Fish the Mitt

A guy I work with is a season ticket holder (as was his parents). Keyword: was. My co-worker made the plunge but his parents finally backed out for the 2016 Season. With the financial burden, you'd expect some results. Some fruition of your hard work - but nope, it's the Lions, where we judge our seasons greatness on how many games we "could've" won.

LMAO ^^ For the Marine Corps, our PFT consisted of 3 mile runs (just short of 5k). My first one was 20:45 and every year, my time increased. By the time it was all said and done, I was a 28min runner. Man I hate running.. I will be the first to tell you, I will never run 3 miles again.

Good grief - sometimes the simplicity blows my mind! {off to find safety pins!!!}

WD = weeds. This can be shoreline or submergent vegetation. In the case above, it's both. As for depth, and any topology map, the more you zoom in, the greater the detail. I stopped there so I could provide you the image of what you provided us. If I were to zoom in, you'd see far greater detail. I highly suggest using the navionics Web App. I purchased the mobile version on my phone as well and I use that as my GPS/Topo on my boat. Example. Image 1 - zoomed out view of Sanford Lake. Image 2 - Zoomed in to the southern most half of Sanford Lake. Notice, there's more detail. Notice the white, that's the river/creek channel of Sanford Lake (ie: also the deepest depth.) It used to be a river, until it was man-made into the lake it is today. Image 3 - Zoomed all the way in. Higher detail. Finer contour lines.

Like @A-Jay said, up here in Michigan, we don't know what spring warm ups are.

15.5ft 1981 DuraCraft SS with 77' 55hp Chrysler. Johnson TM. She's older, but she's in great shape and works flawlessly.

http://www.humminbird.com/Category/Technology/Side-Imaging/ That whole 'folding a piece of paper' statement made all the difference to me.

I guess that's the human psyche wrapped up in one post. Our psychopathy relates to some and not to others based on proverbial peers. In the end, everyone is "that guy" to another "that guy". Fascinating.

Side imaging just always had a goofy presentation to me. My biggest problem with SI was re-visualizing the screen in a way that made sense to me - so I could understand what I was actually seeing. I found a super easy explanation once that made it 1000% better to understand. (I'll try to find it in the a.m).

Exactly. When vision is inhibited, the bass have to rely more on their lateral line.That's why they tend to stick around cover more and that's why you need a lure that doesn't rely on being seen.

I get along well with my main fishing partner. We mesh well and work together to find/land fish. He's actually my co-angler as well. However, we got this other "friend" that comes sometimes too. He's that guy that has a 8ft H Salmon Rod & no tackle. So when he comes, he becomes the tackle bandit. Usually not an issue but dang, sometimes it gets on our nerves. So he's been deemed "that guy"!

I'd probably clarify whether you're referring to pre or post spawn. Title says post spawn but your post says prespawn. Regardless, muddy or dirty water means decreased visibility. Taking the visualization out of your presentation, you have to account for other means to attract fish. Noise, vibration, deflection, and heavy water displacement.

I highly suggest webapp.navionics

ehhhh, thats a tough one! Can't we all just be blessed with monster Bucks and Bass?! lol

I suggest filling our your BR profile and staying a while Learn what you can here, it's a fantastic resource. Use the search feature to see if there are answers to questions you have, if not, you can always ask and we're always here. Most importantly, enjoy your new hobby!!

Thanks for the responses, gentlemen. Much obliged!! Regards, Rick

Like everyone else has already mentioned, use this time to enjoy yourself. Enjoy the new place, enjoy the water, and enjoy your wife's company as you embark on this new journey of learning together. It's an amazing thing. There is a lot to being a bass angler - or any species angler for that matter. Start slow. No need for a cram session. I would start with the softbaits you guys have, and learn everything you can about them. Different ways to use them and rig them. Once you're confident there, buy another type of lure (spinnerbait, crankbait, jig, etc..). Also, it's ok to start with a hook and bobber with crawlers. Might seem juvenile but it's the basis of everything. It was the beginning for 99% of everyone here. Where is this water located? Does it have a name?

Semper Fidelis MCRD San Diego 2008 (God that makes me feel so young..)

Truest statement I've heard so far!!!

There's big bass here. The difference is our bass aren't Cali delta or Florida grassland big. Congrats on the new PB!!

I'm guessing you're from the Flying G area of Mid Michigan? We got some of the same lakes listed as our favorites lol

Congrats!! But where's the pics?!

This may seem like a silly question but when would you use a slither rig over a regular jig system? Heavier cover? I was recently scrolling through the 2016 Strike King catalog and came across the SK Slither Rig and I had never heard of it. My only explanations would be for thickest cover since the tungsten head has more of a point to it. Also, for more versatility with the bait as a whole (different hooks and swimbaits/trailers would be easy to swap out quick). Other than that, what are other reasons you would use this as opposed to a normal jig? Rick

I was going to start out by saying how well you wrote that story. I could visualize the whole thing as if I were there...but then I saw the "BassResource.com Writer" title. Makes sense. Congrats

It's not too far from me but I've never been over that way to fish. I've only been to BR to attend Ferris State "events".