Mbirdsley

So I spend a lot of my time in my garage. Whether it’s working on my boat, guns, getting tackle ready, making/repairing tackle, making/repairing rods etc etc. what are some good bass fishing podcasts to listen to while I’m working. Currently I listen to mike Avery out door magazine which, is a 3 hour Michigan based radio broadcast/podcast about hunting, fishing, trapping and the out doors in Michigan. I would be intrested in any thing bass fishing national or regional. I don’t know if the Michigan based guys like Mark Zona, kvd or any one else have one?

I love the mega bass deep diving cranks. As far as I am concerned MB offers the most realistic looking finished when I am fishing clear water. I love fishing all cranks cranks. However, Im in Northern bassers camp and I use an abu Garcia rocket which, is a round reel in the 5.2.1 gear ratio to throw deep cranks.

What’s nfc ?

Is rod geeks usually fairly fast on shipping ? I’ve been herd that they can take a while to finally ship the blank. Could have been Christmas rush too, that caused the shipping issues.

I’ll take a look at it

I was using the rod I broke for throwing shad raps, jerk baits, poppers, wacky rigs, open water tubes up 1/2 oz. I really liked it for wacky rigs as I could really wackem and bury a tiny wacky rig hook. I have thrown more with it but, those 4 things were the main techniques after I bought my 7ft m/l st.croix premier. The premier is a fast action rod but, I would say it’s more of a light m/l moderate action rod. The premier is what I use for really finnesse stuff like paddle tails, Ned rigs, flukes, 1/8 mojo rigs, wieght less worms etc etc. I do not like to throw jerk baits, shad raps or wacky rigs with the premier. so I’m a nut shell I’m looking to use 10 lbs flouro or 20 lbs braid. Maybe I should start looking for a jerk bait/ shad rap rod and wacky rigs be secondary. I want it to be faster and heavier action than my premier but, not to heavy. I lighter medium action rod would work. I know they’re not really a do all rod.

Spinning rod and I’m going to stick with the 7ft length. I don’t know if would gain anything bung to 7ft2 or 7ft4. I’m looking for a fast or extra fast tip. I like to be able to wackem and bury a tiny wacky rig hook. Lure parts does have rx-6 fast medium kit 8-14 lbs except it comes with with a EVa handle. I would like to have a cork handle. I should look and just see if they have the blank. Mud hole has a crb colored series 7ft m/l 1/4- 1/2 fast action rod but, again it’s only available with a EVa handle only reason I was looking at the kits is it’s one stop shopping. I need to get it through my head that this is a process of getting the right components. not just throw something together. I kinda thought a 7ft m/L spinning rod would be kinda of generic but, seems like they are not as prevalent.

I build a Bushido deep cranking rod and I liked it. That also was smashed I. The same accident. Seems like Bushido makes good blanks.

I was using a 7ft m/l fast colt dobyns for my wacky rig rod/finnesse rod. That was untill my gas tank in the boat snapped it last fall. I really liked the rod it had a lot of back bone for a medium light. so far after looking at mud hole, Janns, lure parts online. I’ve not found really anything that stands out to me. I need suggestions at some blanks to look at. Price really isn’t an issue. im thinking of using the either the lzr or szr guides from mud hole.

When fishing the titabawassee or Saginaw rivers ( Saginaw river has a shipping channel that has Great Lakes freighters) current is generally going pretty good. I’m generally using 1/2 oz tungsten worm/flipping weights or regular lead jigs. If it’s real low on the titabawassee I may go 1/4 but, that’s not very often. in the slack water I can fish a 1/8 oz mojo rig with No problem. like around the bridge pilings. Sometimes with the lighter weight you have to throw it up stream and work it back using the current to your advantage. i fish curly tailed worms, senkos, tubes, chigger craw, swim jigs, arkies, brush jigs and what ever else that can be t-rigged.

I like using rogues on the titabawassee river where there are plenty of snags and pike. They work and if I loose one it’s not a big deal. if I’m fishing a lake that’s known for pike especially smaller ones. I will not throw my more expensive jerk baits.

Those mega bass Deep six and deep-x 300 cranks are worth every penny of thier price. Mega bass natural patterns can’t be beat in clear water. They work just as well in warmer water as cooler water. I have also come to appreciate the Norman DD series over the last summer. they are affordable and they work. those Damikies look good too. I might have to get some of those soon

I always use a net to land fish. I’m not a fan of flipping fish into the boat. Also, I’d rather let them flip around in the net while I’m holding it rather than they beat them selves up on the boat deck. I recently upgraded my landing net from the cheap Walmart nylon webbed model to a EGO rubber net. the Walmart net was fine other than trebles getting caught In the nylon. I love the EGO net but, I ordered a size too small. I should have went a size bigger with the handle and the basket. The one I have now would be good for a kayak. I need to get a bigger one this summer.

