Saginaw Bay 2/26/11

When I arrived at work this morning I was updated by my team that the walleye action is very hot right now three miles out in front of the Bay City State Park.  I'll confirm the report as soon as I can get out of the plant in the daylight....

Houghton Lake Walleye Report 2/25/11

First Walleye of the day 3:00pm

First walleye of the day for Mark and Tommy.  The walleye bite has been hit and miss so far with two missed fish and one keeper.  

Good Luck...

Fishing Camp North Shore 10 FOW

Budd Lake Fishing Report 2/25/11

Budd Lake Early Monring Setup

The Big Walleye Hole 17 FOW

I woke up at 3:00am this morning dreaming about ice fishing and feeling excited about getting back on Budd Lake this weekend.  Then I remembered that I'm working all weekend on a new program start up and fishing will not be an option.   The thought of the monster walleye that Chachi and I lost last Sunday is still driving me crazy and all I want to do is keep fishing until I get another crack at him.  With work getting very busy and walleye season coming to a close in eighteen days I decided that I needed to get up and head to Budd Lake before work.   I ran out to the barn and scaled down my fishing setup to what I can carry and took off for the lake.  I walked on to the lake at 4:20am  and was fishing by 4:40am.  Fishing was slow in the dark, but I did see a few fish the sonar around 5:15am come in and look at my jig.  Fishing action got hot at 7:40am when I missed a fish jigging and a few minutes later I had a tip up go off but no fish.  I fished until 8:30am the packed up to head to work.

Mark and Tommy traveled up to Houghton Lake this morning, so we should have a walleye report later today.

Rapala Jigging Rap ( Hot Lures )

The Rapala name is a Old School Standard for most of us.
If you are on the ice and you are looking for a hot lure as the big Walleyes start to feed....

Try the Rapala Jigging Rap.

Welcome Fish H8 Me (Raz)

Hot Hunting Spots is happy to welcome "Raz" from Fish H8 Me.  If you have a chance to check out the site it has lots of great information!   ( http://www.fishh8me.com ) or just click on the image.

Welcome Ken's Landing!

Hot Hunting Spots would like to welcome another great outdoor resource located in Clare County for all your hunting and fishing needs.  Check out the team at Ken's Landing with two locations:

Ken's Landing
704 N. First Street
Harrison, MI. 48625
(989) 539-3700

Ken's Landing ( Seasonal )
201 West Park
Lake George, MI 48633
(989) 588-6317

Budd Lake Tournament 2/20/11

A few extra photos from the Weigh in Station of the 1st Place Walleye caught at Winterfest 2011.
Great Job Chachi!

