My Day on Lake St. Clair with Ohio Pro Mike Trombly 8/7/08

[djkimmel]

I was fortunate to spend a day in the boat - a beautiful deep V Ranger 620VS with a Yamaha 4-stroke outboard - with Ohio bass pro Mike Trombly, one of the nicest bass anglers on the water.

We launched on to Lake St Clair Thursday morning to moderate wind, partly sunny skies and lazy 2 to 3 foot rollers. The water was slightly stained with visibility only a few feet.

Our first task was to run into another nice guy of tournament fishing, Lima Ohio bass pro and forum member Steve Clapper. Steve thought he might need a rain suit as the day progressed (pretty good idea this day).


As we visited briefly, riding up and down the swells, Steve tossed out a drop shot, catching a few small bass telling us the bite had been slow so far. Maybe the big bass had moved.

After our chat, Mike headed towards his previous hot spots and caught a few little ones himself. Then we saw the only wrapped boat I can pick out for sure from a distance and Mike said we needed to go over and give him a hard... er, stop and talk for a minute. Mike said I wouldn't recognize him up close.

IAMS pro Chip Harrison (looking svelte)

was fishing nearby, checking out the competition, and in the back of his boat we found another of our illlustrious members - BryanP,

one of our favorite multi-company reps out for a little 'research.'

Chip made a comment about everything within 10 square miles basically being HIS spot and we had to go... Mike laughed and said something to me about donuts around an IAMS boat. Then, speaking in the secret code language of top bass anglers, they briefly spoke about some other spots and I got the distinct impression that Chip was on some real toads somewhere and was only guaging the competitions' areas of the lakes. No surprise he won the BFL Saturday based on his matter of fact description of his practice.

Then, Mike got to work figuring out what the bass are doing this week. This is still a time of movement on Lake St. Clair. Lots of big catches are coming in, but not everyone can just sit in one spot week after week and do so.

Mike made some adjustments to what worked last week and didn't seem to be working this week, and it started to pay off. Mike felt the bass might have actually moved towards shore and as we moved in, he seemed to be right, because the bass got bigger.

Here was one of the first of the big ones Mike put in the boat:


A real football, so despite not being that long, the bass still weighed over 4 1/2 pounds (Mike likes to weigh his bigger bass to guage exactly what he is catching from his various spots.


One very impressive action was Mike's ability to see bigger bass on his electronics and 'TV fish' them into the boat. Trombly would say, "there's a big one" pointing at the graph, and then pitch his special Mike's RX tube or a drop shot over the side, and whap, the fight is on!!

Next thing you know, Mike's weighing another tank smallie - this one going over 5 pounds!!


After seeing him do this over 10 times, it is pretty clear he is very good at recognizing bigger bass on his electronics, and then putting them in the boat. These smallmouth bass experts are something else!! Mike did land some rock bass and a couple walleye during the day, but whenever he said he saw a big smallie on the screen, he converted a quality bass into the boat almost every time.

I managed to catch a few small ones and rock bass early on 3" Nemesis gobies drop-shotted. I don't think I had the patience for drop shots this day probably. I caught a few keeper smallies on 4" Nemesis gobies and 4" Xtreme Bass Tackle (XBT) tubes. I cycled through XBT Erie Goby, St. Clair Crayfish and then St. Clair Craw based on the water color and some tips from Mike.

I caught a few better quality bass on St. Clair Craw. In between, I tried some bigger crankbaits - several times, I got smacked as the bait turned up to the boat, but never hooked up. I really wanted to try the KaRu VibraSpin too. Throughout the day, I slow-rolled them through the water column. I had multiple wacks and grabs, sometimes two or three in a row, but never hooked up. I did best this day as far as hits throwing a brown-orange #2 KaRu.

I probably had 10 different casts with a hit or more on the way in without hooking up. Not sure what they were although I would think some had to be smallies, and not sure why I couldn't hook up other than the water color was off a little... maybe. The number of strikes was enough to make me want to keep working at it. I've had several days earlier this year where I really smacked largemouth bass on the VibraSpin.

Mike, meanwhile just kept putting big bass into the boat. Here was another one that he saw on the graph and pitched to after another move. If you're fortunate to get into these St. Clair all growed up bass, you know how hard they fight, even just trying to fight them into the boat - Mike had to wrestle this toad:


Another beautiful Lake St. Clair trophy smallmouth bass caught by Mike Trombly this day - one of a respectable number of big ones (yeah, who wouldn't be happy catching whoppers like this all day?!?):


I ended up catching one really big smallie myself - Mike loaned me one of his Mike's RX special tubes because he wanted me to try them and he's really is a super nice guy. I guess I'm rusty - I thought I had a small musky or big walleye. In defense of my honor, the bass did fight like a walleye, not a bass

I tossed off the side a ways. Felt the pickup and then heavy weight of a strong fish. The bass actually stripped out several feet of line 3 times.

A little while after that, we got surrounded by multiple storms. As soon as we saw an opening to run through back to the ramp, we did so so Mike could get some supper and prepare for his last day of practice before the BFL and Wonderland Marine West Open.

It was a very enjoyable day. Always a pleasure to watch a true expert put a bunch of bass in the boat. And always nice to spend the day in a boat with such a quality, friendly person! Thanks Mike!!

