BassOnKlinger

I was out on Klinger Lake in Michigan this past weekend. I only had a couple hours. Didn't have much luck. 2 good size Rock Bass slapped at my crankbait and got snagged by the treble hooks. 2 small LMB slammed a double willow spinnerbait in white/chart. That was it for me. Wind cut my day short in my tiny jon boat. I also had the unpleasant experience of two boats rolling into "my spot" while I was catching fish. Thought it was pretty disrespectful considering there's a whole lake to fish. Anyone else have that problem?

Chatterbait (green pumpkin and black/blue) gets annihilated at my work pond. The big girls can't get enough of it. Green pumpkin senko catches all ranges. Dinks were choking the frog today.

Tried a new local subdivision pond last night. Chatterbait and Senko were all I needed to land three 2-pounders and two 3-pounders in just over an hour. The largest was 3.9.....some may call that a 4 Flat out destroyed my chatterbait and about pulled the rod from my hand. Never had a fish fight as hard as she did. Jumping all over the place, etc. Would've bet money that it was well over 5 by the way it pulled. The best feeling was me slaying them while everyone else around me was getting skunked. Usually it's the other way around.

Considering a dedicated drop shot combo and I have a question. I know a lot of it comes down to personal feel, but is there a reason not to get a shorter, 6'6" ML/F rod? I don't have a boat and mostly do bank fishing, so sometimes I'm limited by the trees around me. Casting a longer rod can be difficult. Also, I'm an avg height person at 5'9" and all of my rods reflect that: bait casters are all 6'7", spinning rod for t-rigs is 6'6"....although I do have a 7' cranking stick and a 7'1" frog rod (both feel too big when I'm using them). With all that said, I like Dobyns and have two choices: Fury 6'6" ML/F (which is not listed as Drop Shot specific) but still suits my typical rod lengths. Or... Savvy Microguide 6'9" ML/F (which is listed as Drop Shot specific) but a few inches longer rod than I'm used to. Thoughts on this? I'm leaning towards the 6'9" Savvy but I'm a bit hesitant.

Black and Blue chatterbait for the win again today in my local pond. 2# and 4# largies. The four pounder grabbed it on the fall. I barely had time to engage the reel before I felt the light go tight. I set the hook, and my rod bent in half. I should've weighed it again to double check the weight. I guessed 5# min once I got it up to the bank and could see it in the water. Scale read 4.0 though. Very fun lunch break today.

It does not. So far I haven't had any problems. Weeds aren't too thick right now. Caught two more today.

Tied on my first chatterbait in black and blue today. Caught three in 30 minutes with a slow and steady retrieve. Loved it.

Ned Rig is my confidence bait at my local pond. I caught five 1-pounders in 35 minutes the other day. Biggest was 1.85. Still looking for a bit more size. But a fish is a fish for me. It's a blast. 1/16th oz jig head black and blue fleck ZMan TRD (used the same lure the entire time. Indestructible).

Thanks for the info. Where do feel are good places to drop some rocks?

Is it illegal (or frowned upon) to create rock piles in lakes? I've heard of numerous people dropping Christmas trees in them, but recently I've heard of people stacking cinder blocks in a pile. I'm sure this is nothing new, but I just want to know if it's legal. If so, I may have to consider creating some hot spots in my home lake.

I'm heading to the boat show this weekend. My dream boat is the Nautique Super Air G23. Unrelated to the boat show, I got out for the first time since fall today. I'm not a winter fisherman. I hate the cold. But as everyone has noticed, it's 60+ degrees and sunny, so I'm outside fishing. Had no luck pulling jigs along the bottom of my local spot. Will try again tomorrow, perhaps with a different presentation. If anyone has a tip for this weird February weather we're having, feel free to help me out.

Haven't been able to get out to fish in a while. Had my spirits renewed today while talking to a co-worker who fishes the same pond as me. He caught a stringer of 2 and 3 pounders in thirty minutes the other evening. Said they were just stacked on each other. Hopefully I can get back out tomorrow.

I used to live in the River Crossing apartments. That pond behind them (near Champs) is loaded with little half-pounders that will eat up a soft plastic. I used to catch a ton on soft plastic jerk baits/ flukes. I never caught anything big though.

