I just recently got back into bass fishing in a very serious way, and will be fishing Muskegon Lake Tournaments 4 to 6 times this year so I need some good advice here. I browsed through the old posts and did not see much info on this lake, although I do feel like I can catch fish on St. Claire like I lived on the lake with all the posts I read on that. Its been 6 years since I fished a trny on muskegon so I need to be updated on the productive patterns most likley to work for spring, summer and fall, please be specific, the more info the better. I heard that the smallmouth pop has gone down from 6 years ago is this true?
Tim
Jerkbait, Jerkbait, Jerkbait. ;D
I fish Muskegon alot during the summer and have done pretty well, my favorite way to catch them is with a jerkbait. This lake is made for a jerkbait and I wouldnt go there with out one.
On the other hand there are those times(not very many) that I will throw a Jig and Pig or a Senko. You cant go wrong with these three baits on Muskegon anytime of the year.
The smallmouth have been less of a threat the past few years until mid to late aug. when they will pick up for a few weeks until the Salmon start to come in off the big lake and then they get hard to find again.
I difinitely agree with throwing a jig or a senko. There's lots of wood to throw to and the channel has some good rock piles. I've found that in mid to late summer the topwater action in the marina can be very good. The eastside by the Muskegon River there's plenty of lilys and docks to fish. Its a great lake if not the best on the west side. Another thing is,if the tournament rules allow, you can make a run onto the big lake and go up to White Lake or down to Mona Lake, they also can be very big producers in the early summer.
How deep of water do you jerk on Muskegon LGMOUTH and does this pattern hold up all summer and fall?
I throw it anywhere between 4 and 15 feet. There are alot of weededges, riprap, seawalls on muskegon and a jerkbait is fantastic for all of these structures. Yes it works all year on Muskegon, it works the best from ice out thru about mid July but it still produces after that just not quite as good.
I will agree comletely with LGMOUTH muskegon is a great lake for some power fishing with a jerkbait or crankbait. just curious what circut are you fishing up there? ive caught a ton of fish up there as has everybody else. i fish 2 circuts there and i cant seem to get out of that 10-11lb limit range, its a curse. LgMOUTH is definately the one you wanna tlk to here, he gets them good bags ill have this year ;D Im pretty much gonna live up there this year and see what happens. Hope to see you up there.-skeeterman-
one thing yous shood has is a spinners bait tie on at all times an donnt fourget to chuckit offin ;) ;) ;)
dair devales work like wile fire thar aswell ;) ;) ;)
juss use the old stan by of red an wite ;) ;) ;)
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I will be fishing BBT for sure and a few open events on muskegon, if I can talk my partner into it I hope to prefish 8 to 10 times this year due to all the tournaments we will be fishing. I want to be on a pattern for every tourney so we stand a chance against guys who been fishing the lake there whole lives. I used to get a lot of 2 to 3 pounders years ago on bomber long A fishing barrien bass busters tournaments. If a jerkbait is the way to go thats right up my alley, thats one of my go to search baits along with a spinnerbait. This year I am armed with pointers and flash minnows which should produce more bites than the bomber. I only got to fish muskegon once last year and that was for 45 min before a monster storm blew in and pushed us off the lake which was hard after landing a 4 pound smallie on a tube fishing deep pilings. I look forward to trying the techniques you guys talked about. I am really glad I found this forum, the advice and info is second to none for a michigan angler like myself. I read through almost all the past posts and feel that I took a crash course in bass fishing michigan 101. Spring cant come any sooner.
Tim
yous well want to starts chuckin the spinners bait rite frum wheer you puts yur boat in ;) ;) ;)
do not evin starts yur big motur up!!juss keeps on chuckin yur spinners bait all the ways round the lake till time up ;) ;) ;)
thens starts you big motur up an runs intoo the weeighin with yur limits of nice ones ;) ;) ;)
good luck to yous :D :D :D
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The BBt is a good circut the only thing i hate is how long the weigh ins take but oh well. i fish them also. theres alot of good competition up there. what you said is rigth prefish is key those guys pretty much all live up that way so there got it in there backyard. myself i live in indiana so i pretty much make a home there every weekend at fishermans landing. to keep up. i have been in the middle of the pack the last 2 years with some huge dissapointments. break downs in lake michigan and some key lost fish have hurt me badly!!! i hope to see ya up there open is only 3 months from yesterday... ;D-skeeterman-
I've heard about some of the problems they have with the BBT's. Heard something about waiting until they call your number, and then you have to use their bags to weigh your fish in, or something along those lines, and it takes forever. What exactly happens? ???
Jav,
Let's move your question off this post. We don't want to highjack Tim's post on Muskegon Lake with Tournament talk. If you have time ask your question under "Other Tournaments", I will start a new topics on BBT, and I am sure that myself other guys will have a ton of info for you.
Cy
Great idea. Sorry for the jacking Tim, it won't happen again!
Tonight there is a News 8 warning about a large sewage line break and that they were pumping the raw sewage directly into Muskegon Lake. Great!!!!
That just makes those muskegon bass bigger, Two tails, three eyes, two heads. LOL
I saw the same report, that really isnt a good thing.
For those of you that want to learn how to throw a jerkbait like I do on Muskegon Lake, I will be doing seminars at the Grand Rapids show on them, and Ive got some great pictures of Muskegon that might help you out.
When and where is thie seminar, and I'll try to be there.
These seminars are going to be held on the NBAA seminar stage, Im not sure yet where they are going to put it but it will be on the main floor and not in the seminar rooms. This is the peliminary schedule so dont shoot me if it is off a little, if it changes I will let you know.
March 15 Thursday
3:30 pm Don Watts
5:00 pm Doug Maurer
6:30 pm Wayne Carpenter
8:00 pm Pete Lusis
March 16 Friday
11:30 am Wayne Carpenter
1:00 pm Pete Lusis
2:30 pm Joe Balog
4:00 pm Don Watts
5:30 pm Doug Maurer
7:00 pm Wayne Carpenter
8:30 pm Dan Kimmel
March 17 Saturday
10:00 am Dan Kimmel
11:30 am John Gipson Jr
1:00 pm Don Watts
2:30 pm Doug Maurer
4:00 pm Chase Klinesteker
5:30 pm Wayne Carpenter
7:00 pm John Gipson Jr
March 18 Sunday
10:30 am Pete Lusis
12:00 pm Jerry Bechhold
1:30 pm Chase Klinesteker
3:00 pm Wayne Carpenter
4:30 pm John Gipson Jr
ya Lgmouth you might snag a terd with your jerkbait on Muskegon with all that sewage floating around.But they said it will be cleard out in a couple months so you should be allright.
Lets hope so, I catch just about every type of fish there on a jerkbait I sure dont want to bring in a big terd or a little one for that matter.:D :D :D
yous evur toss them dair devales thar at muskegun lakes ??? ??? ???
dair devales are a forgotin bait fur sure an i gots plentie now i fine me old box an went thrue it ;) ;) ;)
i will be tossin thems round fur sure thiss yeer ;D ;D ;D
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Dare Devils? Are you trying to catch Pike and Musky too? I'll stick to bass, and they're not the biggest fans of daredevils.
bass lov dair devales ;) ;) ;)
i go out thar in yeers pass an i toss them dair devales all ovur an i get sume nice ones ;) ;) ;)
dair devales has ben bringin bass pikes,muskeelunge,cats fish,dogs fish,trout, sallmen an othurs aswell ;D ;D ;D
thay are the forgotin baits of yeers pass ;) ;) ;)
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