Bucks Bass and Bourbon

Hey everyone, I currently run a Boat EFX dual graph mount for my Garmin bow graphs (love it btw - it’s incredibly solid and well-built). I’d like to add a Helix 12 unit so I can run Mega 360 but I don’t really want to replace my dual graph mount with a triple and add the expense of that on to the price of the Helix. I am considering just installing a Ram ball mount next to my dual mount and running the Helix standalone on that. Does anyone do something like that or run a comparable 12 inch unit on a standalone ball mount like the Ram? Wondering how sturdy it is. I know I would have to pull the Helix on and off each time unlike the dual mount which has locks but that isn’t a big deal. Thanks in advance!

My first smallmouth experience growing up in northeast Wisconsin. Bay de Noc, northern Michigan walleye fishing with my dad at the mouth of the Escanaba River as a kid. Felt the familiar tick on my ultralight rod and when I set the hook the drag started ripping off like a bat outta hell and before I realized what was going on it jumped at what in my 12 year old’s mind was a mile away then *snap* and it was over. I stood there stunned until my dad looked over and said “Well that was probably a big smallmouth.” I didn’t even know what a smallmouth was. I will never forget that. Now I’m in my 40s and smallmouth is all I think about. I live in central Michigan and want to go back and find that spot sometime.

Eh somewhat. A jog with a craw trailer looks like a staple of a bass’ diet. Fish are animals. Bass are instinctive predators that sometimes are aggressive and other times are finicky. But neither of those are the point of the conversation. By definition a gimmick (in this context) is a trick or device used to attract business or attention. Jigs and dropshots are two of the most proven bass catching presentations known so to call them a gimmick doesn’t make sense. Although I can understand why some people hate to fish them. No argument there. Some days the last thing I ever want to throw is a jig.

Some of these responses are crazy. Jigs? Dropshots?? Even the DT series raised an eyebrow. I fully agree having a different rod and reel combination for every presentation or technique is bonkers (and yeah I’m a little guilty of it) but cmon some of these are a stretch. I need to look up this dancing eel though. Sounds like a winner! I was a kid when those came out and got my dad a set of them for Father’s Day. I have a crazy northern Wisconsin musky story because of that lure!

Some really good answers here. @A-Jay I’m in southern Michigan and would like to retire and relocate north for the reasons you mentioned. Lots of bass, walleye, panfish, pike and musky and plenty of waters to get out on to chase them. Already starting to plan for it.

I was having a conversation not long ago about favorite species and if there was an experience that set the tone (got you”hooked” no pun intended). Assuming it’s a bass species but doesn’t have to be. My favorite is definitely now smallmouth and since getting the bug I’m reminded of an experience when I was a kid fishing with my dad. It didn’t really get me hooked but now that I fish them regularly it comes to mind a lot. When I was in 7th or 8th grade my dad got us into walleye fishing, which I hated at first. To me fishing was seeing structure or something to fish near and all of a sudden we were out in open water throwing jigs at nothing. Eventually we found success and started driving from northeast Wisconsin to Escanaba, Michigan to fish Little Bay de Noc. One trip we were fishing a rock pile or drop off near where a bridge went over the mouth of a river into the bay. I was dragging a jig along the bottom when I felt the familiar subtle tick on an ultralight walleye rod. I set the hook and the next thing I knew my drag was ripping off line like I had never seen before. Not more than a couple seconds later a big splash broke the surface 50 yards out and then snap. Gone. I was shocked and just stood there in silence for a second with no idea what just happened. After a few seconds my dad looked over and said “well I think you hooked into a big smallmouth.” I didn’t even know what a smallmouth was then. Years later after I moved back to the Midwest and got obsessively back into bass fishing, smallmouth became my favorite and I think about that memory a lot now. Anyone else have a “gotcha moment” fishing?

I decided to make a small dedicated strolling box with a few of the Queens Tackle jig heads, a few Owner jig heads and some minnows based on recommendations here and from the Tactical Bassin video earlier this year on the topic (really good if you haven’t seen it btw. They do a vid on the technique and a buyers guide for strolling right before Christmas). I might even pick up a rod specific for it if intake to it. Thanks for the input. Looking forward to getting back on the water but it’s looking like a cold winter this year so it might be a while for a change from the last few seasons. Good for the ice fisherman!

Thanks for the responses everyone. I’m going to think it over and might end up just going for it. Maybe I’ll contact Humminbird and ask about future updates first. Thanks again!

Hey guys, I run Garmin for all my electronics but really like the Mega 360 and would like to add it this coming year or the next. Seems like the HELIX 12 would be perfectly capable for that it any opinions either way on that? Cabela's/BP has them reduced a lot right now. New generation coming out soon or something? Thanks!

I'll probably do exactly that as soon as I get back out in spring, depending on when we get ice out. I was kind of thinking the same thing being it's such an effective presentations. Definitely worth exploring a little more.

I’m in Michigan so I’ll have ice for a while haha

Thanks everyone. Much appreciated. I’ll pick up some of those recommendations and give them a go once we get out of this upcoming deep freeze.

Ok thanks guys. My typical knot is the double uni so maybe I need to just change that up and watch then weights a little bit. I’ll give it a try.

Hello everyone, I'm looking for a little help on the proper technique when mid-strolling a jig and minnow. Like many of us I picked up the technique recently but find even when I shake the rod tip minimally the jig and minnow bounce and dance instead of roll side to side as intended. I understand casting upstream and working the jig back helps with that but in situations with little to no current such as calm lakes I can't seem to get the roll. Any suggestions? Thank you!

