Howdy,
I am from extreme NE Indiana in the town of Angola. I have been fishing the Michigan BFL for the last two years. I just found this site today and was very impressed. I am an extreme "diehard" and have been out into any open water I have found since the middle of January (in between ice on and ice off, crazy year!) at least 30 times. We are blessed with our open season and in between early spring tourneys, my buddy and I hit any new little public lake we can find as long as the ramp will allow my TR21 (somehow we always make it work ;D). We recenlty found a little hundred acre jewel that is barely in Indiana. We have been there the last two nights and I have never seen a public lake with these kind of fish. The first night we had 11 keepers that included a 6lb 12oz monster that was weighed and thrown back. Last night we decided to make it interesting and each put our best 5 in the well and weigh them later. I ended up with the pop and candy bar after weighing 19lbs. 10oz. that included a 6 lb. 4oz. monster! I gave up the spot an hour early to a friend who brought scales and his boat (just to help us out!) and he ended up with a 5' 3" and two 4 1/2's. I can't imagine what I would have if I would have stayed. The water temp was 47 and every fish came on a 1/4 oz black jig with a 101 blue pork in 5 feet of water. Those fish out there are stupid and very hungry. I am a dedicated early spring blade bait man but if I can find a lake where they will take a jig better I am in heaven. If anyone is venturing this way (Lake James chain, Lake Wawasee, or anywhere in this corner) I may be able to help you out. The time to catch a hawg down here is now. God Bless and Good Fishin'!
Hey,
Welcome Rufus! Sounds like you had a ball. I'm jealous. That open season sounds great. Up here we get an extra month now and there are lots of people who think it will ruin our fishery.
Welcome Rufus. Yes, I too am extremely jealous. I just got my prop back from the shop today and am ready to go the last Saturday in April, which is our opener. Can't wait. Wishin' I was down there in Indiana catching those giants. Sounds like a blast. Enjoy your time here at GLB.
Welcome to the board rufus.. I visit the big town of Orland on a regular basis so I know the area you are talking about. I will be down there this sunday fishing on whatever lake its called behind tristate bait n tackle. My father fishes the blugill over by snow bay so look for the stratos with the greatlakesbass.com stickers on it that will be me.
Welcome aboard Heath, glad to have you here. Love Angola, cheap beer! I used to hunt a 3000 acre farm in Kinderhook. I have buddy that still has a home on Dragon Lake, also loaded with big lm and sm!
Take it easy.
Mark
Hey Heath,
Remember me I fished with you and Andy down in Indiana a few years ago. By the way how is Andy's tackle shop going? This is Dale the red headed one you may remember. ha ha. I see you upgraded in boat alot since the last time I seen you. You had that Skeeter. Last time I saw you was down on Old HIckory that year for the Championship.
Is there any good tourneys on James this year. I see the one for the Poor BOys division. I think I will head down for that one. If you every want to get up here and fish let me know I will take you to some good places. ENjoy the sight it is fun on here.
I think rufus and I share a mutual friend (and all around crazy guy) - Jeff Bishop. Glad you found the site and hope you come back often.
Man oh man, am I jealous. I'm getting email, and pictures and reports about all these great bass and other fishies people are already catching, and I'm still coughing doing other stuff besides getting ready. I think I'm going to take another dose of cough syrup and zonk out. Then, at least I can dream about big ole bass on the end of the line... ;D
Welcome Rufus to the best bassfishing forum in the country........no the world. Indiana fishing sounds great. I have often thought of going down there to fish, but when St. Clair and Erie are only about 40 minute drives one tends to head to those waters.
BD ;D
Howdy Huff!, There are not a lot of big tourneys scheduled to go out of James this year, but there are several small divisional tournaments you can choose to fish. Let me know if you need any info for it before you come down.
Dan, are you really willing to admit to being a friend of Bish! ;D Yes, I got to know him pretty good while fishing the BFL's. He was my brother's co-angler until my brother had to drop out. I will introduce myself when we are up on Burt/Mullett. I am looking forward to it.
After driving all the way to Oregon, OH yesterday after church to get a few wally's to eat my father-in-law and I had to turn around due to a wind change (SE to NE) that stirred the big water into 6 footers. We went out, but it wasn't worth trying to fish. So we did the only logical thing we could do, drove all the way back to Angola and hit our newfound little honeyhole again. The bite was tough and the weather moved those toads a little deeper. I ended up with 5 keepers and two shorts. My two biggest were 6' 1" and 6' 9". My fishing buddy "Angola Jones" posted pictures of our first two trips on a friend's website. Search google for Rick's Ultimate Bass Fishing and it will take you to the site where you can view them. My work computer is very restricted and it will not let me get there, or I would post the exact address. It is a yahoo geocities address. God Bless and Good Fishin'!
I know Rufus from the tournaments on Lake James in Indiana he is a very good fisherman and an even better person. Very nice and fun to chat with. Rufus I am planning on coming down for the Poorboys Division Tourney on James. Should be a fun time.
Here are the pics.
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/angolajones/secret%20lake/HPIM0153.jpg)
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/angolajones/secret%20lake/HPIM0155.jpg)(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/angolajones/secret%20lake/HPIM0148.jpg)
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/angolajones/secret%20lake/HPIM0143.jpg)
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/angolajones/secret%20lake/HPIM0141.jpg)
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Jonesy
Holy Smokes!!! That's more like 10,000 words!!! AWESOME largemouths!!
Wow - have I seen a bunch of pictures of BIG largemouths already this spring. And we have members at Santee-Cooper and Guntersville right now probably collecting more!
Thanks for signing up and posting the pictures guys!
(Bish is my buddy too - I'll admit it. I'm not sure if he'll admit he knows me after the way I've fished the last two years...?)
I didn't get the pictures of the 6'1" and the 6'9" due to the fact they are on 35mm. We are on a quest this week to catch and 8 pounder. We have made three trips total to "the lake" and have caught 4 over 6 pounds and 15 other fish from 3-5 1/2. It is an amazing little lake. It gets virtually no pressure as far as I can see. We have seen 1 other boat there and he only was there an hour. I don't know if there is an 8 in there, but it will be fun trying. God Bless and Good Fishin' Everyone!