Budd Lake Fishing Report 2/20/11

Chachi with his 26- inch long 7-pound Budd Lake walleye 

Prefishing pays off for Chachi.  Last weekend the kids and I hiked through the deep snow to prepare our fishing plan for the Frost Bite Fishing Contest that took place today on Budd Lake.  This morning when the teams were released to fish Chachi and I headed north to our go to walleye spot.  Shortly after getting our holes drilled and in position three other teams arrived and setup on both side of us. This wasn't a big deal, but it was going to make it difficult for us to move and scout for fish.  We made a quick decision to pack up and move to our second spot located at the South end of the lake where we had fished last Sunday.  Good thing for fishing pressure because it moved us right into lots of walleye.  We drilled our normal setup of 25 holes then took the camera and tip up gear to setup our still baits.  On our second hole we spotted a nice walleye a foot of the bottom on the break in 12 FOW and we placed our first tip up.  Moving on we found more walleyes which was very encouraging and helped us get our tip ups set quickly.  While scouting we found a mix of fish activity with most of the walleyes cursing the break and then we found several fish just laying flat on the bottom.  Well what looked like a jackpot of fish turned out to be a very slow bite for the most part.  At 9:20am Chachi yelled from the shanty that he had hooked a big fish and sure enough it was a big 20-inch large mouth bass.  It was the big bass we prayed for in the summer contest, it was just delivered seven months late.  With the edge of the early morning just about to wearing off we got our first flag at 10:33am.  Being the first fish of the day and possibly a money fish Chachi gave me the line and he held the video camera.  Well this is the big fish that got away story and it hurt at the time.   The fish spooled three quarters of the line on the reel before stopping, then I set the hook and thought I lost him, then the fight was on all the way back to the hole only to find that we couldn't control the fish or get him into the eight inch hole.  We worked hard, but the big walleye never gave us a head shot and he ended up breaking off on the third attempt.  The heart breaker was that I'm positive this fish was 10-pounds or better and would have been a great ice fishing trophy.  After the loss and a big adrenalin headache I reset the tip up and headed off to jig without any luck until around noon when we started seeing walleyes again.  Then at 1:15pm with hope fading we had a flag in the big walleye hole and this time Chachi would have the line.  We got to the hole to find the reel hung up on the ice.  I picked up the tip up and then he fish started spooling line like crazy.  Chachi waited for the fish to stop and then set the hook. With the fish hooked Chachi worked the fish to the ice where we lost the fist fish and with only 45 minutes left to fish Chachi got the walleye straight in the hole on the second try and pulled it into my hand.  With the fish on the ice it was now an awesome moment for the twelve year old fishermen and I have to say this was one of the best walleye fishing trips I have ever been on.  I've caught hundreds of walleyes and everyone of them made my day, but getting to be part of my nephews first big walleye and seeing the excitement was awesome.    I know this will be a fishing trip he will always remember and I'm sure he will tell all of his friends how he won the walleye division with his 7-pound 26-inch last minute Budd Lake walleye.

Good Luck...

Caught on a Tip Up in 14 FOW at 1:15pm

Chachi and Uncle Den

20-inch large mouth 9:20am

3" Magnum report

I fished lake erie's brest bay in search of some hogg walleyes this past weekend and found that I was the only person out there both mornings with the exception of one fisherman making the 2 mile walk through the drifted snow out to the pressure crack. My customized snow machine and I had to stop and offer a ride out there since I am a good sportsman for which he gladly accepted. We found our way to 18' of water at the pressure crack and I set up there only to get skunked both days. Fyi the ice is about 12" before crack and 5" after crack.
I'm very dissapointed with the fishing as a whole in s/e mich this year, I haven't heard of anyone cathing much.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Budd Lake Fishing Report 2/12/11

First fish of the day.

Fished Budd Lake today to do some scouting around before the fishing tournament next Sunday.  The kids and I spent the whole day drilling holes and checking out areas trying to pin point where Chachi and I are going to setup on Sunday morning.  Overall, we found lots of small perch and a few nice bluegills in about every area we checked out, but no big fish today.   If you head out to Budd Lake be prepared for deep snow and slush, it will give you a good workout.

Good Luck....

Chachi having fun bluegill fishing.

Drying out in the shanty after a long day of fishing

Weekend Fishing Report 2/3 - 2/5

Houghton Lake Sun Set

Saginaw River (2/3) Fished the river Thursday afternoon South of Hooters in 23 FOW.  We hooked nine walleyes in two hours all 12 to 14 inchers.  On my way out to my fishing area I found several areas that only had about 2-inches of ice which was a bit alarming and odd for as cold as it has been.

Houghton Lake (2/4)  The fishing was very good, but the snow drifts and slush conditions made traveling on the lake difficult.  We fished the NW side of the lake in 9 FOW from 7am - 7pm.  The best bite was on tip ups set 18-inches off the bottom with small gray minnows.  Overall we hooked eight walleyes, four keepers, two pike and lots of perch.

Pratt Lake (2/5):  Headed to Pratt Lake on Saturday and found lots of deep snow and slush.  Fished the SE side of the lake in 9 to 15 FOW and caught lots of pike and bass, but no walleyes.  

