Ford River

Sunday...... We laid my good friend and mentor to rest... He was certainly with me in the early morning hours... Walked the river we planned to fish together on this opening weekend... A 14 & 16.5 inch smallmouth...... All the others were over 18.5" Thanks Mick, Rest well. "We'll see you next time"

My biggest Pike- 30+ inches. 2 Smallmouth- 17" & 16.5" Tried a. little different area of the Ford River... All 3 caught on a Wee Crawfish (stream color), Med power- Fast action Spinning rod. 12 pound test line. (luckily, the pike t-boned the lure...or she probably would have bit my line off)

The Ford River was really low...but still managed a few Smallmouth (15"- 17") and a surprise Pike (24") The original plan was to kayak the river...but just ended up walking it for a few miles.

Pretty successful weekend on the Ford River- Near Escanaba, Michigan (the RR bridge near Hyde, for all the locals). Walked about 2 miles upstream & back... Sight fishing most of it. Total of 12 smallmouth caught Saturday (6am 'til about 7:15pm). Kept my limit and safely released the rest... All were fun to catch, but The 19.5" slob was the most exciting! Used the crab lure pictured It was 28° in the morning, obviously dressed in layers

out on the Ford River, loving life!

Pulled this in with a crawfish crank bait, while trolling

cool day, casting tubes