Bait In Clearwater Area?

[JBMasterAngler]

Going to sugar lake on sunday...where's the nearest bait store? Any rainbows or shiners available?

[robbo17]

If your coming up 94, Clearwater has a bait shop. Get off 94 at the Clearwater exit, take a ® on Hwy 24. Go to stop light (Hwy 75), and take a left. Bait shop is one block up at the gas station. IF your coming up Hwy 55 stop at H&H Sport Shop its right on hwy 55 when you come into town.

Little Jims is on HWY 55 in Annandale, just as you enter town, if you go by the car dealerships you missed it. AS far as bait go. Clearwater doesn't really usually have that much, So I don't know what they would have right know, I stop there once this summer and all they had was crappie minnows. H&H and Little Jims should have shiners and suckers, but don't have redtails.

[mlj554]

Sorry to say that the bait store in Clearwater closed late in Sept. There is bait available in Clear Lake at the convenience store, but if you order a dozen minnows they will handle them one at a time and you will get exactly twelve. Stingy with the count and you don't even get a thank you at the register. Poor way to capitalize on the opportunities with the Clearwater store closing.....

[JBMasterAngler]

Perhaps I'll be better off just stopping at cabela's then?

[JoshTrutwin]

JB - if you're heading to this area you can check out BJ's Bait on the north side of Clearwater Lake, well, the NEXT time you go there anyway as they are closed till ice fishing. If you know where the Waterfront restaurant is, it's next door.

Also, the gas station on 55 in South Haven is decent too (and still open).

Both are probably out of your way though, but maybe will be useful if you venture a few miles north of Sugar.

By the way - how did you do? I went to Sugar last week during the wind and was shut out.

[JBMasterAngler]

Yeah, the wind prevented me from venturing out. I will give it another try on saturday. I plan on hitting clearwater in the winter time so I'll keep that place in mind. I fished it for the first time this past spring and loved it! If I make to sugar it'll be my first time there too, so hopefully I get the same feeling again.

[JoshTrutwin]

Good luck - my neighbor and I might try to hit Cedar tomorrow. I've only lived in this area about a year and a half. Most people I talk to have great things to say about Sugar, though my personal experience hasn't been so great there. I've had the best experiences on Pleasant personally, but it could be bad timing / lack of experience doing me in on Sugar.

[robbo17]

Josh, what you going to fish for on cedar?

JB if your going to fish Sugar, what you going after, I may be able to help on your bait selection,

Robbo

[JBMasterAngler]

Mostly northerns, but I'll try for walleyes too. I don't have any muskie tackle, but catching smaller ones while fishing for other species is pretty fun, so wouldn't mind hooking into one of those either.

[robbo17]

Northerns it is--- I would suggest white or Yellow spinner baits on the west side of grass island. If you look at the lake map this is what separates the North bay from the rest of the lake. Also fish the east shoreline out from the North Access. Start here at about the third house down from the access in keep the boat in about 8 FOW-- Casting both Shallow and deeper. Somedays if White or Yellow doesn't work, Try a Black and Red combo.

well hope this helps

Terry