My old fishing partner Derek took me in his new Ranger Z521 to the holy land aka Lake St. Clair on Thursday, 5/21/2015. So the day after I got my Freak on catching backwater largemouth bass I found myself on the opposite - big, open water fishing offshore on big flats and bars.
I went once again thinking I could do some sightfishing and for the first couple hours of the day most of the sights were empty beds! It's amazing how fast that many bass can do their thing and get done with it.
Not all the beds were empty of course but the bass left were a lot 'smarter' than they had been the previous couple weeks. Some of the 'empty' beds weren't empty either but the breeze was just strong enough that it was very hard to see on some of them.
Luckily, I had what Zona calls 'The Cone of Shame' and I'm not afraid to use the Flogger to try to catch a few more bass. Drop that cone in the water and it reveals EVERYTHING!
Double luckily it showed some of the bass were small enough not to waste a lot of time trying to break through their shyness while fighting the growing breeze that hid their reaction and really good placement of the Mile Roads beds.
We decided to move steadily South from North of Memorial Park to 9 Mile Bar and started catching a few more including some still on beds that were biting. We found a few nice ones still on beds though sometimes we caught them before we saw the bed anyway.
I have to 'blame' Gene Gilliland, formerly of the Oklahoma DNR and now B.A.S.S. National Conservation Director for corrupting me a little. I fished with Gene and his group of traveling anglers out on St. Clair the week before and he gave me a couple Pink Shad Rapala jerkbaits so I felt it only was fair that I threw them since he threw them...
I caught probably two-thirds of my bass on that darn Pink Shad jerkbait! All day long it kept working on spawning bass, and roaming bass and probably post-spawn bass. What can I say. Thanks Gene, you've got me throwing a pink jerkbait! Here's just one of the bass that slapped ole pinkie silly!
(http://www.greatlakesbass.com/forum/gallery/medium_1-240515162900.jpeg) (http://www.greatlakesbass.com/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=558)
We kept moving South past more empty beds and lots of bass boats until we got just South of the Delphine where there were only 2 or 3 bass boats in sight. We didn't catch a lot and didn't see any obvious beds but we stayed out a little deeper much of the time catching a few smallmouth bass on tubes, and even a pink jerkbait!
If we'd had more time I imagine there were bass on beds and coming on a little further south but we caught bass scattered all the way down, with a few chunky hammer handles and some white bass - that seem to be almost everywhere this year - thrown in. All in all another good day on the big lake! Thanks Derek!
Anytime your on Michigan's Golden Body of water, Lake St Clair, it's a good day. did you try or get any on spinnerbaits or rattletrap so ?
PS : wrote a blog in a more national FB blog, calling her Michigan's Golden body of water, and several people knew it was Lake St Clair ! Might just catch on ?
Oh No Not Pink ;) :D :D :D :D :D takes you boys awhile to check on :D See y'all in about two weeks for some world class fishing. 8)
Okay. I'm now back in the correct month - May. Thanks to YpsiBass for reminding me it's not March or April.
Couple seasons ago I had some luck with a pink jerkbait there, along with the clown colored one. Obnoxious colors but they worked. :)
Went by the local store and purchase a Buzz Bomb of Hot Pink ;D ;D ;D
Gimme a call when you come up Rangerman - You know it !
10-4 Mo JO we arriving Sunday PM and leaving the following Saturday am 8) got your number 8)
Sorry Mojo just did not call, the fishing was good. Best action on the Mile Roads with Swim Baits, and Spy Baits 8) Most fish in the 2-3 lb not real big fish one 4 1/2. The numbers bite was on Senko in 10' could catch em till arms hurt on Friday. Y'all got a great lake please look after it. The royal pain are all the ramp closing on the Interstates without warning and no detour marked.