Michigan Lakes in the BASS top 100 lakes for 2014

[djkimmel]

As I always say... we are spoiled.

But then I've seen some huge bass in those 'bad' Indiana lakes and even caught some (though mostly in practice, darnit! ). We spent a couple hours on a bed in a spring tournament one year on Wawassee that had 2 bass on it that easily would have gone over 12 pounds total. Maybe not the 10-pounder the guy on shore thought the bigger one was but it was BIG! They do make you earn their bite more often down there but that shouldn't be a surprise - they have only a few hundred lakes and the biggest bass federation. I've seen more bass boats on Monroe at one time than any other lake north of Georgia. I've had some good fishing days on even the stingy Ohio River and have seen people have way better days.

Considering they have about 1/30th of the lakes that we have and they can keep bass all year bass must be pretty amazing fish for there to be any left at all!?!

Those bass see lots of lures but I've seen some amazing catches from those lakes similar to ours in the north part of Indiana - Koby Krieger I think it was, put 29-something 5-bass on the scales during one spring tournament there!). I've also seen all the 10-pounder pictures on the walls at the shops near Monroe along with some whoppers out of Patoka. Plus, they have Spotted Bass and we don't. Spotted Bass can be pretty fun! They've also been getting 25+ pound stringers of smallies out of the Indiana waters of Lake Michigan. We are still spoiled, but more so because we have almost 30 times the lakes.

[Got Fish??]

Spotted bass , are just large mouth bass. That wish they were smallmouth bass. 

[Waterfoul]

Spotted bass , are just large mouth bass. That wish they were smallmouth bass. 

Oh so not true!  Spots will outfight a largemouth of the same size by a long shot.  A 2-3 pound spot fights more like a smallmouth than a largemouth.  I've made Ed Dyer get the net on Table Rock Lake thinking I had a nice 3+ largemouth on the line only to find a 14" spot instead, not even a legal fish down there.  I have however caught a couple spots in Michigan over the years.  Probably transplants from down south.  The rough toothy patch on top of their tongue and their smaller mouth is a dead give away.

Go down to Missouri and locate some Mean Mouth bass... a cross between a spot and a smallie.  BIG fight for a smaller fish.

[River Walker]

 I've caught quite a few spots in some southern Ohio streams and on each one of them I was sure I had a hold of a smallmouth.I can't answer for Indiana as I've only fished there a couple of times on Brookville and Patoka,but I can answer for Ohio's absolutely pitiful bass fishing.If you take Lake Erie out of the picture Ohio's bass fishing is below pathetic.I have fished no less than two inland Ohio bass circuits for many,many years so I've seen countless weigh-ins from Ohio lakes.I'll give you a prime example from one of the lakes the ODNR considers one of the very best tournament lakes in Ohio-Delaware Lake. This month there was tournaments three straight weekends on this lake,two of the three were good-sized tournaments 25-50 boats.The first tournament winning weight was 8lbs.,the second tournament(I fished this one)top weight was again 8lbs.and the last one the winning weight was a robust 5lbs.! The vast majority of the lakes in Ohio probably average around 10-12lbs. to win,especially in the summer months.The secret to winning in Ohio is getting your five 12" fish early then hope for a couple of 14" culls lol.Pretty much I could pick out my two biggest smallmouths on St.Clair any day I fish it and that would be enough to win just about any Ohio inland lake tournament.In summary-yes you guys are spoiled between you,Tennessee and Alabama you have the best bass fishing in the country-bar none.Don't want to hear about Texas or Florida,I'm talking about real bass.....you know those brown ones.

[djkimmel]

It never hurts to have a huge amount of quality freshwater.