Vacation thoughts

[mikesmiph]

I'm going to plan a fishing vacation for next year. I have a truck camper and my boat. Looking for some ideas on where I should go. I don't really want to drive more than a day. What time of year? I'd love to get into some big bass. I'm thinking a week vacation. Fill me up with your thoughts please.

[dartag]

Northern Michigan Last week of May or First week in June.  So many lakes up there with Smallmouth bedding.  Hubbard, Long, Grand, Burt, Mullet, Elk, Skegemog.   You could fish a different lake every day. 

[mikesmiph]

Burt/ Mullett sounds like an idea. Are they usually on their beds by then? I'm going to need a lot of advice. I've never fished either of these lakes. Still open to other possibilities.

[dartag]

With Burt  / Mullet there are 2 Big Tournaments there the first week in June. They are usually Bed Events.   Guess it depends on the spring weather.   

[djkimmel]

Yes... you could be hitting them just going on, or maybe even still a bunch of prespawn. But there are many choices of interesting lakes up there. I like Tomahawk Creek Flooding for a bunch of not-big largemouths but fishing in lots and lots and lots of wood! Not too many lakes in Michigan with the amount of wood that lake has. You have to be REAL careful out there - I don't hardly run around anywhere there - I just go fishing. Many smaller lakes that are good for both bass too.

Then, there's the call of the near-south maybe? You really have to hit the lakes just right from Southern Kentucky-Tennessee down into Alabama if you really want an adventure. Maybe Santee-Cooper too? I don't know - so many lakes. I miss fishing some of those waters though it really is hard to leave what we have here.

[detroit1]

Lake Cumberland in Ky. looks interesting...no shoreline houses or businesses. That would seem very odd....

[fishstick]

Northern Michigan in the spring for sure! Lot's of variety in sizes so you'll have a place to hide if the wind blows.

Another idea would be all the drowned river mouth lakes on the west side if you wanted a great opportunity at big green and brown bass. Whitehall would be good place for that with White Lake right there and Pentwater and Muskegon not far away. I would definitely go in the springtime for that too.

[djkimmel]

I haven't been to Cumberland in a while... but I found it to fish fairly tough and it is big...

plus... I kind of sent my outboard cowling to the moon on that lake AND almost got Cuisinarted by my own prop when my big ole outboard landed on my back deck... LOTS of floating trees to find the hard way at times on that lake!!! Not sure I will go back...

[mikesmiph]

Well, this year has been decided. Thank you everyone for your input. I will be at Aloha State Park on Mullett lake from the 26th of May, till the 3rd of June. I can't wait to try out these 2 lakes I hear so much about. If anyone wants to come up for a day and fish, let me know. My dance card is pretty open.

[djkimmel]

Look for big rocks. Big rocks = Big smallies! (Don't forget satellite images... hint... hint.)