DNR: Boat anglers should take it slow and use extreme caution

DNR: Boat anglers should take it slow and use extreme caution
7/25/2007, 3:41 p.m. ET
The Associated Press


(AP) — Rivers and streams around the state are reporting low water levels, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources says.

Boat anglers traveling on these waterways will want to take it slow and use extreme caution. Water temperatures are warm, so anglers will want to fish the deeper holes, the DNR says in its weekly fishing report.

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SOUTHEAST LOWER PENINSULA:

Lake Erie: Walleye fishing has been fair. Try between the Dumping Grounds and the Banana Dike in 13 to 17 feet of water when using crankbaits and crawler harnesses. Colors vary day to day. Good bass fishing off Point Mouillee. Perch fishing has continued to improve with most boats taking 20 to 30 fish per trip. The fish are averaging 8 to 10 inches. Fishing the southern parts near Luna Pier and the Michigan/Ohio boundary waters produced the better catches when using minnows. Channel catfish are still being caught.

Huron River: Shore anglers are taking good numbers of bass.

Detroit River: Walleye have been caught when jigging worms or leeches. Some are handlining at night. Smallmouth bass are hitting on rubber gobies. Perch have been caught south of Sugar Island and Celeron Island in 6 to 8 feet of water. Try perch rigs and shiner minnows.

St. Clair River: Walleye fishing has been fair. Anglers are drifting or slow trolling with crawler harnesses. Pencil plugs have also caught a few fish.

Port Sanilac: Has good perch fishing around various weedbeds in 20 to 40 feet of water. Lake trout can be found in 90 to 100 feet of water.

Harbor Beach: Has seen very little activity but should be good for lake trout.

Grindstone City: Has real good walleye fishing in 28 to 60 feet of water from Lighthouse Park to New River. Crawler harnesses trolled on lead core worked best.

Port Austin: Has good walleye fishing off the reefs in 40 feet of water and good lake trout fishing just off the bottom in 90 to 105 feet of water. Chinook and steelhead have also been caught when trolling.

Saginaw Bay: The area around Buoys 1 & 2 is still producing best, but the Spark Plug and the Slot are also producing some good catches. Those trolling are using crawler harnesses, spoons and crankbaits. Shore anglers are getting a few catfish in the Hot Ponds. Slow fishing was reported around Caseville.

Saginaw River: Shore anglers are taking a few catfish.

Quanicassee River: Catfish have been caught by shore anglers when using crawlers or minnows.

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SOUTHWEST LOWER PENINSULA:

St. Joseph River: Skamania are in the river. We have passed at least 1,500 as of last week. There should be enough fish in the river by now for anglers to go after them. Fishing pressure has been light.

South Haven: Boat anglers are catching good numbers of chinook salmon when trolling in waters 30 to 80 feet deep. Pier fishing has been fair with summer run skamania hitting on spoons in the early morning. Perch fishing remains good when using minnows in 20 to 30 feet of water.

Grand Haven: Boat anglers are trolling in waters 150 to 200 feet deep for trout and salmon. The best colors for out deep have been blue and yellow. Salmon can be found around the piers. Boat anglers are fishing with white J-Plugs while the pier anglers have done well when using alewife. No perch to report.

Grand River at Grand Rapids: Water levels are extremely low. Boats coming from Johnson Park should not go past the Fulton Street Bridge. A few skamania have been caught up near the Sixth Street Dam when using yarn and spawn bags. Pink and chartreuse have been good colors. Walleye can be found in the deeper holes when using crawlers, minnows and leeches. Some large flathead catfish have been caught on sucker minnows.

Reeds Lake: Lots of largemouth bass have been caught in the early morning and late evening when using top water baits and plastic jerk baits. Pike fishing has been very good but the perch fishing was slow and the fish are small.

Murray Lake: Some crappie up to 14 inches have been caught on minnows when fishing about 6 feet down in 20 feet of water around Southwest Island.

Grand River at Lansing: Water levels are low, but bass and panfish have been caught above the North Lansing Dam. Fish have been spotted below the dam as well. Carp and catfish have been caught. Good baits to use have been crawlers, leaf worms, butter worms, wax worms and leeches.

Lake Delta: Still has good bass fishing. Panfish and pike are also providing some good action.

Muskegon: Fish have been caught about 45 feet down in waters 60 to 90 feet deep. Good colors have been blue, green and even black and purple as the sun gets brighter. No report from the piers.

