Lucky Craft Man

You know Florida and all these warmer weather areas may have great largemouth bass fishing, but I would never trade the variety that we have in the North for it. In a year I may catch Smallmouth, Largemouth, Musky, Steelhead, Trout, Northern Pike, and Walleye. Also year round fishing can be had in the North. Come winter when my boat is packed away, I break out the fly rod and hit all the open streams or tributaries. That allows me to get my fishing fix and I really learned to appreciate the solitude that fishing a stream in 30 degree temp. gives me. Don't be jealous and just expand your horizons. If he sends you a picture of a 5 pound bass caught off of an Airboat in Florida, you send him a picture of a 22 inch Brown Trout you caught out of a tranquil stream. In that instance, I personally would take that trout. Now if he is sending you pictures of 10 pounders, that is a whole other story...

Here is a thread I started concerning my preferred Jerkbait rod. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/99721-effects-of-cutting-an-existing-rod-down-in-length/?fromsearch=1

Haha...A-Jay, you have to get a replica made of that one. I think that would look awesome over your fireplace.

This is a great point. When I fish in the winter, I always wear synthetics or wool (which maintain their insulation properties even when wet). I also try not to fish to far from the vehicle, because if you go in and have a long hike back, you will be miserable. I also bring extra towels and clothes that I leave in the car in case a change of clothes is warranted. Simple things that can keep you from being in a dangerous situation to just having the minor inconvenience of being wet and having to change if you happen to go down.

I just ran a solo. I parked at the fly shop by Eagle River, asked them for any fly suggestions, bought a few flies, and dropped right down to the river. Caught fish all the way through there. If you want to learn a few things, a guide might be a good way to go.

Where in Colorado are you skiing? I had a work trip out to Colorado in the winter last year and on our day off, three guys went skiing at Vail while I fly fished the Eagle River that runs right though Vail. As with all winter trout fishing, I didn't kill the fish, but I think I ended up with a dozen. It was a great day and if I were you, I would definitely give it a try. There is nothing like winter fly fishing for trout especially in a place like Colorado.

I have 10 of those Shimano TDR rods (3 for salmon, 3 for steelhead, and 4 for musky). I don't troll all that much, but the times I have used these rods, they worked fine. My only grips would be the weight (which since they are mostly in the holder, this isn't all that detrimental) and that the big musky lures (14"+) seem to really put a bend on these rods. Other than that, I would say get those rods, get out there, and stick a 50 incher.

A-Jay, I have studied that post by Dwight many times. There is so much "gold" in just that middle paragraph. The day I caught my PB, the fish weren't aggressive at all. I slowed my drift down and got my jerkbaits just grinding on the bottom. That fish must have lightly mouthed the lure, because I caught her with the rear hook just on the tip of her mouth. All those variables mentioned in Dwight's post need deliberate consideration and an effective means with which to cover them (this is part of the system I still need work on). I have found that these big fish are big for a reason and the attention to these details seem to be the difference between netting those bigger fish or ending another day wishing for a 5 pounder.

This post had me curious over how my Lake Erie Spring numbers looked for this year (Post Dwight System Implementation) and all the years before (Pre Dwight System Implementation). This Spring, I was only able to get up to Lake Erie 4 times (I know, very dismal, but with three little girls all under the age of 3 and a half, I had to sacrifice some fishing time). In those 4 days, I fished a total of 28.5 hours. Here was the breakdown for my boat. 2013 Spring Results (Implementing Dwight's System) Total Number of Smallmouth Caught = 63 Number of 5 Pounders = 7 Number of 6 Pounders = 1 Number of 7 Pounders = 1 Pre 2013 Spring Results (Before I really implemented Dwight's System) Total Suckiness I seemed to have been able to fine tune Dwight's system for my needs each time out (e.g., changing line diameter, drift patterns, lure choices, etc.). I can't wait until this Spring. I have a few more things I want to try and dial in. Someone mentioned Dwight being able to write a book on this system. I tend to agree. There is a lot that goes into it that I am sure many people don't think about. I know there were details that I would have never considered until after talking with Dwight. It really was a game changer for me.

Dwight has a system with jerkbaits that is very intune with Lake Erie (and I am sure would work in any body of water that is as expanse as Erie). His approach is really ingenious and I have been picking his brains for at least the last few years learning what he does (and he has been kind enough to share with me. I think of Dwight as my mentor). It is just a very methodical and systematic approach that is truly a masterpiece. I had to slightly modify his approach to fit my boat and style of fishing, but I put more 5 pound+ Smallmouth in my boat (including my 7 pound PB SM) this year than I have in all the past years (and I fished half as much this year). Truly a well thought out system by a truly great fisherman (not to mention a really nice guy). PS Dwight, that 7 pound smallmouth I caught wasn't far from you guys, so you can count it in your totals (and since you pretty much showed we the way, it was almost like you caught it.)

G Loomis NRX 822S DSR with 15 lb. Braid and an 8 lb. Flurocarbon leader.

