How has the bite been this year?

[justinhahn88]

Hello!

I was just curious overall how has the bite been this year for all of you? I have personally felt the bite has been kind of tough. It seems that many other people I talk to here in West Michigan have said the same.  I was just curious how everyone has been doing this year?

[YpsiBass]

Having the best year I've ever had on Belleville of all places.  Had a great time on Tipsico lake too. LSC has been kind to me. Headed to Portage tomorrow and that lake hates me so I guess we'll see.  Topwater bite has been completely out of control awesome. Now if I could just get my popper out of that tree...

[stackenem]

Lobdell was hot last weekend. Fished from 5:30 am till 9:30 am and had close to 30 bass and 1 big pike. Best five went just over 19 lbs

[Dave B]

The Detroit River has been horrible this year

[TimH]

Ive had a brutal year for fishing since the moment the ice thawed, but I am 100% sure that it is clearly a mental thing with me. Between two separate boat issues that each took weeks and several thousand for the shop to repair and my overall lack of time to fish, my time on the water is the lowest its ever been.  When I do get out, I find myself struggling to focus because I feel like I have to make the most out of the limited time I have.  This causes me to fish fast and fish what I think I need to do, instead of figuring out what I should be doing.
However, I have had other people tell me that things really seem off this year and that you really need to spend time on the water to find them because the "usual spots"  are just not producing this year.

[Dan]

The Hulk posted on Facebook this morning that he and his partner had 14+ pounds on Reeds Lake in Grand Rapids last night in an evening tournament and it was only good for 4th place. Reeds is a city lake. Not very big, and it gets fished pretty hard from what I hear. It holds good ones though.

[djkimmel]

Reeds is an awesome lake that I want to fish some more. I've been having a great year from SE to West and a little North so far this year. Been some awesome topwater bites at a number of lakes, and very fun pitching weeds.

[Waterfoul]

The Hulk posted on Facebook this morning that he and his partner had 14+ pounds on Reeds Lake in Grand Rapids last night in an evening tournament and it was only good for 4th place. Reeds is a city lake. Not very big, and it gets fished pretty hard from what I hear. It holds good ones though.

Look at the date on that photo Dan... it's several years old!  LOL!!

As for "that" lake, Marc Dehollander and I have weighed in 19.8, 22.32, and 21.56 pound bags there this summer.  And there have been 2 other bags over 20 as well.  I'm actually glad the parking absolutely sucks because it does help keep the fishing pressure down.

The rest of the West Michigan lakes are fishing a bit tough.

[Dan]

you never replied to my comment on fishing ethics

[Skulley]

Hello!

I was just curious overall how has the bite been this year for all of you? I have personally felt the bite has been kind of tough. It seems that many other people I talk to here in West Michigan have said the same.  I was just curious how everyone has been doing this year?

Here in Southeastern Michigan, I feel the bite has been somewhat tough.  I've done way better in years past.  Although I have not been out as much as I have in previous years, it may just be proportional to the amount of trips I've taken.  Hopefully the bite will change as we move into the later part of the season.  I am catching them but not in the numbers of the past.  I am struggling to get 5 fish limits.  Some bites have been better than others such as this years top water bite.  It's probably the best it's been in a while but still not what it's been in previous seasons..........at least for me.

The Detroit River has been horrible this year

The Detroit River bite doesn't really turn on until mid to late August.  Moving into September the fish start moving into the mouth of the river and up the river.  The largemouth come out of the backwater areas to more predictable places.  Since we are just approaching mid August now, I think the fish will start turning on.  I have yet to get out to the river, however it's not quite the time when I start getting out there.  I do know some anglers that have done pretty well on the river on the Canadian side. 


BD                   

[YpsiBass]

Portage was nice to me last weekend. 7 keepers, 14 fish total, but the biggest was only 17" (but on topwater ). Belleville was tough on Saturday afternoon. Lost a nice keeper smallmouth at the boat because I thought I didn't need the net.  Oops. I haven't been on big water since the spring, but have heard from other guy(s) in my club that the river has been tough.

[Waterfoul]

Speaking of 5 fish limits... Marc and I are working on our 4th year of having a limit in every tournament we've ever fished.  Granted for a couple years our Wed. night club only required 3 fish to be weighed in (we still caught 5 or more fish most nights), but we've always weighed in a limit.  It took a last cast keeper to keep the streak alive earlier this season... but it's still going!

Dan... I didn't see your ethics post.  But as you know... I don't really have any ethics!  LOL!!  I always figure "would I want someone to do that to me?" as a good measure of what's right or wrong.

[Dan]

I had just said you pulled right up alongside me. I failed to mention it was at a red light.

[djkimmel]

Good thing you clarified that!

[TheFishinPollock]

Crap

[detroit1]

Only 1 over 20" from my boat this year, and it wasn't mine. (!) Haven't caught a legal limit this year fer crying out loud. Hoping  sept. and oct. will bail out my season though....

[djkimmel]

Bummer. The lakes must not like you enough... I've enjoyed this year quite a bit. Maybe try some new lakes. Fall is my favorite time to fish.