Northern Bass vs Southern Bass fishing

[bigmojet]

Now that this season is almost done, I am probably like most on this site that likes to read up on anything about bass fishing during the long winter months. I have always wanted to ask someone in the know the differences(some known and some not so well known) between bass fishing techniques, equipment, lakes, etc, between North and South bass fishing in the country. I live in NW MI and a lot of the info I read on fishing hotbeds down in FL, Alabama, Texas, etc, just doesn't work in the lakes I fish.

Granted I am not a tournament fisherman and can only fish when time allows and have spent a lot of $ on stuff that just doesn't work in the lakes I fish, but I would like some feedback on observations others on this site have found to be true, to work or not to work on techniques, equipment, lakes or whatever with regards to geographical differences. I follow a lot of what KVD and Zona say as they know Michigan waters as well as most and follow publications that tend to be more midwest fishing oriented. This site has been a godsend for me and look forward to even more info than what I have gathered in a short time.

In the years remaining I sure would like to visit a lot more of the 11,000 lakes remaining in our beautiful state and would like to be even more efficient at it.

I appreciate any comments no matter how wild or obvious you think they might be.

[djkimmel]

Lures are tools. Techniques are using those tools. You always want to pick the right tool and technique for the conditions you face. One thing that has often impressed me is how simple sometimes the very good anglers tackle box can be as far as colors and lures.

When I first started, I always read complaint letters in Bassmaster and other magazines about how all those articles and techniques don't apply to 'where I fish' but that isn't really true. You can learn something from all of them. Maybe it needs a slight adjustment. Maybe it will work great just the way it is if you just give it enough time.

We are our own worst enemies when it comes to fishing success. I think the top anglers have figured that out and figured out how to get out of their own way.

I get in my own way because I get bored easy. I 'handle' that by having way too much tackle and going out of my way to try new things or things that other people don't do as often on the same water. I waste some time but since I don't fish tournaments anymore I enjoy fishing the way I want to a little more anyway.

I can tell you this as one example of simplification - KVD catches bass all over the US from North to South on shallow crankbaits yet it is real hot in some areas and barely used, relatively speaking, in others. There are many examples like this.

I would recommend you try to figure out which lures and techniques seem most efficient on the waters you fish and then work hard to become confident in those by using them a lot, especially if you are catching them good already. Just pick a few new ones a season maybe? An one other thing - there is no wrong way to fish a lure. There are better ways at times but there are no completely wrong ways.

Like stickbaits (Senko-types) under a bobber. Some people will laugh at you while other people in some parts of the country are putting some cash in their accounts and big bass in their pictures doing just that a lot!

[bigmojet]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not just throwin $ at every new lure, technique, etc that is popular. I guess I am similar to your comments in that I get bored and if I start catching em on something, I usually want to change up and try to catch them on something else.

I remember some comments by Larry Dahlberg years ago that a fisherman usually goes thru stages in that he first wants to catch numbers of fish, then he wants to catch just big ones, and then he wants to catch them how he wants to catch them.

I am always trying to adapt techinques (the senko under a bobber has worked great on some lakes where wacky rigged senkos were overfished) to the areas I fish (punisher flies under a bobber can be a SM killer as well). Each winter I go thru my tackle and anything I haven't had any success on or no confidence in, I usually pass them down to my neighbor or friends kids as they will take anything i give them.

I try to only carry a couple colors of each lure(low light and bright conditions). I carry about 6 rods on my deck rigged with I think might work for that day and then besides all the other tackle we carry, i make up a box that is kept handy with lures that I might change out to if no success with the 1st team lures.

Your comment of being our own worst enemies when it comes to fishing success is probably a lot more true than i want to admit.

[djkimmel]

Don't take it personal. I get asked these kinds of things fairly often by anglers of all ages - some just starting up and some wanting to do better in tournaments. I always remember that lots of anglers read this stuff so I'm sharing random thoughts with everyone.

Those stages are fairly accurate in general. I like Larry Dahlberg. He just goes out and catches giant fish all over without lots of silliness. He's also very willing try new things and variations he thinks might work better.

