8.39 pounder on Muskegon Lake! 8/24

[Mike S.]

Now that I have your attention, I will tell the story.

Stackenem contacted me a few weeks back, and told me he would be in town for a few days. So, we set up a day, and hit Muskegon Lake.

We started out in "the spot". I was hoping he could get a good start with some smallies. I got two smallies and a parties or two. He caught a couple. No size. So, we left. 

I ran to another spot. Nothing. Couldn't believe it. The lake was a little rough, and I was trying to keep us in easy fishing waters, but quickly decided that we were just going to have to brave the wind.

We ran over to the sand docks. We boated 5 or so over there. Nothing to write home about, but fish nonetheless.

Next run is over by Heritage Landing. That's where the magic happened. Is the suspense building?  We pull up and get a little smallie, a couple little largies, and a rock bass. Were talking, and he swings for the hookset. The rod buckles, and he says I have to loosen the drag. It starts peeling. What is it?  It's under the boat, around the back of the boat, back to where it was hooked. I see a flash. It's huge. What is it?  He gets it up to the surface. It's a sheephead. Sorry. I know you were hoping for a bass. I know. But, its a less than perfect world.

We run again. This time we are on a weed bed. Start out with plastics, but within minutes, fish are blowing up the surface and bait fish are scattering. There are so many, it sounds like rain. I switch to a buzzbait. He goes to a swimbait. Within a few casts, I have above blow up. Not paying attention, and forgetting what I'm fishing with, I jerk it right out of its mouth. We laugh. A few casts later, I'm all in the weeds. I'm quickly reeling it in weeds and all, and five feet from the boat, an explosion. One hit it weeds and all right by the boat. I wasn't paying attention, and nearly jumped out of the boat it scared me so bad. We laughed some more. Stackenem did muster up a decent keeper out of the weeds, but no monster.

It was a fun evening. Had a good time.

[djkimmel]

Sheepshead need love too...

[stackenem]

I want to thank Mike for the great time we had on the water. We didn't get any monsters (bass anyway) but we had a great time. Thanks again Mike.

[Mike S.]

Not a problem. Anytime.

[Genie]

I know that spot ... not just big sheephead there ....

[Mike S.]

Thanks Genie. Now I will never get to fish there.    just kidding. Yeah, the picture definitely leaves nothing to be questioned. And so everyone knows, there are big carp there too.

[Genie]

Let's just say I call that the "5 pound piling" spot ... at least before they did all the re-work.

[djkimmel]

Good master angler dogfish spot too!

[Mike S.]

Yes. Lots of 5 pound carp and dogfish piling up in there. I'm going to have to photo shop every picture I take now. So, from now on, every pic I post will be from Wolf Lake.

[Genie]

Don't do that ... I fish there too!

[Mike S.]

Now you're just being impossible. How about Macatawa?

[Genie]

All yours!

[djkimmel]

Then, someone else will just be upset! I wouldn't worry about it. Half the time people think they recognize a post and then go somewhere else. Other times people catch a fish one place and take a picture of it somewhere else. I actually crack up every time I see a picture of an angler with bass caught somewhere with a distant, vague background and someone still will post EVERY TIME 'I know right where that is at!' or similar.

If I don't see an angler catch the bass with my own two eyes from very close up EVERYTHING else will always be suspect for me! I've been around way too many anglers to not know better...

[Mike S.]

Oh, I'm just goofing off. I don't care if someone knows where I fish. There is one spot I never talk about, but nobody would know because I don't talk about it. I just like to give people trouble, keeps me entertained.

[Genie]

Don't tell anyone about that one either ... that is my best spot.

[Mike S.]

Deal. We won't tell these guys anything about Wolf Lake.

[Mojo]

Man thimiss nearly impossible to crack on you two - Bill n Mike !

How many times did the barbie or Dora pole joke come up ! 

[Mike S.]

Only a couple!  See what you missed out on?  I take east siders out to catch big sheephead, and tell them we will be catching bass. Except for that one time I took Mikesmiph. I just made stuff up and drove around the lake all day. Yeah, that's why we didn't catch a single fish in 8 hours. 

[Mojo]

Kinda like how I took you all over LSC and we 'blew' into those double digits (10.01 lbs total I think was our official weight) !!

Now I've seen you bang fish ... Dora or Barbie poles - West siders can stick em as good as any East sider .....