Additional in for St Clair please??

[Crankin]

Hey Guys, My GF has surprised me with a trip to St Clair August 6th - 10th. We will be staying at the Colony Motel in Algonac.
I'm wondering if I can any info on:

Motel
Launch info:
Lake fishing report
River fishing report

I was able to fish both the lake and the river last year and with the help of some BBC members(Holada) my son and I had a pretty good trip in some very bad weather.

Any help would be greatly appreciated/

Crankin

Ed Travis

[XChris1632X]

I do not know anything about launch info however I have fished the last few days as well as weeks. I'm just getting home from a double header in the BFLs. We launched out of Elizabeth in the Detroit River. I did run to St Clair and the St Clair River in practice and both tournament days. The lake was tough for me. I pulled together 15 pounds day one but never got a big bite. I was having trouble finding any quality outside some 3s on a community hole. Contrary to my previous post listed in a few threads down, I caught most of my fish on waypoints/rock. Probably why I didn't weigh any giants. I caught fish in 18ft to 26ft on the lake. I do know that 21 pounds was caught on the North end of the lake. As far as the river, I ran up there too but did not find a good bite until the last hour when I caught a couple 4+. I had to leave for a 2 hour ride back but they were there just deep. I caught a few 3s and smaller in shallow areas that usually produce bigger fish. I also know that 22 pounds was caught 15 miles up the river out deep. For me the fish were biting well I just didn't run into the right ones until late. Guys caught them in Anchor all the way to the mouth of Detroit.

Not a ton of info but hopefully that can steer you somewhere.

[RangerryanR73]

If you want to fish the channels and river there's a nice big launch a few miles east of the colony motel right on the same road. That will put you in the North channel right before it combines with the south channel and becomes the river. It's about 10 to 12 miles from that launch down the middle or south channel out to the lake. Then down the north channel you can get to anchor bay.

So depending on the size of your boat and how comfortable you are driving, you fished up here last year so you have an idea of the craziness that comes with the pleasure boats in the river. As far as launches closer to the lake I'm sure there's one in the anchor bay area but I don't know for sure, unless you make the drive to selfridge or harley ensign.

As far as a fishing report my only trip to the river this summer was not enjoyable, and work has kept me off st clair much more than I would have liked.

[castforcash]

There's a DNR launch in fairhaven by the raft. There is another DNR launch at the end of Anchor Bay drive by Deckers landing that puts you right on the north channel where it dumps into the lake.

[Crankin]

If you want to fish the channels and river there's a nice big launch a few miles east of the colony motel right on the same road. That will put you in the North channel right before it combines with the south channel and becomes the river. It's about 10 to 12 miles from that launch down the middle or south channel out to the lake. Then down the north channel you can get to anchor bay.

So depending on the size of your boat and how comfortable you are driving, you fished up here last year so you have an idea of the craziness that comes with the pleasure boats in the river. As far as launches closer to the lake I'm sure there's one in the anchor bay area but I don't know for sure, unless you make the drive to selfridge or harley ensign.

As far as a fishing report my only trip to the river this summer was not enjoyable, and work has kept me off st clair much more than I would have liked.

I'm running a Ranger 519vx with 200 hp Merc

[piketroller]

Like someone else said, the North Channel DNR launch in Algonac across the street from the Kroger is by far the best ramp on the river. The DNR launch at the end of Anchor Bay Dr. commonly called "Deckers" has been closed for two seasons due to high water. There is a private ramp down there that lets you launch for something like $10 a day at Decker's marina, but I don't know who you have to talk to in order to make that happen. The DNR launch just east of Fair Haven is your best bet for fishing Anchor Bay, or use Harley at the mouth of the Clinton River on South River Road or the Selfridge launch just north of the national guard base where Hall Road/M59 dead ends into the lake.

There are plenty of big smallmouth up in the river right now. I fish the evenings and when I find a school in deep water (20-40 feet), it's non-stop action with 19"+ smallmouth. Once you get through the big ones and start getting the "little" 17-18" fish, either keep having fun, or look for another school. Last year John Cox almost won the Elite Series tourney fishing the river, but he was fishing shallow seawalls. It was hard watching him run his boat right over the places holding the big ones in deep water on the final day and coming up just short of the win. I don't know too many other guys that target the deep smallmouth like I do. But then again I spent much more time targeting things other than bass up here, and only really focus on them in the heat of the summer. Most seem to fish early morning & shallow, be in seawalls, or flats, or the highways between the river channels and bays between the river channels. There are plenty of largemouth too in heavy weed cover. Lots of slop to fish if you do some looking, and some of the wider canals (60 ft+ will have a lot of good largemouth too). The narrower canals are hit and miss, and hard to fish anyway with the boat taking up half of the width plus constantly getting in the way of others taking their boats out.

