Walleye fishing is once again upon us as local anglers prepare to face a fishing population that should be plentiful after low pressure during the winter.
“Ice fishing was so bad … Zero fishing pressure makes for a better spring and summer,”said Greg Alsip of the Lake Leelanau Narrows Resort.
The abnormally warm spring could spell a good omen to find your next catch.
Alsip, 36, says this is the first time in his life that ice fishing was non-exsistant.
The lack of fishing pressure of roughly 50 to 100 people fishing on Lake Leelanau at any given time has allowed the population to have a surplus since thousands of fish were spared by fishermen. Conditions were so poor that hearty ice fishers in the county quickly gave up hope of wetting a line.
“(Fishing this year) is going to be completely different,” Alsip said.
Walleye have already spawned quickly, earlier than normal, under a thin veil of ice in February and March. Walleye have spawned in Lake Leelanau both in the narrows and at the Cedar River.
This time of year, fishermen commonly patrol the shallows, but with the warm spring, Alsip says the best walleye fishing could be found by drifting into water 12-20 feet in depth.
“Find some weeds and some minos and mark them on your graph,” Alsip said.
Alsip will be practicing his June patter that is a strategy fishing in deeper water. Perch fishing is lucrative on in the Grand Traverse bay and on big and little Glen Lake right now.
There are no changes in law. The Northern Pike and Walleye fishing season for possession season on lower peninsula inland waters is from Saturday, April 27- March 15. The season is open all year round on the Great Lakes.
An exception to general fishing regulation, according to the Michigan Department of Resources reminds fishermen about the rules when heading to North and South Manitou Island: North Manitou, bass minimum size limit is 18”, the possession limit is 1; fishing restricted to artificial lures only; live bait, dead or prepared bait or organic or processed food may not be possessed on the water or the shore. Florence L. (S. Manitou Is.) fishing restricted to artificial lures only; live bait, dead or prepared bait or organic or processed food may not be possessed on the water or the shore. Hatlem’s Cr., it is unlawful to take or attempt to take minnows for personal use.
