Looking for Smallmouth on a New Lake? Go With the Flow.

Popular wisdom says there are largemouth lakes and smallmouth lakes. Some will hold both but the structure is often very different. When it comes to targeting smallmouth, there is nothing like rocky shoreline, ambush structure and moving water.  There are certain “go to” patterns that will increase your odds of catching smallies on lakes with a decent population.  Smallmouth are unpredictable fish. On my favorite lake in the Adirondacks I just scratch my head when they seem to be there one day, but under the same conditions a day later, they are nowhere to be found. Still, the key is finding smallies is to find other locations with the same characteristics.

A productive smallmouth spot will generally be slightly deeper than where the largemouth hide. If smallies are shallow it is only because they have quick access to deep water nearby. Smallmouth are the velociraptors of the fish world. They hunt,stalk and ambush prey. They exhibit this behavior in rivers as well as lakes. But there is more to locating smallies than locating the bait pods they prey upon. If I want to catch smallmouth in a lake, what I have learned is to fish lake waters that remind me of river waters. Anyone who fishes a river knows to look for current breaks and eddies formed behind rocks near deep holes,and channels. These smallmouth hotspots are hotspots in lakes too. For example, on Adirondack lakes the major habitat is weed beds- good water for largemouth and pike. In one particular area, the lake narrows, large rocks on both shores form an area where the water moves more swiftly and the depth increases. Without fail, each time I fish this area, I pull in one or two smallmouths on a lipless crank before we move through to fish top water for largemouth in the weeds. There are a few places on the Delaware that remind me of this spot- a narrowing, “channel”  of faster deeper water- they hold smallies too.    

 Largemouth are cover oriented, hiding under pads and in heavy weeds, under docks or timber. On the other hand, smallmouth orient in areas of major structure- humps and rock piles, structural points with deeper water surrounding, rock faces and channels- structure that will have a significant impact on how the water moves through that area. Find these and you will likely find smallies. Look for rocky or sandy points that stretch from shallow water to deep. Smallmouth will often position themselves on the deeper edge to ambush anything that ventures over top. When fishing points, cast your bait up onto the shallows and run it back over the deep water. This will trigger the ambush reaction.  Depending on conditions you can use top water baits like jerk baits, poppers or buzz baits early in the morning. Lipless cranks, in-line spinners or spinnerbaits also will bring strikes, especially when the top water bite passes and the sun rises further in the sky.  If a slower or finesse approach is required, a tube, grub or Senko will produce.  I recommend a jigging retrieve with or without the actual weight of a jig- depending on wind, temperature and other conditions of the day. Using this approach, cast the jig as close to the edge of the drop as you can, and simply let it sink, then jig it in.

Humps will require you to keep your eye on your electronics.  Humps rising from depths of 8-25 feet- or even more- to as shallow as three feet- as long as they have some sort of structure, will definitely be worth your fishing time. Depending on how you fish, a search bait like a lipless crank or a medium diving crank that can get down onto the hump to tick the rocks might be just the ticket. If it is a slow, blue bird day try a more vertical finesse approach like a Senko or tube or even slow rolling a spinnerbait or jig with a craw trailer added. If that doesn’t entice them and you have to slow it down even more, try a Carolina rigged worm. Your electronics will be key in mapping the size, shape, and position of the hump. Use them to find where the bass are holding. As you dissect the area with your electronics you will learn to fish the different areas on and around the hump. Notice how the water flows around and over the hump. This will impact where the fish hold. Remember, like the river, you want to fish the edges where the water is moving.

Lakes also have feeder creeks- an area not to miss when fishing new water. These areas are fish magnets just like a creek mouth on a river. When the water at the creek mouth reaches 50 degrees, the bass will find it, especially if the deeper surrounding areas offer ambush structure. The mouth will feature sand bars, drop offs, channels, current breaks- the same fishy structure we have discussed. Key in on these areas particularly where one transitions to the other. Sandbars are a favorite for the smallmouth, they will sit on the deeper side and wait for unsuspecting food to come their way. Try dragging an in-line spinner, a tube or other stick or swim bait over the bar and let it drop into the deeper slack water behind it.  Active smallmouth will usually ambush a spinnerbait or crankbait as it comes flying over the sandbar, pausing at the edge before resuming its path.
   

In summary, just because it’s a new lake doesn’t mean you can’t “own” it by looking for the familiar and adapting how you fish similar situations in the past to the new situation. A lake is often part of an ancient flowage formed by the glaciers- Canadian, Maine and Minnesota shield lakes being classic examples. Impoundments in Kentucky and New York fish like the rivers that formed them. When studying the map or taking that first ride on a new lake, remember that you will need to identify a lot of potential smallmouth hotspots because some days they will be in a spot and within a day or even a matter of hours they’ve moved on in search of that next great ambush. What I know for sure is, once you have one on, there is no better fight to live the passion!

