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Post by pitchnflip on Feb 20, 2005 0:33:52 GMT -5
The preperation continues.
I have not fished Houghton Lake before, and I will be headed there this summer tourny fishing? Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
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Post by CWINSIII on Feb 20, 2005 0:55:47 GMT -5
The problem on Houghton isn't catching fish its getting quality fish. I fished it about six times last year and just drove out to the middle of the lake in 8 feet of water. Then dragged a texas rigged worm behind the boat and would easily catch 25 fish in about 4 hours in the morning. I would also cast a small pig and jig to isolated grass patches in the same area and got better size fish. I've heard people fish the channels around the lake and do good also. I tore up my prop last October on Houghton the lake was very low at that time.
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Post by djkimmel on Feb 20, 2005 1:01:27 GMT -5
Lots of canals, especially along the West shore, North Bay and East Bay. Best early in the season, but the deeper ones hold largemouths all season.
There are sandsucker holes around the lake along the South shore, North shore and a few in North Bay that will concentrate bass at times too. They are small and tricky to find at first - not really on the map other than a few.
Some of the reed beds hold bass part of the year too - mostly in North and East Bays. They had some really bad weed kills thanks to overexuberant treatment so I don't know what you'll see this year for weeds. I used to catch a lot of largemouths drifting the big weed beds along the South shore, but I've heard they wiped a lot of them out.
More smallies along the North shore and going into North Bay. They can be hard to find in the summer after spawn.
Docks can be good at times in some parts of the lake. Deeper ones and isolated ones are best.
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Post by stackenem on Feb 24, 2005 21:11:01 GMT -5
Are you doing the top bass on houghton?
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Post by djkimmel on Feb 24, 2005 22:41:34 GMT -5
Don't know about CWINS, but I'm not planning on Top Bass right now although a couple of my fishing partners are talking about it pretty seriously.
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Post by CWINSIII on Feb 24, 2005 22:49:47 GMT -5
I'm not, I will be fishing NBAA division 38 on Tuesdays out of Traverse City.
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Post by pitchnflip on Feb 24, 2005 22:58:44 GMT -5
Ya, that's my primary circuit that I fish.
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Post by stackenem on Feb 25, 2005 10:50:52 GMT -5
Pitchnflip Where are you out of? I'm in Howell. I'm suppose to have some maps comming from a guy that lives on Houghton but have not seen them yet. Are you doing the first Tourney up there? I think it is the 2nd weekend of the season. I'm going to try to make that one.
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Post by pitchnflip on Feb 25, 2005 11:17:02 GMT -5
stackenem
I am hoping to fish most if not all of Top Bass this year. With the last two years schedule being close to the same, I was getting half way fimiliar with the lakes we were fishing. Now I got to go back to the drawing board and really do some more homework.
By the way I'm from up around the flint area, however I am very fimiliar with the Howell area. I work down there. I tend to fish Lk Fenton. Ponema, and Lobdell just because they are fairly close by for me. I am hoping to get a couple of opportunities to prefish Houghton, and maybe a couple other Top Bass Lakes. That's yet to be seen though!!!
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Post by stackenem on Feb 25, 2005 21:02:48 GMT -5
Pitchnflip Maybe we can work out a trip to houghton lk at the same time then we can see if we can figure it out. Just a thought.
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Post by pitchnflip on Feb 25, 2005 23:17:02 GMT -5
I would be game for that.
When it gets closer we will have to work something out.
thanks Pat
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Post by fishingguru on Mar 3, 2005 21:17:34 GMT -5
fished Houghton last fall for a club tournament. Had a blast !!!!!! Weighed in 10 smallies that went 35 pounds for a two day tournament. Never moved the boat. But they only bit for about an hour each morning.
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Post by djkimmel on Mar 3, 2005 22:26:44 GMT -5
WOW! That's what I hear about the fall smallies there, but I've only been there once in September and didn't find that one small spot that day. Caught a few largemouths and a few mostly smaller keeper smallies.
I've mostly fished it in June and July. Still fun, but kind of a challenging lake before fall.
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Post by blakstr1 on Apr 14, 2005 11:30:16 GMT -5
Last summer I eeked out a limit with the jig/pig just casting to any vegetation I could find. They killed most of the weeds in there so the fish will bite but it can be sparse. I wouldn't say there are many great spots vs. good spots vs. poor spots if you know what I mean. For the most part the whole lake has fish, I guess, don't get frustrated, it will be an awesome lake again soon...i hope.
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