May 27, 2019 - Fishing Report - Pilgrim Village Fishing

Happy Memorial Day! Thankfully we’ve been finally blessed with a few nice days in a row. It’s been a very peculiar Spring so far. Unseasonably cold weather and rain have kept the water temperatures low making all of the springtime spawning late for whichever fish you target. Normally Crappie start spawning around Mothers Day but on warm sunny days we’re still seeing them come in to water as shallow as 3 foot. Bass fisherman are reporting that they are just starting to see fish on beds but many were found staging in deeper water ready to move in. Bluegills and Sunfish are still holding out in deeper water as well. Hopefully with more sunny days the water temps will rise and bring the fish into the shallows. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bluegills are found spawning well into the middle of June.

As far as the fishing goes Crappie have been the best panfish so far. Just using minnows under a bobber set about 3 foot below the surface has been doing the trick. On the warm sunny days look for them shallower from 3-8 foot of water but if it’s colder and overcast don’t be afraid to look for them suspended in water as deep as 15ft. The Bluegills and Sunfish that are being caught seem to be staging in 8-12′ foot of water. If we get a couple more sunny days in a row however start looking for them to move in shallow making and attending beds. Walleye fishing has been probably the most consistent species this spring. Casting or trolling crankbaits such as Rapala’s or Thundersticks has been the most popular way to put fish in your bucket but some have been trolling with crawler harnesses as well with some success. Norther Pike have been finicky so far. Lots of small hammer handles, but we haven’t seen too many over 30″ yet.

The Shoreline Bass Club had their first tournament of the year on Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell on Saturday. While most of the 51 boats that entered caught their 5 fish limit, however the weights for this time of year were considerably lower than a typical year. Overall there were 223 Bass caught, the winning boat had a weight of 11.98lbs and the big Bass of the tournament was a 3.78lb Largemouth. 100% of the fish were released alive witch was really good to see. Most of the guys were using techniques to cover a lot of water quickly like Spinnerbaits, Swimbaits and Jerkbaits. As conditions warm up and the fish move onto beds soft plastics like senkos and wacky worms as well as jigs will become more popular.

There were 51 boats entered in Shorelines Bass Tournament on 5/25/19.

The 8th Annual 2019 FREE SUMMER FISHING CONTEST started on Saturday, May 25. 1: There is NO ENTRY FEE. 2: Fish must be caught in Michigan. All Michigan laws and regulations apply. 3: Prizes will be awarded by length. ( Ties determined by weight). 4: No frozen fish, with sunken eyes or white gills accepted. 5: You must allow a picture of you with the fish for verification. (Pictures will be used on our website with contest standings). 6: Fish must be measured at Pilgrim Village Fishing Shop. 7: All prizes will be awarded in the form of Gift Certificates. (not good for licenses). 8: You may only win ONE category. 9: You are responsible for your own safety and property.