Junk Fisherman

I don't have any hate for Senkos. I'm much more likely to use a Fat Ika and if I am using a Senko it is often on a Neko rig. Probably the biggest reason I don't use them is that I am fishing for smallmouth primarily and I don't fish many clear, weedy largemouth lakes where Senkos work best IMO. Now If I was to go out tomorrow fishing a lake with some lily pads and docks I would definitely have a Senko or a Fat Ika tied on.

I've never fished Erie but I spend a lot of time on Lake Michigan around Chicago and the different bays in Wisconsin and Michigan. The key question is- are you planning on fishing tournaments? If you plan on tournament fishing then your best best is a walleye boat or a 20'-21' bassboat since you'll inevitably have to make a long run in rough water at some point but if you're a fun fisherman, like me, it changes everything. Depending on the wind direction, I'll change where I launch or simply won't go out at all if I fear the waves are going to be too uncomfortable to fish or run in. Learning what winds you're willing to fish in and not putting yourself in bad situations is the key. I monitor wind speeds and direction constantly when fishing the Great Lakes and have only had a couple bad experiences and they were both due to my own poor judgment. Granted, I was very happy I was in my 19' deep V in those instances rather than a 18'-19' bassboat. But the vast majority of the time I fish Lake Michigan, any average bassboat would suffice since I always launch closest to where I plan to fish and won't go out if the forecast is too sketchy. But what boats specifically would I recommend? If you are not fishing tournaments, you can make any bass boat work on Erie as long as you are sensible about it. My next boat is probably going to be a Lund Pro V Bass which from all the reviews I've read is a great big water bass boat. Another boat I will consider is the Basscat Caracal which is a deep bass boat which is good for big water. Personally, I don't know if I'll be able to justify spending the money on that boat though (the Pro V Bass is expensive enough). Good luck.

You're getting a lot of good advice in this thread. If I was getting a 17' boat there is no question I would get an aluminum boat. This is also assuming that I wasn't planning on fishing Lake Michigan and other big open water which is why I have the boat I do. But if I was primarily fishing inland lakes and was limited to 17', the Ranger RT178 would be my choice. I know the glass boat will give you a better ride and it doesn't get pushed in the wind as much even though with spot-lock motors that is not as big of an issue as in the past. Aluminum boats are much more forgiving, easier to handle, and their lighter weight make run more efficiently with a lower HP-motor and are easier to tow. Plus, I have to wonder if resale is worse with a 17' glass boat. I think most people that get a 17' boat are going aluminum and if someone wants fiberglass they likely want a a longer boat. 17' glass doesn't seem like an in-demand configuration. Just a thought. Good luck on your purchase.

I wish I loved kayak fishing as much as fishing out of a boat. I own a kayak and only use it if something is wrong with my boat. I started with a boat similar to yours and put hundreds and hundreds of fish into that thing. But with that said if I was content with a kayak, life would be so much easier for a number of reasons. Because if you stick with your boat, you'll end up upgrading until one day you have a 75k+ bassboat and need a 60k+ truck to tow it. Hell, you could even get a camper one day if you were a kayak fisherman and go anywhere fishing and camping. Another option, is to join a bass club and fish as a nonboater to satisfy that urge to tournament fish if you decided to keep your boat. If I was in your position I'd get the kayak and start fishing the tournaments. You can always sell the kayak down the road if it's not for you and go back to a boat. Good luck.

I've been doing it more and more. My smallie dropshot combo is a baitcaster with 20 lb 832 with a 6 lb Gamma Edge leader. I like the baitcaster with dropshots since I am pitching lots of breakwalls. I have had positive results with pitching plastics using braid to a leader on a baitcaster (30 lb braid and 15 lb leader). For the lighter leader I am using an Alberto knot while I use the FG for the 15 lb leader. Based on recent suggestions here, I am making sure my knot does not go into the reel and have been very pleased with the results so far.

