Lake Michigan

Question
Hello, I recently read your article on pouring your own soft plastics and i loved it! Fishing is my lifes passion im 17 but i can only hope to be able to make this hobby my career. Thats why i was learning to make my own lures. This being said i often fish Lake Michigan with my father and his tournament partner on their practice days. But Lake michigan is a very difficult and unique place to fish. I mostly see small mouth and often catch them but im trying to prove to my father that im well equiped enough to be a tournament partner. I often jig we fish brake walls and rock structures id like to think im ok with a jig but i was wondering if you knew anything that could posibly help me or maybe something i could say to my father the next time we have a long day ahead of us and no particular spot to go to. Thank you very much for your time and if possible could i have your email incase i needed anything else? have a Great day and thank you again!

Answer
Hi Brody,

Good to see young people into fishing.

Making a career out of it is tough.  But there are many aspects to the industry from marketing, writing, biology, and actual fishing.  I'd highly recommend Mike Iconelli's book "Fishing on the Edge".  If you want to see a textbook scenario on how to get into the fishing industry, Mike Iconelli is it.  

Learn the lure groups and master them.  Crankbaits, Jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs, topwater, Drop-shotting, etc.  Get to the point where you feel confident in every group.  This just takes time on the water.  If you are good at jig fishing, you are ahead of the curve.  Anyone can "chuck and wind", but jigs take finesse.  

I fish Lake Michigan A LOT!  Trout, Salmon, Bass, Walleye, etc.  One greatly overlooked bait is a simple jigging spoon.  Something like a 3N or 4N Swedish Pimple.  I pour my own using the Do-It Flutter Jig mold.  I cannot tell you how many times this bait has saved the day for me.  One memorable instance was in Sturgeon Bay last May.  No one was catching anything dragging football jigs on the bottom or any other common method.  I started chucking a jigging spoon as far as I could and working it back vigorously about 1-2 feet off the bottom.  Bass after bass! The creel census clerk came up to me and said, "what are you doing... you are the only one catching fish".  I said, "Shhhhh".

Stick with the fishing.  Get on the water.  Learn something everytime you go, if you catch fish or not.  Study the fish.  Befriend your local DNR biologist.  You can learn a lot from them.

Take care,

Marc