Bait collecting

[RiverKat]

Getting ready for the tournement this Saturday. Spent 3 hours after work fishing for bait in my local stream. Wound up with about 3 Doz. creek chubs, a few large shiners, and 3 brown trout in the 10 inch range. I tossed the trout back cuz I just don't seem to catch much on them. Yes, I do use live trout for bait sometimes despite the groans of disaproval from my flyfisherman buddies. My cousin Steve whom I've posted pics of with some nice Flatheads showed up tonight with about a Doz. nice sized gills and 2 nice bullheads. He also had some nice chubs, but they had already died so we put them on ice. The others went into the livewell with my bait. Its getting harder and harder to find good bait as the Summer goes on. I've probably taken somewhere around 30 Doz. or more chubs out of this one stream. Need to find some new spots I guess. I bet some of you guy's on the East side have some great little bait streams right nearby. Grab a bucket, some small split shot, small perch size hooks, and your ultra-light gear of course. Tip the hook with a waxie or small piece of worm. Won't take long if theres chubs there.

Dan

[janton311]

Is it even legal to use trout for bait. I'd probably check:ooooh:

[TA2D]

Sounds like you need to let that creek rest for the rest of the summer, I would try to find somewhere else that can produce chubs and other bait for you for a while.

Aaron

TA2D

[hear_kitty]

Lots of streams full of chubs have several spots were i go and get them.Mostly use them as cut bait for these channel live for pike as a matter of fact i get alot from the same place as the bait store down the road. Dan dont you have a hard time keeping them alive.

[RiverKat]

Lots of streams full of chubs have several spots were i go and get them.Mostly use them as cut bait for these channel live for pike as a matter of fact i get alot from the same place as the bait store down the road. Dan dont you have a hard time keeping them alive. I used to have a hard time keeping them alive until I bought a potable livewell system. Its a pretty simple set up. Just a pump, hose, and a small piece of pvc tubing with some holes drilled in it. I put this in a large marine style cooler and power it with a spare deep cell battery. I can put it in the back of my truck and take it right to the stream. I've kept minnows alive in it for a week before. I change the water once a day.

Dan

[RiverKat]

Is it even legal to use trout for bait. I'd probably check:ooooh: In Michigan any legal size fish is fair game for bait. Only bait we can't use is Carp or Goldfish. Probably to keep from introducing these species to waters where they don't allready exist. Trout make great bait for monster Bass out West I here.

Dan

[hear_kitty]

Dan i had just rewatched the show and must have missed the cooler the first time have one almost like it made it last year plug it in the cig lighter in the truck have gater clips for the boat. Have to ask if you have ever fished the flat where it runs in the grand?

[jspiel]

Don-

believe it or not i have actually fished the flat from the mouth upstream to the dam in Lowell.....pretty shallow most of the way. some wood and undercut banks.....We both know deep is a relative term, so it should hold a few kitties where the wood mets the undercut banks. there are two deep channels right at the dam divided by, of all things, a house....no kidding...there is a house built in the middle of the river below the dam, and last i knew, it was occupied......i do know there is a hole, depth unknown, right at the mouth of the flat, just downstream of course. there was some wood sunk in the hole the last time i fished it.....(several years ago)

i have taken some good eater channels from just below the dam, and three monster (for me) smallmouth. about three pounds each. i also got a real nice steelhead there too.

hope this helps you, but im sure there are guys here that know much more about the area than I do.....

[hear_kitty]

Don-

believe it or not i have actually fished the flat from the mouth upstream to the dam in Lowell.....pretty shallow most of the way. some wood and undercut banks.....We both know deep is a relative term, so it should hold a few kitties where the wood mets the undercut banks. there are two deep channels right at the dam divided by, of all things, a house....no kidding...there is a house built in the middle of the river below the dam, and last i knew, it was occupied......i do know there is a hole, depth unknown, right at the mouth of the flat, just downstream of course. there was some wood sunk in the hole the last time i fished it.....(several years ago)

i have taken some good eater channels from just below the dam, and three monster (for me) smallmouth. about three pounds each. i also got a real nice steelhead there too.

hope this helps you, but im sure there are guys here that know much more about the area than I do..... Thanks jon is there a dam on the thornapple river and what way is the current out of the grand or in.

[RiverKat]

Dan i had just rewatched the show and must have missed the cooler the first time have one almost like it made it last year plug it in the cig lighter in the truck have gater clips for the boat. Have to ask if you have ever fished the flat where it runs in the grand? I have not fished the Flat at all Don. I do know that it is known for it's smallmouths though.

