The 30 minute Lake Michigan Strategy

[mattyvac]

Every weekday, I leave work at 2pm and pick my kid up at 3pm downtown. That gives me about 20-30 minutes to wet a line from 2:30 to 3:00. Although it's a short trip, it still adds up - 2 1/2 hours every week, 9 months out of the year, plus normal trips to other fishing destinations. The worst thing is ahving to abandon a good bite to get Jr from school.

Finally, due to the smallmouths coming closer to shore, I'm getting some results. I landed a nice 14incher on another woolie bugger craw pattern I make, and hooked another one that didn't stay hooked. The only problem is I don't have the time to progress from presentation to presentation, changing lures and retreives and depths.

So I need to adopt a strategy that will let me rotate through a few tactics in a short amount of time to maximize my catch rate if my first attempts fail. What is my first concern? Lure color? Depth of retreive? Speed of retreive? How do I analyze the situation best to rule out bad choices and make the best choices to get the most out of my short time?

[Guest]

Location is your number one concern. If you get that right the rest doesn't matter. This time of year the fish will be scattered trying to spawn but there will still be key locations. We all know spots like this where you either get a hit on your first cast or there not there no matter what you throw. I found a few spots in a harbor like this. These were summer spots, under cut walls, both largemouth and smallmouth would hit.

Sounds like you have quit a challenge. Find the really good spots when you have all day to kill and then just hit them with a cast or two and keep moving if they're close by or find the one best spot make a couple casts with a fast lure( crankbait) couple with a slow lure (jig) if you're fly fishing use a heavier fly for the fast retrieve. Cover the shallow part of the spot and then cover the deep part of the spot. Good luck with the speed fishing. The kids grow up too quick I'd give anything to be back picking up the kids again. Enjoy it while you can.

Philf

[Guest rich mc]

i would take two rods, one for deeper and one shallower. i think the best thing is to write down what works and where according to wind, water clarity and temp. rich

[ronk]

I wonder if bassbugs would work on the lake when the bass are shallow.

[bob g]

I wonder if bassbugs would work on the lake when the bass are shallow.

for sure