Mbirdsley

Biggest reason I use a leader on my braid rods is just so it is easier to break off if it gets snagged. When I am in northern mi there are a lot of gin clear waters. So a flourish leader is a must imho. Regular water probably not

What is the difference between the 2 types of square bills other than the circuit board is more fragile? I’m throwing square bills more and more especially in rivers. I bought some of the circuit boards 8+ years ago. Never used them and gave them away. Recently bought another one due to liking the color and it has been working well.

launched on the Saginaw, than went up the Shiawassee river, and then up the flint river ( Shiawassee and titabawassee form the Saginaw. The flint dumps into Shiawassee 2 miles south of where the Shiawassee and titabawassee meet) Also, caught my my first fish on a ribbon tail ( Berkeley power bait black blue fleck) worm ever. Another bass milestone in the books. Caught about 15 bass total most came while fishing on the Shiawassee and the walleye came from the flint . Most were 13 inches but, caught 2 over the legal limit. 1 14 inch large mouth and a 15 inch large mouth. The 2 walleyes came on a spro sexy shad square bill. The bigger walleye was only 14. Also caught a nice bow fin. Thought I had a big bass on until he came to the boat Also, hooked into what I think was a big cat. I was using a crank when all of a sudden I thought the crank snagged up hard but, than the snag started moving. Got him close to the boat but , never saw him.

This one was a good one in water with about a foot of visibility and over cast conditions

Fished the mighty titabawassee river yesterday ( Saturday). I wanted to motor up the Shiawassee but, with a 15-20 mph south wind it would have made boat control a pain. So I decided to put in at center street. I caught a just under legal pike. 4-5 small large mouths, another 14 inch smallie and I lost a big smallie on a jig and craw. Lost a walleye at the boat too. This black/red/sparkle spro caught most of the bigger ones. One more week of working 12 hrs than I should be back to 8 hours 6 days a week Not a big fish day but, I’ll consider it a successful day considering how the fishing seasons been So far . apparently I was racing a tornado home. I had just turned south on hemlock coming off swan creek when the wife called. The funnel went through the launch area and where I was fishing about 30 minutes after I left. Storms were forecasted but, we’re supposed to be a little later. I could here thunder in the distance and decided to head back to the launch. Good thing I did

Back on the board after a slow couple of weeks of not catching much. Only day off for the 4th was Saturday. Wife and daughter went to Frankfort while I worked. I decided to go to Au Gres which, is on the west side of the northern part of Saginaw bay. spent 10 hrs and Fished in the cat tails mainly in shallow water. All fish except the perch came on a wacky rigged maxx scent baby bass general worm . the bowfin was also caught with the wacky rig. The perch hit a crank which, ripped its gills up. So I kept him and put him in my cooler. I Fillet him up when I got home. it’s been a rough year kinda. So far I’m the king of 3.0 lbs bass. Haven’t been able to get anything bigger.

Zoom 4 inch green pumkin tube. So far I have had more success on the zoom tubes more than anything else. They Killl smallies and large mouth alike. Fishing lakes I use an internal jig usually 1/4 oz. most rivers I t-rig it unless I’m fishing the Shiawassee I’ll use a 1/8 oz jig. . Cabelas sells a house brand jig heads dirt cheap. The strike king tube jigs are good too just more money

Only used my kayak or canoe to get from spot to spot on the river. Than I would wade short sections than move onto the next promising spot. I guess if you were going to stay in the kayak to fish shorter would be better

Browning made rods too or atleast had thier name slapped on them. I had one as a kid. They were usually cheaper spinning rods

I use to catch a lot of smallies on 6ft6 spinning rods with Xl mono. This was before I knew anything about rods. Now I would prefer a 7ft spinning set up though with keeping the 8 lbs berkly xl mono

Rod or reel color has never entered the equation in my decision. If I pick up a neon rod and I like the way it feels I buy it. If I don’t like how it feels I don’t buy it. However, I do like white rods. I like my carbon light 2.0 a lot for looks and feel. also somthing to be said about the traditional colors like st.croix produced

Frogs and 4 inch yum dingers for mojo rigging . More specifically yum makes a watermelon Pearl laminate 4 inch dinger that his been killer on clear lakes while on a mojo rig. Actually mojo rig is one of my more favorite techniques at the moment

After catching my first bass on top water frog I’m going start fishing it more. I bought an extra pad crasher in case I lose the one tied up. Black and yellow gold pad crusher JR. 40lbs power pro braid to spool up my lighting rod. Berkley maxx scent green pumkin general worms. Lost all of mine on my trip and what to fish saginaw bay soon. Lastly, green pumkin shimme sticks.

