Little Bay Fishing trends

[Outnumbered]

Tried the waters off the Terrace sunday morning from 7am to 9:30am. Two guys with flashers fished the base of the break in 30' to 35' about 100 yards off. Ended up marking 2 good size fish and two small marks, no takers.
Forth trip over this year and have only marked maybe 15 good fish total to be generous. Been fishing the Bay with my dad and friends for years and we are definately seeing a drop in numbers of fish from last year. I have log books from 2000 through 2004 that showed pretty good fishing where it was not uncommon to mark 20 to 25 nice fish a night. Since about 2005 we have steadily marked and caught fewer fish (all the while putting more time in fishing). I am also no longer marking the suspended fish that would come in from 6' to 15' off bottom, these were the "hot" fish that seemed to be somewhat easier to coax into biting. Always been a fan of fishing the deep flats well away from the crowds, but these areas have really slowed the past few years too. Not sure if others have seen the same trend, but it is starting to scare me. One thing I have definately noticed is the water is continuing to become much more clear each year. Being able to see your jigging rapala in 30+' of water off the Vagabond is a big change from years ago. I'm hoping others are seeing the opposite and I need to change my tactics and find new locations. Just looking to see what other fisherman are seeing when looking back over the past number of years? Anyone else no longer marking suspended walleye's? Thanks for any input.

Greg - Manistique

[raywriter]

A friend reported seeing "3 blips" pass his shanty at 22' over depths of about 35'. He immediately raised his bait to match their suspended level and caught a keeper walleye. This is where flashers excel.

[bmauntler]

"This is where flashers excel."

Where? I have never had a problem marking suspended fish with a graph. I believe it's more in the user than the machine...

Ben

[Benzie Rover]

for me, suspended fish are easier to mark on graph mode than with a flasher since the flasher only shows you the 'blip', while a scrolling graph screen will give you 10-15 seconds to notice a suspended fish that swam through your tranducer cone... but anyway, the flasher/graph war will never cease...

as for fish numbers, I completely agree, it is has been increasingly difficult to catch, or even graph, quality fish each year... starting about 3 years ago in particular... but anyway, not at all like 8-10 years ago... and I hear then even sucked compared the 'good ole days'... the only folks I hear saying otherwise are those that have $ to make on the fishery, so go figure... but empty creels speak for themselves... we used to make 2-3 trips/winter. We actually began searching/discussing a new area (thinking inland) for our annual week long UP trip next year, which would be a bummer just cause of the long memories on big and lil bays...

[raywriter]

I should have anticipated some flack by mentioning flashers and not a graph. To clarify, at the time I wrote about, my friend was using a flasher as I do. A graph would have shown these fish better, but a flasher was used in this instance so that is what I mentioned. The most important factor is that all anglers need to be aware that suspended fish frequently show up and that you need a way to detect them whether it is a flasher or graph.

[jigrapper]

I agree as well on the declining fishery in Little Bay. I started fishing the bay when I retired 7 years ago, and there definitely is a change taking place. Fish numbers and sizes in the upper bay have dropped off big time. Weed beds that we GPS'd and had good success fishing around are NO MORE. The water is clearing up more and more each year, and this is having an impact on the ecology of the bay---- which has to affect the fish. AND when you have poachers netting and taking thousands of pounds of fish out it does make a difference. Those who disagree have a commercial interest is keeping us believing otherwise. Sorry to be so negative...BUT it is what it is!!

[one eye]

Im looking for some info for lbdnoc.I here mentioned a place called the terrace,can someone clue me in on the where abouts of it Would like to come up again and catch some perch and some eyes,but Im not very familiar with the area.Id really appreciate so
me guidence. one eye

[Phlounder]

the terrace is a large motel on the water south of gladstone (with ice access) but it's only a little north of Bay View Bait and Tackle, which is where up to the minute fishing info can typically be had for the cost of some bait and perhaps a #5 or #7 GGT jigging Rapala.

[one eye]

thanks for the info Phlounder.I kinda thought thats what it was,but you know what they say about assuming a thing.My next question would be,where can I get bay map showing the depth changes?Is there any available at the local bait shops?
one eye

[The Bait Shop Guy]

One Eye, up-to-date fishing info is ALWAYS available, just for the asking. No need to buy anything, (but yes, we do have maps.) I would say if you're looking for perch, you'd be much better off fishing the far north end of the bay. They primarily catch walleye, whitefish, and pike off the Terrace.

Living here for 20 years, being in the bait business for most of that, and spending over 200 days a year on the water, gives me some pretty good insight on the bay. But since I make my living off the fishing here, I guess you'd better take anything I say with a grain of salt.