We recently had a deep thaw and rain which made slush all over the lake but, with the bitter cold temperatures, it's frozen back up again and will be very solid for the weekend. Fishermen have been reporting nice bluegill and walleye catches. Action is spotty, but fish being caught are of nice size. Mornings and evenings are the best time. With the fishing tournament this weekend, we want to remind everyone about the seminars at Ramada given by the Iceman team. Hamlin Grocery will have a table set up at Ramada Friday and Saturday evenings starting at 5pm both days. We'll be displaying the hottest fishing tackle and lures, along with our custom rods which have just arrived. To serve all your fishing needs, Hamlin Grocery will be opening at 5am this Saturday and Sunday. Bait shop will be open from 5am-10pm for the entire fishing tournamanet. Stop in for hot beverages and snacks and grab a sandwhich from our deli to take out to the lake. Good luck!

After enjoying such positive feedback and experiencing a huge turnout for their first annual Monster Pike Tournament, Pere Marquette Expeditions is again sponsoring this popular ice fishing tournament on Saturday, January 16, 2010. Over 50 shanties were on PM Lake last year at tournament time and the action was impressive. Sign up today at PM Expeditions for a fun way to win cash! Entry fee is $10 and includes Sander's hot dogs down by the river following tournament. Winner takes 50% of the money, second place gets 30% and third place, 20%. Longest fish wins, and in case of a tie, weight will be the determining factor. All DNR rules apply. For more information, contact Pere Marquette Expeditions at (231) 845-7285.

According to some of the 50 fishermen stopping into Hamlin Grocery this morning, there are three inches of hard, clear ice on the South Bayou. Fishing is brisk in the afternoon. Just off the shore of Wilson Hill Park on Upper Hamlin Lake, we're getting reports of good dawn and dusk fishing on 5-7 inches of solid ice. Quads and snowmobiles are running on the lake. A few bluegill are being caught with wax worms and spikes. Tequila Sunrise is the hot color.

Not much fishing going on in Hamlin Lake. Sorry to say most of the activity on the lake is duck hunting rather than fishing. Saturday afternoon anglers had been out fishing for walleye but caught a few nice pike instead. Word from the local fishermen is that they are catching steelhead in the Pere Marquette and Mansitee Rivers. We'll keep you posted on any activity, but this time of year, fishing is usually slow. Our bait shop is gearing up for ice fishing and the big tournament end of January. We hope all the fishing enthusiasts will take part in this fun activity. Meanwhile, Hamlin Lake levels are currently in the process of being lowered in preparation for winter. (Hamlin is a man-made lake and water levels are controlled by removing boards in the dam at the Ludington State Park.)

We are one of the participating sponsors of the upcoming Ice Fishing Tournament on January 31, 2010. Plan to stop at Hamlin Grocery for all your fishing bait and tackle needs. We'll carry tried and trusted tackle and will also be expanding our selection to include the baits and lures used by the world renowned Ice Men tournament series.

For more tournament information, see this story.

With the extreme cold nights, there's substantial ice and the men continue to go out for crappie. Evening has been best. Minimal fish being caught, but we're looking for a big turnaround and more fish with the upcoming change in weather. A few bluegill are hitting, but lots of hours needed to catch. Tackle being used: demon glows, teardrops, dj lures of different sizes and colors.