# Christmas Fishing on the big river.



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Mike called me just as I was about to go out the door and walk my dogs. Asked if I wanted to go fishing with him on the St. Clair river last night?

I told him about to do the dogs so would be at least an hour and I had to get my rod out of my stored boat too. 

He said he would be ready by 8:00 and had rods and stuff I could use. Eat my supper and meet at his place by then.


Met him at 7:30PM and he was all hooked up to his boat trailer new to him in August a 18’ Lund he bought off a private party. He had told me to dress warm like going out deer hunting so I had brought my heavy camo to get into once we arrived at the river.


Was a nice ride and visit while traveling the bit over a hour to Marysville where the boat was launched right on the river.


He had went back to work at the end of June. Still really felt the loss of John bad. Goes at least twice a week to see if there is any thing Cheryl needs him to do. Said she is holding up well and always says she is fine not needing any help. She is glad the group came and cut up fire wood and soil it for her. Stacking it in the garage where she used to park. Sold her car and drives johns pick up now.


At the river the boat is launched he has me get in the truck and pull a big wooden box to the back while he is starting the boat and turning lights on. He comes to the truck and pulls two big pdf units out good for 500 pounds. Said we might weight more if we go in the drink and get wet but may on the other hand help.


Mike backs the boat away from the dock and turns up river heading toward Port Huron.

Once he gets where he wants to be he turns out of the main channel and drifts a bit as he puts a pair of anchors off the bow. 

They are special made anchors for the boat and river fishing not a lot can hold the boat in place totally that a person can lift but slows the drift down to a slow crawl.


He opens a locker and hands me a rod and reel it is rigged with a crank bait then about 2 feet up the line there is a heavy lead weight. He told me to let about 65 to 70 feet of line out with the line counter reel and set it in the right side rod holder. 

Then he hands me another to do the same thing with and put in the left hand rod holder. 


Once we had a total of 4 rods rigged and in the water we settled back and waited talking while we waited.

He said that he was supposed to be having Christmas with his daughter but she canceled so he decided to go fishing.

He knew I was about the only one who didn’t have family at Christmas is why he called me.



Told me he had taken over Johns role of helping cousin Mikie coyote hunting. They had been going a lot together. Said he had gotten Mikie to come to his place to deer hunt both getting nice bucks opening day.


One of the rods had a fish on so he told me to land it. We get it in the boat a nice 2 pounder Walleye, put it in a well. Had just about gotten the line out on that one and another rod had a hit so Mike brought it to the boat another 2 pounder. Got it back in the water just as a freighter goes chugging by headed for Detroit lake St. Clair and Detroit river.


Another rod had a fish on so Mike brings it in bigger than the other two about 5 pounds. Deal with out and get the line back out. Settle back and do more talking.

He bought the boat In August while covering for a guy at the auto parts store and one of the guys dads had passed and left a newer and bigger Lund to him so he was selling his older smaller one.


Has a 120 Merc engine is a 98 model as is the boat. Seats looked nearly new and was set up for river fishing and could quickly be set up for Salmon and lake trout with a mast pole and out riggers so you could run 4 rods per two persons or 6 rods for three people.


Around about mid night we had 5 fish and it seemed like we had ran out of them in the drift down river about a mile. So we decided to call it a night.

Was a nice ride back to thr launch seeing all the Christmas lights on the American side , Canadians didn’t allow the river bank to be mucked up with factory and homes. Lots of the river bank on that side were parks and boat launches.


We arrive back at Mikes and he says he will clean the fish and bring them to the house for me. I tell him that won’t do I will help since he was planing on cleaning them right then.


I had helped move him in but was surprised with how he had pushed the back of the grange out added running water a counter and sink . Even had a area off to the side where he could hang deer and coyotes for skinning. Also had a wood stove for heat but could if he wanted shut the water off in the basement and drain the pipes in the garage.


