Seasonal Patterns

[Revtro]

Hey all,
I'd like to get a discussion going about seasonal patterns.  Here's why... Things seem to play out much differently here than what you typically read about because most articles are based on Southern and dirtier waters.  So I'd like to see if we can up with a seasonal pattern that is specific to our Northern waters.  Let's have two categories for the discussion...  Big water and inland lake.  Please post your thoughts about the seasonal trends for bass in either big water or inland lakes.  Feel free to cite examples.

To start the discussion, here's what I've experienced for Smallies on St. Clair.  In the early season, they can easily be found shallow, i.e. 8 ft. deep along the mile roads.  But as summer progresses it seems like the largemouth rule in the shallows.  Then I tend to target smallies near the channels and into the channels as September approaches.  Honestly, I can't cite water temps at the moment, I'll need to go back and look at my notes to find out.  I don't have a great memory for that stuff.  One quandry I have is the issue of whether it's true or not that smallies go shallow in the late fall on St. Clair.  It's what Iv'e always heard, but it doesn't seem to hold up for me. 

[MBell]

We have the same seasonal patterns that they do down south, but with the short season the seasonal patterns are accelerated and can be easy to miss but they are there.  St. Clair is very tough to pattern good, even if you find a pattern it's so big you can waste a lot of time.  There are so many fish doing so many different things at one time a single pattern will limit you on St. Clair.  The inland lakes are tough too, each inland lake has a kind of personality not based as much on seasonal patterns but other things like cover and forage.  Geez, this may be an impossible question to answer.  Good luck!
-Matt 

[Revtro]

It's a tough one to be sure, but I don't think it's impossible.  Perhaps we can explore lakes individually if guys know them extremely well.  Or focus on generalities.  There must be some general patterns that can at least provide a good starting point for many of our bodies of water.  For example, the smallies on St. Clair are often doing several things at once, but under certain conditions, there are some dependable patterns that I've found.  However, in clear water like St. Clair, the bass seem to act a little differently in different kinds of weather than you typically read about.  The best example I could give is cold fronts.  Cold fronts don't seem to affect smallies on St. Clair as dramatically as they do on the inland bodies of water.  So a unique property of St. Clair smallies is that you can target much the same areas during a frontal situation as you can during pre-frontal conditions.  At least that's been my experience.  However, the largemouth seem to act much more like you read about during frontal conditions on St. Clair.  During frontal conditions, almost all summer though you can find a dependable largemouth bite in wind protected areas such as canals.

[McCarter]

Like Matt said this is going to be a tuffy.  But more or less, if everyone passes on there past experiences i think you will find what you are looking for.

On smaller inland lake, i think the possibilities for different patterns from lake to lake are great.  I think this becuase there are lakes that are within a mile or two of each other that will have way differnt things going one at the same time.

You may fish one lake that is shallow and weedy one day under certain weather conditions and another that is deep with less weeds, maybe clearer water, the next day under the exact same weather conditions and chances are that the pattern or patterns you used yesterday just wont hold up today.  I think water temp and previous weather patterns play a huge roll in what fish are doing. 

Always start with water temperatures.  they can vary greatly from lake to lake.  For example, Kent lake may be 55-60 in the main lake while cass lake is still 45 - 50 degrees in the main lake.  Obvioulsy there are different things going on out on each lake.  The water temperatures will dictate whether or not the bulk of the fish are spawning, staging, post spawn, into summer patterns, etc.

Next, take into consideration recent weather patterns.  In a shallow lake, the fish will be effected more by changing weather patterns than they will in deeper lakes.  So you might be able to go out on kent lake and catch a few by fishing the first good drop offs with a finesse presentation ( hint, hint ) while on cass the fish will suspend over deeper water and may be a little more aggresive to take a bait if presented properly.

Another thing to think about is the layout of the lake and what patterns are known to hold up on that certain lake.  For instance, i know from past experience that when the fish move onto the flats on cass lake and are getting ready to spawn, i can kill them with a rattle trap.  So year after year i know that once the weather is right and i find them up there, i am going to catch them on a trap.  On kent lake i know that as soon as the water temps get to 50 degrees i can get them on a trap also.  If the water temps are below 50, the bite just isnt there.  You might catch the occasional fish on a trap in the colder water but the percentage just isnt as high.  But if i throw a suspending Rogue, i know i can load the boat.  It almost doesnt matter what the current weather is, the pattern holds up year after year.   Pay attention to what is working and when it is working.  Pay attention to water temp and fish behavior.

I can eliminate half of my tackle at any given time of the year just by taking into consideration what i have learned in the past has worked at that given time of the year.  Does it mean that i am using the best possible method to catch the fish for that day?  Not neccesarily, but i know i will catch fish.  I might have to tune my presentation a little, but i know i will catch fish.  And thats a good start.

