BROWN BASS TOOLS ~ Questions & Answers 2024

A-Jay reply : 

Recently BR forum member @12poundbass & I started a Q & A deal in the PM’s regarding how, when & where to catch some Michigan Smallmouth Bass on inland lakes.  It went on for a while and turned into quite a bit more than we both imagined.

 We talked it over and decided to share it here with the hopes it might help others to catch a few.

Had to break it up into “Chapters”.

 

 

12poundbass ~ Good day A-Jay hope all is well with you and the Mrs. In case you hadn't heard Santa is coming next Tuesday! The only thing I've asked for is TW gift cards, which brings me to you. I have a healthy inventory of green bass tackle. I know a lot of the tackle work for both, but and suggestions and ideas are greatly appreciated. 

 

The only brown bass I've caught were on a small river using jigs and Senkos. I've already made one TW order that has a couple SK 1/2oz spinner baits, I'm ashamed to say I haven't used a spinner bait in probably 8-9 years.???? I also bought a couple SK red eye shads, I had one before and loved it, but lost it. 

 

One smallmouth lure I've thought about was a tube. I've never 'really' used one before, so I'm as dumb as they come when it comes to them. What size is a good start, what's your recommendation for a particular tube jig head? I'm getting a good inventory on vibrating jigs, what are some good trailers though? I took your advice on a video and grabbed some SK Rage Craws this summer, the two seemed to pair well, the strikes were plenty, I can't say the same for the hook up ratio, we already discussed that previously. 

 

With the new boat in tow in 2019 I'm branching out and I'm going to focus on the smallmouth as much as possible, so if you'd like to help me spend Santa's money at TW I'm all ears! 

 

As always your knowledge, ideas, and suggestions are welcomed here anytime! Thanks again.

 

A-Jay ~ Cool,  give me a bit I'll put something together.  Fair warning, I'm in the mood to type so this might be extensive! 

 

12poundbass ~ LOL the days are short and the nights are long so type away! ????

A-Jay ~ OK so here we go –

CHAPTER I ~ 

 First let's talk about what a smallmouth is & what it is not.  Keep in mind -  This is Smallmouth according to A-Jay - some of it may sound familiar, some will not as I've not shared this stuff - Yet.  I may after this though.   Since you'd like to focus on smb and before you spend Santa's money, let's start with what a smallmouth is - and I don't want to compare lmb vs smb, because it can get confusing IMO.    

Let's just talk about the smb as a different & separate deal; because IME - it certainly is. 

Thinking & approaching them like a different fish has enabled me to get a few decent ones.  

 So what are their characteristics & habits?  And I'm only talking about adult fish - because that's all I want to target.  

      They prefer 'deep' water (relative to the body of water).  They prefer cleaner usually very clean water.  They prefer cooler water.  They will go ANYWHERE in the water column to eat - including super shallow.  The fish I'm targeting are looking for perch, crayfish & smaller panfish and in the bigger lakes it's GOBIES & crayfish with a few perch mixed it.  I know this because the bigger fish I keep in my live well puke & poo this stuff out all the time (except for the gobies - I've not found one yet.)  This is important because it tells me where to look for smb & bait and where to start fishing.  

  SMB are big-time Sight Feeders.  While they can & do feed effectively in varying levels of clear, colored & even tannic waters, there seems to be a preference for lower turbidity when given a choice.  They have a personality that can be described as a mix between a green bass, and perhaps a trout.  The bass part is obvious I think.  They pull & jump and eat all sorts of aquatic things.  The trout part revolves around how nomadic they are and how selective they can be when feeding.  Not always but when they are 'on' a bait, like mayflies, for instance, good luck getting a bite on something else.  So it pays to have a fairly wide selection of presentations & locations in mind as fishing begins because there is & can be a wide array of locals & possible baits that may have to be employed before contact.  

  So fishing for smallies may not be like LMB, where you can go flip wood or docks and sling Senko's all over and expect to get bit.  Works early season, pre-spawn bedding bass are suicidal - and guys who "Slay them' at this time of year, often struggle the rest of the season because those fish were easily found.  And if one does not know how or is not willing to learn how, to locate smallies the rest of the season, (Especially on big water where the really big girls live) – season could be over.   

  So there's that part of it.   Now let's talk a little about baits & tackle.  I use casting gear (with 10-20 lb flouro) to present most moving baits and spinning gear (10-20lb braid mainline) for most everything else including, topwater, tubes, drop shot obviously AND Jerkbaits.  Jerkbaits work best in the wind, and throwing them on spinning gear allows for long cast straight into it (my favorite) without worry.  I do use casting gear for swing heads & rage bug deal - 15-20 lb flouro.  And worm,& tube hooks & jig head hooks need to be stout & sharp but not in the super line class - But 5 plus lb smb have incredibly strong jaws & crushers.   So KVD EWG 1x strong 2x short trebles go on EVERYTHING that has treble hooks.  Otherwise The One fish you're looking for may totally bend your deal and go free.  In cold water (50 and below) smb 'wallow' when hooked. (sort of like a walleye)  In water over say 55 degrees plus they make you work - in 68 and above - THEY ARE MENTAL.  I've had them ram the canoe many times - hold on my friend.   

 THE SINGLE HARDEST ASPECT OF SMALLMOUTH BASS FISHING IS FINDING THEM- especially the big ones.  Seems obvious right.  But it really is that simple.  But when you get behind the wheel of your shiny new rig, on some big body of water you've never been on - no matter what type of fancy electronics you may have - where do you start?   

 

 More to follow - I have to go feed the dogs - Tucker is giving me the Stinkeye !   brb 

 

12poundbass ~ Wow! There's quite a bit to process here. Way more than I was expecting, which I'm very ok with. 

 

Last Christmas actually I received a copy of Spoonpluging. I haven't read the whole thing, and it's actually in storage right now as we're in a rental waiting out the 30 days after closing (which was yesterday) before I can dig it out and start reading again. Back to my point, finding the smb. This is going to be a huge hurdle for me. There's a couple of lakes connected that I'm going to target this year. One is Blue lake, It's very clear, if I had to guess I'd say 10-15' clarity, sand/gravel bottom. The big lake Lincoln lake isn't as clear but has a lot of gravel and sand. I have a map card for my Humminbird and a map card for my Garmin. Hopefully both have 1' contours, if not I guess I'm mapping as soon as ice out. First things first I need to learn where to look. Enough for now, I'll wait for chapter 2.   

Thanks again! 

 

 

A-Jay ~ You're welcome ~

  Chapter II

 

 OK so let me back up a little.  What that first section was hopefully doing, was to help offer a kind of 'smallie mindset' - it's something that has served me well.  But there's still quite a bit more to it.  

   Let's talk more about 'location'. In an effort to try and make this as simple as possible, I’ll offer the following:   IME- there are 2 'types' of places smb will hang around long enough for us to get bit.  And this part is Does Not include bass on beds; that's a separate deal.  BTW - I'd encourage you to not start 'depending' on bedding bass as your 'spring pattern' like so many do - you'll learn Nothing that will be of any use to you later in the season and is essentially IMO, a waste of time - now back to our regularly scheduled program . . Oh yea, locations.  

Smallies spend only a small part of their day actually 'feeding'. (I know not exactly new info - but work with me here) The rest of the time is spent pretty much just “chilling.”  Feeding is done one place & chilling is done someplace else.  I prefer to fish for feeding fish as they are always much more willing to bite.  Chilling fish can usually be 'close' to where they feed - but close can be a relative term.  Sometimes these buggers will go a long way to feed and then go a long way back to chill. Occasionally we catch a bass or two that is 'in transit' and we think we have found a new spot; only to find out after casting an arm off, that was not the case.  Transiting fish are an accident and not worth 'fishing for'.   Chilling spots are hard to find too - why? Well because the darn fish are chilling and not very catchable!  More on that in a bit.   

  So if looking to fish for feeding fish, and fish only feed a small percentage of the day, then being at the right place at the right time seems Very Important.  We call those times "feeding windows" and they can & do vary in length.  Early & late season they can last hours or even all day at times.  Mid-season during warmer weather they may only happen super early or later in the day and only be 'minutes' in length - that makes it a bit tricky but it's do-able.  

  A very important factor to consider when trying to 'predict' where to be & when revolves around what we think (or hope) the bass may be looking to feed on in that area.  Again my deals almost always revolve around perch & crayfish.  Sometimes that happens together but at least half the time, it's one or the other.  So knowing at least some of the habits of both is pretty important & usually helpful.  

  A good way to learn some of this (and it's something that has helped me recently) is using the live well.  When & where the state regs allow - retain your catch for at least a while.  Give them a chance to gag up some chow and show you what they've been dining on.  It may stink to high heaven but it's worth it !  The only other way to know for sure what they've been eating involves a fillet knife and I'll have none of that action.  

 So back to 'chill' locations.  Are they even worth looking for? Can these fish be triggered into biting? - I'll say Yes - sometimes.  SMB are seriously aggressive & competitive feeders but when they decide not to play - they don't.  And if they are suspending over deep water - I don't even bother - I'm O and forever in that arena.   

 One thing that I have capitalized on over & over again, in warm, cool & even cold water - is that SMB Love to Chase stuff.  I mean they will often chase just to chase.  Its one reason I am such a big fan of LONG CASTS - gives them time to chase and then eat.  Short casts, you get the chase to the boat, but then they turn away.  Long casts satisfy the ITCH!  With the clear waters we fish - I can often see them coming a long way off - sometimes whole packs of them - it's pretty intense.  So when looking for fish or when looking for chilling fish, because the bite has died in the feeding areas, offering a presentation that they can 'chase a while' before they eat it can be an effective approach.  We need to select a bait that works with the water temp - meaning slower in cooler or cold & faster in warmer or hot.  We'll cover the actual baits later.   So by presenting a 'chase bait' to a chilling smb - or even better a school of chilling bass - we can sometimes trigger that chase button - and get them to strike - good times.   

    Where exactly are these - feeding & chilling areas located? How do I find them? 

 This is the tough part - it truly is.  Because there so many factors involved with it that we have no control over and even worse - don't really know if our assumptions & speculations are valid; until we catch some bass.   There are a few 'generalizations' that we can use to start us off; and again they revolve around the smb's food.  Perch like to be in & around cover that holds food for them and offers some camouflage from predators.  Crayfish are the same way.  But each & every lake is different in its habitat, so there's going to be variances to that.  Then there's The Big One ~ THE SUN !

  SMALLMOUTH BASS LOVE FEEDING IN THE SUNSHINE - to disregard this statement will lead to many, many, many fishless trips - over and over and over again.  Can they be caught on cloudy and or overcast & rainy days? - yes.  But if you want to improve your chances of getting bit - At Least Some sunshine will always help.

 But what about the wind ?- Yup Wind's a Biggie too.  All things being equal - wind is Almost as important as sunshine - especially in clear water and when the smb are shallow (say less than 8-10ft).  Early & late season when the air is cooler or cold, the warmest part of the day with the bright sun are by far my most productive.  Mid-season (summer) bite windows are often short-lived and completely over in shallower spots one hour after Daylight - notice I didn't say sunrise.   The summer late day bite can be very brief as well - often the very last few minutes of sunshine on a spot - then it's done.  There are often a few smb to be had after these times but as a man who has STAYED well past these times - for years - machine gunning the water to a froth, the number of bites does drop off quite a bit outside these windows.    

That's it for now - In Chapter III (coming tomorrow) we'll cover more on location.  We'll go into what different types of structure to look for & why.  We'll cover boat position - super important. We'll discuss how to present baits & why. If all goes well, we may even talk about specific bait selection . . . . . . This is great therapy for me - thanks

 

 

 

12poundbass ~ Holy smokes A-Jay this is absolutely awesome and way more than I expected (not that I expect anything from you or anyone)! Notes are being taken and I'll save my questions for the end, so I don't disrupt the momentum. 

I've never fished for bedding bass. I've pondered it over the years. Up until the last couple years when I joined this site and really started to get serious and expand my bass fishing knowledge, I was under the impression the only way to catch the real big ones were to target the fat and happy mommas full of eggs. I've learned since joining here that's not the case. 

 

There are a lot of habits I've developed over the years that I really need to break this year if I'm going to get serious and apply all these tools I've learned from you, this site, and Spoonpluging. The one you mentioned is the wind. I usually run for an area that has some protection from the wind. The reason I've done this is because of the TM and because I had a little 14' tin boat that would get blown around like a tin can. The TM I used on that boat was a wireless MG with a key fob. I had a foot control but it was a major POS! So anytime there's wind anything not weedless was a major PIA because I have to quit retrieving to adjust the TM to stay off the shore and stay on course. With my new boat and the foot controled TM this fear of the wind should be easy to break. 

 

Another bad habit is beating the banks. I believe this will be easy to break as well now that I have electronics. I've done a fair amount of research on both models I have over the years so hopefully the learning curve is shorter than most. 

 

The other is the d**n Senko. That is my crutch as I've mentioned many times before. I feel by breaking the other two habits I mentioned this one will easily be broken. The other two kind of helped create this one. Getting confidence in a lure is a hard thing to do, especially when your fishing time is limited to 4-6 hrs a week. I'm hoping and thinking that'll increase this year, especially since we bought that house on a lake, unfortunately there are no smb in my home lake. 

 

Again thank you so much for all of this! I never thought by asking for for a few lure recommendations would lead to this wealth of knowledge from you. I was cool with earning it like most, but I won't stop you, and if it's therapy for you that's great and I'm really glad we're both getting something out of this. 

 

Off to work for a bit. It's the week before Christmas and the ground is pretty frozen now so not a whole lot of work which leaves me time to kill. ????

 

A-Jay ~ It's all good.  

 I realize there's a ton of stuff here and more to come.  As we go along I'm building you up to hopefully bring it all together in the end -   

 I will cover the Wind and it's effects & how to make it all work in boat positioning.

 I'll go over beating the bank and how that's not a bad thing in a bit as well. 

All your hours of fishing a stick bait are going to serve you well - I'll tell you why & how soon.  

Don't work too hard & stay Safe.

 

---

A-Jay reply : 

A-Jay~

   CHAPTER III

Let’s talk about locating smb and that simply must start with ‘structure’.

To ensure we are speaking the same language (and since you mentioned you had a copy) I’ll be using the same terms & definitions as E.L.”Buck” Perry did/does in his Spoonplugging masterpiece. (see “Spoonpluggers Glossary” pages 7-9) May not matter what we call this stuff as long as we’re calling it the same thing and communicating effectively.  Ok, so enough of that.     

  So where do we start?  First I’ll say that with the exception of the hottest part of the summer & the very end of the season (right before hard water), most all my smb fishing is done in 30 feet or less.  I may probe deeper during the two periods I just mentioned.  But by & large I’m fishing in water that is not more than two lengths of my boat or my canoe.  Doesn’t sound so deep when I put it like that. 

  It’s super hard to predict where bass may be on any given lake during any given time.  Especially when one considers all the different depths, types of habitat and even different forage available to bass, all of which will dictate where they’re going to be. 

   I’m going to start with drop-offs.  I am a big fan.  So what makes a good one ?  Well that can & usually does differ quite a bit from lake to lake but here’s some things to think about when considering which drop offs may be good.  Which way does the drop off face ? How is it oriented ? Facing North, South, East or West ?  Is there a ton of boating traffic buzzing over it – if so at what time of day ?  Is it the only one around ? Is it on the Main Lake, or the back of a cove ?  Is there cover on it and if so where & what is it ?  How drastic is the drop ?  Is it gradual or a sheer cliff ?  I sure there’s more but I’m stopping there.    

  I break drop-offs up into three ‘categories’ if you will.  And they are separated by where on the lake the drop off is located.  ‘First’ is the one that’s right at or closest to the bank.  These may only be a foot or two of depth change or they can be fairly deep.  The next or ‘secondary drop’ (my term) is the one that occurs some distance from the bank.  These can also be fairly small or not; and even go all the way to the cove bottom or even the main lake basin.  Most every lake has at least two ‘drop-offs’.  Then there’s the ‘third drop’ (again my term).  These can be close to that secondary drop or be considerable distance from it.  The bigger & deeper the lake usually the more separated these things are from each other – especially in the northern MI water’s I’m on most.

 

I think it’s easy to believe that adult smb want & need to feel secure and easy access to deep water means security.  It’s also often the shortest distance from the ‘chilling areas’ to the ‘feeding areas’.   Early & late season, when water & air temps can fluctuate wildly from day to day and even hour to hour, I’m looking for main lake drop-offs that are closer together.  They don’t have to be right on top of each other but if there’s more than a boat length or two between the first & second and the second & the third drop – I’m looking elsewhere.  Also, early & lake season I’m looking for places that are getting blasted by the sun and getting some wind.  Don’t get me wrong – it’s all kinds of nice early season to pull back into a warmly sheltered cove and soak in the sun – but I just don’t catch my biggest smb that way.  Later on, there’s a bite in there but not early & not late season.  So I can either be warm and comfy and not get bit or dress & be prepare for the open water & weather, and catch mutants – I choose the later.

  As mentioned these smallies are so darn nomadic, they roam man.  And it’s a real advantage if a guy can be on a lake & on the water often to follow them.  There are still times where they will totally vanish ???? But if the weather’s stable for a few days and it’s the right weather, sometimes you can really put a hurting on them if you can stay with them.  And by stay with them, I mean to be there when they eat.  Timing is Big.  Guys who fish at the same times every trip & on every lake will certainly catch bass.  But IME fish do not eat at the same time in the same spot every day on every lake.  There quite a bit more to it and if you’re looking for that Special fish – the one no one else is catching? Well Sir you’re going to have to do something no one else is doing.  Only makes sense – and I have some pictures & video to support this.     

  As the season progresses and the water temps rise, the bait moves closer to the bank, smallies will be there.  So the third drop comes out of play and it’s all about the first drop early & late in the day & that secondary drop the rest of the time.  They may be chilling on that secondary drop – but at least we can reach them.  And while not every fish on the lake is doing the same thing at the same time – it’s often pretty close. 

 

A common practice when presenting baits to chilling smb is to go low & slow – tubes dragged on the bottom, drop shots, are both very common & often super effective approaches.  And if they’ll eat it, I’m throwing them too.  But when they are not and you kind of know there are down there, that’s when I like to try & trigger that ‘chase’ button.   Snapping a heavy tube works, Blade baits & lipless baits are killer in cold water, deep diving jerkbaits are a staple in my early & late season rotation.

 Fishing these on that ‘flats’ between a drop off can be money, other times dragging, hopping & yes even snapping them up down or across the drop is the deal.  And in warmer water seasons, if smb are set up off or near a secondary drop and the water’s super clear – like you need to be able to see the surface from where the fish are at – a Topwater walker or Popper can be So Good.  Especially during flat water conditions – the popper deal often needs to be PAINFULLY SLOW with over a minute sometimes between pops.  But the fatties will sometimes come all the way up there and slurp that thing right off the top!  It’s killer and almost never done – guys talk about it but I never see anyone doing it.  Took my biggest smb doing this past August doing this.

 

 

  Let’s talk about Flats; that bottom area between the first & second drop and the second & third drop.  These places can offer a ton of action, but just like the drops themselves, there are good ones & not so good ones.  And feeding smb will cruise along the flat right at the base of one of those drop looking for chow – often hunting in little wolf packs.  So if you think that’s the deal, or you see them (or bait balls) visually or with your electronics, you can cover water and pick them off.  Some of these structures can be pretty massive (especially on big water) and when the conditions are right – it can make for a very productive trip.

   I have to stop here and talk about boat position – it is SUPER critical to learn why & how to use it to your advantage.  Every cast I make, every bait I throw, they’re level of effectiveness is predicated on where & how my rig is positioned on the structure I am fishing.  There’s no way around it – that’s just how it is.  These are the things I take into account when determining how & where to position my boat to fish anything.   The depth of water I’m planning to fish and the depth of water I need to be positioned in, water clarity, wind speed & direction, the position of the sun (where it is the sky as it relates to the structure and how high or low in the sky it is), The type of lure(s) I’m planning on using, as well as any boating traffic in the area including other anglers.  OK so let’s break all that down – one at a time. 

  First, if I have the choice, I prefer to fish from shallow to deep – every spot - all year round – just how I like to do it – because it works.  Also because going deep to shallow, although easier I guess, often positions the boat on or directly over the bass and I may end up casting into dead water. Instead, I’ve had much more success sneaking over to the shallow side so as not to burn the spot and casting off to the front/sides of the point.   I commonly will use one of three ways or methods to hold/ position my boat – first is the common anchor & rope – total PIA but once you know how to do it – it works.  Did it for years – still do in the canoe and will continue to do so.  Then there’s ‘holding’ on a spot with the trolling motor – I do not like to do that but will when I have to.  The new Ultrex with the spot-lock is sweeping the bass fishing world – I’m not ready to cash in the Fortrex just yet.  So my left foot will continue to get a workout until I am.   Then there are the shallow water anchors – for me, it’s the Talons – might be the best investment I ever made after the Lund itself – Love the Talons.  Super effective.

    So along with boat position is lure presentation.  I cannot effectively fish ANY BAIT with a strong crosswind – cannot do it – tried as I may – just hate it.  So I’m either casting straight downwind or into the wind – either way, I can feel my bait, there’s no big sag or bend in my line and most importantly, I catch fish. 

 So when deciding where & how to position my rig, I’m generally either getting the wind right off the bow or right off the stern.  Now that’s all well & good but if the structure I want to fish doesn’t offer an area that is 10 or 11 feet deep for me to Talon down into – I’m pretty much stuck doing the one-legged trolling motor dance the whole time – it’s a skill and until you can do it well – you might struggle but it’s something you’ll need to be able to do – unless you’ve got the $3K plus to drop on and Ultrex – but I’m not bitter.

  When considering my position, I do not want to throw my rigs/ boats shadow down onto the fish if I can help it.  I want to be a FAR away as I can, provided I can still present my baits effectively (meaning reach the fish with the cast).  That said, I rarely like my baits landing & crashing right on the prime area or the spot on the spot.  Rather I prefer them to land some distance beyond that which will enable me to ‘work’ the bait to the fish, hopefully.   Steady wind makes wind current; which can be a factor depending on speed, direction, duration, and water depth.  There are times when the bass will only bite when a bait is come down current, meaning cast into the wind.  I’ve had times whereby simply re-positioning the boat so as to present baits for the opposite direction, I turned a “There’s no fish here spot” into a repeated camera & scale use day.  I like those.  

   I do something I call “Poach Prevention”.  Many lakes I fish have a fairly decent recreational boat population – pontoons, ski boats, and the dreaded jet ski.  And it’s all good, they have every right.  Most times I’m on & off the water well before they roll out of the rack but on the days when the bite may be extended, boat position can be key. This also works to an extent regarding other anglers, although you might not make many new friends doing it.   Clearly it’s Always Safety first, so I would never place my rig in any spot or position that would place me or anyone else in harm’s way, and I’m always in complete compliance with all local, state & federal rules & regulations – However, using my rig as a buffer between me & the spot / fish I’m on, can be pretty important.  And nowhere is this quite as obvious as when the pontoon parade gets on the lake in the summer right before sunset.  They all travel about the same distance from shore and go around and around and around the lake well into the night.   Unfortunately several of my best spots are right on their route.  And unless steps are taken, they will cruise ride up alongside my rig and want to have a nice talk and offer drinks and all kinds of generous propositions. I usually not interested.  And I love it when they go between me and the bank – especially when there’s like only 1 cast distance in there – OK I don’t love that.  So Poach Prevention is really a thing.

