Lake Erie, St. Clair or Somewhere Else? 2024
roadwarrior reply :
I'm interested in a big trip up north to target smallmouth. Which lake and when would
you recommend we go? Also, please recommend a guide.
BillP reply :
I would fish Lake St. Clair for Smallmouth rather than Lake Erie. Lake St. Clair produces decent Smallmouth during the complete open water season.
My son is going to take me out many times in the coming year as I have predominately fished for Walleye on both Lakes Erie and St.Clair and he tells me I am missing out on a lot of great fishing.
I can't recommend a guide service as I have never used one around here.
Scott F reply :
While St. Clair and Erie are both great fisheries, the chances that it could be too windy to fish would ruin your trip. Chequamegon Bay on Lake Superior out of Ashland WI could provide a fantastic smallmouth trip. Wind could also keep you off the big lake but if it did, there are many other smaller lakes within an hour drive to fish to keep from losing time on the water. Late May is prime time for size and numbers of pre-spawn smallies. There are a number of well known guides but I’ve never used one so I can’t give a recommendation
slonezp reply :
Sturgeon Bay http://wackywalleye.com/
Dwight Hottle reply :
Lake erie, lake ontario & Niagara river based on which way the wind is blowing. May for prespawn smallies.
Captain Frank Campbell
http://www.niagaracharter.com/fishing-seasons/
BillP reply :
The days that are too windy to fish Lake St.Clair are the days that you can fish Rondeau Bay or Lake Erie.
I live between the two lakes and that is what I have found weather wise for years.
Just so you know, musky can also be caught on Lake St. Clair
1BADAIR reply :
St Clair, Saginaw bay. Marcel for a guide. He also has some lakes up north by Indian river that he guides on and does very well.
http://www.marcelsguideservice.com/
12poundbass reply :
Northern Michigan. There's a guy named @A-Jay up there who knows the browns pretty well. I hear he's a hard guy to track down but well worth it! Rumor has it if you don't catch a 7 pounder you don't have to pay. ????
A-Jay reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 8:13 AM, 12poundbass said:Northern Michigan. There's a guy named @A-Jay up there who knows the browns pretty well. I hear he's a hard guy to track down but well worth it! Rumor has it if you don't catch a 7 pounder you don't have to pay. ????
@12poundbass I heard that Guy's A Hack !
Scrubby McSrubberson
12poundbass reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 9:28 AM, A-Jay said:@12poundbass I heard that Guy's A Hack !
Scrubby McSrubberson
Scrubby is the one who guides on Menderchuck right? I've heard he's good and will usually take cans of Spam as payment.
A-Jay reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 9:51 AM, 12poundbass said:Scrubby is the one who guides on Menderchuck right? I've heard he's good and will usually take cans of Spam as payment.
Yes ! THAT's The Guy.
Stormy Kromer
12poundbass reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 9:54 AM, A-Jay said:Yes ! THAT's The Guy.
Stormy Kromer
I'm embarrassed to say as a native Michigander I've never owned a Stormy Kromer. I hang my head in shame. ????
A-Jay reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 10:03 AM, 12poundbass said:I'm embarrassed to say as a native Michigander I've never owned a Stormy Kromer. I hang my head in shame. ????
Being one of the cool kids I'd have figured you'd be all over it.
Get with the program man . . . . .
Is it because you're mellon's too big ?
A-Jay
12poundbass reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 10:07 AM, A-Jay said:Being one of the cool kids I'd have figured you'd be all over it.
Get with the program man . . . . .
Is it because you're mellon's too big ?
A-Jay
????
A-Jay reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 10:46 AM, 12poundbass said:????
Sorry Bud - It's been one of those days.
A-Jay
12poundbass reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 11:01 AM, A-Jay said:Sorry Bud - It's been one of those days.
A-Jay
Lol, it's been one of those weeks! I'm still one of the cool kids, just ask my 7 year old. Ask him again in a few years and it'll be a different story. At this point in time my ego will take what it can get. ????
