Mid Michigan Outdoors

     Welcome to the Outdoor Tips pages.   In these pages will be tips that cover many aspects of outdoor recreation in Mid-Michigan.  These tips will come from outdoor enthusiasts throughout the area.  If you would like to submit a tip to have considered for our Outdoor Tips page please e-mail them to midmichiganoutdoors@live.com 

Shallow or Clear Water Bobbers

 It is often the case that in early Spring or during the spawn, many fish species are found in very shallow water.   In water that is less than 2 feet, or water that is exceptionally clear, fishing can be very tricky to say the least.      When local  lakes first loose their winter ice and the spring sun begins to warm the shallow water even a couple degrees, many fish species will head for shallow water to warm.  Keep in mind that their bodies are still very cold being cold blooded creatures so the are generally not extremely agressive but are willing to take a bait. The problem is that without a bobber or float of some kind, bait is often moving to fast.   With a bobber the bait can be slowed down but is often not taken because the bobber is visible in the shallow or clear water.  The solution is a clear casting bobber or float like one used by many trout fisherman.  A bait or lure can be suspended at any depth below the clear float without the fish being spooked by the bobber.  I often hang a jig within 2 - 6 inches under a clear bobber and have great success.  So the next time you are having trouble getting a bite in shallow or clear water, and you know the fish are there, try this little tip and see if might just help put some fish in your basket.  

River Smallmouth Bass

The smallmouth bass in river systems are structure oriented fish. Any structure in slow moving water will usually holds fish, log jams,  rocks, and erosion control structures are prime areas to search for smallies.  Smallmouth bass prefer slower moving water, structure, and  sunshine. I have often found the middle of the day to be one of the better bites for smallmouth bass. My favorite way to fish river smallies is floating in a kayak, but tubes, canoes, flatbottom boats, and waders can all work equally as well.   Just float or wade along and watch for any slack water or any structure that will cause a current break.  Slack water usually means deeper water, which the smallies love.  Soft plastic tubes, senkos, and grubs, cast across the current are a simple and very effective presentation.  Most of the rivers in Mid Michigan have a smallmouth population so slip into that canoe or put on those waders and head out for some river smallmouth bass.

Reference Journal

Here is a simple, yet often very useful, tip that might help put some fillets in the freezer.  Each and everytime you go fishing be sure to record your days events in a fishing journal.  Include information such as weather, water temperature, water clarity, lake being fished, date, time, lures used, depths fished, etc.  If you continue to do this it will not be long before you have accumulated a wealth of knowledge that can be used as reference for future fishing trips.  Lets say I am wanting to go to Wixom Lake tomorrow and do a little crappie fishing.  The weather is supposed to be in the mid 80s and partly cloudy with a 10mph west wind.  Well now I will just go into my journal and look to see if I have been on Wixom Lake or a similar type lake, under similar weather conditions.  If I have, then I now have an idea of what to do and where to go when I get there.  If not, well then I have a new entry for my journal that may be used to my advantage sometime down the road.

Flip-cast (flippin)

 Use your wrist, NOT your arm.                                                                                           Concentrate on the spot you want to hit, not on what you want to miss.                             Use plenty of scent when trying to penetrate thick cover - it acts as a lubricant.               Stick to basic jig colors (black/blue, brown/brown, black/chartreuse).                               Use a plastic worm with a glass bead between the worm and the weight for inactive fish.                                                                                                                                                              If you think it's a strike, reel down until your rod is in a hookset position before you check.                                                                                                                                                            A strike is anything different                                                                                                           Tighten your drag all the way down for better hooksets.                                                        Use 17 to 25 pound test line for bait casting gear, 10 to 14 pound test on spinning (for flipping finesse baits).

