Fish the Mitt

Hows everyone been tackling this warm weather on the water? My weak spot, as I'm more than willing to admit, is deep water fishing. I have no problem finding fish shallow but for the most part, they lack the size of those being pulled from deep water. In Michigan specific, heavy weed bottoms are most prevalent in the waters I fish. Tips? Tricks? Thoughts?

Higgins is the epitome of my fishing weak spots. Needless to say, I haven't been there yet. But would like to go this year as I get more confident with deeper water items.

Do we have any guys from the Grayling area? Specifically with experience on Margrethe? If so, I'd love to pick your brain.

Yeah it all depends on where you're at in the state, and the body of water. Down south, that seems about right for most waters. B.A.S.S. Nation on Hubbard this past weekend was won by sight fishing smallmouth on beds. However, the Houghton Lake tournament shows temps 70-74 and next to zero bass on beds. Hubbard is clearer, colder, deeper. Houghton is shallow and warmer. A couple weeks ago I caught my PB up on the West Grand Traverse Bay. A ton of females up shallow at the mouth of the Boardman (all with fat bellies ready to do their thing). Yesterday, I went to the same spot, caught just as many fish... all males. One 3lber that honestly appeared to be mid spawn when she gobbled my underspin. However, there are a ton still in pre-spawn, and still spawning out deeper in the bay (per a boater I spoke with while he was docking at the Boardman slips). It truly depends on location and the body of water. Higgins and Houghton are in different phases. Houghton is shallow and warm, Higgins is deep and colder.

While this may be true, the objective of lures is to create a more opportune meal for feeding bass, or an aggressive reaction strike for bass not actively feeding. Ie: All of these lures, that you're apparently against, have a time and place to be used. A time where one is better than another. A place where one is better than another. I don't have herring lakes where I live, should I fish and pattern to a herring bite because the guys in Kentucky are doing it? Or should I maybe opt for something more similiar to the baitfish actually in my lakes? Perhaps a crawdad? Leech? Imitation panfish? Well, the Michigan, Indiana, New York, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Florida DNR (or respective agencies) and their state regulatory agencies, disagree with you. As I'm sure many other states do as well. If you see it as an ethical issue, than fine. Advocate away. But you bashing me for advocating for conservation, while being a bed fishing angler, is quite narrow minded. No one at Berkley, Rapala, Strike King, etc.. are sitting there asking themselves what colors does Largemouth21 want and need? They're more concerned with covering the spectrum for the 60,000,000 US Anglers (generating $115,000,000,000 toward our economy). If you don't like it, don't buy it. But that 2.5 in Clear Sexy Shad you don't think you need, I do. Or at least the bass like it where I live! My advice, don't get caught up in the hype if it's not for you. It wasn't created for you. Do your thing and fish to your perceived strengths.

I was just up to Traverse City - fishing the bays. You could catch them in all depths. I was fishing in 10-15fow and I was talking to a guy who was fishing out in the bay in deeper water. However, looking at the Lake Charlevoix fishing report, it appears the surface temps are much colder than regular inland lakes for this time - probably due to its depth and later ice out. I've never been there, but I'd imagine it's going to be a deeper type of fishing for you. Unless you hit the south side first which according to Noffsinger, turns on faster. "Noffsinger said he relies more on spinnerbaits on Lake Charlevoix than other lakes. He favors spinnerbaits in white, chartreuse, double chartreuse, and a white/purple pattern that does a good job of imitating alewives. The two arms of Lake Charlevoix represent two totally different fisheries. “The south arm is shallow whereas the main lake is deep. The fishing in the south arm picks up earlier, but it gets more fishing pressure,” he said. Noffsinger said that bass in Lake Charlevoix run about the same size as Traverse Bay. “Your average fish are going to be 2 to 4 pounds, but fish up to 7 pounds are common."

Why thank you, thank you! Good to finally be here! ?

Haha but your largemouth make up for it!!

Thanks for the kind words, guys! It was an exciting evening. I was using a white underspin with 3" Keitech paddletail. After a while, I got that snagged up and lost it. Since I travel for work, I only have a few Plano sleeves I carry around in a bucket (with some soft plastics and my scale). So I tried literally everything else I had, and nothing. Digging around in my bucket after putting the X Rap away, I found another underspin. But at this point, I was also out of the 3" Keitechs. So I grabbed the next smallest paddletail I had (which I believe was an old Havoc Grass Pig) and trimmed er' down to fit. First cast back, and feeling rejuvenated, Bam! The 6lber. Then I went back to the hotel and drank beer!!

Probably the only two similarities between the largemouth and smallmouth spawn, is that they both head inshore, and lures used can be the same (with some differences as well). Largemouth tend to go shallower, and are often found around lots of cover and woody debri. Smallmouth tend to stay a little deeper, in more open water, with a sand/gravel bottom. My .02

I've been working in Northern Michigan lately and decided to fish the West Grand Traverse Bay at the mouth of the Boardman River. First smallie caught was 3.94, which sad to say for some, beat my previous smallie PB. Yay, right?! Well roughly 10 brown fish later, I catch a 4.04! Awesome, right?! At this point, I can't not catch one. It's almost silly! I ended the night, roughly 16 bass later, on a 6lb 22" CHUNK! So I beat my smallmouth PB twice, and 6lbs beats my overall bass PB.

See my post above. West Bay, mouth of the Boardman (along the seawall and to the bridge) was on fire yesterday. Only 1 fish smaller than 2lbs. 2 smaller than 3. The rest 3.5 and bigger. A few 4s, and a 6lbr. A fished an Underspin real slow along the bottom.

One of the best days of fishing I've had today. I fished the mouth of the Boardman River (West Grand Traverse Bay). Fished 100% with a white Underspin with a 3" white Keitech paddletail. I caught 15 in 2.5hrs. Top 5 going for 21.5lbs. Biggest fish, and my new PB, went 6lbs!!

I too am in TC Mon-Wed for (work). Went out lastnight to the Boardman side of the Sabin Dam. I was targeting trout so the Browns we got were expected. The pike... not so much. Switched gears once it got dark, fished the shore for bass but came up empty handed. Might try the Sabin side tonight, but with them lowering it (to remove the Dam), I'm unsure if anything will be there.

You can only improve from here!