Congratulations on the HUGE fish you guys caught down there! A-Jay, I love the videos. You should be required to have a video camera strapped to you at all times while you fish. I just love watching your videos. Also, congratulations on the 11 lb. 11 ounce Horse. A 10 pound largemouth is one thing, but when you start getting into the 11 pound+ category, you become an instant all-star! Dwight, Big Congratulations to you on entering the double digit Largemouth Club. I just have one question, which club is left? You are in the 7 Pound Smallmouth Club, the 50 inch Musky Club, the 30 pound Northern Pike Club. I mean seriously, you are running out of clubs ;-) Great work, Buddy!

Now that is an odd looking catch.

All I know is that a DD Largemouth is a trophy even if it came from a Bass Pro Shops display tank. It is a great accomplishment and fish. I can't wait to see the report from your trip!!!

A-Jay, Those are some nice SOW's! I am starting to prefer Fall Smallmouth fishing over the Spring. Less people and the fish are just as fat (if not fatter!) Great catches! Also, I loved the video. Make sure you have that video camera packed for your trip. I want to see some ten pounders on film.

Great Pictures!!! I love Steelhead fishing in the Fall through the Winter, though I don't like the crowds and people with no streamside manner (and the increasing amount of streams being posted and reserved for "paying" customers is also wearing thin). Though, as you mentioned, the whole experience of hooking a rainbow trout on steroids (a.k.a. Steelhead) in a small stream with light tippet is just an incredible experience not matched by many other in fishing. Thanks for the post!!!

I have 10 Cabelas XML rods. I have nothing but good things to say about these rods. I would also recommend getting some of the balancing weights that screw right into the bottom of the rod to balance it as you like. I love that feature.

I am definitely going to get a replica made. I figure with it being my first (and hopefully not last) 50 inch Muskie, it deserves to be reproduced. I am just not sure where i'm going to put it though. My one friend made a suggestion that I should get a replica of that 7 lb. Smallmouth and have the musky replica created with his mouth agape and position them on the wall as if the musky is just about to injest the SM. I don't think that is all that bad of an idea, but again, not sure where that would fit.

Haha...I am giving you an explanation thinking you always lived in Florida, when in reality you could have been the one giving me the reasoning. Sorry about that :-)

Thanks guys for all the kind words and congratulations. I really appreciate it. A-Jay, I think a more appropriate nick name for me would be "Lucky @ss Steve." I have seen the fish you and Dwight pull out and the title of "Big Fish" belongs to you both. Grizzn N Bassin, I never thought of naming it, but maybe I should name it after my wife since she did watch our three kids (which are 3, 1, and a month old) for the three days while I was out having a great time. Also, maybe if I name it after her, she would be more willing to allow me to hang the replica that I want to get over the fireplace in the family room :-) SirSnookalot, The rods we use for musky fishing are really an overkill when fighting the fish. They are that way to be able to cast the insanely big lures used and to be able to control the fish quickly and get it to the boat fast. The shorter the fight, the better it is on the fishes well-being. Also, musky are known for extremely intense, pee-your-pants, short chaotic fights. They don't have the stamina of say a salmon that will run your drag for 5 minutes straight. Though, if I had hooked her on say a drop shot rod, I would be still fighting her. 5dollardink, Mike is extremely efficient on the unhooking and measuring process. Mike took the fish out of the water, right to a bump board for a measurement (never touching the rough carpet), then I picked her up for a few quick pictures, and back in the water she went. I think she was out of the water for no more than 30 seconds. That combined with the intense, but abbreviated fight really decreased the amount of stress on her, which was evident with how strong and quickly she swam off once I put her back. Seeing the fish take off in a healthy manner was the best sight of all. Speedbead, You have a PM

