Category Archives: Bass

Bass, Fish, Hobie, Kayak, Lake, Michigan, Public Service, Water Type

Fishing with Veterans

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Dan - Vietnam VeteranI would like to introduce you to Don. Don is a Vietnam Veteran. He became a Ranger at the age of 17. He did a 34 month tour of Vietnam, something that is an accomplishment by itself. He left and came back to Special Forces and served until 1986.

I met Don today at an event put on by KFGL and Camp Liberty. The KFGL leadership got a bunch of us kayak anglers to bring extra kayaks and gear with us to spend some time on the water with other veterans. Don is a good fisherman (landed several bluegill and a perch when a lot of the crew wasn’t catching much), but had never fished in a kayak. I got the opportunity to put him in one of my Hobies.

It is a small gesture of thanks on our part for the service these veterans have done for us, our liberties, and our country. Getting the opportunity to listen to Don talk about his time serving, his time working outside the Army, his wife and kids, and the plans for when his wife retires at the end of this year.

I don’t have much else to say except thank you to guys like Don, Mark, Brian, and Mitch for serving us, and to their families who give up so much in letting them go.

Thank you Camp Liberty for providing us an opportunity to spend a beautiful day on the water with these veterans!

Bass, Fish, Hobie, Kayak, Lake

Hobie Pro Angler Launched

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I have been itching to get on the water since March. I love winter here in Michigan, but come March 1, it is time for spring. Alas, this year was not the case.

2015 Hobie Pro Angler 12 Launch
2015 Hobie Pro Angler 12 Launch

Even after picking up my Pro Angler, I could do little but work on it in the garage – unless I could use it as an ice cutter.

Today, it was in the 60’s, I was home, and I cut out of work at 5pm. I hit one of my go-to lakes – Lake Sixteen in Orion Township. Quick launch, and I was on the water.

First Bass in the Hobie PA
First Bass in the Hobie PA

I headed out to the east side of the island, cast out a dark clouser along the drop off, and caught a 9″ large mouth. It would turn out to be the only catch of the evening,

but it was nice to be on the water.

Other discoveries:

  • neoprene socks with the wading boots are perfect for launching in cold water. Even water that gets inside the sock is quickly warmed up.
  • the addition of the skeg on the 2015 PA really does change the tracking.
  • rudder controls on both sides makes fly line control much easier.
  • added a Magnetic Gear Grabbar Mini  on the box holder on the mid-hatch – perfect for flies to dry and keep from losing them!

Trout season opens next weekend! Make sure you have your new fishing license and check out the new regulations (bass season is now catch and release all year in most places!)

Bass, Fish, Kayak, Lake, River, Trout

2015 Resolution #2: Fish New Water

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Aaron Rubel and I discussed the need for constantly looking for new water to fish last year. It challenges you to see how good of a fisherman you really are, exploring new water, trying new techniques, and often meeting new people. I didn’t make it an official resolution for 2014, though I did fish several new areas.
First bluegill caught on Sage Lake
First bluegill caught on Sage Lake

Sage Lake – this is about 8 miles east of Lewiston off 612. It is a remote lake with a boat launch, but you won’t be launching much bigger than a jon boat or rowboat with a trolling motor. My son discovered this in May with some friends, and I took my kayaks out several times between Memorial Day and the end of September. The first fish I took was a bluegill that slammed harder than most bass. Throughout the summer I caught lots of panfish and several bass. There is a lot of fallen timber, shallow weed beds teeming with bass, and a large dropoff area. It extends quite a ways in both directions, and I have more exploring to do here.

Josh's Brookie
Josh’s Brookie

South Branch of the Au Sable – this is new water in the sense that Josh and I took our kayaks from Chase Bridge to Smith Bridge on an all day float in September. This is the famous Mason Tract area that is very primitive. I have only ever waded this stretch before, and only select parts. While wadeable in summer, there are stretches that are really only safe by boat. Josh I both took nice brook trout. While not a fast river, especially later in the season, this river is not for a beginner kayaker, mostly because of the narrow stretches and numerous log jams. Beautiful water that is a trout fisherman’s dream.

Lake Huron – I don’t think I chose a great point to go in, and it was a windy day. Kayaking was tough, and it is amazing how motor boat drivers can be inconsiderate, even when they see you. I threw a variety of clouser minnows at various depths, while Josh had his spin rod with spoons and other jigs. It was also July 4th weekend, so we did not see any fish activity.
This year I have McCormick Lake on my to-fish list (this is north of Lewiston and where the neighbor caught rainbow trout while ice fishing) and am looking to branch out to a few other rivers with the kayak. Likely the Huron in southeast Michigan for smallmouth. I am also looking at going to the UP to fish musky on the fly with Jon Ray of Hawkins Outfitters in September.
Any other recommendations? Where do you want to fish this year?
Bass, Kayak, Lake

Coosa Maiden Voyage

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IMG_2347
Jackson Coosa hits the water

I finally got a chance to get the Jackson Coosa in the water! At least in the lower part of the state, the ice is gone (Lake Superior is still 63% iced). It was in the 70’s today and I couldn’t pass it up.

I grabbed a fly rod and headed over to Lake Sixteen, a local lake in Lake Orion. It is usually only used by kayaks, canoes, and rowboats – no gas motors.

My report: my kayak stroke is weak, my fly casting was abysmal, I didn’t find any fish, but I was glad for the opportunity to be on the water again.

Any good reports from anybody else?

Bass, Fish

Fishing, not Catching

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Sometimes the fishing is hard. You use all your skills, favorite lures, hit the best holes, everything that has worked before, and you catch nothing.

Last summer was that way. I had a great spring trout fishing and early season bass was productive, but by mid-June, not much was being caught by anybody I knew. The weather had cooled down and the patterns were crazy.

The last week of June, we rented a pontoon boat with extended family, 9 people tooling about East Twin Lake in Lewiston. It was a beautiful day, albeit cool. We had spin rods and my fly rod, night-crawlers, jigs, poppers and Clouser minnow patterns. Beyond a couple of perch, nothing much was happening anywhere – not deep, shallow, docks, or shore cover.

Towards dinner time, we just let the boat drift and it headed into the shallows. I had seen some fish tailing up in the shallows, but not regularly. There was not much cover, algae, or a major drop off.

I saw one tail about 50′ off the bow. I started my false casts and let it drop – 10′ short. But from experience I have learned that you strip anyway – you never know what may hit. Two strips in and something hit.

21" Bass on East Twin LakeAs he flew out of the water on a jump, everybody in the boat sat up to watch. Fishing my 6 wt, I could not horse him in, which made for a fun fight. Lipped him to the deck so we could get this photo.

21″ of beauty on a slow day. I can’t complain about that.

And my wife’s comment? “Wow, you really do catch big fish!”

But even without that fish, I spent time with family relaxing on the water. Sometimes it really is more about the fishing than the actual catching.

* Green Sunfish Deceiver from Lost Angler http://www.lostangler.com/blog/?page_id=451