Fishing within 2 hours of Pentwater, MI?

[OhioAngler]

I'm going to be in Pentwater from the 7th until the 14th. I am bringing my boat and would really like to get any info on fishing around there. I would like to fish Lake Michigan for smallies, but don't know the area at all. Any info would be greatly appreciated or if anyone wants to fish. Please let me know.
Thanks for your time,
Jerod

[Smallie Nation]

I don’t think there’s much to fish in Lake Michigan in that area besides the piers/boardwalks going out the channel to Lake Michigan.

You’re pretty much right at the 2 hour mark to fish Grand Traverse bay. Which is world class Lake Michigan fishing. Otherwise Muskegon Lake, White Lake, Hamlin lake. I think Pentwater is suppose to be pretty decent for smallies itself.

[thedude]

tons of places within 2hrs. any of the lake shore lakes from pentwater north have decent smallie and largemouth fishing. if you want LM smallies, work the pier heads at any of those.

there also may be a salmon run by that time. manistee and pere marquette you can jig salmon on a spoon with flipping sticks and its an absolute riot.

[OhioAngler]

Thanks for the info. I dont mind pulling the boat over to Grand Traverse bay. Ill check that out.

thedude, can you enlighten me on the jigging? what type of spoons etc? Have plenty of flipping sticks.

Thanks again,
Jerod

[csurp]

tons of places within 2hrs. any of the lake shore lakes from pentwater north have decent smallie and largemouth fishing. if you want LM smallies, work the pier heads at any of those.

there also may be a salmon run by that time. manistee and pere marquette you can jig salmon on a spoon with flipping sticks and its an absolute riot.

The Pere Marquette River at Ludington, MI opens up into a large lake before it exits through the breakwaters. If there is a salmon run on, you use to be able to safely use your boat to troll for chinook. coho steelhead in the lake. This is an old report. I used to do it in the seventies using a Flatfish crankbait. Told you it was old. Up in the river, it used to be a common practice to tie your boat off at the head of a run and simply lower a crankbait off the stern and let it wobble in the current. If the "caddis hatch" is on night fly fishing for large brown trout using a short line and a large mayfly imitator could be your cup of tea.

[thedude]

in manistee there's a bait shop across from the launch that sells them. Generally fish will stage in the first deeper water immediately at the start of the channel out to lake michigan when they are running. Runs start mid aug, usually dependent on rain and bait in channels.
you can still troll also, but they aren't that hard to see on side scan and you can generally find a spot and spot lock and just jig for a while.

basically these, 1-3ozs blues, chart colors usually work. put it on heaviest tackle you got and jig it off the bottom.
https://p-line.com/product/laser-minnow/

[OhioAngler]

Thanks everyone. I'm am going to look into this even more. Have never caught a salmon.
Appreciate everyone's info!!!!!!

[thedude]

you'll be a bit on the early side, but usually the first run is the best fishing, it can happen quick and fizzle quick though so don't set your hopes too high. the tackle shops should know if there's anything showing up.

[csurp]

Dont leave home without it. Old school Little Cleo in blue and silver

[thedude]

i use these for jigging:
https://p-line.com/product/laser-minnow/

blue/chrome, chart, green, orange good choices. 1-2oz is good.
Bait shop across from the manistee ramp will have some (or similar).

[grindstone]

Thanks everyone. I'm am going to look into this even more. Have never caught a salmon.
Appreciate everyone's info!!!!!!