Fishing with a Master......a Jedi Master

I think I am pretty good at my job. I expect fishing guides to be good at theirs. I have fished with many fishing guides over the years- on the Au Sable, White Lake, Minnetonka, Ontario, Erie, Lake George, the St. Lawrence, the Jersey Shore, South Africa, Lac La Croix, Lake of the Woods, the Ottawa River Chain, Colorado Springs, Mozambique, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Alaska and countless fresh and salt water areas in Florida. The guides have generally been pretty good and put me on fish with respectable gear and decent boat skills. Yesterday, however, I fished with a Master.

Marcel Veenstra of Marcel's Guide Service is one guide that takes his profession to a whole new level of excellence. Marcel, a guide for over 20 years, is a BFL All American qualifier, Bassmaster Open Championship qualifier, Everstart Championship qualifier, Everstart 2002 Angler of the Year, FLW Tour Championship qualifier and, dare I say, a Fishing Master. In his 20 years of experience, Marcel has learned that, despite his passion for fishing, guiding is a tough job. Good weather or terrible, blazing sun, howling wind, bitter cold, driving rain, lock-jawed fish, snarled reels, snagged lures and a plethora of other opportunities for failure all  present endless challenges to a guide.

Marcel brings a lot of skill to the job. First, he possesses what may be the most important characteristic for a successful guide- an infectious confidence that his clients will catch fish. He all but guarantees it. Second, he shows up extremely well prepared with a plan for the day. He knows from first hand scouting where the fish are, what they are doing and why, and most importantly, what they are and are not eating.  He combines this specie knowledge with his experience of the ambient conditions- weather, water clarity, water temperature, wind direction and speed.  All this plays into his preparation so that when he arrives at the launch he knows that he will put his clients on the fish and fish in the boat.  Marcel enjoys sharing his experience and knowledge of the various techniques to catch fish and it clearly shows in his enthusiasm for his work.  

We took off onto Lake St. Clair from the public ramp near the Clinton spillway around 7:30 AM. It could not have been a more perfect morning with very light winds out of the west and a warming sunshine.  We soon came to a pre-spawn staging flat six to seven feet in depth. There were very few boats on the water and none where Marcel had stopped.  I had my choice of a lipless crank or a jerk bait. Given a choice, I will always choose a lipless crank, but after 10 minutes, as Marcel released his third Smallmouth Bass, I decided the jerk bait may be the better choice. Marcel, was using a Megabass Vision 95 in the pictured colors.Within five minutes we were doubled up and the fish fest was on.

Over the next few hours, countless boats cruised up to the flat and worked all around us. Some caught a fish or two. Others left the area skunked. None were fishing jerkbaits.  This is when I began to realize Marcel’s knowledge was at a totally different level. Not only did he have the bait, he also had the technique. Cast, take up the slack, jerk jerk, pause.  Not a short pause either. A longer than you would usually pause pause. Repeat and, boom there they were. It was a marked difference from the steady retrieve with shorter pauses I was using with the lipless crank. It was a technique so unique you could actually feel when you had it right and sense the fish was there and about to strike. Sometimes a tap others a slam.

Marcel used his trolling motor expertly to keep us in a fairly small area.  Fish were arriving on this flat staging in smaller groups and dispersing to orient in small groups on the many rocky shell beds. It was a sort of “rest stop” on the highway to the spawning beds. By 10:00 we had 30 fish. Many boats left with anglers just shaking their head in frustration.  Our top five fish weighed over 22 lbs. I was impressed, but actually the best was yet to come.

As the morning progressed the winds picked up and shifted, now coming from the north. The pattern was a little more difficult to fish as the wind made casting more difficult but they were still on the jerk bait.  A little more time passed and I started to feel a chill. The winds shifted again now coming from the northeast- when “fish bite the least.” The number of boats we could see up and down the area diminished. It was only the rare boat that stopped to fish around us. By 11:30 the winds were blowing 18-20 mph and there were significant white caps, making the light weight jerk pattern impossible to fish. We had well over 35 fish by this time.  Marcel knew the fish were still on this spot. He asked me if I had ever fished a Silver Buddy. I said no. He produced a blade bait and tied it on his line. He said if they are here this will work.  He had a fish within the first three casts and another hit that jumped off on its way to the boat shortly after the first fish. I tried on a Silver Buddy.

Every angler has a "go to" confidence bait. For Marcel, that lure is a Silver Buddy. As he tied it on he said, “I am going to watch you to make sure you fish it correctly.”  First and foremost he wanted me to have fun catching fish. The wind meant we needed weight. The dirtier water meant we would need some flash and vibration. The Buddy would provide both. You need to feel this lure to know you are fishing it correctly; you also need to make sure to use the duo-lock snaps provided. This is probably why my blade baits have been relegated to one of my seldom used tackle boxes.  No more. As you throw the lure, let it free fall to the bottom. Jerk the rod from 9:00 to 11:00- about 12 inches. You need to feel the vibration or it is probably fouled with a piece of weed or zebra mussel. As the lure falls again, take up the slack, watching for the second it hits bottom and pump again. The fish typically will hit on the fall so the jerking will also set the hook. It may also pull the hook out. It took a few casts to get the hang of it but soon it was fish on. My first on a blade bait.  I was surprised by the silver color and told Marcel I believed that gold was for sunny days and silver for cloudy. He agreed and I was soon fishing gold.  I had 3-4 more on the gold.