[piketroller]

Make sure you read up on the no wake zones. The one at the bottom end of the North Channel is no wake for everyone and is the most heavily patrolled. The only other one that affects you is the one at the bottom end of the Sni. Everywhere else you can make a wake as long as you stay 200 feet from shore (or the ends of docks). This means if the river is less than 400 feet wide, you can't be more than 200 feet from shore.

[piketroller]

Crankin, for some reason I can't reply to your PM and I've tried 4 times already.

For food in the area, the best cheap eats would be the deli counter in the back of Algonac Liquor (right next to the West Marine). They have some good fried chicken a la cart for $4.99 a pound.

Johnnie Lega's is a short walk from your motel. It's a dive bar with a decent menu. Snoopy's Doghouse has a great burger, and you can dock your boat on their seawall at the back of a canal if you want to take a mid day fishing break. Brown's Bar out on Harsens Island half way down the Middle Channel is another option for boat to dining. You can do the same up Swan Creek in Fair Haven at either Zef's or the Island Grille. Since you will be trailering, taking a long lunch break at a place like this can make those 14 hour days on the water much more pleasant. You can also boat to the Club Capri, but it's a long way up a very weedy canal, and there's a restaurant at the Harbor Club marina in Algonac, but the food is a bit over priced for what you get.

If you want a nice dinner out one night, the two best places are the Catch 22 Bistro in Algonac and the Marine City Fish Company up in Marine City. You are looking at $20 a plate dinners so still quite reasonable. If you are trailering back from one of the launches on the west side of LSC, the Boatyard Grill makes great pizza.

[Crankin]

Like someone else said, the North Channel DNR launch in Algonac across the street from the Kroger is by far the best ramp on the river. The DNR launch at the end of Anchor Bay Dr. commonly called "Deckers" has been closed for two seasons due to high water. There is a private ramp down there that lets you launch for something like $10 a day at Decker's marina, but I don't know who you have to talk to in order to make that happen. The DNR launch just east of Fair Haven is your best bet for fishing Anchor Bay, or use Harley at the mouth of the Clinton River on South River Road or the Selfridge launch just north of the national guard base where Hall Road/M59 dead ends into the lake.

There are plenty of big smallmouth up in the river right now. I fish the evenings and when I find a school in deep water (20-40 feet), it's non-stop action with 19"+ smallmouth. Once you get through the big ones and start getting the "little" 17-18" fish, either keep having fun, or look for another school. Last year John Cox almost won the Elite Series tourney fishing the river, but he was fishing shallow seawalls. It was hard watching him run his boat right over the places holding the big ones in deep water on the final day and coming up just short of the win. I don't know too many other guys that target the deep smallmouth like I do. But then again I spent much more time targeting things other than bass up here, and only really focus on them in the heat of the summer. Most seem to fish early morning & shallow, be in seawalls, or flats, or the highways between the river channels and bays between the river channels. There are plenty of largemouth too in heavy weed cover. Lots of slop to fish if you do some looking, and some of the wider canals (60 ft+ will have a lot of good largemouth too). The narrower canals are hit and miss, and hard to fish anyway with the boat taking up half of the width plus constantly getting in the way of others taking their boats out.

I have fished a few areas but the Deep waters spots have me a bit confused in the river. Are you talking about the channel and the drops. I mainly fished sea walls looking for eddys from the current on the american side . I went as far up as the power plant,, tried the state park with no luck.

[piketroller]

I have fished a few areas but the Deep waters spots have me a bit confused in the river. Are you talking about the channel and the drops. I mainly fished sea walls looking for eddys from the current on the american side . I went as far up as the power plant,, tried the state park with no luck.

Look up some video of the recent Bassmaster tourneys on the St Lawrence River to see how they are staying vertical with a drop shot rig while “slipping” the current. The target water is either right at the bottom of the drop offs or the adjacent deep flat just off the drop off. Anywhere from the power plant down to the state park can be good as well as the Middle or South Channels. The North Channel has a lot of deeper water where you can waste a lot of time not fishing the right depths. Use your electronics to find fish, or just do some long drifts looking to find some bites. The later is how I’ve found most of my productive spots.

[gary_fritz]

Look up some video of the recent Bassmaster tourneys on the St Lawrence River to see how they are staying vertical with a drop shot rig while “slipping” the current. The target water is either right at the bottom of the drop offs or the adjacent deep flat just off the drop off. Anywhere from the power plant down to the state park can be good as well as the Middle or South Channels. The North Channel has a lot of deeper water where you can waste a lot of time not fishing the right depths. Use your electronics to find fish, or just do some long drifts looking to find some bites. The later is how I’ve found most of my productive spots.

