I had the good fortune of being invited by the Crawford County Convention and Visitors Bureau to join several outdoor writers for a four day trip to experience the Smallmouth bass fishing available on French Creek near Meadville, Pennsylvania. We spent two days on the creek and caught a good number of smallmouth bass despite less than ideal conditions. Recent rains had the water up and muddy but that didn’t stop the smallmouth from feeding! The smallmouth we caught ranged from 8 inches to 17 inches. I’m sure there are probably some bigger fish lurking in the creek!

French Creeks headwaters start in New York State then flow 117 miles through Pennsylvania. The creek eventually dumps into the Allegheny River below Meadville Pennsylvania. The creek holds good numbers of smallmouth bass and even some walleye. We caught both on our trip. I even caught a bonus Pike. I am told by local fisherman that the water never quite gets crystal clear in the summer. It tends to have a little “brown” color to it.

French Creek is fairly shallow overall but offers riffles, runs, and deeper pools. Hot spots for smallmouth are naturally occurring wing dams formed by smaller creeks depositing sand, gravel, and chunk rock as they flow into French Creek. These “wing dams” as I call them create great current breaks and eddies.

There are plenty of access point on the river where you can take out or put in. The creek is easily wade fished when low and is a great creek to fish via kayak. The French Creek Project produces maps of the creek that include access points and distances between access points. This makes it easy to plan float trips.

Most of the fish we caught came on crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and some on soft plastics. Productive baits were truly a function of the high muddy water. Once the water level drops, soft plastic baits are definitely the ticket.

If your looking for a nice little flow that offers great fishing and a relaxing float, this is definitely a creek you’d want to consider. I know that my time on the water was thoroughly enjoyable. The good numbers of smallmouth bass we were able to catch in the high turbid waters indicates that there is a healthy population. French Creek in northwest Pennsylvnian is  great flow and the entire region including the Allegheny River is a fantastic fishing destination for any serious smallmouth fisherman.

Photograph for article by Dan Henninger.

Smallmouth bass are effective predators that thrive in rocky, generally shallow rivers.This makes sense given their preferred prey. They comb the rock strewn river bottom and ledges for their number one delicacy, the crayfish.

It’s no wonder that over the years fisherman have been using crankbaits to catch untold numbers of those chunky bronze river fighters. A crankbait skipping and bouncing off the rock of the river is a great “imitator” of a crayfish scurrying along the river bottom.

I’ve encountered many fisherman over the years that struggle to catch fish with crankbaits. In talking to these anglers, many times I find that just small adjustments help them improve their catch rates. Bottom line, the key to successful crankbait fishing is ultimately presentation. Some of the primary factors that you should consider when trying to increase your success with crankbaits are depth, deflection, and design.

Depth

Most of the rivers I fish for smallmouth bass are shallow. Typically, I’m fishing in 5 feet of water or less. When making my crankbait selection I try to determine what depth I am going to present my bait at then select a crankbait that dives a foot or so below the maximum depth. For example, If I’m fishing crankbaits on current breaks with an average depth of four feet, I’ll select a Bandit 100 crankbait that dives up to 5 feet.

I want my bait to make continuous contact with the river bottom but I don’t want it diggin in so much that it gets hung up all the time. In general, I’ve found that selecting a cranbait with just slightly more diving depth occomplishes this. I get a lot of contact with the bottom and very few hang ups. This also more closely mimics the movements of a crayfish swimming along the river bottom.

Deflection

Not only do you want a crankbait making constant contact with the bottom, but you also want to maximize its angle of deflection off obstacles. More extreme deflection adds to the presentation and can trigger strikes.

There are two ways to increase deflection. First, use crankbaits with square bills. One of my favorite crankbaits is the Bandit 100 which has a square bill. The corner of the bill catches on rocks and create more deflection. Rounded bills tend to slide off rocks. Second, use monofiliment line. Mono stretches. When a square billed crankbait hits a rock, it momentarily hangs up causing the mono to stretch. Once the bill “breaks free”, the line will snap back creating more acceleration and increase the angle of deflection.

Design

When I refer to “design”, I really mean the color pattern on the crankbait. Honestly, I don’t get real hung up on trying to exactly match the hatch even in clear water. I’m more interested in color combination and contrast. Color patterns you’ll want to have on hand are olive greens, browns, oranges, and reds.

Crankbaits can be fished in clear or muddy water. In clearer water, i’ll use natural looking color designs that more closely mimic crayfish like browns, olive greens, or oranges. These handful of colors will produce in most conditions.

In muddy or more stained water, I go to more reds and oranges with darker more contrasting back colors. I think the contrast is important from a visual standpoint in muddy water. Contrast is even more important than the specific colors you are using many times.

Conclusion
In the world of crankbait fishing, there are hundres of nueances, tips, techniqes, and presenations that can help you catch more fish. In the spirit of “keeping it simple”, I’ve selected depth, deflection, and design because I believe they represent some of the core concepts necessary to be a truly great crankbait fisherman. The next time you hit your local smallie river think about the three D’s and apply them.

The Magazine covers productive techniques on fishing for smallmouth bass, muskie, walleye and catfish in the Susquehanna River, while promoting safety and responsible stewardship of the Susquehanna River.

Susquehanna Fishing Magazine is a free publication that is available at Bass Pro Shops, Dick’s Sporting Goods, visitor’s bureaus, campgrounds, local tackle shops and marine centers throughout the region.

To learn more about Susquehanna Fishing Magazine checkout their website at SusquehannaFishing.com

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I’ve always wanted to fish for smallmouth bass in Door County. I’ve heard it’s world-class!” Then you think, “But I don’t know where to go, or where to stay, or where to launch, or where to fish, or what to use.” Then, finally you decide not to give it a try.

Almost 20 years ago I began hearing about the great smallmouth bass fishing in Door County. But, it wasn’t until May of 1995, when I hired a guide that I had the opportunity to fish this tremendously productive and beautiful fishery. That outing gave me the confidence to fish it on my own. Since that day I’ve fished the waters in Door County over 125 days, catching and releasing hundreds of smallies.

Hiring an area guide is one way to gain the confidence to give this smallie supermarket a shot, but for various reasons, this isn’t for everyone. This article is for those of you who may not be interested in the guide route or for those who just want to add to your knowledge base about the Door County smallmouth bass fishing. I’m going to tell you about some great fishing locations, what’s helped me catch large numbers of fish, where to launch and even a good suggestion for where to stay.

Also, this isn’t an article just for the guy with the big bass boat or deep-V. Wind and waves can be a challenge on Green Bay, but there are plenty of great locations for enthusiasts with smaller fishing boats, canoes, kayaks and even those who like to wade. How to Get There and Where to Stay Sturgeon Bay, the gateway to Door County, is easy to reach from anywhere in Northern Illinois or Wisconsin. It’s 43 miles northeast of Green Bay on Hwy. 57. It’s 141 miles from Milwaukee, 175 miles from Madison and 233 miles from Chicago. From my house in the Milwaukee area I can be on the water and fishing in three hours. I’ve made it a day trip, but usually try to go for at least two or three days. This area is a top tourist location and has plethora of places to stay. My criteria for a hotel are simple: clean, quiet, comfortable, a place to plug in my battery charger and if there’s a free breakfast, that’s a bonus. The past few years I’ve enjoyed staying at the Maritime Best Western (920-743-7231). Be sure to ask for the corporate rate, especially in May and June when you’ll find the best smallie fishing. Your rate for this very nice hotel will be under $60, a bargain in Door County. If you like to camp, Potawatomi or Peninsula State Parks are the place for you. For more information on Door County and a complete guide to all accommodations and much more, go the Door County Chamber of Commerce web site at www.doorcountyvacations.com

Where to Launch

There are a multitude of great launches in and around Sturgeon Bay, and in each of the communities as you go up the peninsula. The county launches are outstanding and are only $5 or $6, with most of the town launches in Egg Harbor, Fish Creek, Ephraim and Sister Bay about $10. If you have a state park sticker both Potowatomi and Peninsula State Parks have tremendous launches. On the Lake Michigan side you have the Bailey’s Harbor Yacht Club and Buys Point launch on Moonlight Bay.

Where to Fish

The reason we’re in Door County in the first place is to catch smallmouth bass. I’ve enjoyed concentrating on several spots. To the west of Sturgeon Bay on Green Bay you’ll find Little Sturgeon Bay, Rileys Bay and Sand Bay. The Flats are north of town on the east side of the shipping channel between Sunset Park and the Stone Quarry launch. Sawyer Harbor is north of town on the west side of the channel. I’ve had some great success at various locations between Egg Harbor and Fish Creek Also, from Ephraim and Eagle Harbor north past Sister Bay and even farther up the peninsula. These are only some of the great spots to fish in Door County. Try exploring. You may be very surprised with what you find and what you catch. There is great habitat from Sturgeon Bay to the end of the Peninsula and after July 1 at Washington Island. And, from mid-peninsula to the tip on the Lake Michigan side.

In May and June I’m usually fishing in two to eight feet of water with the fish relating to the abundant bottom structure of rocks and boulders, as well as some vegetation. The fish will also relate to the variety of piers, jetties and other man-made rock structures. Be aware of the water depth. As soon as I’m in shallower water I slow down, my engine is tilted up, I have one eye on the depth feature of my locator and the other eye on the bottom. Polarized sunglasses are an essential piece of equipment and I won’t go on the water without my H30 polarized sunglasses. They’re comfortable, look great and have interchangeable lenses for varying light conditions. In the crystal clear water and the shallower depths I fish most often, watching the bottom is the best way to spot the structure the fish are relating to.

