energies Site 19 (Challancin’s Landing) during February. The cribs for the reef were built by numerous local volunteers, Wildlife Unlimited of Iron County and the Iron County Sheriff Department work crew in cooperation with WE Energies. the reef was funded by a grant from Wildlife Unlimited of Iron County.

 The reef is about one mile east northeast of WE site 19. the logs were placed in a crude log cabin style to form a crib eight feet by eight feet by five feet high and made out of hardwood pulp logs. There are 22 cribs laid out in a “zigzag” pattern about 300 feet in length. Fisheries research revealed that a reef made of a number of cribs has more habitat value than individual cribs placed around the lake, while the zigzag pattern maximizes the habitat value (increased surface area) of the reef. With the early ice break-up, on March 20, the cribs dropped through the ice to the bottom at about 23 feet deep (full reservoir level). the cribs are placed at a depth so they are below the winter drawdown but readily accessible to game fish during the full pool periods (open water).  Michigamme Reservoir has a stable self sustaining walleye population, a good numbers of smallmouth bass and panfish. Natural fish cover in the form of weed beds and woody cover are limited in the reservoir due to ice hurt during down operations and destruction by the exotic rusty crayfish. The reef type and design will provide a large site of woody cover and simulate a large weed bed. the primary reason for installing the crib reef was to make up for this loss of fish habitat.  A second benefit of the crib reef is that it improves the angler’s fishing success. A fisheries habitat study at similar latitude to Michigan in Ontario revealed with proper wood species selection this reef can last over a hundred years. The reef was built with hard maple logs and pine and hardwood slab wood both long lasting species underwater. Extensive fish utilization evaluations of the 15 reefs built in Iron and Dickinson County lakes using scuba and snorkeling was done. Those evaluations give a good thought of what to expect for fish using this new reef. Walleye, smallmouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, rock bass and yellow perch will all use the reef, but typically not all at the same time. Fish species groups will move into the reef area for a period of time and then move into other reservoir areas. Since walleye is one of the more dominant fish species in the overall Michigamme Reservoir fish population, it is likely they will be prominent at the reef site. I have observed walleye and other fish species segregating in the cribs by size/age groups. while diving in walleye lakes with fish crib reefs, I have observed small walleye utilizing some cribs in the reef while larger walleye were together in other cribs.  In the next two years, Wildlife Unlimited of Iron County hopes to build one or two more crib reefs at Michigamme Reservoir dependent on future grant applications. the project is very dependent on volunteer labor and this availability of volunteers will also affect future reef projects. If those additional reefs can be constructed it will greatly increase fish habitat and cover that is scarce in Michigamme Reservoir. Additional reefs will help spread fishing pressure out since this reef site is likely to be well loved with anglers. With adequate grant funding and volunteer participation this has the potential to produce several of the better fishing spots on Michigamme Reservoir for many years to come.

While the Denver metro area is already home to the likes of Bass Pro Shops and Gander Mountain, retail analysts said the entry of Cabela’s will help expand the market because the sports and fishing outfitter has a cult-like following and offers proprietary products.

They also point to the unusual move by Sidney, Neb.-based Cabela’s to open not one but two stores in the same metro area.

“Before they would drop two stores in here, they would’ve looked at their catalog demographics, seeing where people are already purchasing from,” said retail consultant Jon Schallert. “That’s going to be a barometer for them.”

Cabela’s, which already operates a store in Grand Junction, will start construction on locations in Thornton and Lone Tree this fall, with openings slated for 2013. Each store will have about 150 employees, said Cabela’s spokesman Wes Remmer.

The 110,000-square-foot Lone Tree store will be in Douglas County in the new RidgeGate Commons development along Interstate 25 at RidgeGate Parkway. the 90,000-square-foot Thornton store will be in a new retail development along I-25 at 144th Avenue.

“Because of the longstanding loyalty of our customers in the Centennial State, the abundance of outdoor opportunities across the region and Denver’s proximity to Cabela’s headquarters, it’s the perfect situation to open two stores,” said Cabela’s chief executive Tommy Millner. “This is the first time we’ve simultaneously announced two stores in the same metropolitan area, so that says a lot about how we feel about the Denver area.”

Both stores will offer a museum-like experience, with shoppers surrounded by trophy animal mounts and wildlife displays.

Local outdoor enthusiasts cheered the plans, echoing analyst sentiments that Cabela’s provides an experience not found elsewhere.

