JonB2

I finally got on board in northern Michigan! Man, sometimes we really have to go through some crap and waiting up here in the north, but it’s well worth the wait in anticipation. I had made a couple early scout trips to the north side last week, but today went south. I did a scout run, noting what and where, then started fishing. This is my second serious season bass fishing and my first with a kayak. They’re really annoying in wind of any breeze, but after some clunky moments, I started getting a feel for anchoring. I ran a bladed jig, senko, underspin and jerkbait to no avail. However, off one dock a switch to a bluegill swim jig with a perch Mayor pulled two good females, one was pretty nice. Both inhaled the bait and pulled the MH well. After no more action, I went out and around between the other side and next dock. No further good fish, but before I left, I pitched an 1/8oz bitsy with a rage Ned bug trailer and got a handful of 10-12” dinkers on the M spinning rig which was pleasant. I’m headed out whenever I can again which may be Friday. Scattered schools of bluegills up shallow sunning and one good school of crappie that just stared at me under a dock lol

I can’t bring myself to use anything but an offset worm hook texas rigging a rubber worm. Beaver baits I use ewg and haven’t had any issues hooking up, they seem perfect. Senkos I use ewg for t-rig and either a good j hook or c style for wacky rig. I feel an overlooked aspect is how and how aggressive the bass eats your bait. Fish that are tentative or skittish might mouth more and cause less bite chance. The correct answer is the usual answer; whatever you do best with.

Are you on shore or in a boat/kayak? I think a 6’6”-7’ standard MHF rod is perfect for t-rigging worms or creature baits. Nothing says summer bassin’ more to me than a texas-rigged electric grape or blue fleck power worm on 12-14lb green trilene xt in heavy cover!

I can easily see @Swamp Girl’s logic in sticking near shore. As an older woman, her overall odds of escaping a spill are better near shore. Bottom could be soft, but it’s better to have possible than have not at all. This spring has been horrible. I’m still waiting around in northern MI and it’s getting really annoying. Probably atleast another week, if not longer.

Still waiting here, but am now hyper prepared. Bass might be in trouble this season with how hungry and ready I am. Cannot WAIT for that first day I’m able to get into some prespawn fatties!

I caught a bunch of fish on tubes last early season, both smallies and largies. I remember the very first fish I caught on a Gitzit, an 18-19” smallmouth on albino pearl in the late 90’s.

Size on bass is definitely tough from pics, but you can usually tell a solid fish, and definitely a big one. I think smallmouth are tougher to gauge for whatever reason. I’ve never taken a selfie and stopped doing hero shots a few years ago. I decided it’s about the fish anyways, so I just take a shot of them and back they go usually 30 seconds to a minute or so. A minute of time is more than you think and you can unhook, admire, snap pic and release in one minute. Set your phone to “live” pictures and you can go back later and select the best frame, using that as your pic. It gets bass back quicker and you will 💯 find a choice shot. I love photography and no way am I not taking pics.

A skirted jig is always on if applicable as I fish both smallmouth and largemouth, and jigs rail both. It’s my first choice and most confident bait I use. Anything beyond that depends on what I’m doing and what’s going on. Give me a jig and I always feel ready to catch bass.

Original Sweet Beaver for creature in black/blue flake in the clouds or black/red flake in the sun. I like Rage Bugs as well, but use Beavers way more. Both T rigged for me and pitched to heavy cover. For craws, I’ve mostly settled on Crush City Cleanup Craws in several colors depending, but GP/blue pearl, Watermelon-red, and half black/blue flake-half GP. I mostly run them on jigs, but also T rigged. The 1/2&1/2 color on a black/blue jig will be absolute money on my largemouth river.

I think this thread is goofy. Some guys seem way more invested in their fishing perception than their fishing reality.

All my setups function with versatility, but have strengths. I have realized getting into bass fishing, there is no doubt we accumulate several rigs because it can be fun and interesting deciding what’s needed for a given day. Sometimes we even grab a rod just because we’re in the mood to fish or catch fish with it lol. I’ve found serious bass fishing highly entertaining as it’s full of challenging situations all the time. I love the puzzle.

Crankbaits are something I really wanna get down, both lipless and squarebills, and will be putting in time with them this season. I have a small handful of lipless to start…Rippin’ Rap(3), Rattlin’ Rap(2), Red Eye Shad(1), Original Rat L Trap(1). Colors are a mix of mostly flash and baitfish with one craw pattern, one brighter pattern(blk/chart/orange). I am in high anticipation for their use!

Green stained water, I’d throw white/pearl. Great contrast and still maintains a natural baitfish look. Black and purple together would be a great darker, more subtle alternative. I love purple!