Last summer I did well on Carolina rig in Michigan and never went heavier than 3/8. I’m 3/8 tungsten 3/8 worm sinker, braid to bead, swivel, to 14 lbs mono, and either 3/0 or 4/0 hook I had tried to use it before but, heavier 3/4-1oz weights and all I did was just dredge up a gob of weeds. Seems like all the stuff that I would read on the internet keeps saying use the heavier weight.

Beginning of April I usually end up selling or just giving away lots of used tackle. I hate throwing stuff away that some one else could use. I’ll sell the lots for a 2/3 less than I paid. just to get rid of it and not throw away. One spring I gave 2 1 gallon bags worth of hard baits and plastics to a co-workers grand son to use. Granted a lot of those were bombers, other cheaper cranks, and the Janns net craft house brand bait kits hard bait lures. But, still god enough for younger person to fish and if they loose it not be out a lot. if I haven't used it within a year of buying it or I’f it hasn’t caught anything after trying it for 1.5-2 years it’s gone than I buy more useless lures that I either won’t use or I can’t catch anything with and the cycle continues.

Currently my garmin 73sv transducer is mounted at the back of the boat with the screen mounted at the port console next to the wheel. At the very least I’m going to move the fish finder screen to the bow. I may mount my striker 4cv at the console so I have a way to check depth. if I wanted to mount my transducer on the bottom of my minnkota terrova. How do I prevent my transducer cable from being tangled up on the shaft of the trolling motor? Is there some sort of after market swivel system ? I actually have a transducer in the trolling motor. I forget what minnkota calls it. If I use the transducer in the trolling motor I’ll loose the down scan and side view.

Kvd jerk baits and don’t forget about the smithwicks which, are about $7-8 a piece.

Deep Cranks along the cliff faces and there is probably a step ledge in there before it drops totally off , jigs along the rocks , wacky worm and let it float down side of the cliffs , arkie jig or tube in the shallow rocks. Probably also a square bill in the shallow rocks. I don’t drop shot but, If I did probably on those cliffs.

10-12 lbs for mono and flouro on MH rod

Match the hatch. I tend to use smaller lures in the spring as the bait fish are generally younger and smaller in the spring. As things warm up I get bigger as the bait fish grow. Fall is basically as big as the bait fish grow. I would throw bigger lures even with cooler water temp. by winter most baitfish have spawned and a lot of the older ones die. The next spring the cycle continues.

I was on a pretty good spinner bite for large mouths and smallies this year on the Saginaw river system and other lakes. Bite seemed to die early June. I hoping it comes back. I’ve got one Sv-3 the rest of mine are war eagles. the Colorado blade with rattles is throw on dark cloudy days. The Indiana blade one on sunnier days. On clear lakes I’d throw the war eagle screaming eagles in natural colors

Kinda hit a wall with fishing. I’ve only been twice in the last month and it felt like half hearted attempts and didn’t fish long. Took time to maintain, fix some equipment issues and re-spooled my rods. Ready to go for the last push. I have basically 2.5-3 months left up here in Michigan. Im ready for the final push untill ice up.

I love fishing cranks. However, sometimes that’s not what they want. I have one lake that I fish the only time I am successful with anything resembling a crank is a shad rap in march and April. After that it’s t-rigged 6 inch Ochoes, flukes, and wacky rigs pitched into the pads So far with a milder summer it has been the year of the crank bait in Michigan though.

At least as far as finesse fishing goes .3 years ago I would have said yes, That their are techniques better suited for spinning than bait casting. However, with the advent of BFS I don’t know if I could say that any more. I’ve never used a bfs set up but, I think with bfs rigs they can do anything a lighter spinning rod can do

Fished a new lake in Ionia county called long lake. Great day !!!! All fish except 2 came on a mega bass deep crank or a bass pro shop summer craw bull hog in summer craw color. The possible war mouth and another bass came on a wacky rig I built my Bushido deep cranking rod last winter to do just this. The bigger bass came out of 12-16 ft. Carolina rig is becoming one of my favorite ways to fish. After the third pike I caught on that deep-x 300 I started to get nervous and decided to call it a day. While I still had it