The most active smallmouths will attract to lake regions that are warming. The shallows with ideal bottom substrate and exposure to sun warm rapidly. They could be up to 10 degrees warmer than anywhere else on the lake. Smallmouths can gather and loiter around in depths as shallow as 1 foot to as deep
Successful fishing is all about right time, right place. The right time and place for my boat to catch the biggest fish of the year is in May, and later in September and October. The spring spawn, September feeding, and October wintering periods create vulnerabilities for smallmouth, where the biggest fish are most apt
Most years, I strive to be the first angler on the water targeting smallmouths at ice out. Doing this well before everyone else has become a unique fishing experience. While catching smallmouths from 39 to 42-degree water temperature is not an easy task across every Northwoods lake, results can be achieved if you are
