Summertime Smallies!

For people from the North, smallmouth fishing is a way of life. Big Lakes with big waves, producing legendary bronzebacks. These fish routinely come completely out of the water while being reeled in, and often the fiercest action doesn't begin until they've seen the boat. If you haven't had the opportunity to experience this for yourself, I highly recommend it. There are many bodies of water offering exquisite smallmouth fishing: Erie, Ontario, Simcoe, Cayuga, Susquehanna River, Champlain, St. Claire, St. Lawrence River, Pickwick, Smith Mountain, are just a few of the many options anglers can choose from when seeking big smallmouth bass. While you won't find these fish to reach the size of their greener cousins, smallmouth pound-for-pound have a reputation for packing twice the punch. There's no denying that. One thing that isn't debatable is that some of those lakes produce very nautical conditions that can be very dangerous. Weather Underground has wave conditions for those big lakes, and you should check them before going and heed the advice that's posted there when bad weather is predicted.

When the summer heats up, the bigger smallmouth move deep. Now deep is of course a relative term, and varies from lake to lake. Typically though, you'll be fishing in water that's over 25 feet, with techniques like drop shot, carolina rigging, tubes, cranking, etc. My two favorite presentations in this time of year are...

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