I've wondered how people fish those areas along the river. We started learning how to do that last fall fishing for walleye, most days I can get it set good but I've struggled on the windy/rough days. We started fishing the channels around Harsen's last year and enjoyed it but we stayed on the sides and fished from shore to the drop offs in more slack water, maybe we will have to try deeper while drifting.

[piketroller]

I've wondered how people fish those areas along the river. We started learning how to do that last fall fishing for walleye, most days I can get it set good but I've struggled on the windy/rough days. We started fishing the channels around Harsen's last year and enjoyed it but we stayed on the sides and fished from shore to the drop offs in more slack water, maybe we will have to try deeper while drifting.

I've got way more experience doing it with a jig for walleye, but it's the same concept but without the jigging stroke. On windy days, you are just using the trolling motor to compensate mostly for the wind blowing you off course. Set the trolling motor to maybe 50% power and use the momentary switch to bring you back into position. Overshoot a little because you know the wind will be blowing you right back the other way. Just chase your line and you'll get the hang of it.

You can get some smallmouth on a jig, but drop shot seems to work much better. In parts of the river without snags, you can even just drag it along the bottom and not be vertical, but until you learn where you can do that and where you can't, you'll lose some gear. Plus staying right on top of it lets you watch what's going on with your sonar on your trolling motor.

[Crankin]

So if I'm reading correctly:
Find the initial drop
vertically drop the drop shot bait to the bottom of the drop
Drift at the rate of the current on the contour line
If I get on a smallie spot lock and keep hitting that spot

I hear I will need 1/2 oz to 3/4 oz weight to hold the bait.

[piketroller]

So if I'm reading correctly:
Find the initial drop
vertically drop the drop shot bait to the bottom of the drop
Drift at the rate of the current on the contour line
If I get on a smallie spot lock and keep hitting that spot

I hear I will need 1/2 oz to 3/4 oz weight to hold the bait.

Almost. You won’t spot lock. If you do, you line will just drift under the boat unless you are using a couple ounces of weight. Just motor back upstream and do repeated drifts through the same spot. You can drop a waypoint if you want, but as long as your boat trail is on your map, just get back on top of it. This is where 36V trolling motors earn their keep.

[Crankin]

Almost. You won’t spot lock. If you do, you line will just drift under the boat unless you are using a couple ounces of weight. Just motor back upstream and do repeated drifts through the same spot. You can drop a waypoint if you want, but as long as your boat trail is on your map, just get back on top of it. This is where 36V trolling motors earn their keep.

I agree I’m set up with a 36 v minnkota

[MI bassassassin]

I can confirm that piketroller gave you very good information, if you follow it you should have a very good time on the water.

[gary_fritz]

I've got way more experience doing it with a jig for walleye, but it's the same concept but without the jigging stroke. On windy days, you are just using the trolling motor to compensate mostly for the wind blowing you off course. Set the trolling motor to maybe 50% power and use the momentary switch to bring you back into position. Overshoot a little because you know the wind will be blowing you right back the other way. Just chase your line and you'll get the hang of it.

You can get some smallmouth on a jig, but drop shot seems to work much better. In parts of the river without snags, you can even just drag it along the bottom and not be vertical, but until you learn where you can do that and where you can't, you'll lose some gear. Plus staying right on top of it lets you watch what's going on with your sonar on your trolling motor.

Thanks for the tips

I can usually control the boat ok under most conditions but when the wind blows opposite the current and turns things up is when I have the most trouble. Typically I'm set around 20-30% on the trolling motor and using the north up and constant speed to keep the boat going where I want, but next time that isn't working I'll try your suggestion.

You definitely learn where to be careful for snags that's for sure. I enjoy drifting and watching the 2D and see fish come off the bottom.

[piketroller]

Well how did you do?

[Crankin]

Well I have to say that the advise from My new friends Dan and Piketroller cranked out an amazing weekend plus. Great advise !! I did not want to go home . I 'm upset with myself because I didn't fish a clean weekend. I lost three great fish that I normally don't loose . one 4 lb smallie on a top water. I ost a solid 2 1/2 on a top water again . And what will haunt me is my PG smallie a solid five maybe six smallie on a drop shot that I lost because no net .

[piketroller]

Well I have to say that the advise from My new friends Dan and Piketroller cranked out an amazing weekend plus. Great advise !! I did not want to go home . I 'm upset with myself because I didn't fish a clean weekend. I lost three great fish that I normally don't loose . one 4 lb smallie on a top water. I ost a solid 2 1/2 on a top water again . And what will haunt me is my PG smallie a solid five maybe six smallie on a drop shot that I lost because no net .

I know you just got back from the trip, but when you get time it would be nice to see a detailed write up on how you did, general locations/depths, and the new stuff you learned. When fishing advice disappears into a black hole, there’s less incentive to do it again in the future.