12poundbass ~ OMG A-Jay this is pure gold! I'm reading these multiple times each (I usually need to do that to retain the knowledge) and I'm obviously saving these as well. 

   Something I forgot to mention on chapter two is the great tip you gave to hold a couple smb (legal size) hostage for a bit to see what they're munching on. The two lakes that I know have brown bass, have perch and bluegill as the primary forage. I imagine there are crawdads as well, no gobies down here. 

  A couple things that really hit home with me on the first reading of chapter 3 is the location of the drop off in relation to the sun. Maybe I missed it but I'm guessing you want the sun directly hitting the drop off? The west and north in the morning ECT? 

  The other tip that really made a light bulb go off is you mainly or almost exclusively (I'm putting words in your mouth) target drop offs where the primary and secondary drops are no more than a boat length or two apart. I haven't spent a whole lot of time yet studying maps but I'm guessing that could potentially eliminate a decent chunk of water. 

   This is therapeutic for you, it's a little torturous for me. I want on that water so I can start applying these. I've got plenty going on so this winter will fly right by. I think once we get settled in I'll be sitting in my chair with the Garmin in my lap hopefully eliminating water (IF the map card has these lake with 1' contours). 

  I sound like a broken record, but I can't say it enough, thank you so much for taking time out of your life to share with me the information you've worked so hard to figure out and learn! 

 

 

A-Jay ~ You're Welcome - I am really glad that you're finding this helpful.  Clearly this is info that is mostly (but not totally) applicable to the smb lakes of this state and any that are similar other places.  I learned a good majority of it here so that's what this deal is about. 

 

I omitted a few important things in my 'structure' submission (not purposely) that I will need to add.  It's mostly on Points, Humps & saddle areas - all prime stuff.  Also some more on bottom composition.  I'll do that along with a bit more later today - 

Hang in there. 

 

Here's some answers to your thoughts - please keep asking whatever you'd like as we go on.

If it's something I've covered I'll clarify, if it's 'coming soon' I'll let you know.  

 

Yes sun on the drop off if possible when the waters a 'warming' and just the opposite once they get 'hot'.    I recognized the greatness of drops in the shadows while hunting walleye.  Been able to get a few during the day by fishing in 'the dark water'.  This deal is all about angles - the height of the sun vs the terrain (hills, high tree line etc) and the steepness or angle of the drop off.  Think of looking from a dark room out into a lighted on - that's what the fish are doing. 

 

Have a good one . . .

 

12poundbass~   I just finished reading chapter 3 again on my lunch and had a question. You mentioned them cruising the flats. You also said they're nomadic. How far do smb travel away from their point while cruising the flats? It's been a couple months since I picked up Spoonpluging so my memory is a little foggy, but I believe I read that they'll travel up and down the same points throughout the day. Will they stay with that same point for days, weeks, months, or even years? Or beings that they're nomadic will they travel to different points throughout the year as they see fit, or as their seasonal pattern changes? 

 

That's a couple questions I had from this chapter. I'm looking forward to bottom composition, I feel I have a few questions regarding that, and you'll probably answer them. Either way I'm sincerely enjoying this! 

 

 

A-Jay ~ Short answer YES !  I'll cover this more in the next installment.

 

As for 'distance traveled' I will cover this too but for now - In my mind - it doesn't matter how far they go or even where really because I do not chase them.  I ALWAYS want to be fishing where they are "COMING TOO" not where they are going to.  Especially if I think when they get there they will be chilling in a neutral state and not very interested in feeding.  

So if I am fishing where the food is either at or also coming to - my odds Go Way UP ! 

 

 

12poundbass ~ Ok gotcha. I believe you just refreshed my memory from reading Buck's book. So if they're coming up or right next to a point chances are they're active or could be triggered to be active or if they're at the bottom or cruising the flats they're usually "chilling"? 

 

A-Jay ~  By & large You are correct Sir 

Now if we could just get the bass to follows. 

We'd be all kinds of Golden.

 

 A-Jay ~

Chapter IV

 

More on Structure, Some Cover & Boat position

 

Points – Mr. Perry defines a point as “an extrusion in the shoreline that extends into and under the water” – and I’m good with that. 

 Either way, ‘points’ can be total smb magnets - all year round.  Like all structure, there’s some that are better than others.  IME, the same factors that make a point attractive to bass are often very similar to what makes most any good smb holding structure.  If deep water access is close enough – smb can be close to or on a point all day.  If not, they may only use it briefly throughout the day to come & feed. 

  So when fishing a point, where the fish may be located on it can be dictated by a few things; the season, the wind, the sun, the type of prey they are looking for, of course, the type of bottom composition, what type of cover may be on it (if any) and lastly the depth of water on & around it. 

  I almost always prefer to approach any point from its shallowest or nearest to the bank end.  I’ll fish the ‘inside turn’ before I get to it as not to ‘burn’ (spook off) any smb that might be up there. ( the inside turn at the base of any point can be a good spot and even a pattern at times) If the light is low enough and there’s sufficient water on top of the shallowest areas of the point, I’ll fish that first.  If that’s the deal I’ll stay off it and keep catching.  If not, I’ll move up onto the point and position my rig to fish the sides & eventually, off the front.  On some Big points, the ‘Top’ can be pretty massive and by covering it all, there could be may fish to be had.  So there’s no need to hurry through it all looking to fish deeper if that’s where they are. 

    OK so now it’s time to approach & fish the ‘sides’ of the point.  Let’s take a second and discuss a few things.   As mentioned, much of the water we’re fishing is clear; add some sun and a boat shadow – there’s plenty going on here that can alert the smb to my presence well before I make a single cast.  And that’s The Last thing I want to do, is ‘burn’ the spot – especially after I went through all the time & effort to ‘sneak in’ from the bank.  So, if I don’t need it, I turn off all my electronics.  May not help, but if they’re off, they definitely can’t hurt.  I’ll go easy on the Fortrex – and even using the wind a bit if it can help get me where I want to go.   I’ll often make the choice of where to come up on the point based on the wind.  But that can work two ways; it can help move me up and along but it can also blow me onto fish I don’t want to burn, so choose wisely Grasshopper.  This is where the Talons really earn their keep.  I think you can see why.     

     Points that have cover (weeds, wood, just about anything that offers smb or even better, a whole school of bass, a place to relate to), is what we’re discussing here.  Often the bigger or more cover is better, especially if it can & does hold bait.  But sometimes one rock or one dead tree or one 10 ft square weed or grass patch, can hold several very respectable brown bass – you just never know.  They all but disappear on it.

 Here a few more things to think about when fishing a point and even a drop off for that matter.  The first one is something I call “The Angle of the Dangle” ( I know – sounds silly)  And it has to do with the type of bait I’m presenting, the depth & angle of the structure I’m fishing, My boat position, and finally, rod angle & line.  Wow, that’s a lot of stuff.  OK so here it is;

 

  Imagine you are casting your ¾ oz football jig & craw off the end of the point from your rig that is positioned back on top in the shallow area.  You expect the bass to be positioned right at the bottom of the drop in front of you in 20 feet.   You plan on casting past them and then working the bait back to them and eventually up the ‘slope’ of the point or drop off. 

  Here’s where ‘the Angle of the Dangle’ comes into play.  If you’re too far back from the ‘strike zone’ – as you work your bait along and to the bottom of the drop, at some point your line is going to come into contact with the bottom at the top of the drop in front of you.  Might not help detect strikes, might fray the heck out of your line on a big hookset if its rock or zebra mussels, might jack up the way your bait is presented if there’s a thick weedline on top as well.  So none of that is very good at all. 

And if you’re positioned too close to the bottom of the drop and you’re not watching your rod angle, you could end up having your bait start to ‘come up’ well before it even reached the fish.  This can be especially prevalent with moving baits.  That’s not the best case scenario either.   So what’s a Basshead to do ?  You fix the angle of the dangle that’s what – reposition the boat so that whatever bait you’re presenting is running where & how you want & need it to.  This gives you the best opportunity to first elicit a strike, then hopefully be able to detect it and then hook & land that trophy.   SO yea – the “Angle of the Dangle” - it’s actually a thing after all.

 

Sunshine, Wind speed & direction, as well as any current (windblown or otherwise) on a point can dictate where & when smb may be located on it.

The windward side has been productive for me but the leeward side has too; often enough that I’ll always check it all. It’s usually one or the other but rarely both at the same time – unless it’s pretty calm.  Once the bass shows themselves one way or the other, I can focus on that side.  But if the bite suddenly slows or stops, all bets are off and I’m fishing it all until I reestablish contact.  The front or off the end of the point can sometimes be the “Juice” – sometimes it’s the only areas used – especially if it’s the closest to deep water.   Early & late in the day, when the sun is lower in the sky, there’s a definitive shade or shadow line somewhere on most points & drop offs.  Think about looking from a dark room into a lighted room.  Fish it.  It’s worth the effort.

 

How about Humps & Saddle areas – well there may be no definitive definitions for these but it’s not really that complicated.  A hump in my world is a shallower area mid-lake (away from the shore) – a spot that rises up as compared to the surrounding bottom.  And a Saddle is often defined as a low spot or area between two humps or between two islands; either way, a Saddle is an area that’s got defined boundaries formed by shallower depths surrounding it.

 All that said, both are great places to find & catch feeding brown bass. 

I’ll approach both in a similar manner; meaning taking all of the previously mentioned factors into account, make a plan A & B & sometimes even C & D, depending on how it goes, and then execute it.  Again, Humps & Saddle areas that have cover on or around them, can be better than those without.

  But there are times when Brown bass do not ‘need’ that much cover to hold them, so just because something may look sort of barren, may not be a reason to totally disregard it.  If there’s a decent depth change, bait around, and it has desirable bottom composition or change, I’m poking around a bit until it proves to be ‘dead water’.  

 

Bottom Composition ~  There are so many lakes up in this part of the country and almost all of them have some population of brown bass.  The variety of different habitats that the smallies thrive in is amazing and a testament to their adaptability.

 From the big, clear, cold deep water inland lakes, to the many smaller shallower colored water lakes, each comes with a mixed bag of bottom types & composition.  

 While I do believe it plays a role in helping both locate and catching brown bass, as well as helping to eliminate water (which is a biggie), I have caught smallies on, near and around almost every type of bottom there is here; including but not limited to sand, gravel, weedy, muck & mud, rocks & boulders.   So I rarely use bottom composition alone as a determining factor as to whether or not a spot or area can be productive.

  Now if & when I believe the smb may be keying in on a certain bait, it helps to know the habitat that the bait prefers on that lake, and that does include the type of bottom.  Gobies for instance (Scooby Snacks for Brown Bass) eat aquatic insects, zebra mussels & snails among other things and will often be found on hard and rock bottom areas.  Perch & crayfish exist over & on a cross-section of bottom compositions in the waters I fish.  Most times it’s a combination of cleaner sand (perhaps with a little eelgrass) to softer weed-filled deal.  Smallies will come a long way, go surprisingly shallow to feed on both when the mood strikes them. 

   Bottom composition changes can be a magnet at times.  Smb can be found using the line of change as a place to sit, ambush prey and even travel along.  It’s another “edge”.   The Soft to the hard bottom line, Sand to gravel, Rocks to gravel, Gravel to bigger stones or boulders, all can be potential smb holding areas or spots.  I always look at bottom composition and changes, as another piece of the puzzle.  In combination with the structure, depth, and cover, it’s something that matters and can pay dividends if & when it’s the key. 

 One specific instance when Bottom composition or change becomes readily apparent & really gets my attention is during those wonderful times when I find “the Spot on the Spot”.  Some examples are; a small hard bottom hump in the middle of a soft bottom weed patch, a 10 ft patch of gravel at the base of a sandy point, a pile of bowling ball sized stones at the top of a gravel drop off.  These descriptions are some of my favorite ‘waypoints’ and real places I visit often. There are plenty more examples, but I believe you get the point.  

   Now let’s talk about Wood.  Trees, timber, branches, logs, call it what you want, I referring to sunken dead trees on the bottom of the lake.  I will look for and hunt this cover down tirelessly; especially in lakes that do not have much cover to begin with. At some point, Smallies here will be on this stuff regardless of the bottom composition.  The bigger the better – the better.   Like most any cover adult smb will use, deep water access needs to be readily available, it cannot be getting hammered by anglers all day and the harder it is to find – the better.   Wood that’s super visible and or connected to the bank can be good.  But out of the way, deeper than the visibility allows without electronics type stuff, is almost always better.  And in the early season, and I mean super early season - very soon after ice out, once the sun has had even a day or two to warm some of this wood up – half the smallies in the lake will be gravitating to it - like stink on a monkey.  I’ve had some killer days & weeks in the early spring, fishing ‘The Wood Pattern’.   Depending on its depth, it can be better at different times of the year in accordance to where the fish & their preferred food are at.  Basically, the shallower wood is good early & later in the season and the deeper stuff often comes into its own mid-season and then again very late season.  What ‘shallow & deep’ is, depends on the body of water.  

 So I haven’t gone in depth regarding baits or tackle yet. 

Although it is no doubt important, (and way more fun than humps & mud bottoms) IME baits & tackle is almost a Minor Detail when compared to Where, When & How to locate smb.

 

12poundbass ~ Yup after reading all of this, the bait and tackle seem pretty small and irrelevant (obviously it is important, but not as much as what you've shared). The wheels are spinning, my brain is in overdrive, and the pieces are starting to fall into place. 

    I have one question, I imagine I'll have more once I read it again. How does a bottom composition change show up on your electronics? Harder returns (hard bottom) shows up brighter than a softer bottom correct? 

   These little details you are sharing are things I would completely overlook. One that sticks out is "the angle of the dangle". It may be a small detail but can have huge consequences if it's overlooked. 

   Hell up until you ended this chapter I had forgotten I even asked you about smb lures and tackle LOL! Not to sound greedy here but there's a lot more room for this sponge to soak up info, so if you've got the time, more info., and are willing we can put the lures and tackle off indefinitely. ????

  

A-Jay ~

Sweet ~   Bottom comp does show up on electronics - how exactly varies by brand. Changes do as well.   On the h-birds - soft, medium & hard bottoms are indicated by color & the 'thickness of the band'- Thin & red means harder - Fat & yellow is soft or mud.  And of course I can change the 'color palate' to one of 12 different versions - You'll need to be reading your manual of whatever unit(s) you have (sorry I forget) - also if it has a 'Demo mode',  play with it over the winter and learn to read what you're looking at.  Never really seems as straight forward out on the lake as it does in Demo but it's still a HUGE HELP once you learn it - I would go into like 8 ft or so - places I could still see the bottom clearly and then compare what my eyes were seeing to what the H-Birds were doing - that helped a ton; Especially with SI and the 360.  Gave me the confidence to 'believe' what I was seeing on the screen was what I 'thought' it was.  

  Like I mentioned (or tried to) bottom comp is one of the last pieces of the puzzle that I worked on - still am in many regards.  Caught a ton of good ones pretty much disregarding it mostly, but as I started to broaden my Brown Bass learning horizons, I began to look at what 'the books' said compared to what I was doing & being successful at.  That's when I realized it does play a part and it's something that can help 'fine tune' a location or a spot on the spot.  

  So books & reading and all that, is all well & good, but you'll still learn a Boat Load more by yourself out on the water than you will ever get from me here - even your 'skunk' or fishless days are learning opportunities - all be it tough ones.  Still, plenty to get out of it if you can look back at what you did and where you did it, and compare that to the conditions - you'll take something useful from it. May help you have a few less skunky days - but you'll still have them - we all do.  Just don't have to like it. 

 

12poundbass ~Reading your writings and Mr. Perry's writings make it seem so easy to go out and catch them and a ton of them day in and day out. Obviously, that isn't the case.

 

The reason I labeled this PM, Brown Bass Tools was that I've learned the lures are just one of many tools needed to be a successful angler. Everything I learn from you, the books, this site, TV shows, my electronics, to my own trial and error are all tools one needs to really catch numbers and often times big numbers frequently. Over the years I only had a few tools I gained from reading Bassmaster, I had no electronics so I was basically limited to what the water clarity would let me see. I was basically left to beating the bank, which my wife and I and now my son have had a blast and have made many great memories over the years. This year I've upgraded 'toolboxes' and it has way more tools, but there's still plenty of room for more! 

 

You gave me a good tip about using your electronics in demo mode to get acclimated to what I'm seeing. The Garmin unit I'm able to hook up and use it the house and I have. The Humminbirds I'll have to look into getting a power chord I can use in the house. I actually had it on a split screen, 2d and DI so I could see what things look like on both. Doing that on the water where you can see the bottom and compare is a great tip! 

12poundbass ~ That TW order was placed last Friday, so I'm still holding out for the big smallmouth order. 

 

A-Jay ~ Sorry I dragged my feet on this - So to that end I'll offer this info.

 

CHAPTER V   Smallmouth baits for Michigan

 

 I'm keeping this as basic as possible – perhaps pick up a few here & there when you can.

 

 KVD 300 Jerkbait and the 300 deep diver top two colors for me are Yellow perch & Clear Ayu.  Do not need anything else if they are gonna eat a jerk bait - they eat one of these.

  KVD Treble size 4

 

Green Pumpkin SK Rage bug with a 4/0 Gamakatsu Regular EWG (not superline) on a tungsten swing head - You know the deal. 

 

SK Rage Bugs and Strike King Rage Twin Tail Menace Grubs will work on 1/4 - 3/8 ball head, football head - as a jig trailer - on the back of a vibrating jig, Texas rigged in cover - and just about anywhere else you can think of. 

 

SK RES 1/2  or the new 2 Tap RES also 1/2 oz in Brown Craw, Natural Bream, Orange Bream - optional - is yellow perch. (I'll be talking about ALL these baits in the next chapter)

they don't make the 2 tap in yellow perch though   KVD Treble size 2 in front 4 in back

 

SK KVD 1.5 Squarebill in same colors as above - The Black Back/Chart is good too.

TW sells the silent version only - Bass Pro shops is the ONLY place to getting the Rattle Models - Which I throw quite a bit too - https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/strike-king-kvd-rattling-square-bill-crankbaits  Colors are listed a little different  - Natural Bream & Natural Pumpkinseed are good.   KVD treble size same as RES

 

Spro Mike McClelland RkCrawler 55 Crankbait (not mentioned much - but my #1 mid-depth crank) FANTASTIC ! Phantom Brown & Red Crawfish - Both Wicked Good. 

 

SK Burner spinnerbait - 1/2 oz  Chart/White DBL Wil Slv/Gld  and Sexy Blue Back Herring DBL Wil Slv/Slv

  The trailer is Strike King KVD Perfect Plastic Blade Minnow in Pearl & KVD Magic

 

SK Sexy Dawg walking bait - Sexy Ghost Minnow KVD Treble all 2's

 

Megabass Pop Max in GP Perch - can keep stock hook but watch them closely.

 

Z-Man/Evergreen Chatterbait Jack Hammer 3/8 & 1/2 oz - in color Bhite Delight and or Green Pumkpin with a Yamamoto Zako trailer in Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin White Laminate or Green Pumpkin Lemon Laminate.  

 

 Duo Realis G-Fix Vibration Tungsten Lipless Crankbait - get the "68" size - it's 3/4 oz - sounds big but it's not.  go with Ghost Gill OR if you can find it -  a color called HYPNOTIC - really good.  - Tule Perch ND is good too. 

 

Drop Shot baits - Strike King Drop Shot Half Shell OPT, Strike King Dream Shot, Strike King KVD Perfect Plastics Caffeine Shad Jr. (really good) 

 

Again I use KVD Elite Trebles a ton.  Mostly sizes 1, 2, 4, & some 6's on smaller baits. 

 

 I use a ton of SK stuff, the hard baits are decent & durable, the soft baits are as well they are all usually readily available and the $$$ is pretty fair.  And they catch fish !

 

So with this list, you'd pretty much have your bases covered - most of the season too.  

Now that I look at this list - I could feel very good taking everything else out of my rig and just using this.  Well, except for some jigs I guess . . . 

 

Hope it's not too much and it's what you were looking for. 

 

12poundbass ~ The spinnerbait do you use a trailer hook? I've never used a spinnerbait more than a handful of times. Looks like a good list you've given me. I'll probably be making my order tomorrow or Monday so perfect timing. 

 

I'm glad to hear the lesson isn't over and there's at least one more chapter coming. I know you've said it's therapy for you, and I've really enjoyed it as well! I can't say it enough Andy thank you for taking time out of your busy life and doing this for me

 

 

A-Jay ~ I rarely use a trailer hook – many anglers swear by them.  If I’m using a trailer – no trailer hook.  If there’s no trailer – and the cover is light enough, I may a trailer hook.  I use a trailer probably 90% of the time.

 

12poundbass ~ Since you liked my post in 'the latest sale thread' you can see I'm putting your help, tips, and suggestions into motion by picking up a couple spinning reels. Since I only have 1 and have only had it one season I figured I better pick a couple up. Now I need to hunt for a spinning rod or 2. As far as action what do you recommend? My thinking is one specifically for drop shoting, another for jerkbaits and poppers, and one for finesse maybe. What are your thoughts?

 

A-Jay ~  Here's what I'll do -  I'll list the rods, reels & line I use for "the List of baits" I sent you.

Not because that's all that will work obviously, but to give you an idea of what to look for.  

Give me a few minutes - I've got time and will do in now.

 But before I go I have to add this -   And you already know this but I'm going to say it anyway.

 As for what type, brand, and price point of tackle one has & fishes: while I believe quality gear is important and enjoy using decent gear - there are a ton of companies these days that make very effective & fishable gear that does NOT cost a ton.  Most all of the Mid-line price point stuff is really good.  Some brands are better than others but few are really bad.  Reels that come in a 'clam' pack - I guess I might avoid those . . . .

  Either way, they are tools and bassheads who have 'skills' will catch and guys who don't (and depend on spending a ton of $$$ to make up for it) - not so much. 

 

Balance, sensitivity, tip-heavy, super light, great tip, tons of back bone, all this stuff sells gear but in the end, if a setup is suitable for the job, feel good in my hand, is of reasonable quality & durability that I can fish it effectively and expect it to last a while - I'm all about it.

Gear may not need to be a family heirloom past down to the next 5 generations to be effective.

  

Back in a bit with the goods . . . . 

 

12poundbass ~ As far as gear goes I'm not a high end guy. My reels are the Abu Max reels and have suited me well. I have the Revo SX that I reviewed this summer and that's my most expensive reel. I have a KVD Tour composite cranking stick that my most expensive, a couple W&M Skeet Reese rods that are pushing the $100 price point and the rest are your average $30-60 Abu Rods. I've made it this long with them, so I really know no difference, which is good especially with Liam being 8 and getting more into fishing, and really into football the fishing budget will stay low for probably another 10 years LOL. 

