Lakes That Kick Your Tail

[canvsbk]

A while back there was a post about favorite lakes. (I was kinda disapointed in you guys, some GPS coordinates would have been nice.)
With what lake would you most like to "even the score?"
For me it's Gun Lake in Barry County. I've had 2 very spectacular days there over the years but countless times have left there with a promise to never return. Evil may be too strong a term but the lake just flat doesn't like me.

[Cy]

I can agree with you on Gun, I have had more bad days then good ones out there.

I would say the worst body of water for me, if rivers count, is The Grand River near Grand Haven.  I always struggle to catch fish pretty much any where on the system. 

Cfruel

[djkimmel]

Lake Lansing - 1st place and big bass in the first money tournament I ever fished there. 15 years later and I don't know if I ever weighed another keeper in a tournament. I catch them decent at times when just fishing, but in tournaments - p u.

A number of seasons ago, I quit fishing tournaments out there altogether. You just can't fight it sometimes. I can't allow one screwy lake to mess up all my confidence.

[fiker]

I have two.

Kent Lake, and Lobdell.

What makes it worse is everybody else talking about how great they are.

[McCarter]

Gimme a P

Gimme an O

Gimme an N

Gimme an E

Gimme an M

Gimme an A

Gimme an H

Whats that spell?  the worst lake in the world.  Keep it, i dont need it anymore.

PoorBoy himself

[gnewski5]

Michigan Center near Jackson.

I'll catch 40 fish in 8 hours of tournament and be lucky if I can actually put 1 in the box.

The last time we fished it, everyone came in with at least 1 fish. 9 boats only had 1 fish and my partner and I had the smallest 1 fish, came in dead last, but boated 38 fish for the day.

Thats just one body of water I haven't figured out.

[joshimoto son]

That lake for me is rightly named.

DEVIL'S LAKE south of Jackson near Michigan Speedway.

Great looking lake, lots of good fish, I've seen em in the spring before. In four years of tournaments, I've weighed in one keeper. YUCK!!!

joshimoto son

[kgr624]

Alright this lake is not named correctly at all but BIG lake is mine in Allegen County and let me tell you for me nothing big is coming out of that lake, EVER

[DennisB.]

I have to second Michigan Center, Looks like an awsome place but I just get my arse handed to me their.

[dartag]

PONTIAC    lake is mine..  fished NBAA weeknight last summer..  went through 2 bags of senkos,  got told by some lady i could not fish in front of her " Trailer "..  never caught a keeper.  with 30 boats i think 3 fish for 5 lbs won...  although the jet airplanes going 200 feet over your head at 200 mph is fun to watch...  i see they are going back this year... have to try again

[Revtro]

I know what you mean about doing bad on a lake everyone raves about.  It's embarrasing.  My nemesis is Cass Lake in Oakland County.  Everyone loves it, big weights come from it, and none of them are ever from my boat.  It must be purely a mental thing for me.  There's just something about that lake that I just don't get.  Our second club event of the year is there so I'm looking forward to getting it figured out.

[blakstr1]

i've never done very well at Pontiac or Holloway, guess i haven't fished either very much though..might be the problem I guess....

[dartag]

I know what you mean about doing bad on a lake everyone raves about.? It's embarrasing.? My nemesis is Cass Lake in Oakland County.? Everyone loves it, big weights come from it, and none of them are ever from my boat.? It must be purely a mental thing for me.? There's just something about that lake that I just don't get.? Our second club event of the year is there so I'm looking forward to getting it figured out.

Cass is one of my favorite lakes..    ABA used to have a paper tourny there and had great results. 

steve smith

[Revtro]

Grrrr.   
There's a real self esteem killer. 

[Bulletproof]

Houghton Lake Post-Spawn.

Very tough lake to put together a big bag late in the season.

[Hooksetter]

I have to agree with Poorboy, Ponemah should be drained and turned into a skateboard park!

[MaizeNBlue]

Wixom lake, long drive, longer drive home!