Siebert Outdoors reply :
I fish St Clair at least once a year for a week straight. Its a great lake for smallies, Walleye, Pike, and Musky. If your into White bass you can literally catch hundreds of them a day in mid may. The biggest risk was stated above. Wind. If it gets windy you will get beat up or not be able to fish. I have never fished Erie. West winds are the best to fish the lake on the US side for the main areas most guys fish. Last year was one of the windiest years I have ever been there. It was 10-20mph every day.
drew4779 reply :
St. Clair > Erie... But both great.
drew4779 reply :
St. Clair > Erie... But both great.
Turkey sandwich reply :
Under no circumstances should you fish the St. Lawrence, Niagara, or Susquehanna Rivers. Any reports of catching smallmouth in them are lies. d**n bloody lies.
zeth reply :
On 12/30/2017 at 10:50 PM, Scott F said:While St. Clair and Erie are both great fisheries, the chances that it could be too windy to fish would ruin your trip. Chequamegon Bay on Lake Superior out of Ashland WI could provide a fantastic smallmouth trip. Wind could also keep you off the big lake but if it did, there are many other smaller lakes within an hour drive to fish to keep from losing time on the water. Late May is prime time for size and numbers of pre-spawn smallies. There are a number of well known guides but I’ve never used one so I can’t give a recommendation
What he said and I personally would even go fish something like the Wisconsin river or other Wisconsin rivers as well. Have caught numerous large smallmouth all over the place in Wisconsin when I lived there. Ashland is a good place but watch the weather. I have been there in May and been blasted by freeing temps and snow.
JeziHogg reply :
Lake Simcoe.
BillP reply :
On 1/1/2018 at 7:33 AM, JeziHogg said:Lake Simcoe.
Around Georgina Island ?
MickD reply :
The wind on Saginaw Bay and Lake St Clair interferes in two ways, by simply blowing you off the water, and by messing up water clarity along the shores. Pre-spawn and fall can be great, but the wind can screw it up fairly often. The fish will be easier to find than summer, but it's not a piece of cake. Summer, if you can find the fish in 15-18 feet, can be great, also. But this is big water, with miles and miles and miles of what appears to be featureless, fishless, bottom, but there are spots the pros know will most likely produce, so a good guide is essential for the fisherman new to the area. I am fairly familiar with the deep water summer fishing, but have yet to "break the code" on summer fishing on St. Clair and Saginaw Bay. Even with a guide, there is no guarantee. You need to talk in detail with one of the good guides in the area to make the right decision for you. I would do it sooner rather than later as the good guides have regular clients that fill much of their calendars.
12poundbass reply :
I watched an episode of Facts of Fishing the other night and Dave was fishing with Simon Frost on lake Erie. A quick search shows Simon guides on Erie and the Niagra drive. Might be worth checking into if he's good enough for Dave Mercer.
JeziHogg reply :
Rice Lake is another good one as well.
Chance_Taker4 reply :
I would go Erie in late May. However like stated above the wind can ruin a trip. The way I circumvent that is by going up the Detroit River on windy days. You then can fish the river which is very under rated or run it to St Claire. the tournaments I fish launch from the river and gives anglers freedom to fish US and Canada as well as the river, Erie or St. Claire so I have made the runs quite a bit. I cannot give guide recommendation though since I am from the area.
J Francho reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 12:23 AM, Dwight Hottle said:Lake erie, lake ontario & Niagara river based on which way the wind is blowing. May for prespawn smallies.
Captain Frank Campbell
http://www.niagaracharter.com/fishing-seasons/
This, or just hook up with Dwight.