 

Basically what I'm interested in is the action and somewhat the length. Example for drop shotting would a 7' rod be adequate? Medium action or ML, or something completely different. 

 

I remember watching I believe The Bass Pros and Rick Clunn was talking about keeping rod selection simple. I don't remember verbatim but I thought he said all he uses and all one needs is 6'6" and 7' M MH rods. I'm more about keeping things simple. 

---

A-Jay reply : 

A-Jay ~

CHAPTER VI – MORE ON TACKLE – RODS, REELS & LINE.   

 When I use Mono leader it's big game, Braid main lines are Suffix 832 green and fluorocarbon line & leader is Seaguar InvisX or Tatsu - And I use this as well as AsbrazX for leader around line shedding cover like zebra mussels. I buy reel fillers spools for leaders and bulk spools for mainlines in Everything (braid & Flouro) 

 

 I like spinning & casting for jerkbaits ~   both sticks are medium / fast and on the 'shorter end.  6' 9"-10" is the magic spot for me on both - for line 10-15lb braid on spinning gear (suffix 832) and a 10-12lb big game (green) mono leader about 10-12 ft.

All 10-12 flouro on casting gear.  

 

Swingheads, casting & football jigs, most Texas-rigged plastics, swimjigs and 4"-5" swimbaits.   - 1/2 - 3/4 oz - I like 7' 2"-3"  MH casting gear - both fast & X fast work OK but I like Fast better.  15-20 lb fluorocarbon 

 

Squarebills, Mid-depth cranks, vibrating jigs, spinnerbaits - all on 12-17 lb flouro with a 7'4" MH KVD composite Cranking stick.

 

Lipless (RES) Same line as above on a 7' KVD MH Cranking stick - I like the shorter rod to rip the RES out of the grass - 

 

Top water - very close to the Jerkbait stuff above - except I will ALWAYS USE BRAID MAIN LINE and a mono leader. regardless of spinning or casting.  I'm ALWAYS looking for casting distance and the braid ensures good hookups.  Popper & walkers are both easier to work with braid too.  For throwing some of the heavier walkers 3/4 oz - I will use a 7' M Fast spinning rod (but it's pretty stout (an older Quantum Tour rods that may be close to some brands MH blanks - 

 

DROP SHOT rods - I have 3 different ones (length & actions) that I use in specific situations. 

I use only braid & flouro leaders for all drop shots presentations. (all my spinning gear is braid now that I think about it - tried flouro mainline last season - disaster for me -  major line twist.)

-First one is for my 'light' stuff - 8lb braid / 4-8 lb leader and light weights - 7 ft ML fast stick.

-Second is for mid-range - perhaps longer casts - 10 lb braid 6-10lb leader and D/S weights to 3/8's  Deeper or windier stuff - 7"1" M Fast stick 

-Third is for deeper and a little bit bigger D/S baits & weights - think 5" caffeine shad and 1/2 - 3/4 oz D/S weights -  Deep & or Stiff winds - 7-4" M Fast stick -  

 

*** My 2 favorite D/S rods are Fenwick EliteTech Smallmouth rods - the Green (Older) ones - with the fat cork grips.  

 I am slowing moving away from the 'tiny' D/S hooks too - starting using some models that were a little bigger & seemed to keep the bigger smallies pinned better - but they need to be used on a rod that will drive them and most ML wands are a little too whippy - more to follow once I get a handle on that.  Also, my nose-hooking days are just about over too.  I am really liking using a straight shank hook and rigging it along & out the top (back) of all shad and even craws.  

 

So there ya go - get back to me with what I've omitted and or all questions. 

 

12poundbass ~ Absolutely perfect! This answered everything, thank you!

 

A couple of questions I have are about weeds. Typically at what depth do weeds quit growing (I know it's kinda hard to say for sure because of water clarity)? And how much do weeds factor in to a good area and a not so good area?

 

A-Jay ~ Good & Good Question ~ 

 CHAPTER VII  WEEDS

 

 Here are my thoughts on weeds - they are a necessary evil because they hold bait & crayfish and BECAUSE they also hold the food for bait - and crayfish - and I think crayfish actually eat some weeds too.  Might be dreaming that though . . .

 Either way unlike green bass, that will often be right IN the weeds - most of my brown bass hunting takes place around, near, over, under and in-between 'the weeds.'  So Although I have pitched into 'weeds' to catch smallies - most of the time I'm probing around them.  Sometimes I need to be closer than others and often that's depended on light levels - activity levels of the fish, what the weather's been doing lately (barometer crashing) & finally water temp & direction - rising, falling or steady (it's always doing one of them).  

 As for depth, you're right depending on any number of things - basically the clearer the water - the deeper you'll find them.  

 I like to fish the 'edges of weeds'.  

 The very bottom of a deep weed line - especially a sandy bottom, can be killer if the winds right.  Often I'll need to get very close or even go into the weed (coontail for instance). 

 Boat position is key as I need to drop whatever into the first few feet of weed, get it to the bottom and work it out onto the sand - usually 8 - 20 ft deep we're talking here.  Bass will take it when it comes out into the open. 

 Another sneaky deal is to switch that around 180 degrees.  Sit back over the weeds. Cast into open water - work the bait back along the bottom and pull it right into the bottom of the weed line - bass with stalk it and eat it often right before or right after it goes into the weeds  ~ I guess 'before it gets away'.

 And finally something worked parallel to that same weedline - doesn't always have to be deep but sometimes it's best - but unless the 'line' is long & straight or you can see it clearly - it's hard to work anything with trebles along there without getting a bunch of salad every cast.  But if you can or if they are willing to pop out of the weeds and strike as bait goes by -   Swim jig w/ craw or paddle tail, vibrating jig, a standard jig & craw, Just about any Texas-rigged plastic, a plain old grub on a jig head - when there's too much weed action.   And any mid-depth crank if the opportunity presents itself.   (dig it into the bottom the whole way - it's like magic - even on super calm days) (That one’s top secret  think spro rock crawler) - I think you get the point.    

 

 So you're going to show up to your lake and see 'weeds' of various type at various depths and ask yourself - now what ? 

Well, there's no hard & fast answer - you have to fish it to find out.  But some of the info I passed here already in regards to structure & cover STILL ALL APPLIES just have to figure out what depth the bait & the fish are using that day 

 But here's the Great part of all of this - SMALLMOUTH are HOMERS.  When you find a place/area that has fish in April & May & then In June & Then in July & August, Then September and then October & November - unless there is catastrophic change of some kind (and sometimes there is) those (class) of brown bass can be there like clockwork EVERY YEAR at the same time.  Just waiting for you

 And when they are not - it's usually because something changed - like this past season with the Super Crazy Late Ice Out.  Jacked everything up.  But I will often stick to my guns and fish THE BEST PLACES REPEATEDLY - often starting much earlier than I "think" - just so when they do show up - I don't miss them.  I do that a ton early season and again in the late summer & early fall.  That's how I get on almost all of the Biggest smallies I catch - often means many long fishless hours days & even a couple of weeks in some places - but the reward is worth it for me - many 5's - 6's & even that 7lb smallie - I 'hunt' them down my friend - and you can too - it might not be something 'the family's' gonna enjoy a ton.   Guess you may have to pick your spots.

 

What else you got ??? Bring it, I'm on a roll !!! 

 

12POUNDBASS ~ Great info there. I'm glad I asked about the weeds, you gave some good tips, and some good ideas, also the tip 'SMB are homers' that one right there could be absolutely priceless! Oh and the Spro Rock Crawler is on this list for sure. 

 

Ok you said bring it on, so who am I to not oblige? You mentioned barometric pressure, and weather, lets go down this road. I haven't reached that section of Spoonpluging yet. IME after a nasty cold front rolls in the fish are very shy. What's your experience and how do you approach chasing after the brown ones after a front has moved in?

 

A-Jay ~

  CHAPTER XIII     WEATHER ~

Sponplugging has quite a bit of good info - especially considering when it was written.

Pursuit of giant bass by Bill Murphy -  - even though it is centered around giant green bass helped with the mindset of 'hunting' down trophies - brought some of that with me from my days chasing stripers up & down the east coast as well.  (much of what I do now 'feels' like that). 

 Something to think about.

 OK, so weather changes then – Since retiring, I can fish mostly when I want to - I usually do not go when 'the conditions' are super bad.  But when you go when you can go is the deal, there are some 'generalities' that I keep in mind. 

  First, some supplemental info - 11 years ago (2007) when I retired, moved from the coast to the north woods, I was in a similar position you are now - just getting back into a situation (ability & opportunity) to fish for smb again.  I always loved it from the first one I caught in Massachusetts in 1970 something - yup I'm that old.  Anyway, the reason I went there is that I had to go back and read stuff & study maps and read more stuff and study more maps and all that was 'helpful'.   But what was more important, at least for me, was to get out there and fish.  

 So what does this have to do with weather & fronts and how brown bass move & perhaps where do they go ?   As I stated previously, my preference is to fish for fish that are looking to eat.  So where the general consensus is 'bass shut down' during abrupt weather changes; especially cold fronts -  IME I have to agree to a large extent.  What I cannot say for sure as to why, but fishing on the day of & for some time after a front passes, it's often tough sledding.  No way around it.  For brown bass, that often means they are 'tighter' to deep cover or suspending over deep water - However, the more IMPORTANT factor there for me is THEY ARE NOT LOOKING TO FEED !  So although I may be 'fishing for them' - that's about where it usually ends - cause there ain't a whole lot of catching going on.  

  If there are any 'bite windows' at all - they are usually Very brief and the numbers & size of fish rarely are "the best days ever". 

    So it pays big dividends to be a Weather watcher and have some knowledge of how wind & waves can affect the waters you fish and I'll tell you why.  There's often a very nice (wide open) feeding window at some point 'PRECEEDING' a cold front or weather change.  

  So being on the water then is good !  When it actually occurs is somewhat tricky to pin down - here are a few of my personal moves.

  The Bigger the 'front' is expected to be or Longer it is expected to take to pass - the earlier I like to get out on the water.  Meaning a 'big' front may mean that the smb might start looking to feed TWO full days ahead of it.  Smaller ones may mean only one day ahead of it is the time.  And this doesn't necessarily mean bass are jumping in the boat, may simply mean the 'normal' feeding areas & windows may have more & or bigger bass at them and might start a little earlier or last a little longer.  

  This is not something that is "written" in many articles or periodicals on the subject, but it's real.  And I know that MANY bassheads never get on this and miss out on it entirely - especially up here - cause I'm the only one out there.   

    Often in advance of a front - there may be wind & clouds - as long as it's safe I'm fishing- especially if the sun is peaking through half the time too.  

 "Warming" winds in advance of a front in the spring & fall can often trigger a bite.  Here that usually means something from the South or even South Westerly.   Summer may be one time when 'cooler' wind & some clouds at the lake can be a 'good bite day' especially if it continues for a couple of days.  Initially the start of it can trigger a bite but unlike other seasons - the bite can sometimes get better as it continues - as bait has to 'reposition' because of the wind or current, this makes them vulnerable to the bass - (something I learned chasing stripers - happens every 6 hours at every tide change and the fish take advantage of it to feed).

     So while many anglers will 'seek out' the leeward sheltered areas when the winds up a bit - and there's no doubt it's easier to fish - I have ALL BUT ABANDONED that in the warmer months - If I can fish it safely & effectively (which can be a bear at times - Talons help here) - and I think there's bait and or active bass in a spot - I'm fishing it. And if I find bait balled up on a windy bank - but the bass are not there - Yet; I will sit on them for a while or at the very least come back to them during 'a bite window' and see if they've moved in on them.  They almost always do at some point.  

  I do tend to look for warmer sheltered stuff early season (but I'm sure I already mentioned that somewhere along the way). 

  So if one were to look back at my videos - and take note of what time of day, and specifically - what the weather was doing while I'm catching brown bass - you may note a trend.  Usually some sun, some wind- rarely other anglers on the water - and it’s Not Raining!!!!   Topwater and drop shot bites for me are a calm water deal usually - so times when that happens I look to fish those presentations when I can.  Other than that - some wind & sun are where it's at.  If a front coming even better.  When it's sun & wind for several days - even better.  If it suddenly cools in the summer - with sun & wind - even better.   Be a Weather watcher and know the forecast 3-5 days in advance - that's how to better predict when & where to fish.  As a retired USCG Boatswain's Mate Chief, it’s a way of life. (Always had to know the weather, my & other's lives depended on it). 

Is this making sense - ??? 

btw - there's a ton of 'stuff' in this PM 

 

12poundbass ~

You aren't kidding there's ton of 'stuff' in this one. Bill Murphy's book it on my to get list. I chatted with Team9nine and he said the two books an angler needs is Spoonpluging and Bill Murphy's book. 

 

It's good to know that the feeding window before a front can be open a couple days before. I knew that just before a front or storm could be good, I just thought it was hours not days, so that's a huge help. My best day ever came on a mid October day, a front started rolling in windy, overcast, and a real light rain. Danielle and I only caught 7 or so but the smallest was just under 3 lbs and the biggest was my PB at 5-7 I believe it was. Don't worry I learned more than just that. 

 

Ok let's talk about bait location, wind, and current. You mentioned bait balls getting pinned up against a windy point. Does the bait try to seek shelter so they don't get pinned up against a windy point or am I giving them to much credit? 

Example: you have a wind out of the SW do you look for the bait on the north or east side of the point/ledge? Same with current (I don't fish rivers/impoundments)? I've read that bass will hang out on the non current side and ambush bait and other fish as they go by. 

 

Another question. The one lake (connected together) I know has SMB in it and I'm going to target frequently in 2019 has an inlet and a small damed outlet, will there be a current because of the inlet and outlet? If so would the current be enough to be a factor?

 

A-Jay ~

CHAPTER IX     BAIT & MORE ON WEATHER  (WIND) & WATER CLARITY

 

 I think the bait's number one deal is 'survival'.  They are trying to live and not get eaten. 

 Along with that is 'food', they need to eat too - can't say for sure as to why smaller bait ends up on windy banks, and at the inside turns of points - but it does. 

 

  And just to clarify, there are TWO types (sizes) of bait to discuss here.  First is the basses food like Perch for instance - then there's the 'bait' the perch may be looking to eat, which is rarely anything that the adult bass are eating but it plays a pretty big role.  It's this 'smaller bait' could be little minnows, bugs, whatever, it this stuff that can be largely affected by wind & current; as it lacks the ability to overcome it and is often as the mercy, if you will, of the conditions.  The whole food chain thing - 

    So whatever the perch or smaller prey fish are looking to eat, can totally be affected by the current in the lake caused by the wind.   Watch the submerged weeds in some places that are exposed to the wind - they can & will tell you if there is any 'wind current - as they ALL will be bent over to go with the flow.  Bass will use this to their feeding advantage.   Often sitting just inside whatever current break or eddy there is - bass's bait will get there too but usually tighter to whatever cover there is.  Some day’s bass will seek out the windward side of the structure / cover - other times they will be on the back side or leeward side out of the wind & current.  May depend on what they are looking to eat & where it's stationed.     

     Once I get a few I'll usually fish that side first and only check the 'other side' once a bite stops on a spot before moving on.  It has been my experience that brown bass in lakes will not sit in strong current for very long - and may completely relocate or shut down until something changes.  So prolonged days of heavy winds I'm rarely on the water (regardless of season) and usually give that lake a few days - to calm down (or clear up if the water gets turbid).    

 

When I am out there in the 'wind', after I've hunted most of the places & deals previously mentioned with little to nothing to show for it - I will often start looking for bass on smaller isolated cover; one boulder, a weed clump, perhaps some shallow or mid-depth wood - and it's almost always a jig & craw deal.  Toss it in there bounce it a few times, let it sit for a second or two - a couple more throws and then I'm off to the 'next one'.  I will search this stuff out while having a sandwich mid-day in July mostly (dropping waypoints as I go) - when there's no bite to speak of - It's a good time for Recon . . . SI & the 360 have proven invaluable for this. 

  

   Wind doesn't seem to affect much when bass are looking to feed on crayfish, only that it can make it a better bite.  If the bass are looking to hunt these buggers in 'shallow' clear water - say less than 8 feet or so, some wind on the water can obscure the surface visibility just enough that the smallies may be a little more willing to go in & feed.  Might mean they stay a little longer in the morning or go in mid-day or go in a little earlier in the late afternoon.  

 Either way, that's ANOTHER example of the bite being better with Some Wind. 

  

 

    In the end, the way I approach all this is, I do not really have to know what the bass's food is looking for, nor do I have to know exactly how or why the wind affects an area as it does - I just need to know that it does and try to use it to help determine when, how & where to look for brown bass.  

   I say it that way because much of what has been written here has been realized by my experience & bass catches.  We each may perceive what we hear & read differently.  So how I 'spell it out' appears in my mind one way, but to another basshead, it might be something different.  Once we get out on the water and start 'doing own our thing' (which is exactly what all this stuff is) and start getting on fish our own way, and are able to occasionally repeat success, then we can articulate as to why, how, when & where with our own version of 'Brown Bass Tools': which will make perfect sense to you. 

  

   What about water clarity?  Dirty or colored water ?- Colored water - perhaps a slight green tint can be very good.   Muddy, rain infused dirty water - especially cold / rising water - usually very bad - no bite at all - seems like the bass do not want to be in it at all and will relocate to be in clearer - probably easier to breath - water.  If the smallies live in a lake that's always tannic or has 'low' visibility - they are probably more adapted to it and it's no big deal.  But when routinely super clear lakes get muddied up - it's often no good until it clears or at the very least, I can find some cleaner water. 

 Some general water clarity 'guidelines' are; the dirtier the water - the closer to the bottom I am fishing.  The cleaner the water, the faster I am presenting my baits.  Seasons & water temps drive these choices as well.  But in colored water, I'm fishing baits on the bottom - still can be moving baits, but on the bottom; the cooler or colder the water, the more and or longer I may pause a bait.  Swing heads, crankbaits, deep jerkbaits, vibrating jig, swim jig, paddle tails, even a lipless or blade bait can be the deal.

 

***Old School Crankbait Tip for colored or even cold water; OVER Weight your bait so IT SINKS.  Suspending baits are good and floating cranks catch fish, but there are times when smallies will love & choke, a mid-sized crank that will sit on the bottom at rest - you can even work it like a jig over a clean(er) bottom.  Not even close to a new deal - Rapala made the Countdown (sinking) minnow like 50 years ago - but somehow - they seemed to really lose favor with bass anglers - don't know why - they catch the heck out of the bass.  I even do it with jerkbaits - Just don't talk about - Imagine paying all this money for a super suspending Megabass 110 only to really want it to sink like a rock !  Yup- Guilty as charged.  A couple of different ways to do it - Suspend strips (the little lead strips made by Storm) - or sometimes even just bigger trebles will do it - I've even used both on one bait - try it you might like it. 

 When this works - a swinghead will too.  A craw, a rage bug or a 3.5 - 5inch paddle tail swimbait are all great swinghead trailers for this. 

 

How am I doing ?  

 

12poundbass ~ You are the man! You're on such a roll you read my mind and added in water clarity which I was going to ask next. I'm going to go back through and read all these again for the third and some the fourth time and see what else I can come up with as far as questions go. 

 

I imagine once I actually get out on the water and start applying this information and tips I'll have a ton of questions. One thing I did catch I asked on the very first PM that went unanswered was the tube. I had to chuckle because it was so easy for you to overlook, you were like a kid in a candy store who had free reign of the merchandise when I asked about SMB! So I'm guessing you use SK coffee tubes? What size tube do you typically use, same with the tube head? When and where is the best time to use them and what presentation is best ?

 

 

A-Jay ~

CHAPTER X       TUBES

 

Where do I start?  Such a simple & super versatile bait.  One that's been catching fat brown bass for a long time.  A bait that has perhaps fallen a little out of favor recently, something I've been guilty of the past two seasons myself.  Looking backing, that was probably a mistake.  A TUBE really is perhaps The One Brown Bass bait that I should almost always have tied on.  

  There's been a lot written about it and with good reason frankly: there's a lot to say.  

 It's common knowledge in many brown bass angling circles, just how many different ways & places a tube can be presented effectively, and how easy it is to fish.  Some may say that there is no wrong way to fish it.  Long before the 'stick bait' came along, the tube way was same deal for me:  Just whacking'em !  

 Rather than attempting to name each & every tube deal, I'm going to cover a few of my favorite & most productive.   

  First - a tube for me is almost always a hard(er) or at least semi-clean(er) bottom deal.  

  While a couple of inches of eelgrass is OK (and sometimes exactly what the doctor ordered) anything more than that, I'm usually presenting something else that will fish through (or over) any bottom cover a bit more effectively.

  And while Texas rigs are good & Tex-pose is popular - by & large, I prefer to fish tubes on the plain old tried & true, lead head, open jig.   I fish the standard 3.5 inch size the most but will do 4" and even 2.75 inch is some instances.  The SK Coffee tubes have been great.  And before that - and still, quite a bit now - the Provider Tackle 3.5 inch "Performance Series" tubes are one of my all-time favorites.  Great colors for clear water and super durable.  As for jig head weights - 3/8's get most of my fish but lighter & heavier have their place when fishing shallow & deep.  

 What a tube 'imitates' is anybody's guess - crayfish, little bottom bait - now the goby.  May not matter.  Pick one and go with it.  This one's easy to have confidence in. 

   What may not be a surprise, I fishing tubes in places & at times when brown bass are relating to the bottom.  For me - the clearer the water (better vis) the better.  Tubes can & do work when fished with a variety of "retrieves" - hop it, drag it, pop-it; whatever.  When the brown bass are looking to eat, these will all get bit.  

  I usually fish 1/2 oz & less on Medium spinning gear - 10-15 lb braid mainline and a 8-10lb  Fluorocarbon leader (AbrazX). Heavier than 1/2 oz, I'll either pump up my spinning gear (rod & line) or go to casting gear that will present, hook & land a spirited Smallie.  3/4 oz heads are reserved for deep (more than 20-25 ft) and or big wind & waves.  This size can & does get "thrown" on the jump by bass more than the lighter heads - so that's something to be aware of. 

  My standard 'way' to fish tubes is the same regardless of depth - I fish them like a jerkbait.

Meaning there's a couple of twitches & a pause.  How many twitches & how long a pause can be dictated by the water temp and the mood of the fish.  As mentioned previously, I believe smallies like to chase - so I like to offer them that opportunity - if they're willing.  I might keep a tube moving along with a series of twitches where the bait travels 2-3 inches, pauses for a split second and then moves another 2-3 inches - I may continue this for 4-5 feet and then pause . . . . . . for like 10 seconds . . . . . . and then do it again. One may need to 'practice' this in shallow water where you can watch your bait.  There's a tendency to 'move' it too far on each twitch, which seems to nullify its effectiveness.  So it's a good Idea to check first - it requires a small movement, especially with braid.  Using Fluorocarbon can make it a little easier to get the small movements, but I lose so much hook setting power on the long casts I like to make, that I don't use it; Zona swears by the Flouro for this - I can't do it.  So I stick mostly to the braid.