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NORTHEAST LOWER PENINSULA:

Rogers City: A mixed bag of chinook, coho, atlantics, brown trout, lake trout and steelhead have been caught between the harbor and north toward Forty Mile Point, in front of Calcite Harbor, Swan Bay and off Adams Point. Water depths have varied greatly from one day to another, but try 55 to 110 feet deep while using downriggers up and down the water column. Some are running slide divers and dipseys about 180 feet back. Lead core in five colors with a small planer board and orange spoons have caught steelhead.

Presque Isle: Has pretty much the same report as Rogers City. Good places to try are straight out from the harbor or between the two lighthouses. Popular colors have been blue, green, purple, yellow, black and white.

Alpena: Salmon action has been slow, but lake trout are being caught right off the bottom in waters 120 to 150 feet deep. Most fish were taken about 6 miles out from Thunder Bay Island and around the lighthouse.

Thunder Bay River: Walleye and catfish have been caught along the river. Walleye are hitting on bodybaits and worms. The catfish are hitting primarily on worms. Under the new bridge is a good place to fish for walleye, especially on the Chisholm Street side.

Harrisville: Anglers are picking up a few lake trout in waters 75 to 130 feet deep. Spoons have worked best. The farther north of Harrisville you go the better the fishing has been.

Oscoda: A few lake trout have been caught but no limit catches to report. Most of the fish have been in the 3- to 6-pound range and have been caught right off the bottom in 90 to 120 feet of water. No salmon or steelhead to report. Pier anglers are catching undersize smallmouth bass, walleye, catfish and freshwater drum when using crawlers and leeches.

Tawas Bay: Fishing has been slow. A few walleye were taken in waters 50 to 85 feet deep. A lot of guys are going south toward the Charity Islands to fish walleye in 35 to 50 feet of water. There is very good smallmouth bass fishing in the bay with 3- to 5-pound fish taken, most of which are being released. Pier anglers are catching a few bass.

Au Gres: Walleye fishing is still very good, but it seems the fish have moved south of the port about 8 to 10 miles. Most are using harnesses in 25 to 30 feet of water.

Au Gres River: Shore anglers are taking some catfish.

Houghton Lake: No limits are being taken, but fish are being caught. Most fish are being caught around the weed beds when using crawlers and leeches. Bass and pike fishing have been the best. Anglers are trolling in the early morning and evenings or still-fishing over the weed beds during the day.

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NORTHWEST LOWER PENINSULA:

Petoskey: A few salmon and lake trout have been caught in front of Bay Harbor when trolling flies and spoons 100 feet down in waters 135 feet deep.

Walloon Lake: Walleye fishing was slow. A few rainbow trout were caught in 40 to 90 feet of water when trolling rapalas, thundersticks or spoons. Lake trout can be found just off the bottom.

Charlevoix: Salmon were taken at various depths when trolling spoons with flies off North Point in the early morning. A good number of fish were taken about 80 feet down, and those fish ranged between 7 and 14 pounds.

Thumb Lake (Lake Louise): Splake action has picked up in the East Basin when trolling spoons, spinners or rapalas in 28 to 50 feet of water. Some have started night fishing with good results not only for splake, but smelt. Some 8- to 10-inch fish have been caught on wax worms in 50 feet of water. Bass were caught, but the fish are running small. Bluegills and pumpkinseed sunfish are hitting on crawlers, minnows and leeches in 10 to 15 feet of water.

Traverse City: In the East Bay, chinook salmon are now being caught when trolling spoons off Deepwater Point and the Bluffs. Whitefish action was spotty with fish taken on wigglers along the southern end of the bay near Mountain Jacks in 60 to 80 feet of water. Lake trout action has been very good from the launch at Center Road to the Bluffs. Smallmouth bass have been caught when drifting minnows near Elk Rapids, but the fish are small. In the West Bay, chinook were caught when trolling spoons from Lookout Point to Elmwood. Lake trout fishing was slow with only a few fish taken near the gravel pit. Smallmouth bass were caught when casting spinner baits and bodybaits along Old Mission from Tucker Point to Merril Point.

Elk River: Catfish have been caught both upstream and at the mouth. Try large minnows, crawlers or shrimp.

Frankfort: Boat anglers are taking good catches of chinook and steelhead from the Herring Hole up past Point Betsie. Water temperatures are cold, so most of the fish are being caught in the top 50 feet of waters 70 to 180 feet deep.

