BassinBrett

I will be fishing around Sturgeon Bay next week. I hope Sturgeon Bay live up to the hype. I will have one more added to my bucket list next week.

I have used 130 mm jerkbaits for smallmouth. I think it sometimes help reduce the number of dinks. I catch a lot of babies on normal size lures.

When to Mille Lacs today. The parking lot was not full that was good. The smallmouth are up shallow on rock reefs and there were a few beds being made. The males were not guarding yet so bed fishing has not started. The water temperature started out at 53 at 8:00 AM and got up 55 at 6:00 pm when I left. I end up catch almost all of my fish on jerkbaits. I caught one on a Ned rig and one on a tube. Shortest was 14 inches and the biggest was 19 inches.

I am heading to Mille Lac on Saturday. I am hoping the 2 walleye limit and slot limit keeps the crowds away.

Mepps makes a single hook version with a grub and it would be very weed less. https://www.mepps.com/information/comet-combo/933#C3C G%2FRW-091

I think we are starting to form a news 12 step program. I think you found rock bottom of the bait monkey addiction. I will continue to convince myself I don’t have a problem, and it’s really all necessary.

I have been watching videos on YouTube about skipping. One thing I noticed was some are using a roll cast. I have yet to try it this spring but I hope it improve my skipping skills.

Here in MN there really is no bass management at all. There is another fish that swims in the lakes and river that is managed. I have fished a few lake that need selective harvests to cull out the small to medium sized fish. I don’t think there is enough harvesting of bass to make a difference. I catch a lot of dink large mouth around here. now Mille Lacs lake seem to have a good portion of bigger smallmouth. I am not sure why but I catch few dinks per large fish there.

I have been using vmc crankbait snaps in all size for a few years without issues for full size bass stuff. I have been using Decoy SN-17 Round Snap PG for BFS setup. The decoy snaps are tiny.

I took my new kayak out on Michelle lake in Eden pairie. The water temp was 39 to 40 degrees. I will be “crappy” fishing until the silly state of MN lets me fish for bass.

I was thinking about large crankbaits like the 4.0 Strike King square bill or so

Has anyone built a casting rod on the NFC Flip 764-1 (HM) blank? I think it might make a good crank bait rod. Any opinions? thanks Brett

There are lots of SB around the Hayward area. It has musky too!

I have been using a St Croix 7 foot Legend for both. It works and it is a nice rod. Last year I started building my own rods. I am now making a NFC X-ray MB 733. It should perform well for DS.

Thanks for the reply. Lake in MN where I am at might be frozen solid until May sometimes and even if they are not the state has a closed season for bass until the middle of May. Seems like the beginning of May might be respawn.

I am planning a trip out the Idaho Panhandle for spring smallmouth bass fishing. Might see about a black bear too. When is the normal spawning time for the smallmouth in the panhandle? Do the lake freeze over? Dworshak reservoir is the pirimary lake and will likely stop at lake Pend orielle. Any information would be helpful. thanks

I say try the larger glide and swim baits first the then decide if it is worth it. Start with the 6 to 7 inch baits. I used 168 mm glide baits last year up here in MN and was surprised by the numbers of small bass I caught. I my hoping I am the bass have not seem to many big glide baits.

I use two old mold St Croix Avid 68 m / XF with Shimano 2500 Ultegra reels. I use 10 pound Powerpro v2 with a Sunline Sniper leader.

Lucky craft pointer 78 and 100 XD might get down to 12 plus feet

In MN and Wisconsin I get about 50/50 pike to Smallmouth on jerkbaits unless I am on Mile Lacs lake. Then it is almost all smallmouth with a musky once. The musky broke my MB 110 LBT. I am not sure what is worst loosing one or having it chopped. I cry on the inside to the tackle shop for a replacement.

I am going to use big swim bait and glide baits more this year.

I am going to build a NFC 7109 X-ray form this same purpose as you have. I am just waiting on the package form Michele with the rest of the parts. The blank seems perfect for light swim baits.

There are so many different lakes in MN to choose from. I would say driver around a check out some of the area when you have a day off. Garrison is by Mille Lac lake which is the Smallmouth hot spot. I hear Rainy Lake and Lake of the woods are good too. You are going to have to just go a see.

Living in MN I most make trips east to Wisconsin or south were it is warmer.

I fish Dou Realis jerkbaits and have done well with them. I have also used Lucky Craft Slender pointer with good success. You can get both for less than a MB 110. I would start with a shallow and deep running jerkbait first in a natural minnow color. I like the 130 Duo Realis jerkbaits the most. Go big or go home. unless it is the tiny jerkbait day!