Rich and Butch Tip Up

Houghton Lake

Saginaw River Micro Walleye

Saginaw River

Scouting Pratt Lake in the Slush

Storm - Tuesday 2/1/11

Well it looks like it is time to prepare for a little bit of weather.... Then back to fishing again.

Hopefully some clear weather to follow this messy storm front.

Saginaw River 1/31/11

Fished on the Saginaw River near the Boys Club after work today.  I setup in 23 FOW and five minutes later I hooked my first fish of the night which was a 11-inch walleye.  Fishing action was great, but all of the fish were in the ten to fourteen inch range which is a great sign for the fish population.  I had the camera down and did see a few keeper fish, but no luck hooking them.  Overall, I caught and released twelve underside walleyes in my two hours of fishing.   The report at work is that the big fish are out 7 miles in the bay at the plug. 
Good Luck...

Saginaw River

Walleye checking out the bait



Micro walleye #1, walleye on the camera



Micro walleye #9

3" magnum Report

Saginaw River Micro Walleye

Saginaw River "Mirco Walleye"

Rich with a Mirco Saginaw River Walleye

Friday afternoon on my way up to the hot hunting spots secret cave
headquarters I stopped by the saginaw river for an hour of fishing in front
of the cement factory 3/4 mile down stream of the zillwakee bridge. I
dropped my camera down and saw walleyes of all sizes the entire time I was
there. I saw no less than 50 fish in an hours time and the only ones I could
get to bite were 3 micro walleyes. I wasn't sure what they were at first
until I saw that dorsal fin and goldish color and I laughed at the fact that
I caught these fish on 3" minnows.
Saturday we fished Houghton lake and had a great time with Dennis, Holly
and tracker the walleye lab. The bite was really lite with most action on tip
ups and 1 undersized walleye on a flying minnow dressed with a minnow head.
Sunday my dad and I went to Pratt Lake and fished a drop off in 8 fow
near a weed bed on north end of the lake with no bites on our jigging rods and
3 flags that produced 1 15" pike.
Next Friday the HHS pro staff will be executing a sneak attack on the
unsuspecting walleyes on Houghton lake with a good sized group of
fishermen,women and lab with the capability of setting many tip ups.

Houghton Lake Walleye Report 1/29/11

Rich and his first ever Tip Up Walleye

We had a great day of fishing with some old friends out on Houghton Lake today.  We hit the lake at 8:00am and started fishing in 8.5 FOW with tip ups and jigs.  Fishing was hit and miss most of the day with lots of flags and short strikes with only a few hooked fish.  Watching the camera while jigging most of the walleyes we saw came in looked at the baits and then moved on.  Best color today was purple and the most action came from dead sticks and tip ups. Overall we hooked four walleyes, one small pike, and two perch.  The lake was super busy today with tons of sled traffic, fishermen, and a nice visit from the DNR.  

Good Luck....

Nice Perch on a Dead Stick Setup

Holly and Tracker taking a break in the shanty

Den, Butch, and Rich taking a lunch break

Walleye at 2:45pm

Hi HotHunting,

Matt Robison commented on your note "Houghton Lake






















Walleye Report 1/29/11".

Matt wrote: "Great job! I fished there on 1/28 from 7am till 7pm. Never had a bite till our 4th move around 4pm. 10 fow with lots of fish moving in on the graph. Unfortunately my camera battery died by this time so was not sure what the marks were. Ended up landing 3 undersized walleye and loosing 2 at the ice. We were getting lots of hits but couldn't hook up. Thought for sure we were on the school of walleye but ended up being rock bass. Caught lots of em. Is that normal for walleye and rock bass to be in the same area? From 4pm till 6pm we had lots of marks on the graph and hits. Any thoughts on this? Im still learning houghton lake walleye..:)"

Southeast MI Report - By Rich

I've been fishing and scouting a lot in the southeast region and have found little success for me or anyone else that I've talked to. Brest bay is frozen over and safe to ride your 4 wheeler or sled at least out to the point and probably further if you test the ice as you go. I took my sled out last saturday and had 9" of ice out to the point. No fish were present except for shad. The marinas in gibraltar have been producing perch in open water but nothing to write home about. Gibraltar bay is slow as is lake erie metro park marina.
I'm heading up to the Saginaw River on Friday afternoon to try it out. I will be fishing on Houghton Lake on Saturday with our northern crew!

