Anyone Know Where The Smallmouth Go?

[mbeyer]

Heading up to the Lake after the Packer-Vikings game September 16 for a week. (Go, Pack, Go!) Will mostly chase walleye on the east end but wonder if anyone has an opinion on where smallmouth go this time of year. I'm a regular in the spring and have no problem finding them first part of June. Seems like the fall pattern is less predictable.

[Wheres_Walter]

I had a long response written out with a suggestion for smallies for you, then I went back and saw you're a packer fan, so I deleted it.

 

 

[Wheres_Walter]

Mbeyer- NFL Joking aside, I'm the same way.  I can get them early season when they are up shallow, but after mid summer it gets tough.  Someone else on another thread talked about using drop shot and a senko rigged wacky a few weeks ago.  I tried it a bit last weekend on a reef that tops out at 18'.  caught two smallies in about 15 minutes, and a third, which had to come close to touching 20" that I got to the boat and lost while effing around trying to get the net.   Thing had shoulders like a linebacker.   Broke my heart so I switched to walleyes.   I intend to spend more time drop shotting next season.   Might be worth your time to try it? 

[tinker]

I started using a drop shot 2 yrs ago for bluegill and crappie and have great success. I have been using a frostee spoon or a standout hook. While fishing for crappie I have caught big and small mouth and walleye . Last week we picked up 2 nice walleye while fishing crappie . I had my rig set about 5 ft off the bottom in 23 ft water.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Almost all of the rocky reefs that top out 10' to 30' have large smallies on them now!

Cliff

[trolloni]

Spot on cliff slip bobber and leech is good, jig and leech, or evening with a topwater ,but I would  consider takin youre trip a week earlier, youll be in a much better mood  before youre team goes down !!When it comes down to it you only have to beat one guy when it comes that outfit.

[mbeyer]

I knew I could get the board riled with my Packer comment....

 

 

Go Pack go.mp3

 

Next advise will have me looking for smallmouth in/on the middle of Pine Island...

Edited September 7, 2018 by mbeyer

[guideman]

Try more plastics in deeper water like mid lake reefs and saddle areas. Watch for baitfish along the deep breaks and deep weed lines where the bottom changes from soft to hard or sand to rock. as it gets later in the fall the Smallmouth will return to the shallows for a week or two following the baitfish. Cranks can also be very effective when the water temps drop into the 50's and colder once again.   

 

"Ace"  

"It's just fishing man"  

Sorry, I almost forgot, "Packers suck"  

Edited September 8, 2018 by guideman

[SkunkedAgain]

I can only catch smallies when their hanging out near shore in the spring, but I'm usually trying not to catch the bulls sitting on nests! So I really have nothing to contribute to the smallmouth conversation...

 

...buuuuut, another Packers fan here. Some of us hide in the weeds like walleye on a sunny day!

[mbeyer]

I don’t know how to feel about a tie. It was a fun atmosphere and a fun game. 

[SkunkedAgain]

I'll say this. As a Vikings fan, Mrs. Skunked Again was pretty emotionally upset in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. She warmed up a bit when her team came roaring back in the 4th. I don't think either of us would have survived the four hour drive back to MN without a tie.

[Wheres_Walter]

Note to self.  Keep your "Packers Suck" T-shirt in the fishing boat for all future fish pics.

 

Ties are like head butts, everyone loses.

 

[mbeyer]

I know this....not as many smallmouth coming up shallow on this fall trip as compared to spring. Could not get a top water bite regardless of time of day and depth of water.

 

Found a few stragglers in the few hours we chased them.

[BrianF]

Ace (or anyone for that matter), have you been able to pinpoint the conditions that bring the big smallies up shallow in the fall?  Water temp perhaps?  Moon phase? A bait connection?  We saw this happen by chance a couple of years ago, which resulted in some very large smallies coming over the rails.  Didn’t weigh the biggest but my guess was 6lbs+.  

 

Just trying to to see if this shallow movement can be predicted. 

 

Brian 

[guideman]

Water temp and bait movement are the key to the big girls in the fall. They locate their wintering holes when the water temps fall into the low 50's and pretty much stay there for most of the winter. Big plastics and large live bait presentations can be very effective for those big fall fatties. Main lake points inshore humps and large mid lake reefs can all hold good numbers of these fish starting in late September right into ice-up. Mid to late October is the best time most years, depending on what kind of weather we get.

 

"Ace"  

"It's just fishing man"