I hear you there. I will likely go out again today. Perhaps a little more serious since I've played with my new stuff so now I should be pretty comfortable with it all. BUt like you said, it feels good just to be out there. Plus, I'm in the Muskegon area for work Mon-Fri so I get a ton of water I've never fished before since I'm from 2.5hrs North of where I am. 

I've been making the annual "check the lakes" milk run once a week for a while now.  Still iced in every where.   A recent warming trend up here has seen over night air temps above freezing which bodes well for the home team.  10 Day forecast see temps up & down throughout the period.  Trying to remain realistic, Id expect to be fishing second week in April, which is pretty much are mean annual average here.

 

But as you might imagine, I'm ready now.

A-Jay

Still ice?! Holy cow! I guess I didn't realize you were that much colder up there than me. What a difference a couple hours north makes.

Yup ~  and 3 inches of snow coming Thursday too ~

Just the way we roll.

A-Jay

That has to be hard for you especially since you have a brand new 360 imagining you haven't been able to play with yet! That's pure torture in my eyes.

Yea ~ It's clearly not making me more patient. 

I guess it's the toughest when it's nice & sunny & in the 50's but I'm looking at hard water.

Good thing is I'll be totally ready when it does go out so I can splash either the Old Town or the Lund when it's time.

Excited to bring the new GoPro's into the fray as well as the YoloTek Boom stick this spring. 

Should offer a different and welcome 'big picture' camera angle to any video captures I'm able to get this year.

Might be cool.

A-Jay

Crazy what a few hours north can do. There is very minimal ice where I'm from and none that I see down where I'm at.

I've got a little boat work to do on Saturday and should be on St Clair by Sunday. Hoping for clean water, that lake has been abused lately.  

I'm at 8 bass and 3 pike. Someone tell the pike that the season is closed!

Went out and caught my first bass today. My first of 2017 was a healthy 2lber. Followed closely by a nice 3lber. I tried every cold water lure I had (jigs, suspending jerkbait, tubes, etc..) but they wanted my Z-Man Chatterbait in Bluegill with a Fishog paddletail in Houdini. I was going to stay longer but I was battling a headache so called er' a day!

 

2 bass and a fowl hooked sucker on the year!!

Sorry to hear about the headache, but glad to hear about starting out the year right. Maybe next weekend I'll get to sling some bait at Harley ensign. I don't have a boat but that spot will usually have a few bass around.

Blades are killing them so far. I'm getting shown up by silver buddies every time I go out!

Where are you located? I know it's a common misconception but I generally only use blade baits in deeper water. Never tried a silver buddy in less than 20ft of water. 

 

Southeastern Lower MI. Huron-Clinton Metroparks mostly. The water is warming up a little and the fish are moving slowly. Did ok yesterday and today, broke 3 a few times. Saw a 4-8 caught next to me the other week (on a blade ).

 

Someone still needs to tell the Pike that their season is closed.

I hear ya. Gladly I haven't been bit off this year...yet. 

 

 

Who has tips and advice on Spring Lake??!! I'm down here for work and will be hitting that lake soon.

Is anyone in S.E. Mich fishing Kensington yet? If so, any bass?

Ice is finally out on a few of the smaller lakes up here in Otsego County.  

 

Nothing I can get the Pro-V Bass out on as there is limited deep water access just yet.  Soon though.

 

Either way, I am totally willing & able to re-introduce myself the local Smallmouth Bass population from the comfort of the Old Town Canoe.

 

 Trucks loaded & I'm stepping out the door.  Looks like it may be a decent day too, weather wise.

 

Here we go ~ !

A-Jay

 

I was out last sunday, and caught a fair number of bass and a nice five pounder. The water level is still really low so I opted to take the kayak out, although there were some guys in boats out there.

I often wish I lived in northern Michigan instead of Florida.

Does that count for anything?

 

Roger

Finally got to throw out some lines for the first time this year.  Went to Brandonburg park didn't get anything,  but I wasn't expecting to water still a bit cold. Got to try out a few things the bait monkey made me get. Even got the wife to throw something besides a spinnerbait, it was only a chatterbait (babysteps). Well it felt good to get out.

2 hours ago, Mastermarsh said:

I was out last sunday, and caught a fair number of bass and a nice five pounder. The water level is still really low so I opted to take the kayak out, although there were some guys in boats out there.

 

Thanks!

On 4/8/2017 at 3:39 PM, RoLo said:

I often wish I lived in northern Michigan instead of Florida.

Does that count for anything?

 

Roger

Only during Snow Storms & Hurricane Season Roger ~

A-Jay

 

On 4/8/2017 at 3:08 AM, A-Jay said:

Ice is finally out on a few of the smaller lakes up here in Otsego County.  

 

Nothing I can get the Pro-V Bass out on as there is limited deep water access just yet.  Soon though.

 

Either way, I am totally willing & able to re-introduce myself the local Smallmouth Bass population from the comfort of the Old Town Canoe.

 

 Trucks loaded & I'm stepping out the door.  Looks like it may be a decent day too, weather wise.

 

Here we go ~ !

A-Jay

 

 

Scored ~

A-Jay

 

OUCH!

I was afraid of that 

Got the Perception Pescador out today for the first time. Went to Herrick Park and Rec and landed quite a few on the couple hours I was out. Big bass of #4-2

 

Wind blown points were key today.

 

 

Nice one! How deep of water? I see your hat how do you like their jigs? I've never used them before and I happened to stumble upon their office last week when I was working. I wanted to stop in there but they were closed.