# bolles harbor



## PARK92

fished bolles today all day and it was slloooowww. 3 nice perch, 1 at 12 inches, and i came just short for a limit on gills. started right at the gas dock and moved twice. ended up right up against a dock in about 5 fow and thats where i got most of my fish. shore ice was good when i got there and sketchy when i left, went in up to my knees.


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## JimmyZ

Yikes. Did you park at the ramp or somewhere else? I fished for a few hours. Only caught a few nice gills. Lot of small ones. I was in the middle of Channel. My 1 st time up there.


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## LatinoHeat

that shore ice can be really sketchy there. Typical story of good on way out bad on way back in because of the traffic. I usually have my success (when i have success) within 10-12' of the docks. I like hearing u pulled a jumbo perch out from there. If u dont mind me askin, what were u using as bait and did u see any other perch pulled from there at all?


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## LatinoHeat

Hey park, being from pointe place, have u ever tried some of the docks around there for crappie? I've heard u can locate them there, but have never heard of ice fishing there..


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## Jmsteele187

I'll be headed up that way on Sunday, I'm gonna meet up with my brother to fish. I've got all day, so we might try to go to bolles and then try out pointe mouille. If we start catching perch at the harbor though, we might not go anywhere else. I'll have a camera, so hopefully I'll be able to see some stuff. I bought it last year and never got to use it.


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## LatinoHeat

Jmsteele187 said:


> I'll be headed up that way on Sunday, I'm gonna meet up with my brother to fish. I've got all day, so we might try to go to bolles and then try out pointe mouille. If we start catching perch at the harbor though, we might not go anywhere else. I'll have a camera, so hopefully I'll be able to see some stuff. I bought it last year and never got to use it.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


hope to see u out there steele! Im getting some serious flack from the wife about wanting to go out on sunday...but its my freaking birthday!!! Seems to me I should be able to spend it how i want to lol. When do u plan on getting out there. Also, my apologies, but i just saw that u had PM'd me and I just responded a short while ago


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## Jmsteele187

LatinoHeat said:


> hope to see u out there steele!


I'll have a little pack shack. I'm not sure if I'll have it up, but it has a nice comfy seat that I will be using. I'll have on a brown carhart and breakup camo pants. Feel free to stop and say hi.

Is there a chance of catching more toothy fish at bolles harbor?


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## LatinoHeat

Any chance of a toothy fish? As much of a snow balls chance in hell...maybe a lil better though. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut somedays. Just plan on panfish. The crappie bite better in the evening. I hope the perch pickup. You can get the gills all day on waxies


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## Jmsteele187

Two years ago my brother said someone pulled a musky up while he was there. But like you said, blind squirrel. I'll still have my heavier gear and rattle baits though.


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## Bucket Mouth

Jmsteele187 said:


> I've got all day, so we might try to go to bolles and then try out pointe mouille.


I've never fished the banana ****, but I'm told that it's a helluva walk to get to the water - like a mile or better.


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## fisherboy

Was there Friday with friend. My damn camera did not work but my buddy did. He outfished me rather badly. But we both thought it was slow. Park92 (?) was that you that came over to get a lighter for your heater. My buddy was the one that gave it to you. He said the guy had 3 perch earlier in the day.


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## Jmsteele187

That's what my brother tells me. Perch in my freezer is a good enough reason for me to make a 5-10 minute walk though. I'll tell you how I feel about it after I do it though.


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## PARK92

yup i lost my damn lighter. and it got cold quick! i got 3 nice perch right by the gas dock then the gills at the spot i fished near you guys. i got the perch on an orange tear drop and red spike.


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## PARK92

went and hit bolles again last night and today. fished with a good friend of mine both outings. between the two of us we caught 20 lbs of hand sized or better blue gills. fished from 5-about 6 FOW with teardrops and red spikes, white spikes, and waxworms. last night we sorted through probably 100 fish to get the ones we kept. bad news is i lost my 60$ electric cigarette down my hole today. a lot of guys and gals catching fish there.


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## Jmsteele187

I was out there too. I got to use my camera for the first toady. It was pretty cool to see all the fish down there. We started out in front of the gas pump. I saw a handful of perch but had not luck trying to catch them. My brother wasn't having luck either, so we moved further down by the docks. After we moved, we ended up with 10 keepers. It was a fun day with my brother, we hadn't been ice fishing together since we were kids.


