Fish are still in their winter mode in early March. The lake’s oxygen levels are at their lowest point. Crappie and bluegill will be suspended over the deepest parts of the lake. Catching suspended fish can be tedious work and require small presentations of jigs tipped and a spike or two.
These fish are in a slow motion state-of-mind. The second half of the month is a different story. The sides of the lakes begin to thaw and the fish will head toward the shallow water. Bluegill and crappie will head back to the weeds and stage near their spring spawning areas and will become more aggressive with the increasing oxygen levels. The north side of the lake will warm up first, with increased sun exposure, and will normally provide the best area to fish.
Connecting lakes like Pentwater, Pere Marquette, Manistee, and Portage Lakes now have perch migrating in from Lake Michigan and offer the best month of fishing of the year. Smaller presentations are required for the first half of the month, like a Tungsten Fiska with a spike or waxworm or a smaller minnow on a bare hook. Larger minnows like blues and grays on tip downs will still work – but not as well as they do during the first half of the winter. Larger jigging spoons like Slab Grabbers will work well again near the end of the March when they become more aggressive. Keep in mind that perch spawn on reeds, cattails and brush and when the ice goes, that is where they will end up. It is a time of the year that you should consider releasing jumbos full of eggs for future fishing. Try and keep the large male perch which have the same amount of meat from a filet as a fat female.
Walleyes and northern pike will be migrating toward river mouths and creeks to spawn. Spearing shanty’s and tip-up fisherman can concentrate their efforts for better results in the areas adjacent. Steelhead will also edge their way up to the river mouths and provide some good fishing as the rivers start to rise. Slammer rods with spawn or wigglers can be a blast in March.
Be safe and take ice pics, a life jacket, and a rope with you. The darker the ice is normally shows that it’s weaker, despite its thickness. Beneath our March frozen water remains some outstanding angling opportunities.
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