Junk Fisherman

The fella that used to run the Tinley show retired and moved to Arizona is what I heard. That show was done so well by the HS and it made enough to act as the only major fundraiser for all the sports teams at the HS. I didn't go to the show at the convention center last year but I heard it was very underwhelming. I guess there was a wrestling tournament there on the Saturday and people had trouble finding a place to park. With all that said, it sounds like a lot more vendors will be present this year and the entire facility will be the show. I asked and they said a complete vendor list will be posted in early February. Granted, they said something similar last year and never posted it. I'll wait till I hear if the show was decent before I decide to go on Sunday this year. The seminar schedule is not that impressive IMO. The Schaumburg show is always good.

BPS around Chicago had a nice selection of boats this past Sunday. Definitely their best inventory since the pandemic. They had a 2023 Z19, Z20, and a Z21 all at 5K or so off.

Hey Fellas. I have an intermittent noise coming when I cast this reel. I cleaned and oiled the bearings but it made no difference. Can someone point me in the right direction for info on replacement bearings? While I'm at it I might as well upgrade the bearings. Are the ceramics still the best? Haven't done this in a couple years. If someone has a good video for replacing the bearings, I'd love to see it. Any help is appreciated.

Locally, there are 4 bodies of water in my rotation with Lake Michigan in NW Indiana my most preferred place locally. For trips I always go the last week of March to central and southern IL. I'll spend a a couple days on Newton Lake in central IL (always makes BASS's top lakes list for the Midwest) and then a couple days in extreme southern IL messing around on a small, picturesque Shawnee National Forest lake. The trips that get me excited the most are my northern Michigan summer trips. In early June I'll visit Lake Charlevoix and Grand Traverse Bay for a couple days each on a solo camping and fishing trip and then will return a few weeks later with the family and will sneak a few days of fishing in at many of the same places. I often take a late July trip and this year I am thinking about hitting Door Co in Wisconsin. It's been a few years since I've fished up there. So overall I'll probably fish 12 or so different places this year.

After thinking about this for several days I have my short list: 1) Just go! Too often I make excuses not to go such as: I don't feel like waking up early, I don't want to wait for that lock, there's going to be too many other fishermen out, ect.. ect... Just go! I often regret not going but rarely do I ever regret going once the day is over. And I also want to go at some different times instead of just a daylight to 1-2 PM. 2) Work on multiple alternatives to my confidence baits and show fish something different. My confidence baits simply weren't as effective last year compared to the past and I am wondering if it's because of the immense pressure on many of the lakes I fish. Most of what I'm using are very popular baits. Definitely want to zag a little this year. 3) Try to master my Garmin FFS. I use it every time I go out but I can definitely improve. Watch more vides, ask questions, really try to take it to another level. 4) Fish a couple new places. 5) Find easy places to take my 9-year old son. This needs to become a priority.

Helluva game!!

I feel some of my mainstay baits over the last couple years were not as productive this past year. One of my main goals for 2024 is to search for different presentations to offer side-by-side with my confidence baits. So I'm going to see if I can zag a little this next season!

With Great Lakes fishing, the size of boat needed for smallmouth fishing comes down to making good decisions and whether or not you plan on fishing tournaments. I've spent a lot of time on Grand Traverse Bay, Green Bay, and Lake Michigan around Chicago. You can easily fish all of those in an 18' boat as long as you pay attention to the weather. I follow Accuweather and Underground Weather Apps for wind speed and more importantly direction and they're very accurate. I also drive to the closest launch to fish the areas I want to fish. The only times I've ever had anxious moments were when I chanced it. I wouldn't have taken those chances with an 18' bassboat but with my 19' deep V, I had more confidence. I remember when I posted a question about getting an 18' or 20' bassboat for fishing big water back when I was getting started and everyone told me to get the 20'er and that the 18'er would be a mistake. Well, after fishing big water for over 10 years now, I could easily manage with an 18'er and actually my next boat will be a 19' bassboat. I'd rather have a bassboat than a deep V since the vast majority of the time I am fishing big water, it's relatively calm. Granted, I don't fish tournaments which is a HUGE factor. I don't force myself to make long runs in sketchy conditions or have to fish all day when a front moves through and changes the wind direction. I don't like fishing in whitecaps and rollers. It's not as much about safety as it is not enjoying bouncing around all day. If the wind is up, I'll go somewhere else. With all that said, I'd get the 19'er just for the additional space. The bigger deck, more area in the cockpit, and more storage is worth it alone.

I have never used a Whopper Plopper. I don't even own one.

I laugh because we both know this is a pipe dream! I give you till the 3rd week of February!

I agree with this. I would not continue to fish with him and just hope it gets it better- it won't. If he is a decent guy otherwise maybe you want to have a conversation with him and tell him how his tantrums and sulking make it unenjoyable for you and that you have no interest in fishing with him if he can't improve. I know it is the type of conversation guys don't usually have but it might be worth it since he has a boat you can fish from which let's face it- a guy that has a boat and takes you fishing does have some value. Good luck.