Pro Logcatcher reply :
On 12/30/2017 at 10:50 PM, Scott F said:While St. Clair and Erie are both great fisheries, the chances that it could be too windy to fish would ruin your trip. Chequamegon Bay on Lake Superior out of Ashland WI could provide a fantastic smallmouth trip. Wind could also keep you off the big lake but if it did, there are many other smaller lakes within an hour drive to fish to keep from losing time on the water. Late May is prime time for size and numbers of pre-spawn smallies. There are a number of well known guides but I’ve never used one so I can’t give a recommendation
I used to live in Ohio, and man are you right about that wind! I'd get seasick every time we went out 'cause the waves were so big!
anderb54 reply :
Northern MI. You could fish Grand Traverse Bay, Burt and Mullett Lakes, Torch Lake, Lake Charlevoix... the list goes on
Hollada reply :
St Clair or Northern Michigan. Guide - Marcel Veenstra or Gerry Gostenik for st Clair. Marcel also spends a month or so in northern Michigan.
time? Depends on how you want to fish - e.g. April blade baits, early May jerks, traps, shallow cranks, late May bed fishing, June dropshot, tubes, July - sept kitchen sink, deep cranks, swimbaits.
windy days on LSC fish the canals for largies or run 45 mins to an inland lake. Late august I tend to rotate to the detroit river mouth at Erie if the bite is off on LSC.
Gundog reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 2:45 PM, Turkey sandwich said:Under no circumstances should you fish the St. Lawrence, Niagara, or Susquehanna Rivers. Any reports of catching smallmouth in them are lies. d**n bloody lies.
^^^What he said! No fish anywhere near any of those places. None.
FryDog62 reply :
If “Up North” includes Minnesota, there is a great variety of world-class options. Mille Lacs is a no-brainer, but there is some awesome river fishing on the very far northern stretches of the Mississippi. This is where the Lindners film a lot of their shows. Some very good smb lakes near Longville, MN too. And Chequamegon (although in Wisconsin) is within a couple hours of those destinations listed above.
I noted from the above posts that that most of the best suggestions involve big water and the threat of wind that could ruin your trip. That’s why I suggested the northern Mississippi waters. Lot of times I’m scheduled to go to Mille Lacs or Rainy Lake and the wind is too much. Narrow rivers (which the Miss is up north) provide a lot of protection from wind and although there is current, there are virtually no waves to contend with). Smallies in the 17-19 inch are somewhat common on the river, a few in the 20-22 inch range.
Another option for you anyway, I can give you some guide info on Mille Lacs, or other areas too if you want to send me a PM.
gimruis reply :
I'll second what Frydog mentioned. Forget the Great Lakes. Mille Lacs is the top ranked smallmouth fishery in the country for a reason.
1BADAIR reply :
I like st clair. WIsh i could find that 8lb smallie I have been looking for
roadwarrior reply :
On 1/9/2018 at 6:48 AM, gimruis said:I'll second what Frydog mentioned. Forget the Great Lakes. Mille Lacs is the top ranked smallmouth fishery in the country for a reason.
This might be the winner: http://millelacs.com/small-mouth/
We are thinking maybe the second week of June. Thoughts?
gimruis reply :
Yes, late May and early June is the time of year I'd pick.
FryDog62 reply :
On 1/11/2018 at 10:13 PM, roadwarrior said:This might be the winner: http://millelacs.com/small-mouth/
We are thinking maybe the second week of June. Thoughts?
Here’s your guide. Head of the Mille Lacs Smallmouth Alliance, radio host, and legendary guide - on top of being a world-class guy to spend a day in the boat with. I could post several pictures of behemoth bronzebacks I’ve caught with Jim, but I don’t know how to narrow it down. If you want to go peak time in June, you better call him soon... he’s booking. Best month might be August though (really) or September.
Jim DaRosa
Isle, MN 56342
320-630-4792 cell
Email: jtd648@comcast.net
Don Dixon reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 12:00 PM, Siebert Outdoors said:I fish St Clair at least once a year for a week straight. Its a great lake for smallies, Walleye, Pike, and Musky. If your into White bass you can literally catch hundreds of them a day in mid may. The biggest risk was stated above. Wind. If it gets windy you will get beat up or not be able to fish. I have never fished Erie. West winds are the best to fish the lake on the US side for the main areas most guys fish. Last year was one of the windiest years I have ever been there. It was 10-20mph every day.
On 2/12/2018 at 8:57 AM, Don Dixon said:That is pretty much our plan also. Where in Missouri are you?
