# Lake St Clair Musky Discussion



## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

So, I made my very first trip up to Lake St Clair last Friday. If anyone is interested I posted the video for the trip in the Out of State Fishing Reports thread (won't post here as I don't want to spam it all over). Anyway, I thought a discussion about musky fishing up there would be a good topic to keep ongoing! 

Our trip was awesome! Started casting and had 3 follows, but mostly lazy. Then, my uncle who has had several surgeries including both shoulders replaced said he wanted to troll. Well, we went 8 for 10 with a couple over 42". Pretty awesome for post cold front conditions with lots of grass all over the lake! 

Have you fished that lake? Like it? Don't like it? Too far? What's your take on it? As for me, I can't wait to go back up there and try it again!!!


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## MuskyFan (Sep 21, 2016)

A friend and I fished it several times back in 2018 or 2019. We like it a lot but it is a ways for us. Too far for a day trip and the re is not a lot of lodging with parking for boats. The one place we liked is now a retirement community. Navigating Detroit is not for the squeamish especially if you follow the road work detours that route you just off 7 Mile.

The lake is great in my opinion. Tremendous musky and smallmouth fishery. You can run for miles, all the way to Canada or fish right off the west shoreline. Clear water, muddy water. Weeds everywhere. With lots of fish.

I’d like to go back and plan to do so before too long.


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## Lazy 8 (May 21, 2010)

Thanks Crittergitter. I've heard good things about LSC. I have nothing to add but that I'm following your thread.


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## BaddFish (Jun 20, 2009)

My story is similar to MuskyFan's...early in my St Clair experiences 2005-2008 (non-musky fishing) - we would launch around the 8 or 9 mile area and stayed in a motel within walking distance of a fantastic barbecue place, went up 2 years in a row and smashed the smallies & largemouth. During those trips we also caught a couple pike and a couple small muskie. Back then, I was not scared of my 14ft beat up alum Lund from getting vandalized because it was a tin can with a beat up 25hp Evinrude..lol ..

Years later I went with a veteran Muskie troller in his decked out Lund and we launched & stayed Canadian side (I think Belle River area) and we fished for maybe 8 hours TOTAL in 2 days (he was killin me!, never seen anybody want to spend so much time in a restaurant NEXT to such a great fishery! LOL)- we caught 10-11 muskie, I never fished anywhere like it before where you could put a lure on...Loki / Monster Shad/ Tuff shad...and within 30min, if you were marking fish..BAM! Fish on. For me it was Muskie heaven.
i even remember calling a couple bites off fish finders twice! Those fish would hit and launch themselves into the air- everytime. I think our biggest was only 39"

Now I have my own 21' boat all rigged to go up there and Covid/shot requirements have me staying away...maybe in a few years...?

If I lived closer, I don't think I would fish anywhere else for any species! It has everything.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

I've been eyeballing boat upgrades for either 2023 or 2024. I don't think I want to go crazy with it, but I do think I'd like to have something that I could take out on that lake, and if the weather got knarly, I could get off the water relatively quickly! Maybe a 18 ft Crestliner deep v with a 90 or 115. I'd consider an Alumacraft as well. Seems the Lunds and others in that size and HP range get too pricey! It would be nice to have a place to stay and feel like the rig will be alright, Definitely hard to run up there for a day trip!!


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## leadcorebean (Jul 17, 2006)

Its on my list of things to do this fall maybe a couple times just trying to pick a good time to do it. Id really just like to cast plus I'm also just starting to build up trolling gear. Thinking late sept I will try to go once work slows down and water cools some more.


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## Targa 1 (Dec 3, 2015)

We used to fish LSC a couple weeks a year back in 2012- 2016, we always fished out of Belle River. Man that lake can get nasty in a hurry, it was not uncommon to have 15-25 musky days out there. As we learned from some locals over time there was much more than just going out and start trolling, there were areas on the lake that year to year always held more fish than others. they talked about fishing contour lines and anyone who has been there knows its like a sandy fish bowl with little open lake structure, but once we started using our graph to follow the " contour changes" we started doing much better. The locals also talked about muskies of the same year/class of fish would hang out together, so after a few trips of just having a blast and catching them all day it became a hunt for big fish and we would fish an area and if the fish we were catching were all the same 38 to 40 inchers we would leave to find bigger fish. Great Fishery! Then I caught the walleye bug on lake Erie and I haven't been back, but we have been talking about going back next year.


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## Cat Power (10 mo ago)

I’m trolling sunday in the belle river area 

I will report back


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## Cat Power (10 mo ago)

Went 2 for 4 on Muskie, lost a nice one 

also caught 2 smallmouth, 1 walleye and a huge perch

all fish came on 4.5” boss Shad’s at 3.5mph

15 feet of water in front of belle river


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Cat Power said:


> Went 2 for 4 on Muskie, lost a nice one
> 
> also caught 2 smallmouth, 1 walleye and a huge perch
> 
> ...


Good stuff! Pretty good action right there!!


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## Cat Power (10 mo ago)

Bought some of the new Underboss baits from boss Shad

can’t wait to try them, they look awesome


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## leadcorebean (Jul 17, 2006)

what is the difficulty of getting across the border these days ?


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## Cat Power (10 mo ago)

It's easy to get across Ambassador bridge, been over many times this year. I didn't cross on Sunday though

I launched in Detroit River on the north end (St. Jean boat launch) and just boated to belle river area. 

