JonB2

@Swamp Girl We got to 50 today, but had been in the 30’s steadily with a couple nights in the teens too Those smalleyes were hyper aggressive, darting and chasing those little baits with gusto

I just had to see after the weather stabilized(if you can call it that) and warmed some, if there were any bass still lingering with water at 45-46*. There indeed were but flat, low water made them really skittish. I got one smallie on a jerkbait and one on a drop shot with a mooch minnow. The drop shot fish hit on the fall. I also saw two nice largemouth for a bonus sighting I went back with a few different baits to try for variety since bait had drastically pushed out. Well, not a bite or bass in sight. Decent SW wind had water going out and dropped levels which seemed to draw everything out. So I went to another spot to get my jerkbait fix and tossed around small hj’s in black/silver and black/gold on 8’ ULF rods with 8lb braid/4lb mono and straight 4lb mono respectfully and got perch and smaller walleye which was fun. I just love that jerk jerk stop…pop!

I agree on a spinning rig for tubes, I just prefer the feel of it as I’m sliding and gliding it around. As far as hooksets…a tube isn’t any different than anything else and there have been countless Great Lakes smallmouth taken effectively on spinning tackle with tube jigs. Like always in any fishing; if it feels right and works well…then it’s the right rig period

Well my bass season has come to a close. Cold with highs in the 30’s and straight N winds means raw in northern Michigan in November. First day all fall I had to put the gloves on with wind coming right off the lake. We closed with a whimper, but still produced with a few keepers and a lost-at-shore walleye. Prior trip I got 5 keepers, a walleye and pulled it away from a big male Atlantic. Jerkbaits in bright colors got our fish today and paddles were quiet aside from the lost walleye. I can’t say enough nor complain a bit about my first serious bass season. I didn’t even plan on it at all, but it definitely “kind of just happened”. I fished from shore the majority of the year with a late summer through early fall run with my kayak for largemouth. I started the season with a smallmouth on a paddletail and ended it with a smallmouth on a jerkbait on the same river…I counted literally the other day but already forgot how many fish I’m at, but know it’s just shy of 500

I pretty much post in the latest catch thread because I feel that’s up to date and honest. I often will do a couple trips worth just to mix it up. I’m about to make my last bass outing on Saturday and am optimistically anticipating it. I’ll be sure to put up my results of these last couple trips to close a good year

Man, can our weather turn on a dime. Next week has a few highs in the 30’s, and ever changing wind will likely push my will to grind for a few last bass or call her a wrap for the most part. I had a decent little number day(counting dinks) with one good anchor fish and another day that was “not my day” bass wise as I struggled with 4 keepers, but I did land two Atlantic salmon casting for bass and losing another. I got one nice fish on a jerkbait and the rest on paddles.

Can you still hear yourself say “goodn’, that’s a goodn’” when you set the hook into a solid 20”+? I sure hope so my man! Lol

No idea where they will be, but sometimes a pretty good idea where they might be. That’s how I approach it

I agree with @Pat Brown. Currently, I’m casting small paddle tails on light jigs for big smallmouth. That’s the exact same thing I did to start the year lol. Water is in the mid to low 50’s and slowly falling, but the bite and fish are still around to be targeted effectively for now…

Still at it and still on them for now. Moved around to stay on fish, and numbers are not the game currently. I will trade that for the size as I get later in the season. My measuring stick has been laying in the trunk so I haven’t put any to tape, but I know pretty well what I’m catching. When you can’t really reverse grip a smallie by the jaw do to heft and size; you’re on good fish. I have strong hands and arms, but some of these are a struggle to handle. I got a decent walleye too, when it clouded up momentarily

@Swamp Girl Are you still launching at first light like a crazy person? I’ve found the best bite being late morning-early afternoon lately. We’re 50’s water now, but have time yet. You should have slooooww crept a small paddle tail on a light jig and saw if that got you more numbers?

@Swamp Girl A couple from the bottom, she wouldn’t stop bending. You can see she’s a good size as is, but there’s still the whole wrist and tail fin curved back. That blind eyed one was also long, just @20” Remember, I live in Michigan and 20-21” smallies are not rare at all. Not everyone gets them and you don’t just walk around banging that size. However, a competent bass angler who regularly fishes smallmouth will hit fish that size at some point. Smallies 17-19” are very common here, inland or Great Lakes

As the winds blow to and fro…in-out..up-down the bait and bass go! Not sure what that was, but that’s the current pattern. I see a solid week atleast left more than likely for bass. The bite got a little wonky once we dipped below 60*, but now that it’s cooled to 57* and they’ve adjusted; the bite and fight is there. More aggression, but the fights have been explosive. Big fish have went crazy and when they hit the shallows, look out! Last trip wasn’t bad, but today was unfishable on the pier as the waves were bouncing off both sides. The wind was punching mostly straight in, so we figured everything might be up further in the channel. We were correct as there was bait in the rocks and big, angry bronze out shadowing them. I only landed 6 today, but 5 were 18-21” or so, and most were very stout. I had one that would not open its mouth to be lipped properly and was impressive in jaw strength. I also landed a fat little northern that cooperated very well lol

