Mbirdsley

I had 2 interstate group 27 batteries for my 80 thrust trolling motor. I had those batteries for 6 years ( 2020-2026). The batteries were still technically fine but, if I was on the motor a lot. I could drain the batteries in 8 hrs. I bought the batteries from my brother at the family discount. There was a couple winters I didn’t pull the batteries and I’m sure if I had done that I could have gotten a year or two out of my interstates. Not knowing when exactly I’d be up north to buy them from my brother. I found a local guy ( he fishes a lot of walleye tournaments) and he was selling group 27 FVP batteries for $100 a piece. Doing research FVP batteries are made in Tennessee I believe. From what read FVP is the OEM battery for one if the Japanese auto makers. Menards was the only U.S. supplier selling FVP’s but, from what I’ve read the company wants to increase its U.S. foot print. There are only a couple actual battery mfg’s almost all batteries on the market come from 3-4 different mfg that just slap what ever name IE Ac/delco, Interstate, bass pro, etc, etc I’m sure when I have to replace these batteries in 4-5 yrs lithium’s will have probably come down more in price and I’ll have to seriously consider them. My only real hang up is I do fish for other species in late winter and early spring if there is soft water. These days could be 33-35 degrees and I just have to see if lithium is worth the extra money at those temperature ranges.

Thank you !!!

2 trips 1 post and Birthday fish post. Today is my birthday and the first one I’ve had off from work in a long time. Wife worked from home today which, freed myself up for a quick fishing on the Saginaw River 30 minutes from my house. With the dams up stream getting rebuilt, becoming operational again on the Tittabawassee and all the rain we have had. the Saginaw River is up 2 ft from the same time last year. 1st fish was a large mouth that I caught on the Saginaw River on a 6th sense 7 inch neko worm.. I than headed up the Shiawassee River and made a left on an off shoot of the flint river. I have not been able to fish that area in almost 3 years. Picked up a nice sized river smallie hiding under a log right near the bank on the same Neko worm. I caught 3 more small mouth on a black and blue spine craw. All three were fiesty and jumped 3-4 ft in the air. They fought well for their size. I used to pound the small mouth before the dam failures in 2020. Since 2020 it’s been all large mouth and the bass fishing has been progressively getting worse. I think the dam failures in 2020 wiped out a lot of the adult small mouth that year and I’m fairly positive that we lost the 2020 year YOY class of fish. The floods and dam failures happened May 11 2020. Which, should have smack dab in the middle of the spawn. Last 4 photo on July 2nd I drove to Wiggins lake 1.5 hrs away from my house. Fishing was not good. Apparently, every one on the lake took a 4 day weekend. A lot of traffic on the lake even at 8 am. I managed to catch 2 bass on a spinner bait that I painted, built, and came up with my own skirt pattern. So I at least had that going for me.

I was implying a legal length fish and never said anything about a not legal fish. Yeah it depends on the lake here too. Just recently I had to let an undersized pike I had to let go knowing that it wasn’t going to make. it was 22 inches instead of the 24 I needed to legally keep on the body of water I was fishing. The pike T-boned a OG tiny perch deep and in the gills. Sucks having to let it go to die but, I’m not going violate either. Nothing is waisted in nature. Bunch of different critters will eat the carcass We do have a bunch of lakes in the southern and mid-Michigan “ that have special pike regs “ only 1 fish over 24 inches and allowed to keep 5 under 23.

Essentially, what the bass are doing here. Setting up on the weed lines after a sharp drop. They aren’t that deep yet but, in 8-12 ft. They should be that deep but, we have had a lot of cooler weather.

That’s my thought. Fish hooked that deep usually die later. Would have been better to take the pike home. However, I doubt he had a cooler to keep it cool. I live in pike country and I have started taking a cooler with me just in case this happens. Usually, I just use the cooler for drinks and snacks but, if a fish gets hooked bad enough I just throw it in the cooler. It will get eaten later. My wives grandmother will eat any bass that deem won’t make it. Knock on wood that hasn’t happen in a long time. Northerns are good eating if you can get the Y bone out of them, End of the day this is the risk we run doing what we do. Only thing we can do is minimize the risk of fish swallowing the hook the best we can. In the end we partake in blood sport.

