FishingRomantis

NOTEBOOK: Muskegon boater tops bass tourney

Boater Chet Reed of Muskegon won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Michigan Division Super Tournament on the Detroit River with a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 44 pounds, 2 ounces. The victory last weekend earned Reed $4,468 plus a $788 Ranger boat contingency bonus.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Mark Modrak of Chesterfield, (10 bass, 39-01, $2,628); Mark Dowd of Livonia (10 bass, 38-10, $1,752); Randy Ramsey of Battle Creek, (10 bass, 38-06, $1,227) and Keith Mullen of Oregon, Ohio (10 bass, 37-12, $1,051).

Lawrence Leonardi of Clinton Township, took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $660 for a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass that he caught fishing a Berkley Gulp Minnow.

David Quiggle of Osceola earned $2,441 as the co-angler winner with 10 bass weighing 34 pounds. Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Michael Penn of East Tawas, (10 bass, 32-10, $1,220); Homer Stephens of Noblesville, Ind. (9 bass, 28-15, $814); Eric Penn of East Tawas (10 bass, 28-12, $570) and Douglas Lepper of Union City (10 bass, 28-04, $488).

Andrew Smith of Harrison Township earned $300 as the co-angler Big Bass winner with a 6-pound, 9-ounce catch.

EVENTS

Shooting: Western Wayne County Conservation Association, Plymouth, variety of shooting leagues, including black powder. Archery also available. Last cowboy action shoot 10 a.m. Saturday, public welcome; Western Beef Cookout, 6 p.m. Saturday, $25 per couple, $15 per person. Call 734-453-9843 or go to www.wwcca.com.

Shooting: Detroit Sportsmen's Congress, Shelby Township, archery, rifle, pistol, sporting clays, trap and skeet fields. 586-739-3500 or www.d-s-c.org.

Shooting: Huron Pointe Sportsmen's Association, Lenox Township, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, rifle range, variety of archery and shooting leagues including skeet, trap, sporting clays course. Handicapped accessible; open adult/youth membership. 586-749-5420 or www.huronpointe.org.

SEASONS

Muskellunge: Open in Great Lakes waters, St. Marys River, Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River and Detroit River; also inland waters in Lower Peninsula and inland waters in the Upper Peninsula not otherwise closed to fishing.

Salmon: Open in Great Lakes and connecting waters.

Trout: Open in streams and lakes with extended seasons.

Walleye, northern pike: Open statewide.

Whitefish, sunfish: Open all year.

DNR FISHING REPORT

Warmer weather this week will slow the salmon so anglers will want to fish the deeper holes. Though some areas have already reported catching dark fish, there are still fresh fish to be found. This is a good time to catch bass and monster bluegills.

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lake Erie: Perch fishing has been good around the Second and Third Buoys, which are straight out from the Raisin River. Try fishing right off the bottom in 17 feet of water with minnows and perch rigs.

Detroit River: Perch anglers are still taking fish in the lower river when using minnows. There is still some action in the Trenton Channel with a few walleye taken when trolling bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses. Bass are hitting on spinners.

Lake St. Clair: Bass are hitting on spinners, tube baits and worms. The better fishing has been along the weedbeds and near structure.

Northeast Lower Peninsula

Rogers City: The better fishing continues to be from Calcite Harbor to Adams Point, but some anglers are fishing around Forty Mile Point.

Rockport: Anglers are catching chinook and walleye straight out from the launch site in 40 feet of water. Hot colors were chartreuse, blue, or black and white.

Thunder Bay River: Anglers are catching salmon up near the Ninth Street Dam. Shore fishing has been good as well with the best action between dusk and nightfall. Hot lures for shore anglers have been yellow and black spoons or black and white rattletraps. Some nice bass were caught near the Island Park Bridge when using worms.

Southwest Lower Peninsula

St. Joseph: Boat anglers are catching mostly chinook salmon when trolling between the piers and in the mud lines of the river. Pier anglers have also caught fair to good numbers of salmon.

Grand River at Grand Rapids: The best action has been between 4 and 9 a.m. when fishing up near the Sixth Street Dam. Anglers have caught coho, a few chinook and some big brown trout.

Northwest Lower Peninsula

Petoskey: Pier anglers and those wading from shore have turned up some nice catches at night or early in the morning when casting spoons and diving plugs.

Frankfort: Good numbers of fish are being caught in the Herring Hole, in front of the piers, and up past Point Betsie.

Upper Peninsula

Michigamme Reservoir: Anglers are catching walleye, but those in boats need to use extreme caution because of low water levels.

Big Bay De Noc: Good bass fishing was reported across the mouth of Garden Bay when drifting minnows in 15 to 20 feet of water.

Marquette: Chinook, coho, lake trout and walleye have been caught by those trolling in shallow waters near the lower harbor breakwall.

For a complete state fishing report, visit www.michigan.gov/dnr.