I would have done even better but picked up at 2:30pm to beat the Lions game traffic getting out at 4. I wanted to get out of there pulling a boat


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## BaddFish (Jun 20, 2009)

Cat Power- you may want to try higher speeds next time... I'm guessing the water temps are still mid 70's?
But we were over 4 most of our trip, I know the Boss shads will handle it. in the past years Ive heard of guys up near 6mph


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## Cat Power (10 mo ago)

BaddFish said:


> Cat Power- you may want to try higher speeds next time... I'm guessing the water temps are still mid 70's?
> But we were over 4 most of our trip, I know the Boss shads will handle it. in the past years Ive heard of guys up near 6mph


I tried up to 4.2. It's so hard pulling TX44 boards at that speed. I also have to run on my 300 Yamaha to do that. I don't mind doing that, I just have to check my oil level a lot, because it makes oil when trolling like that 

I'm going this weekend with my downriggers on to run bucktails, so maybe I will pick it up a little.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Our guide up there ran mostly 3.8 - 4.0 pulling both bt and cranks. I've caught fish on Alum up to 4.4 pulling cranks. I've never felt good trolling at speeds of 4.5 and up, but if I was on LSC more I'd probably do it more because that lake is just different!


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## Cat Power (10 mo ago)

We typically run the smaller baits at slower speeds


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## Cat Power (10 mo ago)

Fishing tomorrow (Sunday). Going early to beat Lions traffic again. The plan is to troll a heavy dose of bucktails


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## Cat Power (10 mo ago)

Great day today on LSC. Perch are in big time in the belle river area and the Muskie are gorging on them

4 for 7 today. Had to pick up at 2pm

lost a really nice one, again. Ugh.

boss Shad’s again doing the damage and 1 on a loke


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## Lazy 8 (May 21, 2010)

NICE FISH!


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Awesome day up there!!!!


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## MuskyFan (Sep 21, 2016)

Love them spots. Great markings.


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## Cat Power (10 mo ago)

Water temp is 72.4


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## Cat Power (10 mo ago)

Never got a bite trolling the Trolling Girl's buck tails off the riggers. That was disappointing as I really thought that would produce. Tried, anywhere from 15-50 feet behind the ball all morning. Nothing. 

The 4.5" boss shads off the TX44 boards are doing so well though. Incredible bait. (We are generally running 5 at a time). Stopped using tuff shads all together.

Had 2 great rips on a 20 year old Loke lure. Didn't get either fish. Finally figured out, hooks were dull. Ugh!! it's really the little things that dictate success


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## BaddFish (Jun 20, 2009)

Cat Power said:


> Never got a bite trolling the Trolling Girl's buck tails off the riggers. That was disappointing as I really thought that would produce. Tried, anywhere from 15-50 feet behind the ball all morning. Nothing.
> 
> The 4.5" boss shads off the TX44 boards are doing so well though. Incredible bait. (We are generally running 5 at a time). Stopped using tuff shads all together.
> 
> Had 2 great rips on a 20 year old Loke lure. Didn't get either fish. *Finally figured out, hooks were dull. Ugh!! it's really the little things that dictate success*


I recently learned a lesson on this too, was using a 12" suick and was stubborn to get it running right,, after 5-6 casts and weight & tail adjustments I got it set and really liked the
action.. Now understand that ive owned Suicks for......18+ years and have used them for MAYBE 3 hours total.. Its sad, I know.. LOL
So i start casting and send a long cast parallel with a log jam and I'm ripping it hard and about my 3rd rip I feel weight on it and pull back as hard as I can..

This fish launches itself out of the water full length exposed...Its EYES are EYE LEVEL with me on my little boat - my estimation 45-48" minimum. I'm 5'-11" and my front deck sits about a foot above water level...so the fish could of been much bigger- But I digress!

It immediately gets off... UGGGH I just sat down and shook my head for awhile and finally looked at my suick..
2 things- My hooks were not sharpened or T'd. That fish crushed its head and was only on the front hook.
I sat there for 15min working on that and now its ready for the next strike,,, in another 18 years? LOL!

That fish instilled faith in a lure that i should of mastered many years ago, last year i spent the time and energy installing weight inserts into both ends of them,

Just wanted to share this with folks that understand my pain.
Tight lines.


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## Cat Power (10 mo ago)

Tough day trolling Sunday. not sure why, the perch guys were out in full force and we were marking perch like crazy.

we ended up with 1 muskie in belle river, Canada area. 16 FOW, Perch Loke lure. 

That's 7 fish with that Loke lure. 

Lake was flat calm, beautiful out.


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## Cat Power (10 mo ago)

We have 5 guys going Sunday, so 10 rods!!! hopefully weeds are not bad


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## Lazy 8 (May 21, 2010)

Cat Power said:


> We have 5 guys going Sunday, so 10 rods!!! hopefully weeds are not bad


Good luck to all of you.


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## Fishballz (Aug 15, 2015)

Cat power, how'd the trip go on Sunday?

Sent from my SM-A326U using Tapatalk


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## Cat Power (10 mo ago)

Fishballz said:


> Cat power, how'd the trip go on Sunday?
> 
> Sent from my SM-A326U using Tapatalk


Ended up not going. The owner of the boat I was going on was not feeling good.


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