@TnRiver46 I've always struggled to catch fish from Lake Michigan when shore fishing. That bombing and dragging without any bites has been my experience for the most part. 😄 Well done! Beautiful fish! 

Less than a bass but more than a panfish. -In Fisherman

 

In this case, I’d call them less than a panfish.

 

That's bait, @gim. 

9 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

That's bait, @gim. 

I know it. I ignored it for almost 3 days too lol

 

”Why am I holding this puny thing for a photo?” - Rachel

”Because there is a guy on bass resource that morbidly hates rock bass and this is the smallest one, ever.” -Russ

Thanks @IcatchDinks! Floated the platte river this evening and I believe we might have topped that Lake Michigan fish. Granted I supposed they can swim to and from the lake into the river 

 

I also caught 4 fish fly casting from the outfitter waiting on the shuttle, they were biting like sharks everywhere. The bigger one hit a fluke on surface in timber, sounded like somebody threw a brick in the water when it hit. 40 lb seaguar smackdown on Okuma combo (forgot leader material, found 12 lb test mono at dollar general, 300 yards for $2 haha) Had another blow up with the same sound and aggression but missed it. Rachel caught many smallies and rock bass with fly rod. I ❤️ Michigan 

 

 

Broke in the new net this morning with a decent green bass.

#frabilforthewin

A-Jay

On 8/11/2025 at 6:53 AM, JonB2 said:

@MIbassyaker Thanks man, I enjoyed it greatly. It’s my favorite river in this state and is full of big smallmouth with the occasional bonus largie. Felt great being back on her again!

 

Are you taking those pictures with a phone?

 

Great quality!

19 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

That's bait, @gim. 

I have used them as bait once, I think it will work eventually . I’ve had large smallies come after hooked ones while creek fishing 

 

(I know, I know, it’s not legal in Cali or Minnesota but it is in TN)

Just now, TnRiver46 said:

I have used them as bait once, I think it will work eventually . I’ve had large smallies come after them while creek fishing 

 

I bet that was thrilling. 

My search for late summer brown bass continues.

Hasn't happened just yet.

But in the mean time, these green bass are starting to grow on me.

Just a little though.

A-Jay

@WaskaCrank12 congrats on your PB… 👏

2 hours ago, A-Jay said:

But in the mean time, these green bass are starting to grow on me.

 

Is this a new side of @A-Jay?  Targeting greenies state side?

34 minutes ago, gim said:

 

Is this a new side of @A-Jay?  Targeting greenies state side?

I'm 'sort' of but not really targeting them.

But they keep biting my cricket !

😜

A-Jay

 

 

Went back to the reservoir today, well it was tough. 

Couldn't find them today, 4 fish, 2 small largemouths, one perch and a magnificent rock bass.

 

7 minutes ago, herder said:

magnificent rock bass.

 

4 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

 

Are you taking those pictures with a phone?

 

Great quality!

Yessir, an old iPhone too lol

 

I had a chance to fish today again, and obviously jumped right on it. I basically repeated the same as 3-4 days ago and fished midday into afternoon. It was a very slow, quiet start, but I’m definitely improving on my bass game in various ways. I have only had to make subtle changes and have been disciplined on staying with good bait choices and not overthinking when it’s not happening as I expect. Today, once it clouded up, they fired up good. 
 

Got into double digits…barely, but size was the name of the game today with big fish taped@ 17”(2), 19”, 19.25”, 19.5”, 20.5”. Rest were 14-16” and one dinker 10”. Casting jigs were hot today with two others on standard sized senkos and one on a Ned. Big fish were all on the casting jig which is typically the case for me 

 

Best 4 out of about a dozen this morning, the fish were noticeably fired up for the first time in a while here.

Almost feeling like fall, I could see my breath this morning and there was a ton of mist on the water

Got poked with spines about a thousand times releasing angry baby stripers, the tiny ones are the worst!

Actually got some dink bass thumb  

 

Love your misty photo, @Peacedivision.

1 hour ago, Peacedivision said:

Actually got some dink bass thumb  

Pretty sure you just coined an epic new phrase.

Nicely Done.

A-Jay

 

Feeling like fall? I could see the geese in formation in one of those pics.  🤔

5 hours ago, Don51 said:

Feeling like fall? I could see the geese in formation in one of those pics.  🤔

 

Good eye. I've been seeing geese too, but I don't know if they're resident geese or migrating geese.

Finally! Something over 2 pounds 

No pic, but did catch a 17.5" 2 lb 12 Oz bass, but he got out of my hand before I could snap the photo and went back in the drink. Had one about the same size break off a poor hook tie, and then had about a 4 lber I swung and missed on the hookset. A bit annoying but at least it was some quality action.

 

I used monofilament backing for the first time instead of slapping a piece of electrical tapeto tie braid on to my 30 year old Shimano Bantam Coriolis and it did very well on the one I landed. The mono backing saved me a lot of frustration tying braid to the spool, whereas before I went to that, I almost dreaded spooling braid because of previous nightmares where I would have to try 6-8 times to get the spool to wind line. 

Did a little kayak float down my green bass river and got a handful of scrappy fish. One was a brawler and really threw me for a loop; looked like a situation you’d have with a hot steelhead, not an angry largemouth!
 

Per summer usual, plenty of rec traffic to once again prove there are no “quiet week days”. This causes me to often fish faster than I’d like or cut short my spots hit. I got a couple dink 10’s, and a half dozen good keepers. Texas rigged beavers got three 15-16” in the sun and I fished my way back with the Big Senko picking up three more @17”, @18.25”, and @16” to round out the day. This will be my last update for a little while. I get to fish a lot this year and my waters are obviously not hurting for bassin’. I’m quite interested in seeing how things pattern into fall around me 

 

4 minutes ago, JonB2 said:

Did a little kayak float down my green bass river and got a handful of scrappy fish. One was a brawler and really threw me for a loop; looked like a situation you’d have with a hot steelhead, not an angry largemouth!
 

Per summer usual, plenty of rec traffic to once again prove there are no “quiet week days”. This causes me to often fish faster than I’d like or cut short my spots hit. I got a couple dink 10’s, and a half dozen good keepers. Texas rigged beavers got three 15-16” in the sun and I fished my way back with the Big Senko picking up three more @17”, @18.25”, and @16” to round out the day. This will be my last update for a little while. I get to fish a lot this year and my waters are obviously not hurting for bassin’. I’m quite interested in seeing how things pattern into fall around me 

 

I love when they get those prominent greens from being in vegetation