MIbassyaker

@Woody B, demonstrating mastery of the classic 1970s Soft-Focus technique.

I have caught them in a box I have caught them with a fox... But seriously, I've only been out 4 times. In march, with water temps in high 30s, some smallies below a dam, and in the eddies downstream of a bridge piling. last 2 weeks just a couple smaller largemouth in less than 2 feet of water, in the emerging shallow vegetation. a few days ago I found several better largemouth in 4-5 feet, not on the shoreline, but just on shallow side of the drop to deep water in the main lake (~50ft). Either adjacent to a shallow flat, or around docks. 55-59 degree water last week. They may be spawning here this week and next, with the weather we've been having.

Sounds like you hit the mother lode! congrats!

State of Michigan has its own program with its own patch: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/fishing/master-angler

A-yup! Zoom Lizard - Junebug/chartreuse, Watermelon Candy, or Gourd Green I still prefer a lizard over many of the newer creature designs.

Nice! I caught a White Crappie last year that would have qualified for a Master Angler patch, but didn't think to check until I got home....and discovered I hadn't gotten a photo of the measurement.

Title Shot head with a GYCB Hula Grub:

Holy smokes, what an epic catch! Congrats!

I use @NorthernBasser's hook a lot for 4" worms: the Owner Ultrahead Bullet -- here is the 1/8oz on a 4" power worm:

I might start trying topwater with water temp in the mid 50s. But I don't expect it to be consistently effective until we're in the 60s, and I give up quickly if nothing's happening -- I'd prefer to avoid the opprotunity cost of force-feeding them something they don't want yet in pre-spawn -- much rather give them something they're more likely to want.

The typical largemouth spring trajectory has them peaking in activity at about 55-58 degrees, and then they slow down a bit ahead of spawning around the low 60s, with smaller, slower presentations working better the closer you get to actual spawn. That's the generalization, at least. Its never ironclad and fish are individuals, with different fish in different stages of the spawn at the same time. It could be the shallow bass you're seeing are slowing down feeding activity and about to spawn. It's possible you'd find more willing pre-spawners at this point behind them, in a little deeper water. It's also possible they're just ignoring lures because there is so much bait. But as I said above, I always have trouble finding a consistent answer too.

If you figure it out, let me know. I have only been out once, Wednesday last week, and had exactly one bite in 3 hours. If your lake is public, I probably fish it sometimes too, and pre-spawn always seems like a crapshoot no matter where I go. I think a lot of it has to do with weather volatility and stage of weedgrowth -- things have to be timed just right to find them in the right place(s) at the right level of activity. I get the feeling they move up and back off a lot. And small waters are always going to be more affected by our temperature swings than bigger places are.

5.5 largemouth, 6'8" MHF Fenwick Aetos baitcaster + Pfllueger Supreme XT 7.1:1; 15lb InvisX; t-rigged Rage Tail Space Monkey 4.2 Smallmouth, 6'8" MXF St. Croix Avid X Spinning + Pflueger Supreme XT 30; 15lb Power Pro Slick to 8lb YZH leader; weightless 4" Strike King Ocho

Oh yes: Shallow rocky river + Rebel craw = instant smallie.

I'd call that a success! An Owner flashy swimmer with a Keitech is one of my favorites too.

Never stopped using curly & ribbontail worms and prefer them whenever I want the worm to move fairly often, falling, dragging or hopping. Weighted head or t-rig, 6"-8" most often but bigger or smaller as needed. If anything, I think it's the lizard that has gone out of fashion in favor of newer creature baits.

They should work just fine. We split hairs over color all the time, but the reality is that most of the time it probably doesn't matter. In any case, I'm sure you have crappie, shiners, brook silverside minnows, or something like that swimming around.

No "latest catch pic" to share today because the only one I caught -- about 15"-- wiggled out of my hand after unhooking (you're not missing much) First kayak trip today to "Lake 19", a 100-acre salad bowl that is kind of boom or bust, but can be good in the spring if I hit it at the right time. Today was mostly bust -- probably another victim of the cold front that swept through yesterday. Air temp was 43 degrees when I launched at noon, but 52 water temps. Other than the one bite, nothing for 3 hours, and didn't see any other fish activity anywhere. Also noticed a lot more particulate matter than usual for this time of year, and the invasive curly-leaf pondweed was coming in thick and high already, a couple weeks ahead of schedule. This stuff is a menace -- it makes parts of the lake virtually unfishable for awhile, and the bass don't even like it. It dies back later in the summer, once the arrowheads are high, so I'll be waiting for that before I return. Think I'll try "Lake 11" next week.

The thing about "10% of the water holding 90% of the fish" is just a nugget of received wisdom from typical angler experience that they don't catch fish in most of the lake. It is probably just another version of the Pareto Principle that "80% of consequences come from 20% of causes", which shows up in a lot of different contexts related to distribution of resources or productivity. Or possibly Sturgeon's Law, which simply states that "90% of everything is crap"

What a story!!

holy smokes!!!

Actual footage of me stumbling upon a goose nest...

She was telling you something! I'm always amazed at how shallow and exposed larger bass are willing to be in the pre-spawn.

Good worm. But is there really such a thing as bad worm? If so, I have never met one.