We soon had the fish cleaned and he insisted I take 3 of them. Said he had seen me eat and knew I would eat two fillets and let Kare have one.

Was only 1:00 AM when I got back home and put the fish away.


 Al


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Just to show this isn't a small river.















 Al


----------



## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Guy I use to fish with was hit and killed by a Barge on the Mississippi by St. Louis.

Good to see some out. They Gig Suckers here by the house at night. Gets plenty cold but the river stays 55 year round because of springs.

big rockpile


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Never fish in the channel. especially at night.
Those big frieghters are really lit up at night and really rumble going up river.
But you can't up ancor fast enough to get out of their way in some places.

 Al


----------



## D-BOONE (Feb 9, 2016)

Sounds like you had a good adventure.One for the fond memory column.


----------



## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

alleyyooper said:


> Never fish in the channel. especially at night.
> Those big frieghters are really lit up at night and really rumble going up river.
> But you can't up ancor fast enough to get out of their way in some places.
> 
> Al


Yes my friend was Catfishing at night. He knew better than to be in the channel, we figure the Barge got over where it wasn't to be. They didn't know they hit him until another Barge give them a holler that they was pushing a Boat.

big rockpile


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Going out again new years night if it doesn't storm. Looking forward to it, ones we got tasted so good baked.

 Al


----------



## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

alleyyooper said:


> Going out again new years night if it doesn't storm. Looking forward to it, ones we got tasted so good baked.
> 
> Al


You guys be careful and have fun.

big rockpile


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Yup we will be

 Al


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Mike said I should remind people to drain the lower unit on Out boards during freezeing weather. Once home should put it in a garage or other enclosure you can heat so the impeller doesn't freeze and break when started.

 Al


----------



## ed/La (Feb 26, 2009)

Sounds like fun. You tell a story well.


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I just write down as I remember things. Some times I even pull out my little note book and make notes of stuff I want to touch on.

 Al


----------



## RonM (Jan 6, 2008)

Well, it's interesting...


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

New Years Eve fishing on St.Clair River with Mike got moved up a day because New Years day temptures were forecast to drop to the low 30F range during the day.

It started raining on my drive to Mikes house so I was sure the fishing trip would be canceled.


Mike said no we can still go I will put the top up on the boat before we launch it. I said OK lest get going then.About 10 miles from Marysville it started freezing rain but by the time we got to the boat ramp it had stopped raining.


Mike decided to put the top up just in case it started raining again and also to keep it warmer in the boat. He had also gotten him self a small Mister Buddy for Christmas. That proved to be nice keeping us toasty.


We ran up river even farther up than the last time. Mike has talked to the guy he bought the boat from who told him that some sections were much better than others. So we were going to try a new place this trip possibly a couple new places.


Once again Mike put out lines on one side of the boat and I was doing the same on the other side. Once we got the 4 lines out we sat back and started talking.

Told me that he felt so obligated to John and Cheryl for all they had did for him when he was released from the hospital, then Johns on timely death he really felt he should help Cheryl as much as he was able. Said the problem was she didn’t ask for help with much. Said she was thinking of selling off the cattle as they required more work than the horses.


About that time we had a fish on one of the rods Mike had set out. Brought in a really nice looking 3 pound walleye. In the box it went, had just gotten settled down when another rod Mike had set was set, another walleye 2 1/2 pounds for the box. Settled down for about a half hour and one of the rods I had set went off so I started recalling it in. Felt like a really nice fish on the line and it was pulling hard. Finally go it to the boat and it was a small Sturgeon about 6 pounds. Have to release them as there is a season on them.It was also a little one they grow to be hundred pounds or more.
*****
*The state-record sport-caught sturgeon weighed 193 pounds and stretched 87 inches. It was caught in 1974 from Mullett Lake in northern Lower Michigan's Cheboygan County*

We decided we should move as we had two keepers in a hour and a half. We pulled the anchors up and drifted down stream a couple hundred yard and set anchors again.

Set the lines back out then set back to wait.