It’s important to pay attention to the wind at all times, especially in shallower water. I always make sure my trolling motor battery is charged. I wouldn’t want to get pushed onto a rocky shore. In recent years with my 80 pound thrust Minnkota Terrova and Optima Batteries, this is not a worry for me. There will be many times on Green Bay when the wind is blowing you perfectly along a shoreline you want to fish, but you’re being pushed too fast. Instead of using your trolling motor to slow the drift, you may want to consider using a drift sock to slow you down. I use the Drift Control Sea Anchor.

What to Use

For most of my years fishing Door County, swimming a grub on jig is a presentation I’ve used on a somewhat regular basis. It is one of the easiest of all presentations. You cast it, let it settle for a second or two and then retrieve it slowly. I use St. Croix 7’ medium-light and medium action rods. With the ultra-clear water, long casts are important. That’s why I use the 7’ rods, and for the first time this year tried a 7’6” medium-light, which has been tremendous. I’m using reels suitable for 4- and 6-pound diameter line. Some examples of what I’m using are Shimano 1000 and 2500 size reels, Daiwa 2000 reels, the Abu Garcia Soron STX10, along with Pflueger Supreme XT and President XT in the 30 size.

In recent years I’ve been using Berkley Fireline and Stren Microfuse in four-pound diameter, 10-pound test (10/4) and six-pound diameter, 15 pound test (15/6), along with Power Pro 15/4 and 20/6. I like the strength and sensitivity. In the ultra-clear waters of Door County, I utilize a fluorocarbon leader, which is also strong and sensitive, but can’t be seen in the water. I began utilizing the 8- or 10-pound test fluorocarbon leader when friend and longtime Door County guide and owner of Howie’s Tackle, Tim Dwidiuk, explained how his numbers have always been better with the fluorocarbon leader. Based on my experience in 2008, which was my first using the fluorocarbon leader, I agree.

Has swimming a grub been my “go to” presentation in Door County? No, it was one of a variety of presentations I’d use. It is now my “go to” presentation, and over the past two seasons has truly produced some impressive results. For years, I used a variety of grubs I received directly from a few companies, which were mostly 3-inch versions. Most of these had a smaller profile body and fairly narrow tail. Again, listening to Tim Dawidiuk and a few others, I began using the Kalin’s Lunker Grub in June of 2007. I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long. I’ve had very good success with both the 4-inch and 5-inch versions in a variety of colors, including Ed’s Smoke, Blue Pearl Salt & Pepper, Avacado/Green Salt & Pepper, Pumpkin Salt & Pepper, Pumpkin Salt & Pepper/Green Flake, Green Pumpkinseed/Purple Flake and Smoke Salt & Pepper. I’ve also have had good luck with the YUM Muy Grande 4-inch Grub in Smoke Salt & Pepper, Glimmer Blue Pepper, Green Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pepper/Green Flake and Green Pumpkin/Orange Flake.

I feel the key to the grubs I’ve mentioned is the full-body profile and long wispy tail. You will hear you should swim these with the tail pointing opposite from the hook point. Actually, this is the way the Kalin’s were designed. I rig them tail opposite the hook point. When the grub gets a little beat-up, I bite off a half inch and reverse the tail direction. I have not noticed much, if any, difference. The smallies still seem to like it. It’s very important to line the hook shank up with the seam so that the grub swims straight.

The jig is a very important part of this presentation and the standard “bargain bin” jig usually won’t do. You need to use jigs in the 1/16, 3/32 and 1/8 ounce weights with a longer hook shank. Ideally, jigs with 2/0 and 3/0 hooks, which allow you to bring the hook through the grub body and out near the end of the body portion. In the past I was using a good ball head jig, but after reading about the Mushroom Head jigs from Gopher Tackle in In-Fisherman magazine and having some sent to me by a friend from Illinois who has attended my seminars, I thought I’d better give these a try. Now that I’ve had a number of days on the water with great success, I know I’ve found a super jig for swimming plastic grubs. Gopher’s Big John’s offers an eyelet that is not only flush with the jig head, but also crossways and at an angle. Another jig that has worked well for me is the Bait Rigs Slo-Poke GrubMaster Jig in the 1/16 and 1/8 sizes. These were designed with the Kalin’s Grub in mind and also have the eyelet crossways and straight out the front of the jig. Unlike a traditional jig, the weight is distributed along the hook shank.

As I noted earlier, retrieve the grub slowly in all water temperatures. Swim it just above the bottom. If you touch rocks, speed up your retrieve. The smallies seem to hang close to the bottom in the two to eight feet of water that I’m usually fishing in May and June. This tendency may also be enhanced as gobies have become a major food source for the Door County smallies. They don’t have a swim bladder and live on or near the bottom.

On my first trip to this area with the guide we used tubes exclusively, and this continues to be a great pattern today. With the clear water there is some scum on the bottom, which can cause you to have to clean your tube jig often. Tubes should be fished slowly off the bottom. The traditional method with the jig inside the tube works fine, but I’ve also had luck Texas-rigging the tube with a light Xcalibur tungsten bullet weight and 2/0 or 3/0 VMC worm hook. In recent years I’ve been using the YUM 3” and 4” tubes in natural colors. I fish tubes with a 6’6” or 7’ medium St. Croix rods with the same reels I use for swimming the grubs.

I have also had good luck with Zoom Super Flukes and YUM Dingers. I fished both with the 7’ St. Croix medium action rods with similar line and reels that were mentioned earlier. With the Super Fluke I prefer a light color like rainbow shad or silver rainbow, and instead of rigging it traditionally, I nose hooked it with a 1/0 or 2/0 VMC worm hook. I simply cast it, let it sink for a few seconds and retrieved it slowly, twitching it during the retrieve.

YUM Dingers come in 3”, 4” and 5” lengths and depending on the conditions I use all three sizes. I Texas-rig or Wacky-rig with no extra weight. This can be a great presentation for finicky fish. Simply cast, let it settle to the bottom and with slow twitches, retrieve it. Sometimes almost no movement works best. YUM Dingers can also be nose hooked and recently I read that threading one on a jig and working it along the bottom is a great smallmouth presentation. Ozark Smoke and various natural colors work best, but you might need to experiment.

Two other lures I enjoy using are Booyah spinnerbaits and the Xcalibur XR50 lipless crank/rattlebait. I use 1/4 and 3/8 ounce spinnerbaits with chartreuse, white and chartreuse/white skirts. I fish these with a 6’6” and 7’ medium action St. Croix baitcast rods with low-profile Pflueger and Bass Pro Shops baitcast reels. I spool the reels with 10 and 12 pound Silver Thread Excalibur line. I’ve also had great luck with braid, and use the new Fireline Tracer Braid 30/8 and 40/10. I also like Power Pro in the same pound test to diameter sizes. Both presentations are very easy as you simple cast and retrieve. The speed with which you retrieve the lure depends on water depth and how active the fish are. This is something you should be able to figure out quickly.

One other pattern that can be a fun is using topwaters on calmer mornings or evenings. Fishing in two to eight feet of water, I cast lures like the Excalibur Pop’n Image, Pop-R, Super Spook Jr., Zara Spook, Smithwick’s Devil Horse, a Heddon Torpedo or Booyah Buzzbait. This can be an exciting experience.

The Door County smallmouth fishery is strong, but with more and more anglers making the trip, practicing catch and release is more important than ever. Properly handling the smallies you catch is critical and I don’t intentionally target bedding fish.

What if I Don’t Have a Big Boat or Any Boat?

The Sturgeon Bay area isn’t just for those who have bigger boats that can handle the wind and waves. There are many opportunities for those of you with smaller boats, canoes, kayaks and even those who like wading, something I enjoy doing.

Even when it’s windy, which is often, you can usually find a sheltered shore that will give you plenty of opportunity to catch fish. For kayakers, canoers and waders, there are a number of paved drives to safely park and enter the water on Little Sturgeon, Riley’s and Sand Bay. Potawatomi and Peninsula State Parks are also great places to launch non-motorized watercraft to fish Sawyer and Eagle Harbors. As a new member of the Wilderness Systems Kayak Pro Fishing Team, I can’t wait to get on the water in my Tarpon 140 Angler. If you come to Door County on vacation with out some type of watercraft you can call Bay Shore Outfitters at 920-818-0431 and rent one of the Wilderness Systems sit-on-top fishing kayaks. You’ll love it.

I love to wade and walk rivers for smallies. All of my favorite spots in this article also offer great wading possibilities. The water is clear and most of the shoreline has a gradual slope. Along with the areas I’ve already talked about, try Rowley’s Bay where the Mink River enters Lake Michigan. In spring and early summer this spot not only holds numbers of fish, but also some big fish. But, “please” be careful to release the fish you catch in this area that I wish was protected.

If you’ve never fished smallies in Door County, I hope this information will give you the confidence to give it a shot. For those of you who have fished this area I hope you’ve picked up a few new tips. If you would feel more comfortable hiring a guide, I would suggest calling Brett Alexander (920-851-4214); Gary Nault (920-743-1100); Andy Bushman (920-246-1827); Chris Johnson (920-734-6596) or Dale Stroshein (920-743-5731).