All smallmouth pull, but it doesn’t matter whether you’re in the main flow, in a slack eddy off current or in a frog water pool…river smallmouth are no joke and the bigger they are, the harder they pull. Rivers make everything stronger by necessity. A river dwelling largemouth is fun as hell keeping out of thick cover. I also fish river bluegills and that 8’ UL bends right over when a stout 8” digs

I saw livescope in use this weekend and wasn’t impressed. I didn’t see any angling skill at all, and the co anglers body language showed boredom after awhile

White and red knock’em dead; red and white always right. Whatever you wanna use, that combo is versatile on any predator

Jewelry cleaner. If you have complete trash than it won’t help, but if you’re just looking to quick and simple gleam up your shine; it works well. Typically comes with a little scrub brush too, which is nice

Getting tougher for sure as fall goes along. Wind is really starting to be a pia! Though I can still sling fine with my casters, the wind is making them more annoying, so will be spinning rod mode likely to close the season. I can tell she’ll be wrapping in a week or so as we get colder. The telling sign is the bass are moving further out and away from the pier. Long casts were key for bass and letting it fall all the way down. They’re getting real picky and color conscious too My bro kicked my assests running his MX spinning rod with 10lb braid. Hits are getting tough in the wind and swells, so time for me to get with it and make an adjustment. We both got a bonus fish in the form of FAT steelhead, and I also had a silvery late coho come in on my jig, swipe, then proceed onward. No big fish landed, mostly 16-17” with a couple 18’s for my bro

Thanks Katie, I’m a man that LOVES variety. I should have a bit more time for bass. One thing about living North is while our seasons eventually end, we get that “haven’t caught a bass since fall” excitement come spring. It’s different up here, as winter loses its grip and spring pushes to shine through…we have that eager anticipation to look forward to

Fishing is still going for me, but getting day to day. I’ve lost more fish last two trips, which is really frustrating. The forecast for “10-15 from…” has been more pushing 20 with higher gusts. I just love detecting the weird bite you get in the wind slow cranking a paddle tail. A lot of fish come from behind and inhale it, causing them to push your line. First trip was very frustrating, but managed a few nice bass averaging 17” and a lake trout Today it was sunny and W winds to start, but slowly shifted SSW and increased. I landed a few bass that were very football, a coho salmon and a big walleye. I tried slow-rolling a spinner bait for a big one, but nada. Also tried a jerk bait, but only had one bass shadow it. The coho did smoke it on the pause after an aggressive cadence. Slow cranking paddle tails was the best again. I lost my first fish of the day(for no reason) and it was big. Thinking a pig smallie, but possible it was another good sized walleye

Yessir

@Swamp Girl Us northern bassers know our seasons are on barrowed time. However here in Northern Michigan, I should probably have a good couple weeks left of solid brown bass fishing before it becomes working for a couple big ones; real big ones. I plan on riding out my bass season until it’s not feasible. A man can change his ways in fishing, and this one certainly has. Hardcore bass fishing has been some of the funnest fishing I’ve done in a long while, and I can feel the drive fresh again!

I got into bass fishing seriously this spring and ended up buying Tatula XT’s as well and really like them. I don’t tend to go real high end, just not my style. I’m rough and tumble, so I go for decent rod at decent price. I have casting rods in M and MH@7’, MH and H@7’3”, 7’ MR cranking rod and ML, M, MH spinning @7’. Every rod caught fish, though some were obvious workhorse combos. I like the way they have actions for a variety of styles and they look, feel and fish nice. I also got 7’ M and MH Fuego casters. My beater rod for tight spots and hard bank fishing is a 6’6” MH Laguna. My goal is simply to catch bass of both varieties in my state and I’m not real fancy doing it lol

Keeping it real, so posting the “f$&@ were they off today” type post lol. After landing over 20 last trip, I managed less than 10. Winds from the northeast and consecutive nights in the high 30’s seemed to funk them up. Where streaks of brown fury tore across the waves after my bait last trip, this trip I had no such aggression. I had to let it fall and retrieve super slow. Also had a salmon of some sort(looked like a small chinook) come in on my jig. Seeing the marks on some of these bass, including bigger ones, I’ll have the 7-3 HF with a few big baits next trip. This is a great time to get into toothy and some big ones! These were the three decent fish; 2@17” and an 18”

A 3-4” natural hued paddle tail on a jig head is a real simple way to hammer fall smallies