“It really is about the experience. Each store is different, but most have huge aquariums with fish, waterfalls and hundreds of animals,” said Pueblo resident Molly Milusnic, who has shopped at Cabela’s stores in Michigan and Texas. “The store has its own restaurant with wild-game menu. Some stores have stocked ponds to try out fishing equipment.”

The Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World at Northfield Stapleton, which opened in 2005, offers similar attractions, including a waterfall and massive aquarium.

Wildlife-associated recreational spending in Colorado totaled $3 billion in 2006, including $1.7 billion in equipment buys, according to a study by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

“Anything that gets people interested and puts products in people’s hands to get them outdoors, we’re definitely encouraged by,” said Randy Hampton, a spokesman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Schallert, president of the Schallert Group, said the planned 110,000-square-foot store in Lone Tree, about double the size of the Cabela’s store at its headquarters in Sidney, shows that the retailer believes it can draw business from neighboring states such as New Mexico.

“That’s like a small neighborhood strip center with a grocery store and a Walgreens — a pretty formidable size,” Schallert said.

He said the purchasing power of Cabela’s allows it to question manufacturers to alter products so that they’re unique to the retailer. one example is a tent that features a hole in the middle for a stovepipe, a product used by hunters and Denver Broncos tailgaters during the winter.

Gander Mountain, which operates a 91,000-square-foot store in Aurora, said it “always welcomes healthy competition.”

“We feel that when shoppers compare the goods and prices available across our network of 114 stores in 23 states and on our website, they’ll continue to find us favorable,” said Gander spokesman Jess Myers.

Cabela’s operates 36 retail stores across the United States and Canada.

The city of Thornton said Cabela’s will be part of a new 63-acre retail project that’s being developed by Thornton Development LLC, an affiliate of THF Development.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to bring this icon retail concept to the market,” said Karen Blumenstein, project manager for THF.

Cabela’s decided last summer to shelve a plot to build a 130,000- square-foot store on the Clear Creek Crossing Development site in Wheat Ridge.

Staff writer Howard Pankratz contributed to this report.

Andy Vuong: 303-954-1209 or facebook.com/byandyvuong

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Largemouth bass angler Rick Clark of Crystal River, Florida, recently went on the fishing trip of a lifetime to Northern Michigan, guided by none other than BoatUS Angler member and outsized television fishing show personality Mark Zona. Clark’s girlfriend, Layne Lowrey, also of Crystal River, won the fishing trip in a contest for members of BoatUS Angler, and gifted the prize to Rick, proclaiming herself the “best girlfriend ever”. Of course Rick agreed (as would any wise angler), and while fishing with the “Awesome Fishing Show” host in the backwoods near Traverse City, Michigan, Clark said he learned three important things:

1. Unlike his own home waters of Florida, Clark was amazed at the beauty and clarity of the Northern Michigan waters, which Zona affectionately calls “smallmouth holy land.” Said Clark, “at home (in Florida), we cast anywhere you think they may be hiding. In Michigan, you put it right in front of them and hope they don’t spot you first. Mark popped the lure right in front of them every time.” This confirms that Zona, a former competitive bass angler, certainly hasn’t lost his touch while ascending to the television broadcast booth (Zona hosts his own “Awesome Fishing Show” and is also co-host of the highly popular, annually televised Bassmaster Elite Series). 2. Mark Zona has never eaten an egg in his life. Or, at least an egg he can see, says Clark. Just how did Clark find out this meaningless tidbit if information? “I noticed he didn’t have anything for breakfast,” said Clark. “When I questioned him if he was going to eat, he looked at me and said with a straight face, “I’ve never eaten an egg in my life.” Clark said Zona later ate two bananas after catching a few giant smallmouth “fence pandas,” as Zona calls them. 3. what most impressed him was Zona’s ability to find the myriad lakes. “he knows all kinds of places,” said Clark. “You’re driving along through the woods thinking you’re lost, and then suddenly, he’s pulling up to a ramp at another gorgeous lake. I have never been to Michigan and was greatly impressed. I want to go back soon.” When questioned about Zona’s boat ramp technique with his new Nitro boat Clark said, “I give him an A- as he did forget to unhook the bow winch once or twice.” To view a video of Zona with the newly-nicknamed “Florida Terminator” Clark, or to learn more about BoatUS Angler, a membership program that offers both on-the-water and on-the-road towing help, fishing boat insurance and other benefits for boat-owning anglers, go to BoatUSAngler.com. BoatUS Angler members will have another chance to win an Awesome Fishing Trip with Zona in 2012. Contest updates will be posted on BoatUSAngler.com.

