MIbassangler30

Nichols all the way!!! A little more expensive, but well worth the couple extra bucks. Chartreuse and white. One double willow blades and one with one willow and one Colorado. Get one in 3/8 and one in 1/2 ounce. 4 spinnerbaits total will handle all your needs.

I can't afford 5 cranking rods, so on my one crankbait rod is a Gen 3 Revo S. 6.4:1, good all a around speed. Works great for me and my style.

Thanks everyone! Great start to the season! I hope everyone has a wonderful time enjoying this great sport!

Pre spawn belly shot.

I posted this in another topic, but I didn't get any responses because I didn't have a length. Well after a lot of work I found an accurate computer program that can measure length and distances from pictures. My wife and I also did some comparisons and trigonometry and it confirmed what the program results were. Length is 24 1/4 inches. She's a very healthy pre spawn female. Caught her in southeast Michigan on a spinnerbait.

The lake has low-no pressure and is only 15-20 acres. There's a dam on one end and the water is stained. Water temp is in the low 40's. Was throwing a chartreuse/white 3/8 oz spinnerbait at some dead cattails and slow rolling it in front of the dam. She smack it not at the cattails where I thought she would be but right in front of the dam where the water is deep right before it spills over. She was just sitting up there letting the current bring her dinner. The most important thing I learned was they relate to the right kind of current and water temp more than the right kind of structure. Best I can give you brother. Good luck out there, at least you're catching 'em. I was out there just to have a good time, not to look to catch a record (which is why I didn't have my scale and other gear).

It was a impromptu fishing session. Just took my rod and two lures. Left all my gear in the trunk of my car not expecting to hook a massive swamp donkey. Do you just need measurement for master angler, not weight?

My guess was 7 lb 12 oz. beautiful pre spawn female. Practiced CPR; catch, photo, release. Thank you Michigan DNR for opening the season early!

More pics.

And she is also a new PB for Michigan, maybe an all time PB. Didn't have my scale, but I'd be interested to hear what you guys think she weighed. Caught her on a chartreuse and white spinnerbait. This is an absolute hog for Michigan. Great day!

There is an app for that. Search "aquadic plants" in your App Store and choose the one by NC STATE UNIVERSITY. Great app developed by doctors and biologists. It would take a little research but they'll have what you're looking for.

Depends on the exact area you'll be. I've caught pike while bass fishing on Thompson Lake in Howell and the Michigan Center chain of lakes near Jackson. From my understanding there are people who troll the MC chain specifically targeting pike.

I'll pick up where Brian left off since I fish clear water almost exclusively. On overcast days I'll throw a darker muted color without a lot of flash because the sun isn't reflecting off the scales of forage. This is mainly green pumpkin black flake, maybe dip the tail in a little JJ's depending on how I'm feeling. Bluebird sky's and I'm throwing something more reflective; this is mainly watermelon red flake or watermelon candy, almost always dipping the tail in some JJ's. These are just the go to colors, there are many other variations and experimentations that tend to happen depending on the day and my mood. For instance I used a lot of Reins soft plastics last year; The Bubbling Shaker in bluegill that is a light blue color and the Fat Rockvibe shad in go pro blue. Both of these were very successful and it really makes no sense to me on why they were. Experiment, and like Brian said, trust your intuition. But if you're on a budget and just want the best chances of catching some numbers, try the above suggestions. Hope this helps and tight lines!

I try and store mine in the original packaging. The free bag you get with a bassmaster subscription works perfect. I can fit 30+ packs in it easliy, which is plenty for a day out. Since I primarily bank fish, the bag fits easily into a back pack. One side note; I've really been drawn too the Zman elaztech baits because of their buoyancy, action, and durability. You cannot store these baits loose in a box and/or with other soft plastics or you'll have a big glob of nothing within a couple days.

Thanks everyone! Sorry for the long winded intro... slow day. Glad to meet you A-Jay! Hello from Livingston County. I've read a lot of your posts and thought they were right on, didn't pick up that you are from MI. Still waiting for the thaw...

Hello everyone! I'm a 34 year old married man from southeastern Michigan. I've only recently (last summer) rediscovered my love and passion for fishing. As a child my grandfather would take me often, but as I grew older other desires began to take priority. This mainly involved partying and everything within that lifestyle. After my grandfather was killed I embarked on a spree of self destructive and self centered living. A few years and a great deal of pain later I decided my life needed new direction and purpose. I proceeded to seek help and many wonderful people along my journey responded. I got sober, turned my life over to God, and enroled in school so I could begin helping others. Five years later I'm married to the love of my life and we have a precious little angel with blonde curls. We have made a lovely home and I have a humble career serving others and helping them to find the same freedom I have. I am very blessed and I give all praise to Our Creator. Last summer my supportive wife decided she wanted to get me a fishing rod for Father's Day. Since then I've obtained a great deal of knowledge about bass fishing through extensive research of articles, videos, and websites like bass resource. I've also gathered a great deal of gear; three bait cast combos, a new spinning setup, and a variety of baits and lures. No boat, I'm beating the banks of my local lakes and rivers, but we all start somewhere. I do have a friend who lives on Lake St. Clair and I connected with the owner of the private pond my grandfather would take me to. What an experience it was to fish out of my grandfathers 14' aluminum boat on the water he taught me to fish on some 25+ years later. My first time out there a friend and I caught 80+ largemouth in 7 hours. No doubt my grandfather was looking down and guiding my line. I've developed a passion and a love for fishing in such a short time, but who's to say it hasn't been building in me all along. I'm honored to be a part of this community, to learn from those who share my passion, and have a place to express the victories and defeats of life. With nature and God's creation as our backdrop. I thank you all ahead of time and I am very grateful. Many blessings- Justin A fisher man

I haven't tried them, but the new BPS carbonlite rods would be my pick based on the criteria you outlined.