Traverse Bay Smallmouth trip with my two boys

[kfawns]

Hello,

My name is Kyle. I am from Central Illinois and I am wanting to take my two boys on a smallmouth trip. As I research and read reviews, it seems like late spring/early summer is the best time to come up. My two boys are 11 and 12. Much like every other kid these days they have watched video after video about Michigans fantastic fishing. So, I was reaching out to you guys to see if I could get any advice/input on when to come up and where. Obviously from the thread title we are wanting to come visit Traverse Bay. I have an 18 ft Skeeter with a 115. Would my boat be on the Bay? As long as they are experiencing being on the water in Michigan trying to catch smallies I’ll be happy. Any info from you guys on here would be greatly appreciated!!



thanks


Kyle

[Fishin Polock]

Hi Kyle,

Your boat will be fine if you watch the wind for the day. I run a 1986 168 ChampioN. Typically anything over a 15 MPH wind out of the north , south directions will get the bay rolling, but depending on the direction, you can find a side that is calmer.

There are several launch's on both bays , on both sides , depending on wind that day.

East bay is typically the better of the 2 for bass fishing, but west bay holds great numbers. East bay launches are , elk rapids harbor( where I live), yuba launch. Both those launches have a 5 and 7 dollar per day launch fee. Center road launch on the peninsula is a good launch but will fill with your typical summer boaters fast.

West bay launches are best at bowers harbor, lee point, suttons bay, northport, and elmwood park .

As for what time. That is always a crap shoot. The bay will typically be 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the surrounding inland lakes. Mid June is usually the best time for bed fishing . Any rocky shoreline, which is most of east bay shorelines will produce either bedded fish or pre spawn roamers. Don't be afraid to run up into 3 foot of water to find them either. Most structure, weeds, will be found off the drops in 20 to 30 foot of water with rocks up shallow like I said.

East bay areas to target are the bottom of the bay along all the hotels, yuba area , and elk rapids north on the east shoreline. The west side will have the same structure. You just have to put in some time cruzing around.

West bay is typically the same, Shoreline rocks with other structure off the 20 foot drops. Power island, bowers harbor, the boat moorings around elmwood, lee point and suttons bay will have what you are looking for.

Hope this helps ya some with your decisions.

[bigbass201]

Hi Kyle,

Your boat will be fine if you watch the wind for the day. I run a 1986 168 ChampioN. Typically anything over a 15 MPH wind out of the north , south directions will get the bay rolling, but depending on the direction, you can find a side that is calmer.

There are several launch's on both bays , on both sides , depending on wind that day.

East bay is typically the better of the 2 for bass fishing, but west bay holds great numbers. East bay launches are , elk rapids harbor( where I live), yuba launch. Both those launches have a 5 and 7 dollar per day launch fee. Center road launch on the peninsula is a good launch but will fill with your typical summer boaters fast.

West bay launches are best at bowers harbor, lee point, suttons bay, northport, and elmwood park .

As for what time. That is always a crap shoot. The bay will typically be 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the surrounding inland lakes. Mid June is usually the best time for bed fishing . Any rocky shoreline, which is most of east bay shorelines will produce either bedded fish or pre spawn roamers. Don't be afraid to run up into 3 foot of water to find them either. Most structure, weeds, will be found off the drops in 20 to 30 foot of water with rocks up shallow like I said.

East bay areas to target are the bottom of the bay along all the hotels, yuba area , and elk rapids north on the east shoreline. The west side will have the same structure. You just have to put in some time cruzing around.

West bay is typically the same, Shoreline rocks with other structure off the 20 foot drops. Power island, bowers harbor, the boat moorings around elmwood, lee point and suttons bay will have what you are looking for.

Hope this helps ya some with your decisions.

Some great info there.

[School Master]

I would highly suggest "early summer" (which is mid summer for everywhere else!) for your first trip. Early summer will have the least chance of wind and weather, which Polock already eluded to. Anything under 15 you'll be fine. There is a HUGE amount of water and you'll run into them eventually.

The "spring" can be tricky, sometimes you'll catch 25lbs, the next day you'll catch 2. Summer offers a little more consistency and they will bite a wide variety of baits. Last benefit is we are a tourist town. There is a TON to do and see during prime weather, so even if you're not fishing there is plenty to keep everyone entertained. It gets busy, so I wouldn't hesitate too long to lock a place in.