Posted October 22 2011 – 09:37 AM

Upon reflection of everything that went on over the last week, I thought I'd share how our last huge trip of the year went. Unless the possibility of spending a bunch of hard earned cash is a success, you could probably say the trip wasn't nearly as excellent as how the year's first trip went.like many recent years , we schedule a week's worth of fishing towards the top of the mitten. With the kids living just a few miles away, Burt and Mullett Lakes in the northern tip of Michigan's lower peninsula makes for a great year ending trip. Plenty of species to chase that include some of the largest smallmouth the state has to offer, as well as a decent chance to bring home some walleye and perch fillets to keep me going through the winter. This year's trip was supposed to start on Friday the 14th. The way it turned out, you would have thought it was the 13th! The week started out with the kind of phone call no one wants to get. a death in the family put a hold on our departure for several days as we needed to attend those things we all must do from time to time. Sunday afternoon found me dressed in funeral garb, though I must admit it was too cold and windy for me to even consider an outfit like the Huge O wears. once the funeral and a brief appearance at the luncheon was taken care of, we hooked up the boat for the three hour trip north. once we arrived, we still had time to pack the kid's gear into the boat, make sure the dogs got their treats from Grandpa, and battle plans for the next morning were made.Sticking my head out the door early Monday morning showed that those plans were going to need some modification. a stiff SW wind with gusts of over 30 mph meant that we would need to search out more sheltered water. Our first stop of the day was Burt Lake's well-known perching grounds in and around Maple Bay. But sheltered as it was, witnessing the boat dragging a 15lb fluted anchor at more than 1.5mph was going to be a problem. after an hour or so of this, we headed to the ramp with the thought that a change of location was in order. At the landing we met a couple of guys with the 521 Ranger who had been sitting on shore watching us. They had chose it was too rough to launch and were trying to decide on a revised plan of their own. We introduced ourselves (I even had the chance to mention Bass Resource as they weren't members…. yet.) found out they were from the Chicagoland area, and suggested they might want to try Mullet Lake near Dodge Point as it was a little more fishable. We stopped by the house for another anchor and arrived at the ramp in time to watch the Ranger power up into some pretty excellent waves headed south along what we had thought was sheltered water. Dang, it wasn't nearly as sheltered as we thought. after launching, we idled out towards the point only to take two waves over the bow of the Lund. That was enough for us, and we headed back to the dock. Even though the day was starting to look like a practice trip for launching and loading, we had one last choice to try out. Launching in the Cheboygan River should have been our first option. We still had wind, but the waves were gone. We idled up to the junction with the Black River and a small run up towards Black Lake put us on some fish. Spinnerbaits and Kalin's Grubs accounted for a number of smallies in the 2lb range. nothing huge, but at least we were really fishing!Tuesday morning with wind speeds cut in half, we returned to the launch at Maple Bay. The Rangertrail parked in the lot told us our southern friends were already on the water. It was still there when we loaded up nine hours later, and while I never saw them to ask, I hope they had finally found some fish. We started our day out like many by setting out lines for an early morning troll for old mr. Marble Eye and his friend the landlocked mr. Steelhead. No trout, but we did manage to put a couple of nice walleye in the box in the 17"-19" range. once that bite seemed to die off, it was time to try some of the reed beds and rocky reefs for some smallmouth action. I'm not sure if it was the weather or what, but it was a tough bite. after three hours of mostly zilch results, we chose to see if we could scare up some decent perch to add to our catch. I was on dink patrol as far as perch jerkin went, but the kid put a few eater sized fish into the boat. as we had promised the wives that we'd be home early, we quit fishing around 4pm. had I known what was coming, we should have broken that date as it was the last time we were able to get on the water.Yup, Mother Nature woke up in a sour mood Wednesday. The heavy winds had returned and a excellent amount of rain was streaming north towards us. The only thing left to do when you can't fish, is to go shopping for new boy toys! We started at the Yamaha dealer to look at quads. The kid is lucky enough to have been bitten by the ice fishing bug, and it's getting hard for him to drag out all the toys associated with the sport. So much so, that a quad or snowmobile is the only cure. Our next stop was at the Arctic Cat dealer, and that is where the trip took on an expensive turn for me. It seems the place also sells Lund Boats. Arrggh, right there on the showroom floor, I'm looking at an aluminum 2025 Pro-V and a real pretty fiberglass 186 Pro-V. The salesman quickly showed up with a drop cloth to soak up the drool as I crawled over, under, and through these beauties. The next thing I know, he is jotting down notes on all of the specifics of what I'm looking for in a perfect boat for the multi-species fisherman I am. as I walk out the door with the full color brochure pages marked with a couple of dream machines, he is promising to email me the quotes. On the way back, I'm thinking the wife isn't going to be happy with the thought that I'll need to change my user ID on here so I'm safe. not so quick though, as her only comment is how nice they look along with a "whatever makes me pleased" line. So now the email is pending.to end the week early, and to make this long tale small, Wednesday evening brought the second phone call no one wants to get. Mom's in the ER! So a weeklong trip got both ends chopped off of it. The fishing wasn't a complete bust, but depending on the Boating Gods, the checkbook might be headed that way! a new 2025 or 197 might be finding a way into my garage by spring.

