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Unlock the Secrets of Summer Smallmouth Fishing on Lake Minnetonka with Pro Angler Brad Leuthner

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Brad Leuthner, a Bassmaster Open pro, is out on Lake Minnetonka, where he grew up and learned everything he knows about bass fishing. According to Brad, the smallmouth summer pattern starts on Minnetonka when the weed growth is getting high and the water temperature gets above 70 degrees. The smallmouth are moving out to the deeper rock structure in the clear basins on Lake Minnetonka. Brad recommends checking out the deep clear bays like Main Lake Wise, Atabay Brown's bays for smallmouth. He also shares some of his favorite techniques for summertime smallmouth on Tonka like using a ned rig with a flatworm, and a drop shot rig with a heavy weight and a high-quality fluorocarbon leader. He encourages people to sign up for a free Omnia fishing account to get personalized tackle recommendations.

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Video Transcription

What's up everybody. This is Omnia fishing's current conditions before I'm brad Lightner Bassmaster Open pro, We're out here on lake Minnetonka. This is where I grew up cut my teeth. Bass fishing and learned everything I know about bass fishing. What clothes you in when the smallmouth summer pattern starts on minnetonka. Usually the weed growth is getting high, the fish are coming off beds, they're moving out, the water temperature generally gets above 70 you know, we'll get seventies and eighties in the summer and that's when, you know, the smallmouth have moved out to the deeper hans out on a deeper rock structure out in the clear basins on lake Minnetonka.

The small mouth this time of year on Tonka generally will be out deep chasing bait, chasing foraging for crawfish out on the deeper rock basin. So, any, any point that sticks way out has rock and you can generally find them if the sun is high like today and it's a nice day, they can move up shallow. They can be anywhere from 8 to 15 ft a lot of days. So they'll be out in that 20 to 30 ft range. If you're new to Lake Minnetonka, you want to chase down some smallmouth in the summertime.

My recommendations are probably stick with the deep clear bays like Main Lake Wise, Atabay Brown's bays are probably your best bays to find some smallmouth out on the and the bays are set up with real deep rock structure that the smallmouth will live on all summer through fall. So definitely check out those bays if you're coming to Tonka for smallmouth chasing summertime smallmouth on Tonka 11 of my favorite techniques is a ned and this is a perfect ned by outcast. This is a pounds. You can mess around in sizes. I like the two Ott hook in it. Just a little more gas from a little bit better at the two Ott and then I like to throw a flatworm. This is a four inch flatworm. I just feel like the small is really like the flatworm. The scent in the worm helps out a lot. And sometimes I even put bait feel on my flatworm and I like throwing a 2500, die with ballistic. It's a little bit lighter and when you're fishing braid, this is £10 suffix. You really don't have a line capacity problems. So that's why I use a 25 100 I use a real light tipped rod. This is a ballistic 701, medium light. I really like this rod for small mouth when you do hook them and get them up near the boat. You have a lot of forgiveness with that light rod.

The next technique I really like in the summertime, I Minnetonka is a drop shot and you can mess around with the size of weight. This is a pretty heavy weight. We're fishing pretty deep today use a good quality one on one or two odd hook. Just, I like to use like a straight shank hook. I just read that I just read that bait on there like that. Also I use a 25 100 die Iowa reel on this rod. Just line capacity is non issue. Same thing £10 suffix braid with a high quality floral carbon leader like a £10 or sometimes £8. Also very very light tip to it. You're using littler hooks on your drop shotting generally. And that light rod gives you a lot of forgiveness when you hook those fish.

If you're looking for better tackle recommendations that fit your fishing style, sign up today for a free Omnia fishing account and fill out your profile where you can favorite species, lakes brands and more to experience the most personalized tackle shopping online.

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