 So that's just an example of ONE way - there's no limit to the number of different ways to fish it - just like the jerkbait.  

 

  Of course, the old stand-by of 'drag & stop' can be all one needs to do to get a savage take. 

There's also what's often referred to as "Snapping a Tube", where a heavier head is used and the bait is literally 'snapped' 3-5 feet off the bottom and then allowed to fall back on a slack line.  The tube will spiral back down to the bottom - which is where the vast majority of the strikes will come from.  Can be deadly but will also twist the heck out of your line - I'll often use a small swivel between my braid & leader to help with that when doing this.

  

 I'm throwing tubes up & down drops - all around and up on top of humps, off the tip and both sides of points, along the bottom of deep weedlines and across a promising deepwater flat.  There's also a few times where I found some fat brown bass cruising up shallow and I'll use an 1/8 oz head and fish the tube like a stick bait (before I knew what a stick bait was).  So I'm dead sticking it more than I'm moving it.  This is in 2-5 feet of super clear water - fish can be very skittish and easily spooked.  So I'm well back from the fish, making as long a cast as I can and sort of letting the fish 'swim into the bait'.   I try to not to move the bait too far, too fast because the 'strike zone' is right there.   So the less I do with it- the longer it's there in their face.   Less is more in this instance.

 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

A-Jay

 

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roadwarrior reply : 

A few of favorites:  Rage Tail Menace, Baby Craw, BPS Tender Tube and the

Sworming Hornet/ LFT Live Magic Shad.

 

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12poundbass reply : 

It's been very enjoyable doing this with you, the knowledge I gained is absolutely priceless. Thanks again @A-Jay!

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Crestliner2008 reply : 

Incredible amount of golden information. Thanks!

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 12/30/2018 at 12:01 AM, Crestliner2008 said:

Incredible amount of golden information. Thanks!

Thanks - 

And I'm betting you could add quite a bit to it yourself.

A-Jay

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Crestliner2008 reply : 

Thanks A-Jay. I have been around the block a time or two for sure! But you guys have covered it all pretty well. Great job. What you need to do now is to find a publisher and co-ordinate a book writing. Guaranteed it'll become a best seller.

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12poundbass reply : 

  On 12/30/2018 at 12:01 AM, Crestliner2008 said:

Incredible amount of golden information. Thanks!

And to think all I did was ask for a couple lure recommendations. ????

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 12/30/2018 at 12:20 AM, 12poundbass said:

And to think all I did was ask for a couple lure recommendations. ????

Sometimes that's all it takes . . . . 

You never know if ya don't ask

A-Jay

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Janderson45 reply : 

Wow, thanks for putting all of this out there AJ, I’m excited to read through it all will report back with questions and thoughts in a week or two! 

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 12/30/2018 at 3:53 AM, Janderson45 said:

Wow, thanks for putting all of this out there AJ, I’m excited to read through it all will report back with questions and thoughts in a week or two! 

You're Welcome ~

And I am just as excited to hear feed back, field questions but most importantly, To Learn what you and other members do & have success with.

Standing by 

A-Jay

 

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Way north bass guy reply : 

Sounds like this A-Jay guy knows a thing or two about smallies ????. 

Good read gents, sounds a whole lot like what I’m often doing over on the “other side “ of the Great Lakes. Now if this darn ice would just go away...

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Abby reply : 

Impressive exchange between you guys and I am glad you put it out here for all of us to see...Especially as I am a newer bass angler and live close to 12lbr we probably fish some of the same lakes..

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Swbass15 reply : 

@A-Jay and @12poundbass thanks for posting this. I know I’m a long ways west from a-jay and not to sure about 12lb but I’m saving this and will continue to read. As I work through it I might have some questions that deal with a highland reservoir. Thanks again guys

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12poundbass reply : 

  On 1/1/2019 at 6:26 AM, Swbass15 said:

@A-Jay and @12poundbass thanks for posting this. I know I’m a long ways west from a-jay and not to sure about 12lb but I’m saving this and will continue to read. As I work through it I might have some questions that deal with a highland reservoir. Thanks again guys

I'm about 2 hrs south of @A-Jay. 

 

I really enjoyed doing this with him, it's something I look forward to continuing once we get ice out.

Or sooner

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BassinCNY reply : 

  On 12/30/2018 at 12:12 AM, Crestliner2008 said:

Thanks A-Jay. I have been around the block a time or two for sure! But you guys have covered it all pretty well. Great job. What you need to do now is to find a publisher and co-ordinate a book writing. Guaranteed it'll become a best seller.

I agree wholeheartedly that you should turn it into a book. Your writing is very good. But I think you should go the epub route. Put it up on Amazon and Apple Books. 

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 1/2/2019 at 8:20 AM, BassinCNY said:

I agree wholeheartedly that you should turn it into a book. Your writing is very good. But I think you should go the epub route. Put it up on Amazon and Apple Books. 

 Thanks & I certainly appreciate the kind words - 

If & when bassheads like yourself might be able use some of the info to catch a few here & there, I'm good.

A-Jay

 

 

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Crestliner2008 reply : 

  On 1/2/2019 at 8:33 AM, A-Jay said:

 Thanks & I certainly appreciate the kind words - 

If & when bassheads like yourself might be able use some of the info to catch a few here & there, I'm good.

A-Jay

 

 

Yeah, but why not put something in print which would benefit all those newbies coming up the ranks? And for posterity! I think you should go for it.

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 1/2/2019 at 10:05 PM, Crestliner2008 said:

Yeah, but why not put something in print which would benefit all those newbies coming up the ranks? And for posterity! I think you should go for it.

Thanks again @Crestliner2008

 But since the Bass Resource Forum membership is currently posted at close to 65,000 strong, (with probably 5 or 10 times that number of 'guests' visiting every day) and  is THE Premier bass fishing specific website on the Interwebz and has been for over a decade with no signs of slowing down, the way I figure it,

I just did.

A-Jay

 

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Swbass15 reply : 

@A-Jay im not sure how to ask this but how does the presence of large palegic fish which as strippers influence smallmouth behavior and how they my relate to structure. I struggle locating them once late June-early July hits here. I’m sure the main body of the population is feeding on threadfin and/or gizZard Shad. What would you be looking for if this were your situation? 

 

Im still rereading again and taking notes for myself in the info shared.

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 1/3/2019 at 6:50 AM, Swbass15 said:

@A-Jay im not sure how to ask this but how does the presence of large palegic fish which as strippers influence smallmouth behavior and how they my relate to structure. I struggle locating them once late June-early July hits here. I’m sure the main body of the population is feeding on threadfin and/or gizZard Shad. What would you be looking for if this were your situation? 

 

Im still rereading again and taking notes for myself in the info shared.

6

While sweet water stripers do not inhabit any of the northern Michigan inland lakes I frequent, there are quite a few bigger & some more dominant species than the smallies I usually target.

Pike, Muskie, Big Brown & Lake Trout as well as tons of Walleye, are often in waters the smallies are.

 Can't say for certain how the brown bass relates to the stripers in your area, but here the rule of gross tonnage applies.

Meaning, when brown bass are not the dominant species (or even a food source) they usually will not inhabit the 'prime' structure and or locations long if & when Old Mr. Big shows up.   They'll be else where but certainly can be located & caught.   As cooler early-season waters warm - most all of the bigger species here move to very deep water.  Only visiting the shallows to feed.  

Your Mid-summer struggles may have less to do with stripers and more to do with the brown basses usual summer habits.  If you're looking for them in the same places you found them in the spring, usually shallow(er), I'm going to say that may be where your problem lies.   Brown bass often move to their summer haunts which can and usually are, at least related to if not in, deeper water.  Deeper drop-offs,  main lake deep flats that have cover like rocks, boulders & even deep wood, can all hold summer fish.  Smallies can & still come shallow in the summer but it may only be super early & or late in the day or even at night depending on the forage they are after & perhaps the boating traffic. 

 Finding them is one thing, getting a bite is another.  Admittedly my success in the summer is not what I'd like it to be - Drop shots & spy baits are my go to quite a bit during the day.  Night ops & super early/late mid-week trips rule my routine, as the increase of recreational boating doesn't seem to inspire the fatties I'm looking for into biting.

 Still, I go when I can - but I know I may be doing more 'hunting', than actual fishing.

A-Jay

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Swbass15 reply : 

Ok that makes sense what your saying. I will continue to probe that deeper water and see what I can work up. I’ve always wanted to spend time trying to figure out if the fish move out and relate to the drop offs along the main river channel or not during the summer. 

 

One othe question that comes comes to mind is your experience with dropping water levels in relation to smallmouth. The lake here will drop over 30’ during the course of the summer. What if any effect do you think this would have on them? Will the relate even harder to transition areas with more extreme contour changes? Steeper drops rather than long points? I know them pulling water generates current yet at the same time it’s dropping levels so I really struggle with this.

 

thanks again @A-Jay

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 1/3/2019 at 9:28 PM, Swbass15 said:

Ok that makes sense what your saying. I will continue to probe that deeper water and see what I can work up. I’ve always wanted to spend time trying to figure out if the fish move out and relate to the drop offs along the main river channel or not during the summer. 

 

One othe question that comes comes to mind is your experience with dropping water levels in relation to smallmouth. The lake here will drop over 30’ during the course of the summer. What if any effect do you think this would have on them? Will the relate even harder to transition areas with more extreme contour changes? Steeper drops rather than long points? I know them pulling water generates current yet at the same time it’s dropping levels so I really struggle with this.

 

thanks again @A-Jay

@Swbass15 ~ I have very little experience fishing the type of water level drops you've described.

While a couple of feet is common during the course of a season for me, a 30 ft change is just not something I've ever had to deal with.  I could only offer assumptions, which IME, are often very close to worthless.  So I'll not do that.

I will say such a drastic water loss certainly seems to offer a great opportunity to "SEE" all the shallow water cover - and I'd be taking notes & snapping pictures . . . 

A-Jay

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Oregon Native reply : 

Very nice...very nice....thank you

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Swbass15 reply : 

Been working on a scrap book over the course of the last three years on exactly that. Also using a mapping app on my phone that I can put way points on with photos as well so they are all geo-referenced. Keep teaching I greatly appreciate it @A-Jay

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 1/3/2019 at 11:51 PM, Swbass15 said:

Been working on a scrap book over the course of the last three years on exactly that. Also using a mapping app on my phone that I can put way points on with photos as well so they are all geo-referenced. Keep teaching I greatly appreciate it @A-Jay

OK but you don't need me Sir.

You are doing fine.

A-Jay

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NYWayfarer reply : 

Great information.

 

I am half way through and have loved the insight into Smallmouth Bass fishing. Thanks for posting and sharing.

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12poundbass reply : 

  On 1/4/2019 at 2:54 AM, NYWayfarer said:

Great information.

 

I am half way through and have loved the insight into Smallmouth Bass fishing. Thanks for posting and sharing.

You and me both.

 

And to think all I did was ask him to help me spend some of my money, and I,  now the world got all this in return! ????

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Troy85 reply : 

I'm going to have to read this over and over.  In Mid March I'll be going to Pickwick for 3 days, I've never fished for smallies before.  Thanks for all this info.

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 1/5/2019 at 4:46 AM, Troy85 said:

I'm going to have to read this over and over.  In Mid March I'll be going to Pickwick for 3 days, I've never fished for smallies before.  Thanks for all this info.

Good Luck ~

A-Jay

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12poundbass reply : 

  On 1/5/2019 at 4:46 AM, Troy85 said:

I'm going to have to read this over and over.  In Mid March I'll be going to Pickwick for 3 days, I've never fished for smallies before.  Thanks for all this info.

I've read each 'lesson' at least 4 times so far, and I'm still finding new info each time. Good stuff! 

 

Actually it's priceless.

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slonezp reply : 

  On 1/4/2019 at 4:51 AM, 12poundbass said:

You and me both.

 

And to think all I did was ask him to help me spend some of my money, and I,  now the world got all this in return! ????

I would have helped spend your money. Would have been on hookers and blow and would have had the same outcome...minus the bass

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slonezp reply : 

@A-Jay Only criticism is you refrained to say SMB are sight feeders? You eluded to it many times but never said it outright. Otherwise, I think you are on to something.  Liked your comparison as a cross between trout and green bass. That is spot on. Agree as well with locating SMB. One thing I do know is they are like a woman in heat. When they're hot they're hot and when they're not they're not.

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 1/5/2019 at 10:25 AM, slonezp said:

@A-Jay Only criticism is you refrained to say SMB are sight feeders? You eluded to it many times but never said it outright. Otherwise, I think you are on to something.  Liked your comparison as a cross between trout and green bass. That is spot on. Agree as well with locating SMB. One thing I do know is they are like a woman in heat. When they're hot they're hot and when they're not they're not.

Thank you very much for your input sir.

 And I must agree with you -  Seems I did omit noting that smb are big time sight feeders - certainly not intentionally though. Should have come somewhere in the very first installment. 

I'm going to go back and add it now.

And clearly, you'll now be listed in the 'credits' . . . 

A-Jay

 

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12poundbass reply : 

 

 

  On 1/5/2019 at 9:37 AM, slonezp said:

I would have helped spend your money. Would have been on hookers and blow and would have had the same outcome...minus the bass

Both are similar but diffetent. Both are the gift that keeps on giving.....one requires an antibiotic though which I'll pass on on! ????

  On 1/5/2019 at 10:25 AM, slonezp said:

@A-Jay Only criticism is you refrained to say SMB are sight feeders? You eluded to it many times but never said it outright. Otherwise, I think you are on to something.  Liked your comparison as a cross between trout and green bass. That is spot on. Agree as well with locating SMB. One thing I do know is they are like a woman in heat. When they're hot they're hot and when they're not they're not.

Care to indulge without getting too graphic? Could be great info.

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slonezp reply : 

  On 1/5/2019 at 10:40 AM, 12poundbass said:

 

 

Both are similar but diffetent. Both are the gift that keeps on giving.....one requires an antibiotic though which I'll pass on on! ????

Care to indulge without getting too graphic? Could be great info.

I don't know that it's any different than what's already been said. My experience with smallmouth has been on Lake Michigan and on a couple river systems. I guess the best comparison is: Keep your mouth shut. Give her what she wants. Don't ask questions...if you say too much or say the wrong thing, you'll be holding your rod and not getting any action. 

 

SMB are nomadic, like women going to the bathroom at the club. They travel in packs and it's much easier to get a reaction from the "easy" one then it is from the "gate keeper" Once you get the easy one to bite, the rest of the group are more likely to follow until the smart one gets wind of what is really going on. Then it's shut down time.

 

I've had instances of catching 20 SMBass on 20 casts in the heat of the summer on an eddy in a river and shut down dead. 

I've had it on Lake Michigan where I catch 75 SMBass in 4 hours and return the following day to catch 25 bass in 10 hours. 

 

While I believe the catches that @A-Jay experiences on Lake Menderchuck are completely different than on river systems or on large bodies of water like the Great Lakes, they are eerily the same. 

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KCFinesse reply : 

@A-Jay-

I grew up chasing largemouth and only hitting 'easy' spring smallmouth once a year; I've since traveled all over the Midwest fishing for smallies throughout the year (learning mostly by braille and incidental discovery). This is a great summary of a bunch of tough lessons on the subject, and is really applicable in every location I've been fortunate to chase smallmouth.

Keep up the good work!

-Jared

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12poundbass reply : 

  On 1/7/2019 at 12:19 AM, KCFinesse said:

@A-Jay-

I grew up chasing largemouth and only hitting 'easy' spring smallmouth once a year; I've since traveled all over the Midwest fishing for smallies throughout the year (learning mostly by braille and incidental discovery). This is a great summary of a bunch of tough lessons on the subject, and is really applicable in every location I've been fortunate to chase smallmouth.

Keep up the good work!

-Jared

Keep checking in here periodically, chances are this thread will continue to grow. 

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 1/7/2019 at 12:39 AM, 12poundbass said:

Keep checking in here periodically, chances are this thread will continue to grow. 

Yup - 

 More on the way early next week 

A-Jay

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MIbassyaker reply : 

OMG, great thread!

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12poundbass reply : 

  On 1/8/2019 at 2:08 AM, MIbassyaker said:

OMG, great thread!

Keep following, there's more good 'stuff' coming soon. Probably even more once we start fishing. Feel free to chime in anytime. ????

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MIbassyaker reply : 

  On 1/8/2019 at 2:22 AM, 12poundbass said:

Keep following, there's more good 'stuff' coming soon. Probably even more once we start fishing. Feel free to chime in anytime. ????

 

Not sure I have much to chime in on, as my smallie fishing is strictly river-based, at the Grand, Thornapple, and Flat. The smallie lakes closest to me get so much recreational traffic, and/or can be so windy, I avoid them by kayak. Can you launch on Blue? I have looked it on the map, but it looks like a pretty long paddle from the Lincoln launch.

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12poundbass reply : 

  On 1/8/2019 at 3:16 AM, MIbassyaker said:

. Can you launch on Blue? 

No only Lincoln. If I ever see a kayak out there I'll assume it's you and tow them to Blue. ????

 

That would be a very long paddle, even if you're peddling that would be a lot! 

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A-Jay reply : 

"Breaking Down Lake X  Pre-spawn to Spawn" 

 

12poundbass ~ 

It's been a few days since we've chatted, I spent a little time today trying to look up lakes in my area that have SMB. If you know of any sites that tell you what species are in each lake, I could use a link. I know of a couple, but the more the merrier. When I Googled my county it brought up a link to the DNR site. On the site it had TOPO maps. I did notice they were from the 40's or 50's so very old and outdated. I do have chips for both the Garmin and Bird and will do some of my old mapping. For this discussion let’s use this map I downloaded. I’m Calling it Lake X.  It's the most detailed of the ones I down loaded which is why I'm using it in this discussion. I looked it over and it's very overwhelming and I have a couple ideas where I'd start, but also unsure of myself. I'm guessing this lake will have 1' contours on my map cards, which I think will do one of two things. 1: make things more clear or 2: make my head spin even more. Maybe I'm over thinking this. I'll let you take a look and see what you think. Again I know this is old and outdated, hopefully it'll work as a tutorial.

 

 

A-Jay ~

Good Day Sir ~ 

 Nice map & Really Great LOOKING LAKE !  Plenty to get excited about.

However - in an effort to help 'mold' you into the smallie hunter you really want to be, 

how about we do a little 'exercise'  And this will be awesome because we are BOTH going to get quite a bit from this and your lake & especially that map, Look PERFECT for it. 

 So take what I've submitted regarding structure & locations (or re-read it if you need to) and apply it to that map.  The lake is just about the perfect size to "start" with and most importantly 'GAIN CONFIDENCE' in one's own bass locating skills - which IME is the 85% of this battle.  Guess we'll see if the Brown Bass Tools presentation is what I intended it to be - 

Very interested in how this goes . . . .Hope you are. 

 Let's begin with the early spring - say right after and through the first couple of weeks after ice out.  Pick 3 places you'd start fishing, say why & what you'd use - and then I'll tell you my version of the same - 

 We can compare notes and continue to do this here for each 'period' through a season.

  Then once you get on the water - we can see what worked, when, where why & how . . .

Total Win !   

 Now not having ever actually seen this place, it's a little tougher for me - as I can really only go by the map - and when I do this type of "map study" my self - there are almost ALWAYS 'factors' found, once on the water and start looking & fishing, that can totally eliminate what I thought could be PRIME STUFF.  Conversely, something I thought might be 'dead water' could have some weed or cover or something else associated with it that I didn't or could see 'on the map' that makes it 'Pure Gold"  - so the maps are tool - but a great way to 'get the ball rolling' sort of speak.  

 I do recall you saying this was a private lake ?- well not to get you over confident but just from what I can see here - I have a few waters by me that are laid out in a similar fashion - and THEY ARE SOME OF THE BEST WATERS I FISH - both for numbers & size.  Plenty of deep water with an assortment of bottom structure contours.  

Could Be Wicked Good 

 

12poundbass ~

Ok, I like the pick three and explain why. It's a great way for me to really think and retain this great info I've been give. Plus I'd like to earn this instead of always getting handouts. 

This lake we're going to dissect is a public lake about 300-400 acres, it's the largest or second largest lake in my area. The lake we bought a house on is a private lake, which unfortunately has no SMB.

Give me a while to study it some more and probably re-read some more before I post my thoughts. I like this idea, I think this will be a lot of fun.  

 

A-Jay ~

OK got it - cool - 

FYI - every lake I fish is Public - 

 

12poundbass ~

Ok I couldn't wait I feel like a little kid excited and admittedly a little nervous. I re-read and studied the map some more, which I now see the lake is actually 724 acres +/-.

Spot 1: The east NE side if the island. There's shallows, there's a little bit of a flat and there's quick access to deep water. This area is also appealing to me because it'll get the most sun and according to the map has submerged vegetation, for the healthy population of Perch I just found out about.

Spot 2: I'd say would be just SW of the island the 70 FOW hole and to the west. This area again has quick access to deep water, sand, vegetation, plenty of sun, and flats. This area I think I'd only target until early May. This lake get HAMMERED with boat traffic and I can see this particular section and the island creating a choke point for boats.  

The 3rd: I'd actually say it's spot 3-5 because to my untrained eye NW of the island it looks like 3 sunken islands in a triangle. These 3 sunken islands look (again to my untrained eye) to possibly be the best spot on the lake. The drop offs aren't as steep but steep enough that they still have quick access to deep water. There's plenty of flats on the second shelf, and there's vegetation to attract the prey. 

With this being only early spring right after ice out, I'd slow twitch a jerkbait, particularly a deep diver. I'd also try and trigger their chase button with a lipless crankbait, and move some water or bottom bounce a bladed jig. 

Whew, the test is over, hopefully my grade comes back good. I'm glad I sent you the map because I'm enjoying this! 

 

A-Jay ~

 OK here’s my version Breaking Down  Lake X

 

Early spring – I’m looking in the N section of the lake first – want the sun on it – perhaps dark(er) bottom color to absorb the sunlight and warm up faster.  Doesn’t necessarily need to be a colored bottom but a smallies sticks out like a sore thumb over sand sometimes so the colored bottom seems to help with that.  

 Locations could be the E side or the W – but S is the Last place I’m going.  Any ‘inlets’ – or little creeks could influence my choice – fish like to hang out in front of them early.

  So I like “Inside Turns”  - look for bottom structure that looks like a “U”.  – size may not matter – some springs I’ll blow down the shore – in 6-say 12 ft and there will be fish in EVERY inside turn – That’s not exactly a secret – but not something I post up every time I do it – You’re welcome. 

 That’s exactly what I was doing here ~ https://youtu.be/Wxrb3KTitK4

 Not on the bank but fishing all the inside turn on that ‘secondary drop’ – You can’t see ANYTHING above the water – but the Card on the Humminbird was Right on the $$$ and I was hammering them!

 Btw – ‘making’ your own maps is cool – but unless you know how to read them it’s not very helpful plus takes a long time – I may do it while I’m fishing an area – and 1 ft contour lines sells a lot of units & cards but by & large IS NOT NECESSARY to find what we’re talking about.  It can help ‘fine tune’ a pattern but in the beginning, don’t get all spun up trying to make maps – fish first.