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## fisherboy

Yes a decent day at the harbor. Limits by the 3 in our group.


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## 21579

After my disappointment at East Harbor saturday I was ready to catch some keeper gills. Had a blast sunday. Kept my limit, all over 7. Caught probably a total of close to 50 in all. Suprised at the water clarity, could see atleast a foot on my underwater camera. Saw one crappie and 3 nice perch that wanted nothing to do with my waxie and jig. Next time I'll bring a dozen minnows ....Nice to be walking on water again.


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## fisherboy

That's funny about the underwater camera. 2 of us have one with the 3rd owning a flasher. While I had my on (& saw fish almost always) I really did not use it to watch the bite. There was no need to do so since they bit so good. (& normally i feel naked without it.) During my breaks I was getting instructions on using the flasher. There 's definitly both useful.


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## Jmsteele187

Has the ice survived this warm up so far?


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## PARK92

i dont think so. i always go by the ottawa river at the end of my street and there is not one lick of ice left on the river. bolles may be different but i doubt it.


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## WalleyeWiz

reports on the Michigan site said as of yesterday there was still 4 inches . 2 inches of honeycomb ice and 2 inches of good clear ice .
Dwayne


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## Jmsteele187

Well... I hope we get more ice, but even if we don't at least I got out once. That's one more time than last year, so not too bad I guess.


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## Jmsteele187

If they saw honeycombed ice, they were probably near the edges. On Sunday the ice was clear all the way through, except when you got to the edges. I'm no expert, but I don't think ice will go from clear hard ice, to a white honeycombed mess. It would have had to melt and refreeze for that to happen.


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## WalleyeWiz

Clear ice gets honeycombed from the water on top of the ice from melting and refreezing . Most good ice turns to honeycomb ice as it melts then refreezes over and over.
Dwayne


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## Jmsteele187

I see your point, but in the last three days it wasn't cold enough for anything to refreeze. That is until today.


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## fisherboy

Defenitely cold enought today. Maybe Saturday. Hope so.


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## 21579

Some one posted pics on another website from Bolles yesterday. All open water. If it stays cold enough, maybe next weekend.


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## Bucket Mouth

Get your boat if your planning on fishing bolles. There isn't even an ice cube in the place. The 10 day forecast doesn't appear to be favorable for quick ice building either.

I'm thinking inland MI lakes are the only spots that will fish going forward.


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## WalleyeWiz

might take the boat out there and anchor out with spreaders for the perch >
Dwayne


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## Jmsteele187

What's it looking like?


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## LatinoHeat

drove out there today. nobody on the ice. snow covered. wasnt brave enough to test/check the ice. the snow really ruins the quality of the ice and the speed at which it hardens


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## fisherboy

Don't know about today but yesterday (Sunday) my friend & I plus a few others would not venture onto the ice. This was around 10:00am. No one was there. We went up to Sterling & found ice (& gills).


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## LatinoHeat

how thick was sterling? Did u hit the first access to the right or by the boat launch


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## LatinoHeat

Drove out to Bolles today. 4 guys on the ice about 10-12' from shore. Said ice was "crappy" and close tot 3". Ice didnt look good at all. No clear ice. infact, surface ice looked like muddy ice


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## fisherboy

We looked at it around 9:30 & said no. Went to Lee Marina up in Huron Metro Park. Ice was ok there. Fishing for the 2 of us was slow. Most peop[le had very bad luck except for a couple friends who had their limit of gills & around 15 perch. Around 20 gills & 2 perch for us. Stopped at B Harbor on way back to pick up my truck. Around 5 guys fishing rather close together & not very far out from shore up stream from boat launch. Did not feel like walking down to see how they were doing.


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## fisherboy

While I did not go there a friend was there & said there was water on the ice near shore & he would not venture there. Believe its from the lake water rising & falling as it pertains to this location. It certainly has been cold enough. He likewise looked at Sterling & did not trust crossing the near shore ice.
We consulted & decided to try a pond in a trailor park. Neither of us wanted to venture on the ice there so we wound up at Lee Mariana again. Fishing was again so so. 20 or so gills (punklnseeds really) kept. Ice around 5 " thick with a plank to get to safe ice. Hell of a distance for me to catch a few fish. Not too bad for him since he lives in LaSalle. But better than staying home.