I'll keep you posted.

Rich Brower
SE Michigan Field Supervisor

Saginaw River 1/27/11

Fished the Saginaw River after work and had a great time looking at fish.  I got out on the River at 4pm and setup in 17 FOW and started fishing with jigging rapalas and a minnow.  The area I was fishing had 7 inches of good ice and lots of walleyes.   I saw over 30 walleyes, but I couldn't buy a bite tonight.  Most of the fish came in looked at the bait and then moved on.  I'll be back on the River Monday and will report back.

Houghton Lake Walleye Report 1/23/11

Tip Up Walleye



I arrived at the lake at 8:00am the thermometer read -13.  Excited to fish the new spot I mapped out the night before, I got out into the cold and unloaded all of my frozen gear.  After a bit of work getting everything started and packed I took off on a three mile trip to the NE.  I followed the route on my GPS out to my fishing area and realized that the area didn't have any signs of other fishermen.  Excited about the area even more I started drilling holes along the contour.  Stopping for a minute to enjoy the morning views I noticed lots of steam rising out of the new holes which is not a sight you see everyday.  The fishing action was very good all day  (9am - 3pm) and I saw lots of walleye, perch, and pike on the camera.  My first walleye was under size and he hit on a ghost bug and a small minnow. I caught six walleye jigging and one on a tip up with only one keeper.  The bite today was a bit of attract and then finesse.  I had a few fish swim in then just look over the bait and move on.  By the end of the day I was jigging a Darter in one hole to get the fish into the area and hooking them with a small jig and a wax worm on my second pole.  This was a odd bite for Houghton and without my camera I would have never figured the fish out.  The area I fished today was loaded with 14-inch walleye which is great sign for the future.  



Undersize Walleye Minnow / Flying Jig



Houghton Lake Walleye Report 1/21/11

Video of a walleye checking out the Moxi Minnow. 

Houghton Lake Walleye Report 1/21/11

Moxi Minnow Walleye

It was another wonderful morning of walleye fishing on Houghton Lake today.  My dog Tracker and I were on the ice at 6:30am setting up the shanty and drilling holes enjoying the cold full moon morning.  After a bit of work we were setup and fishing by 7am.  I started out fishing with a Blue / White GHOST BUG by Northwoods tipped with a 3-inch minnow.  Just before sunrise I had my first strike and a few minutes later I hooked a very nice walleye and lost him when he came off the hook halfway up the hole.  After light I turned on my fish camera and watched the second walleye I hooked.  I also watched him swim off after I lost him when my 6 pound leader broke at the barrel swivel.  At around 8:45am the action really picked up when I changed over to the Moxi Minnow.  The first drop I hooked a 14 inch walleye, then about twenty minutes later I hooked a 15 inch, and a 11 inch micro walleye later.  Early on the fish hit hard on the slow natural presentation and then after light the more aggressive flashy and loud presentation brought in the fish.  Tip up fishing was slow, one walleye and one miss.  Overall report, hooked seven walleyes two keepers, lost two keepers, three undersized.  Saw four walleyes on the camera that didn't bite, lots of perch and one pike today.  Lures tried out today:  Moxi Minnow Perch - caught lots of fish, recommend this bait when you need to attract fish to your area.  Ghost Bug - great with a minnow, excellent when fish are in the area and you need a natural presentation.

Second Walleye Moxi Minnow

Micro Walleye Moxi Minnow

Testing: Ghost Grub, Jiggle Bug, Moxi Minnow

Tracker Staying Warm

Cold and Windy Day On Houghton Lake