Pumpkinseed fishing on Lake St. Clair

[Fredric Leroy Gutchess Jr]

The last two weeks, up until 10 March 2010, I experience the most consistent panfishing for large fish I ever have in 40 years of doing it. Myself and four fishing buds limited out every day from the same spot all setting within 15 feet of each other. We were catching pumpkinseeds that averaged 8-10 inches. But the length of these fish is not condusive with their weight. These fish were absolute tanks. An eight inch fish averaged 10-12 ounces, the tens averaged 1 lb. plus. I watched my MarCum LX-3tc lit solid red from 6 feet to the bottom (9 1/2 feet) for two weeks straight in the same hole. All my buds had similar readings as I did. These fish were not only picture perfect beauties, but clean of all black specks and/or white grubs in their meat. They taste as good as any clean inland lakes' panfish would. In addition to the thousands of pumpkinseeds, we caught large and smallmouth bass up to 5 lbs. and perch up to 14 inches. These fish were so aggressively feeding, that from daylight(7 am.) to 9 am. we all would have 24 of the 25 fish limit. The rest of the time was spent culling (this is legal in Michigan as long as you possess under the 25 fish limit and return only live fish to the water) out the 8 inchers for the larger fish. Catching these beauties on 2 lb. test and ultralight ice spinning rigs is some of the greatest fun a person could ever have. Nor I or any of my buds have young children, but if we did and exposed them to what we experienced, they would have been hooked on fishing for life. Lake St. Clair, MI. is without question one of the finest panfish fisheries in this nation, if not the world. Get to St. Clair for late ice action, you will be glad you did........thefishman.......Brighton,MI.......Tight Lines.....

[GillnBrian]

to this I can only say one thing....

I live in Sterling Heights MI...Take me with you next year!!!

lol good luck out there =)