MIbassyaker

Oof, I think I had my worst finish of any season that I've done this.... other than last year, when I forgot to set my team for, like, 3 events. But NEXT year, everybody better look out, I'm comin'!

Heckuva trip! What a great use of a week!

I sometimes have a spare hour where I can stop at a river, bayou, or gravel pit on the way to/from work and throw some casts. In that situation, I can't think of any better advice than @Team9nine gave. But another thing I sometimes do is "bank-hopping" -- I head out with a plan to spend 3-5 hours hitting several spots along a "route". These are usually usually rivers, with shore access at various dams or city/township/county parks chosen ahead of time. If I show up somewhere and start catching right away, i stay for awhile longer. Otherwise I pack up and move to the next one after 20-30 min. I bring 3 rods (usually rigged for topwater, mid-column, and bottom), and a small bag of tackle in a backpack or sling-back I can carry on the move. At some spots, like dams, I'll grab it all and camp out on the same spot for awhile. At, others I'll grab just one rod and go around on foot, often taking a trail for a short distance, and then wade-fishing my way back.

I would go back to Northern California, where I lived for 6 years, 1998-2004 near the Delta, Sacramento River, and Lake Berryessa-- but before I got really interested in, or knowledgeable about bass. I only fished a handful of times, from shore where available, and not with any efficiency or competence. I would repeat those years, and knowing what I know now, fish a lot more, and better.

These immediate turn-arounds to the next event, and month-and-a-half gaps before, drive me nuts.

Ahh, luxury goods! Hey, kids -- can you say "Conspicuous Consumption?" Something tells me you don't buy this to throw it in the water...

A true backroader never reveals his trails!

Well, I couldn't resist. Wifey and I went out to the county park on Crockery Lake to do some picnicking and Gator Hunting. We saw some signs, advising us to use "whatever caution you feel is appropriate". We felt it was probably appropriate to not to tie raw chicken pieces to our limbs and go swimming. So we didn't do that. We looked around for gators. I thought this cove seemed promising, but alas no gators spotted. No sign of gators here either: We didn't bring any watercraft, but there were plenty of boats zooming around, doing the usual recreational things. There were some people in the swimming area, also doing the usual things. Several folks fishing. Nobody seemed particularly concerned about an alligator. After an hour, declaring the picnic successful, but the gator hunt unsuccessful, we went home. However, I will be ordering one of these shirts:

CROCKERY LAKE, Mich — Last Sunday on a quiet lake in Ottawa County someone reported seeing a six-foot alligator. Since then, Crockery Lake has had more sightings and now the lake is consumed with gator mania. https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/there-it-is-alligator-sightings-in-ottawa-countys-crockery-lake-continue I fish Crockery a few times a year. I was last there in May...think I'll wait a little while longer before I go back! I want one of those shirts, though.

I tried 3 times to make a list, but gave up. I can list way more than 10 lures that are "pretty good" or I can list fewer than 10 lures that are "must have" Here they are: -Worm -Jig -spinning blade (spinner/spinnerbait) -topwater plug (e.g., popper) -diving plug (e.g., crankbait)

@Ski is correct. -- that is clasping leaf pondweed -- it is the primary native deep-growing vegetation in northern natural lakes. This is usually what people (Mark Zona, and In-Fisherman for instance) mean when they say "cabbage." Bass very much do relate to it, but because it is so tall, and often grows in large fields, they can be at any depth and any location. Lakes vary widely in how dense it is, and how much it is mixed with other stuff like milfoil, coontail, etc. Most of the natural lakes in our area (W. Michigan) have at least some of it, but it can get choked out by stuff like invasive Eurasian Milfoil and Curly-leaf pondweed.

I have the Gapen smallmouth book (and a few of his for other species), but I haven't read it. I tend to acquire books, stick them on a shelf, and plan to get back to them at some point. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Generally, I think its a good idea to read multiple authors even on the same topic, because they often have different perspectives on the same situations, and it's worth understanding a variety of opinions. But is it worth shelling out $$$ for a used copy of something out of print? Probably not urgently so. I would wait until you see a good price somewhere -- and you might eventually if you are patient. Deals show up randomly if you are vigilant.

knot-tying accurate casting sure hooksetting careful landing researching your waters observing the environment identifying bass-holding locations seasonal behavior depth control speed control [D'oh! @king fisher beat me to it!]

18" on a t-rigged power worm. Best of nine this morning on "Lake 3". Except for an eagle, I had the place all to myself.