I check it every so often and will retie it after half a day or so if I am using the combo a lot. What I have found is that the connection knot is most likely to break on the cast not when I am setting the hook or fighting a fish. I'll go to make a cast and the entire leader flies off. I've only had a few times when the connection knot broke on a hookset. But since I've started checking the knot more often and retieing after heavy use, the connection knot breaks very infrequently. And before every outing, I will retie the leader connection knot. For reference sake I'm using an Alberto knot and as a smallmouth guy I am usually throwing spinning gear 90% of the time.

Why do buzzbaits work? Bass think they're baby waverunners!

This is what I do and have sold 10 or so rods in the last year. I get much more action from Facebook Marketplace than I do Craigslist, Ebay, or posting them on Forums. Plus the shipping really eats away at your profit. I set a good price, make pickup at my house so I don't have to drive anywhere, and because I live in a big market my rods sell. And I've sold a lot of other stuff on Facebook Market place as well. I inherited a bunch of random stuff from my dad and it was quite easy selling in on FB. I did offer shipping on those items since they were smaller. Every gun item I posted sold within a week.

That's interesting and I definitely wouldn't want to risk breaking an expensive rod over a 50 cent presentation. But the rod is under much more pressure when fighting a fish. When applying the bow and arrow method, the rod doesn't curve as much as when catching a 2-3 lb fish.

Seasonal patterns will impact where fish are and that needs to be taken into consideration but I have many spots that produce year after year for me. There's a rock pile on a lake where I've caught a 6 lber, multiple 5s, and a lot of 4s over the years but it is only that good in June during prespawn. Calling it good is an understatement. It is the most productive big fish spot I've ever found. When I go there in a couple weeks, I'll naturally fish it but doubt I will catch anything big since the fish will be in their summer patterns so I'll quickly move to other spots after 15-20 minutes without much luck. There's another spot on a lake where I've caught two 6 lbers the last two springs (might have been the same fish). You better believe that will be the first place I go next March when I get there!! Locally, on Lake Michigan I fish the same waters but I do adjust due to the season. Back in May and early June I fished shallower, spawny stuff but now it'll be the same 1/2 dozen or so areas for the rest of the summer. Granted, I am always fishing new stuff looking for productive areas but I have my areas that I always fish. The key overall is to be willing to adjust on the water. Your historically good spots hold fish for a reason and to overlook them would be foolish. But it's also wise to keep exploring new water looking for fish-holding areas for the conditions you are faced with.

Maybe this is common knowledge but I unsnag many of my Ned hangups in rocks, up to 50%, by snapping the braid. I grab the braid, pull it back creating a lot of tension, and then release it. It's crazy how effective that is.

Dobyns Champion 763 SF Just too much rod. Too heavy. Give me my light baitcaster setup before going to a 3 power Dobyns spinning rod.

My Xi5 is running strong after 7 heavy years of use and the spotlock works well enough for me. The cost of upgrading pays for a lot of gasoline!

It depends on where I go and what my expectations are. For example, I went on Lake Michigan this past Friday and fished a bunch of new areas and found some good-looking spots that while were not very productive, I am optimistic they will be at some point. With a cold front, postspawn, and fishing new water my expectations were not that high. My biggest fish were a spawned-out 18"er and a 16" and a lot of shorts but it was still a good day. Contrast that to a couple weeks ago when I was on Grand Traverse Bay and I caught 2 over 5 lbs but had another in the 5 lb range get off when he ran my line into my prop and when a monster just came unbuttoned. That fish looked to be 6 to 7 lbs and I had a good hookset but it just came off. I've played that one over and over in my mind and I don't feel I did anything wrong. Had another big fish break me off and I had just check the leader line and knot before the cast. That day should have been my first 25 lb bag which has been a goal of mine for a number of years now. I was very disappointed in that day even though I caught 2 over 5 and had a 21-22 lb bag but I still think about what should have been.

In May and June I usually stick to the Walleye Rearing pond area or areas by the north launch. In June in particular, the water will be way over 90 as you go towards the south ramp. I hit 100 degrees by the south ramp last June. Even by the WRP the temps will be into the mid 80s. I used to do better there in early June but I still usually go there once a season. I'm focused now on Lake Michigan.

