Mbirdsley

So in a incoming package I have some belly waited 5/0 screw in Trokars coming. I want to try those big plastic blue gill swim baits. specifically the ones with paddle tails. I know Berkley and savage gear make some. What are others that are say under $20.

I honestly just buy it regardless if it rattles or not. I buy square bills and regular cranks based on situations and certain lakes/river systems in mind. I’m more interested in color and what kind of diving/retrieve action that it has. Same with regular cranks. If I’m picking a dirty water color I’ll make sure to specifically find one that rattles. I have more regular cranks that rattle than non rattles. Square bills I have more silent ones.

River was packed with tubers and kyakers too. It was still a good time haha

Boat is up north getting some work done to the motor. So I decided to kick it old school and fish the Shiawassee river with my canoe. River was higher than normal and a ton of weeds were floating. Making it impossible to use inline spinners or rapala’s. I havnt floated the river since my first boat. So about 5 years Only caught 4 fish. missed a really nice one for the river. What the fish lack on size as they make up for in spunk. I forgot my zoom tubes at home which, the smallies love. I don’t know how well they would have done rigged on a tube jig any how. found success with a mojo rig running some type of sinking strike king finnesse worm that was black and blue flake

Went hard in the paint on square bills this week. Ones still in the package just came in the mail. The ones out of the package came from shop n save up north. Shop n save is a grocery store that has a really nice home goods and sporting section. All are strike king 1.5’s and except the lone LC 1.5 also trying out some magnum moon juice rage bugs

Okuma did for a while. That was only ten years ago. I bought a couple of avengers from Walmart and both came with a spare plastic spool

For leader material I go cheap. The kast king or pline flouro clear is all you need. They are both flouro coated co-polymers. I’ve used both in lakes with 20 ft visibility. I believe they both cost about $10 for 220 yard spool

Yes I believe pouring/ making your own stuff is worth the hassle. It’s kinda like they say in the reloading/boolit world “ you don’t save money doing it. However, your money goes farther” you get way more jigs for your money rather than buying them. apartment may not be the best place to do it unless you have acess to outside balcony or outside space

I really like my 7ft fast M/L st.croix premier. I use it for paddle tails, mojo rig, Ned rig. Perfect balance of feel and strength IMO being American made is nice too.

I’ve used the kvd and the cabelas/ bass pro stuff. They both work. There are sometimes I don’t need to use. However, there are other days I use it a ton. More do on spinning reels.

At the current moment. Lipless cranks. Kinda went all in this winter. Built a rod for lipless and bought some LC 3/4ozer which, are like $15 a pop. Also bought 6th sense 1/2ozers and some other random ones. I used them twice this spring. historically probably my rapala DT’s. I can’t buy a bite with them. I’m actually thinking of getting rid of them as they are taking up space in my crank box

Yeah you can wade fish the buelah end of the lake. Once your in the lake your legal to walk aways north and south. There is public access/ beach where cold creeek comes in. Almost down town buelah. You will be able to cast a drop off Into a 10-12 foot drop off 10-15 yards from shore. I was down there fishing today

Fished big crystal again in benzie county. So I caught a 4lbs 20 inch smallie on a tube. However, I forgot the phone in my truck . So I have no picture proof of it. Ran back to the launch and I happened to find my brother there who was launching a customers boat. He ran up the big hill for me and grabbed my phone. Caught another smallie on a tube fishing the 8-40 ft drop off on rail road pt. after I moved down to the east end near buelah and started nailing smallies and rock bass on spro rock crawler. Basically I was fishing isolated rocks or rock piles. Biggest smallie down there was 18 inches 3.5 lbs good day . Crystal has the biggest rock bass you will find. They even give head shakes making it seem like there is a small bass on

It’s not a good bank fishing lake. Big issue is there is no cover shallow. It’s all sand. The drop off is around 8 ft to 20-40 ft. But, it’s all sand to the drop off. your best bet would be the best east end of the lake where cold creek comes in buelah. There is a fishing pier and more cover down in that area shallow

Up north and fishing big crystal in benzie county. Big smallie came on a maxx scent tube on a tube jig. Other 2 came on a sun gill kietech paddle tail on a 6th sense divine swim bait hook . I don’t believe they are on there beds. Fish look to be roaming around. Water temp 60 degrees when I first arrived. Down 54 when I pulled the boat

I like running actual senkos wacky rigged. I will run knock off senkos IE yum dinger, strike king, the general, Ochoa, what ever zoom makes rigged Texas rigged i would agree that I do very well t-rigging stick worms from pre-spawn untill post spawn. After that ribbon tail worms get the nod and stick baits are wacky rigged only

Okuma evx 7ft cranking rod for $100 bucks your not going to find a better cranking rod. honestly I’d throw in the shimano slx also. Probably the best $100 reel on the market

Traditionally I would agree with the smaller is better in the spring mentality. However, this year it hasn’t mattered. Not just the bass but, all different species are choking bigger baits that I wouldn’t normally run untill June or July. been a wierd year with the cold spring. Everything is 2-3 weeks behind

Left lee street about 1:30 and headed up the Shiawassee into the flats. Had a pretty good day. Caught around 5 large mouths, 1 pike, big dog fish, white bass, of course a sheap head, and I lost somthing really big. I don’t know if it was a big dog fish or a flat head. It was taking line but, never got a look at it. I left around 7 O clock. Most fish came on a kvd sexy shad square bill or a black and bronze war eagle spinner bait I kept the pike and fillet him out as he choked my square bill and I’m not dumb enough to put my hand in its mouth. Pike was 24.5inches. How you know it’s a good one. I’m pretty sure first time I’ve used it and it caught fish

I went through this on the big rivers around me. When the dam failures happened it dirtied the water considerably which, also caused the shad population to explode with all the nutrients. First 3-4 years I fished the titabawassee all I needed was a black and blue flake chigger craw. After the dam failures it took me a while but, I finally found that a black and blue flake ribbon tail worm is what they wanted. Catch rates went back up.

No I agree. I have a crap ton of them too and not just SK’s I’d rather throw a regular crank instead

Sunny and muddy flashy, chartreuse and white cranks cloudy and muddy black, red, chartreuse cranks spinner bait: sunny a silver blade . Cloudy copper or brass chatter bait: sunny white or chartreuse cloudy black and blue sunny or cloudy black and blue jig

Wasn’t the greatest day. Had what I think are fuel line issues at the ramp. Finally said screw it and took off with the trolling motor. half way across the lake I finally got the boat fired up. Couldn’t get fully on plane and fuel bulb wouldn’t stay primed at first. Finally it catches prime and about knocks me off my feet and away we go!!!! I’m pretty sure I’ve got a fuel line issue. New bulb is orderd and I’ll buy fuel line on Saturday. here the fish 2 of 3 bass came on a ever green chatter bait with a Berkley ayu paddle tail. Another bass came on a spro little John flat side. 2 pike came on a Berkley real image perch paddle tail swim bait. 1 bass went 3.1 lbs other ones were smaller. Lost one at the boat I havnt done that in forever. only fished for 3 hours

Don’t forget get zoom magnum swamp crawler in pumpkin

I would be depending on what you have.