Ridgerunner7

I don't know why I can't get past the thought of fish seeing the braid. I know smallies can be line shy sometimes and other times they attack anything. Trout?..I know flouro works better. Trust me..if braid was a little less visible I'd be all over it.

Uhhh, I don 't think that 's the problem ( line stretch causing bad hooksets ), I think the problem is how you are rigging the bait and your hooks, why ? I fish a lot of unweighted baits with a rod much limber than yours ( ML - L ) with quite thin line ( 6 lbs ) with stretchy line ( nylon ) and don 't have problem setting the hook. Since I know the bait is noodly and I 'm fishing with stretchy thin line I have to compensate for that by rigging T-exposed so my bait doesn 't have to cut through the bait, that and a razor sharp hook ( Owner ) solves the problem. I rig it like that too. I've done my own unscientific stretch test tying fishing line to a nail and seeing how many cm I can stretch Pline Flouroclear and CXX, Trilene Flour, and Yozuri were almost all the same...pretty stretchy. Is there any that is proven to have little/no stretch that isn't braid?

ST. Croix medium fast action. I fish unweighted worms, senkos, and flukes. I want to stay away from braided line, but I want a low vis line with really low stretch. I'm not getting solid hook sets on long casts because of stretch. Using 10lb flouroclear currently. Thanks for the help...greatly appreciated!

I do try deep occasionally and just seem to never catch anything. I tied a 3/4 oz jig in 30 ft and did catch two smallies, but then never caught any more. Maybe I just haven't gotten good and finding structure and staying on it. It's difficult in deep water you aren't familiar with.

I'm not new to this site. Been on here for years...don't post too much, just read because everyone on here is probably a better bass fisher man than me. With that being said I'm probably the best out of all my friends, but when matched with a fisherman that fishes tournaments a lot I'm out classed for sure. Also I have almost every article on here printed off...I try them all the time, just can't seem to get them to work well. Also fish Pere Marquette Lake a little bit. Connects Lake Michigan and PM river. Supposed to be lunker smallies in there, but I would know because I'll catch 20 pike and no smallmouth. This lake is fairly clear..unique cover..old dock pilings, rock bolder shorlines, brusy shorlines with good stump/wood cover. Structure of the lake: several sharp drops with big boulders, warm water dishcarge areas, points, shallow shelf near deep water. I've tried it all but no luck. I did here alowives come into the lake and the fish get lock jaw. The lakes I fish: 64 acre private lake. Fairly clear water, shallow shelf dropping into deeper water bottoming out at 50ft with a nice hump up to 30 between two deeper holes. Cover is scattered weedbeds in shallow water, 2 or 3 smally lilly pad fields, submerged brush in shallow water. Stucture: a nice point coming out to into the water creating a 90degree weed line (catch a lot of pike there). In the spring I can catch 2-5lb bass in there. Maybe it's over fished lately, but I can't buy a nice fish in the summer time. Hamlin Lake (northern Michigan) Large lake with slight stained water. This lake has good cover all around it. Contains small and largemouth. Upper hamlin is weedy and shallow, lower Hamlin is weedy/ stumpy in shallows and much deeper. Again in the spring and fall fishing is good, but come summer time it's tough. I have caught smallies in 30 feet of water with jig and minnow combo, but haven't spent too much time. 1lb-6lb fish in this lake, but again..tons of pike and other species that nail your bait. I really love this lake because of the variety, but it would be nice to go out and target largemouth and actually catch some, not just a bunch of hammer handle pike. >

Well I was targeting largemouth this past weekend. Two weeks ago I was targeting smallmouth. Keep in mind I'm not fishing the greatest bass lakes in the country here, but they are decent lakes for my area.

My third trip up in northern Michigan this summer and I can't seem to get on them. Granted conditions have not been good, but I only manage a few bites on topwater very early or very late. Haven't even tried night fishing. Had some explosions fishing a rat over lilly pads, but no hook ups. Tried deep weed edges and points and only hook up on pike. Any tips. Seems like anymore I only have good days in spring or fall. Sometimes I wonder if I don't spend enough time probing high percentage areas. I cast a few times to prime locations and then move on. Maybe I should really disect the good spots. I really haven't explored to much past 15 feet deep. The lakes I fish don't have too much structure deeper than that or at least I don't know about them. Want to try dropshotting, but don't have much confidence in it.

I'm no expert, but I have used both extensively. I prefer the Fireline braid. Seems smooter and I was casting a country mile with it. PP is ok, but seems rougher and fades too quickly. My Fireline hasn't faded. I actually prefer Fireline, Suffix, then PP. Just my opinion

'I usually use 50lb Fireline for 3/8oz and up with a heavy fast action rod. I have a 7' MH fast rod for flipping lighter jigs and swimming them. Is the Pline CXX to stretchy. 17-20lb test?

I bought a 7' MH shock rod. Does anyone like these? You'll all think I'm crazy but, it's more sensitive than my mojo bass rod and as good as my compre. I'm sure the quality isn't as good, but I'm happy with it.

At what temps do you generally figure the fish will hold deeper?

I went to northern Michigan for some bass fishing. I fished Hamlin Lake and Pere Marquette lake near Ludington. I couldn't buy a bass! The water temp ranged 68-71 degrees...shouldn't the bass still be shallow and relatively active? I found no bass in the shallows what so ever. On a small lake I did catch a few on topwater the last hour of light, but it was tough and slow to say the least. I was looking for smallies mostly, but largemouths were welcome. I always struggle this time of year once the bass move out of the shallows. I hit the outside weed lines, dropoffs and even tried dropshotting in 16-20 feet for a while...nothing! Conditions weren't perfect...cold front on Thursday and bright high sun the rest of the days. I fished mostly mornings. I did catch a master angler Pike and Dogfish on the same day so that was cool! Thanks for the help.

Lake Hamlin near Ludington, Michigan. In the summer the smallmouth hold down in 25-30 feet flats off the break line. I've caught them drifting a 3/4 oz jig tipped with a leech or gulp combo. Is there a way to vertically jig when there is no current? I do this on the detroit river, but there is current and you just follow your line with the trolling motor as you move down the river, but what do you do when your on a lake? Seems like your line would just stay in one spot. Maybe use a heavy jig and just use the trolling motor to move? How about Carolina rig, drop shot, swimbaits? I don't fish that deep very often.

Thanks for the advice. Keeping the lund.

Cool..just seems heavy and not sure how sensitive it will be. I could get a carrot stick for 25$ more.