ICE???!!!!!

Apparently mother nature hasn't got the e-mail that its January, and we are supposed to be ice fishing, and setting tip ups.....50 degrees here in Kalamazoo yesterday....ugh..


It certainly has been a while since the last posting... but it has been a busy busy year.

We have had steelhead runs, salmon runs, pre rut, rut, post rut, and now its 2012...
Cat fishing has been good, deer hunting was good for many, now we just need ice to start the year off right.

Catfishing is going to be a new summer pastime for us... if you think that bass put on a fight, wait 'till a 10 lb flathead bites on the bait!!

Of course a nice carp will put a serious bend in your rod as well....

Deer hunting for me was fair, but I'm still looking for "The Buck."  But I guess that is what 2012 is for.
I did however get a fair amount of venison for the family...plenty of venison summer sausage to go around!

Hopefully the arctic blast develops some hard water for us to get after some frozen fish....

Springs End, Summer Begins, Get Ready For Fall

     With Father's Day Weekend's arrival, it for me usually symbolizes the end of Spring Fishing season.  However, with Summer peeking over the horizon, for us here at JW W.M.O. it signals time for different species of fish to chase after, different methods of chase, and of course preparing for Fall, with getting several hours of bow shooting in!

                                                                                                                                                                          



Allegan Steelhead

Spring began with a bang, fishing for steelhead in the St. Joeseph River, and in the Kalamazoo River, Below the Allegan (Caulkins) Dam.  Fish numbers seemed to be pretty fair, and in the Kalamazoo River, quite a few sturgeon were hooked (and released)!!
Shortly after Ice-Out, some of us hit the piers for great coho fishing, (which went well!!), and some of us got out to the bigger inland lakes, like Gull Lake, and went after lake trout...

27" Lakers out of Gull Lake, MI

Then came the Bluegills....

A lot of good fishing can be had in alot of West Michigans local inland lakes.  Our staff slayed the slabs in several locations, and wound up bringing home limits, or near limits of fish in the 7.5 to 10" range...and that is awesome in this portion of the state!!!  Most of the lakes holding these fish were within 10-45 minutes from home!

Staffer Will and his 8" green sunfish hybrid!

My kiddo and her Slabber red ear

We even got the kids out early and let them in on the fun!  Take caution, though,  the kids will have a tendency to out fish the adults!!!!

Now comes summer... Bass fishing, Walleye trolling and jigging, Pike, Fish Camp, Bow shooting.
We'll be heading out to Lake of the Woods Decatur, Cedar Lake, Fish Lake Marcellus, Fish Lake Orangeville, Fine Lake, Eagle Lake Bloomingdale, and some of the other local lakes in search of anything that swims....
Remember, Kids keep us going, and kids keep the sport(s) growing...Send us your pictures, tips, etc!
Keep Your Lines Tight, and Your Pins on Target!!

Its On!! Fish On!!

Its been a crazy couple of weeks for the Outdoors! crew....

We launched the newley aquired "Silver Panfisher" for its first run at bluegills and perch, but instead found the previous owners liked to use spuds in it to get rid of ice, and that several of the 100+ rivets were leaking as well...so this week was devoted to repair work on the boat, just to get her ready for the real thing.
Not to mention the morning temps were in the lower teens with north winds running at 10-15mph...
Know when to fold 'em...

This week also brought us some fantabulous river and big lake fishing!
Steelhead are certainly still in the Kalamazoo River, and somewhat spotty in the Saint Joseph river, running the ladder to Indiana as fast as they can...
In the Kalamazoo, the tend to be further down river from the Allegan (Caulkins) Dam, getting pushed down from the sucker run, as well as spawning walleyes.

Pier fishing and Lake Michigan Trolling has exploded!  Cohos, Brown Trout, Steelhead, and some Kings have been getting caught at insane rates from Saint Joseph/Benton Harbor up to Saugatuck!  Fresh tied spawn bags seem to work the best when the Coho are inside the piers, held with atleast a 3 oz. pyramid sinker, and when the bite slows, a little boat traffic seem to kick the fish back into a frenzy... we had insane action while the charters were headed back up river!
Suckers and quite a  few whitefish were landed as well...

In the next coming weeks we will be gearing up for some inland lake perch fishing, bluegills,  possibly more steelheading, and pier action.  We will be after the Wallies and Pike after April 15th.
Remember to get your 2011 Michigan Fishing license!!!
Thunder Chicken Season draws near...
Hear anything good?  Please feel free to leave us a comment or any "hot tips"...

Prepare for Spring!

The Ice has finally recieded from the fishing waters of West Michigan!

Steelhead are moving in the Rivers, Coho are at the Piers!

Get the boats out, get your motors tuned up!  Fish On!  Its Go Time!
Rods are respooled, repaired, and readied for casting...
We'd like to use this blog as a mini "hot tip" spot for here in West MI-  Tell us about Bluegills, Perch, Bass, Walleye, "big lake" adventures, and hunting stories...
We're hoping to get the "Silver Serpent" on the waters this weekend even though the temps may cause us to think twice.
Don't forget to get ready for the long awaited Thunder Chicken season (Turkey)!  Get those calls out and start driving the spouses and neighbors crazy!

Fish On!!!!!!!!