The waters of Door County offer tremendous smallmouth bass fishing. Have a great time, and if you decide to go and practice CPR. Catch, Photograph and Release!

Bill Schultz lives in New Berlin, WI (Milwaukee area) and is a contributing writer for various outdoor magazines and websites. He is a popular seminar speaker and since 2001 has presented many times at the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel Sports Show, Bass Pro Outdoor World Fishing Classic in Chicago, Chicagoland Outdoors Show, Madison Fishing Expo, the Illinois and Wisconsin Smallmouth Alliances as well as numerous fishing clubs. Twice he has been featured in Bassmaster magazine articles as well as Outdoor Life, Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel, Wisconsin Sportsman and a variety of other publications. He has also done segments for Fishing the Midwest with Bob Jensen and Outdoor Wisconsin. Bill is primarily a smallmouth bass enthusiast, but also enjoys fishing for largemouth and heading to Florida for butterfly peacock bass.

Exploring new water with a kayak and a fishing rod requires a few resources, proper planning, and a healthy sense of adventure. While sitting down to write this article, I decided to jot down all the different names of flowing water that I’ve caught smallmouth from. In about ten minutes, I came up with 71 names of creeks and rivers I have explored looking for smallmouth. Last Saturday I added another, which I will not name. The exact name and location of this small creek is not important. The process by which three of us explored the new water last Saturday is an important skill set. It starts with a vague notion of an area you wish to explore.

The seeds of this particular trip were planted at the  Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. While talking smallmouth with two buddies, one of them pulled out a stack of prints. The photos were taken the previous summer on several wade trips he went on with friends. They were holding many different 18 to 21 inch chunky smallmouth. The creek in the background couldn’t have been more than a single cast across. He readily named the creek, something I would not be so quick to do if it was in my back yard. He said that despite it’s being near where a lot of people live, is overlooked and under fished. I was intrigued.

If you haven’t heard rumor of big fish in some overlooked stream, you can still find out about them. In fact, your tax dollars and license fees are paying to gather this kind of information. It’s yours for the taking. Contact the fisheries biologist who assesses the stream and river fisheries in your area. They usually have a wealth of information, from electro shocking surveys, to the type of forage you may want to imitate while fishing a new area. Fishing clubs like the Potomac River Smallmouth Club www.prsc.org can also provide a source of information on new waters that may be worth your exploration. Also, using the search function on online message forums like the forum on this site can give you some insight on what techniques and patterns will work in a given area.

Back to the creek in question, once my buddy disclosed the name of the creek, I knew that I needed one of the two mandatory tools of new water exploration: a whitewater paddling guide. I quickly weaved through the crowd walking around the show, making my way over to the Blue Mountain Outfitters booth (www.bluemountainoutfitters.net). This paddling shop located on the banks of the Susquehanna River has an extensive selection of paddling guidebooks. I asked if I could borrow a copy of Edward Gertler’s Keystone Canoeing for a few minutes and made my way back to my two buddies.

Looking up the creek in question, we were able to find several different bridge crossings where the creek could be accessed. Additionally, on the map of the creek were mile markings, helpful in choosing an appropriate float trip distance. While exploring, I try to average a mile an hour. I made a mental note of some of the spots my buddy mentioned as we looked over the book before I returned it to Mary at the Blue Mountain Outfitters booth.

When I got back to see Mary, I asked if she had a DeLorme’s Atlas for Pennsylvania. The atlas for the state in which you explore is the other essential tool for exploration. Finding the creek on the map, I got an idea of how far it was going to take me to drive to the creek, and then looked for possible shuttle routes. I placed the Atlas back on the book rack, and stored this information in the back of my head for six months or so.

Fast-forwarding to about three weeks ago, I received a phone call from Mark Anderson. He was within a short drive of this creek, and asked if I knew of any good places to fish. I could think of plenty of smallmouth rivers in the area, but had in mind that one tiny creek that I would explore with Mark and his buddy Tom. I told him that I needed to do a little more research, but would be in touch with the details of when, where, and how we would go about float fishing this new water.

Looking at the creek map in Keystone Canoeing, I found a nearby town. At the website, www.topozone.com, I typed in the town’s name, and got a better look at the lay of the land. Printing out a few of the USGS based topographical maps, and taping them together, I had a very detailed map of the creek. Details such as bridge crossings, streamflow gauges, places where the road came close to the creek, dam sites, and parklands all came into play when we floated. Each of these landmarks provided an update throughout the day on how far we had progressed toward the take out. Without some way of knowing where you are in the float, it’s possible to end up paddling the last few miles in the dark, or to end the day before you want to. I carried this homemade map in a ziploc bag. Some times, I will take exploration maps to be laminated at a Kinko’s. An easier method is to carry a GPS unit with topographical maps downloaded. Either way, having a more detailed map will help you pace yourself appropriately.

I needed to tell Mark and his friend Tom where to meet me. We decided on a local regional park that bordered the creek. I did a google search for the park, found the address, and used mapquest.com to print directions. I called Mark, provided the address, and then we agreed on a meeting time. I arrived early, looking for a place for us to access the creek. Tom, Mark, and I met and reviewed the topozone map, Keystone Canoeing, and the DeLorme’s Atlas, and then started driving the shuttle route. From the mile marks on the Keystone Canoeing map of the creek, we found that we could to either a 6 mile float, or a 9 mile float. Seeing how low the creek was, we opted for the short one, hoping that we would avoid a 9 mile hike instead of float trip. As it turned out, we only had to get out and drag through four or so riffles.

We put in upstream from a bridge crossing, dragging the kayaks across a bike trail. Before launching, we flipped a few rocks to check out the hue of the local crawfish. The shells were a medium brown with a slight blue/green tint. The tips and hinges of the claws were a reddish orange. I had a hand poured soft plastic that matched the color. Mark and Tom nose hooked 3 inch soft plastic stick baits on a #4 octopus hook to imitate the minnow forage. Apparently, the mid water column presentation was preferred.

Seeing that they had found the first solid pattern, I tried alternate presentations to find something to catch a larger fish. The buzzbait chugging through shady areas got nipped at by smaller fish, but none of them were able to take it down and get hooked. Thinking that mid water column with a larger offering would take a bigger fish, I tied on a spinnerbait. A steady retrieve through one of the deeper pools resulted in a 15 incher following it back to the kayak without hitting it. While Mark and Tom continued to catch numerous smaller fish on the 3 inch soft stick bait, I kept trying to find something that might get a bigger fish to bite.

Crankbaits are not my favorite. When I was 11 years old, I had a farm pond largemouth embed a crankbait treble deep into my thumb, requiring a trip to the emergency room. When I got serious about smallmouth fishing nine years ago, I used them, hooking and loosing many big ones. I recently learned the importance of using a softer tipped fiberglass rod instead of trying to use a stiffer jig rod to land fish on crankbaits. Since then, I’ve developed more confidence that when I use a crankbait, the fish will stay hooked.

Drifting motionless down the shallow side of a pool, I spotted a very pronounced series of ledges and trenches. I put down the spinnerbait rod, and picked up the fiberglass crankbait rod. Waiting until I was even with the jagged drop off, I launched a rootbeer colored bandit 300 to the opposite shoreline where the ledge drop off started. I could immediately feel the long plastic bill of the crankbait ping and grind against the rocks. Half way back, the constant jarring transitioned to an off angle glide toward deeper water. Slowing my retrieve to figure out what was happening, I could tell that something had grabbed it, probably unaware that it was hooked. Keeping soft tension on the fish, I watched intently as it appeared from behind a larger boulder. It saw me and dove under the large rock. My kayak was being pulled despite my not reeling in. Mark paddled closer, asking “Do you have one?!” I just nodded, not taking my eyes off of where my line disappeared behind the boulder. The thick bass shot out in a different direction once my kayak cleared the boulder. By then, Mark could see the churning of the water from the powerful fish’s tail thrusts. Once the fish was safely inside my landing net, I back paddled away from the deepest part of the pool, hoping that there were others there that we had not yet spooked. I knew that we had found one of the few isolated big fish spots in an otherwise dink filled creek.

Tom joined us as we took a few quick photos of the big healthy fish, and we hopped out to wade fish the deeper part of the pool. I looked through my kayak’s milk crate to dig out two more crankbaits for Tom and Mark. From three different angles, we thoroughly probed the pool with crankbaits. A school of carp spooked out from one of the deeper trenches. After about 10 minutes of casting, I figured that we had exhausted our chances at catching another big one from the spot. About to suggest that we move downstream, I heard Tom yell out, “Yeeeeeeah! Take that you little……” His rod was curved down toward the edge of the first trench when a fat 16 incher cleared the surface. We snapped a few shots, and continued to work the spot.

Smaller water like this creek will contain isolated spots like these that harbor big fish. From the looks of the interesting and dynamic structure of this pool, I doubt that we had caught the two biggest fish in the spot. On the six mile float we came across two other spots like this. Once you realize the structure, depth, and/or cover that hold the larger fish on a small creek like this, it becomes a matter of paddling until you see what you like.

