Lake deemed too good for public fishing

[Mojo]

What is the yellow face for - Got beat up by the weather ?    .  This was definitely a fun fishable lake - make sure you stop at the Oakland Parks station (opens at 7 am) and get your permit. Its located just south of the park on Sashabaw.

Results:

Team                               Count       Weight        Pattern
Mojo and Yukon             -  5 fish        12.6 lb        Frog, Kustom Kicker Spinnerbait (Stood up to countless pike), and Senko
DK and Ypsi                  -  3 fish        10.5 lb        Frog, rattletrap and jig
Frank B and Dinkfinder    -  4 fish        8 lb            Spinnerbait, swim jig and worm

Big Bass was Dan Kimmel with a 4 3/4 lb bass !!



Team Rick and Dan -


Team Frank and Mike (Note Ricks got one in the net behind em !)

If this becomes an annual event, it will occur probably September latest. It seemed when the wind died, or if you could get out of the wind, the bass bit more and the pike bit less....... So we started the day with 2 consecutive pike while dead sticking a senko ?  One twitch and off they go....... really   ?  The morning actually started sour, the wind blew my truck door shut on my $$$ Razr crankbait rod (SNAP) when I just turned my back. Weather is weather, I'm fairly certain you arent allowed to complain about it when you are putting yourself in it. My biggest blunder (and I'm blaming them Stickfins). was after I caught 2 pike on consecutive casts on a spinnerbait, I cast out deeper and as I half set the hook on a third fish in 3 casts. Thinking it was another stickfin, I pulled but this fish was a hog and it hit, pulled different......... as it came up I saw it was clean and green ... aaaannnnd off the bait it went. Just didn't set it like I should of .....



Swipes 18 inches

Later, we watched a monster make a wake in front of its nose in 12 inches of water - going after Yukon's frog, but it split it. He just caught our biggest fish of the day and two casts later this one came, and it was much bigger !!  Alas - the bass just weren't hitting anything hard, and the senko fish were the only sure hook set......   


Chucky 17 inches

With 20 mph winds, realistically, It seemed boat control was the biggest factor. A simple little 5 lb boat weight slowed our boat -  and it allowed us to start at the top of the lake and let the wind blow us down and work specific areas in each of the 3 ponds. So that was ol Mojo's perspective on the day. I just wish we all got kicker hogs to bouy our bags - cause the lake is capable.

[Mike S.]

I wanted in on that, but had no partner. I am buying a small boat this year, and I will be there next year. You may have to be careful about doing this event in September. Remember, the MadWags open is always right around that time. How about doing it when the fish are on beds?  Could be fun, but remember, the MadWags is always around that time too.

[YpsiBass]

I was in a poor mood Thursday morning, but it turned out really well and I'm glad I showed up. Thanks Dan for the loaner rain gear.

Frank, that little boat I was in is my boat, but I'll gladly take you up on your offer for a ride.

Mike S, I could be convinced to sell you my boat...!

All in all, thanks GLB guys for another memorable trip that I won't soon forget :-)

[djkimmel]

Who doesn't like a big ole frog bass!?! Rain or shine!

Thanks for putting up with me in the rain for all those hours Ypsibass! I needed some 'fresh' air. I appreciate you bringing boat and electric motor, and hauling all the stuff on that long trail in the rain!

I think we landed 6 fish on 4 or 5 different lures - fall fishing!

I got 3 keeper bass - 15-something on a swimbait/swim jighead, ~18 incher on a black/blue jig and pig and the 20 incher on a topwater frog, plus a fairly large pike on the same jig and pig.

I didn't want to catch too many pike on a windy, rainy day so I felt I got that right by only catching the 1 - might be more error prone with all those sharp teeth. I might have been perfect on this one goal but I felt something weird on the jig on a prime-looking spot so I 'fed' the jig back right deep into the gullet of a sturdy pike! Oh well. We got it down with some teamwork to keep the jig minus half the skirt.

Ypsibass caught the first bass on a rattle trap type lure - 'weedless' variety. That might be what he caught his biggest pike of his fishing career so far he tells me on later right up in the pads and other mixed weeds. Kind of reminded me of Gator Jim and his big Amazon caiman fight back in the jungle for a couple minutes!

I'm whipped today though! That was a pretty good workout for me but well worth the scenery and catching a few big fall Michigan bass (and pike too)! Thanks Frank and Mojo for inviting me!

Where's the picture of the gator, I mean big pike... Ypsi?

[YpsiBass]

Yeah in a foot or so of water and about 6 feet from the boat, that scared the hell out of me.