October 22, 2012
That is Mike Karempelis, premier Nice Lakes information and a part of the Fish Door County TV staff. Â Speaking to Mike on the cellphone yesterday, he tells me huge smallmouths are lingering shallow within the Sturgeon Bay space of Inexperienced Bay, making them weak to the uncommon however fantastic late-season spinner-bait assault.
“When focusing on fall smallmouths with spinnerbaits on huge water, there are a few keys to think about to make sure a profitable day on the water,” Mike stated.
“Location, as all the time, is crucial a part of the equation. This time of the yr, I wish to search for steep, laborious breaking shorelines adjoining to deep water. These areas are all the time prime throughout simply earlier than the cold-water interval units in. The sharper the drop, the higher. It permits smallmouths to slide slightly deeper once they’re inactive or impartial. Then they’ve fast entry to shallow flats when wind, passing chilly fronts, and different components set off an optimum window for feeding. A typical strategy finds me maintaining the boat in 12-to 15 ft of water and casting each up towards the shallow flats in addition to often casting alongside the deep breakline and gradual rolling the spinnerbait by deeper water.”
These impartial fish could be triggered on a reactionary foundation. Working the deep facet of the break gradual with a heavy bait—as much as 1 ounce—will pay huge dividends. More often than not, Mike’s utilizing 3/4-ounce baits. However he tries all of them.
Commercial
“One other key’s the kind of spinnerbait you select,” he provides. “I favor double willow-leaf designs in late fall like this, and I normally select a painted blade design in within the clear water we’ve round right here, both in all white, chartreuse, or a mixture of the 2. The dimensions of the spinnerbait is one other crucial deal. I all the time select a bait within the ¾- to 1-ounce dimension, versus the standard 3/8- t 1/-ouncers historically used for smallmouths throughout spring and summer time.
“The bigger dimension gives two most important benefits,” Mike added. “First, it presents a bigger profile and displaces a bit extra water than these smaller counterparts, which is usually precisely what huge smallmouths are searching for this time of the yr as they placed on as a lot weight as doable for the upcoming winter season. Secondly, the additional weight permits me to fish the spinnerbait fast in the shallow water with out getting an excessive amount of raise on the bait, whereas it permits me to slow-roll the deeper edge with out altering rods if fish aren’t responding up on the shallow flats. Among the largest bass I catch every fall are caught casting that deeper edge, and the larger bait permits me to cowl that vary way more successfully.”
Spinnerbaits are manner missed for smallies in fall. They’re searching for meals. Any indication brings them vectoring in your route, and spinnerbaits ship flash, thump, and vibration manner on the market in clear water. Mike successfully makes use of spinnerbaits to place a few of his largest bass of the yr within the boat in late October and early November yearly.