Reaching the take out about 6:30 p.m., Mark and I drove the shuttle route to retrieve my pickup truck. When we returned, we found that Tom had made friends with the parks ranger. From where we took out, we had a fairly long carry to a parking lot. However, the park ranger was nice enough to allow us to drive right down to where we had pulled the kayaks up the bank. We discussed the fishery, the history of the area, and the park in general. Local resources, and just asking locals questions about the area often yields valuable information such as alternate access sites.

So in summary, two mandatory tools for exploring a creek you’ve never seen are a paddling guide book to give you details such as access points and distances, and a DeLorme’s Atlas to help with your shuttle routes. Other online and person to person resources exist that can help you make more of your exploration of new water. The most important thing though is your sense of adventure. Once you successfully complete an exploratory float trip, you may want to see new water each time out.

Find out more about kayak fishing exploration with Jeff’s new book, Pursuing Trophy Smallmouth: My Life In A Kayak, available at his website: www.blueridgekayakfishing.com, or by calling Woods & Waters Publishing at (540) 894-5960.

The tidal largemouth fisheries of the upper Chesapeake Bay caught my attention first. After fishing the Susquehanna Flats several times with good results, I decided to attend a Susquehanna River Smallmouth Club meeting, where largemouth guide Capt. Karl Bunch was the guest speaker. He provided some valuable pattern information on how to best target the grass beds for summer tidal largemouth. In the months following I was able to use that knowledge on a few outings, but I missed the bulldogging surge of a huge river smallmouth.

Needing to wrap up the photography for my book on kayak fishing for river smallmouth, I found myself driving further and further to get the needed shots of big bronze. The following fall, with the amount of daylight shrinking, and the price of gas rising, I started to seek other options. One quick fix was to car top my kayak on my Honda Civic instead of just throwing it in the back of my Dodge Ram pickup. But that only half solved one of my problems.

At the Timonium, Maryland fishing expo, I spoke to Bill May, an outdoor writer for the Carroll County Times. He looked through my album of smallmouth pictures from the previous season. I made a comment about how much driving I had done to catch them. The conversation turned to the local smallmouth scene, the City of Baltimore owned reservoirs, Liberty, Prettyboy, and Loch Raven. At some point, Bill cautioned that a special permit was required, and that they did not allow people to fish from kayaks in these reservoirs. Maybe it was the prospect of good local smallmouth fishing, and maybe it was my irritation over such a senseless regulation, but I decided to learn more about these smallmouth fisheries.

The first source of information was the regulation book itself. I sent a self addressed stamped envelope to the City of Baltimore, and received the permit application and regulation book. To my delight, I found that the regulation that Bill spoke of had been updated. Under the “New Regulation” section, it stated that 2006 is the first season that kayaks will be allowed as fishing vessels. So I sent in my application and check, and in a few days, I was paddling my Tarpon 140 sit on top kayak across Liberty Reservoir. My first thought on the water was, “Wow, am I lost!”

I possessed a great deal of knowledge on how to find and catch river smallmouth. But even with the aid of a depth finder, I had no clue where to start. I paddled to a rocky shoreline, threw a jig straight out, let it settle to the bottom, and waited. The cold March wind was whipping up white caps and my hands felt cold. The previous month on the Rappahannock in worse weather conditions than that, my hands never felt cold. Self doubt is chilling.

Through different connections I had made as a kayak fishing instructor, president of the Potomac River Smallmouth Club (PRSC), and being an outdoor writer, I started to speed up my learning curve. However, looking back at the people I spoke to, I realize that I didn’t need to be that guy: president, author, instructor/guide for these people to disclose their knowledge. The type of people who have the most valuable knowledge are so passionate about it that they can’t help but speak of it. Their enthusiasm overrides any issues of ego or secrecy that are so common in less secure “experts”.

In a conversation I was having with C.C. McCotter, editor of Woods & Waters Magazine, I mentioned that I was trying to learn about the Baltimore Reservoirs. He immediately said, “You have to speak with Jerry Sauter!” He had fished with Jerry a few times to do a story on Liberty Reservoir’s Stripers. Jerry is certainly an expert on Liberty’s stripers. He also turned out to be an incredible wealth of information on reservoir smallmouth and largemouth. In fact, Jerry has held the Maryland state record for all three species at one time. During the hour and a half that I spoke to him on the phone, he mentioned that he had caught a lifetime total of 41 smallmouth six pounds or better. He was not doing this through annual trips to Dale Hollow or Erie. These 41 fish were Maryland reservoir smallmouth.

I prepared for the phone interview as I did as President of the PRSC. For the monthly club newsletter, I needed to write the speaker biography. Before calling, I sat down and wrote out a list of interview questions that I thought Jerry could answer.

“What is the primary forage of smallmouth in these reservoirs?”
Crawfish.

“What color are the crawfish?”
Slate - brown.

“Where in the reservoir are the smallmouth right now?”
In the channels leading to coves.

“Where will I find them this summer?”
On rocky points near the thermocline, which is between 26 and 32 feet, but closer to 32 on Liberty than on Prettyboy.

“What’s a thermocline?”
His explanation of this was more in depth that I could write down notes, but you get the idea.

At the end of the conversation, I thanked him several times. I then looked up his address and mailed him another thank you with three of my hand tied rabbit hair jigs.

I thought about other reservoir smallmouth anglers. My friend Robert Segal, who fishes several Virginia reservoirs like Smith Mountain and Claytor was able to tell me a few other very true and very valuable tidbits. He said that in the spring, go to where the creek or river is dumping in warmer water following a good rain. He mentioned that after the spawn, you will find some smallmouth in the coves. He continued to explain that the biggest fish will be on main lake points, and where the underwater contour is at a 45 degree angle leading away from shore. A month and a half after he said that to me, I was able to witness firsthand how true his statements are.

While reading one of Bill May’s articles in the Carroll County Times, I learned about a tournament club, Electric Bass Anglers, that was going to be at the Bass Pro Shops the following Saturday. I cut out the article, and attended the “Reservoir Day”. I spoke with several tournament club anglers, asking them to divulge their most productive patterns. They did. I did not ask for specific location information. It is interesting that a few of them provided location information even though I did not ask for it. I was looking for a jumping off point to go find my own honey holes. It was also interesting that the club member who seemed to be the one who won most of the tournament provided plenty of very specific pattern information such as lure choice, lure color, depth range, retrieval speed, cover and structure information. The club members who seemed to be less frequently “in the money” went right to disclosing specific location information.

Next on my list were two fisheries biologists. Mike Nailor and Ed Enemait of Maryland Department of Natural Resources were able to provide an in depth assay of the forage base, subaquatic vegetation, trends in bass population, spawning success history of the reservoirs, and a set of fishing structure guide maps from the 1970’s that are no longer in print. I took the maps to Office Depot, used the blueprint copier, marked the maps with different colors for different depths, and laminated them. I now have a way to go directly to 26 to 32 feet on a rocky main lake point. I also have an understanding of what spawning habitat each species prefers, and have some new ideas about what alternate forage types I should try to mimic when tying rabbit hair jigs.

Around the same time, my fishing buddy Dave Stine had been doing the same kind of research, and had spoken to another Maryland DNR fisheries biologist, Letha Grimes. Letha had shared graphs of the different species, and their relative abundance. Dave and I shared notes during each of our research of the Baltimore reservoirs.

So, let’s count the different sources I used to speed up my learning curve for reservoir smallmouth: three fisheries biologists, one state record holder, countless members of three different fishing clubs, two outdoor writers, two different websites, someone who according to Gord Pyzer’s InFisherman article he was featured in “has probably caught as many 4-pound smallmouths as anyone in North America”, a 3 decade old out of print structure map, several of my fishing buddies, and the agency that oversees the fisheries in question.

Tomorrow morning, when I launch my kayak on Prettyboy Reservoir in search of the next state record smallmouth, I will not feel the chill of self doubt. The information is out there. The people who have the information that you want will give it to you. You just have to ask.

Jeff Little is owner of Blue Ridge Kayak Fishing LLC, which provides kayak fishing instruction for river smallmouth bass, tidal largemouth bass, and reservoir bass in Maryland and Virginia.

By: Jeff Little, Originally Published: 6-30-06

Blue Ridge Kayak Fishing LLC
Website: www.blueridgekayakfishing.com

But as beautiful as this was my mind was not on the high desert scenery. I was searching for bronze as in bronzebacks. I was working along a steep cliff watching my depth finder. Soon I saw a pod of arches at about 25 feet over a 40-foot bottom. I picked up my drop shot rod and dropped a wacky rigged Senko directly below the transducer mounted on my trolling motor. On my graph I was able to see a thin double line moving down towards the arches. When it reached those signals I engaged my reel and my rod immediately bent over double. Line ripped off my reel and soon I felt that familiar headshake which told me a dandy smallmouth bass was on the end of my line. After a typical bulldog-like fight I swung a chunky 2 ½- pounder on board. The circle hook was lodged in the corner of the fish’s mouth - a perfect hook set. I unhooked the bronze-barred fighter and quickly returned it to the water.

No sooner than I had slipped that bass back into the lake my partner was hooked up with another scrappy smallmouth of nearly the same size. For the next 45 minutes we worked along that cliff and took 12 more nice smallmouths - a typical autumn morning on this beautiful reservoir.