Here’s some photos I did take on the way up middle set of photos is looking East. On the left is mackinac island( pronounced mackinaw)middle is round island right is bois blanc island,

5 mile long suspension bridge at the tip of the mitten in northern lower mi. It connects Michigan’s upper and lower peninsula. It is also the imaginary line between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron( technically they are the same lake). That’s a 1,000 footer ( a type of lower laker freighter that is 1,000 feet long we call them thousand footers ) going underneath of it. Not my photo stole it from google

I don’t feel weirded out untill you hit the grated road in the middle. Than it’s look out into the lake or ahead never down. Actually the bridge authority was replacing some grates. How would you like to be welding a section of grate with that big hole or nothing below except a 500-700 for drop into Lake Michigan/Lake Huron

Crossing the mighty Mack as I am writing this. Last night was the last day in DA U.P. finally found some decent bass numbers in reeds on the south side of the lake. Also, caught my first bass on a top water frog, a booyah pad crashed. Same as before fish came on a Berkly general worm T-rigged. When I ran out of those ( reeds tear those suckers up). I switched to a green and neon green strike king shimmee stick t-rigged. it’s been a great trip fishing could have been better. I think if we had been a week later fishing would have improved. Still good to be in gods country though ( upper Michigan ) I think I’m converting my lighting rod to a top water rod. I was using flouro just because that’s what I had. I’m either putting mono or braid on it now. If I get more into it I’ll buy a better set up

went pan fishing with dad in Da U.P. on south manistique lake in Curtis. Caught about a dozen hand sized pumkin seeds and crappie. The bonus was nailing a 16 inch and 15 inch bass with a worm and bobber. It’s been almost ten years since I’ve caught a bass on live bait. Put the bass back kept the panfish . well appear you dad made a movie out of the 16 incher so I can’t post that one

Yes I love my Johnny Morris carbon light combo and It gets used extensively almost every time I’m out fishing ( 1x-2x times a week 4-8rs a time) . I think mines a 6ft9 mh rod with a 8:1:1 reel. It is my go to rod for t-rigs and jigs 1/4-3/4oz. I think it has a softer tip than most fast action mh rods. It is very light and sensitive. When I first took mine apart this winter I was a little disappointed. The only knock on the reel is it’s all plastic inside I don’t know how long it would last being abused by heavy weights. For the lighter 1/4-3/4 stuff the reel is good to go though. I purchased my on sale 2 Christmas ago for $174.99 from cabelas. I should have bough the carbon light 2.0 7ft4 H version for a punching rod. If I went that route though I’d just buy the rod and put my tatula sv103 hs reel on it.

I have been working on punching/pitching left handed also. I’m trying to get my self to cast left handed so I don’t have to change hands with the rod.

I only have one crank rod so I throw everything up to 5xd/6xd/DT10/DT15 on it and I have really liked this suffix flouro carbon in 12 lbs. this has been the only flouro I’ve used so far that I haven’t wanted to chuck my rod and reel into the lake. 2nd place would be berkly 100% flouro that I’ve been using on my spinning set ups

I own a 7ft premier ultra light. I handled both the panfish and the trout series rod. No question the premier is better and that’s why I went with it. Mines a 2 piece and is very very sensitive. To me It’s a fast action rod but has a softer tip than most fast action rods. Which, makes it great for floating worms down a creek. Where as my M/l premier is faster than most fast action M/l rods ( this one has become one of my favorite rods) I bought my premier for trout fishing with worms but, since my daughter is old enough to go on the boat we have been fishing a lot of blue gills. It works great for slip bobber fishing

On a fishing trip with dad, grandpa and grandpas friend to Michigan’s upper peninsula and south manistique lake in Curtis mi. Technically this is a walleye trip and I’ve been sneaking away to bass fish. This is the first full day and the walleyes have been slow so I’ve been getting the looks for not keeping the bass. fished the last 45 minutes of light and nailed four large mouths on a berkly green pumkin general t-rigged with 1/4 oz tungsten weight. Biggest was only 15 inches. Fished the afternoon for 2-3 hours and only caught sub legal fish. The bigger fish started to moved in shallower as the sun set. From what I’ve been hearing and seeing there are not a lot of big bass here but, a lot of legal-18 inchers

Mojo rig with a 4 inch stick worm or wacky rig with regular sized worm or 4 inch depending on the fishes mood. Either throw to where the blow up was on top or guess which way the fish went. Both techniques look like a collateral damaged dying Shad from the blow up on the surface. They will scoop it up looking for an easy meal. Try and match your worm to the color of the Shad or the water IE darker for dirty water

I don’t use poppers a lot and I should use them more. Best success I have is either an hour before the sun goes down or after it has gone down and there still a bit of daylight left to see . Small rivers using them at that time is straight deadly fir both bass and brown trout. In lakes I usually just throw to either visible or submerged cover