Three of us went exploring Beaver Lake on Sunday. This is a popular fishing lake for Waleye and Pike. None of us had ever dove the lake and though that we would give it a shot.
We did a shore entry under overcast skies and entered at the Alpena County Park. In speaking to the campground manager he had only seen one other indevidual dive the lake and that was someone looking for a lost anchor from last year. Very nice shore and beach area with mostly sand with a few rocks on a gradual slope. It took us about 200 feet to get to 5ft of depth. At about 300 feet from the shore we found a 30 degree slope that took us down to about 28ft.
On this shelf we found many fishing structures holding smaller fish. One thing we thought we could do for the local fisherman is take photos of the structures that they have placed to show how effective they are/aren't. Has anyone else noticed that some fisherman construct what looks to be a huge ladder, puts cinder blocks on each leg and then places this on top of a buch of christmas trees to melt through the ice? Then after a few months, they are flatter than pancakes. We did see some that resembled HUGE jacks, you know the game kids play with a rubber ball? These seemed much better.
We continued out to 36ft. passing the thermocline at about 28ft. Saw LOTS of those BIG red crayfish. Has anyone ever cooked up any of these? How do they taste?
Found our first anchor, a 15 pounder, laying pretty much on top of the bottom. Line could be traced all the way both directions. Looks like it rubbed thin on the gunal of the boat. Shortly there after found the open face spinning reel for ice fishing. Working our way back to the 28 depth and found a partial rope and strated pulling. Found the heavy end and could not budge it. Two of us placed ourselves feet down and pulled our selves into calf deep MUCK! Then we stuck our arms down along the line and could only touch the eye with the tips of our fingers. NO way were we going to get this sucker out with what we had. But you know what? It had a damn fine 7/8 anchor line attached to it. So cut, cut.
When we came out sunny blue skies, a jet skier came over to us asking lots of questions and he commented that we were the first divers he had ever seen in the lake. Sort of makes the dive a little cooler to us!
Our treasurer were a 15# anchor that cleaned up perfectly with a power wash. A ice fishing rig that just need to have a little rust scrapped off with tin foil and a nice 50ft 7/8 anchor line that came out like new after being thrown in the washing machine! You know it is cool, finally to be able to take something out of the water with you. Livning in the heart of a preserve does not allow you the oportunity to do that.
Out for now!!
Jeff (Don't call me Scuba Steve) Thornton
That was for my wife, ever since seeing that Adam Sandler movie "Big Daddy" that is her new nick name for me or any of "us".
We did a shore entry under overcast skies and entered at the Alpena County Park. In speaking to the campground manager he had only seen one other indevidual dive the lake and that was someone looking for a lost anchor from last year. Very nice shore and beach area with mostly sand with a few rocks on a gradual slope. It took us about 200 feet to get to 5ft of depth. At about 300 feet from the shore we found a 30 degree slope that took us down to about 28ft.
On this shelf we found many fishing structures holding smaller fish. One thing we thought we could do for the local fisherman is take photos of the structures that they have placed to show how effective they are/aren't. Has anyone else noticed that some fisherman construct what looks to be a huge ladder, puts cinder blocks on each leg and then places this on top of a buch of christmas trees to melt through the ice? Then after a few months, they are flatter than pancakes. We did see some that resembled HUGE jacks, you know the game kids play with a rubber ball? These seemed much better.
We continued out to 36ft. passing the thermocline at about 28ft. Saw LOTS of those BIG red crayfish. Has anyone ever cooked up any of these? How do they taste?
Found our first anchor, a 15 pounder, laying pretty much on top of the bottom. Line could be traced all the way both directions. Looks like it rubbed thin on the gunal of the boat. Shortly there after found the open face spinning reel for ice fishing. Working our way back to the 28 depth and found a partial rope and strated pulling. Found the heavy end and could not budge it. Two of us placed ourselves feet down and pulled our selves into calf deep MUCK! Then we stuck our arms down along the line and could only touch the eye with the tips of our fingers. NO way were we going to get this sucker out with what we had. But you know what? It had a damn fine 7/8 anchor line attached to it. So cut, cut.
When we came out sunny blue skies, a jet skier came over to us asking lots of questions and he commented that we were the first divers he had ever seen in the lake. Sort of makes the dive a little cooler to us!
Our treasurer were a 15# anchor that cleaned up perfectly with a power wash. A ice fishing rig that just need to have a little rust scrapped off with tin foil and a nice 50ft 7/8 anchor line that came out like new after being thrown in the washing machine! You know it is cool, finally to be able to take something out of the water with you. Livning in the heart of a preserve does not allow you the oportunity to do that.
Out for now!!
Jeff (Don't call me Scuba Steve) Thornton
That was for my wife, ever since seeing that Adam Sandler movie "Big Daddy" that is her new nick name for me or any of "us".