 So for Lake X my first trip would be to the N ‘side’ of the lake – I’d want to go as early in the year as I could.  I’d sit shallow & throw a deep diving jerkbait deep and work it shallow.  The spots near the NW side that have deep water close would certainly get my attention as well as the secondary drop on the NE side.

 My focus initially and until I got bit or had exhausted it all – would be to position my boat on the shallower side of the 10 ft contour line and throw into deep water.  I want my bait to be fishing effectively over that 10-15 ft zone. 

 WATER CLARITY RULES HERE-You really do need at least 5 foot of vis for this.  Also, the bait needs to be ‘fished’ with a slow pull of 2 ft or so and then a nice pause – we’re not ‘JERKING IT’ in 38-45 degree water! It’s all in slow motion because the bass certainly are.  And I’d be constantly checking my water temps – Finding an area or a spot that has warmer water – may only be 2 degrees – can be the difference and clue us in on where to concentrate our efforts. 

  As the water warms – and it can happen fast – the fish may start showing up closer to the boat – when that starts happening (and it will)  I may reverse directions with my cast and present baits from deep to shallow or even ‘parallel’ to the drop if the majority of fish seem to be coming from one depth.  More efficient. 

 

Something else to keep in mind – especially super early & late season – Although I’m ALWAYS very eager to get up at the crack of dawn & fish, especially after a long winter pre-dawn bites seem rare.  I have found that being on the water during the WARMEST part of the day is good.  So I’ll get out by sunrise let’s say, so I have the gas to make it until at least an hour before sunset.  Once the SUN gets to within two fingers or so of the horizon – it’s getting close to quitting time for the kid.  

 Also if the fish start coming in skinny water where your deep jerkbait is ‘dredging’ the bottom – (which at times is really effective) you can try a ‘standard’ jerkbait – which is every bit as effective as the deep – just runs shallow but is still fished the same way. SLOW.  

 My other go-to super early season bait is a drop shot – I like a 4 inch  SK caffeine shad nose hooked on 10 braid and 8 lb fluorocarbon leader – Several ‘minnow’ type smaller drop shot baits will work.  This is a good approach if you can see fish cruising or sitting in a spot – cast near them and let them ‘swim into it’ – hardly need to do anything to it.  Btw – natural colors are good but so is pink or bright chartreuse – I know seems weird but they eat it.

I haven’t tried it yet – But with how good the Z-Man Jackhammer worked late this past fall – I’ll be throwing that one early a bit more – especially once they start showing up shallow more consistently

 

12poundbass ~

Ok. I completely forgot about the angle of the sun early spring and not getting that south shore direct enough to do a whole lot of warming. 

Thanks for straightening me out on making maps and the cards. They both came with the units so I'll utilize them but won't sit and stare at a screen for hours on end or spend a couple trips mapping a lake or two. The whole reason I brought the map to your attention was to learn how read them (which I'm a novice at) and to visualize what I've read from you and see it on a map. 

A question I do have/a little confusion, after reading your break down and how you mentioned inlets I notice on the NE corner there's an inlet. You said you might target that, that particular inlet or inlets in general? The reason I ask and maybe where the confusion comes from is the flat around the inlet seems too big, meaning there's more than two boat lengths between drop off one and two if I'm seeing it correctly. 

You mentioned color on your drop shots. I remember see and episode last year or the year before with Zona and Seth Feider at Kong Island I believe and Seth said the smallmouth like with really natural or really loud colors, nothing in between. They were using the half shell in the color siren which is a neon yellow. I ordered the half shell in the color you recommended and in siren. ????

 

A-Jay ~

Cool  

Inlets - I Agree - there does seem to be more real estate between the inlet & deep water than I'd like - EARLY SEASON.  But later on if there is some weed cover the bass can 'sneak' through to get in & out more or less undetected  - it could play. Late summer (AUGUST) right when the weeds there start to die off - bait will have to 'relocate' again - bass might be waiting there for them - could be an early morning deal too.  I say that as it does 'resemble' a few places I do currently have success as I described. And that little 'cut' has two sweet 'inside turns' could be good too. 

 

Drop Shots - EXACTLY !  That is what I'm talking about - same deal !  I use the half shell a lot - but that minnow shaped caffeine shad has produced a better quality of smb for me. 

 Also when working your jerkbait - learn how deep it runs and when fishing out over a drop - remember The Angle of the Dangle deal.  You can totally change the effectiveness of your bait - good or bad, by where you position your boat in relation to the drop.  In warmer water the smallies will charge a long way - in good vis- to get your bait, so you have a little more of a margin for error.  But in the colder water - even though you're working it slow - You will increase your odds a ton if you can have your bait go RIGHT BY THE BASS.  So if your bait is running 10 feet down on most of your cast, ensure you're rig is positioned in such a manner as to allow it to be in the right spot to allow the bait to be where you want it to be on each cast - this WILL REQUIRE you to constantly monitor your boat's position, water depth & your graph to ensure your fishing correctly as the bottom contour ahead of you changes.  This is especially important when fishing 'spots' like small underwater points & inside turns.  If your bait is running way high - it could go right over them undetected. These 'spots' may be only 10-20 feet wide or long so a miss is as good as a mile right there. 

  Sounds kind of complicated but it's really not - just think of fishing a deep crank in shallow water - doesn't really work - same thing - just something to be aware of.   

 And I use the Jerkbait here as a search bait too.  You can totally switch to a slow moving bottom bait once you fish some too.  A rage bug on a 1/4 or 3/8 oz ball or football head works as does a small swimbait (paddletail) But if they on the jerkbait good - I'll often stick with that - nothing wrong with experimenting a little.   Don't forget the swinghead if there a little more bottom debris too. 

  And the more I look at that map - That Whole North side of the lake - the whole length of that 10-15 ft contour line looks very promising.  Come ice out - While most everyone else is 'beating the bank',  I'd be fishing with my back to the shore - the sun and perhaps a little wind in my face, a jerkbait on a spinning rig & I get to casting ! Might only get a couple a day at first - but IME The Biggest Bass come up first !  So I'm good with that. 

Forgot to add that you can 'modify' your jerkbaits 'running depth' with your line choice type / size.  Guessing you know this.   But the way I do it is - say I want to get a deep bait a little deeper - a fluorocarbon line or in the case of spinning gear with braid a fluorocarbon leader.  To get that same bait to run a little shallower - a mono leader on braid can do the trick.     Same with a standard bait - while I rarely do it an all mono line would be what I could use on casting gear to have either bait run shallower.  And don't forget about over-weighing any bait - 

 I'll always start with my 'regular' rigs (previously mentioned) and then adjust if needed - admittedly those occasions are rare but they exist.

 As the water warms and the brown bass move & stay shallower, some other baits that play for me are lipless baits, square bill cranks (especially flat sided baits), swim jigs, spinnerbaits can play as well, so can any number of soft plastics (craws can be killer); a 3.5 - 5 inch small paddletail swimbait on a 1/4 or 3/8 oz jighead.  These bait (as well as some others) may very well score well very early too.  But I've not given them a fair chance as jerkbait has been my confidence lure here usually.  But often that is a short list I can expect to use late season too so . . . . 

 

 

12poundbass ~

Ok so thanks to you I had an ah ha moment/my tiny brain finally caught up. When you said the entire north shore looks good and you'd follow the 10-15' contour I looked at the scale and realized duh this isn't a steep bank, it's a gradual slope! I'm not sure what took me so long to realize that, but better late than never I guess.  

  

Ok I'll give myself a C- on that one. What do ya have for me for round 2?

 

 

A-Jay ~

OK well, you can 'grade' yourself if that's your deal - I'll not do that.  This is all in fun and I for one do not keep score.   So the 'next' part of this is  - where do they go to spawn ?

Well, what you might find is that they will not be too far from where you start catching them right after ice out.  So that part might be a little easier. 

  *** Sneaky Tip *****  Another way to find super early season smallies, on the water that you may not be very familiar with, is to find areas where you believe they may spawn / make beds - and work ' backward'.  Meaning go to that location, turn around from facing the bank, and look for places that have deep water access close by and perhaps some cover for the smallies to relate to while they hunt for early season chow.  So yes, all the stuff we've been discussing previously.  This can be one of those times of the year where knowing what the brown bass are planning on doing 'next' can help locate and catch them now.

  btw - I've used that to get on green bass quite a bit as well, what is usually different in that case is, the green bass will look to spawn shallower and a bit later than the Smallies.  However, I fish many lakes where the two do bed very close to each other, if not side by side.  Happened this season a ton because the ice went out so late the smallies started fast and the green bass didn't have time to wait around - they needed to get it on in time to enable the fry to be old enough to survive the first winter.   Was fun but also a 'mess'.  Hope we get a longer pre-spawn this season.  

   So let's not Rush this while Pre-spawn deal - It's too good and we want it to last as long as possible.  There are always instances where smallies will spawn is some pretty deep water. I'm talking stuff where you can barely see the bottom if at all.  Especially when the water's super clear - I am very happy about this as it puts a certain percentage of the breeding population out of the reach of many bed fisherman. 

    Another interesting early season fun fact is that a few of my BIGGEST pre-spawn smallies have been caught in ridiculously skinny water.  I'm talking 1 or 2 feet.  Seems to happen in places that do have some boating & fishing pressure, also places with very little in the way of shallow cover (no logs or rocks)  Smallies like to make beds 'under stuff'  a log, a branch and of course, every lazy fisherman's dream - Docks. Eh.  But when little of that is available sometimes they will cross a really clear water shallow flat and go WAY, WAY into a quiet cove and poke around in shoreline cover - I'm guessing looking for a quite bed site.  I stumbled onto this purely by accident - while not catching & doing 'RECON' with the canoe several years ago with Lynn.  We saw one & them another and on a couple of different lakes. Clearly we 'burned them'.   So eventually I started poking around and caught a few. I think my first 5 lb Michigan brown bass came like this. 

   So if the mood strikes you - perhaps 'investigate that a bit.  Every once in a while, during a period when the fatties are looking to move shallower, if you get that 'feeling' in your gut that says 'you know what - I should probably cast in there' - don't ignore it - Do It !  A 1/4 swimjig with a little paddletail, grub or even craw trailer, makes a nice semi-subtle entry and can often trigger old Mama to bite it.  

   Once brown bass are on beds - 'my style' of fishing can get a little tough.   I'm not going to bed fish and beat on these fish for two weeks and jack them up.  The males will guard the heck out of the bed.  You can catch every one you see with a senko or a ned rig - get it in the bed and they pick it up - EVERY TIME. You can catch the SAME BASS 3 times in a row if you want.  It's fun for kids and perhaps your wife - but it’s not my style.  Enough said there.

    So while not all the bass are bedding at the same time - some are coming & others are going, the fat Females ONLY seem to actually Be On The Bed - to actually spawn, very briefly.   They come up intermittently through the period (and perhaps at night) but they don't stay long.  And even though the females may be coming & going - they are not really interested in 'eating' as and after the eggs are dumped - THEY SPLIT to presumably deeper water (or parts unknown to recover).  This often leaves it up to the male to have to deal with whatever happens next.   Either way it can be tough sledding.  I may walleye fish for a week of two or fish Bigger deeper lakes that are usually The Last lakes to have bass actually get on beds.

 Next installment we can talk about the where when & how of Post Spawn !  A time of abundance & plenty of hungry, all be it skinny, brown bass. You are gonna have such an awesome time . . .I'm really excited for you.

 

12poundbass ~

Good read right there! 

The grading myself is all tongue in cheek. I'm having a blast doing this and soaking up every bit of info I can squeeze out of you, so I'm not going ruin it by actually grading myself.   

Last night I was on line looking to see what other lakes around me has SMB in them (no luck finding accurate info), and I was given a link to the DNR website that had lake survey results. I was shocked to see that long nose gar are in Michigan! None of the lakes on my radar had been surveyed recently which is a bummer. Your home lake was surveyed, I believe gar were found. I did read that there's a below average SMB population (I had to chuckle) and there's an above average walleye population. 

Ok, I have some morning tickets to get done, after that I'll read over what you sent again and study the map some more and we'll compare notes again

 

A-Jay~

Thanks - chasing green bass is a great plan during the smb spawn but they are often so close to spawning themselves that you may run into the same deal.  

What is offered below is sort of a game changer - sorry I didn't get this to you 'earlier' - Lynn actually reminded me that you could probably use these. 

Check out the Michigan Fishing Map Guide (Sportsman's Connection) I used these A TON- make sure your 'counties' are included as there are many different ones.  They cover rivers & streams as well.

 Best info is RAMP TYPES & Locations - as well as species info.  They offer fishing tips & spots that are essentially useless but the depths & hazard info is very helpful - The ones I have are several years old as I bought them for this area in 2007 when I first retired.

You'll want these - I used to keep them in the truck the first year. 

https://www.amazon.com/Southwest-Michigan-Fishing-Sportsmans-Connection/dp/1885010508/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546613470&sr=8-1&keywords=sportsman's+connection+michigan

 

12poundbass ~

Ah good call on the book. They have them at our local Wal-Mart. It's been years since I looked through it. This would be way more reliable than what I'm finding on line. What I'm finding on line doesn't list fish on certain lakes I know are loaded with the excluded fish. I'll be getting one of these very soon!

Good catch Lynn! ????

 

A-Jay ~

 Year compare them with what's sold on line - and try to get the newest one out there.

And while the info is good please remember it's a "Reference" and not an actual 'nautical chart'  - but it's certainly better than going in cold.   Do you have or are you planning on getting a chart card for your Humminbird ?

 

12poundbass ~

Good tip with these maps being a 'reference'. That how we treat our underground natural gas prints and any utility print for that matter, merely a reference to let know know what is there.

My Humminbird came with a chart card, so did my Garmin I bought from a BR member

Ok I'm on my lunch reading things over again, studying the map again, and I'm kind of blanking on where they'd spawn. What I'm coming up with is the north side of the lake. It warms the quickest and it has good size flats. 

 

I've never fished this lake and honestly I have seen the lake in at least 8 years. So I get on Google earth today and look at it, and if I had to guess when the image was taken there's at least 5-10' of visibility. In coming up with this based on the map we're both looking at. With that being said and going back to your writing on the spawn it would be quite possible they'd spawn on the 10-15' shelf along the north side? 

Here's a couple questions that are similar I thought of while studying the map. In Buck's book I remember he wrote "the largest bass (or fish) will stay in the deepest part of the lake". Could you elaborate on this? The reason I'm asking is in my mind if this were truly the case (and I'm not going to question Mr. Perry) then there are only a couple spots on Lake X where the largest bass will be. So maybe I'm not interpreting it correctly. The other question ties into what I just mentioned and maybe it'll all be answered at once. I know SMB love deep water. If they have everything they need at say 1-20 FOW and there's 50' FOW will they stay at the 1-20' or will they go all the way to the bottom?

 

Using Lake Xl as an example there's the 70' hole on the south side and there are a couple 50' holes. The way I interpret Buck's writing is these holes will hold the biggest fish, therefore I should (I'm using should very loosely) fish along and around these deep holes. I think I'm taking what I quoted Buck in too literally which is why I'm asking you. 

I've got another question but I'm going to look back at one of your lessons first to see if I can answer it.

 

A-Jay ~

OK - one thing at a time - and in the order, you asked ~ 

Where will they spawn ?  Before we try to "Guess" where on Lake X because that's what we're doing - let's cover 'another factor' not previously discussed but needs to be.

 Where the fish spawn is as much about where the 'parents' feel safe doing it, as it is where is it that the 'eggs are going to hatch and live that entire first summer at.  

 So all the factors that an adult smb needs, have to be present for the 'babies', just on a smaller scale (except access to deep water - not right off anyway).

  So a healthy fertile habitat, that offers the right water temps, some cover to hide in nearby,  and of course, food (baby food I guess).  Water clarity

will play a role in 'how deep the beds are' - especially in places where an attack from over is likely (Hawks, Osprey & Eagles).

This is another reason I believe that in clear water lakes, so many smallies like to 'bed under & or between wood' - might deter free overhead attacks while sitting on or defending the bed & or fry.   So I'm going to say NO - you may not see beds on that 10-15 foot drop.  I'm guessing they'll be shallower - inside, somewhere between the 10 ft line & the 5 ft line or the bank.  I Know that sounds pretty vague - but until you catch a few pre-spawn, that's the deal.  It will be important to mark & remember where you catch the first fatties of the year, as this is going to help give you a 'clue' as to where they might be looking to bed up.  This can help you 'stay on them' - meaning when you come back in a few days or a week perhaps, you'll have a better idea where to start.  With that thought - if the weathers been stable or even better if the sun has been shining prior to that 'next trip', I'd start looking a little shallower than where I'd gotten then previously.  If it's colder or cloudy - I'd start in the same place.  

 In Early pre-spawn - I do not go DEEP looking for smallies, I want to be 'where they are coming to'.  Because they are coming there (shallower usually) to warm up & EAT.  Two of my favorite deals. 

 

While I'd never attempt to refute anything Buck believes, I have enough of my own experience & success that - I will usually go with that.  So as for 'The Largest fish will go to the deepest part of the lake' stuff - I don't factor that into ANY of the smallie fishing I do.   

First off, I catch plenty of big smallies in water 30 ft or less in lakes that are well over 100 ft deep.  Smallies will go WHERE THE FOOD IS.  And while there may be food in 70 ft - I'm going to stick with what has worked for me.  I will say that during the warmer months - on deep lakes that have a thermocline - smallies will certainly suspend right above that thermocline over deep water.  So if the line is at say 25 feet - they may suspend at 23 ft but out over 70 feet. Sometimes you can graph them.  What I will do then, is look for places close by where that thermocline meets the bottom - Often that's where they come to feed - they do not have to alter their depth - just travel horizontally to a nearby drop and choke gobies for an hour or so and then it's back out to the abyss. This can play itself out most of the summer and what makes summer brown bass fishing a little tricky.  

 Some of this we've not discussed- yet; and while there's plenty more where that came from, we'll still take it slow - or as it comes - 

 Finally, and this goes to 'mindset' - When I first started fishing here in Michigan - from the canoe - I was learning on the fly big time.  I was fishing new water practically every trip for the first year of so anyway & I was fishing technique's I hadn't done in many years. 

   When I look back at those times, three things really stick out.  First, how 'out of my element' I felt the first few months - I had been standing on the beach or a rock jetty in the Atlantic ocean, in pounding surf, in the middle of the night, chasing striped bass for the past 15 years.  Floating around in the morning mist in the Old Town seemed like an out of body experience.  Second thing was, How many things I had to put together all at the same time; fish location, boat position, tackle & bait selections, what weather conditions were best, what lakes were good or bad, when to fish, when not to fish.  And How Hard I worked at it before ANY OF IT started to make sense & then to produce REPEATABLE RESULTS.  It was grind !  

I knew (hoped) it would come together but I didn't know when and getting impatient was MY WORSE ENEMY.  And Thirdly, How TOTALLY satisfying those first few Fat Smallies were to hold.  I could not have been any happier or to be truthful - Prouder, of those fish, mostly because of how hard I had to work to find & catch them, How long it took and how bright the future for me there was going be - because when it started happening - I could tell the fish were there and I was the only knucklehead out there fishing for them - Good Times.  

 

  So cut yourself some slack, work hard but have fun and know that at some point - you're gonna catch some Great Fish!!!   Just might not happen right away . . .

 

12poundbass ~

I have to admit Friday I became a little discouraged. I was doing some research on my target lakes for SMB (there are very few around here) and I found some fishing 'reports' (yes, yes I know don't listen to them, and I'm trying) and I also found a couple DNR surveys from Lake X. The results weren't very encouraging. I know there are so many variables that could have contributed to the poor results for SMB and I know it's not an exact science either. On the bright side one fishing report I read said there's a healthy population of 3-4lb SMB in Lake X, that was encouraging considering it came from an angler on a Michigan fishing forum. I think I just need to slow down, and remember this is going to be my first year fishing for them in a lake, and I'm going to struggle. With all this great info in getting it's real easy to get ahead of myself, so  once in a while I need a slap up side the head to bring my back to reality. ????

 

A-Jay ~

 I'm not sure what "Fishing Reports" you're reading, but what I'll say is that ~ IT DOESN'T MATTER.   As long as there's something that say's there's smallmouth in a place - I'll fish it and make my own assessment of how many & how big they might be.  Several of the smaller lakes I fish are dynamite and the locals think I'm wasting my time out there.  

  

   Storytime -  I had a killer day on "Lake X".  It was fall of my third year fishing here in Michigan and the shallow tube bite was on like donkey kong.  So much so, that I brought Lynn back the next day  . . .  and it was even better.  We caught several 'Master Angler' smb and took several pics (This was before the video stuff came into play).  As we were leaving and Older Gent met us at the ramp.  He said he had seen me out there the day before and couldn't imagine why I was back today "because the fishing is terrible here" - I told him were we catching some nice bass.   He went on to say that he had lived on Lake X for 50 YEARS and only caught 1 bass - by accident fishing for walleye.  I pulled out the Nixon and showed him the pics - Should have seen his face - It was priceless - I don't think he believed us even after seeing the pics - we still talk about that day - Many times as we put one in the net there, one of us will say, "The fishing here is Terrible" . . . . .    

   So I'd encourage you to fish the lakes you want and make your own "fishing reports".  There are some lakes that I fished for two seasons in the beginning and found out that there just were no "bigger" bass in them, and if there were - I wasn't getting them.  But using the same 'techniques, ideas, & presentations' on other bodies of water, I had much better results.  So I don't fish the dink lakes anymore - the important fact to know here is 'the fishing reports' I read RARELY matched what I eventually found out myself.   And this includes that book I left the link to above. 

  We got 'some snow' last night with more on the way today - so I am heading out to participate in some 'removal operation'.  Have a good one my friend - 

A-Jay

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

MIbassyaker reply : 

I have the sportsman connection book that includes @12poundbass's "lake X" here, and it does indicate smallmouth are present, even includes some (very) old survey data that turned up some smallies. Useful books, but as AJ indicates, the "notes" and "fishing information" on each lake are hilariously unreliable about how good the place is for each species, and what the best spots and techniques are to catch them.   

---

12poundbass reply : 

  On 1/8/2019 at 8:43 AM, MIbassyaker said:

I have the sportsman connection book that includes @12poundbass's "lake X" here, and it does indicate smallmouth are present, even includes some (very) old survey data that turned up some smallies. Useful books, but as AJ indicates, the "notes" and "fishing information" on each lake are hilariously unreliable about how good the place is for each species, and what the best spots and techniques are to catch them.   

Awesome! Thanks for the reminder, I completely forgot to order that book. 

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slonezp reply : 

  On 1/8/2019 at 8:43 AM, MIbassyaker said:

I have the sportsman connection book that includes @12poundbass's "lake X" here, and it does indicate smallmouth are present, even includes some (very) old survey data that turned up some smallies. Useful books, but as AJ indicates, the "notes" and "fishing information" on each lake are hilariously unreliable about how good the place is for each species, and what the best spots and techniques are to catch them.   

