Fishing near Grand Haven?

[SPowell]

Any of you guys been fishing near the Grand Haven area? If so, I need a little advice as to where the cats are biting. Hoping to get up there this weekend. Thanks!

[sal_jr]

If you dock your boat at the DNR public launch at coopersville, then go to the right side of island direct to to the south of the launch. At the curve there is a 16 foot hole. Great spot to drop a bluegill at dark for BIG flatties.

For daytime fishing, head upstream about 1/2 mile and you will see a lagoon with a small entrance to the right side of you, full of old rusty barges. Run your boat on shore, climb on the barges and fish off them by drop fishing with crawlers or liver and the monster channel cats will come out from under them.

Good luck to you.


Beware the idiots flying up and down the river- Big cigarette boats are not uncommon at full throttle at the spot I told you about by the island. Though the fishing is tremendous there, there is no speed limit on the north channel of the island so be VERY prepared for big wakes.


Sal

[SPowell]

Thanks Sal! I'll

[SPowell]

Thanks Sal! Would you happen to have exact directions off of 96 to get there? If so, I sure would appreciate it. Thanks again, and hopefully we'll have some luck.

[sal_jr]

Thanks Sal! Would you happen to have exact directions off of 96 to get there? If so, I sure would appreciate it. Thanks again, and hopefully we'll have some luck.


(ahem) :big_smile: Why yes, sir, I do!!!!

Got one better for ya- Here (http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/mrbis/map.asp?action=map_east) is the link for the map.

Its called Deer Creek Park.

Take 96 to the Cooperstown exit (68th ave) and then head south to eastmanville. Turn right and follow the signs... which will be berown and will lead you to the DNR access site.

Good luck

Sal

[SPowell]

Hey Sal, do you know of any spots in Grand Haven? Thanks again for the help.

[sal_jr]

Seriously the traffic there with large boats and the pressure from the coast guard have kept me in Grand Haven ONLY on the pier from land. I dont have any boat-ready spots there cause the big 40+ foot yachts tend to blow ya all over the place.

[jspiel]

actually sal, if you go south on 68th st and turn right at eastmanville (leonard st.) you will be going the wrong way. deer creek park is on 60th st. so turn left on leonard off of 68th. the park has gotten a facelift since last year. looks real good.

[sal_jr]

Now THAT is looking out for a brother!!!!!! You rock, jspiel! Thanks for saving my dumpy directions. Reps for that!
:big_smile:

[SPowell]

Thanks guys. I've fished Pottawatomie Bayou a couple of times, and had pretty good luck on Channel Cat. I'm going to have to check out Deer Creek, it sounds perfect. Thanks again!

[jspiel]

i just got an e-mail from amy harrington with the DNR fisheries division here in GR. im gonna try and copy and paste it here for all to see. it is quite interesting. especially the part where she says they cant trasp net the really big cats cuz the openings in the nets arnt big enough!!!!!!!!!

looks like it worked.......




We do not have good survey records for any of our flathead catfish
waters, partly because there wasn't much angler interest in catfish in this
state until fairly recently and mostly because they are not easy for us
to catch. They are living in big rivers that are tough to survey well
and then they manage to defy most of our gear. They can sense and
evade electrofishing gear tuned to catch most fish. So we've caught a few
in recent electrofishing surveys, but not very many. In the early 90s
we caught some in the Grand and Maple Rivers using trap nets, and we
got fish up to about 40 inches in length. But we're convinced we could
not catch the really large ones because the throat width of the trap
nets is only 6-7 inches.

As far as the state record goes, I wouldn't bet against any of the
three you mentioned. But there are two you didn't mention. The Kalamazoo
and Muskegon. The guy that was researching and tagging sturgeon on the
Muskegon River reported catching good numbers of big flatheads.

Frankly, there is probably a state record catfish in all those rivers
and it's anyone's guess as to which one will yield one first. A smaller
river where the fish are more confined or a big river that may have
more really big cats but spread out through a larger area?

Good luck with your search! I probably made your decision harder by
giving you more options! If you get that fish, keep the dinner, 'cause
you will have earned it!!!

Oh, and if you do get the state record, gloat while you can, because if
it's anything like the guys going for the black buffalo record, each
record doesn't last long. They figured out the hot spot for black
buffalo and kept trading bragging rights back and forth for about five years.
And the river that produced that state record consistently was. . .
.(drum roll please). . . (my sentimental favorite). . . . . .the Grand!!!
:-)

Amy Harrington
Fisheries Biologist
Comstock Park Field Office

[Sparky Larson]

Hey Jon,
Thats some wild information you got from your friend. I'm going up to the head waters of the Muskegon on Friday. I'm more or less on a recon mission for Channels, but you never know what might develope. I don't know if it is too early up there for Flatheads or not, but hopefully we'll have time to give it a try.
Sparky