Alright, who's gearing up for fishing season?

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

This forum has been pretty dead lately -- no one fishing? I know the ice fishing was terrible up here in Michigan because the lakes didn't freeze over. We had one weekend where I was able to get out. The warmer weather made me itch for spring earlier than normal. '23 fishing license purchased and I'm ready to go --

I have my yearly fishing trip coming up at the start of June and I'm starting to excitement-purchase tackle, like I do every year around this time. This year I'm focusing on improving my trolling abilities targeting walleye. Grabbed a more sensitive trolling rod, in-line weights and crawler harnesses to try and really go after them this year.

This is officially my 10th year doing this trip in Northern Michigan, and every year I come to appreciate it more and more. Going on vacations with kids isn't the same as a dudes trip with 0 responsibilities other than to drink and fish. We've expanded the trip from a long weekend, to Wed-Sun to now Tu-Sun (the wife loves that lol). But the extended time gives us more and more time to play around with different fishing tactics at the lake.

 

[Dolemite censored]

Can't wait. I have freshwater and saltwater options very close to me.

Close enough to Canada (about 150-200 miles) to get to some remote British Columbia lakes.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Also, last year I just on a whim purchased a pack of these Berkley Agent E swimbaits:

And they killed it on the lake. They have pretty significant weights in them (1/2 - 1 oz) so they get down real quick, which is a necessity in the lake we fish. It's above a dam so it goes to like 20' about 10' from the shoreline. The only thing that sucks about them is that they're $10 for a pack of two, and one pike basically ends the day for the lure.

 

[Center Ice]

This forum has been pretty dead lately -- no one fishing? I know the ice fishing was terrible up here in Michigan because the lakes didn't freeze over. We had one weekend where I was able to get out. The warmer weather made me itch for spring earlier than normal. '23 fishing license purchased and I'm ready to go --

I have my yearly fishing trip coming up at the start of June and I'm starting to excitement-purchase tackle, like I do every year around this time. This year I'm focusing on improving my trolling abilities targeting walleye. Grabbed a more sensitive trolling rod, in-line weights and crawler harnesses to try and really go after them this year.

This is officially my 10th year doing this trip in Northern Michigan, and every year I come to appreciate it more and more. Going on vacations with kids isn't the same as a dudes trip with 0 responsibilities other than to drink and fish. We've expanded the trip from a long weekend, to Wed-Sun to now Tu-Sun (the wife loves that lol). But the extended time gives us more and more time to play around with different fishing tactics at the lake.

View attachment 100141

My yearly trip comes up in July to Northern Ontario. Lakes full of humongous Northern Pike, but Smallies and Pickeral also round out the choices. Lots of dry aged steaks back at camp to grill up as well and cases of beer and wine stacked up. It's a yuuuuuuuge amount of fun.

 

[SJ76]

Saturday. Lil man reeled him in after he jumped once.

 

[SJ76]

Heading to Arkansas tomorrow to try for crappie and some rainbows

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

My yearly trip comes up in July to Northern Ontario. Lakes full of humongous Northern Pike, but Smallies and Pickeral also round out the choices. Lots of dry aged steaks back at camp to grill up as well and cases of beer and wine stacked up. It's a yuuuuuuuge amount of fun.

We did that 1 year -- we went up to Ontario instead of going to northern Michigan. It was a place called Happy Day Lodge on Windermere lake. The lake was huge, took us a few days to figure out the fish but once we did we were eating the slot ranges for walleye every single day. We were expecting some big pike but never really hooked into any, which kinda sucked. But the place was gorgeous:

Catching 13'' walleye to eat got old after a while. We did catch some big smallmouths but they were few and far between. Also caught and cooked some whitefish. And the mosquitos were SWARMING, that was terrible. I really disliked the Ontario slot system, it seemed like all the fish were small because of it. In the end we decided that the fishing 4 hours away was basically the same, if not better, than the 12+ hour drive + customs + duties on the booze, so we just started back at our normal spot.

 

[SJ76]

Rainbow freshee Wednesday evening

Caught 6 more today. They was hungry

 

[SJ76]

We did that 1 year -- we went up to Ontario instead of going to northern Michigan. It was a place called Happy Day Lodge on Windermere lake. The lake was huge, took us a few days to figure out the fish but once we did we were eating the slot ranges for walleye every single day. We were expecting some big pike but never really hooked into any, which kinda sucked. But the place was gorgeous:

Catching 13'' walleye to eat got old after a while. We did catch some big smallmouths but they were few and far between. Also caught and cooked some whitefish. And the mosquitos were SWARMING, that was terrible. I really disliked the Ontario slot system, it seemed like all the fish were small because of it. In the end we decided that the fishing 4 hours away was basically the same, if not better, than the 12+ hour drive + customs + duties on the booze, so we just started back at our normal spot.

You can keep 13 inch walleye up there?

 

[Illustrious Potentate]

Went striper fishing on the Tennessee River a couple weeks ago. Caught several striper(23 pounds was the biggest) along with a few white bass and my first ever walleye(and several drums, which are big and fun to catch, but largely useless)

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

You can keep 13 inch walleye up there?

Yeah. In Canada it’s fucking bananas. I forget the exact numbers but it’s something like you can keep anything between 9-18” and anything over that you have to throw back. I think if you get the higher license you can keep one in that slot. So we were basically perch fishing for walleye.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Just got off the phone with my uncle (who I take the trip with up north) -- looks like we're going to get out a little early and fish the Detroit River for some pike/walleye in the 2nd week of May as a warm-up to the trip up north. (both of us are too excited to wait until June for the trip lol). Hopefully I'll be able to snag a huge pike -- the Detroit River has some monsters in it, though I've only fished it twice in my life and came out with a couple monster freshwater sheepshead.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Just got off the phone with my uncle (who I take the trip with up north) -- looks like we're going to get out a little early and fish the Detroit River for some pike/walleye in the 2nd week of May as a warm-up to the trip up north. (both of us are too excited to wait until June for the trip lol). Hopefully I'll be able to snag a huge pike -- the Detroit River has some monsters in it, though I've only fished it twice in my life and came out with a couple monster freshwater sheepshead.