Early Spanish explorers passed through Glen Canyon in search of gold, however few of today’s visitors are aware of the bronze treasure that swims in Powell’s clear depths. Each year approximately one million people visit Lake Powell. Many do it as part of the Grand Circle tour that includes Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion Canyon National Parks. Many more come to rent houseboats, ride jet skis or just hang out and enjoy the awesome cliffs, buttes and canyons, however relatively few people visit Lake Powell just to fish. Even in Phoenix, AZ, only 265 miles away, surprisingly few fishermen are aware of just how good the angling is here. Right now Lake Powell may be the most underrated fishery in the U.S.

Part of Lake Powell’s identity problem today may be related to its past. Created in 1964 with the completion of Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, the main channel at full pool extends some 180 miles from Page, AZ, to Hite, UT. In its early years this massive impoundment was a premiere largemouth bass and crappie fishery as both species found the newly flooded sagebrush and tamarisk trees ideal habitat. But by the time the lake first reached full pool in the early 1980s most of this brushy cover had rotted away. Largemouth and crappie numbers declined in relationship to the loss of brushy habitat. Stripers, which were introduced in 1972, spawned in unexpectedly high numbers. Many old time anglers blame the stripers for the decline in largemouth and crappie populations, however the silver beasts have had little to do with it. Habitat loss was the critical factor in the decline of those fisheries.

Noting this decline, Utah biologist Wayne Gustaveson looked for a species better suited for Powell’s clear, rocky and almost brush-free habitat. The answer he believed was smallmouth bass. The first stockings were made in 1982 with repeated stockings the following years. By the end of the decade smallmouths had spread through the entire lake. As Gustaveson predicted they thrived in this environ. In fact they did too well. With virtually unlimited spawning habitat and few predators, the bronzebacks, combined with the already established striper population, were simply too much for the lake’s threadfin shad forage base. Unfortunately the lake didn’t produce enough crayfish or small sunfish to fill the gap. The result was millions of stunted smallmouth and skinny, starving stripers.

To deal with this problem Gustaveson took all the limits off stripers and embarked on a public campaign to encourage anglers to catch and harvest these fish. Although fishermen responded by harvesting stripers in unprecedented numbers, it wasn’t enough as Gustaveson’s creel survey data revealed that anglers were releasing 90% of all smallmouth caught. In 2002 he increased the limit on smallmouth from six to 20 fish encouraging anglers to keep smallmouth in the nine to 12-inch range while voluntarily releasing the bigger ones. While the idea of keeping smallmouth was hard for bass fishermen indoctrinated with the “catch-and-release-keeping-any-bass-is-sin” mentality, Gustaveson, through his website, was able to effectively communicate the need for smallmouth harvest. Anglers again responded, and the program has been a smashing success. The average size smallmouth caught has jumped from nine inches in the spring of 2002 to well over 13 inches by 2004. The number of fish caught over two pounds has risen dramatically, and even bigger fish were finding their way onto anglers’ lines this past fall. Hopefully in the next few years we’ll be seeing lots three and four-pounders, and Gustaveson believes the lake record of 5 pounds 6 ounces won’t last for long.

The key for continued smallmouth growth will be the forage. Threadfin shad have had three banner years in a row. Some of this might be attributed to the smallmouth and striper harvest programs, however Gustaveson believes the receding waters caused by the western drought may be helping production by releasing old bottom sediments. A wildcard in the forage picture may be the gizzard shad that found their way into Powell a few years ago. The gizzards were accidentally stocked in a small lake in the San Juan drainage in New Mexico and eventually drifted into Powell. First discovered in 2000, they now populate most of the lake. In contrast to the boom-and-bust threadfins, gizzards seem to be more consistent in their year-to-year production. Their downside is they grow faster and get bigger than threadfins - too big for smallmouth consumption within several months after they are hatched. Still, it is hoped the gizzards will fill the forage void during lean threadfin years.

Regardless of the future, Lake Powell’s smallmouth fishing in at least the short term promises to get nothing but better. Although Powell’s bronzebacks can be caught year around, the best fishing runs from April 15 to November 15 with May and early June being top times. Although bronzebacks are still catchable in July and August, there is a definite drop off in fishing during these months. The action picks up again in mid-September and good fishing usually remains until mid-November or until the water temperature drops into the mid 50s.

Powell smallmouth and soft plastic baits go together like apple pie and ice cream. The Series 40 (four-inch) single tail grub made by Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits has probably accounted for more Lake Powell bronzebacks than any other lure. Used on both jig heads and split shot rigs, this lure has been the bait of choice for most local guides. In recent years, however, the Yamamoto Senko has become more and more popular particularly when fished as a drop shot bait. Because they are manufactured right on Powell’s bank at Page, AZ, and because they flat out catch fish, Yamamoto soft plastics have a huge presence on Lake Powell. The double tailed Hula Grubs (spider jigs) fished on football head jigs are effective on larger smallmouth when they are on a crayfish bite. Small finesse worms fished either Texas-rigged, on jig heads or drop shot setups are highly underrated baits on Powell. Although Yamamoto makes a myriad of colors, you only need a few on Powell - shad colors like white, clear sparkle and daiquiri and crayfish colors like watermelon and root beer will cover most situations. Like bronzebacks everywhere, Powell’s smallmouths just love chartreuse.

Although not used nearly as much as soft plastics, hard baits can be effective from time to time. Surface lures like the Baby Spook, Spit’N Image and Pop R can be dynamite on summer mornings at daybreak. Lipped crankbaits like Shad Raps and Wallydivers should be included in every tackle box, and last fall I had some good success on lipless crankbaits like Rattle Traps and Rattlin’ Rapalas. Jigging spoons may be the most effective baits for bigger smallmouths in the late fall and winter months. Although not used by many Lake Powell anglers, spinnerbaits and buzz baits will produce good smallmouths under certain conditions.

The easiest fishing is in the spring. Normally around mid April Powell’s smallmouths leave their deepwater haunts and fan out in the shallow coves looking for suitable spawning sites. Split shotting grubs and Senkos across the flats will often produce strikes on nearly every cast. Last April in one cove towards the back of Last Chance Bay a friend and I took over 30 smallmouths in a little over an hour dragging Senkos and grubs across a small flat. That flat was covered with head size boulders, and nearly every time we pitched a lure in the shadow of one of those boulders we got a strike.

After the spawn the bass leave the coves and move out to the edge of the flats, ends of points and along the sides of reefs. Although they might only be in eight to 10 feet of water, they will be very close to deep water. Broken rock substrate is far better structure than smooth slick rock. Fish right were the brown colored water marking the shallow bottom changes to dark blue-green and you will be on fish. This pattern normally holds up throughout the month of May and into early June. Catches of 30 to 50 smallmouths per day per person are not uncommon. The same soft plastic baits and presentations that were effective in April will be productive now, and crankbaits and surface lures will also take their share of fish.

By the middle of June Powell’s bronzebacks drop off the sides of reefs, ends of points and down the rockslides to their midsummer haunts. While they might be susceptible to surface lures at daybreak and dusk, it’s usually necessary to go down 25 to 40 feet to get them. This is where drop shotting shines. Small wacky rigged Senkos, finesse worms, grubs and even tubes fished on drop shot setups will produce good numbers of fat smallmouths. Shaking a Texas-rigged finesse worm also works well when the fish are feeding on crayfish. The biggest numbers of fish will come the sides of offshore reefs and around the points, however little ledges that stick out along the deep canyon walls will often produce the biggest fish. Don’t overlook those 90-degree turns along the canyon walls of major tributaries. Those steep points, particularly if they contain a bit of broken rock, can harbor some of the biggest bass in the lake. A rockslide along a canyon wall that’s not visible from the surface can be a bonanza for big smallmouths in early summer.

This pattern continues throughout the rest of the summer however there is a definite slow down from mid-July through August as the bass rest in preparation for the fall feeding frenzy. At this time most Powell anglers turn their attention to chasing striper boils. Still, an angler who hits the lake before dawn or right at dusk can expect to take some decent smallmouths working those deep patterns. This time of year is the monsoon season in the Grand Circle area, and fishermen and boaters need to be aware that sudden, violent thunderstorms can spring up with little warning. These usually occur in the late afternoon and evening, but I have seen them hit in the early morning hours as well. Those getting caught in a storm should get into a protected side canyon, beach the boat and wait it out. These storms normally don’t last too long. On the plus side the monsoon season often brings in overcast conditions that can help the fishing and keep daytime temperatures down.

Fall is by far my favorite time to fish Powell. After Labor Day many of the hordes of jet skiers, house boaters and tail-dragging cabin cruisers leave the lake. The summer heat, which can be very oppressive, gives way to mild daytime temperatures. This serves as a signal to Powell’s bronzebacks that it’s time to get on the feed to fatten up for winter. In September the same deep-water patterns that produced in June will be effective, however as September turns into October packs of bigger smallmouths will be found following the shad just like the stripers. Early in the month shad will leave the open water areas and school up in coves along the main lake channel, and to catch the bigger smallmouths you must locate the shad. Shad schools will often appear as a riffle on the calm surface, and that’s the easiest way to determine of shad are present in a cove. Work these coves with surface lures and shallow running crankbaits. If the bass aren’t there, move out to the first drop off and fish drop shot rigs or even jigging spoons. It’s quite common to catch a mixed bag of big smallmouths and stripers on this pattern with smallmouths often appearing in and around striper boils looking to pick off the crippled shad the stripers miss. During this time pan sized smallmouths can still be caught off the reefs, points and rockslides, however most of the big fellows will be following the shad.