Onekama: Has good chinook salmon fishing in 60 to 100 feet of water straight out from the piers and up near the Barrel. Good colors have been green and blue.

Portage Lake: Anglers trolling for walleye and pike have been catching fish in the early afternoon. Crawler harnesses trolled or drifted along the weed edges have produced lots of pike and a good number of walleye. Panfish can be found in waters 7 to 20 feet deep. Bass are hitting on crankbaits.

Manistee: Boat anglers trolling in the harbor and out to waters 70 feet deep have caught chinook, coho and steelhead. Pier anglers are casting spoons or using alewife.

Big Manistee River: Those fishing below Tippy Dam have caught brown trout and rainbow trout when fly fishing or using soft shell crabs and leaf worms.

Ludington: Boat anglers are trolling in the harbor and just outside the piers for chinook and brown trout. Some are trolling north between the State Park and the Point. More fish were taken when trolling glow spoons and flies in the early morning then changing over to blue and green spoons later in the day. Concentrate in waters 50 to 70 feet deep. Those fishing off both piers have caught salmon when casting spoons or using alewife. A few perch were caught off the North Pier.

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UPPER PENINSULA:

West Portage Lake: Had good walleye action when fishing the Humps, on the North Bar, between Grosse Point and Dollar Bay and along the west shoreline between Chassell and Pilgrim Point. The better method has been crawler harnesses off planer boards or when back trolling without planer boards.

Paint Pond: Muskie anglers reported fair action.

Twin Falls Impoundment: Has fair muskie fishing.

Ottawa Lake: In Iron County has fair to good smallmouth bass fishing.

Michigamme Reservoir: A few walleye have been caught.

Green Bay: The salmon is "King" right now in the waters of Green Bay. All ports are reporting very good catches of chinook and some brown trout.

Little Bay De Noc: The better walleye catches have been in the early morning or late evening. Those fishing during the day have marked fish, but catch rates were slow. Fish were caught between Gladstone Beach and the Black Bottom when jigging crawlers in 18 to 33 feet of water. Several nice catches were taken between the Ford River and Breezy Point when trolling crankbaits at night. Perch are hitting in 10 to 14 feet of water off Butler Island and in 18 to 25 feet of water out by the Narrows. A couple salmon were taken when trolling 40 to 50 feet down in waters 80 to 100 feet deep.

Big Bay De Noc: Anglers are catching lots of salmon 40 to 60 feet down in 80 to 120 feet of water, but the fish are running small. Glows with green and black are doing best. No walleye to report. Some nice perch were caught near Ogontz when jigging in 14 feet of water. Garden Bay reported some nice perch when jigging worms in 8 to 18 feet of water.

Marquette: Lake trout were the top catch, followed by coho salmon. Green spoons have worked best at various depths.

Munising: Anglers have done well for lake trout when using both natural and artificial baits. The better fishing seems to be on the days with only a light wind. Good numbers of splake have been caught just off the mouth of the Anna River when using spawn and spoons.

Au Train: Lake trout anglers have done well on the calm days. Fish have been caught in waters 50 to 300 feet deep.

Au Train Lake: Anglers are taking 4- to 8-inch perch along with the occasional small pike. Light numbers of walleye and smallmouth bass were also caught.

Grand Marais: Anglers are catching whitefish off the pier. Limits of lake trout have been caught 3 to 5 miles off shore.

St. Mary's River: Walleye and smallmouth bass fishing are good near Round Island. Most are slow trolling with crawler harnesses in the early morning. The boat launch at Raber Bay makes for easy access to the island.

De Tour: Herring and whitefish action slowed around Drummond Island, but fish were still taken on a red teardrop tipped with a wax worm in 28 feet of water near Long Island. Fly hatches are going on around the islands in Potagmannissing Bay.

Cedarville and Hessel: Out of Hessel, a few salmon have been caught around Goose Island when fishing shallow waters 15 to 30 feet deep. Smallmouth bass have been caught off the rocky points. Pier anglers have caught smallmouth bass, perch and pike. Sunfish and yellow perch are biting in Musky Bay and the Moscoe Channel. Excellent pike fishing was reported in Cedarville Bay and the Middle Entrance when using spinner baits in 30 feet of water.

St. Ignace: Anglers are salmon fishing between St. Ignace and the Coast Guard Station, but the catch rates have slowed. Anglers fishing with spoons or flies and flashers were taking mostly 3- to 8-pound fish.

