Fishin' Fool

That's an interesting perspective. I'd always want to sink my money into the rod. I'll assume your buying mostly expensive casting reels? My highest end rods are spinning but I also live in Michigan home of ultra clear water and 5 pound fish are huge.

I upgraded my rods a few years back. My suggestion is find deals. Tacklewarehouse was selling NRX at 40% off during the Bassmaster Classic so getting a NRX for $340 was worth it to me. I ended up buying 2 for that price and sold 1 after 1 season for what I paid for it. Buy what your budget can afford. Would I buy those rods again at a discounted price? In a hearbeat!

Are you asking if a high end rod will make you a better fisherman? Maybe. Maybe not. But they are a whole lot more fun to fish with. I was fine with a Johnny Morris rod before I got my first NRX. Be careful because they make fishing other rods less fun.

Fishing for smallies on Lk St Clair they bit the bottom bait roughly 3:1.

I've had decent success using a Ned rig on the bottom of a drop shot. So is that a Ned shot?

Just heard that rod mentioned for the first time today. Did that replace the line above the Champion? Was it the Champion Extreme?

The weakness of braid is that it actually cuts on rocks, zebra muscles and the like pretty easily. If you're not fishing that type of bottom you're probably okay otherwise throw on a 6 to 7' fluorocarbon leader.

It seems to come in more odd sizes than other lines. It's pretty noisy coming through the guides. Saying that I have used 16 lb SX1 combined with a 7lb fluoro leader and liked it.

I could see the kneeling and dropping your rod be helpful for a high speed retrieve. Like he mentioned that would add several feet of depth to the lure. There is no reason to doubt what Catt is saying.

I cant disagree with your comments. My partner and I joked that it was only on days with NNE winds at 17mph or more. Like I said it was probably more about the one knocker than anything.

One more thing I'm going to add to these fine posts is sound. Some have small BB's some have larger BB's. Some have a one knocker (tungsten vs not tungsten), and some make no sound at all. These variations can make a big difference. One tournament my partner and I were both throwing lipless baits. I ended up weighing every single fish. The difference I was using a Rapala Clackin' Rap (one knocker) and he had on an Xcalibur XR50. In the past he kicked my butt with those but that night they wanted that sound/vibration.

It just seems that it could be really cold up there during that time frame. I know I've fished Lk St Clair a ton and it could be 80 degrees the 1st week of May or it could be 40. Make sure your lodge has a decent cancellation policy @spslewis

@A-Jay will those lakes be thawed out by the 1st week of May?

John, The migration of the fish takes them shallow in the spring mainly 5 to 8 fow then as summer comes the fish will move deeper to follow the bait and deeper weed beds and rock piles. Summer fish will be found from 12 to 20 fow. The recommended baits are all great let me add that moving baits such as lipless cranks, swimbaits and underspins work well. As the spawn happens and tubes, ned rigs, hula grubs, senkos work well.

So this is my favorite forum. I used to come here daily before I stepped away from the site for a while. The Shimano Conquest was just coming out when I left. So how are the reviews on that rod vs the NRX? Also any other new rod brands or models come out in the past 9 months or so that are buzzworthy?

Another bait that I did really well fishing a flat in a tournament was an underspin.

Agree with the lipless crankbait suggestion. Keep in mind there are different types of vibrations from small BB sounds, to knocking sounds, to silent lipless baits. Cover water with lipless baits and then slow down when you find fish.

A Texas rigged worm buries the hook point back into the worm. What type of worm hooks are you using?

Plus you could use a variety of baits. Are you fishing for largemouth or smallies? If largemouth, I'd look at a big worm or even a Yamamoto Kut tail worm. They are nice and stout for a heavier weight. For smallies maybe crawdad type baits.

What would be your concern about using a Neko rig that deep? I watched Brett Hite on a Bassmaster episode kick but on the Neko rig that deep. Just use a heavier weight.

I'm surprised no one mentioned the Neko rig. It was useful for fishing ledges in the Tennessee river chain when fish had become over pressured.

Split ring pliers from craft stores like Michaels work well.

Art Ferguson too. But based on Marcels posts hard to argue that reccomendation.

I've been away from the site for a while. I've relocated away from SE Michigan and that smallmouth factory LK St Clair and have relocated to west Michigan near Spring Lake/Grand Haven area. I will probably be fishing more largemouth now than I have for a while. It's okay time to start using those crawfish plastic baits and frogs that I was buying. Anyways anyone on this site from the general area that I moved to? Tight lines.

It's been a rough 2018 for me between working alot of OT well into May and then realizing that we were going to sell the house I hadn't fished 1 time this year Finally last Saturday the kids were gone, we didn't have any house showings and I left work early I told my wife we were going fishing at the Metropark. First time her and I have ever fishes together in 10 years of being together. Within 3 casts she catches a nice largemouth on a senko. I was fishing the Ned rig. It's my go to bait. Finally after an hour and a half with 1 crappie. I switched over to a senko. They were on it. The bass were almost pulling the rod from my hand. It ended up being a great 3 hours of fishing.