5 Competent club-level fishermen. If I dedicated myself to fishing with my old club for the entire schedule I feel I would finish top 5, maybe top 3.

1) Ned- #1 bait overall. 2) DS- I have decided to stop throwing a DS around my waters around Chicago. With all the busted up concrete along the breakwalls that I fish, I breakoff constantly even though I am always checking my line. It's just not worth the frustration. I'll still use one when I head up to traditional smallie waters that don't have all the obstacles in the water. NA- I haven't thrown a wacky rig for smallies in years. My rankings overall would be 1) Ned 2) Neko 3) Hair jigs 4) Tubes I'd have a small swimbait #2 if you consider that finesse.

Sorry to hear you are going through this. I hope your Dad finds some comfort, My father passed away a few years ago. I saw a lot of what you are going through drawn out over a much longer period as my Dad slowly deteriorated over time due to COPD and a host of other physical ailments due to working in construction his whole life and always having a poor diet. Even when he was 80 he was still sharp mentally and had the desire to fish but his body wouldn't let him. He is the model I am not following. Working out and staying in great shape, quitting smoking nearly 20 years ago, and having a relatively decent diet is giving me hope that I can fish and be active well into my 80s. My plan is to keep my boat in a marina for the season when I hit my late 70s. My Dad's most challenging task with fishing his last few years was launching and retrieving his boat.

I agree. When I go to BPS or Cabela's it is more for getting out of the house, taking my kids somewhere, and looking at boats and outdoor gear. I buy 95% of all my fishing gear online.

LOL- I think so too.

I rarely ever go to Dick's to shop for fishing gear. The clothing and shoes are what I shop for there primarily. The way you described your store is similar to mine. It doesn't upset me since it is what I've come to expect. I might pick up some Keitechs, Maxscent or some Sleepers if I have a coupon.

The Lund Pro V Bass with the pedestal seats provide a lot of floor space compared to your average bass boat. Plus, I see guys removing the small floor cooler and storage container to provide even more floor space.

Had a 22ish lb bag back in June which included 2 smallies over 5. What hurts is that I lost 3 that would have put me over 25 lbs which has been a goal of mine for a long time. One fish ran to the back of my boat and got in my prop. When you're bouncing around in 2'-3' waves, running around the boat fighting a fish is not that easy. I didn't feel that bad about that one but it did look to be over 5. Another big fish just broke my line and I had literally checked the line and the knot the cast before. And the last fish just came unbuttoned after what seemed like a solid hookset. I saw that one and it looked significantly bigger than the 2 5s I had already caught. So while I had a great day, I think about what could have been. Granted, I don't really feel I did much wrong on any of the fish I lost.

I've never thrown a Whopper Plopper or a jigging spoon.

Welcome Dave. I might have to tap into your knowledge about fishing and camping in SW Michigan at some point. Glad to have you here.

The Dobyns and the Loomis have a no-fault replacement policy that the Daiwa does not have. That is the biggest drawback of those rods IMO but I still have two of them and absolutely love them. lol- Be careful what you're doing. When you get a high-end rod it will make you want to replace the rest of your rods.

This is a tough decision and I've actually gone back and forth. I wouldn't want to spend $700 on a motor that has given you problems. I love my Xi5 but I am on my 3rd foot pedal so I'm familiar with your motor and issues that Motorguide give people. And I don't think you're going to get much for a used Motorguide motor that doesn't have a foot pedal and doesn't have working spot-lock. I think you're best off putting the $700 into a new trolling motor. But to answer your question, I think I'd go spot-lock over the pedal. There are times when spot-lock is invaluable and significantly increases your chance of catching fish while everything you can do with a pedal, you can do with the remote. And as time goes on, you'll adjust to using the remote and become more efficient with it. Just think about how often you put the motor on spot-lock to retie? I fish a lot of big open water. If didn't put my boat on spot-lock when I sit down to retie, I'd blow 50 yards off my spot by the time I got back to fishing. Tough decision. Good luck.

I always bring a thermos of coffee, ice water if it's hot and I'm concerned about dehydration, and a few pieces of whatever fruit we have in the house. My diet has always matched intermittent fasting so I never eat during the day except a piece of fruit or a granola bar if my blood sugar is too low and I'm sluggish. I always throw some granola bars in the boat at the start of the season.

My first decision is where to fish which is based on the season, structure, cover, water clarity, and weather conditions. After that it's a matter of what bait matches where I'm fishing the best. In terms of which finesse bait to throw, there's a variety of baits that will work every single day and I rely on baits that I know are productive based on my history with the bait. For example, I throw a Ned rig a lot and that is what I'll throw in rocky areas especially rip rap. I'm gonna throw that before a T-rigged craw or a shakey head or some other soft plastic bait. I remember being intimidated and overwhelmed as a young fishermen when I would walk into a large fishing shop since there were so many options. It takes time and experience but you'll develop your confidence baits in due time. Good luck.