04/22/08 8:19(CST)

Captain Joe Pedota of Pocket Yacht Charter reports from Au Gre:

This past week fishing for walleye has been tremendous ! Boaters have been limiting out in close to the Au Gre river, as well as shore anglers fishing off of the break-wall. Minnow or smelt imitation lures have been seeing success. Try anything with silver...be it Cleos to Fast Tracs and Rapalas...black or blue being a good choice for the second color. As the water warms, plan on moving to only slightly deeper water, working out to only 20 feet or so.

04/20/08 8:7(CST)

Rogers City - The launch ramp is in. Boats are targeting shallow waters up to 20 feet deep inside Calcite Harbor, Swan Bay and north of Calcite near the Trout River where warmer waters can be found. Try trolling planer boards with long leads and small body baits. Good colors are orange and gold, chartreuse and silver, blue and silver, fire tiger, brown or peach. Use bright colors in the stained water. Casting from the breakwall has been slow.

Rockport - The docks are not in. Boat anglers are just starting launch, but windy conditions have kept most off the lake. A small atlantic salmon was caught in about 16 feet of water just north of the launch site.

Van Etten Lake - Has open water and fair to good perch fishing.

Oscoda - Pier anglers are casting or drifting spawn, but catch rates were slow. Most are targeting walleye and steelhead and know catch rates will improve with the warmer weather. There are a few lake trout in close but the season does not open until May 1st.

Au Sable River - Was high and fast down near the mouth so the only ones catching fish were the boat anglers. Try drifting spawn or wax worms from the whirlpool down. Water levels in the no-kill, catch and release only section near Grayling should drop by the weekend. The black stone and blue olive fly hatches are just getting started.

Tawas - Boat anglers trolling planer boards with body baits were taking some brown trout and walleye off Jerry's Marina and off the mouth of the Tawas River. Pier anglers have caught some walleye, brown trout and even a few small salmon.

Tawas River - Steelhead and suckers were caught in the lower river.

Au Gres - Walleye were caught off the mouth in 8 to 10 feet of water.

Au Gres River - Some steelhead were caught in the lower end of Whitney Drain before the rain. Catch rates should pick up after the water goes back down.

Higgins Lake - Still has ice, but no safe ice. Boat anglers may have to wait another week or so for the lake to open up.