Great Dives in the Great North

[Fondueset]

managed a couple of nice dives this weekend. Rainbow trout have been cruising the breakwall and it's been a challenge to get close to them. They like shallow to mid-depth so alot of the dives are with half a lungful or less - plus absolutely no movement and long waits. Finally seemed to get it together yesterday. Vis was not too good on the bottom - but cleared up alot over the course of the dive.

[Fondueset]

The Natives were extremely curious today

[Fondueset]

Today I forayed out onto the submerged pipline that runs 1/4 mile or more out into the bay near the breakwall I usually dive on. I ran into a large carp and smallmouth bass several times in different locations - they seemed to be a pair. I also saw quite a few freshwater drum. I've only seen them once at the breakwall - but it seems I was looking in the wrong place! Visibility was none to good - but lots of fish.

Here's a short .avi I made of the action out there.

Drums, carp and bass on the pipeline

[Pinggene]

Jon,

What kind of wet/dry suit do you like for Lake Michigan? Also, are there any other lakes you would recommend for Carp in Wisconsin? I tried Oconomowoc last week, but viz was down. Lac de Belle was much better (above the dam), but we didn't see any carp.

Thanks,

Pinggene

[Fondueset]

I'm not jon but I use a 5 mil elios black shadow wetsuit all winter for dives under two hours - and usually around 1. I could see a 6 or 6.5 if you dive longer alot. I also use a henderson ice mask.

[Jon]

I use an eEos for freediving in Lake Michigan.

For scuba I use whatever's on the boat. I've owned Poseiden's, Vikings, DUI's (TLS, CVX, CF200) as well as a couple of others. I used to swear by the vikings, and still like them for diving in the Milwaukee river, but for wreck diving stuff I'd go with a DUI CF200 or a TLS. Sicne the zebra mussles hit the lake they seemt o slice right through the standard rubber stlye drysuits.

Jon

[fleedermouse]

Fondueset,

Do you use a suit in the summer? I was diving off PJ Hoffmaster state park between the 2nd and 3rd sandbar. Vis was pretty good (about 12-15 feet) until I got to the bottom (about 14 feet deep). This is the best it has been since I got here 5 weeks ago. The wind and waves (and boats) makes it hard to get out safely. These last two feet were very murky and COLD. Surface temps about 70 F or so and the thermocline at 12 feet must have dropped the temp by 15-20 F of so. I could definitely see using a skin suit or 1-2 mm here.

Have you dove any place else (besides Grand Traverse) with good luck on vis and fish? It seems the discharge from the rivers around piers and the general wave action is deadly on the vis around me. I have yet to see anything that I could possibly get a good shot of with the camera.

[Fondueset]

Vis was down to 15-20 feet on the pipeline yesterday - That's really bad for here. Over on the West side of the bay the water is a little more nutrient rich - vis seems to be <30 alot of the time there. It's all variable here - and august is probably the worst month vis wise. Out in Lake Michigan it tends to be even clearer - but it depends on the wind. Lately in the bay there has been no thermalcline down to 30 feet or so - I think this is part of why the vis is a little mediocre. In shallow it's still very clear though. Water is quite warm but I use my summer suit - a 3mil Elios Plush lined suit I got so I could go in on short notice without lube.

Boat traffic is not too bad right now - and they seem to respect the flag for the most part.

I've been trying to get REALLY close for pictures lately. My current project is to get some closeups of the Freshwater Drum - esp from straight on- Their fins make a really cool 'X' shape from face on but they are pretty edgy fish.

Last August in Lake Mich the vis was pretty good - I'd swim out 1/4 to 1/2 mile to the rock fields and 'aspetto' on the bottom - making a little noise with my fins. The drums would come in to investigate. Depths ranged from 15 - 30 feet - with most of the action being more in the 15 foot range. Very easy to miss those fish. Best was a west, nw, sw wind. Straight north or south kicks up the marl but even then there are streaks of clear water you can see from the bluffs. East winds are uncommon - but I'll bet it would be okay as long as there was no recent rain.

[fleedermouse]

I did get fairly close to some drum on the south Muskegon pier about 3 weeks ago but as I approached the pier tip and the deeper water (and the higher concentrations of fish) the vis went to hell: 5-8 foot 'murk'. The drum were very skiddish and the only shots I got were of the drum fading away in the distance. Of course, I have fallen out of shape and my practice should increase my success down the road here.

[Fondueset]

They seem to like it if you get low - and have the camera up allready. check out the two newest videos on my site - the second one got pretty close. It is usually tricky with them though - you pretty much allways have to wait.

[fleedermouse]

I'll check that out soon. Got to get some sleep now. I'll have to get up that way sometime soon. I'm only about 2 hrs from the area and I've always wanted to see Sleeping Bear.

[Fondueset]

Be sure and let me know! The drums seem to show up in August ( I call them 'the drums of august') but the breakwall is most spectacular in june and early july. September is interesting too because of the salmon and lake trout. - also visibility starts to improve. Lake mich is hit or miss. I basically just hit the beach and swim out.
I was seeing Lake Trout into November last year - I took December off - thinking it was too cold - and started up again on january first. Visibility is amazing in the winter.

[Fondueset]

Great dive today. Got going about 9am, as soon as the sun came out, but sunlight was about 60/40 the whole time. Really strong North wind and some formidable chop left over from what must've been a pretty rough night judging by the condition of a cabin cruiser I saw being towed while the owner bailed frantically.

I debated diving since the waves were breaking as far as I could see. Frequently this kind of weather seems to really stir up the marine life so I decided to chance it.

Viz was down in the <30 foot range. The waves were seriously yanking my float and frequently broke over my head. Anything other than my Impulse 2 snork would've been pretty miserable but I never once choked on a breathup. (haven't worked out how to fix the LOUSY clip on the impulse 3 yet)

The first thing I saw was a salmon in the 1 meter range and in only about 15 feet of water; first one of the year! About 200 yards out along the pipeline the huge bass that claims that area showed up along with three carp (including one monster in the 40lb range) and four freshwater drum. They came in toward the end of my endurance and I had to surface. No problem as the whole lot milled around under me while I breathed up. I did quite a few dives and slowly worked my way out along the pipes. As the water grew deeper and cloudier on the bottom I started to lose sight of the pipeline. That and the fact that my flag was vanishing between waves convinced me to head back but, as I turned and began to swim in, what should I see but another diver's flag mounted high on a bright yellow inner tube. Scubies and a navigational aid! Made a few dives waiting for them then did a good breatheup and met them at about 30 feet as they came out - waving and smiling as they swam by. Sure are loud! The fish seemed to sort of flee before them - then circle back around but keep their distance.

We all made our way out to the big cribs at the end of the pipes - no problem navigating or getting run over now with all those bright fins, tanks and float.

On the way back I parked along the eastern most pipeline to watch them swim by again and was surprised by a huge school of gizzard shad; apparently in full spook. There were probably 200 of these flat, silvery, fish all in the 12 inch range and spread across about 20 feet vertically. Even in poor visibility it was an awesome sight. They went by too fast for a picture but came past again a few minutes later and a bit slower. I managed one quick shot just before they vanished.

The swim in was wave-propelled and pretty easy.

[Fondueset]

Todays best pic and Video of a doofus cormerant

doofus