Lake Michigan
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Lake Michigan Fishing Reports
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Reports from all past years within a 60-day time frame
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Spawn)
Technique
Soft Swimbaits (Sm/Md)
Structure
Boulders
Water Temperature
60°
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Pre-Spawn)
Technique
Drop Shot
Structure
Open Water/Basin
Water Temperature
51°
Throwing the pintail from spro and cutting it half on drop shot or using the full size on a free rig. Again throwing it into deeper water and not putting too much action into it with rod. Just working it slowly from deep to shallow and that seems to be working when it's slow.
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Pre-Spawn)
Technique
Hard Jerkbaits
Structure
Points
Forage
Shad
Water Temperature
51°
110+1 jerkbaits have been putting in work in staging areas. Mostly deeper water so you really have to make long casts from the bank. Short soft jerks have worked much better than hard fast jerks.
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Spawn)
Technique
Soft Swimbaits (Sm/Md)
Structure
Docks
Forage
Minnows
Water Temperature
60°
The harbors of Chicago are loaded with smallmouth. Just cast in between each of the slips along the marina walls and you’ll catch em. May is also an excellent time to go while the water is still colder.
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Pre-Spawn)
Technique
Ned Rigs
Structure
Rock Pile
Forage
Crawfish
Well, the rivers and lakes have thawed out but it certainly hasn’t felt like spring. Cold temperatures have kept smallmouth in the lower sections of a few Lake Michigan tributaries. Once you find where the fish are piled up they’re usually fired up and ready to eat. Throwing a tube is my number one way to catch these fish, then following through the same areas with a Ned rig later on to show them something a little different. Get out to your local river and get after these fish!
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Pre-Spawn)
Technique
Hard Jerkbaits
Structure
Docks
Water Temperature
53°
Conditions were extremely windy making poor water clarity. Smallmouth bite is definitely picking up in the harbors after the last week of nice weather. Still had to work the jerkbait with slow 1 or 1-2 pops waiting about 6-10 seconds between 1 and 1-2 pops. The 110+1 JR in Northern Secret has consistently been my best performing lure when they are not bedding/spawning
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Pre-Spawn)
Technique
Blade Baits
Structure
Humps
Waters are still brutally cold here in Northern Michigan. Prespawn groups of smallmouth can be tracked down on isolated feeding humps and ridges that are covered with sand grass and gravel. Breaking apart these locations with a blade bait is a great way to find both quality and size this time of year.
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Pre-Spawn)
Technique
Soft Swimbaits (Sm/Md)
Structure
Rock Pile
Forage
Minnows
Water Temperature
51°
Definitely a slower in Chicago for a minute as these fish seem to be getting ready to stage for spawn, and the water has been CRYSTAL clear lately. Went as natural and finesse as I could over the rocks and break walls and caught this guy here. Noticed swimbaits have been my best bet the past couple weeks. Hopefully they get a bit more aggressive post spawn!
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Spawn)
Technique
Drop Shot
Structure
Rock Pile
Forage
Minnows
Calm sunny day with clear water fishing along some rockpiles. I rigged a drop shot with a roboworm and was popping it in and out of the rocks and got a bite.
