St Clair smallmouth

[stratosjoe]

coming up for two weeks just wondering if they were still in summer pattern (deep) or were heading towards the shallows. Thanks to all.

[Firefighter Jeff]

  I was up there for the 9th and 10th so I don't have anything up to date.  From what little I know I doubt they'll be shallow until the water cools.  Unless it's first light or dusk.    Anyone else

[djkimmel]

I didn't fish shallow to find out the one day I was out there. We fished mostly new spots looking for something different. Only caught a few bass and a sheepshead in water mostly deeper than 15 feet.

Lots of people are saying the Michigan waters are slow and tough since spring. Most of the better catches seem to be coming from Ontario waters and still mostly deep though current can pull some bass shallow anytime in key spots.

I imagine this hot summer drove lots of bait into deeper water and the bass go where the bait is. I was out a few weeks ago and we found lots of bass way out in the lake around schools of minnows that they sometimes busted on the surface even though that was infrequent. We could see more bass than we were actually catching so the bass were there even if we weren't always catching them. They probably got a good education on lures this year so sometimes the bite is more particular than it has been. We found a few spots that the bass were biting really good in but you could tell they were actively chasing and chasing bass, especially in groups, usually aren't as hard to catch.

[Mothra]

I'm in anchor bay this weekend with friends... Looking for any tips for smb or pike/musky. Struggling so far

[djkimmel]

Anchor Bay can be tough this time of year but it should be picking up anytime now. Try around the end of the North Channel - Baltimore Channel and Grassy Island especially for pike / muskie. I always catch some big pike around there over weedbeds and usually see some muskie too.