I agree with others: -Entirely up to you. -Replicas are the way to go. Keep the genes in the water, let the fish grow, let someone else have the experience you had. -For me, it all depends on the average size per location I'm fishing. If I'm in FL or TX, there's no way I'm buying a replica of a 6#. If your home lake only pumps out 1 and 2#'ers, and you land a 6....I'd consider it. Get what I'm sayin?

$3000-$5000 per acre is the quote I saw. Interesting article: http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/fishing/bass/where-fish/2004/04/how-build-your-own-bass-pond

Great thread topic. I've actually been wanting to do some research on this myself. I have a friend back home who's dad created his own private lake/pond. It's pretty big actually and connects to a marsh. It'd be fun to breed some state record bass. I'm sure there's all kinds of science behind it.

Thanks. I looked it up on a map. I think it's Sugar Creek, which if I'm not mistaken, is a pretty nice creek for fishing. Kind of wish I would've considered this sooner...

I drive past a creek with seemingly deep water every day. It appears to have easy access if I park on the side of the road and walk down to it. If I could only take one rod setup and a few lures, what do you all recommend? I'm assuming there are some decent smallies roaming around in it.

Have a spook story to tell that only fishermen will appreciate. Yesterday, I was parallel-casting my favorite spook and got it hung up in an overhanging tree. I thought I had lost it for sure (I wasn't on a boat so I couldn't just go get it). I pulled back on the line so hard, expecting it to break, and all of a sudden I see the lure come flying back at me. It wasn't until I reeled in the line that I realized the loop on my rapala knot simply came off the eyelet, but it did in a way that allowed the lure to sling-shot back at me. All I did was reclip the loop back on the bait and went back to fishing. I kept thinking how lucky I was...I mean what are the chances of that? But that's not all... About 15 minutes later, I got hung up on another branch. This time I could tell the hooks were locked in and it wasn't breaking loose. I had no choice but to cut the line. Except when I did, the lure dropped straight down into the water and the current floated it right back to me! At that point, I had no explanation for how lucky I was not to have lost that lure. I caught more than just tree limbs too. Hooked into a couple fish as well. Long live the Zara Spook!

Fun piece of info I came across today: The pond I've been fishing is supposedly loaded. I've only managed a couple dinks (as mentioned above). But today I got picture confirmation of the types of bass in this pond and I'm pumped to keep fishing until I come across them. 4 and 5 pounders seem to be the norm here. This guy even came across a rare blue crayfish, which is cool considering one of the bass I caught was on a black and blue jig. Match the hatch much?

I threw the same thing today during my lunch break, only I tossed it on top of some scum and fished it like a frog. I had multiple blowups and finally had one commit and actually grab it. Little half pounder, but it's still fun. Thought hell, they're not hitting the swimbait per the normal retrieve, so I'm gonna chuck it like a frog and bam! Same pond yesterday and they were grabbing a jig off the bottom and running with it.

I got out last night as well for a couple hours before dark on a nearby pond. I still can't catch numbers or size though. I caught two. 0.5-1.5 pound in size. Both on a Havoc Grass Pig swim bait. I had a couple hits on a popper but nothing committed.

Congrats to your son, tstraub, on his new PB! Nice looking fish there. BigBassLoveSenkos: Yeah, I checked out Google Maps too and didn't see a ramp. Probably just shore access like you said. If it doesn't get fished often, I'd be willing to bet there are some nice ones hanging out. I got out last night to our small neighborhood pond. Haven't had much luck in the past, but I only had 45 minutes to fish. I chucked a popper out in the middle and worked it slower than I ever have before. I caught 4 in that time span. Pretty happy with that. Two were decent pond bass. Every hit was very subtle. None exploded on it. Instead they just sucked it in from just under the surface. I saw a swirl and the lure disappear. A second or two later the line was tight and I set the hook. Happened that way with all 4 fish.

Everything I've gathered confirms what you said: It's for Lily employees and their guests. There's a gate at the front entrance. I know a former employee (retired now). I wonder if he still has access and can get me on (if it's worth it).

I finally ended my slump! Fished from 8p - 10p this past Friday at a nearby neighborhood pond. Have been getting skunked there over and over. Buzzbaits and frogs in the morning - nothin'. Cranks along the riprap - nothin'. Swim jigs near the grass - nothin'. Finally drug a small jig along the bottom and had the slightest tap on the line. Thought it was a rock. Then the tap again and a very slight pull. I set the hook and sure enough, a little 12" LMB. No fight or anything. Pretty anticlimactic, but I'll take it. One fish guys...over the span of my last 5 outings...