edyer

Nice pics. What were most of the fish caught on up that way?

Up here in Michigan, on the same body of water, the smallmouths spawn before the largemouths. It has a lot to do with what body of water they are on as to when this happens. Some of the very large body of waters(Burt,Mullet, and Charlevoix), you can still catch smallmouths on beds into the second week of June, but on some of the smaller lakes or the shallower parts of reservoirs, they may be on beds the second week of May. On the smaller, dark bottomed lakes, the largemouths can start early in May, but any cold front pushes them back out deep. The largemouths here are very hard to catch off beds, but the smallmouths are almost two easy. Some days you can catch 50 smallmouths off beds, with half of them in the 3.5 - 5 pound range. It seems on Table Rock, things happen about a month earlier. We usually miss the spawn here because we usually come down the first week in April, but this year might be a different story. I know we have three days forecasted in the 70's next week up here, so you guys must be pushing 80.

I have the Lakemaster chip for Michigan, which I really like, but it was not available for Table Rock. That might change in the near future now that Huminbird has bought out Lakemaster. I bought the Navionics witch included the South States, which I will never take my boat on.

I was wondering if in another month when the lizard c-rig strts a bit, if you could catch them on the umbrella rig with three lizards slow rolled? Or right now with Rage craws or Zoom Speed craws with the flapping pinchers going? I still can't cast the Umbrella rig through the ice up here in Michigan yet. By my house now, the ice is too dangerous to fish on, but two thick to use a boat yet. I'm still relying on you guys to try some of my ideas out. Thanks for the info. Keeps me looking forward to my trip down there the end of March. In the meantime, I'll make some more umbrella rigs.

I built a couple using the steel bullet weight with 0.041 wire. WHat are you using for the clasp to keep the bullet weight from sliding down? Thanks.

All of my biggest bass have been caught on Table Rock at night as well, but I still like to throw a jig then as well. I have caught a few on spinner baits at night, but the jig is still my number one choice.

I have used a 200 Curado and might try out a 6500 Ambassador that I bought to throw Musky baits. The A-Rig I bought from Andy Poss last October came with instructions to use 80 - 100 pound braid. I have been throwing it with 50 pound braid and have heard guys saying they are using 25 pound mono and flouro-carbon. What are yiu guys putting on that reel you use for the A-Rig?

Looks like you are using an EWG hook on some of the swim baits instead of a jig head. If the baits aren't the exact same weight, does it make it run different? Nice striper. I think the walleye and northern pike up here in Michigan might like this bait too. Any body catching smallmouths on it yet? I know the Lake St. Clair smallmouth anglers are itching to give it a try up here.

Are you guys using a super fluke or the new swimming Fluke? Throwing five bais with three hooks, or using a willow blade on two? I'm still up here Michigan, but we are still ice fishing up here.

Bill, you mentioned that the more baits, the more missed strikes. Would you clip off two of the five wires and just throw three baits with hooks? Will it balance then? Seems it would also cut down on snags. On Table Rock, what weight rig and what weight jig heads would you suggest? Are you using the Storm swimbaits that are pre-rigged? How about grubs, spinner baits, or plastics like the swimming flukes, Berkley Grass Pigs, or Reaction Innovation's Skinny Dippers? Are the new knock-offs working as well as the Original Alabama Rig that Mann's is now selling? I won't be coming down to Table Rock until the end of March, but I'm really excited to try out this knew rig. can't cut a big enough hole in the ice up here in Michigan to fit the whole rig through it.

I heard the smokey Joe and Chrome blue colors will work.

13 inch WHile bass fishing today, I saw a couple of guys catching a few crappie on the Kings River between Viola and the White River. I caught a big female about to burst with spawn under our dock.

We fished Big Creek on Friday and Saturday. Caught 20 on Friday, but 8 were keepers, so we ran back there on Saturday. We could only manage three keepers with about 20 shorts. On Friday, we caught fish on fb jigs, stickbaits,spinner baits, shaky heads, and grubs. On Saturday, two of our keeps were on grubs, and one on the fb jig. Lost one stickbait fish at the net. One of our other boats did well in the Baxter area on Friday and Saturday, but only could catch one keep on Sunday. Fish were running a lot smaller. Fished the Aunts Creek area this morning with poor luck. Bill, you say there are better concentrations of fish up the white, how much farther up do we need to run? We are staying in Little Aunts creek until Thursday.

Bill, sounds like you had a blast. 9.6 sounds like something that happens in Florida, Texas, or California. Usually you give a little more info as far as lures and techniques used. I just emptied out my boat and am getting ready to reload it for Table Rock. Any thing I should not leave home without? Driving all night Wednesday to get here Thursday morning. I hope the warmer forecast only makes the bite get better. Knowing there is a 9.6 out there will make me drive a little bit faster.

Is that four 5 or 6 fish? Awesome either way!

There are too many variables to be able to stick to one color. Under most conditions, it's hard to beat v62 & v63 and v37 & v38. If it's more stained, watermelon or hot tiger are good. In real clear conditions, the phantom craw colors might work better.

I have fished that bank across from the launch before. I caught my largest LM ever off that bank, an 8.2 on a jig. Looks like the weather for Table Rock looks pretty consistent for the next week or so. Up here in Michigan, we have a winter storm watch for tomorrow, with freezing rain and several inches of snow and highs only in the 30's through next Tuesday. Can't wait to head down to able Rock. I would have to agree with Techo that Cape Fair is probably a better area .

I love a good wiggle wart bite. I haven't been there when it was strong in quite a few years.Think it will still be happening when I come down on the 31st? I have no idea where those three creeks are located. We'll be staying on Little Aunts Creek.

My guess is 8.45

Caught one about 2.5 pounds on a Rattle Trap off the point going into Perkins about 8 years ago. Looked like a Kentucky with the coloring of a small mouth. Fought real hard too.

Night time is the right time. My biggest bass ever, an 8 pound two ouncer was caught about an hour after dark on a jig, right across the public launch on (sorry Techo) Aunts Creek. Last year I caught a 7 pound, three ounce LM at night on a Hart single spin spinner bait. I will be back on the Rock for that April full moon bite. Went ice fishing today up here in Michigan. I did catch a two pound largemouth in 38 fow on a 4 mm ice jig and two pound test line. Anybody try that finesse tactic on Table Rock yet?

Last spring we were catching them on a Scrounger 1/4 ounce jig head with a twin tail white trailer and a whte chatterbait with the same trailer. I've caught some big whites on spinner baits and Little George tail spinners in the past also.

Any more info on the catch? Lure, tackle. or technique used? I need another excuse to buy more fishing tackle:)

Another Michigan angler, Ryan Said, has caught a couple of fish over four pounds in practice, but having a hard time catching numbers. Hopefully, the weather will get better.

Your reports sound like they are coming from where I live in Michigan. We had 16 inches from what they are calling the Blizzard of 2011 on February 3/4. I went ice fishing yesterday and caught a limit of bluegills after drilling through 16 inches of ice. The days are getting longer and the birds were singing at daylight this morning and a forecast of 50 degrees by the end of the week. You folks should be a lot warmer. It will be the end of March before we lose our ice here. Good luck with your snow and your fishing. Looking forward to your fishing reports.