As far as bigger water goes, i would go so far as to say it can be very predictable.  I say this because i fish a lake st clair tournament every year before i am ever out there pre fishing and i usually catch a decent limit that puts me in the money.  I tend to stay away from the crowds at the mile roads and i still end up with a nice sack.  I am doing the same thing basically that everyone else is doing, just in a different area that i usually have all to myself.

But you can do yourself a lot of good by breaking the lake into 3 parts for the early season.  The top, the middle, and the lower.

Obviously, by the top half i am referring to Anchor Bay.  This area of the lake is generally shallow, has about the most weeds of any other area of the American side of the lake, and is ideal spawning grounds for smallmouth as well as many other fish.  It warms the quickest not only because it is shallow and weedy, but it is the northern part of the lake. 

I consider the middle of the lake to be anything from the Clinton River south to ford mansion area.  This area of the lake if by far the most pressured when the spawn is going on.  And for good reason.  It has some phenomenal weed growth, and a ton of rock and gravel.   The depth changes are gradual.  And it warms failry fast.  Part of this is due to the weeds and the shallower depth close to shore, and part due to the Clinton river water rushing into the lake and being forced south.

the lower end of the lake is everything from Fords cove to Windmill Pointe.  This area of the lake seems to warm last.  It has considerably less amounts of weeds, faster moving water current, and deeper depths close to shore.  Fish still spawn in this part of the lake, but a little bit later than in the northern areas. 

Once i figured all this stuff out, i had a game plan.  Since the opener used to fall on the 3rd saturday in june, i knew that the bulk of the spawn would be over.  In my opinion, i had a better percentage of catching quality fish by utilizing the southern waters and staying away from the crowds.  Dont get me wrong, there are still fish, quality fish, spawning in all areas of the lake but i felt my best odds would be to fish the water that was a little bit cooler than the rest of the lake to find more fish just moving up.

For the past two years, this has worked to a T.  I have been able to find good schools of quality fish and catch them in the opening ABA tournaments.  And if it werent for a little bad luck each year with lost fish, i think i had a good possibility at winning these events.  Last year, my and my co anglers combined weight was 30 lbs.  We both missed big fish at the boat as well.  I lossed two good fish that would have exceeded 4 lbs, and he lost a giant that would have probably come close to 5.  I ended up in 5th and my co angler ended up in 6th for the event. 

Again, water temps are playing an important roll in what the fish are doing.  The water temps on the bigger lakes can change dramatically from area to area, especially in the spring. 

Another good example would be the Lake St Clair summer pattern.  Everyone knows that once the lake bite starts to die, the river bite turns on.  You could almost mark the date down on your calander on when it is going to happen.  But dont start marking it just yet.  I cant tell you how many people i have talked to who tell me ' man, there just not biting in the channels this year'.  Trust me, if they are there, they will bite.  But chances are, if your not catching them, your too early.  I know many people just assume that come mid june/early august that its time to forget about the lake.  I have done it myself.  But 2 years ago, the fish just never showed up in the channels good.  Ok, so whats up?  the weather patterns.  The lake temps were a few degrees lower than they would normally be for that time of the year.  What happened, in my opinion and the opinion of many others that i have talked to, is the fish started following the bait towards the channels and the weather changed, it got cooler.  The bait stopped at the mouth of the channels and the surrounding areas, and the fish stopped with them.  We never saw the numbers or the quality in the channels that year.  Someone out there may have figured out a succesful pattern in the river, but it wasnt me, and it wasnt anyone i know.  But once we figured out that the fish stalled out on there way in due to the weather, we enjoyed some very productive days again. 

Always pay attention to the weather.  It plays a huge roll in what is happening on any given day on any given lake.  In the south, the weather patterns hold up much longer than they do up here, but the fish respond in the same way when the weather does turn sour, from what i have read and experienced myself my few times below the michigan border.

*Disclaimer:  The statements above have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration and therefore should not be used to treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  they are simply opinions based on previous experiences, to be used for entertainment purposes only.  In no way, shape, or form are these statements iron clad or guaranteed.  Please remember to tip your waitress and thanks for coming out tonite.  Party on Wayne, Party on Garth. 

PoorBoy himself

[Revtro]

That's what I'm talking about!  Excellent information.  I totally agree.  Even if the fish are doing many things in the lake, there are some things, that if you know about, will give you a better winning percentage.  I know it's a tough topic.  However, every year pros come out for a big tournament and upon evaluating the weather and water temp, formulate a starting game plan that they are able to refine based on their practice results.  This is always the hardest thing to do and requires a basic knowledge of seasonal patterns.  Good post PB.