Sounds like you are actually doing pretty good. My best advice to anyone really is to try to learn something every time out no matter how good or bad the fishing seems to be, and learn something from everyone you fish with. I always have, even if it was what not to do sometimes!

I'm glad you like this site and appreciate your participation!

[red68prostreet]

I would like to weigh-in on the North vs South bass fishing. I am new to the forum and enjoy the back & forth reading.
For the past 15 yrs I have had the pleasure of fishing Kentucky Lake every May with a group of 10 guys from around the country. In the beginning it was more about the fishing but as we get older we have found that being together for a solid week of fishing, food and a few beers is the best part.
Reservoir fishing can be a challenge. Is the water too high, too low. Are they pulling current or not. Is it muddy or clear, sunny or cloudy. Everything has its effect but probably one of the biggest is if they are pulling current. Pulling current seems to trigger the bass to be more willing to bite.
I have found that everything I use in Kentucky works well in Michigan on the inland lakes near my hometown of Fowlerville. For soft plastics I use 6" lizards in watermelon green, pumpkinseed, watermelon red, black and cottoncandy. Samething for worms in 4" & 6". I use the same redeye crankbaits in Mich & Ky, 1.5, 2.5, rattletraps, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. They all work in both states.
What I have found that does not work well for me in Ky is dropshotting. What works great in Ky but not for me in Mich is Shakeyhead fishing. Shakeyhead fishing in Ky is fantastic and has resulted in me having 50-100 fish days.
Kentucky Lake is a fun place to fish because it has so many coves, etc to fish. If you don't find them bitting in one cove run down the lake to another spot. You have days where you are not going to catch a fish just like on a natural lake but for the most part when you do start catching them the average size is better.
I could go on but I need to go as the weekend is here. Have a great weekend. I do need to spend some time fishing some of those great SM lakes up north. St. Clair has not been fishable for weeks.

[FishermanJohn]

Regarding the articles in the magazines I still find them useful.  Bass are predators regardless of whether they live down south or up north.  They all go through the same stages from pre-spawn to late autumn (I've never tried any winter ice-fishing bass patterns, though   ).  I use the articles to help me develop techniques to attack structure/situations we have up here.  I don't read so much about WHAT the pros use but HOW they are using tackle in a given situation (depth, structure, cover, forage) and translate it into something that I can apply to situations in MI.  For example, shad or blueback herring patterns do not apply up here but those offshore tactics work for schooling bass, or thinking of wind-generated currents similar to water drawn through a dam. 

bigmojet, I'm with you regarding my tackle.  I try to keep things simple based on the expected pattern of the fish.   I only carry a couple confidence colors (1 or 2 each for dark/stained, bright/clear, and cloudy/clear) conditions.  I focus more on where the fish are (shallow, suspended, deep) and what sort of structure/cover (weed, rock, wood, man-made).  Then I pick my lures to fish those conditions fast (spinnerbait, trap, or crank) or slow (jig, soft plastic).  Throw in a finesse technique (dropshot, senko, or tube) and I'm all set. 

The problem is that I like getting new tackle too much, but every winter I sit down and trim my box of the lures I have lost confidence in or do not perform as expected.  When I'm out on the water I always start with my confidence lures but I also try to experiment with a new technique each time out.  I try to learn at least 1 new technique each year.  Last year I really focused on flipping/pitching and vertical presentations.  This year I am hoping to try my hand at swimbaits. 

[Bender]

In the past five years I've lived here in Michigan, way upstate New York, and Southern Mississippi so I've gotten to fish a wide variety of places. Overall I would say that the fishing in the North is better than down South. The waters are just very different, for instance I've met many fishermen down there that have never fished on a natural lake in their lives. Also down there catch and keep is more common than catch and release. The lakes around my house down there were all man-made and had very little to no vegetation and not a whole lot of defined structure either. I struggled to find fish on the local lakes with many days of only one or zero fish. But I had a pretty good time up on the river systems like Pickwick and Bay Springs. The biggest advantage to being down there is being able to fish year round, which I am really missing right now. 

[djkimmel]

Fish are still biting good even on St. Clair.