I know you have a boat I would be in Ludington salmon fishing by the end of your trip the early run could/should be on. If you want to be certain of getting a king on your trip Dave Ellis of Salmon Slayer Charters is on the top of my list. Don't over look lake perch right out of Pentwater. The Mi DNR has good reporting updating every Thursday. The Manistee is another spectacular river farther N of Ludington. In their lakes and or near the pier heads of either river by mid August

[OhioAngler]

I know you have a boat I would be in Ludington salmon fishing by the end of your trip the early run could/should be on. If you want to be certain of getting a king on your trip Dave Ellis of Salmon Slayer Charters is on the top of my list. Don't over look lake perch right out of Pentwater. The Mi DNR has good reporting updating every Thursday. The Manistee is another spectacular river farther N of Ludington. In their lakes and or near the pier heads of either river by mid August

I'm very interested in some good Perch. Guess I need to get out from under my bass and Musky rock and broadening my horizon. Ill do some research on the Perch. Have you caught some good ones there before?


Thanks,
Jerod

[grindstone]

I'm very interested in some good Perch. Guess I need to get out from under my bass and Musky rock and broadening my horizon. Ill do some research on the Perch. Have you caught some good ones there before?


Thanks,
Jerod

My summer home is in South Haven Mi. Last year was slower than years past overall but I hit them hard - plenty of 12" and up jumbos. I've been gone for two weeks catching halibut and salmon in Alaska but plan on doing a beat down on them this weekend as the forecast is for waves less than 1'. In addition https://seagull.glos.org/map?coords=...platform=45161 is a site I use. Though the SH buoy has had issues all year what it provides me is temp at various depths. I look primarily for temp stability which causes perch to school tightly. In a 24 hour period the temp at say 40 FOW can vary by 20 degrees due to wind mixing the layered water and shut the fishery down. Generally say 15-40 FOW now but I'll know by tomorrow or Saturday. Look for packs of boats on the perch, but then observe if they are putting them over the gunnel. If not move shallower or deeper eye on the graphs. If you're spot locked and crushing them I am of the school that believes the sonar pings make them move faster than they might otherwise. Minnows on a two hook perch rig 1 or pencil weight trimmed a bit if it's really calm. Dime sized bits from cooked cocktail shrimp work even better for me as I get so excited my hands start shaking and litter my boat w minnows. Beautiful country inland lakes when you get blown off the big lake.

[OhioAngler]

My summer home is in South Haven Mi. Last year was slower than years past overall but I hit them hard - plenty of 12" and up jumbos. I've been gone for two weeks catching halibut and salmon in Alaska but plan on doing a beat down on them this weekend as the forecast is for waves less than 1'. In addition https://seagull.glos.org/map?coords=...platform=45161 is a site I use. Though the SH buoy has had issues all year what it provides me is temp at various depths. I look primarily for temp stability which causes perch to school tightly. In a 24 hour period the temp at say 40 FOW can vary by 20 degrees due to wind mixing the layered water and shut the fishery down. Generally say 15-40 FOW now but I'll know by tomorrow or Saturday. Look for packs of boats on the perch, but then observe if they are putting them over the gunnel. If not move shallower or deeper eye on the graphs. If you're spot locked and crushing them I am of the school that believes the sonar pings make them move faster than they might otherwise. Minnows on a two hook perch rig 1 or pencil weight trimmed a bit if it's really calm. Dime sized bits from cooked cocktail shrimp work even better for me as I get so excited my hands start shaking and litter my boat w minnows. Beautiful country inland lakes when you get blown off the big lake.

Thanks for the info. This sounds like a blast. Let me know if you want to go out one day. All this talk about different types of fish and I cant hardly stand it. All I want to do is hook to the boat and go.

[grindstone]

Just came across this today - jigging kings it was posted 7/27. This guys port is Alqoma Wi roughly due west of Manistee Mi a little N of Ludington Mi. Note he is inside the pierheads 30-40 FOW. While mid August a guided trip trolling is still the surest bet for a big king you can not beat rod in hand catching. They stage off shore before they head into the many rivers that flow into the lake all up the coast. I've got grand twins due about the time of your trip so going to have to count me out.

[OhioAngler]

Weather today was terrible. I'm gonna try tomorrow

[thedude]

hopefully you got out after that big rain. thats usually a good trigger to get some fish up into the river