Later in October the shad will migrate back into the canyons, and the big smallies will follow them right in. Again, looked for a riffled surface in the shallow cuts to signal the presence of shad. Smallmouths will either be feeding on those shad or resting out off the first drop off or along nearby canyon walls in 15-30 feet of water. A good depth finder is a necessity in locating them in these areas. Although they may not be actively feeding at these times, they are still suckers for a drop shot Senko or a jigging spoon. If shad are not plentiful in autumn, and that happens from time to time, Powell’s smallmouth will locate on broken rock structure to feed on crayfish. Jigs and worms crawled and bounced along the bottom will produce good catches under those circumstances.

Fishing will be productive until surface temperatures drop into the mid-50s usually in mid to late November. So few fisherman pursue smallmouths on Powell during the winter months that not much is known about catching them then. Successful winter anglers fish deep and slow with jigs, spoons and drop shot rigs. Although I’ve not heard of this technique being used at Powell, the float ‘n fly might work as well here as in other places in the winter. Winter will often produce some of the bigger bass, so figuring out the winter pattern is something I plan to do some day.

Light to medium action spinning and baitcasting outfits are fine for most Lake Powell smallmouth angling. Most anglers use six to eight-pound-test monofilament line, however I prefer to use 10-pound-test Bass Pro XPS fluorocarbon on my baitcasters and 10-pound-test Berkley Fireline or six-pound-test Stren fluorocarbon on my spinning gear. When I use Fireline I always add a fluorocarbon leader. Because Lake Powell smallmouth fishing is often a deepwater finesse affair, I want a highly sensitive line to detect strikes. Fireline has virtually no stretch and fluorocarbon, while having more stretch than Fireline, is certainly more sensitive than regular monofilament. Fluorocarbon is also virtually invisible in the water and that’s important in Powell’s crystal clear environ. If you do use regular mono, the green colored lines are a lot less visible in the water than clear. Clear monofilament has a glossy sheen, and on a sunny day can be seen as easily as an anchor rope even at 30 feet.

Lake Powell is located at 3700 feet elevation and in one of the driest areas of the U.S. This means temperatures can fluctuate greatly during the course of the day. Summertime temperatures will often exceed 100 in the afternoon, however it cools down quickly after sunset. Nighttime temperatures even in the middle of the summer can drop into the upper 50s. Early morning temperatures in the spring and late fall can be quite chilly, often in the upper 30s, however it is common even with such a chilly morning to see afternoon highs in the 60s or even low 70s. This means most of the time Lake Powell anglers will dress in layers, shedding outer garments as the day warms. A good sunscreen is essential, and plenty of drinking water should be on board at all times.

Although Powell is generally not a windy lake, high winds are possible in the spring and sometimes in the fall if an early season Pacific storm swoops in. In addition, the western drought of the past several years has left many of the up-lake shortcuts high and dry. This forces all boats to use the main channel, which is quite narrow in some areas, and these narrow areas can get quite rough from continuous boat traffic. A deep V boat is far better fishing craft for Powell than a semi-V bass boat. I consider a 17-foot deep V the safe minimum for Lake Powell fishing. There is no such thing as too big a boat for this lake. Because of Powell’s altitude, most engines to lose 10 to 20% of their horsepower. It’s usually necessary to drop down one pitch size on the prop in order to maintain proper RPM levels.

Currently there are six marinas on the lake, two on the lower end near Page, two at mid-lake (Bullfrog and Halls Crossing), Hite Marina at the far upper end and Dangling Rope near Rainbow Bridge. There is no road access to Dangling Rope. All supplies are hauled in on barges. Because of low water levels the past two years both the Hite Marina and launch ramp have been closed. Anglers wishing to fish the Hite area should inquire about launching and other services prior to going. Launching is currently available near the other four marinas with road access. Because it’s a long distance between marinas boats with large capacity fuel tanks and fuel-efficient outboards are desirable.

Page has numerous motels and one good private campground. It also has two good grocery stores and a Wal-Mart. Fishing tackle can be purchased at Six Bait and Tackle and the Lake Powell Campground store, which is owned by Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits. The National Park Service operates a campground and RV park on Wahweap Bay. Wahweap Lodge also offers accommodations inside the park. There are campground and motel facilities located near the other drive-in marinas as well, but they are more limited than those in and around Page. Camping is permitted on the shores of Powell, and houseboat camping trips are quite popular in the summer months.

Besides its great smallmouth fishing, Lake Powell is a world-class striper fishery and has underutilized walleye and channel catfish populations. Limited populations of largemouth bass and crappie still hold out, mainly in the backs of the tributaries. The Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam is a blue ribbon tailwater trout fishery.

Although Glen Canyon Dam is in Arizona, a vast majority of Lake Powell is in Utah. Utah and Arizona resident license holders can purchase a Lake Powell stamp that allows them to fish both Arizona and Utah waters, however nonresidents must purchase separate licenses from each state if they want to fish over the entire lake. If you only plan to buy just one license then I’d suggest Utah as most of the better fishing is on that portion of the lake.

So if you’re planning a trip to the Grand Canyon area why not spend a few days chasing Lake Powell bronzebacks? Once you discover the bronze treasure of Glen Canyon you’ll want to come back over and over again!

For up to date information on Lake Powell fishing as well as marina facilities, launch ramp and camping availability, check out biologist Wayne Gustaveson’s website at www.wayneswords.com. In addition to the above information it also contains links to guide services and other pertinent information about the area.

By: Ed Gerdemenn, Originally Published: 5-23-2005

I first learned about blade baits, specifically the silver buddy, about 8 years ago. I had launched my kayak in Mattawoman Creek, a tributary of the tidal Potomac River to catch some largemouth. Unfortunately, the skunk must have hopped aboard my kayak that early December morning. But I did get a chance to learn something by talking to some other anglers. They reported catching several chunky largemouth on the lip of a drop off next to the channel. While bobbing up and down in my kayak beside the big bass boat, I asked the two anglers if I could see what they were using. It was a gold silver buddy.

Later that week, I purchased several of these heavy, clunky baits. The next opportunity I had to try them was on the upper Potomac near Hancock, Maryland. Using them for the first time, I thought back to remember how the tidal largemouth anglers had jigged them. I recalled a short cast, a pendulum swing, and regular short rips up off the bottom. I tried this out, and snagged on almost every cast for the next half hour. Then I tied on a tube and forgot about the lure that aggravated me so much. Fast forward almost 8 years to early November of this year. On the reservoir, I had found recent success with crankbaits, catching several nice smallmouth, and two 22 inch largemouth. From mid October though early November, I was able to connect at least 3 times a day with a decent largemouth or smallmouth. More importantly, I had overcome my aversion to crankbaits. I knew that they caught big fish, but previously would not throw due to the frustration of snagging and having so many fish throw the bait. I was able to land almost every fish thanks to having the right tool for the job: a 7 foot fiberglass crankbait casting rod. Before this fall, I had used the wrong rod for crankbaiting: medium heavy graphite jig rods. The fiberglass rod threw the big deep divers a long way, and bowed to a hooked fish which prevented the frustration of seeing a big hooked fish get off. I had a new confidence bait in the deep diving crankbait.

While throwing the big white Norman crankbait parallel to a 45 degree rocky shoreline, I noticed an electric boat angler nearby. His fishing line angle was steeper than the contour of the bank I was working. He would cast a short distance, let the bait fall, and then pop his rod tip upward a short distance and repeat. I started paddling across the reservoir to a point I wanted to fish when this angler started motoring in my direction. As we passed, we greeted each other and eventually stopped to talk about the day’s patterns. While talking, the angler mentioned that come December, the only bait he will throw will be the blade bait. He showed me a tray full of them in many different colors. He poured, painted, and assembled them himself. He also explained the technique for fishing them:

Cast out a short distance, let the bait fall on a taught line, waiting for the feel of the bait hitting the bottom, lift the rod tip up quickly, but stop as soon as you feel two of the vibrations that the bait makes while it swims. Follow the lure back down to the bottom with your rod tip on taught line. This drop is usually when the bait gets nailed, so make sure you don’t drop your rod tip faster than the lure sinks. Any slack in the line may mean a missed hit. If the lure stops short of where you remember the bottom being, set the hook because the silver buddy is in a fish’s mouth! He emphasized several times to only let the lure vibrate two times on the rip upward.

I skeptically asked if they were worth the effort. I explained that I had tried them before, and like crankbaits, I got frustrated with how often they snagged. He leaned down to his carpeted boat deck, and picked up a thick little chunk of lead with a paper clip molded into it. He explained that he did snag routinely, but they usually come off easily under their own weight. But if they did not come free on their own, the little chunk of lead slid down the line would knock it free every time. He mentioned a few times that the casting angle has a lot to do with how often you snag. Steeper line angles mean fewer snags. That is probably what I was doing wrong on the upper Potomac 8 years prior. It’s probably not the best lure for shallow river fishing unless you cast and retrieve like a spinnerbait. I plan on trying just that next spring with a few of the lighter weight blade baits, as the action resembles that of a rattle trap.

