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Posts: 116
Location: Germantown and Land O Lakes, WI | I'm pondering a trip to the Detroit this spring and have heard horror stories about currents, frieghters, exclusive equipment needed and how much of a pain it is.
I'm looking for info from local guides, frequent anglers or pros on what equipment is an absolute must for out there. I'd hate to drive all the way over and find out I don't have what's needed to have fun and be safe.
Thanks,
GMG |
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Posts: 300
Location: Lincoln Park, Mi | It's not bad at all. You'll need jigs and lots of them. Weight all depends on your line. You're most likely not getting away with less than 3/8, probably will need 5/8 or 3/4. Don't forget stingers. Decent trolling motor and battery also. I have a 40# on a 17' deep-v and it's too small on days with a north wind. You'll be using the trolling motor all day so make sure the battery can hold a good charge. You'll need a Canadian license if you're fishing both sides of the river but it's really not necessary. Freighters aren't much to worry about. You can see them coming for miles and have plenty of time to get out of the way. Just plan on snagging bottom quite frequently and losing some jigs until you get the feel for it. If you're a handliner, I'm sure someone else will chime in with the necessities for that approach. Oh, you'll be on international waters so you'll have to abide by coast guard requirements that are a little stricter, I think. Pssssstttt. Check up on the no wake zones also. They vary from none to 1000 feet from shore depending on what city you're in. Good luck and drop me a line when you're coming. |
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Posts: 2567
Location: Manitowoc, WI | Jigs, jigs, and more jigs......depending on how proficient you are jigging. I managed to fish it for 6 days in 2001 and lost about 6. My co-anglers went through a 3700 box full.....kind of funny, but, kind of not funny, if you know what I mean.
I sugest you use Fireline or Power Pro line, as you will want to stay vertical while jigging and using the thinnest diameter line available to cut the current and diminsh water resistance. I used 6/2 Fireline in flame color while I was there.
Yes, stingers are a good idea too.
Have you ever handlined? This is the place where, I believe, handlining originated. The local bait shops have all you need to set up for handlining.
Good luck. There are some huge fish there. Plus bonus muskies are fun to catch too. |
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Member
Posts: 116
Location: Germantown and Land O Lakes, WI | I know a few guys who've been over there and I've done some reading too, but what really has me curious is the quote I read ...."At any given time in spring, there will be 10-12 million walleyes working thier way through the Detroit river.".......gotta be a world record in that group! |
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Posts: 300
Location: Lincoln Park, Mi | I think we have some of the biggest walleye on average in the spring, but not those 18#'ers like on some inlands. 10-12#'ers are pretty common in the spring and a few 14's here and there. Don't let that 10-12 million fish get your hopes up too much. It's a tough bite for the vast majority of people even with all those fish in there. Most of the fish are just passing through and have little interest in eating. Definitely be ready for a possible world class muskie though. There's some MONSTERS taken every spring accidentally while people are jigging for eyes. |
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Posts: 116
Location: Germantown and Land O Lakes, WI | Musky????.....I'm there.
Does anybody snap jig heavy blade baits? |
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Member
Posts: 2567
Location: Manitowoc, WI | If I recall correctly, the musky season is closed in the spring. Yes, I caught good walleyes jigging blade baits too.
If you want, send me a private email at [email protected] and I'll give you some information. |
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Posts: 300
Location: Lincoln Park, Mi | Yeah, it's closed (unless you're the poacher "Claude from Indiana" http://www.downrivertackle.com/poacher.jpg ),but there are more incidentals during the spring than intentionals catches when the season is open. I've never caught a muskie on the river intentionally, even though I've tried hard :(. all my catches have been incidentals (in and out of season)while jigging for walleye.
Edited by terroreyes 1/12/2005 5:54 PM
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Member
Posts: 116
Location: Germantown and Land O Lakes, WI | Is there a big advantage hand-lining over jigging? I was up in Conover a few years back and had a chance to shoot the poo with the late Norb Wallock, he was taking about Pole-Lining, anybody hear of that or use that technique? |
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Member
Posts: 2567
Location: Manitowoc, WI | Handlining is the preferred technique when the river turns to mud and the current is at it's highest. If the water is somewhat clear, jigging is prefered. Pole-lining also works, as it is similar to handlining without the handlining equipment. |
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Posts: 188
Location: Westland, Mich. | not too many poleliners on the river. when the big bite is on the 8 or 10 hot spots will be clogged with jiggers, makes it hard to handline those spots sometimes. if you plan to handline bring jointed and plain original raps, smithwicks, bomber long a's, flatfish and little rippers. the trenton channel is the best spot, south of edison. this is also the worst snag filled section of the river. most of the rest is fairly smooth with occasional snags(there's more than 1 or 2 cars down there). bring 5/8 and 3/4 oz jigs for most of your presentations unless jigging is your forte, then you can knock a 1/8 - 1/4 oz off that. there are a couple of slack water spots where the lighter jigs are good too. during the spring bite emerald shinners are the prefered bait but, bring some plastic worms and some shad bodies in motor oil, chartruse, orange, pink, white, black, and mixes of those colors. later in the spring add crawlers. |
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