[Cheetam]

Nice write-up Dan.

[Dan]

Great write up Lt. Dan. How about swapping a picture with me so I can put a picture of Harrison and his boat in my BFL St.Clair article I'm in the process of writing up. I have a picture of him with two of his big smallies at the BFL weighin I'll swap for that on the water picture.

[djkimmel]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Glad you liked it. Man, these top guys like Mike and Steve just make it look SO easy!!!! It's intimidating to watch them up close.

Dan, just right-click on the picture above and do a Save Picture As... to save a copy of the pic to your computer. Just please credit 'picture by GreatLakesBass.com' please. My stuff if copyrighted, but I just gave you permission If you need the large format original, let me know. This one is cropped and worked to brighten some (it was getting cloudy that day).

I'll be okay picture-wise for now myself. If I need one of Chip, I know where to get it . Maybe I'll go fishing with him...?? If my ego can take watching another top level angler spank the toads like just anyone can do it anytime they feel like

[Dan]

What's this right click stuff? I have a Mac and you don't need to do that. I would like the picture as a 575 X whatever it sizes it. On my webpage that's the size that fits the window. If you have time. No biggy otherwise. I give GLB its props almost every other day on my blog. You and the anglers here are a plethora of info. I really appreciate the willingness of the forum to help out.
I know you have my email address probably somewhere, but it's dshinebassman at yahoo dot com

Thanks

[DDBethke]

Very Cool write up! Keep these coming DK...

[motocross269]

Great write up...Chip Harrison was very open about how he was fishing and gave a little mini clinic as he was getting his check...Seemed to be a great guy..
How did you like fishing out of that 620vs??? (Did he have the back deck in?) Would you consider one over a Ranger Bass Boat??

[djkimmel]

What's this right click stuff? I have a Mac and you don't need to do that. I would like the picture as a 575 X whatever it sizes it. On my webpage that's the size that fits the window. If you have time. No biggy otherwise. I give GLB its props almost every other day on my blog. You and the anglers here are a plethora of info. I really appreciate the willingness of the forum to help out.
I know you have my email address probably somewhere, but it's dshinebassman@yahoo.com
Thanks

I have your email. I forget you are on of the contrary Mac / Safari guys. I think you can still right-click over the graphic image with the Safari browser or some similar action, but I forget what the option is you click to save a copy of the graphic?

Do you mean you need the image 575 pixels wide? You should still be able to use the pic as it is on my site. It just won't be as wide as your column.

I know you plug GLBass a lot. Just a reminder that any time anyone uses graphics or other content from another site, you should always give the credit for the source of that content.

[djkimmel]

I'm glad you all like the writeup. It is time-consuming, so it is good to know it wasn't for nothing

[Wolf_fisherman]

Great write up Dan! Reading all these articles on the local tournaments has got me chomping at the bit to get ready for my first jump into the BFL tournaments next year and what ever FLW tournys i can get off work to fish here in Michigan next year.

[Revtro]

On a Mac, you hold [CONTROL] - Click.  This equals a Right Click.  Or do what I do on my Mac, get a 5 button mouse and just right click to bring up the extra menu options. 

DK, you forgot to post all the GPS coordinates for the day.  What's wrong with you?      Seriously though, it seems like an amateur can go to the same spots and catch short fish and the pros can go there and catch big ones.  What a credit to these guys' patience and understanding of their electronics and conditions. 

I got to fish with Gostenik last year and I caught a lot of fish, but he was the one nailing the big ones.  I know what you mean by feeling sort of intimidated.  Great story and pics!

[djkimmel]

I thought I posted those coordinates... must be a bug in the forum code

Oh wait... I remember now. Mike borrowed my handheld GPS for a couple weeks. He said he could fine tune that baby to work even more better (his words)

[DanM]

Nice write up Dan K.

It's pretty amazing how long they will sit under the boat in the cone-angle. I use a camera alot in practice...sometimes smallies will follow with the boat for 200 yards....just hanging out and checking your bait out which can drive u nuts......

[fiker]

Great write up Dan.
It must be wonderful to fish with fisherman of that kind of expertise. 
I'm envious.

[djkimmel]

Nice write up Dan K.

It's pretty amazing how long they will sit under the boat in the cone-angle. I use a camera alot in practice...sometimes smallies will follow with the boat for 200 yards....just hanging out and checking your bait out which can drive u nuts......

The sad part is... we must like the punishment... we KEEP going back!!!

Glad you liked the write up guys. I hope to do more of these in the next 12 months with some of the other top guns. It's all a matter of scheduling. Right place, right time.

[fiker]

Wellllll, if your schedule doesn't fit, perhaps I can take your place?

[djkimmel]

I'll keep that in mind...

[dashaver63]

I was fortunate enough to draw Mike for the BFL (Detroit River #1) I'll post how it went after tommorrow night.

[dashaver63]

Mike Trombly is everything Dan said he is and more. We didn't catch a lot of fish, but what we did get were all quality fish. Mike, I think, culled 3 times and I was able to cull once. I couldn't have asked for a better draw. For me, it was like living a dream to be able to fish with that caliber of fisherman, a bonified professional, I learned a lot from him. Mike finished 3rd, and I was able to get 6th.

[djkimmel]

Wow - congratulations! I had a feeling Mike was on some good bass! I heard there were some good weights!