Fletchers Pond

[Len]

How does the FLetchers Flood Waters fair for Crappie?

[FishCrazy]

I have caught some there but was not targeting them when I caught them. I understand that they have a run in the spring there at the dam in about april I think. So they are in there and The one I caught through the ice was about 10 inches. I think if you targeted the fish there you could do well with them. There just is not any real deep water there. The bass and pike will keep you buisy there though if you cant find the crappie.

[slabsrus]

Fletchers pond can be extremely productive for average specks just about any day and with a little research and some patience some serious slabs can be found in good numbers. If you are brave enough to walk the planks over open water out to the 5 or 6 inches of good last ice there are buckets of 11-15 inchers just waiting to be plucked from under the foam white ice. There have been a few years that we have had nothing but holes full of pre-spawn pike, but they are often concerntrated in small areas so minor relocation may be all it takes. Find the inside bends on the main creek channel. Drop chartreuse jigs with white or pink squid type skirts just under the ice and be ready. I have had several days where we could see the specks laying just under the ice without being inside a shanty. THE CREEK IS THE KEY!!!!!!!

Search hard and good luck! Need any more info give me a shout!!

[FishCrazy]

Hey slabsrus. I come up every christmas and fish the ice on Fletchers with my brother-in-law. Lookin forward to it again this year. How do you go about finding the chanel there on fletchers. We musta poped 50 holes last year and couldnt seem to find any significant drop to what we thought was a channel but did find some 8 to 10 foot water which I think is deep for that lake. Any pointers would be great. We generally fish toward the dam from public and venture way out off shore toward the middle. Usually target pike but want to find pearch and crappie this year.

[slabsrus]

Howdy FishCrazy,

Well it sounds like you are going about it right, 50 holes, but believe it or not that might not be enough. I have a real good idea where the creek is so it usually only takes me about 20 holes, but we have drilled as many as 100+ .
You mentioned the area out from the dam. That area can produce some good fish but we prefer the area out from Jacks Landing. There are several major turns in that area and there are some drops in the creek of up to 4 + feet.
To find the creek you may already have one of the michigan lake map books. If you do not then by all means get one. There is about a four-hundred yard section in front of Jacks that can really produce.
Do not be afraid to go at night. You may have to be out all night, but some time throughout the night the specks will hit, and it will often be the slabs that we are all searching for.
Good luck and keep on drilling !!!!!

[FishCrazy]

I dont have a lake map but there is one very simple one online that shows the channel but I dont know how accurate it is. We generally fish just slightly further downlake than public not all the way to the dam end. We can see the shanties and all the fishermen at Jacks from our location. All we have found is that the bottom does get deeper as far out as we have been but have not found any dropoff of what you would call a creek bed. I know its there and probably would be a real payday finding it but no luck yet. Maybe this year we will get lucky. Whats the biggest pike that you have seen come out of Fletchers? We havent found any monsters yet.

[slabsrus]

Several years ago my son landed a 37 incher on a tip-up in mid February. That is the largest I have personally seen landed but I have seen several that were quite a bit larger while looking down a shanty hole. In 2002 we had just set up on one our favorite late ice creek bends and began to fish for crappie when we noticed several large fish in and around our holes. After a few minutes letting our eyes adjust to the darkness we realized they were pike, lots of pike, and a few realllllllllyyyyyy large ones. I know for sure there were at least two in the 42+ inch range. They were hanging right on the edge of an inside turn of the creek which has about a 24 inch drop surrounded by cabbage weeds. We have seen similar situations since but never quite as crazy. I figure they must be staging to make their spring spawn runs to wherever they are going. I will post some photos at a later date. Right now we do not have a home computer so I am stuck using the local library computers.

[FishCrazy]

I have also seen Large pike through the hole in the shanty. Many times they come righ tup to the biat and just hover while the sucker just franticly tries to swim off the hook. Amazing how long they study it sometimes. Soemtimes they swim away and then come back a full speed and just take it on the run. I have also seen them just decide to inhale it and just sit there with it in their mouth. I decided to try and set the hook on one after he did this once and just pulled the bait right out of its mouth. Guess I should have let him swim off with it. We begain using trailer hooks last year cause many were getting away and we stopped loosing fish at that point. I sure wish I had a good lake map showing the river channel on Fletchers.

[slabsrus]

Sportsmans Connection lake map books can be found at most major sporting goods stores throughout Michigan. They are not exact but can really narrow your search down. They also have a web site www.sportsmansconnection.com from which you can purchase individual maps

[FishCrazy]

I found some maps on the DNR website that are pretty good for free. The fletchers map shows the river channel and is a power company topo of the lake bed from 1924 I think. Check it out. Lot of maps there for FREE!