# Nighttime walleye outing in the Port Huron area



## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

Hi all.
I was just chatting with Trout on the campfire a bit ago. We were talking about how excited we are about the upcoming spring fishing season. He was saying that he couldn't wait until the eyes start hitting on the river up in Port Huron in the park just south of the Blue Water Bridge.

Well, that got the wheels turning. How about an evening outing with a bunch of guys from the site. It's a BIG boardwalk area with plenty of parking. I think it sounds like a very good time. Maybe on a Friday or Saturday night. I've never done much eye fishing but would like to try it. I think the runs start up there in late March and into April. Anybody else that has more info, jump right in. This can be a combined effort. 
I'm looking forward to seeing some of you again and meeting new friends. I am AMAZED at the number of people I've met from this site in the last year. I consider several of them to be very good friends. This is an AWESOME site that just continues to grow. 
Keep up the good work Steve. Thank you again for all your effort !


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## stelmon (Sep 21, 2000)

Bud, what time would it end?


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

Don't know Stelmon,

Some of the hardy fisherman may watch the sun come up ! 

The idea just occured to me so the plans are in their infancy.
You could leave whenever you need too.


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## stelmon (Sep 21, 2000)

Well, i would like to come but the best walleye fishing is like 12 or so, right? If that is true, maybe i could get a ride off someone but it sounds fun.


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## DaYoop (Oct 26, 2000)

Great idea--I've done it many, many, many times growing up. but once I took a boat out there I never looked back.

Anyway, I can help with questions about set up and such if this thing gets going. 

I'll most definately show up!! Just be sure to set it up on a friday or saturday night.

Stelmon--as far as times go, I remember heading to the boardwalk as soon as I could scarf down some dinner, and would return around 12 or so. That was mainly cuz I was a kid and Dad didn't have permission to keep me out much later than that, and Dad had to be to work in the morning. So it doesn't have to be a late night adventure unless you want it to be. People will stay out there from sunset to sunrise. From my experience the bite is just before sunset, just after sunset, periodically through out the night and then again just before morning. Most of that comes from my boating experience though, where we head out around 7 or 8 and head back in around 11 or 12 because we don't find it worthwhile to stay much longer than that, but each night is different--the fish tell us when the bite is on   

Feel free to contact me with questions (and if I still had a boat I'd take a couple out there where the fishing is easy)

DaYoop


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## STONE FLY (Feb 26, 2001)

i grew up handlining at night for walleyes.i fished that way before there was even a limit on fish,i have been to the spot your talking about a couple times.one thing i do know, besides the fact it is a real good spot, the current there is very strong. i have a 16 ft sylvan, and a 7 1/2 hp kicker for trolling.if there`s any wind, thats not enough motor for fishing there.i grew up fishing lake st.clair and the detroit river.we`d go out around 10:00 and fish till 3 am or so( unless we limit out)usually the fishing is better after midnight.its not a good place to be if you dont know what your doing.things happen fast there.if i can get another big motor, i`d like to go there again.you can drift and jig, but like i said your moving fast.no room for mistakes.not trying to scare anyone, just make people aware.sounds like fun though.............


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## STONE FLY (Feb 26, 2001)

for trolling you use small spoons while it is still light out.then, when the darkness falls, you switch to pencil plugs, and thats when the fishing really starts.but you`ll need a lot of lead there to get down,man thats a fun time..................


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## Guest (Feb 11, 2002)

Although I have never fished in Port Huron, I did witness some guys catching some real nice walleyes while I was smelt dipping...

They fashioned some sort of rod holders that attached to the railing along the boardwalk. Their rods were about 15 foot bamboo jobs that they had tied line guides to.

They were using old bait casting reels which they taped to the rods.

They were using braided dacron that went down to a 3 way swivel. The other leg was tied to about a foot of dacron, that was tied to about a 1 pound triangle sinker... The last leg had 10 pound mono tied on, about 20 foot long. They tied on a blue floating rapala that performed well with the current flowing past it...... All they did was lower the sinker to the bottom, and wait for a fish to bite....

I guess that the walleyes were coming up to the seawall in search of smelt....


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## STONE FLY (Feb 26, 2001)

thats probably true.when i was a kid, we didnt have boats and we fished off shore all along the detroit river.at night, the walleyes come in shallow( esp. in the rocks).we`d cast 5 inch rapala`s and do really well.a few lures and a lantern,made for awesome fishing.now you guys got me fired up to get the boat back together and fill the freezer......i never fished off shore around port huron, but i`m sure we`ve got people here with some secrets he he.these outings are a great way to meet people and have a great time.there`s got to be some old handliners in this group too,maybe its time for a new forum,mmmmmm......i`ve still got my dads reels from the early 1900`s, still work great


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## DANN09 (May 3, 2000)

Yes you are right Stone Fly there are quite a few handlinners here that are expierenced or seasoned but that other word is not well liked by some of us. LOL. I'm in the prcess of mounting my reals to my boat and untangling about 250 pencil plugs. I'm sure we'll be on the river early this year. The ice flows don't seem to be there with all the warm weather. I'll start fishing around the middle of March and stay close to the power plants. We should be able to get a good bunch of guys from the site for a night on the river. St. Clair, Marysville, Port Huron dos'nt make any diff. to me.


