Kent Lake 5/1/11

[McCarter]

I talked Big Indiana Jay into driving up to Wixom for opening weekend of CIR Bass Season.  We did White Lake with the other GLBass.com members for half the day on Saturday and split after lunch to hit Kent.  Saturday was a struggle, on both lakes.  But we managed to catch some fish on various techniques.

Sunday would start out the same way.  The hot pattern on Kent this time of year has always been burning a lipless crankbait and covering as much water as you can.  With the funky weather we are having this season tho, this pattern was not producing how it normally does.  We struggled to find quality fish for the first couple hours.  Short strikes were also a big problem.  We hit just about every flat on the lake with any kind of wood or vegetation and worked them hard but just couldnt get it going.

We spent some time throwing jerkbaits, both lucky craft and megabass, but were getting very few bites and the fish we were getting were small.

we also spent a little time pitching the new Nemesis Craw around some shoreline wood.  I caught a nice 3.50 lber on a green pumpkin/blue flake Bullet Craw pitched to some branches that overhung into the water.  The fishes tail was beat up pretty bad.  Looks like they are gearing up to get there spawn on already.

fished a river spot with a 1/4 oz Nemesis Upskirt Jig McCarters Magic ( blk with blue flake/green pumpkin blue flake) and caught a beasty that was taking a break from the strong current behind some rock.  did not weigh it but my guess is around 4.75 lbs.

but we really pushed the trap bite.  A couple hours in, we started playing around with our retrieves.  basically, we slowed it way down and started crawling our baits through the grass, and ripping them free.  immediatly, we started catching quality fish.  this pattern held up as we revisited the areas we, and other boats, had visited earlier and had no success on. 

We were both throwing XCalibur XR50 lipless cranks.  I threw black/gold for most of the day.  It was overcast and the water had a pretty good stain to it.  also, the lake has been getting a lot of pressure and most of the guys out there are throwing orange craw pattern lipless baits so i wanted to offer something a little different.  Jay played around with Ghost and Pearl Melon a little, but was getting more bites on the Ghost pattern.  I switched up once to a blue chrome once the sun popped out for a minute but lost it on the first cast when a large pike grabbed it right at the boat.  i decided it was a bad omen and threw the gold back on.


The lesson of the day for us was presentation.  we beat a dead horse for a day and a half because we were accustom to them biting a certain way year after year.  a slight tweak to how we were fishing made all the difference in the world.  I talked to several guys later that day that never got into them.  they basically stuck to there guns and tried to force the bite and it didnt happen.  we even had two boats move in on us when we were catching them every other cast and they started burning traps and never got bit.  the one guy needed jumper cables so i trolled over to him to lend him mine, and caught a 3.5 lber right where he just made 15 casts. 

So when all else fails, and you know there are fish in the area, and you know you are throwing the right bait, and the right color, try switching up the presentation.  I would say conservatively we caught 40 keepers, most of which were 3lbs and up with 2 over 4lbs one close to 5 lbs after slowing down and ripping grass.

Here are some tidbits on the areas we fished and the equipment we used.

flats in the back of bays with new vegetation, scattered stumps
water temps were 52-54
2-3 foot of water
visibility was about 2 feet
overcast skies
wind about 10-15 from the ssw

15 lb Seaguar Invis-x fluorocarbon
Powell Rod Litner Lipless Crank rod ( me )
Powell 706 CB rod ( Jay )
Mega Strike Original Formula attractant ( i refuse to fish without it, best attractant on the planet )

McCarter himself

[t-bone]

Brian is officially in the lead with the best fishing report to date. Line, lure, attractant... great report and details!

[djkimmel]

All his is missing is a picture or two. But that detail of words paints a pretty good picture!

[thedude]

internet law: no pictures, didn't happen. 

[stackenem]

Just what I was told about a certain 8lber no pic well maybe he did maybe he didn't LOL.

[McCarter]

Your both invited to my house so I can rub my bass thumb across your eye lids 

[dartag]

I noticed you didn't say what color hooks on the crankbait.  Guess you can't give away all the secrets.

[FishermanJohn]

Thanks for the great report.  I'm eager to hit Kent on Saturday and get after some of those pigs.   

[McCarter]

Sorry.  Hooks were burnt sienna 

[djkimmel]

Whew... at least they weren't puce. Whatever that is?

[edyer]

Sounds like I better throw some lipless cranks on Canadian Lakes today. I was thinking a squarebill, but McCarter knows..........

[Eric]

Canadian Lakes.  Good luck catching anything there.  Not like that place is full of big fish that are super dumb and have never seen a bait before.  McCarter could figure it out though, I bet.

[McCarter]

Hey thanks for making feel like an idiot for posting a fishing report guys.   

[LAPORTE]

Hey thanks for making feel like an idiot for posting a fishing report guys.   

Someone needs a hug  Don't worry, I like your reports Brian... Keep them coming

[McCarter]

I do need a hug.         

[Eric]

I'm coming across next Thursday morning.  I'll stop and give you a hug in trade for some craws.

And by the way, I love reading your fishing reports.  Keep them coming.

[thedude]

if you're looking for a hug, i recommend trying at hooters.

[Cy]

if you're looking for a hug, i recommend trying at hooters.

I hear you can get lots at Sensations!   

[tigar]

Heres an update on Kent as of 5/4 and by the way it wont hold a candle to McCarters original post!

Water is still brown compared to normal,3-4 foot visability
temp has come up a bit- most of what I saw was 56 and I did find it 58 in shallow flats
There is a pike sporting a new look with a Spro Akura on his lip. (In Gold thanks to McCarter)

By the way if your going under the highway take your pedistal seats off, crouch down in your seat and take it slow. It looks like they are working on the bridge for the bike path.

[fiker]

I heard that they had it so that you couldn't go under the bridge at all.  I heard it would be that way all summer.