Jack O'Malley Interview w/ Dave Richey
Most of the lures mentioned here will work on most rivers.
Fogle caught one fish about four pounds, and I took another a bit smaller, but there was steady action. It was hot and bright, and we found the fish on the dark side of the big rocks. Any lure that landed nearby was fair game, and we danced with smallies all day.
The upper Flint River (upstream from Flint and Mott Lake) produces the occasional 4-pound smallmouth bass. I fished it years ago, and although it can be rather tough fishing in some areas, it has the capability of producing dandy bronzebacks. Another Flint River hotspot can be found in the lower river, downstream from Montrose, where anglers can fish the rocks, deeper holes and runs. This stretch, downstream almost to Saginaw, also produces some good walleye fishing as well. One of my favorite rivers for smallmouth bass is the Thunder Bay, upstream from Alpena. It may not be the best river for smallmouth bass but it certainly has the potential to produce some big fish.Most river fish will weigh two to four pounds.
The last time I floated the river in a canoe, there was an assortment of Jig-a-Do, Beetle Spins, crawfish-type lures and small spinners in my tackle arsenal. It didn't make much difference what we used. If the lure landed near a good fish, and we put the proper speed on the lure to bring out its peak action, they would hit. We caught fish to 4 1/2 pounds, and I lost a bigger fish on a jump.
The Muskegon River downstream from Croton Dam, especially in the rocky areas, may be one of the finest smallmouth rivers in this state. It's not uncommon, on an all-day float, to land 40 to 50 smallies. I've never caught one over four pounds here, and most of the fish will weigh about two pounds, but they smack a lure hard and jump often. There are some seldom-fished hotspots on the St. Joseph River, above the Berrien Springs dam, where some dandy smallies live. They seem to see very few anglers or lures, and if you hit the right holes and runs, it's possible to find a brand of smallmouth action the likes of which few people have ever experienced.Legendary angler Dan Gapen shows off a nice smallmouth bass.
The Detroit River is well-known for its smallmouth bass action, and I've caught them from Windmill Point down to Celeron Island at Lake Erie. A large number have been caught on the Michigan and Ontario sides. Good bets include the Hiram Walker plant and the Cow Pasture area, and just upstream from the Ambassedeur Bridge along the Canadian shore. Try the rip-rap near Joe Louis Arena, near Windmill Point, and downstream in the Trenton Channel on the American side. The bass are where you find them, and it pays to prospect for fish.
The Upper Peninsula offers wonderful bass fishing in many locations. Try the St. Marys River, Manistique River and Menominee River between the dams. The Ford River that empties into Lake Michigan southwest of Escanaba can be a good bet, as is the Whitefish River near Gladstone. River smallies are grand game fish. They hit bait or lures hard, jump often, and once whipped, come to be landed with fire in their eye. They are one of the state's most highly respected and overlooked game fish, and here's hoping you can give them a try this summer. Some of the best action occurs on both sides of July 4. Hit it right, and you won't regret making this mid-summer decision.