Dan

[jspiel]

there is a dam on the thornapple Don. it is not very far off the grand, about a 10 minute boatride, i believe, when the water is up. The thornapple flows into the grand in ada. There is a boat launch about 300 yards down stream from the mouth of the thornapple. there is a very nice hole right at the mouth, with plenty of wood, im not sure about the depth of that hole tho. there is wood and brush lining both banks of the thorn. for roughly 1/2 mile upstream from the grand......locals tell me there are some decent flatties in the thorn, and i have actually caught a channel or two there myself........(the dam area is also a favorite with the walleye guys)

[hear_kitty]

there is a dam on the thornapple Don. it is not very far off the grand, about a 10 minute boatride, i believe, when the water is up. The thornapple flows into the grand in ada. There is a boat launch about 300 yards down stream from the mouth of the thornapple. there is a very nice hole right at the mouth, with plenty of wood, im not sure about the depth of that hole tho. there is wood and brush lining both banks of the thorn. for roughly 1/2 mile upstream from the grand......locals tell me there are some decent flatties in the thorn, and i have actually caught a channel or two there myself........(the dam area is also a favorite with the walleye guys) Thanks for the info jon this is a spot that i would like to get into if you get the chance find out water depth this could be a trip in the making. Once again thanks jon

[bwanatony]

there is a dam on the thornapple Don. it is not very far off the grand, about a 10 minute boatride, i believe, when the water is up. The thornapple flows into the grand in ada. There is a boat launch about 300 yards down stream from the mouth of the thornapple. there is a very nice hole right at the mouth, with plenty of wood, im not sure about the depth of that hole tho. there is wood and brush lining both banks of the thorn. for roughly 1/2 mile upstream from the grand......locals tell me there are some decent flatties in the thorn, and i have actually caught a channel or two there myself........(the dam area is also a favorite with the walleye guys)


Hi Guys,
In Lowell, where the Flat hits the Grand, it gets fished pretty hard. Upstream from there are some good bends & holes, but the rocks & shallows will eat your propeller blades getting there! Especially by the railroad bridge.
In Ada, where the Thornapple hits the Grand, a lot of cats are caught around the M-21 bridge where timber piles up at the bridge abutments. Once again, lots of pressure from folks who kill a lot of fish.
There are good bends & holes downstream from Ada (upstream from the Knapp St ramp) but the boating is very hazardous there, too.
It's not often you can motor all the way to the dam, the water has to be pretty high, and there's a pipline (sewer?) under the road bridge you could hang up on. Very hard to fish around the dam anyway, expect to sacrifice many, many rigs.
I'm planning another flathead outing for July 7. PM me if you're interested.
Tony
(PS: Dan is right, any game fish legally caught and legal size may be used as bait, except carp & goldfish.)

[Sparky Larson]

Hey Don,
How did you make out on your bait trap? Did you get one made? Does it work?
Sparky

[hear_kitty]

Hey Don,
How did you make out on your bait trap? Did you get one made? Does it work?
Sparky Yes i made one put it out and went back to get it and some rotten &*&*#*%#&%#$&*%# stoled it hope they enjoy it

[Sparky Larson]

I guess not everyone is as honest as you and me. "Bummer"!
Sparky

[hear_kitty]

I guess not everyone is as honest as you and me. "Bummer"!
Sparky Never got one fish out of the thing like to sink a 7/0 in his hind end!

[sal_jr]

like to sink a 7/0 in his hind end!


Wouldnt that be equal to retireiving stink bait?:big_smile:

[nightwing]

The one decent cat I've caught since moving down here, if I recall(it was quite some time ago), was from a hole maybe a quarter to half mile down from the M-21 Bridge in Ada. It was a channel about 18 lbs. We were walleye fishing, and it took a crawler on a jig. I do remember the hole was pretty deep, but again...I was a passenger in the boat, and was not paying much attention to exact locations, so this is very, very rough.

[Sparky Larson]

Welcome Paul,
I'm guessing you live in the GR area, so you have plenty of catfisherman around. You say the largest cat you've ever caught is only 18lbs. Hell, I'm still trying to put a 10 pounder in the boat or on shore. Not to mention getting my first Flathead. I'm hoping I do both of them on the 7th of July. LOL
Any ways, Welcome to the BOC!
Sparky