Deal. I’ve done better ice fishing the lake I was on than bass fishing. She’s all yours homie lol

You should know within 10-15 minutes of throwing a crank. if they want it or not. It doesn’t matter what size or color you throw. Now they might be on a crank bite on a different part of the lake. So I wouldn’t totally put it up for the day for good just yet. Go to the next spot and try it for 10-15 minutes and than try a different presentation. I love fishing crank baits but, sometimes it is not what they want. There is a difference between what the fish are actually eating and what you want them to eat.

Neko rig I rolled up to the lake this morning on a blue bird sunny morning. Took one look at the clear water on a small deep lake in Montcalm county. took another look at the high blue bird morning sky “ yup, this is gonna suck”. Nothing like driving an hour and before you park the truck and trailer. You realize you’re in for a long day. Last couple years I have really struggled on deep, steep drop off, clear, lakes middle of summer ( late June, July, and August.) Usually these lakes also, have a pretty good thick weed line on the drop off which, makes throwing cranks a pain. weather has been really funky and cool so far this summer in Michigan. The day wasn’t a total bust. About an hour in and fish less. I decided to open up the vmc Neko kit that I bought in early April. I watch a quick refresher video on the water and then get the Neko rigged up. I kid you not, first cast and boom fish on. Not a big one but, 14ish inche large mouth. I started out using a Watermelonish Diawa Neko worm. However, my nail weights were almost the same diameter as the worm. I caught 3-4 fish on the diawa Neko worm. Switched my worm to a GP maxx scent general which, it’s bigger diameter the nail weights fit inside better. I proceeded to catch 12-13 additional small bass on the maxx scent worm. One of the last casts of the day I did pick up a 2.5lbs large mouth. Catching that bigger bass made it better. In total I caught around 15 fish. I did catch 1 bass on a poison tail jig and 2 fish on jerk bait Fish were in 7-10 feet of water. Usually, the fish should be a bit deeper Kinda crazy that ten yrs ago I was pretty much a heavy power fisherman and did very well. I don’t know if it’s more pressure and the fish seeing everything or if I’m just not willing to fish all day looking for 1-2 quality bites. Having 3 kids I Definitely have to make the most of my time and fishing for 1-2 fish isn’t exactly efficient. This was the first time I’ve been fishing in 3 weeks. We have mainly natural lakes and some of the lakes get very weedy in the summer time. I think as I refine the Neko it’s going to be a big fish catcher for me in the summer. Those are nice fish.

For some reason or another I’ve had to get more finesse. I threw a Neko rig for the first time today and it saved my butt. The power fishing techniques that I cut my teeth on almost ten yrs ago are going by the way side. I don’t know if it’s pressure related or I’m just not willing to cast all day waiting for that 1-2 good bites that generally result from power fishing. I bought a vmc Neko kit this spring to get me going. After today I’m looking for more nail weights.

Saginaw Bay Smallies were feisty today. Launched out of the mouth of the Saginaw River this morning and started looking for some bass. Headed out to an island near the mouth of the river. Started the day by ripping a lil general ned in gobey through the weed lines on a 5-6 ft flat. Picked up one 2.5 lbs large mouth. Fished that and various weed lines for another hour and decided to go try and find some smallies. Went around the island and went to the same spot where I pounded the smallies in the fall. I caught 5-6 smallies out of one spot. They were holding extremely tight to cover. I would literally have to bounce my maxx scent Gobie ned head right of the metal dock structure watch the Ned slide down the gridder and boom fish on. Most of these smallies came in 4-6ft of water. The big 3.5lber came off the same structure but a little deeper in 6-8ft. All of the smallies faught very well today. I knew the M/V Sam Laude was in bound with stone for the upper Saginaw River. She ended up by me on her way up river around 11:30am. The photos that I took do not do justice to how close I was. She was still at full power doing 18 kts when she passed me. While on the trolling motor her suction literally turned the boat 360 like a toy top. The resulted silt she kicked up eventually blew into the area I was fishing and killed the action. I caught a bunch of 1 lbs bass later in the kawkalin river.