Knowing that I would probably snag several of them permanently, I decided to make the blade baits expendable. The following week, I ordered the lead pouring mold for blade baits. I had to use my dremmel tool to open the bottleneck of the pour funnel on the mold. With the plate coming so close to the opening, I did not get good pours initially. I eventually poured enough so that I would not worry if I lost a few. Along with the plates and mold that I ordered from Barlow’s tackle, I purchased some adhesive scale tape for added reflectivity. I also ordered short shank trebles in the hopes that a shorter hook would snag less.

Pouring your own blade baits makes them expendable.

After pouring the lead onto the plate, apply reflective scale tape or glittery paint, a line tie clip, split rings, short shank trebles, and paint the eyes.

As Steve, the electric boat angler mentioned, casting angle played the biggest role in how often you snag. The first day using them, I only had three of them with me. My order from Barlow’s had not arrived at that point. I had two gold ones that I was able to dig up from 8 years prior, and one that Steve had given me. I thought for sure that I would be out of them in the first hour or so. As it turned out, I used the same one all day and never lost it. I did bring a stump up from 53 feet, but I did not lose a single bait in over 8 hours of fishing. I snagged every few minutes all day long, but they usually came free as soon as I jiggled the rod tip, or changed my line angle a little bit. Although I did not lose a bait that first day, I also did not catch a smallmouth with one.

On the more difficult snags, the lead weight and paperclip bait knocker did a good job knocking the bait free. What was nice about this home-made plug knocker was that it was inexpensive, and you didn’t need to worry about an attached string to tangle up in your boat. From Steve’s brief description of how to make the blade bait knocker, I was able to make a few. His directions were: drill a 2 inch deep hole in a 2 x 4 with a 1 inch bit, pour hot lead into the hole, and hold the paperclip in the hot lead with pliers, making sure that one end of the clip is bent out so you can slip the weight onto you line. I had to bang on the 2 x 4 with a hammer to get it out.

Homemade bait knockers help free snagged blade baits without the tangles of a standard plug knocker.

The next day on the reservoir, I stuck with the blade bait even though I had been skunked a week prior. By then I had poured, decorated, and assembled several blade baits from 3/8 oz to ¾ oz. That day it was windy, so I used the heavier ones to keep the line taught and stay in contact with the bottom. During the prior week, I did a Google search on blade baits and read several articles. One of them said that most anglers rip blade baits too hard and too far. I decided to tone it down a little. It paid off, as I caught four smallmouth, the largest being a 16 incher.

The next weekend out, I ended up catching seven smallmouth, and a few largemouth. None of them were very big, but seven smallmouth in a day was one of my better numbers days this year on the reservoir. I found myself making the pop off the bottom shorter and shorter. Some of the hits came on slow, gently lifts four inches or less off the bottom. I got used to what “normal” felt like in terms of the cadence of lift, lower, clank on rock, lift, lower, clank, lift lower, clank…. When something felt a little bit different, I set the hook.

This 18.5 incher thumped the blade bait on a short quick hop off the bottom.

I got into a rhythm of lift, lower, clank, and the lifts became smaller and smaller until I just felt like I was trying to get as many close bottom touches as possible. I wasn’t dragging it as I would drift and drag a tube, but it was seldom more than an inch or two off the bottom. It reminded me of what my friend Brook Hoover does with a ball head jig and soft plastic when winter fishing on the Susquehanna River. He gets the jig to the bottom, settled against a rock, and shakes his rod tip rapidly on a taught line. The rod tip does not move back and forth more than 2 inches, and the bait stays in place rattling and clicking its lead against the rock, drawing in fish.

The next fish hit so softly that the only difference I felt was an interruption of my tiny lift, lower, and clank. I imagined the bait laying on its side, then the plate going upright without leaving the bottom, and then laying back down. I didn’t feel it lay back down. Not sure if it was a fish, I set the hook. Honestly, I fully expected to feel the rapid vibration of the bait ripping several feet up off the bottom. Instead, I felt that the lure was snagged. Then the snag throbbed, my rod tip dipped, and my drag went ZZZZiiiing!

After the 20 inch reservoir smallmouth dipped the first few inches of my spinning rod into the water a few times, I netted the fish and headed toward the shoreline to take a picture.

This 20 inch reservoir smallmouth softly took a 3/4 oz blade blade bait that was jiggled on the rocks of a mid reservoir ledge peak 40 feet down.

Although I have only four full days of blade bait fishing under my belt, this simple yet effective bait is my confidence bait of choice for fishing deep reservoir structure. But I have to wonder, is this just a cold water bait, or will it work next June after the spawn wraps up? I plan on finding out.

Jeff “Yakfish” Little is owner of Blue Ridge Kayak Fishing LLC www.blueridgekayakfishing.com, which provides kayak fishing instruction for river smallmouth, tidal largemouth, and reservoir bass in Maryland and Virginia.

By: Jeff Little, Originally Published: 1-4-07

Blue Ridge Kayak Fishing LLC
Website: www.blueridgekayakfishing.com

River smallies are a very accessible fishing recourse in our state and for the most part over looked. Many Western Michigan Rivers such as the Thornapple, Flat, Grand and Rogue rivers hold large numbers of these fine fighting fish. Some rivers such as the Muskegon and Big Manistee turn on big numbers of larger smallmouth in late June, July, August and September. It seems the average fish on these rivers is 10 to 14” but larger fish are not uncommon. Pre-spawn smallies in late May and June can reach sizes an excess of three pounds!! Trust me, on any rod that is fun!

Where to find Smallies:
The smallmouth bass in river systems are without a doubt a structure oriented fish. Any structure that is in slow moving water usually holds fish, log jams, logs, rocks, and erosion control structures always seem to have smallies near. The three biggest things I’ve noticed about smallmouth bass are that they love slower moving water, structure, and bright sunshine. Mid day is one of the best times to fish them. The best technique I’ve found for smallmouth is to float these rivers with either a single person float tube, canoe or drift boat. This portion of the technique is important because you will need to follow the shoreline closely and try to present your fly or lure to any fishy looking structure you may pass. Unlike trout, smallies seem to enjoy the back side or downstream side of logjams and structure.

What to use:
There are two types of tackle that work well for Smallies. Fly tackle and light spinning gear. For Fly tackle in rivers, 9’ 5 or 6wt fly rod with either a floating fly line or sinking tip fly lines. Floating lines are great for shallow water or fly fishing poppers. Sink tips are great for fishing streamers down deeper near structure where bigger Smallmouth line and feed.

For spinning gear I enjoy fishing a 7’, medium action spinning spooling with 8lb test. Depending on the size of fish and the amount of logs or structure, you may want to go lighter or heavier on your monofliment.One nice thing about smallmouth is that they do not seem to be line shy but in gin clear water, a quality fluorocarbon leader works well.

Flies and Lures:
Over the years I’ve found that Smallies love flies, small crank baits, and tube jigs. Some of the best flies I’ve found to be are Clouser minnows, any number of crayfish patterns, woolly buggers, and big buggy nymphs with rubber legs.

For lures, I enjoy success on small crank baits such as the Rebel Wee-R in the smaller sizes, Rapala Shad Raps, and smaller buck tail and tube jigs.

As for color, natural tones such as brown, orange, yellow, olive and black work well in flies. The absolute main food supply for river smallmouth is the crayfish, so colors that imitate crayfish work great. Natural colors in crank baits and tube jigs that mimic crayfish and bait minnows work well but don’t be afraid to try off the wall colors like Chartreuse and orange. Sometimes something different works well also.

Smallmouth Bass are accessible and easy to find and unlike most trout streams, warm water streams are relatively closer to home and a great way to beat the doldrums of summer. Pound for pound no other fishing fights harder for their size than Smallmouth Bass so get out and give river Smallies a try, you won’t be disappointed!

By: Chad Betts, Originally Published: 8-08-2005

Betts Guide Service
Website: www.bettsguideservice.com

Copyright:  Smallmouths.com

Since most smallmouth in clear lakes spend most of their time in deep water, smallmouth season for many anglers lasts only a few weeks. However just because smallmouth go deep doesn’t mean they can’t be caught. No matter whether they are shallow or deep fish have got to eat, and if they eat they are catch-able. You just have to know how.

One of the most effective deep-water techniques is drop shotting. What we know as drop shotting today began in Japan for fishing deep, clear, heavily pressured lakes for largemouth. It found its way across the Pacific to California where it gained popularity for catching both largemouth and spotted bass in the clear, heavily fished lakes of the Golden State. As the technique moved east astute deep-water anglers quickly discovered it is as effective for smallmouth as it is for both green and spotted bass. On my home water, Lake Powell, it is simply the best method for consistently catching deep-water smallies.

Gearing Up

The drop shot setup is very simple. First tie a hook on your line leaving a long tag end - usually 12 to 24 inches depending on how far off the bottom you want to work your lure. On the end of the line attach a sinker. Rig your favorite soft plastic bait on your hook and you’re ready to go. A number of companies offer special drop shot weights. These have wire loops that are crimped at the top. Slide your line through the loop and then cinch it up into the crimped area. There is no need to tie a knot. If the sinker gets hung in the rocks it will break off easily. You’ll lose the sinker but normally you’ll save your hook and lure. Simply re-rig with another sinker and you’re back in action. I use ¼ oz. weights for most of my drop shotting. With this weight I can fish quite effectively down to 40 plus feet in calm weather. If I need to go much below 40 or if I need to get deep in windy conditions I might opt for a 3/8 oz. weight, however the ¼ oz. size seems to do the job most of the time.