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## STONE FLY (Feb 26, 2001)

i`d love to hook up with someone and do it again.thats how i was brought up fishing.i`m only 45,sorry about the O word.its a different kind of fishing,but i allways liked it.my boat was set up nice for years but my 69 johnson took a s#$* a few years back and that ended my river rat status.i`ve still got the boat(16ft sylvan backtroller) hoping someday i can get another motor.i`ve still got a 71/2 honda that trolls like a timex watch.ive got a great setup for keeping those pencil plugs neet,( which i have a couple hundred too,allthough they probably all need new hooks).


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## Bassmastergm (Jan 8, 2002)

I would be interested in catching some nice walleye. When I went out with my dad we would go to where the belle river empties into the st clair river and just drop our pencil plugs down. The fish would go up into the belle to get out of the current. Keep me posted if you put together an outing.


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

I'm in. I'll drag a boat up there if Trout promises to show me all his good holes...........I'll even let him drive while I wear a blindfold, but I get to play with the GPS when we get there!


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## tubejig (Jan 21, 2002)

Hey guys, I live approx 2 miles from where your talking.
Ive fished this way quite a few times and it works prettywell.
The only problem is, you will need to get there quite early
on the weekends to make sure that you can get a spot. When
the fish start to move in it can get quite hairy trying to cast 
a 2-2.5 lb weight with all of the other lines inthe water.
Watch for the reports in this area to slow down, when it does
start to do some drifting in the mouth, that is for those of you who have boats. If you do take a boat, bring a lot crawlers
for there is a goebie problem in that area. I will keep you all
posted for future reports. If you need directions I wil be able to help. Also there is pretty good twister fishing for walleye going towards the port huron, marysville border. I prefer to fish this
over the heavy weight routine if I am fishing from shore.


tubejig


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## rkowal1250 (May 6, 2000)

What are my rigging options for shore fishing below the bridge??

Rod/Reel??? #test??? #weight??? lure/bait??? 

This sounds like fun


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## tubejig (Jan 21, 2002)

Most of the anglers are using solid fiberglass rods 
around the 6 ft range, make sure they are quite stiff,
a smaller rod or hollow one will break during casting
or due to the current. A level wind reel, like a Penn
220 with 20 lb test. Most weights are the 2 to 2.5 lb
triangle shaped so they grab the bottom and don't
move. There are a number of lures used down there.
Pencil plugs, long A bombers, and crawler harnesses.
I prefer bombers over them all, especially the ones with
the glow tape in the middle. A lot of the guys fish with 
two lures on one line, for me, I generally only use one
(fixing tangles in the dark stinks). They have a barrel
swivel first then a 3 ft lead to a 3 way, off of that is
a 2-3ft lead to the sinker and off of the other a 4 ft lead 
to the lure of choice. Once this three way system is
casted they will drop a (what salmon fisherman call
a slider) line on the main line, which slides down to 
tha barrel swivel. therefore gaining two lures. I
use either just a slider or a 3 way with one lure.
If you come this way and fish watch for divers which
inhabit these areas quite frequently. You can buy 
the lead weights and lures from them pretty cheap!

I hope this helps

tubejig


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## rkowal1250 (May 6, 2000)

Hey tubejig, thanks for the help. Sounds like I'm gonna need a 
broomhandle for a rod.


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## Fishstalker (Feb 12, 2002)

If you fish along the wall, your going to need a couple of river rods(heavy duty), some Penn baitcasting reels with about 30 lb test line, some heavy duty hardware(3-ways and snap swivels), and 2lb sinkers. use 20lb test for your leader lines. In the spring long A bombers work, especially the glows, besides pencil plugs. in the summer nothing beats a small flatfish tiped with a crawler. You can get any of this equipment at Great Lakes Outfitters...


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## CreekChub (Jan 6, 2002)

2 pound sinkers.....wow! I grew up on the centrial basin of lake Eire. needless to say FANTASTIC Walleye outin's at night (or any time for that matter) Lanterns from the rocky shore lines, a well castin' rod /reel of any type, and my best luck was usin' "Suspendin' lures" husky jerks ect. and before the days of factory suspenders drill and fill floaters ( boy did I miss the money boat on manufacturig said lures  ) Rattle Traps also worked very well!
I don't know any thing of the area ya'll are speakin' of, but would love to get back into some good night time walleye action!  lol the one GOOD tip I can give ya's is....NEVER NEVER USE A METAL HOOK/CLIP TYPE STRINGER WHEN FISHIN' FROM THE ROCKS!
GET A DATE SET AND LETS HOOK UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M IN!


