Lake Superior Smallmouth
by Chris Beeksma
editor's note: Chris Beeksma is a Mepps Field Staff
member and owner of Get Bit Guide Service (715)-3728622 Iron River, WI. Chris specializes in smallmouth bass
fishing on Lake Superior's Chequamegon Bay.
Smallmouth Bass Fishing on Lake Superior's Chequamegon
Bay can start as early as the first week of May. The
prespawn and spawning areas are large shallow flats that
include deeper wood and weed areas that warm up quickly
in the spring and tempt the Bays smallmouths. I like to fish
the deep edges and even deeper entrance way into the
sloughs with baits that can be worked slowly to match the
metabolism of the fish. Top picks are Exude FAT tubes in
brown and green hues and #3 plain Mepps Aglias in silver
and gold. This may be the best time of year to catch the
biggest smallmouth of your life as the egg laden females
trickle their way into the bedding areas.
As the water warms into the upper 50's and low 60's
the smallmouths make a major movement into the shallows
looking for prime bedding sites among the wood of
Chequamegon Bay. What is unique about the Bay is that the spawn takes place over a
two month period of time. In the beginning of June you can be fishing for prespawn,
spawning and possibly post spawn fish all at the same time.
Lure choice during the spawn and post spawn periods still include the slower moving
baits but now is also the time to start triggering protective instincts with faster moving
lures. One of the top baits during this period is #4 dressed Mepps Aglia with a firetiger
blade and yellow tail. Don't pass up using the #3 and #4 Aglias in plain silver and gold
as they also still catch the fancy of these spawning fish.
One of the newest and hottest lures on
the Bay is Mepps #3 silver Aglia Streamer
with a white Streamer and stinger hook.
This lures combines the vibration and
flash of the classic Mepps Aglia blade with
the subtle and lifelike swimming action of
a hand-tied streamer. It can be worked at any speed and, and when it comes to
catching Chequamegon Bay smallies, it is absolutely dynamite.
Soft plastic lures also work well at this time. Again, a
good choice is the Mister Twister Exude FAT Tube, or
the Exude SalaTube. These lures shine early, and as
the fish start their post spawn feed the Exude RT
Slug really provokes aggressive strikes. Mister
Twister Exude lures are the only soft plastic lures
that are actually made from fish food. They leave a a slime trail in the water that "calls"
fish.
As the water warms into the upper 60's and low 70's the fish go on a minnow
feeding binge which again has the angler using fast moving baits. Burning #4 Aglias just
nde the s face and e aticall fished Miste T iste E de RT
under the surface and erratically fished Mister Twister Exude RT
slugs will have the smallies chasing hard and fast.
Most of the Bay's smallmouths move out into deep water after
the spawn and now is the time to search for deep weeds and rock
structures. These are usually found in 10-15 feet of water.
Though live bait will take fish, you will find the #4 plain Aglias
continue to work well in and on the edges of the weed beds. A #5
plain Aglia with a silver, gold, or copper blade is also excellent
fished slowly along the bottom over the Bays rock piles. If you
see smallies chasing minnows over the top of the weed patches
tie on a #3 silver Aglia Streamer with white tail and you will be
using an almost perfect minnow imitator.
Speaking of live bait you can have the best of
both worlds fishing the Mepps SpinFlex in and
around Chequamegon's deep water rock
piles. Tip it with either a 4" sucker, or a 4"
Mister Twister
smoke or
chartreuse
Exude Curly Tail
grub. Both 1/2
oz. and 5/8 oz.
SpinFlex work
very well. My favorite colors include hot chartreuse
head/firetiger blade, glo white head/glo chartreuse
blade, hot orange Head/silver blade, and the hot
chartreuse head/hot orange/chartreuse Blade.
Fall fishing on the Bay may be the best for both
numbers and size though as in summer deep water
comes into play. Yes it is great excitement to catch the
Bays smallies on spinners and topwater baits but these
fish will open your eyes when they come flying out of
the water after setting the hook on a fish that was 20
ft. down. My favorite fall technique on the Bay has
always been the use of jigging spoons. The Mepps
Syclops fits this bill perfectly.
If you haven't fished jigging spoons in the fall you
have to give it a try. I have done very well fishing deep weed beds and rock edges
using silver or gold Mepps #1 (1/2 oz.) Syclops spoons. In depths of 25-40 feet the #2
(5/8 oz.) Syclops works well. When the fish are
schooled up in one particular spot, try
"sandwiching" two #1 Syclops front to back with
split rings. This makes a compact fast-sinking
spoon that wastes no time getting down to the
hungry smallies. A vertical presentation will work
on a calm day and you have excellent boat
control, but I prefer to "cover water." I like to
cast, let it fall to bottom, then rip it up 1-3 feet. I
do this all the way back to the boat, making sure
to let the spoon settle back to bottom after each lift. In addition to smallmouth this
tactic also produces a lot of trophy walleyes and northern pike.
Live bait will also produce well in the fall, so hold on to your SpinFlex rigs. It's hard
to beat a SpinFlex tipped with live bait for fall smallmouths and walleyes that are
putting on their winter fat. Slow rolling a heavy weight-forward spinner has always been
one of my most successful fall tactics, and the SpinFlex, especially in the larger 5/8 oz.
size, works very well. Use a slow, steady retrieve to keep your rig just off the bottom.
Fishing remains excellent throughout the fall until the water temperature falls to the mid
to upper 30's. Fishing slows down as the fish "rest" before the Bay freezes over.
Smallmouth fishing regulations on Chequamegon Bay allow fishing year-around, but
during the winter no fish can be kept. Be sure to check out the latest Wisconsin fishing
regulations manual if you are not sure of minimum size and daily bag limits.
Chequamegon Bay is a fantastic
fishery for smallmouths, walleyes
and northern pike. Fishing regulations
and the release ethic of anglers
should keep this fishery one of the
best for years to come. I have put
together a kit of my favorite
smallmouth lures for fishing the
Bay. When you bring your Mepps
Chequamegon Bay kit to fish the Bay
remember to also bring your camera.
You are nearly guaranteed success
with the lures I personally use when
fishing the Bay. Good Luck and Be safe!
- Special Chris Beeksma
Chequamegon Bay Smallmouth Kit