How good is your forage? How healthy is your habitat? Answer those questions and you should have an idea about how good a place it is. As far as spots and techniques. It's all relative. Just like any other fish species, water clarity, water temp, high/low pressure, wind/no wind, sun/clouds, time of day, will all play a factor.

---

Team9nine reply : 

  On 1/8/2019 at 6:07 AM, A-Jay said:

"Breaking Down Lake X  Pre-spawn to Spawn" 

 

12poundbass ~

 

Here's a couple questions that are similar I thought of while studying the map. In Buck's book I remember he wrote "the largest bass (or fish) will stay in the deepest part of the lake". Could you elaborate on this? The reason I'm asking is in my mind if this were truly the case (and I'm not going to question Mr. Perry) then there are only a couple spots on Lake X where the largest bass will be. So maybe I'm not interpreting it correctly. The other question ties into what I just mentioned and maybe it'll all be answered at once. I know SMB love deep water. If they have everything they need at say 1-20 FOW and there's 50' FOW will they stay at the 1-20' or will they go all the way to the bottom?

 

Using Lake Xl as an example there's the 70' hole on the south side and there are a couple 50' holes. The way I interpret Buck's writing is these holes will hold the biggest fish, therefore I should (I'm using should very loosely) fish along and around these deep holes. I think I'm taking what I quoted Buck in too literally which is why I'm asking you. 

 

I've got another question but I'm going to look back at one of your lessons first to see if I can answer it.

 

Just finally got around to reading this newest addition to the saga last night and wanted to add a couple comments to clarify on the Buck stuff highlighted above.

 

Buck's purpose was to create a set of guidelines to follow that would allow anyone to be able to go to a lake, anywhere in the country, and quickly figure out where it made the most sense to concentrate their efforts so as to be able to put some fish in the boat. In that regard, "the home of the fish is deep water" became the first guideline.

 

What this simply means is that in this case, where we are referencing a natural lake, the first thing you look for on your map is, where is the deep water in the lake? On a natural lake, those are almost always holes or basins. Every hole or basin, and there are often several of them, has the potential to house it's own population of fish, almost like a lake within a lake, if you will. Once you identify these basins, you then look for the structures, breaks and breaklines adjacent to these areas the fish would most likely use during the different times of the year [weather and water conditions, along with seasonal movements will determine what depth (shallow, deep or somewhere in-between) and where in these areas the fish will be located].

 

You would want to check out ALL the deep basin areas if you had the time, but if you didn't and you had to prioritize, you would start with the deepest one. You're playing the odds in thinking that it most likely offers the best chance at the biggest or most fish, at least until proven otherwise. Now, that doesn't mean the fish will always be in the deep water, or just how deep they will be, or even that they'll be on the bottom in these areas...they could easily be suspended over the deeper water in some cases, or maybe migrated on up to a weedline or even scattered over an adjacent flat. Doesn't matter - you figure all that out when you start methodically fishing the areas, which you should do from the shallows out (another guideline). But what you don't do is just go randomly running around the lake fishing everything that looks good or every spot someone told you to check, and end up coming off the water not knowing much more about the lake than when you first started.

 

With just a few trips/days and a methodical system, you should be able to get many of the answers as to what makes a particular lake "tick."

---

A-Jay reply : 

  On 1/11/2019 at 10:30 PM, Team9nine said:

Just finally got around to reading this newest addition to the saga last night and wanted to add a couple comments to clarify on the Buck stuff highlighted above.

 

Buck's purpose was to create a set of guidelines to follow that would allow anyone to be able to go to a lake, anywhere in the country, and quickly figure out where it made the most sense to concentrate their efforts so as to be able to put some fish in the boat. In that regard, "the home of the fish is deep water" became the first guideline.

 

What this simply means is that in this case, where we are referencing a natural lake, the first thing you look for on your map is, where is the deep water in the lake? On a natural lake, those are almost always holes or basins. Every hole or basin, and there are often several of them, has the potential to house it's own population of fish, almost like a lake within a lake, if you will. Once you identify these basins, you then look for the structures, breaks and breaklines adjacent to these areas the fish would most likely use during the different times of the year [weather and water conditions, along with seasonal movements will determine what depth (shallow, deep or somewhere in-between) and where in these areas the fish will be located].

 

You would want to check out ALL the deep basin areas if you had the time, but if you didn't and you had to prioritize, you would start with the deepest one. You're playing the odds in thinking that it most likely offers the best chance at the biggest or most fish, at least until proven otherwise. Now, that doesn't mean the fish will always be in the deep water, or just how deep they will be, or even that they'll be on the bottom in these areas...they could easily be suspended over the deeper water in some cases, or maybe migrated on up to a weedline or even scattered over an adjacent flat. Doesn't matter - you figure all that out when you start methodically fishing the areas, which you should do from the shallows out (another guideline). But what you don't do is just go randomly running around the lake fishing everything that looks good or every spot someone told you to check, and end up coming off the water not knowing much more about the lake than when you first started.

 

With just a few trips/days and a methodical system, you should be able to get many of the answers as to what makes a particular lake "tick."

Thank You ~ 

btw - do you really think it's a saga ?

I was leaning a little more towards a yarn. 

A-Jay

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Team9nine reply : 

  On 1/11/2019 at 11:46 PM, A-Jay said:

Thank You ~ 

btw - do you really think it's a saga ?

I was leaning a little more toward a yarn. 

A-Jay

Lol - novel? Mini-series? ????

 

I'm copy/pasting everything into Word and editing/cleaning everything up, chapters, etc. It will be a "book" when I'm done with it - haha ???? 

 

Enjoying the read...

---

J Francho reply : 

I don't know, but I've been binge reading.

---

A-Jay reply : 

  On 1/12/2019 at 12:20 AM, Team9nine said:

Lol - novel? Mini-series? ????

 

I'm copy/pasting everything into Word and editing/cleaning everything up. It will be a "book" when I'm done with it - haha ???? 

 

Enjoying the read...

I hear ya - 

It's already been too long a winter. 

A-Jay

---

Turkey sandwich reply : 

holy #$6%.  

 

Well, there's a lot of stuff on this thread.  

 

A-Jay - I hate (am incredibly jealous of) you for being retired. 

 

Chris

---

A-Jay reply : 

  On 1/12/2019 at 5:01 PM, Turkey sandwich said:

holy #$6%.  

 

Well, there's a lot of stuff on this thread.  

 

A-Jay - I hate (am incredibly jealous of) you for being retired. 

 

Chris

There's some more on the way Chris . . .

Retirement is what we can manage to make out of it.

It's not all sunshine and rainbow but it definitely has it moments.

I never enjoy having to check the next to the last 'box' on any age questionnaire or form.

Means I only have one left.

Plan is to make the most of that.

A-Jay

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Turkey sandwich reply : 

  On 1/12/2019 at 9:24 PM, A-Jay said:

There's some more on the way Chris . . .

Retirement is what we can manage to make out of it.

It's not all sunshine and rainbow but it definitely has it moments.

I never enjoy having to check the next to the last 'box' on any age questionnaire or form.

Means I only have one left.

Plan is to make the most of that.

A-Jay

 

 

Cheers, and happy New Year, buddy!  I can't wait to read through this thread and compare strategies.  

---

Log Catcher reply : 

  On 1/12/2019 at 12:20 AM, Team9nine said:

Lol - novel? Mini-series? ????

 

I'm copy/pasting everything into Word and editing/cleaning everything up, chapters, etc. It will be a "book" when I'm done with it - haha ???? 

 

Enjoying the read...

Do you and @A-Jay have a publisher lined up yet?

---

A-Jay reply : 

 ~ Some Drop Shot info ~

 

12poundbass ~

I got some more "Brown Bass Tools" Tuesday (my TW order). The only thing I can think of at this point I still need is hooks, I'm going to order in bulk this year. What's your recommendation for drop shot hooks? I have a few small ones I received in my MTB last year, I know you had mentioned you were going a little bigger. 

 

A-Jay ~

OK ~ So Drop Shot Hooks

 I've been through quite a few makes, models and even more sizes past few seasons - I've settled on these.

Reasons are - they match my baits, they match the tackle I'm fishing them with, and 

most importantly, they HOOK & HOLD the Bass I'm Looking to Catch !

 Both the Brown & Green models.

  Supplemental info - over the past say, three or four years, much of my drop shot fishing, especially mid-late season, has migrated to using 'bigger baits'; relative term.

 Where in previous deals I was using, the standard skinny 4 & 6 inch Sculpins, Robo worms & Dream Shots - and they catch bass for sure, I started drop shotting a baby rage craw, and then a full-size craw and then 4 & 5 inch Fluke and started getting bites from more bigger fish.  But along with that, I was losing a few fish, because the hooks & manner I was using them was apparently inefficient.  First off, in some instances, my hook selection was too small.  Secondly, while I like nose hooking, seems it's not the best way when I'm targeting bigger smallies - which is ALL The TIME pretty much.  Nose hooking also picks up eel grass when it's there and the little hooks have a tendency to skin hook a lot leading them to come unpinned too much for my liking.  

 I do Tex-pose my drop shot plastic when needed but all things being equal, I prefer not to if I can.

***Note *** regarding the Hooks Pictured - I use SEVERAL DIFFERENT sizes - I offered these to allow for the name, brand, type, and model number identification purposes.  

 So we've ventured into using a little bigger, longer shanked hook.  

 So if you look at the Picture provided, the bottom row - those are all GREAT DROP SHOT OPTIONS and ones I still use a ton; mostly for nose hooking.  

 That whole top row of hooks are what I go to for bigger baits and when I want to 'top hook' a bait; meaning inserting the hook like you would put say a swimbait on a jighead.  Where the hook goes in the front/nose of the bait, is threaded into & down the body of the bait BUT comes out the top.   Still a drop shot, but when a fluke or a caffeine shad is rigged like this, the hook up to land ratio goes way up.  Brownies are generally impaled in the top or the roof of the mouth and they generally Do NOT come off. 

   I definitely use a little 'beefier gear', like M instead of ML and 8-10 lb fluorocarbon leader instead of 4-6 lb. The bigger Hook size demands a bit more pressure to sink it successfully, but after that, it's just a matter to playing that brown tank into the net.

 This works GREAT for Green bass too. Think Rage Craw !

 

12poundbass ~

Finesse fishing is going to be a struggle for me. The Senko is my crutch and I probably don't fish it as slow as I should and that's painfully slow to me. So to slow down, even more, is going to be really really difficult. 

I'm glad you recommended bigger hooks because even though I've never used the small ones, they just seem too small, that's probably my inexperience but it would take a lot for me to gain any confidence in the little hooks. 

 

A-Jay~

The single best piece advice I can offer when it comes to drop shot fishing is . . .

 To present your plastic like it was LIVE BAIT - regardless of which drop-shot plastic you're fishing.  Meaning, one does not generally do much with live bait other than throw it out there and  . . wait.

 So I'm rarely shaking, wiggling or 'working' my drop shot presentations much if at all.  

Clearly, there are times where imparting a 'little action' to the bait is the deal and bass will gobble them up. And I'll do that if & when it works.  However,  I'm usually fishing a drop shot because I believe the fish are either in a neutral or negative mood - meaning they may not chase a moving bait.  So a subtle, do-nothing approach can put a few in the net.  Finally, if I have to turn the drop shot into a moving bait to get bit - I'm probably going to fish something else. 

   My versions  (especially for those 'tough bite days') . . . . . . . 

 Cast it out, let the weight get to & settle on the bottom on a slack line - then softly take up ALMOST ALL the slack so that your bait will be suspended over the bottom cover if there is any. Places where there is little to no bottom weed, or I'm drop shotting a Rage craw - I let the bait sit on the bottom.

 And then just hold it there, on a semi-tight or slack (however you say it) line and commence 'bite detection mode'.  After sitting for some time with no bite, drag it a bit and start the process again.  How far I move it and how long I leave it, is almost always dictated by water clarity & temperature as well as the 'mood' of the fish; unfortunately, it's tough to know 'the mood' until I put a few in the net.  Until I hook a few, I play with the drag length & wait time until the magic happens.   But in general - the clearer & warmer the water, the farther I move it.  Conversely the dirtier and or colder the water - I may not move it more than a foot or two at a time.  How long I let it sit is pretty much guided by the same parameters mentioned above.   I can cover some decent water doing this.

 

 So Mr. Senko fisherman - what I just described seems eerily similar to how most all of my very best STICK BAIT bite days end up - cast it out & let it sit - the magic happens the less you do with it - Including DEAD STICKING the thing.  Seems you've been "Training" to fish a Drop Shot for a while now . . . . 

I'll get some drop shot bait pics up tomorrow -

 

A-Jay

 

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A-Jay reply : 

 

The following article appeared in Bassmaster and was written by Peter B Mathiesen with help from John Tertuliani, a biologist for the U.S. Department of the Interior in Columbus, Ohio.

 

 I think this one may have been penned more with Green Bass in mind, but realizing how hard the Brown bass up this way hunt, consume & routinely depend on crawfish, as a major portion of their diet, I found this essay quite useful.

 

 Understanding Bass Forage: Crawfish

 

"Knowing the mating and molting rituals of crawfish will give you the upper hand when using imitation baits.

Most bass anglers use crawfish imitations without a very clear understanding of why they should be throwing them, and more importantly when. All of us know that crawfish lures are often effective and sometimes the only go-to bait of the day. But to truly understand when you need to use a crawfish bait, you have to understand why bass eat them and when this forage is most appetizing to the quarry anglers seek.

  

   Crawfish are everywhere: ditches, frequently flooded agricultural fields, almost all ponds and, of course, your favorite impoundment or river. There's not a state in the contiguous 48 that doesn't have millions of them swimming around feeding the local bass populous, not to mention Cajuns and the occasional Cajun wannabe.

 

   Intimate knowledge of crawfish behavior will empower you to fully exploit baits that imitate this popular dinner item of bass — and going back to science class is your ticket to information. Bassmaster wants to take you back to school with some of the most knowledgeable freshwater lobstermen in the industry. Keep in mind that the parameters, times and conditions that will be discussed vary from water to water, subspecies to subspecies and latitude to latitude.

 

   Like all creatures, crawfish are determined to mate, eat and protect themselves from predators. Understanding the timing of these events is key to consistently taking bass on crawfish imitations.

 

Love on the rocks

  February through May is the first major period of crawfish activity, based on geographic location. When the water temperature reaches approximately 50 degrees, crawfish emerge from rock crevices into the great wide open and begin looking for receptive females. 

 

   Many of the emerging crawfish males and females are still sexually active from the previous fall. What's significant about this two to three week period in spring (depending on rising water temperature), is that it's one of the few times males walk on top of rocks, exposing themselves to bass.

 

   Trapping studies have revealed that below 45 degrees, crawfish have little to no activity while buried in mud burrows or rock crevices. But when the water rises to 50 degrees, it's a whole new ballgame.

 

   Where will bass be picking off these vulnerable mudbugs? Rocks will point the way. It may sound oversimplified, but rocky substrate has the highest concentration of exposed crawfish, which in turn translates to the greatest numbers of feeding bass.

 

   Prime conditions in most bass watersheds combine 50-degree average water temperature with rocks clean of silt or mud. Unlike bass that clean their spawning ground with their tails, crawfish rely on current or wave action to do their housework. The rocks must be clean to open up caves that can create endless lattices of spawning habitat. That may be at 3 feet of water on a wind-swept point, or at 30 feet on a small hump in the middle of the lake. Whether you're fishing in Alabama in February or Michigan in May, the formulation of season, clean rock and ideal temperature is guaranteed to attract most of the mating crawfish — and feeding bass — in the area.

 

   Depending on the species, crawfish can and will spawn in mud. However, they rarely do so if clean, rocky habitat is available.  One of the ways bass locate crawfish is by sound. "A crawfish moving on a rock makes a tapping/clicking noise. Bass use this sound to locate crawfish," said Tertuliani.

 

   Crawfish also are light sensitive. Water clarity and penetrating sunlight are key ingredients to active, quality habitat. If the prime habitat happens to be in shallow water or is more exposed to direct sunlight, low light or cloudy days often provide better fishing than bright afternoons.

 

The naked truth

 After mating, the females burrow into a cave and fertilize their eggs with the sperm that has been deposited on them by the males. The males then molt, losing their calcified sexual organs, and quickly hide. "The molt" as it is often referred to, is supposed to be the time bass gorge on crawfish. This may not be the case. "Many anglers associate molting with intense bass activity on crawfish baits in the spring. And actually, this spike in activity is most likely due to the vulnerability of crawfish during the mating cycle," said Tertuliani.

 

   After the molt, males return to a reclusive pattern and are not as available to bass as they were when they were mating. They will feed in their cave burrows if possible, and only expose themselves in the evening or in low light conditions.

 

   The molt will dramatically change the color of crawfish from a camouflage olive/brown, to a bright orange or red cast, making them an easy visual target for bass. But understand that a bass must work more diligently, and expend much more energy to catch a crawfish during the molt than during the mating cycle.

 

   Meanwhile, the females will hatch their eggs in 30 days or so (depending on water temperatures). The hatchlings stay attached to the female and molt every two to seven days, depending on species. After the third molt, when they reach approximately one-half inch in length, they fall off their mother. The females quickly molt and go into a quiet summer low light feeding pattern, staying in the rock crevices as much as possible.

 

   The little crawfish fall into the rocks, where they molt multiple times and eat, until the fall — when most become adults, depending on the length of the growing season. During their early summer growth period, the greatest threat to the juvenile crawfish comes from chubs and bottom feeders, not bass.

 

Fall is the best

When fall arrives and you're throwing a shad imitation, revisit the rocks you fished in the spring with a crawfish bait. The fall mating cycle is actually the most intense and often is completely ignored by bass anglers. The process can be especially intense in southern latitudes. The fall mating period is made up of all the adult crawfish that are sexually mature. There are species exceptions, and temperatures falling too rapidly below 45 degrees can shut it down early, sending the crawfish into a dormant state.

 

 Fish the fall the same way you fish the spring, and you'll find the fall mating cycle is a bonanza.

 

No legs, no claws, no glory

The research group at Pure Fishing in Spirit Lake, Iowa, is actively seeking information on crawfish behavior. Pure Fishing manages one of the largest live fish behavioral test facilities in the world and statistically measures fish reaction to baits and key foods.

 

   "We are amazed at many of the findings that have been discovered in our facility in the last few years," said John Prochnow, Product Development Manager. Led by Dr. Keith Jones, multiple tests were made with live bass over several months in a controlled environment to measure what kind of shape the bass preferred when keying on soft plastic crawfish imitations.

 

   For 60 days, 450 largemouth bass, plucked from the same environment, were tested using a robotic arm and a strike counter. Each group of bass was presented a crawfish bait at the same speed and angle of attack. The bass tested had never seen the bait that was presented (it was a prototype). The test then continued, with one pincer removed, then a second pincer removed, and finally, the legs. The soft bait that had no appendages (no legs or pincers, just a body and tail) had the greatest number of strikes.

 

   "The final bait looked almost like a large shrimp," said Proctnov. The research was incorporated into the Berkley Flippin Tube. "We wanted to market a craw with no appendages, but our market research said no one would buy it," Proctnov added.

 

Living on the bottom

Crawfish live on the bottom. That's not to say you can't catch a bass in open water with a crawfish bait. But a live crawfish will not leave the rocks unless it is forced to.

 

   During the summer, bass feeding patterns shift to low light or darkness. Again, bouncing a plastic craw over prime habitat in daylight hours can result in catching bass that are keyed into the pattern, waiting for a midday meal. But for consistent action during dog days, move to deeper, darker rock substrate.

 

   One of the best ways to fish crawfish baits, hard plastic or soft, is to work them parallel to rocky banks, changing depths until you find fish. One of the most important elements of making a believable presentation with a crawfish imitation is to keep contact with the rock or cover you are fishing. The ticking of a crankbait bill or lead sinker against a rock imitates the clicking of real crawfish — enticing bass to strike. Plus, contacting the cover ensures your bait is hugging the bottom, where crawfish live. Add internal rattles to plastic baits, and allow the bait to sit for an extended period of time. Small shakes of the rod tip will activate the rattles, drawing bass to your offering.

 

   Most importantly, follow closely the rituals of this favorite bass forage, and you'll be catching bass on crawfish baits because of knowledge, not just luck.

 

Cutting edge soft bait

Ken Huddleston, the creator of the famous Castaic Trout, is now in the custom soft bait business. "I want to make the most accurate imitation I'm capable of manufacturing. Right now, I make all the baits personally and am committed to keeping my manufacturing in the U.S.A., and refuse to move it offshore." Said Huddleston.

 

   If there has ever been a modern-day renegade bait designer, Ken Huddleston is the guy. His attention to detail and assurance of perfect action has created an almost cult-like demand for the few anglers in the know. The Huddleston Deluxe Bait Co., makes a very lifelike crawfish bait called the Huddle-Bug. It can only be purchased at a select handful of shops in California. You can buy them on the Internet at Ken's site (www.huddleston deluxe.com) for about $6 for a pack of five.

 

Pro's tricks

 Curt Samo, a fishing pro from Rockford, Ill., takes the guesswork out of color and size. In every lake or river system he fishes, Samo launches a crawfish trap the day before the tournament he is fishing. He uses a simple South Bend Crawfish Trap, and stops at the local convenience store on the way to the lake and buys cat food for bait.

 

   "I walk several yards down the bank from the boat ramp, because it's almost always a rocky shore, set the trap and leave it overnight. In the morning, I pull the trap and see the color and size of the local population, match the baits and get to work. On a northern lake, Samo found an almost fluorescent orange crawfish occupying the trap. "I changed baits, matched the color and have cashed a check in 90 percent of the tournaments I've fished on that water since," said Samo."

 

While I do not utilize the crawfish trap deal to check on the status of the bugs in my area, that doesn't seem like a bad plan, if one has the opportunity.  However, once I can get a few and if & when the state regs permit fish retention, my live well is often littered with all the information I might need. 

 

A-Jay

 

 

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Janderson45 reply : 

@A-Jay I just converted the majority of this thread into an iBook on my phone, I’ve been trying/wanting to read it all but since I typically am using my phone when browsing BassResource it’s been really tough for me to get through a dense wall of text in typical forum posting format.  I was able to easily separate the content into “pages” and further break it down into the chapters that you outlined.  Hope this is OK with you, don’t plan on distributing it just wanted to be able to digest it easier!

 

Looking forward to digging into it now..

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 1/18/2019 at 7:28 AM, Janderson45 said:

@A-Jay I just converted the majority of this thread into an iBook on my phone, I’ve been trying/wanting to read it all but since I typically am using my phone when browsing BassResource it’s been really tough for me to get through a dense wall of text in typical forum posting format.  I was able to easily separate the content into “pages” and further break it down into the chapters that you outlined.  Hope this is OK with you, don’t plan on distributing it just wanted to be able to digest it easier!

 

Looking forward to digging into it now..

@Janderson45 - It's all good.  

 I knew going into this that it would present some 'reading challenges', but it's pretty much the nature of the beast when there's a lot of info like that.

 In this day & age where there's so much info out there floating around - I've read a ton of it myself.