Loomis NRX, Megabass Destroyer, and the Daiwa Steez are the rods I'd consider. I'm partial to Daiwa so I would pair it up with a Zillion or a Chronarch if you are a Shimano guy. I'd max out the rod and keep the reel in the $300 range. Happy shopping!! That sounds fun!

I use Mend-it to repair torn up plastics. It doesn't make them 100% but you can catch another fish or two on the bait before tossing it. And store the Mend-it in the refrigerator after opening. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Mend-It_Softbait_Glue/descpage-MIG.html Are there any Elaztech swimbaits that would work for you?

Agreed. I always mix in a Neko too and have a hair jig handy as well.

Ned Kehde said his preferred jig was a 1/16th oz with a #4 hook. I don't notice much difference when using a #2 vs #4 with bites so I stick with a #2 hook. But if the vegetation is heavier or if I am using a thinner bait, I'll go to the #4. The #4 hook on a TRD goes through weeds surprisingly well. I make my jigs so I've played around with hook size quite a bit. Most of my 1/0 Neds have been turned into hair jigs since that hook was way too big for TRDs, Hula Sticks, and Hawgs.

The original TRD works well so that is what I use the majority of the time. There is very little vegetation where I fish for smallmouth so I definitely want an exposed hook. I don't use a texas-rigged setup for any of my smallmouth fishing. I don't like the EWG hooks on Neds that make it weedless since I do not like how it has affected my hookup ratio and I am actually quite pleased with how well a #2 hook on a Ned can get through light vegetation. You can shake off a lot of weeds during a retrieve if you have good feel of your presentation. I'll go to a t-rigged plastic if the weeds are too heavy.

Did you buy that at Bedford Sales? That is the model I would buy if I were lucky enough to get a Phoenix. That's a beauty. Enjoy!

It has definitely gotten worse in Grand Traverse Bay from when I first started going there 11 years ago when it was EASY. I didn't really know much about smallmouth fishing and I caught 2 5 lbers on my first day there and averaged 22+ lb bags for the week just by dragging tubes in rocky areas. And then the word got out and the massive influx of people started fishing there. In 2015 and 2016 the bent pole patterning was so bad I nearly considered focusing on other bodies of water. The year or two before the pandemic, things calmed down a little. 2021 was the most ridiculous zoo I had ever seen up there. There was a big college tournament in a nearby lake so it seemed like everyone took a vacation and was fishing the bay once their tournament ended. Last year was calmer and this past week was pretty chill. But overall, I've never had the success on that bay like I did the first couple years. Granted, I did just catch 3 5 lbers over the last couple days so I'll be back there next June. In terms of the smallie fishing around Chicago in Lake Michigan, I think it has stayed constant over the last few years. There are more tournaments than in the past (?) but I seem to have about the same success.

I LOVE my sunrise silver mirror Costa Del Mars. They are amber and are outstanding in low light conditions- that is what they were designed for. I have green mirror for bright sunlight and personally feel they are a little overrated and would not replace them if they were broken or lost. But if I lost my sunrise silver glasses, I would be ordering another pair as soon as I could.

One other thing and I've probably posted this before, get memory foam inserts. They make a HUGE difference. I have them in all my shoes. They can make a pair of basic Dockers or Clarks leather shoes and make them extremely comfortable. I'm a teacher and am on my feet all day and comfortable shoes is something I have been focusing on quite a bit over the last few years especially as I have gotten older. Ultra-cushioning running shoes and memory foam inserts are the most comfortable shoes for walking and standing all day.

As someone who has had high-end running shoes from multiple manufacturers, Hoka Bondi's are easily the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. I prefer my Brooks Glycerin, which are slightly, slightly less comfortable, for everyday work and running errands but for standing in the boat fishing all day, give me my Hokas. And I like Asics, Mizunos, and New Balance and I always buy the max cushioning shoes but the Hoka's are more comfortable for standing. And I know a lot of people wear sandals. Give me the most comfortable shoes possible and I'll use a cooling towel or some other method to combat the heat.