47 minutes ago, thediscochef said:

Believe it. Slump continues. 

 

Chef, for the cost of a guide, you can fly to Maine and camp on my pond/lake and catch two hundred bass in a few days. And I'll be glad to take you to the ponds and bogs where the five, six, seven, and eight-pounders swim, but the two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half-pounders at my pond are a blast. 

 

I'm going fishing in a few minutes. For the first time in my life, I'll be using a fishing kayak. I'm allowing a neighbor to keep his boat on my land and he said to use it whenever I want, so I will. I'm excited to see if the bass are still in the swamp alongside the swamp, as I loved the maze below. It was like golfing at Augusta, if Augusta had the obstacles of miniature golf: 

 

@thediscochef you’re good brother. We understand some days are just tough out there. Certainly I do.  Nobody’s laughing at you. We just can’t wait for the “wild card” to reappear and another 7lber+ to pop up on the end of your rod. 

 

24 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

For the first time in my life, I'll be using a fishing kayak.

Keep your center of gravity. No leaning except for back towards the seat. Hoosket only with your arms.

Thanks, @PhishLI. I don't expect too many issues. My solo canoe feels like a fence rail and threatens to dump me several times each trip. It won't be my first time in a kayak. Just my first time in a fishing kayak, but I'll apply your advice. 

48 minutes ago, MIbassyaker said:

 

FWIW, as a great enjoyer of gallows humor, I also laughed.

It's no sweat, I assumed after Mr. Ruis clarified that any following laugh reacts are as described. Thank you though 

15 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

Thanks, @PhishLI. I don't expect too many issues. My solo canoe feels like a fence rail and threatens to dump me several times each trip. It won't be my first time in a kayak. Just my first time in a fishing kayak, but I'll apply your advice. 

Depending on the brand and size. Some fishing kayaks are way more stable then a canoe. But if your reach out to the side and get your upper body center of gravity out far enough... Some kayaks and my old Mainstream kingfisher would slip right out from under you like stepping on a banana peel or squeezing a bar of soap. Good luck, Crickety!

FM

I've been trying to decide where to start with describing my fishing trip yesterday. It was a highly anticipated trip since it's the first time I've been on a boat in about two months. It got off to a tough start when one friend who was going couldn't make it due to car trouble. Once we launched the boat everything seemed ready...except the fish weren't biting. We fished three miles of prime shoreline before we got our first bite. That bite was a small, but ornery spotted bass. At least we wouldn't be skunked. We tried the other side of the river, and managed one more small fish in four more miles of prime shoreline. Then we decided to try fishing deeper. It feels strange floating down the middle of the Tennessee River fishing unseen structure, but with modern electronics it can work. We caught a few little smallmough, a couple more small spots, and one random sauger. Still nothing exciting so we decided to eat a sandwich while we formulated a new game plan.

 

We decided to fish the more shaded side of the river one more time hoping the fish might be drawn to the shade since the air temp was in the upper 80's, and the water temp was in the mid 70's. We made a good choice. We caught 6 fish in the first 5 hours of the trip, but we ended up catching 12 more in the last 3 hours. The bite was very subtle all day, except for the one pictured below. This was the best one of the day, and there was nothing subtle about her. She put up a great fight. She was 3 lbs 10 oz, but punched way above her weight class. When I set the hook, she didn't budge until she ran the opposite direction of the boat. When I got her turned around she came out of the water like a missile. It took several tries to get her in the net, but we got her. My partner ended up getting one pretty similar in size late in the day.

 

 

On my way home my wife called to tell me that her parents wanted to take the kids out on the boat, but she didn't feel like going. I'd already spent 8 hours on a boat, but I'd love one or two more. A full day of fishing followed by a beautiful evening cruise with the family. What a day! I feel very blessed to have had such a day. As the sun was setting I thought to myself, "If this is what retirement is like I need to find a way to get there sooner!" 🤣 We missed the friend who had to miss the fishing trip, but hopefully he'll make it next time.

