My week in Michigan.

[Bassboss]

Day 1:

Woke up bright and early at 3:00 am, eat break fast at 6:00 am at McDolands and the three of use were on the lake by 7:00 am (the guy who brought us [Nate] and one other guy [Ford]). Blue bird sky's and temps in the low 60's.

To keep some competition going we make a point system:

Smallouth
10 - 13 inch = 1 point
14 - 17 inch = 2 points
18 - 20 inch = 3 points
20 inch or larger = 4 points

Northerm
14 - 20 = 1 point
20 - 24 = 2 points
25 - 30 = 3 points
30 or larger = 4 points

No points for rock bass.

I started out throwing a tube which I caught a small pike on at the first shore line we hit. Broke off quite a few more to northern before catching my first smallie. A 15 incher which set the course to be the average size smallmouth through-out the week.

By 10:00 am we all had a couple smallies, and few pike and way to freaking many rocks bass.

Around noon things really started to slow down and everything but rock bass became slim pickings... even caught one on a 1/2 oz spinnerbait.

3:00 pm.

At this point we were become delirious with hunger and we couldn't by a bite. We decided to take a swim in the water which was way to cold for swimming. lol

7:00 pm.

Nate's parents finally arrive at the camp site and we get some MUCH needed food after a nice 13 hour fast. After eating we fillet the fish we caught and head out cat fishing around 10:00. Without any luck we head back around 1:00 am.

I end the day leading the first day with 13 points.

Day 2:

We wake up to the sound of thunder around 9:00 am eat and head out and are on the water by 10:30.

Despite what one would think to be prime fishing conditions given in the storm front moving in... fishing was tough. We caught a couple here and there but never really got onto them.

We end the day around 6:00 pm with maybe 10 smallmouth, and 15 non keeper norther between the three of us and as usual: way to many rock bass.

We wash up and head to Buffalo Wild Wings and watch the Heat game.

I maintain the lead with 17 points.

Day 3:

Same conditions as the previous day, but the fishing is slightly better. By this time I've gone though 3 bags of tubes and am out of heads for them so I resort to drop shots and senkos.

Being somewhat fed up with the cruddy fishing, and head to some local tackle shops to do a little research and find that the smallmouth are still spawning and eating crawdads (stomach dissection). Bought

We head back out with a fourth person for a while with new hope and check out some new area's Nate's never fished. There the biggest smallie of the trip at that point is caught of on a wacky rigged 4" dinger (17 incher).



I keep in lead at 22 points and with nate being in second at 18.

We head back out cat fishing that night and still don't catch any.

Day 4:

Head back out to some new area's we investigated the previous day. I come up with goose egg and don't catch any point worthy fish and loose a bunch of tackle to pike and rocks. Nate snaps a rod and we head to Iron Mountain (hour south) to replace it and head back out.

My bad luck continues after we head back out and a loose the lead in the point system trailing to Nate 22 - 25. Ford's still in third some I'm safe at the two spot for now.

By now we've all caught hundreds of rock bass.

Day 5:

Today is the one day we decide to wake up "early" and are on the water by 8:00. Most of the fish are caught today, except by me .

Nate catches a very nice 18" smallmouth



We find a nice shoreline and Ford and Nate pull probly 15 smallies off of it. I catch a couple but none worth any points. Ford's now gaining on me with 20.5 points (a point and a half to the norther he caught danging a dinger from a tree branch). I manage to catch a norther worth a point and am now at 23. At this point Nate's taken a huge head and ends with 47 points... most of which were caught on the final day.

Nate = 47
Me = 23 (If this was NASCAR I lead the most laps! )
Ford = 20.5

~~~~~~~~~~~

I had a blast up there despite my dry spell the last two days. The lake's unlike any I've other fished, 4,292 acres all rocky heard bottom barren of largemouth. I definitely came back a more versatile and better fisherman.

Thanks for taking the time read this if you made it this far. Sorry about the lack of pics, my phone broke yesterday after I got caught out on a storm canoeing. Had video's of the boat ride on the lake from top to bottom too so ya'll could check the lake out.

[WatterBoy]

Great report, Sam! Glad you had fun and learned at the same time, even if you didn't catch as many fish as you had hoped you would.

[Jrob78]

Awesome report Samuel! Sounds like you guys had a great time, even if it turned into a rock bass trip. Man those smallies fight!

[keithdog]

Hey, Rock bass aren't so bad! haha Glad you had a good time and learned a few things along the way. Sounds like a successful trip to me. Next time, go to bed and leave those nasty cat fish alone. Instead, get up early and go after that early morning smallie bite!

[Bassboss]

The ol' cellular decided to work thanks to Keith's magic!

[keithdog]

Originally Posted by Bassboss

The ol' cellular decided to work thanks to Keith's magic!

Your welcome buddy! HAHAHA