# Little muskegon????



## Cable (Nov 16, 2000)

I looked at a house for sale just north of Morly and the owner said that the river was within walking distance. I was just wondering if any body fishes this stretch and how well do you do? Thanks for any info.


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## gomer (Dec 30, 2000)

i have never fished it but i have herd its ok for trout, its above croton dam so that rules out steelies and salmon


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## Whit1 (Apr 27, 2001)

I haven't fished the Little Musk., but have heard it's good. I think Mechanical Head from this site fishes it. Look him up and send him an email or a private message. Like Gomer says, it is not a steelie or salmon stream, but then, to me that's a good thing. I'm not really into stream fishing for salmon anymore.


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## mondrella (Dec 27, 2001)

It depends where this place is on the river. If your on the pond there are usually trout early and late in the year just depending on the temps. If you are upstream a little ways there is some good trout. There is plenty of browns and bows. The state normally makes a decent size plant every year. There are much more fish now than in past years. Unfortanetly it really has hurt the brook trout that are native to this river. When I was a kid there was some real dandies in it. Now there is just to much competition for them. The #'s of overall trout are up but the brookies are disappearing. The areas of the river I fish have good numbers of bows and browns size is about 7 to 14 inches. There has been plants of seaforellen browns I have heard rumors of fish up to 10Lbs. To me this is a little far fetched. I have fished many sections of this river the largest fish I have caught in 17 years fishing it is a 16" brown 2 years ago. Years ago a buddy did land a 191/2" brook but I think those days are long gone and we never will see Brooks like that again in this river. There is many chubs in this river so if you fly fish or use garden hackle every 30 fish could be a chub then a lone trout. The pond in Morley has some decent panfish good pike and bass. If the place your buying has any land there are some fine bucks killed in this area on private land.

P.S. If you get this place E-mail me if your interested in fishing sometime I spend a lot of time on local streams and rivers chasing trout and eyes.


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

I have to agree with Mondrella on the little M. I used to live just south of Mecosta and spent some time fishing this river up stream from the pond. It seems to me that the Chubs are taking over up stream anyway. Once you get north of Altona, you have to work to find good water...more so when it branches near Canadian Lakes. As was said there are some nice browns (I too think 10lbs is a stretch but maybe) and some nice bows but good size brookies are hard to come by. When I first started fishing this water it was relatively easy to catch good numbers of nice size brookies but it started down hill fast. I use mainly hardware, small spinners and its nothing to catch chubs on almost every cast in certain sections...the more I throw on the shore the more I catch! I think they are a big problem because they are so aggressive. I have yet to fish down stream from the pond so I can't help you there but I have heard its a little better. The pond can be fun though! And the huntin' in that area can be excellent. I hunt Mecosta/stanwood area and ther are lots of deer. I know lots of property owners that are managing and its been paying off.


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## Whit1 (Apr 27, 2001)

SwampM,
Back in the '60's-'70's my dad and hunted west of Stanwood and south of the Davis Bridge Rd. The US131 e-way goes through that property now. The deer hunting back then was awesome. It was nothing to see 100+ deer on Opening Day. We only took the "sure shots" at bucks. The landowner's name was Vredenburg (sic).

I also fished Betts Creek in the Davis Bridge area and it was an excellent brookie and brown trout stream back then.


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

Whit 1,
Believe it or not, the hunting is still like that on some tracts of land! The unlimited doe tags have brought the herd down to a respectable size but there are still lots of deer. The buck population is doing well also. Unless you have family in the area or have a lease it can be tough to gain permission but not impossible. Usually worth the effort. I'm not familiar with Betts creek so I don't know how the fishing is but maybe I'll have to take a look. Most of my fishing time was spent on Lake Mecosta/Tri lakes and the lakes within Canadian Lakes. They offer some excellent fishing for Bass/Pike/Gills.


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## Whit1 (Apr 27, 2001)

Swamper:
Betts Cr. flows into the Muskegon to the east (or is it north of) Davis Bridge. It drains the area northwest of the river. Stream fishing is my main fishing activity and when I lived in Grand Rapids that was a favorite of mine.

One of the biggest bucks I've ever seen was on the Vredenberg farm many years ago. I jumped him in one of those most unlikely spots while walking back to the car. I missed. That was back in the late '60's and since that time I have taken two bucks that are mounted and hanging in the house.


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## mechanical head (Jan 18, 2000)

I've fished the little Muskegon for bows, browns, smallies and walleye. The first few miles of this river, just up from the pond are great for walleye and bass. The father upstream you go the better the trout fishing gets. If your after brookies fish the water upstream from Altona. From there down is also good for trout. Try down stream around the 131 area for browns and bows, there is a bunch of federal land down there you can stomp around. Like any river my biggest fish have come at night.

mondrella, are you the mondrella around the 165th area ??


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## Whit1 (Apr 27, 2001)

MH,
My memory did serve me right, it was you who had mentioned fishing the Little Muskegon. Let's not forget smallie fishing up here this summer. Portage Lake holds some huge smallmouths and then there is another lake whose name I shall not mention. It will require blindfolding and plugging your ears against detecting sounds and nostrils to hinder odor identification. A search for lurking GPSes will also be needed.....LOL! Just kidding of course.


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## mechanical head (Jan 18, 2000)

Whit, I'm like a dove, if I go there and enjoy it, I'll be back  
You have my e-mail address, let me know a couple weeks in advance and well spend a couple days chasing bronze backs this spring/summer..


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## islaysteelies (Apr 30, 2001)

Whit,

I'm almost willing to bet I know what lake you are talking about....


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## frozen (Dec 18, 2000)

mondrella

I would like to drop you an e-mail, but I do not know your e-mail address. Could you drop me one just letting me know what yours is or post it on here. Thanks a lot.

frozen


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## mondrella (Dec 27, 2001)

M.H. 
No thats not me. That would be my Uncles place. There are a bunch of us around here. I live closer to Big Rapids. I grew up just a little ways from chippewa lake On the south side of the haymarsh. I know that land probably better than anyone every free minute I had was spent in the woods or on a lake. My family owns nearly 1000 acres so I had a lot of exploring to do.


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## mechanical head (Jan 18, 2000)

mondrella, I was just wondering ??? Your uncles have some pretty nice looking land, to bad there not many deer or turkeys around.


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## catmasterj (Aug 28, 2008)

I got a brown trout under 9 mile bridge that wieghed 4 pounds we got 14 and 16 inch brookies behind the one stop in mecosta i fish that river for the last 15 years i no it all the brookies are still there you dont get them handed to you 4 pound line one small split shot crawler will get u in the ball park


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## samsteel (Oct 6, 2008)

i love it when random old threads resurface almost a decade later....good stuff


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## quest32a (Sep 25, 2001)

And now we have new river naming policies. Im closing this one.


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