Poll: Pick the 2012 Fall MadWags Memorial West Michigan Lake for Sunday Sep 30

[customfishn]

Mike there is plenty of time for sleep when your dead.

[bigmojet]

I have been in the north for 15 years coming from Detroit subs. I couldnt go back now. Yes pay is low but u live within your means which is tuff to a fishing addict. No wife or kids helps. Lol.

I can be at a dozen really nice smallmouth lakes within 25 minutes. These last few weeks of fishing remind me why i made the move.

I can be at skeg in about an hour and cadillac in 45 min so I hope to make the fall tourney this year.

[Mike S.]

I know, but it is nice to sleep past 4 once in a while.

There's absolutely no way I could live up north. Wife, 3 young kids, and just what does"live within your means" mean?  I really need to figure that one out. Oh well, maybe when I retire I can move up there.

[cameraguy]

Hey! Who changed their vote?

[Mike S.]

I sure hope we don't end up on Cadillac/Mitchell. Me and Cadillac, the town, don't have a very good past. Since I moved back from there in 2000, I have only ridden my snowmobile there twice. But, if we do go there, I have friends, the owners of Birchwood Resort, that I wouldn't mind seeing again. Very nice people.

[djkimmel]

I'm trying to figure out a good way to tell everyone we are going back to Skegemog again. Maybe you can give me some suggestions before I publicly announce it?

[Firefighter Jeff]

   I think Skeg is a great idea, and i'd be traveling 4 1/2 hours to get there.  I agree that the fishing was off last year. It can only be better.

[Firefighter Jeff]

I have been in the north for 15 years coming from Detroit subs. I couldnt go back now. Yes pay is low but u live within your means which is tuff to a fishing addict. No wife or kids helps. Lol.

I can be at a dozen really nice smallmouth lakes within 25 minutes. These last few weeks of fishing remind me why i made the move.

I can be at skeg in about an hour and cadillac in 45 min so I hope to make the fall tourney this year.

   Well, where are your reports then???  Im always anxious to hear about smallie fishing reports.   

[bigmojet]

I posted several reports over the past couple weeks. I was out this evening on Green Lake prefishing with 2 high school students for a high school tourney on Saturday.

We picked up about 15 SM and 10 LM. Most were in 1 1/2 range with big SM going 4#. Water was 60-63 degrees.

I went out to Bear Lake again yesterday evening after a cold front and had to work to get 15 fish (SM). Water there got cooler from Sunday. Now in 58-59 range.

Living within your means to me is not having all the toys i once had or sometimes opening the fridge and having the light blind you cause theres nothin in it or driving an 11 year old truck. But with all the fishing opportunities and seeing deer, tutkeys, coyotes, bear(yes bear), etc pretty much out your front door, its worth it for me.

[djkimmel]

I love the North country. I may try more of it later. Staying near the parents for now. I know what you mean about living in your means. I'm not very good at it but being your own business is a good trainer. My boat is almost 20 and my truck is almost 19!

I also love Lake St. Clair, the Grand River, Saginaw Bay, Muskegon, White, Gull, the Detroit River, various Crooked Lakes and many, many more!

I live in town but Lansing is the tree city and I have a real big back yard with my neighbors drainage. I feed the bird and many other critters so my back yard is kind of a nature preserve. I can walk out, close my eyes and sound like I'm in the woods! Michigan is a Great state period!!!!!

[Waterfoul]

Heck Dan, the way that male bear is wandering around Michigan right now you might see him in your back yard this weekend!  Greenville, Lowell, Belmont, the GR airport... that guy gets around!

[customfishn]

I'm trying to figure out a good way to tell everyone we are going back to Skegemog again. Maybe you can give me some suggestions before I publicly announce it?

Dan I think you just told everyone were going to Skeg!  Thats what I wanted to hear,  I didn't like seeing Cadillac with the same number of votes didn't really want to drive all that way to fish a lake I hate.

[Mike S.]

That works for me. I will make a trip up there some time during the week of July 4th, to explore. Put the old side imaging to work, and learn something about Skeg and Elk. Might even check out the sand bar on Torch for a little while. 

[Firefighter Jeff]

That works for me. I will make a trip up there some time during the week of July 4th, to explore. Put the old side imaging to work, and learn something about Skeg and Elk. Might even check out the sand bar on Torch for a little while. 

  hahaha  don't need the side imaging for that, do you Mike  !!!!!   

[TheFishinPollock]

Just a good zoom on a camera

[Mike S.]

Why?  What's at the sand bar?  I thought it was a REALLY good place to fish.  Especially around a holiday. I was really looking forward to finding a bunch of humps around that area. You know, uncovering secrets of the Torch Lake sand bar. 

[djkimmel]

I got flashed once while idling by the sand bar from Torch back into the river. It was one of my first money tournaments (federation classic series) and I got schooled big time on catching bedding smallmouth bass by a veteran angler who easily won the tournament. I took a beating but that tournament drove me to put on my big boy pants (as Z would say) and figure some stuff out! Some super nice young lady (probably had too much to drink or was just in the spirit of the (in)famous sandbar?) flashed me as we passed the goings on.

Even though I was whipped fair and square (actually more than fair and square because he let me cast to the same fish if I could see them in time!) I did not mention the sightseeing opportunity to my partner. A little spiteful I know but I could plead that I was just momentarily distracted and not thinking completely clear! I have been flashed something like 4 times during tournaments. I don't know why. I think it's because I'm a redhead and they want to see my face turn red?

There actually is one 'secret' of the sandbar (well, maybe two) but I will let you find it on your own.

[Mike S.]

Dan, what is this flashing you speak of?  I'm not familiar with that technique, and how it relates to tournament fishing.   Ha!  Ok, I'm a big fat liar!!!!

[Jmcfarland]

Flashing is not so much a "technique" as it is a "pattern". Kind of like running windy points.    It is totally dependent on sunlight penetration, water temperature, time of year, and alchahol consumption. Like any kind of pattern it is not foolproof but it is a great option on those extremely tough hot clear sunny afternoons in July and August. It has never produced the way I have wanted it too, but I intend to learn the intricacies asap.

[Waterfoul]

That works for me. I will make a trip up there some time during the week of July 4th, to explore. Put the old side imaging to work, and learn something about Skeg and Elk. Might even check out the sand bar on Torch for a little while. 

I guess that part of the weekend won't be a "family" event then??

I can tell you what you'll see on the side imager in Elk:

Sand.  A few sandy weeds.  More sand.  A rock (maybe two).