Took 20 minutes before one of my lines had a hit on it. Reeled in a another nice 2 1/2 pound walleye for the box. Got it set back out and Mike had another line go off, he had to work to bring it to the boat which neted for him. Fall and winter is noted for the bigger walleyes being catchable. Mikes big fat Walleye was a 8 pounder. Mike was pretty excited as it was the biggest one he had ever caught. I set the line back out for him as he admired the fish.


Mike was now geeked when he said he should have brought a camera and turn the fish loose since it was so big that eating it probably would be as good tasting as the little ones.

I said if it were not New Years eve we could dock and he run to the store and get a throw away to take a picture.

We caught two more fish from that spot a tiny 1 pounder and another in the 2 1/2 pound class then we decided to move.

This time Mike fired up the engine and ran down stream about two miles. Set anchors and it was much deeper there than where we had fished before. Mike said we should put another once of weight on 2 lines on on my side and one on his side. They are hooked on to a 3 way swivel with a lighter weight line than what is on the rods. Doing it that way allows you to break the weights off if you hook a snag rather than loose a bunch of line and lure.

At 10 minutes to 12 we had gotten 3 more fish two of which were 3 pounds.


Mike pulled a bottle out of one of the wells. I thought he knows I am a diabetic hope he doesn’t expect me to drink any surgery booze.

Turned out it was a suger free bottle of Crangrape Diet. We did a toast at midnight by Mikes watch and the fire works going off up and down both sides of the river. Decided we should head back to Mikes when it started to rain some more.


We get back to Mikes and we take some pictures of his big fish and clean them. I take 4 fillets home with me and left the rest for Mike. I knew he was planing on giving some to Mikie since he wasn’t going out since John had passed.


 Al


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

It was down to 29F last night when I went to bed at 10:30. Was 22F when I woke up at 3:30 AM this morning. 
Would have been a really cold night on the river so Mike was right in changeing the plans.

 Al


----------



## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

You guys do any Catfishing that is what most are after here now on the bigger waters?

big rockpile


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Michigan isn't big on cat fish. I even have doubts there are any in the St. Clair, bull heads yes most likely.


Some 50 pound sturgeon seen about 3:20 mark. Lots of diving off thre break wall at Port Huron too at the start.







 Al


----------



## gilberte (Sep 25, 2004)

Thanks for the story Al. Can't wait to get ice fishing here, weather's been crazy. Did take a ride on the UTV with the wife this past weekend to check the ice. Looks good to go, maybe tomorrow.


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

You go on the ice here you had better have a air boat of push a small flat bottom pram to be in when the thin ice breaks. Most small ponds here do not have solid ice, the dog decided to walk on some ice here Wednesday morning and broke though, she is only 50 pounds.


 Al


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I had wondered for some time why people were not going out in their boats fishing the small lakes that are not froze.

Yes they go out on the St Clair river, Dertoit River, Saginaw river after walleyes but not the small lakes.

then Mike reminded me if you have an Outboard motor the impellers will freeze if they are out of the water in freezeing temps if not stored in a heated building.

I can remember when I had a part time Job at a marina working on snowmobiles people bringing in boat motors not pumping water from going steel head fishing on the manistee river and having the motors impeller froze up and destoryed when they started it.
since I didn't work on the out boards that fact didn't stick in my mind.

Considering selling the snowmobiles and getting one of these Argos with tracks for the ice and mud. I can see some camo and duck hunting beaver ponds in Michigan, goose hunting corn stubble and new winter wheat fields.






 Al


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Al


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Al


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Here is a better one.






 Al


----------



## RonM (Jan 6, 2008)

You could tell beer was involved


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I love Canadain Beer, have a case of emptys to return on my next trip.

 Al


----------



## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Here they try catching 100+ Pound Blue Cats. Allowed only one Big one and 9 Small ones.

big rockpile

Bit long but this is Summer Catfishing on the Lake by our Cabin.


----------

