Sessions Lake

[DLB-in-GR]

I got into a mess of channels yesterday and today on Sessions Lake, in the Ionia State Rec. area. Caught 6 yesterday and 7 more today in a couple hours of fishing total. Would have limited out today but I ran out of circle hooks. All were eater sized, between 14" and 20", I was fishing for that size with Sonny's dip bait. Caught one on a live bluegill, but that was the only gill I caught in that spot, I'll have to get some small gills and try for the larger cats I know are lurking in that lake. But I am on foot fishing from shore and lugging a bucket of gills 3/4 of a mile around the lake to my spot is a bit too much work. For now I'll be filling the freezer with the eaters.

Sessions is a manmade lake, clean, I'm not afraid to eat what I catch there. A couple of years ago I caught and released a 31" channel cat, so I know they are there.

Happy fishing,
Doug

[Sparky Larson]

Nicely done Doug! Anytime you can fish for a couple of hours and catch 7 fish, thats a good outting. As far as that 31 incher goes, thats a real trophy.
Does that lake you have been fishing on have a boat launch? How big is this lake?
Sparky

[DLB-in-GR]

Thanks. According to the Park List page at the Mi DNR website, Sessions is 140 acres, 60 feet at its deepest point. Yes there is a nice paved boat launch, camping, toilets, a beach, and a lot of places to fish from the shore. You can pick up a free contour map at the State Park entrance on the way in. In addition to Channel cats, they planted a load of walleye, rainbows and brown trout and the lake is good for bluegills and bass.

Attatched is a picture of my catch. My first picture so bear with me if it doesn't work.

[jspiel]

nice stringer man....when's dinner. LOL

[catfishjohn]

Nice stringer of fish,thanks for sharing the pic!!!

[DLB-in-GR]

Thanks for the compliments, usually I don't do that well in just a couple of hours fishing in the afternoon. I got out again today for a couple of hours, didn't do quite as well this time, but caught enough for supper. Two channels, one 18" and one 20", and a fair amount of bites where the fish dropped the bait. The bite was pretty slow all in all though. I'm going to make Catfish with Tomato, Basil, and Cream, a delicious recipe I will post when I get the time. Not bad for a couple of hours in the early afternoon, anyway.

[Sparky Larson]

Not only is Doug a fisherman, it sound like he dabbles in the kitchen as well.
Thats a nice stringer of fish.
Sparky

[bwanatony]

I just found out I'll be camping on Sessions Lake in October with my son's scout troop.
I'm going to have learn how to catch channels in a lake in the fall.

Does anyone have any pointers about the lake itself or lake fishing channel cats in fall?

Slip floats maybe? Shrimp? Cut sucker?

Thanks,
Tony