I’m a long way from an expert but it seems the body of water you’re fishing matters a little bit too. A few times on Lake St Clair changed back and forth pretty noticeably as cloud cover moved in and out. But on a few smaller lakes and rivers near me it didn’t seem to have as much of an impact and seemed like the larger weather system over a few days and the seasonal norms made the only significant difference. Maybe it just affected visibility so lure color changes or slight depth changes was all that was necessary to get a bite again.

You’re gonna love that rod. I enjoy dropshot fishing anyway but feeling all the little ticks and bumps on the bottom and the little thump and weight when you get a bite really makes a good rod worth it. BTW I keep it pretty simple when it comes to hooks and almost always use an Owner number 1 mosquito hook (not the mosquito lite) and typically use a 6 lb test fluoro leader. Sometimes 8 lb. Never had a problem keeping largemouth or smallmouth pinned.

I have a 7’0” medium fast Expride that I use for wacky rigs and similar presentations and also use for ned rigs (Exprides are my go-to if you hadn’t already noticed) mostly because I like having a dropshot tied on at all times but also want another finesse presentation for versatility. But if I only had the 7’2” medium light fast I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to throw neds on it, especially if I were using one of the lighter wire jig head hooks. I throw mostly 1/8 dropshot weights and have had absolutely no problem keeping fish stuck with that setup. I know that’s not an apples to apples comparison but practically speaking I would throw a ned on that rod all day and never have any doubts.

Can’t really explain why but they just drive me to catch them. It’s an obsession. The chase - especially smallmouth lately - never gets old. Once I find the right combination and I catch them one might think it scratches that itch but it just makes me want to do it again. This weekend I was back on St Clair where I just started fishing and have struggled quite a bit. Finally hooked up with a few 4+ pounders and not being sure what I had until they flashed in front of the boat as they made their last run ripping off drag… nothing beats it. As an aside a buddy and I were launching the boat a few months back as a local tournament was just wrapping up their weigh in. As we were pushing off a guy walked up to the dock to release his bag and was visibly p****d off about it. So much so that he was actually pretty rude when I asked how he did. A five fish bag and he was angry and miserable. My buddy looked at me as he walked away and commented that he never wants to be the guy who catches fish and is miserable about it. I fully realize that is the exception not the rule but I never want what I love doing to cause me stress and make me upset while doing it.

I have an Expride 7’2” medium light fast dedicated dropshot rod and have no reason to consider another. It’s very light, feels every little tick from the smallest perch and has handled multiple 4-5 lb smallies really well. Extremely happy with it. In fact I will probably buy another one so I can change up presentations without having time-tie leaders or switch baits when I’m on the water.

Oh absolutely not. Definitely the highlight of my day and to have it happen so early was a great jumpstart. Not much different in hindsight. I would however launch at a different section of the lake to gain some more familiarity and just keep getting a better feel for the lake. I feel like I gained a lot out there yesterday and don't necessarily think I would have done much differently aside from maybe moving a little faster to keep searching. Sometimes on a tough day (especially when I'm graphing fish) I stay too long in one place even if I can't get a bite. I've done that couple times recently where I knew I was on fish but my lure may have well been invisible to them. Wasted time on fish or maybe very few fish when I could be elsewhere making better use of my time.

I thought about that actually and still might. I went out today and kinda got my tail kicked but no big deal. I covered a good amount of water but as was mentioned they didn’t seem interested. Did manage one nice 4 pound 20 inches within the first 40 minutes in about ten feet of water and thought I might have a little luck after all. Then nothing for the next six hours aside from a couple little perch in depths from 6 to 15 feet. Finally headed back toward the launch and covered some more water and found an isolated patch of grass and caught a small one. I host need to get out a few more tikes to learn it better. Lots of water to learn.

Marcel’s Guide Service

Maybe it's coincidental you say the ones that did bite were chunky. I'm over in the Lansing area where most of the lakes are predominantly largemouth lakes. I saw a ton of suspended fish on one of the better lakes nearby last Friday and barely got anything to bite. One decent one on a finesse underspin out of everything I saw. A couple more but those were all shallow fish on the same underspin or a spinner. The ones that did bite had fat bellies too which was an encouraging sign but the bites were extremely few and far between. I'll be launching out of Selfridge and probably spending the day hitting Anchor Bay or maybe shooting over to the mile roads or something. I'll report back whatever happens. I may not catch many but I promise you it won't be from lack of effort or too few presentations. I'm packing the rod locker with everything haha. If you find some bites over by you please let us know, Maybe I'll find an excuse to run over next weekend too!

Hmm I’m hoping some cooling temps might get them going. Hoping! When you say a tough bite is that hardly getting bites at all or getting lower number than you’d like?

Well this will be my first solo adventure into Lake St Clair. My only experience is a guided day of fishing this summer, which was a great time but I had the luxury of fishing with an experienced guide with a bunch of productive locations ready to go. This summer I bought a boat that is capable of handling St Clair so this will be the first chance I have to give it a go. No waypoints, no previous scouting, and not enough smallmouth experience to make me feel confident so I’m just going to hit the water, cover as much ground as I can starting early and if I run into some, great. If not I’ll fish until I run out of steam, hopefully save a few waypoints for later and make the 2 hour drive home to cold beers. The weather has changed recently and we’re at the beginning of a stretch of actual fall weather. Two weeks ago I had planned to go but couldn’t make it at the last minute. Then the water temps were about 70 and since they have dropped to 61. Cooler nights with modest days so I predict they’ll start moving shallow when the sun hits the water but we shall see. I’ll cover everything from 25 feet to 3 with just about everything I have in my tackle to throw at them. Going for broke!