Clear Water Bass

In clear water conditions largemouth bass rely mostly on sight to see what they are eating. Use small spinnerbaits with a single willow type blade. You must reel this lure in fast to attract the fish in clear water. Another good lure for these conditions are natural looking grubs and other soft plastics in natural colors.  Small, subtle, natural, are all very important in most clear water situations

Busy Weekend, Good Fishing

When those summer holidays arrive and the lakes and bigger rivers become crowded with boat, jet skis, tubers and every kind of personal watercraft you can imagine, do not let that stop you from getting in some quality fishing time.  Just because most of the waters are turbulent with traffic and many fish are hunkered down riding it out does not mean that there are not plenty of fish just waiting to take lure or bait.  Look for those smaller rivers, creeks or lakes that are out of the way or to small for pleasure craft.  Put on your waders or shorts, grab a kayak or float tube, take a buddy and a canoe, whatever your choice, just get out there.  You might just stumble onto a new hotspot that you can always go to when times are tough.  This Saturday was the 4th of July yet I was able to float a locat river in my kayak for over 5 hours without seeing another boat or watercraft of anykind.  Plus I was able to put a couple dozen smallmouth bass in the kayak.  So when the water traffic becomes overwhelming, head for that little out of the way spot, enjoy some peace and quiet, and just maybe catch a few fish.

Wind Direction

Any of us who has pursued the whitetail deer knows that the wind can quickly make or break a hunt.  Now with todays technology and marketing there is a vast number of products on the shelves of sporting goods stores across the country that can aid in determining the wind direction.  What most of these manufacturers and retailers do not want us to know is that an equally good product can be found on or near most of our properties.  Milk weed pods.  Most of us have seen them at one time or another.  That greenish brown, cone shaped pod, that cracks open as it dries in the fall and uses the winds to spread the white, almost weightless, seeds around the country side.  Simply pick a couple dry pods and put them in your pocket or pack.  As you enter your area or stand this fall, simply pull a couple seeds from the pod and let them go.  The slightest breeze will carry them down wind, showing you the direction of the wind currents in your area.

Duck Calling

         Learning how to blow the hen mallard quack is the first step in becoming a successful good duck call operator. Before learning any other call you will want to first master the quack. To produce the other mallard calls you will simply lengthen or shorten the quack.                                                                                                                                                            

To produce  a quack use the reference word "quit". Tip: Put emphasis on the beginning of the word and cut off the note with your tounge.

 Decoy Anchors

     Choosing the right decoy anchor system for the situations you hunt through out the duck season can make life a lot easier and picking your decoys up after the hunt a lot easier.

    Important factors to consider when choosing a decoy anchor system include versatility, such as will the anchor system you choose work well for setting in very shallow water as well as deeper water if needed. Also, will the anchor attachment method to the decoy cause paint wear after several uses.

Field Dressing Deer

    Lay the deer in a belly up position. Start your cut at the anus or below the breast bone. Be sure to only cut through the skin. Cut the full length of the carcass from the anus to the breast bone. Be careful not to cut the stomach.                                                                 Using a knife, saw, or axe; split through the pelvic bone and the breast                   Reaching up into the chest cavity grab hold of the windpipe and cut it loose.                  Roll the deer onto its side and cut and pull away all internal organs.                                 Always be careful when handling the stomach and bladder. If you puncture the stomach be prepared to deal with the smell that follows.                                                                         Wipe the body cavity clean. If water is available, use it to aid in cleaning the cavity. If it is a warm day, place a bag of ice into the chest cavity to help keep the meat cool.

Longbeard Gobblers

Here is a tip that has really improved my success rate hunting longbeards.Everybody wants to hear that awesome sound of a gobble just before sunup.So most people's first instinct is to try a "locating" call in the morning.If you have did your homework, and have a bird on roost from the nite before,you already know the prize is there.So instead of rushing the game,don't start off hen calling as soon as you set up.Let the Tom think he's in charge.Wait till he has gobbled a couple of times in the roost,then give a couple of soft hen yelps.If you are POSITIVE there are no hens with him,you can be a little more aggresive and answer most of the gobbles.If there are hens roosted with him,wait till you hear some of the birds fly down,THEN start to make more calls.Try to mimic any of the calls you may hear the hens make.   

This tip comes from new member wallruss and enters them into Septembers custom drawing giveaway.  Thanks wallruss, sounds like some pretty good advice.