Fletchers Floodwaters Approach

[clc48301 1]

Hello Bass Resource

         This is my first post, so Hello.  I have my annual trip to Fletchers Floodwaters in Alpena Michigan coming up, and was looking for some tips on how to attack the lake.  We have been going there for 12 years so I have good knowledge of the lake, but this year I would like to catch some more fish.  Depending on the year and the weather, the boat can catch as many as 60 in a day and as little as 1-2.    That lake can be brutal, we've broken 3 props, ripped a drift sock and lost a rod to the stumps and wind.  When the wind really starts blowing we are reduced to burning spinnerbaits, and if the spinnerbait bite isn't there then we only pick up a few active fish here and there.  Normally we use spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, chatterbait and soft jerkbaits/senkos to catch fished.  I've tried a couple of other things with limited luck.  Normally I'm in the Northwestern part of the lake in the stumps and we are there every year the week before Memorial Day.  If its raining and there is some chop on the water, black & blue kills it. But a bright sunny day, and calm waters is really slow.  Especially for spinnerbaits.  There is so many stumps that throwing cranks is just an exercise in lure snag retrieval.  I think a swim jig may be the ticket but haven't tried.

       So I would like some ideas and tips, colors,or locations if any of you have fished it.

 

[A-Jay 25,167]

Hello and Welcome to Bass Resource ~ 

I'm over in Otsego County and have some experience and limited success there. (not 12 years though)  That body of water gets a fair amount of pressure and presents a unique & challenging type of fishing.  Some of my better days have come on swimjigs w/ small paddletail or swim senko trailer and a Vibrating Jig (same type of trailer).   When the conditions are right (which is a good percentage of the time for me) crawling a jig & craw around can get your string pulled.  A paddletail on a lightly weighted (or unweighted) hook rigged Tex-pose, is an effective option and one that can be fished around, over & through most all of the cover that place presents.  

 

  Finally, in reference to your statement about cranks getting hung up on stumps  - there's no doubt that is a routine occurrence - HOWEVER it's just about The Best way to trigger a bite. (especially that time of year)  The place is tailor made for squarebills.  Having some type of plug knocker or lure retriever is called for.  While but a handful of bassheads are willing to 'deal' with it ~ they're the 10% catching 'the bigger' bass.  Using stout gear to move determined fish and strong mono (not fluorocarbon) helps keep the bait up a bit; but you really want to be BANGING INTO that stuff. 

If you're around them, you'll know it. 

Good Luck

A-Jay

 

 

[Wildbillb 81]

I have only ice fished there.  Bass bother our minnows on tip ups out from jacks landing.  Grass and scattered wood in 6ish foot of water.

[clc48301 1]

. Someone told me that MLF was going to hit fletchers for the sudden death, but looks like they are going to long.  They hit wyanns yesterday.  So I took note on what they were using.

 

Wild bill, we hit the water out in front of jacks alot.  We stay at fletchers landing so we usually hit that area alot at the end of the night with buzzbaits and spinners.

 

AJay,  thanks for the tips.  I ordered a couple swimjigs.  Now I just have to wait 10 weeks til we go up