Sumner Lake

 Fishing was fair to good using top water lures, tubes, craws, worms and jerk baits for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Anglers having the best luck were fishing shallow. Fishing for catfish was good using liver and worms. Fishing for walleye was slow but there were a few caught by anglers using bottom bouncer night crawler rigs and crank baits.

Central Basin Walleye:

 Walleye have been caught in 32 feet of water north-northwest of Edgewater Park and in 46-47 feet of water north of Chagrin River. Good fishing was reported in 50-60 feet northeast of Fairport and in 65-73 feet north-northeast of Ashtabula. Anglers are trolling with dipsey divers or planer boards with weights or jet divers, ahead of stick baits or worm harnesses. The best colors have been olive, purple, pink and green.
Yellow Perch: Fish have been caught in 33-40 feet north-northeast of Wildwood Park, in 34 feet north-northwest of Chagrin River, in 45-55 feet northwes/northeast of Fairport Harbor and in 55-65 feet north-northeast of Conneaut. Perch-spreaders with shiners fished near the bottom produce the most fish.
Smallmouth Bass: Fishing has been good in 10-30 feet around the harbor areas in Cleveland, Fairport Harbor, Geneva, Ashtabula and Conneaut using drop-shot rigs, tube jigs, spinners, crankbaits, leeches and crayfish.

Traverse City:

Traverse City: Salmon have been caught on both bays but catch rates were still slow. A mix of chinook and coho were taken in the south end of the East Bay when trolling. Those wade fishing caught a few kings near Mitchell Creek. The lake herring bite was good for those trolling or jigging. Fish were caught south of Deepwater Point and along the west side of the bay from Old Mission to the M-37 launch. Lake trout were caught straight out from Elk Rapids and along the west side. Salmon fishing was fair up near the dam on the Elk River. Plenty of smallmouth bass, a few perch and bullhead were also caught near the dam. On the West Bay, those trolling for lake trout have caught lake herring. Lake trout were caught south of Power Island and near the sand hump outside Suttons Bay.

Lake Darling:

 Water temperature was going down until early this week when the air temperature went back into the 90's during the day. Water temperature is back into the upper 70's. Black Crappie - Fair: Crappies remain out in 4 to 5 feet of water with some out a little deeper. Most are in the 9 to 10 inch range. Light colored small jigs work best. Personal jig color of choice is yellow. Bluegill - Fair: Worm and bobber will catch you a good number. The bigger ones are around 8 inches. The original stocking is bigger than that but are hard to find. Channel Catfish - Good: Use a nightcrawler fished on the bottom to catch some nice one pound catfish. Try also a little chicken liver.

CATFISH BAIT RECIPE

CAJUN MUD CATFISH BAIT RECIPE
in a blender mix 24 bad minnows, and 1/4 C of the juice they was in along with 1/2 Cup parmesan cheese, 1 box cherry Jell-O 1/4 C molasses, 3 Tablespoons of onion salt and garlic salt, 1 cup bread crumbs, 3 Tablespoons of soy sauce, add flour to thicken then work into a dough and place in baggies in 1 inch balls use on a treble hook.

 TRINITY RIVER CATFISH BAIT RECIPE
In 1/4 cup boiling water add 3 beef bullion cubes. after they dissolve add 3 oz lunch meat, and 3 Tablespoons of garlic salt and onion powder, 5 slices of bread, 4 Tablespoons of of melted peanut butter, 20 crackers. Put it in a blender and mix. place in sealable container in a cool place with lid on tight. Use as a ball on treble hook.

 JACKS CAT ATTACK CATFISH BAIT RECIPE
mix 1 lb of aged in the sun chicken livers and 1 package of hot dogs together in a blender and mix. This may be best performed outside or with wife gone. In a gallon jug place a half a loaf of bread torn into bite size pieces, pour the liver and and hot dog mix over it. add 2 cans of nacho cheese, 1 can corn, 1/4 bottle of Tabasco, and a dozen worms cut up, to the mix. next get rubber gloves and pour this mixture out and knead good until it gets thick and a dough like consistency. Store in the sun, in a large plastic container, and handle with care.

Baked walleye recipes

Baked walleye recipes are served in restaurants all around the world. After you filet your walleye here is a healthier way to cook and eat walleyes than pan frying the walleye. Also a Walleye with Parmesan Peppercorn Crust recipe.
First you need to clean and filet your walleye. The recipe is for chopped walleye.
 1 small can crab with liquid
 1 stick of butter melted
 2-3 green onions or 1/4 large sweet onion chopped
 1/4 skinned red pepper chopped
 1/4 - 1/2 Cup parsley chopped
 1/4 Cup Miracle Whip if desired
 1 egg beaten
 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
 Bread crumbs for rolling
 Pinch old bay
 You then mix all and coat the fish,now roll in crumbs. Now put the chopped walleye on a greased cookie sheet, bake in oven on top rack at 350 degrees for about fifteen minutes, flipping once, until golden on both sides.

Big Manistee River:

 Chinook and coho salmon have reached Tippy Dam in good numbers, but anglers are having a hard time getting them to hit. Anglers had slightly better success above the coffer dam on the Consumers Energy side with a mix of everything from spawn to crankbaits and spinners. Fishing between High Bridge and Bear Creek has been slow with the exception of a few Kings caught out of the mouth of Pine Creek. The bite was steady east of Bear Creek in the lower section. Those anchored in the deeper holes and casting crankbaits did best in the morning.

Musky anglers also take advantage

Musky anglers also take advantage of the moon for late-night feeding by those toothy monsters.
When these top predator fish are actively feeding all night, and have shorter periods of feeding activity during the day, the perch enthusiasts take advantage.
Perch, a primary forage for predator fish, will be more active during the day when they aren't being chased.
To me, the real fall fishing pattern starts in our area around the third week of September and lasts until we ice up.
It starts a week or so earlier north of us and a week or so later south of us.
When we are into a fall pattern, fish are more predictable in their locations, and will stay schooled in the same area sometimes for several weeks. They are easier to pattern.
Starting now, minnows will become a "go to" bait, and as we get further into the fall, larger minnows become a preference for all the predator fish (bass, northern, musky, and walleye).