Dave Richey OUTDOORS

Submerged boulders and rocks offer some refuge for a large number of smallmouth bass, and a number of these bass are in the five-pound range. Early to mid-July often is the best time to find this game fish in fairly shallow water.
Big rocks often mean big bass.

There are some places where a wading angler can wade from knee- to hip-deep and catch smallmouth bass, but much of the better fishing is best accessible by boat. In fact, a good boat enables fishermen to best work the offshore rock piles.

Any lure that floats or dives will work, but in all honesty, a bow-mounted trolling motor can help hold anglers in position for a longer session of casting to key locations. In fact, if there is any wind blowing, it’s easy to get blown off-course.

Wind-drift and cast to the dark sides of boulders and rocks.

One of the best water conditions is a soft north wind. Set up crosswise to or  with the wind, and drift slowly downwind. Wear a baseball-type cap to cut glare and Polarized sunglasses, and fish to the visible rocks and boulders ahead. Dont be afraid to turn back and cast again to the same rock from a different angle.

Smallmouth bass hold tight to the edges of big rocks and boulders. Bear in mind that on a sunny day the fish will be found on the dark side of cover. It certainly doesn’t hurt to fish on all sides of such submerged rocky cover, but the dark side is almost always the best on bright days.

There are times when the gravel  flats will produce. Anglers who do well fishing the western edge of the Stonington Peninsula spend most of their time in the boulders and rocks in four to 10 feet of water.

Drifting in a boat allows anglers to gain a height advantage as well. Being above water level allows fishermen to spot big boulders and rocks to cast to, and saturate the area with cast after cast. Smallmouth bass often will hit the first lure that passes within a few feet, and they arrow up off bottom to smack a plug or small spinnerbait.

Hard slamming strikes are typical of these game fish.

There is nothing shy about smallies.  Put something they like (or hate) in front of them, and they strike. The leaping fish provides a great scrap for a fish their size, and it’s not necessary to use heavy tackle. Six-pound-line works fine, and allow the fish to show off its acrobatic abilities.

There is a wealth of different lures that work, and these bass don’t seem to mind what is offered. I like Shad Raps in natural black-white colors, but have caught these fish on the same lure in a rainbow of color combinations.

Beetle Spins are great lures, and a white or yellow skirt seems to work well. The single hook prevents fouling on the rocks, and the trick is to retrieve it just fast enough to make the small spinner turn over. Fish it too fast or too slow, and you won’t catch many fish.

A Countdown Rapala is another good lure to use when the fish are in the rocks about  10 feet down. Count the lure down to about an “eight” count, and start the retrieve. The lure will wiggle past a smallmouth bass and be right in his face, and the strikes are savage.

Some people prefer to cast a Mepps spinner with an imitation minnow attached, and a Mepps bucktail that is allowed to sink and then is retrieved near the rocks is another good bet.

I’ve learned one thing about smallmouth bass here. All the fish may be congregated in two or three distinctly different areas. Stretches of rock-filled water may appear barren, and suddenly the angler is back into the fish.

Smallmouth bass fishing is fun, but the enjoyment value of a bass fishing trip is doubled when the fish are biting. Hot weather brings the smallmouth bass in off the rocks along the west shore of the Stonington Peninsula east of Escanaba, and anglers who cash in on this sport will have something wonderful to discuss with their fishing buddies when they return home.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors