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| | | |  | Some of the finest smallmouth bass fishing in the country is found in Michigan waters. In fact, the In-Fisherman's 1999 Bass Guide ranked Lake Erie the #1 smallmouth fishery in the nation and Lake St. Clair #4. Lake St. Clair is the place to be from the opener through late summer. Typical days yield numbers of fish with a good size average. I prefer to cast specific spots with the trolling motor. Rocks, shellbeds and weedbeds are the primary cover on Lake St. Clair's flats. Entire schools of fish can hold on small sections of the right kind of cover. Under these conditions it is not uncommon to have several fish follow a hooked fish to the boat.
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"Kevin knows his waters well and he works very hard to ensure success on every trip"
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| The wind can be a factor due to the size of Lake St. Clair. Fortunately, the wind is usually an ally. At times the wind forces us to drift over spots using sea anchors. During these times we cast horizontal baits (Rat-L-Traps, spinnerbaits and crankbaits) downwind, or drag jigs upwind to catch fish. The wind can have a very positive effect on the fishing.
Fish tend to be scattered over the shallow flats through June, but begin breaking into smaller schools in July. At this point the St. Clair shipping channel as well as several other off-shore structures become the key to staying with the smallmouth. Crankbaits and jerkbaits can still be effective, but heavier tube baits and spider jigs become a mainstay in the summer arsenal. Jigs continue to be productive in August and September, while the fish continue to add numbers to the size of their schools. During August and September we get into a very exciting topwater period over balls of shad and schools of bass! | -Bill Parker
Outdoor Editor
Observer & Eccentric | | | | | | | "Kevin Long runs a professional service. Everything is top-notch from his equipment to his energetic attitude." | | -Tom Watts
Outdoor Editor
The Macomb Daily | | | | | | | While Lake St. Clair continues to produce throughout the fall, it is Lake Erie that begins to produce the largest smallmouth of the year. October and November are trophy times! From early fall to winter, Lake Erie has a massive movement of big fish onto shoreline structure. I am reminded of this each fall, as I catch several fish that have lampry marks on them. This shows that not only do fish come in form the off-shore reefs, but from an open water existence as well. It is quite possible that the only time these open water fish are bothered by lures is when the occasional walleye angler trolls by! During the summer months walleye trollers commonly complain of the smallmouth hitting their crankbaits, but in fall the smallmouth move to the shallower structures along the Canadian Shore. From Lake Erie's Metro Park, it is only a 6-8 mile run to get on top of some of this great fishing! It is necessary to have a Canadian License for this trip, but it is worthwhile! (See the What to Bring section of this site)
Looking forward to taking you out on the pond! | | Call Toll Free to Reserve a Date Today! (888) 536-FISH | |
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