 

Unexpectedly got a few hours to fish today so I decided to go to the Gun Club since I hadn’t been there in a while.

 

Blue bird skies, with temps nearing 90 degrees with a light breeze out of the SSW.  
 

Unfortunately the pond has started to scum over with thick patches extending from the bank from a few feet out as far as 10-15 yards around the entire perimeter.  I was not equipped to handle this with my light tackle but I did the best I could but only managed one on a paddle tail.

Tomorrow I will be up early and at a nearby state wildlife area for some pre-dawn fishing.  Hopefully I’ll have better luck then.

@Fishlegs, that 3-10 looks like a 5 lber!

Getting warm out there. Surface temps at 80 or above, and starting to look like the beginning of a thermocline, but still seeing bass fry. Caught half a dozen skinny post-spawners. Only one possible group of bass, but they scattered quick. Everything else just singles here and there. Might look elsewhere if I get out tomorrow. Bonus channel cat that was part of a group.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great trip report, @Fishlegs.

 

 

so possibly my last far away trip for a while ( maybe rest of the summer i dunno) untill at least end of july due to my twins being born.

 

fished clear lake in  ogemaw county.l which is northern michigan.  I had 4 hrs of drive time ( 2 hrs each) and fished for 8 hrs.  clear lake is a fairly deep, medium sized lake and ultra clear lake which, on a good day we can see down 20 ft.  I wanted to catch atleast one day of the spawn.  Im not big on bed fishing but, i guess i just like to see them on their beds for whatever reason.  

 

I was the only one fishing on the lake.  literally had the lake to my self except a couple of pontoons.  glad i’m missing the madness this weekend doe to memorial day. 

 

 which, luckily i saw both large mouth and smallies on beds.  the couple of large mouths that i saw were completely locked down on beds and which, i didnt mess with the large mouth.  the small mouth were on beds but, weren’t lock down.  most were doing wide orbits around the center of the nest.  most of them ran away from any lure.  except the first smallie which , crushed a spine craw in gp hayes.  I didn’t mess around with the bedding fish too much.  I caught that one and than had another get off.  All my fish either came on a yum GP hayes spine craw t-rigged with 1/8 weight or a shakey head with 5 inch smoke purple berkley fatty bottom hopper on a shakey head ( first shakey head bass ).  So the smallies are either just starting to spawn or it’s about over i couldn’t really tell. 

 

most of the smallies that i caught were roaming around across the lake from the beds in 6-8 ft of water. the large mouth all came in shallower water except the big one.  I caught my first 3 lbs large mouth of the year which, weighs 3.26 lbs.  caught him on the spine craw at the end of a blow down.  that was one hardest fighting bass i’ve caught.  He actually took a lot on line out.  i’ve had 5 lbers that didn’t fight as hard. 

 

also, caught a couple cool shots of a loon swimming under water right next to the boat.  that loon was in 8 ft of water and swam right over the small mouth nests. 

 

still need to get the hang of drop shotting. 

 

great day yo be on the water in northern michigan.  it was good to be “ Up North “ 

2 minutes ago, Mbirdsley said:

my twins being born

 

 

That loon photo is amazing. I really enjoyed your trip report. 

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

@Fishlegs, that 3-10 looks like a 5 lber!

I was gonna say the same thing. For sure looks bigger then my SM PB of 4-1

3 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

@Fishlegs, that 3-10 looks like a 5 lber!

 

46 minutes ago, thediscochef said:

I was gonna say the same thing. For sure looks bigger then my SM PB of 4-1

I thought it was going to be a 6 pounder based on how it fought. I guessed 4.5 when I saw it, but that’s not what the scale said. I’ve never checked this scale’s accuracy. Scales rarely say what I think they should though. 😂

56 minutes ago, Fishlegs said:

 

I thought it was going to be a 6 pounder based on how it fought. I guessed 4.5 when I saw it, but that’s not what the scale said. I’ve never checked this scale’s accuracy. Scales rarely say what I think they should though. 😂

That would have me double checking because that is a fat smallmouth. Either that or you have a magic camera LOL

Me and my son went to the local reservoir for about an hour just before dark. Got this feisty little crappie on a  1/4oz crankbait. Pretty little guy.