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## Joe Archer (Mar 29, 2000)

I am with Trout. I use 10 pound test line with Rapalas tied directly to the line. If the fish are deep, I use a larger Rattle-Rap. When they are feeding along the seawalls, you can not beat a 13cm jointed, floating Rapala. Fishing along the walls of the river for me has been hit and miss though. In any case, skunks are rare and we probably average at least 3 walleye for a nights fishing. I am in by the way. <----<<<


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## DANN09 (May 3, 2000)

Not to many guys chugging up by Port Huron. I've done it down by Deckers in the north channel. I will be handlining when I first go out Fri. night unless someone has a better idea. I'm just out to have some fun and mabe catch a few.


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

I'm not much of a Walleye fisherman, I am just out for the fun of it. I'll see what setup Trout says to use in his honeyholes. I have a few handline reels at home, but I don't think I'll be mounting them anytime soon, Muskie season is just around the corner.


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## DANN09 (May 3, 2000)

I'll bet You don't know much about walleye fishing.
Mabe I'll just follow You and Trout to the honey holes. I know Marine City and St Clair. Never had a reason to go any farther north but I did watch some guys up there once.


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

LOL, We're going end up paying Trout a guide fee!


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## DANN09 (May 3, 2000)

Yes I'll pay Him. I'd rather do that than have an IOU with MY name on it in His pocket LMAO.


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## Joeker51 (Jan 25, 2002)

Not that I'm suggesting anything by it but I believe there's a fish market a couple buildings down from the launch that could be used as a land mark on Water St. Honey holes, there might be a few there that Trout doesn't know about


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## DANN09 (May 3, 2000)

Yes your right on that one Joeker. There are a lot of honey holes on that river. It does'nt take long to find them this time of year. You just have to get hooked up early. I've seen guys anchor at 7:00pm and not put a line in the water till 9:00pm. That's when you can tell someones been there befor. Must be thier honey hole.


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## tubejig (Jan 21, 2002)

Well guys, right now I don't know if i will make it. I took
the truck in for transmission work yesterday at the local
dealer. I hope its done by friday, if not I can sit in my
boat in the driveway and chat at you all on the vhf radio.



tubejig


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## tubejig (Jan 21, 2002)

dieguy,DANNO9 check your pms.


tubejig


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

Ken. I'll make room for you!


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## rkowal1250 (May 6, 2000)

Where will the shore rats be fishing from for this outing????under the bridge?? Marysville?? Is the night of the 17th a go??


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## rkowal1250 (May 6, 2000)

Is there a post office somewhere along the river in Port Huron?


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## Joeker51 (Jan 25, 2002)

As a shore rat I would start at Marysville. Gotta get there early to beat the crowd. Second choice would be under the bridge or next to the Coast Gaurd cutter. The Post office in Port Huron is a couple blocks south of the Black River.


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## tubejig (Jan 21, 2002)

ESOX and DANNO9 thankyou very much for the offers, I
really appreciate it. Dieguy and myself have plan coming
together, we will be in my float on friday evening. Is there
a specific channel for vhf that we will be using on friday
night??? What time at which ramp??


tubejig


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## dieguy (Mar 8, 2002)

Joeker51,

Are they letting people back down by the cutter? I heard last year they were kicking people away, due to what the coast gaurd was saying as unsafe. Or was it they didn't want to be crowded for there own fishing purposes. Anyway just curious, I know there use to be some awesome fishing there!


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## tubejig (Jan 21, 2002)

rkowal1250 check your pms.




tubejig


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## Joeker51 (Jan 25, 2002)

Dieguy, there were a couple of guys fishing infront of the cutter last saturday night. And yes, I know what you mean about the personal use. Seen more crew members fishing in front of that cutter than civilians at times.


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## dieguy (Mar 8, 2002)

Well friday is nearing, anyone come up with a time? For the guys in the boats from out of town 12th street boat ramp would probably be the easiest to get to.

joeker were they catching anything down there?


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## DANN09 (May 3, 2000)

Back a few post I said 6:00pm at the ramp on the Black R. I think thats the 12th street one. How about ch. 10 on the marine radios and ch 11 on the personal FRS radios. I will be at that ramp between 5:30 & 6:00pm. If you get there earlier go out. If you want to get one of us on the radio call for the "Michigan-Sportsman" crew. My boat name is "Mymunnee".


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## dieguy (Mar 8, 2002)

I'll be with tubejig looking forward to meeting you, we are launching from the same place, water street- 12thstreet, same thing.


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