On 1/4/2018 at 11:14 AM, anderb54 said:Northern MI. You could fish Grand Traverse Bay, Burt and Mullett Lakes, Torch Lake, Lake Charlevoix... the list goes on
This is actually a plan we've talked about, do you live in this area? I assume Burt, Mullett and Torch are smaller in case of bad winds? Know any good guides in this area?
anderb54 reply :
On 2/12/2018 at 8:57 AM, Don Dixon said:
This is actually a plan we've talked about, do you live in this area? I assume Burt, Mullett and Torch are smaller in case of bad winds? Know any good guides in this area?
I live about 20 minutes south of Burt and Mullett. They are smaller than the bay, yes, but still pretty large lakes. Generally speaking, unless the wind is really blowing from the north, the bay is relatively calm. Ben Wolfe out of Traverse City is a good guide for the bay, and unfortunately I'm not aware of any guides on Burt and Mullett. I'm sure there are some though.
Don Dixon reply :
On 1/13/2018 at 12:20 PM, FryDog62 said:Here’s your guide. Head of the Mille Lacs Smallmouth Alliance, radio host, and legendary guide - on top of being a world-class guy to spend a day in the boat with. I could post several pictures of behemoth bronzebacks I’ve caught with Jim, but I don’t know how to narrow it down. If you want to go peak time in June, you better call him soon... he’s booking. Best month might be August though (really) or September.
Jim DaRosa
Isle, MN 56342
320-630-4792 cell
Email: jtd648@comcast.net
I was emailing with Babe Winkleman last week and he highly recommended Mille Lacs, my buddy is leaning toward St. Clair or Traverse Bay, I guess it's important there are smaller waters nearby to windy days.
Siebert Outdoors reply :
I'm about 30 miles south of St louis.
Don Dixon reply :
On 2/12/2018 at 11:38 AM, Siebert Outdoors said:I'm about 30 miles south of St louis.
We must just about be neighbors. I live in South County, and from the Arnold area.
anderb54 reply :
On 2/12/2018 at 9:49 AM, Don Dixon said:I was emailing with Babe Winkleman last week and he highly recommended Mille Lacs, my buddy is leaning toward St. Clair or Traverse Bay, I guess it's important there are smaller waters nearby to windy days.
Grand Traverse Bay is a really special fishery, I cannot recommend it enough. It should be a bucketlist destination for any serious smallmouth fisherman
canbassguy reply :
castadventures.ca. Paul Castellano....Awesome guide on Erie ...check him out...real nice guy too..good thing about Paul is he guides near the Niagara so if Erie's blown up you can always fish the upper Niagara.
TOXIC reply :
On 12/31/2017 at 3:09 AM, 1BADAIR said:St Clair, Saginaw bay. Marcel for a guide. He also has some lakes up north by Indian river that he guides on and does very well.
http://www.marcelsguideservice.com/
I have fished St Clair for a week every year for 15 years. To say we have a lot of "areas" is an understatement. If we are having a tough time we call Marcel for some tips. Great Guy!! Better Guide!!
Fish the Mitt reply :
Late to the party, and it sounds like Mille Lacs might be the winner, but if you do make it to Northern MI, I suggest trying out Hubbard as well. It's really become a trophy smallmouth factory due in part by the great habitat efforts by the local community. MLF was just up there for the 2018 Summit Cup and they were catching 4-5bers all day (unsure what the biggest came in at).
While St. Claire, Erie, and the NW part of Michigan gets all the glory, Hubbard (NE MI - Alpena) is really starting to shine in it's own right when it comes to smallmouth (109 yr old SM record was broken there in 2015 (9.33#) [record broke again shortly after (9.98 on Indian River)]).
loumonetti reply :
St Larwrence. Numbers and size, all day, almost any time of year. You may not see a 6 like at Erie or Mille, but you'll see more 3 and 4 pound fish than you'll know what to do with.
detroit1 reply :
Geez Roadwarrior...I would have never guessed that YOU would need a guide...I would do what Hollada says...
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