[thedude]

its good, but as matt said the water temps are a crap shoot. One day it will be 60 degree water and the next 44. I like prespawn the best but you can find fish in every stage if you look around from memorial day through july 4th pretty consitently. 2nd or 3rd week of june would be a safe bet for both weather and fishing. Both can change in a matter of hours at any time. the earlier you go, you can often find the fish concentrated in areas of the warmest water, but you can also risk being to early for them to be shallow at all.

[dricha21]

If you want a for sure thing (95%) trip to entertain your boys I would take them to lake ST. Claire any time in May. Probably a little closer also. Just fish the US side where the mile roads are located. Just look at any map with the mile roads on it, 8 mi, nine mi etc. Just go fish anywhere from 4 to 10 feet of water. They will hit just about any bass lure. It is not hard to find. You will see plenty of boats for miles scattered along the west side of the lake. Just do long drifts and cast any direction. You usually catch them in bunches and when you do just mark that spot and go back upstream and drift thru it again. You can usually catch some more doing that. Naturally it is not as pretty as Traverse Bay area but if your are looking for a sure. Fish average 2 to 4 lbs.with occasional bigger. You can catch bunches of them also. 50 to 150 is not uncommon. I fished it 8 years in a row and only had one bad year and that was weather related.

[BassVoodoo]

If you want a for sure thing (95%) trip to entertain your boys I would take them to lake ST. Claire any time in May. Probably a little closer also. Just fish the US side where the mile roads are located. Just look at any map with the mile roads on it, 8 mi, nine mi etc. Just go fish anywhere from 4 to 10 feet of water. They will hit just about any bass lure. It is not hard to find. You will see plenty of boats for miles scattered along the west side of the lake. Just do long drifts and cast any direction. You usually catch them in bunches and when you do just mark that spot and go back upstream and drift thru it again. You can usually catch some more doing that. Naturally it is not as pretty as Traverse Bay area but if your are looking for a sure. Fish average 2 to 4 lbs.with occasional bigger. You can catch bunches of them also. 50 to 150 is not uncommon. I fished it 8 years in a row and only had one bad year and that was weather related.

If you consider St. Clair be AWARE if its warm enough for pleasure boaters to be out on the water.....it is WEEKDAYS only...the weekends are not worth fishing the WASHING MACHINE it turns into after 9-10am. So if you want to get a few hours in before that I AGREE but after last year I think its ONLY week days for me and I only live 40 minutes away.

East/West bay Traverse City....I agree with SCHOOLMASTER (what up E?)...

[MichAngler]

Voodoo is correct if you have never been on St Clair during a nice weather weekend the churn can be a real eye opener

Personally I would choose Traverse Bay for a "Special trip" you can get some real big smallies during that time of year

If you plan to be there a few days I suggest you hire Marcel Veenstra to guide you the first day to get you pointed in the right direction

[School Master]

East/West bay Traverse City....I agree with SCHOOLMASTER (what up E?)...

WHAT UP DAWWGGGG! I've been driving by the Bay lately going... should I go try and stick a laker?!?!?!

[dricha21]

In the month of may I never once encountered pleasure boaters to be a nuisance. I went 8 years in a row in the month of may and that worry never entered my mind. The fish in St. Claire are so easy to find during the month of may because the area they are located in is huge. It is literally miles long and half a mile wide. I have fished many places and never found a place with such consistency in all my years(70). I have only fish traverse bay once in early June so i can't tell you what to expect. I do believe it may be a little more difficult to locate good areas but I am just guessing as I do not much experience there. I now live on lake Huron in the Alpena area so I haven't fished st claire in a few but i am going back this spring. I suspect the guys suggesting traverse bay to be great probably know it very well and thus they love it. It may not be so easy if you have never fished it before, but who knows you may luck into them. I know the first time we fished st claire it was game on from the first day.

[BassVoodoo]

East/West bay Traverse City....I agree with SCHOOLMASTER (what up E?)...

WHAT UP DAWWGGGG! I've been driving by the Bay lately going... should I go try and stick a laker?!?!?!

Your head was moving up and down.....thatsa YES!!! GET OUT THERE. Ha!!! I am being a wuss, I want to go try for burbot (never caught one in season currently) off port huron/etc. but this COLD has me shivering from inside looking out.