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Buying a boat lets you 'own' all the waterfront property that you ever dreamed of

Buying a boat lets you 'own' all the waterfront property that you ever dreamed of

By Scott Burns | July 6, 2007

BAYSIDE, Maine -- The midday sky darkens as the Surprise slides toward its mooring. We drop the sails. We have everything tied down just as the rain shifts from drops to downpour. The radio mentions thunderstorms along the entire midcoast of Maine, an area that may be the most beautiful sailing ground in the world.

Unlike previous sailing trips, the Surprise is not a rented vessel. She is a J30 sloop, vintage 1981. She was named in honor of the legendary Captain Jack Aubrey's vessel after my brother Doug and I bought her with a winning bid at the Maine Maritime Academy charity boat auction last year.

She is fast. A mere puff of wind will move her at 5 knots. A good breeze will take her to 7 knots and more. Below decks she nominally sleeps six in the space one might find in a 25-foot Airstream. Light the cabin heater and she offers a comfortable nest of well-varnished wood. More important, she is a moveable feast of stunning waterfront.

Whether they are sail or power, boats are often described as money pits -- "like taking an ice-cold shower while burning $100 bills," or as "holes in the water into which one pours large quantities of money."

I beg to differ.

Today, boats are one of the few ways people who aren't rich may get to enjoy magnificent water views. Along this part of the Maine coast a very rustic waterfront cottage is likely to sell for $500,000 or more. In the more posh areas, like Castine and Blue Hill, the cost of entry is well over $1 million.

The math here is oppressive. A $1 million mortgage (at 6 percent) costs $6,000 a month for all 12 months. But prime season is less than three months, so the real cost is $24,000 a month, or about $800 a day. And that's before you consider taxes, insurance, maintenance, and utilities.

This is not unique to Maine. Check the prices of waterfront houses on Cape Cod, Long Island, and Annapolis, or anywhere along the Florida coast, and waterfront is priced in multiples of $1 million. The same is true, in spades, on the West Coast. Anything on the water, anywhere, is the stuff of trophies -- and priced accordingly.

The prices, I think, are further evidence of the growing gap between the Paycheck Economy and the Portfolio Economy. In the Paycheck Economy -- the one most of us live in -- houses are bought (and rent is paid) with monthly payments. Those monthly payments are tied very closely to monthly income. The monthly income, in turn, is sustained by the indignity and inconvenience of work.

In the Portfolio Economy -- the one Forbes Life, the Robb Report, and Architectural Digest chronicle -- everything is done with small shifts in large piles of preexisting assets. Nothing is tied to a paycheck or something as ephemeral as monthly income. Everything is a portfolio transaction, a movement of assets from one form (hedge fund, IPO, inherited stock, etc.) to another (trophy waterfront house, mega-yacht, etc.).

When it comes to waterfront and water-view property, the Portfolio Economy is crowding out the Paycheck Economy.

What can those of us who live in the Paycheck Economy do about it?

One answer: Buy a boat. It is possible to get on the water in a habitable boat for less than $30,000.

Another answer: Rent a waterfront house. While it may cost $500,000 or more to buy one of these properties, a great many "cottages" are available by the week for about $1,000. That's less than $150 a day, well under the actual or imputed costs of the owner. The gap between the cost of owning waterfront vacation property and the cost of renting it has been enormous for decades.

All we need to do is remind ourselves: It is possible to experience something without owning it.

Scott Burns is a syndicated columnist. He can be reached at scott@scottburns.com.

Incentives land boat maker, 858 jobs

Incentives land boat maker, 858 jobs

Millions of dollars in state incentives have convinced boat-maker Brunswick Corp. to build a manufacturing facility on the coast that will create 858 jobs.

Gov. Mike Easley said Monday that the Chicago company will set up shop in Navassa, a small town in, fittingly, Brunswick County. The state offered as much as $4.36 million in tax withholdings under the Job Development Investment Grants economic-development program.


Brunswick Corp. (NYSE: BC) says it will invest $51.2 million in the next five years in the area, where it plans to manufacture yachts at a facility it's acquiring from boat-maker Rampage. The average pay of the jobs will be $31,293 plus benefits, just above Brunswick County's average of $30,576.

The company already employs roughly 1,500 people in North Carolina, most of whom work for its Hatteras Yachts division in New Bern and Swansboro.