Me and my dad are trying to find some really excellent fishing spots for carp catfish bass and walleye in the Detroit and down river area we've already gone to elizibeth park and Huroc park in flat rock what are some other excellent places around here?

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I have fished there before and just used a bobber and worm. I caught a lot of small mouth bass off the dock. however, I would like to try and catch something a small bigger. Any one have a suggestion.

i go fishing off the peers in lake michigan and catch about 20 rock bass each time i go fishing. i want to know if there even worth cleaning and eating them. R they any excellent? Plz help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!…

I have eaten rock bass before and they are alright, but nowhere near as tasty as Bluegill or other panfish.

Ok i have never eaten a rock bass but my dad has. He said that it tastes like crappie. my dad also says that they are excellent but different people have different tastes so excellent luck. here is a excellent recipe for rock bass-

1/2 cup flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup water

1 egg white

Approximately 1 pound Rock Bass fillets

1 lemon

Oil for deep frying

Combine the flour, cornstarch, pepper and salt and sift together onto a plate or piece of waxed paper.
Beat the egg yolk and water to a smooth cream then incorporate the flour mixture a few tablespoons at a time.
Just before using the batter, beat the egg white until stiff enough to stand in peaks when lifted on the beater.
Scoop the egg white into the batter and fold it gently with a spoon or spatula.

Heat the oil in a deep heavy pan.
Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towel.
Pick up fillets with tongs and dip into batter and carefully drop into the hot oil.
Deep fry for four to five minutes, turn them as they brown. this will require about three minutes.
After they brown, transfer the fillets to paper towel or a brown paper bag to drain excess oil.

Arrange fillets on warm platter and serve at once accompanied with wedges of lemon.

Not the most delectable fish, and probably in the bottom tier for freshwater fish as far as taste goes.

Fix as bluegill. Bit different taste. but excellent!

Very excellent eating,,,,simple way to make them,,,,first fliet them,,,,wipp a couple of eggs together,and dip the fliet's in ,,,coat in Progresso Itailan style bread crumbs,,,(available in any supermarket) and fry in a small oil 1/4 inch or so,,,,until golden brown,,,only takes a minute or two on each side. MMMmmmm

I used to have a picture of it but due to a virus on my computer the picture is gone. The fish had a black stripe across its sides, was green in color as if it were a bass, but it was a pike! Ive dont reasearch on this and its not a grass pickeral. what could it be?

A fake fish. Pike are very aggressive and would destroy a bass, not mate. The pike would eat the bass.

Not knowin' a' whole lot about Northern Pikes (never fished em'), so I'm takin' a wild shot ie., hybrid Muskellunge aka "Musky" ? < * { {{ > <

Note: Added your question to my "Watchlist" hopin' someone can clear it up, not only for your personal knowledge but, my own …

Seems to me it would be a BIKE. you can peddle that garbage somewhere else.

sounds like a walleye
images.search.yahoo.com/images/vi…

No way they would have mated as they aren't in the same genus. what you saw was probably a tiger musky or a hybrid between a pike and a muskellunge. Walleye are another possiblity as another stated. They can be dark green in color with stripes sometimes. a picture would help, possibly Google images? good luck fishin'!

Uhh… yeah, that's cool. you caught a largemouth bass/northern pike hybrid… and I'm a Chinese jet pilot.

I have a pet Munkawalleyepottamus… hybrid monkey/walleye/hippopotamus… wanna see?

The way I see it, you have a couple options here:

1 Contact the Smithsonian Institute about your "Bike".
2 Walk or have someone drive you to an optometrist to get your eyes examined.

I want to know good fishing tactics or just general info on Belleville lake in Michigan on bass crappie and cats

On Lake Michigan, with the water warming up the smallies are starting to come in towards shore to spawn. I know tubes, finesse worms, and finesse jigs are essentials, but what about hardbaits? Which hardbaits are best to catch these smallmouth?