In fishing, there were two targets I have always dreamed of achieving. One was to catch a 7 Pound Smallmouth Bass, (which I was fortunate enough to do earlier this year). http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/117855-quest-for-the-7-pound-smallmouth-part-ii/?hl=+quest%20+for The second target that I dreamed of was catching a 50 inch Musky. I even had a custom made rod built to cast lures up to 36 ounces in order to pursue this goal (they say big lures catch big fish, right?). http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/108302-now-scott-aka-shfishinsticks-is-just-showing-off/?hl=%2Bscott+%2Bdoes#entry1181044 In February of this year, my Uncle booked a trip with musky guide Mike Hulbert to fish Lake St. Clair for two days (October 28th and October 29th). My Uncle asked me if I wanted to join him on this trip (since the rates cover up to two fishermen). I am not a big fan of guides, because I think part of the joy of fishing is figuring out where the fish are on your own. Though, I have always wanted to fish Lake St. Clair and the first time on a waterway like this, it would be nice to have a guy who owned a boat that could handle the waves and knew where on earth he was going. So needless to say, I agreed to go. The trip finally arrived and we met Mike at the launch the morning of day 1. The start to this day was beautiful. The sun was just poking up over the horizon and there was nice crisp cold chill in the air. After launching, we hit several areas of the lake and spent the next 10 hours casting 15+ ounce lures (I was casting pounders and 2 pounders for almost the whole day). I had one fish follow the lure to the boat just to turn away disinterested and my Uncle had a musky literally jump out of the water to bite the lure that he was pulling up for the next cast. Unfortunately, the fish only grabbed the back end of the lure and missed the hooks. That was it for day 1. When we returned to the hotel after that first day on the water, I spent the next hour in the shower with just the hot water running on my back (I never thought a hotel would run out of hot water, but apparently they can). My back and shoulders were so sore from casting those huge lures all day (casting that 2 Pounder really did me in). When you fish for musky, you need to check your skirt at the door (which I forgot to do on this day). The start to day 2 was a little worse than day 1. No beautiful sunrise and Mike told us that we had a 40 minute run across that lake into Canada. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't be a bad ride, but there were 3 to 4 foot waves rolling across the lake and I thought the ride was rough. We hit a wave so hard that my Uncle was knocked out of his seat into the bottom of the boat and almost hit his head on the back deck. That ride did nothing for my back either (Mike didn’t think the ride was all that rough, but he is used to those kind of boat rides. I take my 14 foot Crestliner off Lake Erie when there is anything larger than 3’s out there so this kind of ride was new to me). After the boat ride out, we started casting our anvils. An hour into this day, I had a fish hit my lure hard away from the boat. It nearly jolted the rod from my grip (when these fish hit, sometimes they hit HARD). About an hour after that, I had a big fish follow my lure to the boat. While performing my figure-8 the musky swiped at the lure and missed. He then slinked back down into the depths. Another hour had past with no action at all. That's when it happened. Mike had a big fish follow his lure to the boat fast. He was making a wide turn with his rod on the first pass of his Figure 8 when the fish lunged at his lure only to miss. The fish then started to race away under the boat. It just so happened that I had just finished retrieving my lure at this time and I was also starting my figure-8 maneuver (I was fishing from the middle of the boat by Mike, who was in the back). Before the fish completely disappeared under the boat, she made an 180 degree turn and just inhaled my lure (and when I say inhaled, I mean my lure literally disappeared entirely in her mouth). I set the hook hard and this fish went berserk. She started violently thrashing her head back and forth like a shark trying to rip apart a seal. After the thrashing was unsuccessful in dislodging the lure, she made a power run under the boat to the other side. I had to swing my rod around to the other side to avoid her from wrapping me up. Fortunately, this 10+ ft. rod Scott made me really gave me some reach and I was able to keep the line clear of the motor as I swung the rod around from the middle of the boat. She would then make a huge power surge and I would have to work her back. After about three or four of these power runs, I was able to finally get her close enough for Mike to net. At that point, we all started to scream and high five all over the place. At that moment, all my back and shoulder pain was gone and I was just shaking with shock. It was just an incredible sequence of events. Here is a picture of the fish (excuse the goofy grin. I was pumped) She measured 53.5 inches long and had a 23.5 inch girth. The whole event took only about 2 minutes, but those two minutes took a trip that could have really been tough and made it a into moment that I will never forget. I guess this is why we fish. I would like to thank Mike (he was one hell of a guide) and my Uncle for making a dream come true. It just amazes me that I caught the two fish (that SM and this Musky) I have been after for so long in the same year. I guess it has been quite a lucky year for me. Maybe I should quit fishing while I am ahead…or maybe I can shoot for a 15 pound Steelhead…hmmmmm.

MarkH, Thanks for the compliment. I do catch myself looking at that picture of the smallmouth every once in a while (I was lucky to have my buddy fishing in his boat nearby, so he was able to get a good picture of it as opposed to me trying to hold the camera out with one hand and the fish in the other). A-Jay, Haha...I figured you would recognize the background of that first picture (actually, that location was about 100 yards from where I met you and Dwight that one day on the water). Dwight, She is swimming free right now (I release all my fish except for the occasional trout caught in a put-and-take stream where it wouldn't survive through the summer heat anyway). I am surprised you are waiting until next year to try and catch her. I am hoping to get a few chances to catch her again (or her big sister) this Fall. As far as largemouth go, it is hard to justify fishing for them when there is a fishery like Lake Erie just two hours away with trophy class smallmouth and as you mentioned, the largemouth around here are just not that big (unless you are Speedbead. He has some special power in that beard of his, because the largemouth he catches are just obscene)

PB Smallmouth - 7 lb. 0 oz. I don't fish for Largemouth much. Here is the biggest one I have caught, but I didn't weigh or measure it.

Hahaha...Classic! That was a great post!

Obvioulsy, it depends on what I am fishing. Drop Shot: Spinning Jerkbait: Casting (and sometimes Spinning) Tubes: Spinning (and sometime Casting) Jigging Spoons: Casting Blade Baits: Spinning Weightless Plastics: Casting (and sometime Spinning) Hair Jigs: Spinning Standard Jigs: Casting Shakeyhead: Spinning Lipless Crankbaits: Casting Soft Jerkbait: Spinning Spinnerbait: Casting That covers most of what I use for Smallmouth. As you can see it is a pretty even mix, though, the techniqies I use the most seem to put a spinning rod in my hands a little bit more throughout the day.