Plan followed through on. I was "sick" yesterday and went out with my uncle, we did OK. Fished a section of the Detroit river right before it turns into lake Erie, right along the Canadian water border (we may have been illegal immigrants a few times accidentally). We were specifically targeting big northern pike -- trolling Rapalas -- ended up with a few and this really nice sized one that my Uncle caught. I landed a few dinks and a pretty nice smallmouth

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Took the new kayak out on Monday. You may be asking -- where are the pictures of the fish?

Well -- I've been fishing my whole life. Mostly in ponds with northern pike in them. And I can say that I've probably been bit off a single time that I can think of. Usually the pond pike don't swallow the bait deep enough to actually cut you off -- especially if you're using a swivel. I was fishing this little weedless bluegill swimbait on top of some weeds and had 3 different bass hit it, get about halfway in before getting off. Then on the 4th strike, just instantly snapped off on a pike. So I tied on a crankbait (given that was the only swimbait I had on me), spent about 10 minutes running it over the weeds, hooked onto another pike, got it to the boat and was pulling it into my kayak without getting bit and the thing cut me clean off. After that I packed up and left lol.

So I had 5 fish on in two hours, not a single one got into the boat. Two pike bit me clean off. Super frustrating. Lessons learned? Bring a net.

 

[beardown07]

View attachment 101903
Took the new kayak out on Monday. You may be asking -- where are the pictures of the fish?

Well -- I've been fishing my whole life. Mostly in ponds with northern pike in them. And I can say that I've probably been bit off a single time that I can think of. Usually the pond pike don't swallow the bait deep enough to actually cut you off -- especially if you're using a swivel. I was fishing this little weedless bluegill swimbait on top of some weeds and had 3 different bass hit it, get about halfway in before getting off. Then on the 4th strike, just instantly snapped off on a pike. So I tied on a crankbait (given that was the only swimbait I had on me), spent about 10 minutes running it over the weeds, hooked onto another pike, got it to the boat and was pulling it into my kayak without getting bit and the thing cut me clean off. After that I packed up and left lol.

So I had 5 fish on in two hours, not a single one got into the boat. Two pike bit me clean off. Super frustrating. Lessons learned? Bring a net.

Steel leaders help too.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Steel leaders help too.

I was really just bass fishing, the leaders tendto mess up the action on normal bass baits. We were using them when we fished the Detroit River a couple weeks ago because we were fishing for 30-40'' pike. little 16'' pike snapping the line was unexpected. I've caught tons of those without ever having an issue.

 

[beardown07]

I was really just bass fishing, the leaders tendto mess up the action on normal bass baits. We were using them when we fished the Detroit River a couple weeks ago because we were fishing for 30-40'' pike. little 16'' pike snapping the line was unexpected. I've caught tons of those without ever having an issue.

Same, but they literally just have to graze monofilament, and landing a big one with just that, is damn near impossible. I had a big one lay my hand wide open once....it was such a clean cut, I never even felt it, but goddamn was I bleeding. Their teeth are something else.

They are such a dominant species, it's tough to fish for anything else when they are present. You're bound to catch some, even when not trying.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Same, but they literally just have to graze monofilament, and landing a big one with just that, is damn near impossible. I had a big one lay my hand wide open once....it was such a clean cut, I never even felt it, but goddamn was I bleeding. Their teeth are something else.

They are such a dominant species, it's tough to fish for anything else when they are present. You're bound to catch some, even when not trying.

I'm wondering if the first one I never saw was bigger than I knew. Because I had the same experience. Felt the bite and just instant line snap. And I usually fish with 20 pound braid on my baitcasters, but was unusually fishing with my spinning rod that only has 15 pound braid. I wonder if that made all the difference in landing at least one of them.

 

[beardown07]

I'm wondering if the first one I never saw was bigger than I knew. Because I had the same experience. Felt the bite and just instant line snap. And I usually fish with 20 pound braid on my baitcasters, but was unusually fishing with my spinning rod that only has 15 pound braid. I wonder if that made all the difference in landing at least one of them.

These days, I mostly fish from my raft for trout, while floating the rivers. I won't let that braided line on my raft. Shit is dangerous on the river.

 

[TechRaiderRider]

View attachment 101903
Took the new kayak out on Monday. You may be asking -- where are the pictures of the fish?

Well -- I've been fishing my whole life. Mostly in ponds with northern pike in them. And I can say that I've probably been bit off a single time that I can think of. Usually the pond pike don't swallow the bait deep enough to actually cut you off -- especially if you're using a swivel. I was fishing this little weedless bluegill swimbait on top of some weeds and had 3 different bass hit it, get about halfway in before getting off. Then on the 4th strike, just instantly snapped off on a pike. So I tied on a crankbait (given that was the only swimbait I had on me), spent about 10 minutes running it over the weeds, hooked onto another pike, got it to the boat and was pulling it into my kayak without getting bit and the thing cut me clean off. After that I packed up and left lol.

So I had 5 fish on in two hours, not a single one got into the boat. Two pike bit me clean off. Super frustrating. Lessons learned? Bring a net.

took off yesterday mornin from work,
and took the daughter and her friend out -
beautiful day on the lake,
but only caught a few lil uns -.