Get to know Lake Erie Summertime Smallmouth Bass

Capt. Ron, Joe and I have fished together many times, and it’s always a new adventure.
 
A couple of weekends ago was the first time the three of us were able to get out together on Capt. Ron’s new boat.  Most of the time we go for Walleye and occasionally for Bass and Perch.    

Capt. Ron, but that ain't no perch - yep, it's a Salmon.

Me (about 10 years ago on Capt. Ron's other boat) with a pair of Walleye.

Joe and Smallmouth

 This time smallmouth bass was the quarry and for the first time I decided to bring a fly rod. 

I’ve caught many largemouth bass on a fly, but I’ve never had the chance to fly fish for smallmouth.  I’ve tried on Lake St. Clair and on Erie, but the wind didn’t let me get a fly in the water.

We launched at Sturgeon Point and turned left to try the usual places.  This time there was little if any wind (and it was close to 90 degrees) so I rigged up my 9 weight and tied on my version of a Murdock Minnow. 
 

High hopes for my version of a Murdock minnow.

 Capt. Ron and Joe rigged up spinning rods with drop shot rigs using crawfish or chubs – both good smallmouth choices.

Reports were not encouraging.  Fish were scattered from 15’ to 40’ of water.  We tried it all, moving frequently with no luck.  After a couple of hours we decided to head back toward Sturgeon Point.  

There was only one other person fishing in the area, so we slowly moved within speaking distance. 
The lone fisherman was Mark.  
 

Mark - sitting on a Lake Erie hotspot near Sturgeon Point.

 Mark was anchored on a hot spot.  He said that in a couple of hours he caught 4 sheepshead and six smallmouth bass all around 18”.  He also fished the same place the night before and had caught a lot more – the night time smallmouth bite was on.

Mark was very helpful – he told us where and when and what he used.  He also said that he was leaving and we could pull up in his spot.  He was also kind enough to give us his remaining crawfish – his bait of choice.  He also said that the way to go was with an ultra-light rod, with the hook at the end of the line (as opposed to a drop shot rig with the sinker on the end) with two split shot about 18 inches from the hook and 18” apart.

Capt. Ron and Joe decided to stay with the drop shot and Joe tried a tube rig also, but I thought that I know enough to know that I don’t know it all - know what I mean?

I also brought a casting rod with a medium light tip – very sensitive with plenty of backbone to set a hook.  So I rigged up the way Mark told us and also took the advice of my favorite Oregon Fishing Guide, Dick O’Brien.  He often said that the best fisherman in the boat is usually Rodney – Rodney Rodholder.  Put the rod in Rodney’s grip and he’ll catch a fish for you.

So, with Mark’s rig on my casting rod I lowered a chub to the bottom and gave my rod to Rodney.  That way I could continue to ply the depths with my fly rod.

The Murdock minnow was replaced by a DFB laser ice minnow, my Con Fly, and then a goby imitation.  Nothing.  

 

DFB Laser Ice Minnows

DFB Con Fly

 

DFB Goby Imitation

While I was switching flies, Rodney was doing his job – my casting rod doubled over and when I picked it up I was fast to a smallmouth.   
After a good fight and several jumps Joe put the net under a 4 pounder.  



 

Me and one of my three Lake Erie Smallmouth Bass.

 Rodney did his job with Mark’s rig three more times (landed 2 of ‘em and lost one) while Capt. Ron and Joe enjoyed the show.

By this time I knew there were smallmouth down there and I was determined to get one on my fly rod.   

So, I finally switched to a black bucktail streamer I tied for smallmouth after reading an article in In-Fisherman about how great black bucktail jigs were for smallmouth.

Black Bucktail flies - with dumbbell eyes and unweighted in foreground.

 I was using a 600 grain sinking shooting head to get down to the bottom.
 

We were anchored, but there was enough current that to get down to 25' I had to let out about 60' of line.

 And finally, I had a hit!  It wasn’t as powerful as the earlier smallmouth, but after a brief struggle, I landed my first Goby (yes - Goby) on a fly.  As I said – always an adventure!

My first Goby on a fly - I'm so proud!

Many thanks to Capt. Ron for driving the boat and to Joe for netting my smallmouth, and to Mark for sharing his knowledge and bait.  I hope we run into Mark again on the water – he’s a really great guy who knows his fishing and is willing to share his knowledge – not a common thing!

Next for me is preparation for late summer trout by tying some Trico spinners 

and looking forward to Fall Salmon on Oak Orchard Creek.

Thanks for stopping by!

See you on the water.

Dave