Gold caught more than Silver

The conditions continued to deteriorate. We were drifting now as it was too difficult to keep the boat positioned with the Minn Kota. The drifts passed quickly with the howling wind. Each reposition we got increasingly wet. The ride back to the ramp was spine jolting to put it mildly but I did not mine. I had caught a lot of quality fish- the largest weighing 4 lbs. 6 oz. - probably my personal best. I had learned a lot and fished some new techniques on a body of water with which I become more and more impressed.  We had caught a lot of fish when very few others were and we stayed on them long after most others had quit. On the drive home I recapped the day in my mind. I concluded that what I had experienced was similar to what Luke must have felt training with Yoda on Dagobah. As the Jedi Master would have said about Marcel, “Fishing he knows.”  I know, I felt the force. Thanks Marcel!

Fishing a New Lake? You've Got What it Takes

Did you resolve to make 2015 the year you explore new waters? Many fisherman experience frustration when fishing for bass in a lake they never fished before.  I was inspired to write this blog post by my colleague and iBass360 Pro-Staff Devin Metz who, after  recently relocating to Texas, set out yesterday to fish the famed Lake Fork.  Here are a few tips and tactics to help conquer unfamiliar waters and make them your own.

The Confidence Factor: “I Think I Can, I Think I Can….”

My mother always said, if you don’t’ believe it, no one else will. She was the same woman who read me Wally Piper’s classic children’s story The Little Engine that Could over and over until the cover was worn and pages were dog eared. Confidence is one of the most important factors towards filling your live well with tournament worthy bass. Check the water clarity, the temperature and the cloud cover.  Fish will behave similarly under similar conditions regardless of the body of water.  Once you have your head wrapped around that, pick your confidence bait for the conditions facing you. Don’t just take the lure you bought because Bill Dance or Roland Martin was killing them on TV, pick that bait that has given you good experience in the conditions you are fishing. Like the little train engine, if you think you can, that is more than half the battle.

Search For “Fishy” Water

So you’ve launched on a new lake with a map and some tips both obtained from a local bait shop. Regardless of the season, one tried and true plan is to find the  fishiest water in the lake by taking a boat ride around the perimeter. Look for creek mouths, shallow bays, or flats with weed related structure. Often times these locations provide just the temperature difference to put the fish in those areas and the odds of catching them in your favor. Use your depth finder to locate drop offs near these areas which could be holding several fish next to the warm water. You want to look for likely ambush points. It is this type of structure near the warmer water that will make the fish feel comfortable and safe while on the hunt for the bait in the warmer water areas. The fish’s comfort should give you confidence to fish these most likely places in the lake to catch them. Shallow bays with drop offs close by, long points , rocks, laydowns, stumps, weed beds with nearby ledges, these are all classic, year round bass haunts regardless of whether the lake is in upstate New York, the Carolina’s, or the deep south. Fishy water in one lake is very likely to be fishy water in a lot of lakes. Be flexible, vary your tactics to accommodate the weather, water clarity and time of day but look for the familiar structure and work it.

Bait Selection: Go with What you Know

Many fishermen stress over which bait to use. They are constantly doubting themselves and tying on different baits when they should be searching the water with their casts. You know how you like to fish. You know what you like to use under what conditions because it has worked. So the answer is simple- use the bait that you like to use. Of course you should know the local forage so you can “match the hatch” with color, and you certainly will need to vary speeds and types of retrieves to cater to fish activity.  If the temperature is in the 30-40 degree mark and you like throwing a jig & pig,  slow fishing a worm, slow rolling a spinnerbait or cranking a crankbait over deep structure go with what you know. If the water is in the 40-50 degree range, use the same methods except since fish will be more active, substitute a Rat-L-Trap for that crankbait, consider burning that spinnerbait, and perhaps add a jerkbait or your favorite topwater to the mix. If it works for you in other lakes, work it in this one.

You will find that it is your tried and true methods that will help you find fish in new locations. After you have located them, and established your “mojo”, if you are still dying to try that new bait you bought after watching Ike or KVD catch a  tournament winning five pounder- go for it. But don’t be disappointed if under the conditions you are fishing it doesn’t give you those same results. Just go back to using the baits  that have brought you good luck in your home waters.  That’s fishing with confidence. Confidence, the warmest water, and using your best baits- with these three tips you can take on unfamiliar lakes and experience the thrill of adding that lake to the list of water you own. Live THAT Passion!