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## Nwohiofisherman

I went out today. Ice was any where from 2-3 inches but mostly clear. Fished one hole all day and ended up catching 100 fish but only 15 keepers.7 fow of water. Ice was deteriorating some I wouldn't recommend going especially with the rain coming.


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## fisherboy

Sounds like me. 80 some fish, only 17 keepers & some of those were questionable.


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## Jmsteele187

How's the ice lookin boys?


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## fisherboy

ha ha ha. What ice? This according to a friend that lives 2 miles from there. Said it was open water if I remember correctly.


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## ohiobuck

Anyone ice fish sterling state park just up the road from bolles . The area bait shop says they have good ice. 

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## flyfishingman

ohiobuck said:


> Anyone ice fish sterling state park just up the road from bolles . The area bait shop says they have good ice.
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


It depends on where you want to ice fish. Are you talking about the lagoon where the River Raisin connects to Erie or actual Lake Erie? I am going to confirm and take pictures of the conditions probably later today so I will check back with you and talk with the local baitshop owner. We're acquaintances and we chat from time to time about sweet spots that other locals chat about. I'll keep everyone posted!


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## ohiobuck

I believe he was talking about the lagoon. I've never fished this area and I'm trying to get a little info. Might make it up there sunday. 

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## Bucket Mouth

ohiobuck said:


> I believe he was talking about the lagoon. I've never fished this area and I'm trying to get a little info. Might make it up there sunday.
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


I haven't seen the ice there, but I'm always suspect of dubious reports from bait shops. They need business so they always say the fish are biting and that there's good ice.

You could check it, but I'd think it's iffy from the strong west wind blow and the temperature fluctuations. It would probably be better than bolles as its not as subject to lake levels and current but I'm not sure how it'd be good.

Your better bet is to go the irish hills. If one lake isn't good, then you've got numerous other options close by. If SSP lagoons aren't good, then your next stop is probably Lake St. Clare...


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## ohiobuck

The guy at the bait shop said bolles has no good ice at all and sterling has 4-6" . Just wondering if the gill fishing is as good at sterling as it is bolles

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## fisherboy

I know it's good if you like a 1 1/2 mile walk. I was there once this yr & did petty good. Not a limit of keepers but close. (BTW I almost died walking back from fishing.) My B Harbor friend & I are going to some lake in the Huron Clinton Park system tomorrow. A few more miles north. If I keep going further north I'll be in the UP.


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## Nwohiofisherman

Anyone Check Bolles. I just checked a couple ponds near my house and surprisingly almost had 4 inches.


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## Mikey9191

I would like to ice fish sterling state park or bolles never ice fished sterling state park ice fished bolles only once I'm new to this


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## fisherboy

Surprised my friend from that area has not had any info about it.


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## 21579

Fished Sterling sunday. It had 4 to 5 in then. Tried first lagoon to the right near the bridge. Well as close to the bridge as I felt comfortable, open water under it, didn't even see a fish after 5 holes. Went to boat launch saw fish, perch and gills, nothing of keeper size. Caught maybe 6 gills, biggest 6 in. None for the fry pan. Still good to get out. Stopped by Bolles on the way home, had ice, none of it safe.


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## fisherboy

Looked at Bolles today. Did not look safe in the least. No fishermen or tracks. This was around 8 this moring. Went exploing in Irish Hills. Actually fished for 2 1/2 hours with no luck. The lake we were going to fish in had open water near shore so we picked Allen Lake on US 12. Bad choice but 4 - 5" of ice.


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## Bucket Mouth

fisherboy said:


> Looked at Bolles today. Did not look safe in the least. No fishermen or tracks. This was around 8 this moring. Went exploing in Irish Hills. Actually fished for 2 1/2 hours with no luck. The lake we were going to fish in had open water near shore so we picked Allen Lake on US 12. Bad choice but 4 - 5" of ice.



I looked at Allen a few times this year but every time there was open water right in front of the launch. Any issues getting on? I've been fishing other lakes in the area without much success and had been eyeing that lake although I've never fished it.


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## fisherboy

No problem with water near shore yesterday. On another site, Mich Sportmen (http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/) Ice fishing other lakes) - Irish Hills - there were a few comments on Allen & the lake next to it Wolf Lake. Good luck.


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## DeathFromAbove

Wolf Lake is known for big Gills Its about 2 oclock from Allens Launch, but I could be wrong on that. Ive caught big gills on all the lakes in that chain except Allen. Killarney and Meadows have some big gills in them


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