So much of what I read is the same old regurgitated stuff that seems like it's copied & pasted from place to place.

And there's a ton about Tackle, Baits & Specific Techniques, which is valuable & needed - however some of what has benefitted my fishing just as much, has been "Everything Else". 

So while tackle, baits & specific techniques are offered here as well, the rest of what I'm offering up here revolves around 'the everything else'.

 Hope it helps you out and if it does - I'd love to hear about it.

A-Jay

 

 

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slonezp reply : 

@12poundbass Want to drop shot but not lose the Senko? Nose hook a Senko and put a nail weight (or just a nail) in the tail end. Hop it slowly on the bottom. Best of both worlds. You can do this with a fluke as well. Tail hook the fluke and put the nail in the nose. I makes it look as if the bait is feeding on the bottom.

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12poundbass reply : 

  On 1/27/2019 at 8:54 AM, slonezp said:

@12poundbass Want to drop shot but not lose the Senko? Nose hook a Senko and put a nail weight (or just a nail) in the tail end. Hop it slowly on the bottom. Best of both worlds. You can do this with a fluke as well. Tail hook the fluke and put the nail in the nose. I makes it look as if the bait is feeding on the bottom.

My goal is to get rid of my crutch this year.

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Turkey sandwich reply : 

I'm on Chapter 4 and this is sensational.  @A-Jay have you considered organizing this info and writing a book? Not kidding.  The information you're covering here is that good.  I've had discussions with plenty of guides and even some pros that don't put this much consideration into structure fishing.  

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Coldbasser reply : 

Thank You for a great how to approach small mouth bass fishing 

i sincerely hope my education lasts as long as I do.

sincerely

Rick 

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basscatcher8 reply : 

Dang AJ when's your book coming out? I'm reading Tony Beans book for the 5th or 6th time I could use something new. You've answered so many questions I've had bouncing in my head for years and even questions I didn't know I had. Thank you!

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 3/2/2019 at 2:08 AM, basscatcher8 said:

Dang AJ when's your book coming out? I'm reading Tony Beans book for the 5th or 6th time I could use something new. You've answered so many questions I've had bouncing in my head for years and even questions I didn't know I had. Thank you!

Thank you for the kind words & your support, I appreciate it.

Mr. Bean's book(s) are full of info we can all benefit from.

A-Jay 

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A-Jay reply : 

I have to admit it, there just may be something to these Brown Bass Tools after all . .. . 

A-Jay

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Tim Kelly reply : 

  On 1/18/2019 at 6:09 AM, A-Jay said:

No legs, no claws, no glory

The research group at Pure Fishing in Spirit Lake, Iowa, is actively seeking information on crawfish behavior. Pure Fishing manages one of the largest live fish behavioral test facilities in the world and statistically measures fish reaction to baits and key foods.

 

   "We are amazed at many of the findings that have been discovered in our facility in the last few years," said John Prochnow, Product Development Manager. Led by Dr. Keith Jones, multiple tests were made with live bass over several months in a controlled environment to measure what kind of shape the bass preferred when keying on soft plastic crawfish imitations.

 

   For 60 days, 450 largemouth bass, plucked from the same environment, were tested using a robotic arm and a strike counter. Each group of bass was presented a crawfish bait at the same speed and angle of attack. The bass tested had never seen the bait that was presented (it was a prototype). The test then continued, with one pincer removed, then a second pincer removed, and finally, the legs. The soft bait that had no appendages (no legs or pincers, just a body and tail) had the greatest number of strikes.

 

   "The final bait looked almost like a large shrimp," said Proctnov. The research was incorporated into the Berkley Flippin Tube. "We wanted to market a craw with no appendages, but our market research said no one would buy it," Proctnov added.

Ha ha! That's the article I remember reading a few years ago. I wonder how many TRDs have been sold now. Berkley must feel like the record companies that turned down the Beatles. 

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12poundbass reply : 

  On 5/15/2019 at 9:35 AM, A-Jay said:

I have to admit it, there just may be something to these Brown Bass Tools after all . .. . 

A-Jay

Holy crap! ????

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slonezp reply : 

Whats the main forage? Shad? Smelt? I can't imagine there are gobies in your waters.

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 5/20/2019 at 6:03 AM, slonezp said:

Whats the main forage? Shad? Smelt? I can't imagine there are gobies in your waters.

Almost always Crayfish & Perch.

This lake along with several of the other big lakes I fish, are connected to each other via rivers.

The important part of that is this, Includes the Great Lakes - which are only a few miles (as the crow flies) from this one.

So there's gobies & zebra mussels.

A-Jay

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slonezp reply : 

  On 5/20/2019 at 6:56 AM, A-Jay said:

Almost always Crayfish & Perch.

This lake along with several of the other big lakes I fish, are connected to each other via rivers.

The important part of that is this, Includes the Great Lakes - which are only a few miles (as the crow flies) from this one.

So there's gobies & zebra mussels.

A-Jay

I assume your fish are resident fish and not migratory?

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 5/20/2019 at 7:36 AM, slonezp said:

I assume your fish are resident fish and not migratory?

I can only guess but I'd say yes.

After a few weeks of post spawn, these big girls virtually disappear until mid August.  Locating them from mid-June thru July is tough.

Whether they suspend or go deep or suspend deep - where ever it is, it's like the place that's never found; at least not by me . . .yet.

A-Jay  

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slonezp reply : 

  On 5/20/2019 at 8:28 AM, A-Jay said:

I can only guess but I'd say yes.

After a few weeks of post spawn, these big girls virtually disappear until mid August.  Locating them from mid-June thru July is tough.

Whether they suspend or go deep or suspend deep - where ever it is, it's like the place that's never found; at least not by me . . .yet.

A-Jay  

Maybe they go back to the homeland. Resident smallies on my home water are predictable. There are not a lot of them, but they congregate in the same areas. If I can find the summer walleyes, the smallies will be near and vice versa. On Lake Michigan the bass move with the forage and water temps during the summer. Unfortunately, at this point in my life, I don't have the time to figure them out. Nor do I have the patience to fish for suspended fish in 40 or 50ft of water during the summer months. Maybe someday.    

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J Francho reply : 

By mid summer, Lake O. smallies are puking up small white bass, small perch, and crayfish.  On Erie it's all craws.

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Turkey sandwich reply : 

Has anyone brought up the idea of a Bass Resource North fishing trip recently? 

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 5/21/2019 at 10:39 AM, Turkey sandwich said:

Has anyone brought up the idea of a Bass Resource North fishing trip recently? 

Yes - We're all coming to your house.

See you in a bit . . . 

A-Jay

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slonezp reply : 

Lake Menderchuck would be a stellar option for said trip. Unfortunately the Googler can't seem to locate the ramp coordinates 

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12poundbass reply : 

  On 5/21/2019 at 9:42 PM, slonezp said:

Lake Menderchuck would be a stellar option for said trip. Unfortunately the Googler can't seem to locate the ramp coordinates 

All you have to do is ask me. It’s right next to lake Nunya. 

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A-Jay reply : 

                                            Vibrating Jigs for Smallies

 

Been a while since I’ve made an addition to this thread, figured I’d take care of that.  Going to cover the why, where, when & how regarding presenting vibrating jigs for smallies.  While this information centers around how I present these baits in northern Michigan for brown bass, there’s a decent chance much of it can be applied effectively in other areas where smallmouth bass inhabit. Might even come in handy for a few green bass as well.

 

OK, First I’ll cover the why.  Why do I fish a vibrating jig for smallies?  The short answer is because they eat it.   

  Beyond that, there are several baits & presentations that I can & do fish at similar times and in similar scenarios that do take brown bass.  However the more I fish a vibrating jig for smallmouth, the more and bigger fish I’ve been catching.    Perhaps it’s because a vibrating jig is ‘the new kid on the block’, and there’s a bit of the novelty factor involved.  Either way, at this point, I’m convinced that after a couple of season throwing it, I may have only scratched the surface of the vibrating jigs full potential.

 

The Where ~ I am most often presenting these baits low & slow.

Not that the baits are less effective in the middle or upper portion of the water column, just that for me, I seem to have my best success this way; in 3 to say 12 ft. of mostly clear or slightly colored water.  I ‘m usually reaching for something else to fish a little higher or a little deeper.   And that might simply be personal preference more than anything else.

 To also help answer the where, I’ll say that I use vibrating jigs sort of like a shallow to medium running crank bait – except in places with bottom vegetation.  In these areas, a crank bait usually bogs down, but these baits come through nicely.  While a lipless / rattle bait often works well in these same grassy areas, the advantage I’ve realized with the vibrating jig, is that I can fish it super slow and the bait still has sufficient ‘action’ or attracting qualities, to get bites.

 

This leads me nicely into The When.  When chasing big brown bass, early & late season are the prime times.  Fish are generally shallow(er), which makes them a whole more accessible, and they are looking to eat, which I really like.  These are usually times when the water is cooler.  So being able to crawl a bait along the bottom, in & around vegetation, have it fish effectively and get bites, makes a vibrating jig a decent option.  Clearly there are a number of baits that offer many of the same benefits.  Swim jigs & swim baits come to mind, just to name a couple.  But there is something about these baits that seems to get bites when some of the other presentations I’ve tried in the same areas, have not.  Makes me keep reaching for the rig that’s got one tied on, more and more.

 

And here’s where I go over The How.  The how in this case is the actual baits themselves and the gear I fish them on.  Clearly most

ALL of this comes down to personal preference.  

First the baits.

I have and fish 4 Model / types, if you will.  Each is a little different but could still be utilized interchangeably. 

 

To start, I fish the 3/8 oz. and the ½ oz. almost exclusively.  Reserving the few 3/4 oz. baits for casting into a heavy wind.  

As for colors, regardless of brand or type, I’m throwing pretty much ‘natural’ types of deals.  I make my own skirts, so there’s a lot of green pumpkins, and perch & crawfish type shades happening; with a smattering of white & chartreuse because I think there’s a rule that says I have to.   I replace them as needed.

   There are several (million) trailers that work, I use 3 only and there really isn’t any rhyme or reason to what I hang on the back as these all catch fish for me.  The Strike King Rage Bug and Blade Minnow are good.  As is the Yamamota Zako.  I’ve fished paddle tail swimbait style trailers quite a bit in the past and have all but abandoned their use here.  Where a swimbait makes an excellent trailer on swim jigs and spinnerbaits – It just does not produce for me like the baits mentioned above.  Even when I turn the tail up, which may folks swear by.

 

The Strike King Rage Blade – one of the first baits of this type I fished. Seems to excel in the coldest of water. Works best on a slow retrieve as it has decent bit of rise to it otherwise. Hangs up in wood.

 

The Z-Man Chatterbait Freedom ~ Is effective for me in any situation I want to present a vibrating jig and possesses two distinct features that I find very beneficial. First, the ability/option to attach most any hook of my choice.  This includes but is not limited to a stout EWG.  So the second feature is that EWG makes an already semi-weed less rig, even more so.  I will mention that the hook up ratio for me with Tex-posed trailers is a bit lower than rigs that are not.  (open hooks)   

 

The O.S.P. Bladed Jig.  This is a Japanese bait I took a flyer on a few years back.  Got it off E-Bay.  This bait has a bit smaller profile that includes a smaller hook, guessing maybe 2/0.  The most notable aspect of this one is that it has a small and ‘transparent’ plastic blade.  When the bladed jigs first hit the market, they all came with a shiny metallic blade.  Something I was not digging in many of the super clear water applications here.  Works fine for a speeding spinnerbaits, but not so much for the slower moving bladed jig.  This bait comes with a thin twin tail trailer – that’s pretty decent.  It’s also the only bait I know of that is offered in a 5/8 oz.  Sort of unique.  This one excels in the shallowest of scenarios for me.

 

Finally there’s the Z-Man Evergreen Jackhammer.  Some love it – some hate it.  I’ll keep my comments on this one brief.  If I could only have one, this is it.  Since getting a few, it’s the one I reach for most as it has accounted for ‘several’ trophy sized brown bass.  IMO, it does it all and it does it well.

 

As a final ‘bait’ footnote, I acquired a couple of Strike King Thunder Crickets and while they have yet to produce, they are well made, run true and seem to have quite a bit of potential.  And although I have no firsthand knowledge of the process, I have to believe Mark Zona had a hand in naming it.

 

And lastly, the gear.  Again, and I have to say it, these baits a so versatile and yet unique, they can be fished on just about any thing you’d like to throw it on. Is one type “Better” than another?  Who Knows?  I use what I like and what I have confidence it – that goes for all my fishing and I’d encourage that mind set to anyone & everyone who is willing to listen.  What one angler uses and even has success with, may not be right for another.  So use what you like.  Here's what I like – Rod, Reel & line.

 

   I totally prefer moderate action rods for single hook moving baits. (And many treble hook baits for that matter). 

And well before I settled on the one mentioned below, I was like many anglers in that I was totally unsure what to use or what I would prefer. So after ‘reading’ and watching too many videos, I just went ahead and purchased and then fished a graphite (St Croix), 100 % Glass (Lamiglas) & a Composite stick (Quantum). Needed to be able to compare them- side by side.  Only way I could expect to answer the question.

 In the end, they all worked OK, but I settled on the composite.

Just has the right combination of castability, sensitivity, hook setting and fish fighting ability.  So, I sold the graphite stick and ‘retired’ the glass ones. More on that in a bit.

 

  I use the same rod (and Reel) for spinnerbaits & vibrating jigs as well as squarebills, shallow & medium diving crankbaits.

A 7’4” MH Composite Quantum KVD Crankbait rod. 

 

   I use & prefer a ‘slower’ reel.  Helps keep me from fishing the bait to ‘fast’.  Something I continue to struggle with and always need to pay attention to; especially after I get a few.  I use a Shimano Calcutta 200D round reel.  Has a 5.7:1 ratio.  I love these reels.  A pleasure to chunk & wind all day.

 

 As for line, I prefer Fluorocarbon; specifically, Seaguar InvisX or Tatsu in 15lb.  Done. 

  

Getting back to the glass sticks; I have a couple of yellow Lamiglas Skeet Reese glass rods.  Over this winter, I extended the handles on them both and plan on giving them another go as vibrating jig rods.  We’ll see how it goes.  They are definitely a bit hefty and sort of an acquired taste. 

 

 

 

And so there it is – if you have brown bass to fish for, and you thought vibrating jigs were only for green bass, I’d encourage you to give them a shot.

 Be careful though, you might get your arm broke.

That’s my story and I’m stick ‘in to it.

A-Jay

 

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A-Jay reply : 

@12poundbass ~ 

I’m really glad you did this little write up! I fished the vibrating jig towards the end of last season and a little this year. I can see myself really enjoying throwing this and spinnerbaits. After reading this I think I need to slow my retrieve WAY down. 

 

Question: should I be feeling the blade vibrating all the time while reeling it in? 

 

A-Jay ~ 

Thanks ~ 

 Try reeling the bait along boat side so you can see it.

 Make sure the boat is mostly stopped.  Watch what the bait does at what speed.  You might learn that at least with the Jackhammer, the bait can be retrieved fairly slowly, yet the blade & trailer are still doing their thing.  You don't HAVE to be able to feel it, just need to know, believe & have confidence in what the bait is doing.

Also, remember this is a vibrating JIG - so anyone who knows jig fishing is totally comfortable with Not being able to FEEL any vibration from the jig and yet, it still get's bites - and big ones at that. Bass will eat this as it sits motionless just like a plain jig.

 **** Big thing to remember when smallmouth fishing - even in cold or cooler water - smallies Like to Chase . . . so in cold or cooler water, a vibrating jig that crawls along the bottom for a short distance and then stops very briefly, and then crawls along the bottom and then stops briefly and does that continuously, is very appealing.  They will often follow/ track it a long way - finally eating it. 

And here's the secret . . . every 4 or 5 moves - speed the reel handle quickly one turn only.  Makes the bait jump and look like it's getting away. Very often - if there's a brown fatty following it - she'll often choke it on the pause or the next movement.  This works for swingheads, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, A-Rigs - almost any horizontal moving bait for smallies.  Not a guarantee, but pretty close. 

So there's that. 

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Carol Knowles reply : 

This thread is so helpful!! Thanks 

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Jeff Browning reply : 

  On 5/21/2019 at 10:39 AM, Turkey sandwich said:

Has anyone brought up the idea of a Bass Resource North fishing trip recently? 

Work schedule permitting, I'd be open to a North trip.  I enjoy meeting new people, especially if we share a common interest.

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A-Jay reply : 

                    SWINGHEADS FOR SMALLMOUTH

 

   For the past two seasons at least, and it may be closer to three, a swinghead has been one of, if not my most productive bottom contact presentation for brown bass.  I've mentioned it quite a few times both in threads and in some of the videos I’ve posted,  however I’ve really ever gone into much detail regarding the what, when, where and how, I have the most success with it.   While the majority this centers on using a swinghead for smallmouth bass, as that’s what I target most, I’ve caught many largemouth (as well as Walleye & Pike) with this presentation and do believe that quite a bit of this information will translate well in many green bass dominated fisheries.

 

  The What ~ for the purposes of this document, the ‘swinghead’ can be any one of the lead or tungsten, usually football shaped heads (but not always), with a loosely attached hook. Many models of this bait include the hook permanently attached, while others offer the ability to change or utilize the hook of your choice; I prefer and use this style exclusively.  Routinely this is an EWG worm hook but doesn’t need to be; more on that later in The How.   This type of rig allows the attached trailer to move quite freely during the retrieve while at the same time, can be rigged fairly weedless.  

 

The When – Seasonally, I have yet to have a single month during open water season here, where I could not get bit throwing a swinghead. 

 If & when the fish are relating to or feeding at or near the bottom, this is a viable option, regardless of water temps.  The trailer I chose and the ‘speed’ at which I present the bait, usually must match the water temps, but I’ll cover that coming up in ‘The How’.  

             

       The Where ~ Places that have excelled for me as killer Swinghead spots all have at least one thing in common – Fairly clean bottom; meaning NO or almost No Weed.  The ‘traditional’ swinghead is NOT going to fish effectively in or through places that have anything more than the sparsest of vegetation on them.  Hard bottom zones of rock or wood can be prime.  However, a sand bottom may be my favorite. 

 

  Perhaps a decent way to access effective swinghead waters is to understand that this bait fishes much like a lipped medium or deep running crankbait.  So while these baits have that in common, there are a few major differences and these may be contributing factors to the swinghead’s effectiveness.   Although both are, for the most, horizontal moving presentations, the swinghead does not need to be ‘cranked’ to get & stay deep.  A swinghead does have its own ‘action’ and will deflect off bottom cover, but it’s not the same hard, vibration, rattling deal many crankbaits possess.  And lastly, you can cover A TON of water with a swinghead  - effectively.  Unlike a crankbait, where a decent chunk of the cast is spent either getting down to or coming up from the bottom (where the fish are), the swinghead, when allowed to sink on a slack line – can be in the juice for a very high percentage of your cast.

  In cooler water situations, spring & fall, places where I may fish a blade bait or bounce a rattle bait along the bottom, can also be swinghead waters.    Either way, Drop-offs, Points, Humps, Saddle Areas, Mid-depth & Deep Water Flats – just about anything clean enough to fish it through, can be good. 

 

The How ~ I am going to break this one down into four sub-sections.

These will include, the swinghead’s themselves (the ones I use & why), the tackle I like to fish swing heads (rod, reel, line & hooks), the retrieve(s) and finally the Trailers.

 

  Swingheads ~

Perhaps don’t quote me on this, but I think the first version of a swinghead was the Gene Larew Biffle head.  Tommy Biffle may be the first one I knew of fishing it professionally and his Biffle Bug was making it happen.  Still available & popular today, it was the first one I purchased and fished probably 4 years ago now.

 My first several swinghead adventures were not very successful.  I was trying to present the bait in places that had too much bottom cover.  I did this because ‘nothing’ and ‘open water bottom zones’ weren’t where I was usually getting bit with soft plastics.  My thinking & approach were wrong & pretty far off point.  I kept at it and once I started thinking about the bait like a crankbait, the light went on.

 As mentioned previously, I prefer the baits that allow me to change out the hook.  Before coming to this conclusion, I fished several different fixed hook swinghead types / brands – including but not limited to, the Biffle Head, as well as offerings by Dirty Jigs, Eco Pro & Strike King.  These can & will mostly all get bites but once the hook is no longer serviceable, the bait’s toast.  Wasn’t cost effective for me.

 What I also learned here was that Tungsten, although more $$, clearly cast better, fished deeper and totally transmits what I'm fishing over & through better than the lead heads. However in some, mostly shallower applications, lead was better (and I’ll get to that in a bit).

  So after quite a bit of trial & error, I determined that for my swinghead fishing, there are two qualities that the bait needed to possess.  It needed a very stout ‘hook hanger’ – however the hook was attached, it needed to be able to endure repeated hook changes as well as the rigors of fighting big brown bass on stout gear.  Several early models I tried failed here – while I was changing a hook and also snapping while fight a fish – both highly undesirable.  The other important characteristic revolved around the ‘shape’ of the head itself.  I wanted & needed two separate and specific styles; a tungsten football shape for the deeper presentations where I wanted to grind & bounce off the bottom; and a more pointed or streamline version head for light eel grass areas.  These places for me are generally shallower so this is where the lead material shines.

 

 The two baits that address and satisfy my desires/needs are the RPE Tackle Tungsten Swinging Football Jig (No Hook) (Pictured Top & Bottom Bait) and the Freedom Tackle Stealth Swim Jig. (Pictured Middle Bait)

 The RPE rig is obviously Tungsten, come without a hook, can be purchased in bulk, and possesses a unique and very secure hook hanging system. I use the ½ & ¾ oz only here and do add an Owner Oval Split ring to the front line tie.  Big Fan.

 

The Freedom Tackle product is offered & sold as a complete bait.  And while I do retain the hook & quality skirt that comes with the bait to use in different applications, for my swinghead fishing applications, I am just using the head.  And what a killer head it is !   Available in different weights, the ½ & ¾ oz are lead and the ¼ oz offering is plastic – all have a very stout hook hanger.  Haven’t had one fail yet. This head design fishes much different than the football head.  It’s much more of a swimming, almost gliding action across & along the bottom; rather than bouncing & digging into it like the tungsten head will do.  Superior for shallower & light weed areas.  HUGE Fan of this one !

 

 

The Tackle ~

Went round & round on this one – and I totally get that we each have ‘the way we like to do it.’  Here’s mine – regardless of the conditions, depth, water temp, you name it – I like a 7’ 1” MHF graphite stick, 17 lb. Fluorocarbon line & a 7.3:1 reel.  So all my swingheading is done with a St Croix LTB MHF, 17lb Seaguar InvisX or 20 lb. Tatsu, and a Quantum PT Tour KVD high speed reel.

 

 

      The hook choice, and this can be a tricky deal.  I prefer to and have my best success, staying well off the bass.  This requires fairly long casts. The longer the cast the more challenging it is to drive home the hookset.       

