Great Lakes Bass Fishing Forum

After my pretty good day on Easter at Lower Crooked Lake I had to go back. Mostly just to see if I could find other locations that were producing if nothing else. I pulled in there mid-morning on April 1, 2016, no fooling.

(http://glb.glwimg.com/images/1-motoring-across-the-lake20160401_092829.jpg)
I think it was only fitting that the first thing I saw motoring across the lake in the morning was a Common Loon. I don't usually see them at Lower Crooked but it is a peaceful quiet lake and this day I had it all to myself besides the loon (which would not let me take its picture).

Though I say I wanted to find new bass in new spots I couldn't help but first go back to the spot I got them good on Easter. I motored all the way there wondering if they would even be there after chilly days and nights and being morning, not later in the day like when I found them on Easter.

(http://glb.glwimg.com/images/2-19-12inch-largemouth-spinnerbait20160401_100513_HDR.jpg)
I worked my way in from farther out in the pocket so it took a few cast but it wasn't long before WHAM! A good 'un!! I had a measuring board this time so I quickly measured this bass at 19 1/2 inches. A good start I call that... ;D

I'm not known for patience so I decided to start the morning fishing a little faster than just spot casting a stickworm or pitching Bullet Craws like the day before. Even more I was using a brand new fancy lure for the first time ever! The Depo$it Spin Titanium Revolution is a brand new lure from Kustom Kicker Jigs (http://www.kustomkickerjigs.com/) that I picked 1 up at the Ultimate Sport Show in Grand Rapids!

Owner Dan Hatchew recommended the beautiful Bream color to me which was a great choice since the bass on this inland lake definitely eat bluegills! The Deposit Spin Titanium Revolution is a high end, innovative spinnerbait made with tunable Titanium wire, a Gamakatsu hook (very sharp!) and American made blade and components!

The blade is very different, called the Ghost Blade. Hand painted to match skirt. Also made of plastic. #6 mag willow. Cleared with UV! The Deposit head comes through the weeds very well just like the Depo$it Swim Jig. The blade is big but does not thump real hard because it is plastic even though it is thick. I could feel it but it came through the sparse weeds more like smooth silk than a thumping Colorado blade.

All I know is the results of my first test - the bass were just EATING it! And I threw other stuff off and on without much success by the end of the day. I even did a fair amount of pitching to cover though usually after I made a distant cast with the spinnerbait or a Texas-rigged stickworm first.

(http://glb.glwimg.com/images/3-fat-20incher-spinnerbait20160401_101638_HDR.jpg)
Moments after catching the first good bass the Deposit Spin got SLAMMED by a bigger mini-hawg - a solid fatty that went 20 inches and I'm guessing was pushing 5 pounds but I only had the measuring board not a working had scale. (Note to self: buy new batteries... ;D)

After that I went around and around the bay casting the Deposit Spin, a stickworm and pitching a Bullet Craw without more success. I also checked the spot that looked like a bed. Saw nothing around it. I did see a small amount of evidence that small bass might be back in the brush but I wasn't going to try to go in after small bass. Big bass sure... but you have to see this brush to see what is involved in shallow water, spooky and very thick.

So I moved to a pocket the other day that produced nothing but a few bluegills. Since it was still early in the day I stayed out in the middle of the bay in sparse weeds. I kept slow rolling the Deposit Spin too.

(http://glb.glwimg.com/images/4-another-good-bass-spinnerbait20160401_120738_HDR.jpg)
It worked! Another quality bass slammed the new spinnerbait WHAM! Can't tell you how good it felt! ;D

(http://glb.glwimg.com/images/4-another-good-bass-spinnerbait-closeup20160401_120738_HDR.jpg)
Here's a closeup of the Bream-colored Deposit Spin Titanium Revolution new spinnerbait this bass ATE! Nice looking spinnerbait, isn't it? The bass sure seemed to think so.

(http://glb.glwimg.com/images/5-small-keeper-spinnerbait20160401_121629.jpg)
Moments later I found out smaller keepers will eat the Deposit Spin too when this one hammered it within about 20-30 feet of where I caught the other one.

(http://glb.glwimg.com/images/6-dink-bass-stickbait20160401_125021_HDR.jpg)
Like I said, I did throw other lures including I saw a V-wake heading shallow across a point so I tossed the stickworm over there and immediately got ate by this little dude. I would have thrown the spinnerbait but the bass was headed into real shallow water so I wanted something that landed naturally and quietly like an unweighted stickworm.

I lost another 3+ on the Deposit Spin though purely out of my fault. I had it laying at the side of the boat leaving it in the water while I tried to turn on my phone and somehow while I was messing around with the the bass vanished off my hook. It appeared to be hooked good but I think it rolled at the side of the boat but it was another real good one on this new spinnerbait.

(http://glb.glwimg.com/images/7-back-end-spinnerbait-bass20160401_151548.jpg)
After that I ran out of bass in this pocket to I made the long drive and row combination to the back, shallow end of the lake because I had to see if they're moving in yet. The quick answer is no they're not. I fished a good variety of stuff in a tough breeze seeing almost no fish and only landing this decent little keeper that slammed the same spinnerbait off a lilly pad root bundle. It was fun but I wasted a lot of time to get back there and check out a variety of spots.

(http://glb.glwimg.com/images/7-back-end-spinnerbait-bass-closeup20160401_151548.jpg)
Here's another closeup of this awesome (I think so anyway because the bass think so!) new spinnerbait that I can't wait to test under more conditions - the Kustom Kicker (2K) Deposit Spin Titanium Revolution!

At least on this day it worked great. I could cover water while fishing kind of stealthy and the bass were eating it really hard like they believed it was something they had to kill!

By the time I came back from the back end of the lake I was getting tired. The wind had really kicked so I made one more pass through the 2 places that produced earlier in the day but I go no more bites even though I tried 4 different techniques. I did see some evidence that at least a few small bass were back in the brush but lacked the time and control with only a stern mounted small electric motor to go after them.

I had to row and used the electric motor both to get back across the main lake but it was another beautiful day on the Pure Michigan waters. I saw tons of birds and wildlife. Lots of whistling Wood Ducks and even got entertained by a pack Pileated Woodpeckers who were battling it out noisily for turf and chicks! ;D Just adds to the atmosphere of the day for me.

All these fishing trips your fishing by yourself...My phone never rang... My boat is sitting in the garage just waiting for the call. 8^(

Nice fishing once again...

Is this the Brighton east and west crooked lake that I'm so familiar with?

I don't know how far you like to travel but no, this is the Crooked Lake of Upper and Lower version way over in Barry County. If you want to come that far I'm thinking about going back tomorrow. I have more spots to check and it takes awhile in a rowboat with a 30 lbs thrust electric motor and oars... ;D If some new spots don't produce (anything is possible with this weather we're having) I will just go to my old spots and hope they've replenished by now... :)

You know... I'll bet East and West Crooked might be real interesting this time of year. I've only been there 3 times ever so it would be an adventure for sure but since I don't have my boat back yet and don't know a boat rental place out there I'm at the mercy of others there... ;D

I should have my boat back soon though my truck is still down and out yet... maybe fix that soon too. Who knows. The weather is getting nice and I'm feeling adventurous.

Nice report Dan. Thanks again for all your hard work on our new fishing season.

Thank you and you're welcome!