When I got into serious bass fishing last year, I knew right away squarebills would be something I’d be interested in. I agree with @Swimbaitstud , keep it simple and confident. I got a few KVD 1.0 and a handful of 1.5’s in mostly shad and craw patterns. A few rattle, most don’t. I’ve got a 7’ MM rod with 12lb flouro on a 6.2:1 reel and it feels right which is truly what matters for you in fishing. This is my second season and I’m itching to fish more ways this year and much earlier!

Stay away from women and fish your ass off. You just spent 20 years with them and are a free man with none of the problems. Fish, that’s what you do.

How bad is it getting for the rest of you northern bassers? I’m jonsing something fierce and can’t even use pike and walleye to get by because conditions in MI are tough and the inland season close is fast upon us. Steelhead are not the same, but will have to do to atleast be fishing. I will be out trying as soon as we get some good, consistent warmth to get them atleast thinking about it. Every single rig has fresh line and is rigged and ready for deployment. My boxes are cleaned out and back in order and I need nothing for the spring start to our season. Man, I cannot WAIT to go bass fishin’!

The Great Lakes are just a smallmouth mecca all around. I fish off Lake Huron and some of the bass I’ve saw I had to double take to make sure it wasn’t a salmon or trout. Monsters. There’s underrated largemouth too, some huge fish there as well. This spring I’m gonna try to be around early enough in one spot to possibly get a 6-7lb northern MI green bass!

I’m a rough and tumble type man, so my rods and reels go along for the ride.

I bank fish a lot and love it. I like simplicity in fishing. I try to make it as much me vs fish as I can. I did get a kayak last year and love bassin’ with that too. If you truly enjoy fishing, you’re loving it no matter how you get it. I laugh when guys think a watercraft means “getting away from other people” like there isn’t millions of other boats and kayaks around lol

Hit the ice today for a few hours and man am I glad I did. An old boy walked out last trip and offered me some leftover minnows which I was going to decline until he mentioned there were a few big goldies in the mix of perch minnows. That changed my tune quick and I accepted them. I put one out on my tip up in 12’ with still green weeds and it took less than five minutes before flag up and spinning. I was too hyped and lost a monster in the hole after it spit the shiner out. I reset the same bait and off it went again not even 10 minutes later! This time I got it and I swear the same big green head appeared, but was coaxed through the hole this time. Man was I excited at that mondo! After getting her back, I reset the tip up and it went off within minutes. Another good bass. I ended up landing 3 nice bass, losing 2, some gills and 3 jumbo perch. All bass came on the tip up save for one on the perch dead stick. It took 30 min to even get to my panfish holes as the same hole had four flags in the first 20 min! All released of course, perch included.

Long time! With spring atleast creeping somewhat on the horizon for me, bass have started poking into thought. Already thought about getting out atleast one caster just to pretend. I’ve had a heck of an ice season in MI, and lately largemouth have been more active through the ice. They’re real fun on panfish tackle, but a good one really pulls back. I’ve had some fine messes of panfish for people in need. Spring can come if it wants or winter can linger…either way I can find a fish to catch!

I’ve never cared to catch the biggest or even the most fish. That’s why I don’t know exactly how big a lot of my largest fish are; I’m curious, but ultimately…I don’t care that much. I fish for challenge and the thrill I create in my mind, body and soul that day. We all fish for whatever we want, why we want. I respect huge fish people have caught, and it’s cool, but again…I don’t really care. I’d have to know the angler to have a real opinion on them; not a particular catch they’ve made. Just me and how I personally am. I’ve landed a 37.5” 27lb 13oz brown trout on 5lb leader. While a cool fish and fun catch…it didn’t immediately prove I was a good angler.

I plan on continuing to improve in my bass fishing and am extremely excited to hit my waters with a much better knowledge and ability. I’ve already been back in mind on moments I thought “dang, I should’ve did this at that time” etc. I’m gonna try and remember to bring a scale or atleast a tape more. I’d like to get a 6lb NMI largemouth and another huge smallmouth.

Well, haven’t had anything to contribute bass wise since MI is in full winter mode. I did get in a little late fall shore fishing for river-run steelhead, Atlantic and coho salmon. I released everything and while it did give me that little voice of regret having missed most of the good fall bite, I don’t regret pushing bass into mid November. I had about a 10 day, 3 trip river season before it went quickly to early winter. I did well enough to say it was worth those few trips in the chaos.

I think it’s just hard to say no to Rapala lures. They have lots of competition nowadays, and they’ve messed around with some things, but I absolutely still like their baits. One hard knock on them for me though, is discontinuing some older color schemes and also the blasphemy of putting “stripes” on firetiger instead of the original squiggles. They had the best firetiger of all time, but now they’re just another of the same