[Skulley]

I am with Poorboy.  Ponemah stinks.  I hate that lake.  Last year I skipped the two NBAA Tournaments that were in my division there.  You are better off staying home and doing honey-do's than going there.  Listening to the lovely bride gripe is better than fishing Ponemah.  I have never ever caught a keeper there. It is a waste of gas to even go there. 



BD       

[smbassman]

I am not sure how you guys fish on Lobdell and not catch fish?  Keepers are usually concentrated in certain areas more than others, but there are fish everywhere in that lake.
TIP - key on long tapering flats(that taper out past 12' where the weeds get thin) and get on the outside of the weed edges 10-12 FOW.


Ponemah can be tough, requires a lot of patience, but has very good quality fish.
TIP - Though the lake is very stained, quality fish are usually still pretty deep(8-10').  Summertime shallow water doesn't seem to produce well and I think it is becasue of the excessive weed spray(both DNR approved and private).  Also, keep an eye out for ghost minnows scurrying across the top over the deep weed beds and have a small plastic jerkbait tied on a rod.  When you see the minnows, skip the jerkbait across the area and deadstick it all the way to the bottom.  Usually it doesn't make it to the bottom and will count for an extra fish or two.

I made pretty good money on these lakes while growing up until I got the great lakes smallmouth bug.  They both are dominated by the deeper water fisherman with light weighted plastic worms and jigs.  Shallow spinnerbait fisherman usually leave frustrated.

[McCarter]

Makes sense.  A guy won the ABA ponemah tournament out there a couple years ago.  He was carolina rigging in 16 - 18 feet of water.  Thats what he said anyway.  But i seen where he was fishing and it was deep.  I think he weighed in almost 17 lb.

I spent some time working some deeper stuff on Lobdell.  There is one nice slow tapering deep flat out there in the back of the lake.  It has an island near it.  I worked that thing for a couple hours with a 1/8 tube.  Got a lot of bites, but i suspect they were of the panfish kind as i never hooked into anything.

I keep telling myself that i am going to beat Ponemah, but then when i start thinking about driving all the way out there, i figure i might as well go to LSC or Kent.

I had one really good day out there pre fishing.  I was really killin them swimming a jig alongside docks.  Best 5 would have went 15 or better.  But alas, come tourament day those fish were gone, or jog shy.  One of the two.

Pontiac Lake is kinda like that too.  I always hear guys talking about catching 30 fish that are 13.75" long.  I used to play that game too.  then i started fishing out deeper.  Mojo rigging a 4" senko.  I started catching quality fish.  The areas where i was catching them were pretty baron too.  Not really any weeds, but every once in a while there would be an old christmas tree down there and BOOM, there would be a fish on it.  I hooked into a giant out there a couple years ago.  In 14 foot of water.  I found an Xmas tree with my mojo rig.  I got hung up in it for a second, but when i finally shook it free, i felt the slightest tap.  I set the hook and immediatly knew it was a good fish.  I worked the fish all the way to the boat, but it wouldnt come up.  It kept bulldogging under the boat.  I finally got it up close enough to see that it was a bass, and a big one.  but it ended up tearing off before i could surface it. 

Just some food for thought for you guys who have tournaments out there.  I wont let anthony put it on our schedule.  We already have a couple lakes like that with Ponemah and Lobdell.

I have a love hate relationship with another lake too.  Nepessing.  I am for sure the only person in the ABA who cant catch more than 1 bass out there in 8 hours.  It seems everyone gets a limit out there but me.  But i always catch one, and its always a good one.  And it always comes from deep water.   Last year i weighed in one fish for 4.25 lbs.  I got big bass but finished in 19th place.  I know that lake is a good lake.  I was killing them slow rolling a spinnerbait there the thursday prior.  I went out there with MaizeNBlew and got on a really solid pattern that was putting some nice fish in the boat on a consistant basis.  But again, come tournament day, nothing.  I do like the lake tho.  Small lake, but fished big.  gotta love it.

PoorBoy himself