I'm in my 40s. I also car-top a kayak, the heaviest of which I think is around 75 lb. My only on-the-water source of power is a paddle. I typically fish 3 to 5 hours in the kayak, 2 hours if fishing just on foot, from shore or wading. My biggest limiting factor for most trips is not energy, but time. I can spare a morning or an afternoon, or an evening, but usually not more than that because of other commitments. Even on occasions when I am free to stay longer, I usually have other things I want to do.....I have multiple hobbies and interests, and they all cry out for attention. The longest I have fished at one time in recent years is 8 hours, which i have occasionally put in for a river float trip. Those days are exhausting, not just physically, but also mentally because of the need for constant vigilance while negotiating current and also trying to fish. On top of that, I have an arthritic knee which does not like to sit in one position for too long. It becomes pretty unhappy after 8 hours. Other than that, I'm also far too casual an angler to tolerate serious discomfort from heat, cold, humidity, rain, wind, etc. So I'm with @gimruis -- stay home until weather improves.....I have no shortage of other things to do at home anyway.

Sounds exciting. This kind of fishing trip is not something I have done, but I have made many cross-country drives, and I am familiar with the geography of what is probably the most straightforward route, following I-90 or I-94 through ID, MT, the Dakotas, then MN/WI/IL/IN/OH, and then I-80 or I-76 through PA, and into NJ. Following 90 out of WA, you go right past Lake Coeur d'Alene in ID, which has all three of your target fish. Through ID/MT you'll pass a lot of mountain trout water. Your next opportunity for Trout will probably not be until PA, unless you choose to stay on I-90 at Billings, MT, and go into WY, and then the Black Hills, in SD. The other choice is to follow I-94 into ND. You would cross the Missouri River in either North or South Dakota. The Missouri has a lot of pike, and good smallmouth in places. My wife's uncle fishes the Missouri river in SD for walleye a lot, and catches quite a few big smallmouth as bycatch. Following I-94 through eastern ND takes you over some rivers with smallmouth and pike opportunities. Once you cross into MN at Fargo/Moorhead you then go through an area with lots of small natural lakes, around Fergus Falls and Alexandria, all of which have pike and bass. Continuing to the Minneapolis area, you pass just north of Lake Minnetonka on the west end of the city. Mille Lacs Lake is a little more out of your way to the north in the same area. If you follow i-90 instead from SD, it takes you into the south end of MN which has not quite as many opportunities, but does have fewer people and less congestion. The freeway takes you just a little north of Lake Okoboji in Iowa which is one of the best lakes in IA for bass. Down the road, at the MN/WI border, you cross Pool 7 of the Mississippi River, another prolific bass and pike fishery Generally, going through MN and WI takes you past tons of smaller lakes, virtually all of which have largemouth bass and pike, and some have smallmouth. I-90 and I-94 converge in Wisconsin, and you follow 90 into Chicagoland. , Just after Chicago on I-90 you pass the southern tip of Lake Michigan, and there is some access at NW Indiana parks. Lake Erie is a little farther along, halfway through OH. At Toledo, you can take a detour north to Lake St. Clair. If you want to get on some Great Lakes smallmouth, these may be your best opportunities, unless you go quite a bit farther out of the way. Once you get into PA, you re-enter some trout territory. Halfway to the NJ border, you'll come across the Susquehanna River, as @Susky River Rat mentions, likely at Harrisburg. Legendary Smallmouth river. And then there's the Delaware River, on the border of PA and NJ. These are just the most obvious places I know of, and I can't help with specific access points, but hopefully gives you as start on some places worth looking into.

Hmm......none? I like some colors better than others, in certain times and places. But I can't think of any that I would flatly have no confidence in.

I don't have any inside intel about any spots in this area, but if you look up Lake Ann on google maps, you'll see there is a township park on the north side with some lakefront shoreline, as well as a State Forest campground on the West side near the boat launch. You could check those out.

I was curious because the vertical barring pattern jumped out at me -- I don't see that on any of the snot rockets I catch, even the really small ones. Could be something as simple as regional variation.

I had to count them just now: 30. Even 10 years ago, I would have been incredulous if you told me I'd ever own that many rods at once. I do need to get rid of a few older, lower-end rods I never use anymore. Probably just garage sale them. As far as bass gear goes, I have no plans to get anything new at this point until something breaks. But I'm brooding over whether to get something specific for steelhead -- now that's another bottomless rabbit-hole all its own....

Hold on -- those barred markings look almost like a tiger musky. Could it be?

Amazing trip -- Land of the beasts! Ah yes. having grown up in that area, I know exactly what you mean by the "last hill" -- you descended into the prehistoric bed of Glacial Lake Agassiz.

A pretty typical breakdown, but it changes a bit for different places and times: Kayak, lake: -MHF baitcaster - Texas Rig/jig -MHMF baitcasting - spinnerbait/buzzbait/chatterbait -MXF baitcasting - topwater/jerkbaits -MXF spinning - senko/fluke -MLXF spinning - ned/shakyhead/jigworm Kayak, river float trip -MF Baitcasting - topwater/crankbait/spinnerbait -MF spinning - fluke/senko -MLF spinning - ned, jigworm, other light stuff Bank fishing -MF Baitcasting topwater/moving baits -MF spinning - senko/fluke -MLF spinning - ned, jigworm, other light stuff Wading -MLF spinning - just light stuff usually