 

This nice little one came on a fluke I found laying on the ground. I picked it up, and figured I could rig it one more time, and it worked like a charm.

 

I agree about @Fishlegs's bass. She looks too long and fat to be just 3 lbs. 10 ounces. Look at her mouth too. That's a big mouth for a smallie.

8 hours ago, thediscochef said:

That would have me double checking because that is a fat smallmouth. Either that or you have a magic camera LOL

If it was magic it seems like it should make me look better! It'll probably take until the iPhone 3000 to develop that kind of technology though. 🤣

Made it out to the Clouse Lake Wilderness area this morning as planned.  There are two manmade lakes here St Joesph and the titular Clouse which was first up.  It’s the smaller of the pair and it is also shallow, dirty, and weedy.  But, every time I fish it I see large bass jumping tantalizingly out of range. 
 

I gave it a go with both the POP-R and the UV Speed Worm neither could tempt any of the bass to bite.

 

I stayed long enough to see the sunrise and then moved on to St Joseph.

 

After parking at the boat ramp I took a dirt road back to the dam. Along the way a there is a clearing that buts up against the bank.  In front of that there is a large crescent shaped weed bed.  I decided to start there.  It didn’t take long for the swimming worm to do its thing and I caught these three hanging around the milfoil. 

I walked back to the dirt road and continued making my way back to the lower end.  I got sidetracked again when I decided to follow a ravine from the road down to the bank.  Casting out around the weed line I caught another one.

Resuming my journey and made it finally to the dam however there was nothing going on there. I went over to the corner right before it turns into private property and fished there.  I noticed some bald spots in the weeds that ended up being blue gill beds.  I casted out past them where I could imagine bass were lurking but the only one I caught hit my worm like it owed them money in about 6 inches of water 3 feet in front of me.  Not gonna lie it made me jump.

By this time the wind had shifted so I headed back to the upper end but not before I stopped at the crescent shaped weed bed and caught a few more.

When I got to the upper end I found a spot  among some cattails that was solid enough to stand on.  Across a channel from me was a pad field.  I casted out towards the edge of those pads and swam my worm back.  That would yield another 4 dinks to close out the day.

@bp_fowler: Whoa, BP! Upgrading both quantity and quality!!! Well done, fellow Buckeye!

 

Look at the your smiles in the three biggest bass. Each is bigger than the last. See how each of your smiles is bigger than the last too?

19 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

@bp_fowler: Whoa, BP! Upgrading both quantity and quality!!! Well done, fellow Buckeye!

 

Look at the your smiles in the three biggest bass. Each is bigger than the last. See how each of your smiles is bigger than the last too?

Yes I’m learning if you want to catch big bass, you have to fish where the big bass live.  I know that probably sounds very obvious to most but I never claimed to be a very smart individual 😆

 

Oh yeah the smiling is proportional to the size of the bass caught!

6 minutes ago, bp_fowler said:

Yes I’m learning if you want to catch big bass, you have to fish where the big bass live.  I know that probably sounds very obvious to most but I never claimed to be a very smart individual 😆

 

Oh yeah the smiling is proportional to the size of the bass caught!

 

If you caught a DD, you'd look like the Cheshire cat:

 

 

 

Change of lakes, and found a cranking bite with a bit better quality. Also a pretty chunky channel cat as today’s bonus fish. No idea about the growth on that bigger one’s lip, but she has some battle scars on her.

 

 

 

 

 

I was hoping to see some shad spawn activity but it was slow. I did get one good bite on a 7” paddletail as the moon popped over the trees. She was short but had a nice build.