  Smallies have a tendency to really clamp down on these baits and then swim at the boat. That adds to the hook setting challenge. High speed reel helps, as does having the patience to keep reeling after I feel the strike (bait often goes ‘weight-less’) until the rod loads up before setting the hook – that’s a hard one for me.  But set too early, and she’ll often not make it into the Frabil.  So back to the hook – needs to be fine enough to penetrate on that long distance strike yet stout enough not to bend out on the strike or during the fight.  I tried compensating for all this by using braided line – but I didn’t like it.  While my hook setting ability clearly went way up, as did the sensitivity, seemed the bass could feel me as much as I could feel them.  Missed a lot of fish – might have been all in my head but either way, I dumped the braid and went back to fluorocarbon. My very first swinghead deals were made with mono – it worked but on the longer casts, the stretch was just a little much.

 To rig a bait Tex-Pose, I use one of two hooks and I use them interchangeably.  The standard Gamakatsu EWG and an Owner Wide Gap Plus EWG.  As always, I match the hook to the bait but I’m using a 3/0, 4/0 & for bigger baits a 5/0 the vast majority of the time.  With the Owner, I can crank on even the bigger bass but the wire is quite a bit thinner on that Gamakatsu, so after the hookset I need to be mindful of that.

  For a top hook type presentation (rare but I do it) all the same characteristic need to apply.  And this is a solid option when using bulky trailers like paddle tail swimbaits.  I use a 3/0 or 4/0 Owner Jungle Flipping Hook made with ZoWire.  It’s thin & stout, has a decent keeper and is just about perfect for this. (Pictured on the Top Bait) 

 

 

The Retrieve(s) ~ This is another one of those aspects of bass fishing where there just may be no wrong answer.  Like jerkbait fishing, any number of ‘retrieves’ can produce bass.  And on any given day one may work better than another and then the next time – it changes again. 

For me – I prefer to try and trigger that ‘chase’ deal.  So I like to keep the bait moving but will impart brief pauses randomly throughout the retrieve.  The speed and the length of a pause can be & usually is dictated by the season, water temps, water clarity, type of bait possibly present and lastly the mood of the fish.  However, I absolutely refuse to say ‘Let the fish tell you what they want’.  Nope not gonna do it.   I fish this bait with the reel -  Think crankbait.

 

The Trailers ~

 The options of effective trailers for a swinghead are probably endless.  Most anything you want to hang on it will work.  Could get overwhelming.

I have caught several respectable bass on worms (both curly tail & straight), Craws, Hollow & Solid paddle tail swimbaits and an assortment of creature type baits.  But my number one brown bass producer has been the Strike King Rage Bug. And second place isn’t even close.  At this point I rarely throw anything else.  If they are going to eat, they’ll eat that.  I’m that confident in it.  One bait that I just start ‘experimenting’ with is the Rage Tail Eeliminator.  I’ve had several bags for years and have not done much with them.  Early indications are, we just may have a Rage Bug contender – more to follow on that.

 

    

In conclusion – I’ll add my version of Why.  Why is this Swinghead deal so effective on brown bass?   One of the more common adages in bass fishing is – “show them something different”.  And while I’m not 100 percent certain that showing a big wary smallmouth, something it’s never seen before is the magical secret to Trophy Town, in this case, there may be something to it.   I believe that smallies enjoy or perhaps even need, to chase their prey; they are just wired that way.  And while I do take many quality fish each season with stationary presentations, like drop shots for example, given a choice, I believe I can almost always get a few with something moving.  Doesn’t always pan out, but nothing works all the time.  

So a swinghead fill’s its own little niche.  It’s a moving bait that I can present at almost any depth, utilizing various retrieves (including long pauses), I’m able to use a wide variety of hook types / styles to fit almost any situation and the trailer options are endless.  Maybe that’s why.

  So if you have some water that seems to fit the swinghead bill, and you haven’t yet given this a try, I’d encourage you to do so – immediately if not sooner.

 That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

A-Jay

 

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Jeff Browning reply : 

Though I have several iterations of swing heads in my tackle box, I've only rarely used them.  I guess since SMB seem to be the most prevalent species here to fish and, since I'm learning about bass fishing, I never though of them as a bait for SMB (but it makes sense that they'd eat them).  Thanks for the great write up!  I've learned a lot by reading and rereading this thread.  I'm actually catching fish more consistently in the jack pots and weekend tournaments I get to fish.  Thanks for sharing your experiences/knowledge.

 

BTW I'm loving the Lund!  It's a family fun beast.  Kids came down from Alaska and it pulled a tube around the lake with no problem.

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 7/30/2019 at 1:23 PM, Jeff Browning said:

Though I have several iterations of swing heads in my tackle box, I've only rarely used them.  I guess since SMB seem to be the most prevalent species here to fish and, since I'm learning about bass fishing, I never though of them as a bait for SMB (but it makes sense that they'd eat them).  Thanks for the great write up!  I've learned a lot by reading and rereading this thread.  I'm actually catching fish more consistently in the jack pots and weekend tournaments I get to fish.  Thanks for sharing your experiences/knowledge.

 

BTW I'm loving the Lund!  It's a family fun beast.  Kids came down from Alaska and it pulled a tube around the lake with no problem.

Thanks @Jeff Browning

That's really great to hear all the way around.

A-Jay

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12poundbass reply : 

Great write up sir! I’ve had a few swing heads in my possession for a couple years now but have never used them. I’ve seen you use it a few times now and since this whole SMB excursion with you began in January I’ve had this presentation on my mind. You mentioned it a few times during our conversations but never really went into detail until now and the timing couldn’t have been better. You and I have been talking about Sneaky Lake a fair amount lately and this presentation I believe sets up perfectly for Sneaky Lake! I’m planning a trip over there this weekend and this is one lure I had planned to tie on. I wasn’t too sure about it since I’ve never thrown it then last night I look and bam you have a right up on the swing head! I’m looking forward to using it this weekend and putting your teachings to work! Thanks again! 

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 7/30/2019 at 9:27 PM, 12poundbass said:

Great write up sir! I’ve had a few swing heads in my possession for a couple years now but have never used them. I’ve seen you use it a few times now and since this whole SMB excursion with you began in January I’ve had this presentation on my mind. You mentioned it a few times during our conversations but never really went into detail until now and the timing couldn’t have been better. You and I have been talking about Sneaky Lake a fair amount lately and this presentation I believe sets up perfectly for Sneaky Lake! I’m planning a trip over there this weekend and this is one lure I had planned to tie on. I wasn’t too sure about it since I’ve never thrown it then last night I look and bam you have a right up on the swing head! I’m looking forward to using it this weekend and putting your teachings to work! Thanks again! 

Thank You and Good Luck my friend ~

And when 'retrieving' your swinghead, perhaps give the follow retrieve cadence a try:

Once your bait gets to the bottom - go one slow turn of the reel handle followed immediately by one fast turn of the reel handle - then pause for a one count (you're waiting for the bait to get back to the bottom) and repeat.  Go 5-7 times like that and then pause for a 2 or 3 count and then start the deal all over again.   Remember that depending on your reel's IPT - your bait is most liking traveling at least 3-5 feet in those two turns of the handle - so don't think you're fishing 'slow' because you're not.  You're fishing effectively. 

 Bites can come anywhere along there but 'on the pause' (however brief) is a fan favorite. 

And be very careful - you just might get your arm broke . . . . 

btw - Megastrike is your friend.

A-Jay

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TnRiver46 reply : 

Excellent information! Those of us that watch your videos know they like to swim that bait back to the boat really fast because you are always cranking the ole winch handle for all she's got after you set the hook! I thoroughly enjoy watching the swinghead hooksets! 

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NHBull reply : 

@A-Jay

Thanks for going the extra mile.  I would like to have this pinned for future reading.....That said, you always cost me $$$$ ????

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J Francho reply : 

  On 7/31/2019 at 2:24 AM, NHBull said:

I would like to have this pinned for future reading

It's been pinned for a while now.

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A-Jay reply : 

  On 7/31/2019 at 2:24 AM, NHBull said:

@A-Jay

Thanks for going the extra mile.  I would like to have this pinned for future reading.....That said, you always cost me $$$$ ????

You're Welcome ~ 

But the important thing is that you do seem to be catching quite a few very respectable bass . . .

What's the price on that  . . . ?

Thanks Again for your support - I really do appreciate it.

A-Jay

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12poundbass reply : 

  On 7/31/2019 at 2:24 AM, NHBull said:

@A-Jay

Thanks for going the extra mile.  I would like to have this pinned for future reading.....That said, you always cost me $$$$ ????

You’ve been killing it this year in the brown bass department! Something has been clicking.

 

If the wife asks about all the lures, money spent, and time on the water just tell her you’re finding a food source for you and your family in the event of civil unrest, apocalypse, Great Depression, civil war, or anything along those lines. ????

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NHBull reply : 

  On 7/31/2019 at 2:35 AM, J Francho said:

It's been pinned for a while now.

I stand corrected...

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A-Jay reply : 

Looks like Mr Zona's finally catching on . . . .

 

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/big-smallmouth-zona.html?fbclid=IwAR1Rgd2rj-oNO45AWoHNkssJu4wbxo_Jw51WRW3QF2H7WZ38zdn3Y90LppM

A-Jay

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12poundbass reply : 

I stopped at a mom and pop shop yesterday because they had a close out on their soft plastics. Looking for some good deals I came across some lures and thought of you @A-Jay. It was the Savage goby tube. Have you seen these before or tried them? They looked pretty cool, not sure if they’d produce more than the standard tube. Thought I’d throw that out there. 

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MickD reply : 

The Savage tube certainly looks like it will work very well.

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A-Jay reply : 

I have tried them.  Nothing.  Seems too big when compared to the real deal.

A-Jay 

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12poundbass reply : 

  On 10/27/2019 at 2:07 AM, A-Jay said:

I have tried them.  Nothing.  Seems too big when compared to the real deal.

A-Jay 

They are quite large

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J Francho reply : 

I kill 'em on the goby.  Rig on a DS.

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A-Jay reply : 

@12poundbass  

"How is it possible that after spending a year talking to you, after a year of reading, studying, buying, and chasing these brown bass only to come up empty and to put it blunt getting my @$$ handed to me by them I can not stop thinking about smallmouth bass? Maybe they’re taunting me? Maybe I’ve gone crazy? Maybe they’re going to haunt me until ice out? How can I obsessively think about a fish I’ve yet to catch. Sure I’ve caught river smallmouth , but never a lake smallie. How can one obsessively think about a fish for crying out loud? It’s only a fish! Maybe it’s the unknown that’s triggered this obsession? Maybe if only one was like Nemo and got too curious, too close, and ‘touched’ the lure I’d be healed.
 

The temps. Will be up this weekend and the ice gone. Maybe it’s a sign, launch the G3 and go catch ‘em! But maybe that’s what they want me to do, so the whole school of them can look at me from 20 foot of water and laugh, while I pull what little bit of hair I have left out of my head! 

 

I feel I’ve lost my mind! The sad part is, it’s not even meteorological winter yet. 
 

Thank you for your time Dr. Andy. Bill my insurance, pencil me in once a week until April, and keep the phone close in case I really go off the deep end, if I haven’t already. Please tell me it doesn’t get worse."

????

 

@A-Jay

"Nicely Done ! 

I really enjoyed that.

But I have some alarming & some what disturbing news for you . . . . . .

You are only scratching the surface of this insane addiction to brown bass.

For once you find success (and you will) - IT GET'S EVEN WORSE !  

 

 But let's talk about it a little. (or a lot - we've got that kind of time)

When it comes to catching smallies, we need to find them first.

Thank you Captain Obvious . . .

And even before that, we need to find the right water.

But what the heck is it ?

Interestingly, that changes, seasonally, monthly, weekly, and yes, even daily.

And the real bugger about the whole deal, is that even when we find something that looks 'right', our timing might be off. 

After location, timing is just about everything.

Here's an example I'm sure you can relate to.

We'll use a single spawning bed as an example - 

In a calendar year, how many days is a big female bass actually going to be ON The Bed - two, maybe 3, maybe less.  Perhaps only a few hours one day of the year.

 So if we were to fish that bed all season, we'd be getting a ton of casting practice, but not getting bit a whole lot.

 Timing for locating feeding bass is very similar although that example is somewhat exaggerated for effect, but I think you get my point.

 I have spots that I feel are 'right', and that I have fished 25 times a season and never got bit, but I believe in them. Because so many times, I've visited and revisited spots during different seasons, during different times of the day, during different weather & wind conditions, and when I hit it right, it's like magic.  Big Brown bass in the frabil. 

And if I can locate similar areas or deals, even better.

And that's all well & good but what's more important ~ I LEARN ! 

 

Admittedly - I understand that this approach requires time on the water, much of it, at times, can involve more fishing than catching.  But it is what it is. 

Pro's pre-fish - I do all season. 

 

 Many spots or places 'look' the same to us, depth, bottom contour type & composition, presence of bait perhaps, water clarity & temperature, but there's something different, because one may produce quite a bit & more often than another. Maybe it's further from deep water, Maybe a bigger predator is using it to feed on the Bass (On NO Mr Bill !)

Whatever it is, if we can figure it out, it helps us eliminate water - which is Huge and something you learned quite a bit about this past season unfortunately. 

 

Supplemental info - This season one of the lakes I'm relatively familiar with, stopped producing for me.

Now I'd fished this place hard for 12 years, it's not real big but not a puddle either.  And in that time, I had been able to 'find' enough of the right water and the right deals to where, if the conditions were somewhat reasonable,  I could usually get on a few decent brown bass most every trip.

Well something changed.  Big Time.  I have NO Idea what.  I fished the heck out of this place, tried all the 'productive' methods spots and times - No Bass.  NONE.

Looking back, what I should have done is the same thing I did in the beginning to find the fish in the first place.  Start the process all over again, except look & fish somewhere and something else.  But I was so stubborn, I didn't do that. 

I just kept beating my head against the wall - it was a little brutal and I'm a knuckle head. 

 

 What all that boils down to is this (and why I brought that up), catching bass is the fun part, no doubt - it's why we go.  But we have to Go Fishing first, and we have to have fun doing it.  Without the right mind set & approach, that's often easier said than done.

The forums are loaded with threads & post that prove it and I'm certainly guilty of it myself. You know the ones "What am I doing wrong ?" and "I've tried everything".

 

 You see my friend, going fishing is not the same as going catching - and although we all want to go catching - that's not how it works. While many would like us to believe it does; but that's non sense.  

 

 So we both learned quite a bit this season, we learned what not to do to catch bass. 

Next time around, I expect we can both modify our approach to include new areas, at different times and with a variety of presentations.  Sooner or later, it'll happen.

It always does. 

btw - this approach has helped me catch most every species of fish I've ever attempted to, in both fresh & saltwater.

So there's that. "

 

 

@12poundbass

"Great read right there, thank you!  

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A-Jay reply : 

@12poundbass

"Last year at ice out I didn’t know about Sneaky Lake having smallmouth only Lake “X”. I think I kind of got ahead of myself as far as my fishing plans when spring arrived. We moved here mid January, we got most of the indoor things finished throughout the winter. Once spring arrived it was on to the outdoor projects (work before play lol). That set me back a few weeks. 
 

I’m not going to say in 2020 I’m going to do this, and that but I will say it’ll be different, and I’ll take what I’ve learned this year and what I’ll learn throughout the winter and change my approach."

 

"So what do you think caused the fish to just stop cooperating? That’s pretty interesting you’ve fished these spots for 12 years and all of a sudden they just said nope we’re done. 
 

Reading this, your past writings here and on the boards and from watching Zona I’m starting to see these brown bass seem very moody! They want sun, they don’t like dead calm, the wind is out of the wrong direction, etc lol! This doesn’t deter me one bit, if anything it keeps that desire as strong as ever."

 

@A-Jay

"Like I said - I do not "know" - I can guess but that's all it would be. 

My standard modus operandi almost always requires the locating of bait - first thing.

 If I'm looking for feeding fish, need something for them to feed on.

They do not have to be on them that very moment, but if there's enough of the right thing, and it's in a location that the brown bass can get to (and away from) safely, meaning near some type of drop / deep water, at some point there's a decent chance old fat face will show up to eat.  Just have to be there at the right time presenting the right thing.  It's worked for me so many times.

 What was happening was first, I stopped getting bites.

So I went into the areas where I was fishing looking for the bait, in this case, yellow perch & pumpkinseed; something I don't usually do.  I prefer to stay off the bass so as not to burn the spot. And knowing the areas like I do (so I thought) I expected the bait to be there or at least show up eventually, like it had done, sort of like clockwork, for several years in a row.

Anyway, there was no bait.  So I kept milk running spots fishing & waiting for bait to show.  Never showed anywhere it usually does & when I looked around in close proximity, thinking maybe they moved a little one way of the other,  still couldn't locate them.  

 

   Now usually in the semi-clear water, there's no problem locating them, as there are waves and waves of schools of bait - hence the bass action I often see.  Not always bass on them but during feeding windows, there's almost always a few that show up; along with an assortment of other predators too.  You know the ones. 

 

   So now let's back up even more.

Two falls ago, the usual fat brown bass I often catch here, were very thin - alarmingly thin.

And then this spring - when the pre-spawn fatties are at their ripest - again very thin.

Also, while I'm not a bed fisherman as you know, I can say it seemed like there were less of them there have been in years past. 

 

    If you watch a few of my videos from those trips, I even mentioned it - several times. 

 Fast forward again to the late summer and this past fall, the fish I did get, still thin.

 

   So now it's time to guess what caused this.

 First thing I though of was that the lake was gassed for weeds, which totally makes the bait & bass super hard to find.  Proponents of it's use will swear that it doesn't 'harm' the fishery or kill the bait, but it sure seems like it does.  Either way, one things for sure, It doesn't make it better !   I looked for info about that happening on Lake Menderchuck, found none.   Doesn't mean it didn't happen though. 

 

    OK - more guessing; perhaps whatever the perch & pumpkinseed eat, has either changed or is in some other way, less abundant. (dead) 

   Both of these would require the bass to alter their food source, and if there wasn't enough of it, that could account for some of this I suppose.  

   

  And then of course there is the SUPER obvious reason . . . . . .

 There IS Nothing wrong with the fishery at all and I just struggled to catch fish.

Happens to us all over & over. 

But making up all this BS, makes me feel a little better about it. "

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MickD reply : 

One thing I've noticed about a couple of my "hot spots" is that smb at one time of the day are just not there, yet stopping back later in the day often finds at least a few, and sometimes many.  Especially if a new wind comes on.   I always make at least two  stops during a day on the water in the location that has the "hot spots."   

 

I've noticed that my best spot in former years has not been as good the last two years.  It could be the water level being so high, or something else, or i may not have gotten there at the right time.

 

The last time we went this fall was a cold, sometimes rainy, never sunny day with a decent wind.  The water was quite dirty from winds the previous couple days, and we found one spot that really worked.  25 with only a couple dinks, a couple over five, four just under 5, and the rest 3/s and 4/s.  10 days earlier I had taken 28 similar fish out of the spot with one over 6.  I'm hoping its magic will continue into the next season.

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A-Jay reply : 

~ My version of the A-Rig for Brown Bass ~

 

Right off the bat, I will say that I threw an A-Rig for the better part of two seasons, trying to force feed it to smallies.

Got a lot of great casting practice but that was about it.

But once it clicked - it was a Beauuuuuuuuuutiful Thing.

Now, I'm semi-addicted to the thing.

 

Ok So - the A-Rig for me is a really interesting deal.

First, it's a bit of a bear to fish for any length of time.  Obviously it doesn't cast very well (more of a full body heave or lob than an actual cast) but it does require quite a bit more effort to fish than most anything else I throw, in Michigan anyway.

 Second - the strikes are straight up vicious and every brown bass I've caught on it has been in the plus size class - so there's a decent reward for the effort expended.

 As for what clicked: I initially even got the idea to fish it for brown bass from Mark Zona.  But rather than actually watching how, where & when he was having results - I thought I could just go out - throw the thing around a bit and hook up.  Didn't happen. 

   Once I went back through what he was offering, and really digested the deal,  I was eventually able to get on some fish. Took a while though. 

 So like I said, I love throwing it because the strikes are great and so far, it's been a big fish catcher.  However, it's not a deal I use all season or on every lake.

   I have found two specific situations where I use it effectively.

 The first starts pre-spawn, but not super early.  More like once the water temps get to about 55 or so - and there's plenty of fish shallow(er) say less than 10 ft.  Clear water helps but not totally needed. But smallies are sight feeders so clean is usually better. 

hat is needed are long casts.  The fish have to be willing to chase the bait - so if it's too cold or too dirty - they will not. I usually start throwing it once the smallies start to follow a jerkbait to the boat without eating it - often they will eat this thing - hard!

This bite will last right up to the spawn for me - and then a little into post spawn - but not that long - as brown bass will often head deeper pretty quick and I'll use something else out there (usually a drop shot or spy bait). 

 The other A-Rig bite comes back in the late summer - first week of August.  I have found several Huge Smallies Super Shallow early morning (very first light) hunting perch right at the edge of the inside weedline in less than 5 ft. Unusual to say the least but that's were I got my PB so I don't ask questions, I just go fishing. These big fish are super spooky way inside in such skinny water and getting them to eat has been a challenge - top water works, but that bite dies fast each morning - so once I tried the A-Rig, it was on like Donkey Kong.  I was surprised it didn't spook them, as it hits the water like a bomb, but they'll follow it and eat it - no problem.

 Good thing is, a little later in the morning and again in the afternoon, these same fish move out to isolated weed clumps in 8-12 ft - waiting for the next low light to go back inside & eat again.  By throwing the A-Rig around this clumps, I'm often able to get a few more bites from some great fish, I'd often given up on in the past - sometimes at noon with the sun just blazing !  Tons of fun. 

 How I fish it - I use a 7'6" MH Mod stick, 20 lb Tatsu and a 6.6:1 reel.  A SK short Arm Rig, all 1/8 oz VMC Boxer heads and either SK KVD Swim N Shiner or Rage Swimmer - I like the baits right around 4 1/2 inches (I'll trim them if I need to).

 While watching Zona hammer smallies with this thing, he kept talking about how he wanted the rig to kind of "hover" in the water column.  I didn't know what the heck that meant ?  But after getting some fish, I sort of have an Idea.  The A-Rig is certainly not a contact bait, meaning you can fish it around cover but you can't be in it at all.  But where it is in the water column and at what speed, is EVERYTHING.  Traveling along, about 2 feet off the bottom seems like the sweet spot. And while there are times when they will smash it while I Burn it along, best results come when I can retrieve it just fast enough to keep "hovering" along in the correct slot of the water column.  Either way, I want this thing right in their face when it goes by - not way above or below them - right in their grill.  Almost seems like it angers them the way they hit it.  Intermittent quick reels handle turns, that make the rig 'jump ahead' a little - can be Money ! 

 Finally, I do not do much largemouth bass fishing locally, however I have fished the A-Rig south of the border for those giants last two trips.  Most all of the how-to present the bait still seems to apply.  I just use bigger gear & bigger baits to do it. 

Heaading into this next 2020 season I will be looking hard to broaden my A-Rig fishing application horizons just about every chance I get.

More to follow (hopefully)

 

 

A-Jay

 

 

 

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