The ideal hook for drop shotting depends on where you fish. Lake Powell, like many good smallmouth waters, has very little brushy cover so it is possible to fish with an open hook. I believe the best hooks for drop shotting in waters where brush is not an issue are circle hooks. My favorite is the split shot hook marketed by Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits. The #3 size seems to work best for smallmouth fishing. All the major hook manufacturers market similar hooks and most work quite well for this application. The beauty of this hook is two-fold. First, you don’t set the hook. The fish hooks itself. When you feel the fish simply begin reeling while gently sweeping your rod to fighting position. Second, you rarely gut hook a fish even if it swallows the bait. Most of the time the hook works its way back up through the gullet until it grabs into the hard tissue on the roof or corner if the fish’s mouth. In my 47 years of fishing I’ve never used a finer hook.

Although circle hook and other open style hooks can be fished in lakes with moderate cover if fished totally vertical, once you’re line gets some angle to it you’re likely to get hung. When fishing in cover it might be necessary to rig weedless. Light wire offset worm hooks work best for this application.

As for rods and reels, most anglers use spinning tackle for their drop shotting. Contrary to popular opinion you don’t need one of the special drop shot rods being marketed by several rod manufacturers. These rods are being marketed to catch fishermen rather than fish. Any decent graphite spinning rod in the 6-0 to 6-6 range capable of fishing light to medium weight jigs is perfectly fine for drop shotting. I use a 6-0 medium action Bass Pro Bionic Blade which I believe is an ideal drop shot rod. A fast retrieve reel is highly desirable for this method as it is sometimes necessary to retrieve a lot of line quickly when a hooked smallmouth is tearing for the surface. Whatever reel you choose must have a smooth drag since drop shotting generally calls for lighter weight lines. A jerky drag will often mean a lost fish.

Speaking of lines, most folks use six to eight-pound-test monofilament. I personally don’t like standard monofilament as it has too much stretch and not enough sensitivity for my taste. I like fluorocarbon for its low stretch and virtual invisibility in clear water, however fluorocarbon is difficult to handle on spinning tackle as a main line and is very susceptible to line twist that commonly occurs while drop shotting. I’ve settled on 10-pound-test Berkley Fireline as my main line with six-pound-test Stren fluorocarbon for the leader. Fireline handles well on spinning reels and doesn’t seem to have the problems associated with line twist. Stren fluorocarbon has good knot strength and abrasion resistance. If you must use standard monofilament I suggest using a low visibility green colored line for clear water applications.

Drop shotting is done almost entirely with soft plastic baits. My favorite drop shot lure is the Yamamoto Senko. While not designed specifically as a drop shot lure, the cigar-shaped Senko has a natural little wiggle that just drives smallies crazy. I generally prefer the slim models in three and four-inch lengths for smallmouth as these tend to have a bit more natural action than the standard sized models. I also think smallmouth prefer their smaller profile. When fishing vertical I like to wacky rig my Senkos. Wacky rigging is hooking the lure right through the middle leaving both ends free to dangle. It is an incredibly nature presentation that is very effective.

Other good drop shot baits for smallmouth are small finesse worms, grubs and tubes and leach imitations. Although not talked about very much, drop shotting is an excellent way to present live bait such as minnows, crawlers and leaches.

Probably the most important piece of equipment is not your rod, reel or lure. It is your depth finder. Catching smallmouth consistently in deep water is nearly impossible without a decent graph. Not only is it important to be able to get a picture of the structure you’re fishing, it’s important to see the fish. If fish are not showing on the graph in an area where they should be, they may be hunkered down on the bottom rooting for crayfish rather than up looking for shad. In these situations a jig or worm crawled on the bottom might be more effective than drop shotting. When fish appear up off the bottom then drop shotting should be effective.

It is also a great advantage to be able to see your bait on the graph as it drops. This is particularly important when fish are suspended way up off the bottom over very deep water. In these situations it is absolutely imperative that you’re not fishing too shallow or too deep, so knowing where your lure is in relation to the fish is very important. A drop shot rig will appear as a double line on a depth finder - the first line being made by the sinker and the second by the lure. There is nothing more fun than watching a lure drop to the fish on the depth finder screen, engaging the reel and having your rod immediately bend over double. Although it’s possible to be successful drop shotting without a depth finder, a decent graph makes it much easier.

Locations

No matter what technique you use you simply won’t catch deep-water smallmouth if you can’t locate them. This is a much easier job for folks in the East and Midwest where the water levels lakes and reservoirs don’t really fluctuate that much and the fish tend to stay in the same locations. Once a good spot is found you can go back to it time after time and be successful. Out here in the West where it’s not unusual for lakes to fluctuate 100 vertical feet in a year it’s often necessary to find new areas every time out. That reef that was a good producer in June may be 30 feet out of the water by October. Because the prolonged Western drought continues to shrink Lake Powell, I’ve had to find all new areas the past couple seasons. My top smallmouth producing areas just two or three years ago are now 90 feet above the lake surface. A good general knowledge of smallmouth habitat and a good depth finder are invaluable tools when having to locate new fishing areas.

The key thing to remember in locating deep-water smallies is that they tend to congregate around steep drop offs. They like to be able to move up to shallow feeding areas and return to their deep-water hangouts without having to travel too far. Broken rock structure is better than smooth or slick rock except for when they suspend up against vertical bluffs and canyon walls.

I think the biggest mistake most anglers make when searching for deep-water smallmouth is they don’t fish deep enough. On Lake Powell I’ve caught smallmouth in as deep as 70 feet of water and regularly fish the 30 to 40-foot range. In trying to determine the right depth it is important to know where the thermocline is. The thermocline is a band of cool oxygenated water, usually around 65 degrees, that separates the warm upper layer of water from the cold and stagnant lower layer. On most clear water lakes this will be 30 to 35 feet but that can vary. The thermocline is often visible on a sensitive depth finder. If you can’t determine the thermocline depth a good place to start is at 25 feet and work deeper until you find the fish. Again, smallmouth like to hang around steep drop offs so by working these types of structures it is possible to fish a wide range of depths without moving the boat very far.

Another thing to remember is smallmouth tend to relate to edges. The steep drop offs described earlier are one type of edge. The thermocline is another. Other examples would be the edge of a shade or mud line. In warm weather smallmouth will seek out both shade and mud lines, however they tend to stay close to the edges of these lines rather than way back under them. Another edge is the transition zone between bottom types, i.e. where slick rock meets chunk rock; chunk rock meets pea gravel and where pea gravel meets sand. These transition areas will often draw smallmouth particularly in the spring prior to the spawn. Smallmouth with use these transition zones as migration routes from their staging areas to spawning areas. In trying to find the best areas I look for places where two or three of these edges intersect. When I find that type of area I can often sit on one spot and take several nice fish.

Another deep water pattern that can be fished effectively by drop shotting are when smallmouth suspend at say 20 or 30 feet over 60 to 100 feet of water. While this can happen out in open water in some areas it more likely happens up against vertical bluffs and canyon walls. This often happens in fall when smallmouth retire to deep water after chasing shad in shallow coves and cuts.

Drop Shot Techniques

I think the best way to describe drop shotting is it’s live bait fishing with artificials. It is the ultimate “do-nothing” technique. The real work is in locating the fish. The actual fishing techniques are very simple. I think where people get in trouble with drop shotting is they try to do a lot more than they really need to do.

The most common drop shot technique is to simply drop the lure vertically right below the boat. A drop off at the end of a point would be a classic location for this. If the fish are close to the bottom then you want to drop all the way down and then take out the slack so that the lure is hanging on the line directly above the sinker. You should be able to feel the sinker come off of and hit the bottom as you raise and lower your rod tip. If the fish are well up off the bottom then you’d only want to drop to where they are. It’s better to be above the fish than below them as fish that are off the bottom typically look upwards for their prey. I believe most folks put way too much action on their lures. Just a simple vibration is all that’s necessary in most situations.

Another thing I like to do is make short pitch casts parallel to the structure I’m fishing such as a canyon wall, edge of a reef or rock face and let the lure sort of pendulum back towards the boat on a slack line. Be sure to watch the line closely. If it stops, jumps or starts peeling off faster than it should, engage the reel. When working along broken rock faces, particularly those with overhangs, a strike could come at any time as smallmouth will situate in much shallower water on these types of structures if they can find protective overhead cover.

When the bass are really aggressive most of the hits will come on the initial drop. When working this type of bite I seldom leave my lure down near the bottom more than a few seconds as I want to cover as much water and get my bait in front of any many fish as possible. However when the smallmouths’ mood is neutral or negative, as it often is on those bluebird days after a cold front, it is often necessary to keep the lure down in front of them for several minutes before they’ll hit. This is slow, tedious fishing that takes a lot of patience, but the reward is often a nice sack of fish on days when no one else is catching anything.

That’s really all there is to it. They key is actually locating the fish. Once located the actually fishing methods are really quite simple. Anyone can do it.

So if deep-water smallies are giving you the blues, give drop shotting a try. Once you learn to locate deep-holding bronzebacks you will be amazed at how effective this simple method really is. It will put smallmouth in the boat when nothing else will.

By: Ed Gerdemann, Originally Published: November 2004

Copyright: Smallmouths.com