Well I had posted this on Sunday but, must have not survived the update. I’ll make condensed report of the one I posted on Sunday. Went up north last weekend to visit family in Frankfort Mi. I took my oldest daughter ( 8 yrs old) and the boat. We stoped at Barry lake just east of Cadillac. Long story short caught 2 dink bass and a big crappie. Let the daughter get the boat on plane, come off plane and drive the boat around the lake ( with supervision). She liked that a lot Fished upper hearing lake Saturday night. Plan was to use Leaches under slip floats and troll for walleye. Wind was pretty gusty and pretty much put an end to trying to float. We did try for 2 hrs. We decided to troll and picked up a 16 inch walleye on a flicker shad. At least proof of concept. My first inland lake walleye I’ve caught while trolling. Sunday was up in the air due to the wind. Crystal ( Benzie County ) can be a mean you know what on windy days. I set my alarm for 8am. I woke up at 8 o clock and just laid in bed in the upstairs room of my Grandparents and just listened. No wind. I said to my self “ I can get 2-3 hrs in) launch is literally 5 minutes away. Told my daughter “I’m going fishing I’ll be back by noon” Launched the boat and headed out to rail road point. Water temp was only 46.5-47.0 degrees Checked the 8 ft flat just in case and the smallies were not yet roaming it yet. Didn’t think they would be but, never know. So I head out to the blue line. The blue line is where it drops off from 7-8 ft to 30-40 ft with a 20 ft ledge. I started at the west side started of the pint and start working east. About halfway through working the point I start seeing shadows 20 ft down start darting back and forth between the dark blue water and the sand of the drop off. I had found the small mouth. First fish I caught on a 3.2 sungill Keitech on a 1/4 round gamakatsu type jig that I make. This was a 2.5 lbs small mouth. Same spot I throw a 2.5 inch Juvy craw watermelon/GP out into about 25-30 ft of water. Let it hit the bottom and started slowly dragging it back. Thump, thump, and I set hook. I know it’s a pretty good fish. I get him closer to the surface and yeah he’s a good fish. He gives me 2 good jumps and net him. Juvy craw just barely in the front of the top of his mouth. I weigh the small mouth and it’s a19.5 inch 4.2 lbs small mouth. Biggest I’ve taken out of Crystal. About 30 minutes later just as I’m debating about heading to the east end of the lake. Weather starts moving in and I hear a crack of thunder fairly close. It was almost noon anyhow. Decided to head back and pack up to go home, As a whole the Weekend was alright fishing wise. Sunday was very good for a couple 2-3 hrs of fishing.

I’ve been crushing the bass up here in Mid-Michigan on spinner baits the last 2 weeks. I’ve probably landed close to 12-14 fish on spinner baits. Originally 2-3 yrs ago I had started dabbling in making my own spinner baits. I made a couple of baits and then life happened and the project got shelved. Late winter/early spring I started purging old tackle. Looked in the spinner bait box that hadn't been opened in 2-3 yrs and saw dull and rusted hooks and blades. The spinners in the box were old, used, beat up and rusting . Decided I needed to start over so I just tossed everything ( 10-12 spinner baits) Started pricing out new spinner baits out and they have gotten pricey. A decent spinner bait is $12-$15 now. Honestly, spinner baits from what I can tell have probably went up in price more than most the other tackle. So I resurrected building spinner baits again. Most of what I have build have been from buying pre painted bodies and a couple kits. The 3 are the first ones that I’ve painted using the badger spray powder gun that I bought 3-4 yrs ago. They came out pretty good I think. I used the gun to paint the bodies all white and then used the make up brush tap technique to apply the green pumpkin on top. I also used a light application of sparkle glitter on the whole body of the spinner bait. I used 1 water melon green skirt tab for the top skirt and 1.5 real shad skirt tab for the bottom. I think the top 2 need bigger eyes but, that’s what I had on hand. It’s kinda a Tennessee shad color but, looks really natural in clear weedy lakes. I have boughten and caught fish on similar spinner baits.

I have caught 2 or 3 of them over the years but, they also have been on the small side. I know there is decent bass in the lake but, I can’t seem to find them. The smallies that I have caught always seems to be running with the largemouths or at least in the same general area/ depth. I have been looking at the MiDNR abstract/essay’s on the lake the last couple of days. Basically, to some up the reports; perch, walleye, and sunfish grow faster then the state average. Which, I have caught and seen some monster perch, walleye, and sunfish. However, the Bass and pike grow slower than the state average. The States report matches the eye test. The last 5 years they have been doing a winter ice fishing pike tournament on the lake. The tournament takes out around 100 hammer handle pike a winter. Between ice fishing and this last trip I am seeing bigger pike in the lake. Those pike I caught were about normal legal size. Usually about a dozen hammer handles would have been caught.

SPRO Rk Crawler