Little Bay de Noc Fishing Reports

madpikefisherman · Member

November Walleye Fishing

Capt_Joe · Member

madpikefisherman wrote:
Hey all,

Will be coming to Escanaba November 11th for a day of Walleye fishing, What's in store for me on this trip. Have fished South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconson but this is the first trip to your neighborhood?

Cold, then it gets cold, and then it gets colder. The wind will blow, then it gets stronger, and then it gets so strong you can't fish. ........... Seriously, we have fished it in the first week in Nov. for the past few years, and you can expect just about anything. The fishing can be outstanding and then again, not. The weather has been unfishable, and it has been beautiful. These are the reasons we come for 10 days, because we plan to get "weathered" off the water at least 2-3 days. Good luck

PS....we will be there from Oct. 27th - Nov. 7th.

THE BAIT SHOP GUY · Senior Member

Every year is different, but typically the night bite is better than the day bite. You'll have guys pulling cranks for suspended fish over deep water, while others will be casting or trolling in less than 10 feet. Day time is usually more of a live bait game. Jigging or lindy rigging redtail chubs and drifting or trolling crawler harnesses.

Kind of tough when you only have one day to fish. Like Joe said, you'll have to watch the weather. Good luck.

madpikefisherman · Member

Thanks all

Have the cold weather gear ready and the guide of course seeing how it's only a day. Will keep watching the post on this site was lucky to find one that has up to date reports. I was wondering about being that late in the season if I wasn't getting a little late in the year but one has to take what one can get.

catman · Guru

You can't fish too late as the fishing just gets better and better the further you go towards ice up. Ice up is the only thing that stops the boats from being on the water. It's usually awesome in December if you can get out. My brother and I were out in the boat 3 days before Christmas one year and had a ball. Buuuuuttttttt, I also froze my butt off and decided I will never do that again!!! Now I just wait a couple weeks for the ice...

catman · Guru

I forgot something! We have guests that come every year and simply drift the bay with Lindy Rigs and 3-4 inch suckers. They use about a 4 foot leader between the slip sinker and a single hook with the sucker hooked thru the top of the mouth. They don't pay much attention to wind direction, structure, or anything else for that matter. They just drift across the bay and catch plenty of fish. Just wanted to throw that out there. I think there is much to be said for this overlooked "simple" way of fishing in this high tech side imaging, gps, planer board, smart phone, tablet computer, facebook, twitter, youtube world that we now live in...

madpikefisherman · Member

Thanks catman

Will keep that information in case the guide is having a bad day. Always good to have some local knowlege on a body of water that you have never been to. Also any idea where the pike might be hiding that time of the year. As the user name indicates I love to fish the slimey things. If the Missouri river in South Dakato isn't looking good next spring how is the May bite up in the bay?? Being here in Iowa you have to look hard to find fish with teeth.

Captain Ken Lee · Senior Member

Fish with teeth...now you're talking! I love fishing pike on the Bays and always look forward to pike trips. May is not a good time though for looking for the toothy critters. Our best pike fishing is typically from mid-August through September for larger fish. You can start getting numbers of fish in July once the weed beds have grown up some, but the average size of the fish will be smaller than the fish you'll get towards the end of summer and the early fall period. You can't beat casting spinnerbaits for catching numbers of fish and I have yet to find a lure that produces more pike than a 3/8 oz. Northland Reed Runner in the "blackbird" color pattern. Unfortunately, a few years back they quit making the style that worked the best...but I've been making my own in recent years and they work well too. Finding the right skirts has been the hardest part.

madpikefisherman · Member

Thanks Captain Lee

Have been fishing Minnesota in the fall the last week of September with the father in law but might have to change. The fishing there hasn't been the best the last few years for some reason. Any way my go to bait there is a number 8 Rapala fat rap deep runner perch design. Have tore a lot of them up but am open to new things as well. Usually take the wife to Minnesota in June with limited success is that also a little early? or is there something to keep every body interested?

madpikefisherman · Member

Into the 10 day weather window will start watching and cross fingers that Friday the 11th will be fishable

madpikefisherman · Member

Have just returned from the bay. What a trip to say the least, wish i had pictures but the camera decided not to work and have not develped from the film yet. Was able to fish the night of the 10th from 5:30 until midnight and what a bit. Was able to boat 10 fish which made a limit and in those 10 there was a 29 1/2, two 28's and a 27. that would have made the trip but filled in with those between 22 and 26. Never had a fishing experiance like that. The morning of the 11th was quite as good but we did boat another limit so was able to come home with enough fish to eat for quite a while.

Wonderfull fishery and like Arnold said in the movie I'll be back.

Madpikefisherman,might have to madwalleyefisherman after this last trip. Thanks to all who posted with information about your neck of the woods.

Kevin