By: John Bergsma
If you are looking to get in on some spectacular fishing, I know what your all thinking. Benzie County is all about Frankfort and the great salmon, steelhead, and lake trout fishing! And you are right, but we are in the fall and quickly headed towards winter, and I want everyone to know that some of Benzie County’s BEST fishing starts now. So sit back and read about two of my favorite destinations.
Crystal Lake is an absolutely beautiful and scenic lake; it’s also about as diverse and interesting fishery as I have ever experienced. Let’s start with the king of fish in Crystal, the mighty smallmouth bass. The fishing in the fall not only produces numbers but also size. Every year many six pound plus fish are caught and released on this prolific smallmouth lake. The presentations for these monsters is not hard so listen up.
I almost always have the following arsenal of baits in my boat and rigged up for fall bass fishing: Tubes, drop shots, blade baits, jerk baits and even an A-rig. The choices for me are based on where the fish are holding. Fish at this time of year often mimic the spring progression and using a methodical approach works well. I start in the mornings in and around shallow breaks, these can be weed breaks or transition breaks or depth breaks. Working these areas with a tube or Jerk bait to locate fish is a very way to work through the water. The guy in the bow can work the aggressive presentation while the back of the boat can slow it down. This is also a great way to judge the mood of the fish.
If you encounter fish in the deeper edges or at the bottom of the breaks, then the drop shot or blade bait becomes the deadly weapon of choice. These two very different baits offer that same ability for you to figure out what the fish want. The drop shot as you know is a slow presentation with sometimes nothing more than a shiver-twitch needed for the soft “dead weight” bites that are so common to this presentation. The blade bait, on the other hand, is possibly one of the least used but deadliest cold water presentations. Whether cast or jigged this bait produces huge results and usually gets better the colder it gets. Crystal also offers some of the most unusual fall fishing in the northern Michigan area. Coho, lake trout and rainbows all call Crystal home, and this bite really gets going in the fall. Try shore casting from the beach in the town of Beulah for these tasty fish.
A medium light spinning rod and spawn bags are the bait of choice; a pair of waders is helpful in landing fish. Ice fishing for lake trout is a very popular activity. The presentation is as simple as setting up a spread of tip-ups usually tipped with smelt. The more in your group, the better your chances!
Perch are also available in numbers during the fall as well as through the ice. No secrets here just straight down with perch rigs and minnows or fresh shrimp for me, that’s right very small fresh shrimp can be the ticket to loads of big jumbos. I down size during ice fishing but almost always have the shrimp along. If you perch fish with minnows, be prepared for the random burbot that are ever present in Crystal. They are ugly but the back meat poached in salted water and then dipped in butter can be as close to lobster as anything else I’ve ever tried.
Platte Lake is not as well-known as Crystal but is every bit the fish producer. I love this lake and so will you if just catching fish is high on your list. The fishery is world class when it comes to fall smallmouth and rock bass. That’s right rock bass. The small mouth and largemouth are very abundant, and if you read the first segment, then you already know how to catch them. One tip for a spot is the site of the old milling operation. There is a bunch of wood in and around this area, and the bass seem to hang there in greater numbers.
The river mouth is also another super spot for numbers of all species. The rock bass fishing on this lake is completely off the hook. Listen I know what you’re thinking but just try this. A light action rod with light line and the small 4” Ocho worm by Strike King. They can’t leave it alone, and they will tear up your stuff. 12” rockies are common place, and they can fill your day up with catching like you have not experienced before. The perch and bluegill fishing is also very good, as is the northern pike fishing. Spinner baits along the weed edges and break lines is deadly for nice northerns. I like white spinner baits with gold blades and little chartreuse never hurts anything This is a river system lake so there are so many species of fish in the lake that I could just keep going, but you get the idea. This is a great lake to just “catch stuff.”
So next time you feel the itch to just hook up the boat and go fish somewhere. Benzie County and these two gems are a sure bet for a great time. The town of Frankfort is always there for great food and fun, and Crystal Mountain Resort is just a stone’s throw away.
John Bergsma is the host of Great Lakes Fisherman’s Digest television show and is honored to bring you these monthly “Destination Features” Check out his website: www.fishermansdigest.com for more destination information.