[MBell]

Wow!  I'll read that post over the next few days and get back to you. 
-Matt

[Savage]

I like to keep it really simple and ignore the seasonal patterns for the most part, unless it's the spawn.  I focus more on what the conditions are for the given hour or day that I am fishing.  Is it overcast or sunny?  Is it windy or calm?  How windy, just a breeze or a full blown gale?  Time of day, water clarity, water temp, boating and fishing pressure, weed growth, bottom cover, sand (or mud) color, water depth relative to the rest of the lake.....  all of those things are what will make or break your fishing day.

For example, if I was fishing an inland impounded lake in mid-summer on a sunny day with light or no wind, I would be looking for two things: Deep water near shallow feeding areas, and docks that are near deeper water and maybe some rocky shoreline.  Bait of choice would be a jig-n-pig, a wacky rigged senko, a fat tube (for skipping under docks)and a creature bait.  Most impoundments have smallies and largemouth, so the senkos and creatures would get the most action.  If the water is dirty go with lighter weights for slower fall, if it's clear go with heavier weights so the fish don't get a good look at things.  If that did not produce I would take a look at the deeper channel swings and ledges with a deep crank and the jig.

If I was on that same lake during a windier overcast day, I would stay off the docks and work quickly through shallow weedy cover and along the breaks with a spinnerbait, chatterbait, and a soft plastic jerkbait.

The only reliable "pattern" is to fish the moment at hand, forget about your new bait you just bought and want to try out, and try to give the fish what they want: an easy meal presented in their comfort zone.

[kgr624]

POORBOY is the MAN!!!!!! I also will be reading that post for the next week. I have to say that taking everything that I have learned from KVD and Mike Iconelli about seasonal bass fishing is repeated in Poorboys post. In case you wonder I don't know those guys but I do have every DVD and VHS those guys have made. So going from those and experience and ofcourse the awsome guys that post techniques on this web site, POORBOY HIMSELF has sumed everything up. This topic was awsome. I will restate that temperature is huge and the type of lake that you are at will set the pattern for those fish.

[McCarter]

Its nice when you can take stuff you read in articles and books or learn from watching DVDs and fishing shows and apply it into your own situations.

I always hear guys say stuff like " i like bassmasters, but none of that stuff ever applys to us northern guys".

It does.  Maybe not to the extent as it does in other parts of the country.  But if you take bits and pieces of that information and use it in situations up here, it really helps in the learning process.

PoorBoy himself

[Revtro]

I have a good idea for this thread.  How about we ask some hypotheticals and see what we can learn.  I'll start with 2 that I run into frequently.

1. Common scenario for me.  I'm on Lake St. Clair in mid June.  Was catching fish in 8 FOW on tubes along the Mile Roads.  The skies have been overcast and there hasn't been much wind, but a little.  The next day, the skies totally clear up and there is no wind whatsoever.  The sun is high and bright.  The boating pressure picks up on the lake and I can't seem to get the 8FOW bite going anymore.  What adjustment should I first consider?

2. Second question.  I keep hearing about the horseshoe in Walpole.  Every year I fish it and don't get much going.  Sometimes I get a few smaller fish along the weed edges and dropoffs, but that's it.  Is there a time of year when Walpole becomes more active?  And is there another area of Walpole I should take a look at?  I have a ton of spots on St. Clair and usually do very well out there, but Walpole is another issue for me.  Any wisdom from anyone who fishes it more than I?

[bshaner]

This is a good thread to keep going especially now that post spawn is approaching.  Any more tips and input from the experts?

Brian

[Hollada]

This thread is a great read........  Bumping it up

[Skulley]

This is a great thread.  McCarter brought a lot of good info that I've found to be very credible as I have been doing what he is describing for years.  However, this part I found to be a bit off:

Another good example would be the Lake St Clair summer pattern.  Everyone knows that once the lake bite starts to die, the river bite turns on.  You could almost mark the date down on your calander on when it is going to happen.  But dont start marking it just yet.  I cant tell you how many people i have talked to who tell me ' man, there just not biting in the channels this year'.  Trust me, if they are there, they will bite.  But chances are, if your not catching them, your too early.  I know many people just assume that come mid june/early august that its time to forget about the lake.  I have done it myself.  But 2 years ago, the fish just never showed up in the channels good.  Ok, so whats up?  the weather patterns.  The lake temps were a few degrees lower than they would normally be for that time of the year.  What happened, in my opinion and the opinion of many others that i have talked to, is the fish started following the bait towards the channels and the weather changed, it got cooler.  The bait stopped at the mouth of the channels and the surrounding areas, and the fish stopped with them.  We never saw the numbers or the quality in the channels that year.  Someone out there may have figured out a succesful pattern in the river, but it wasnt me, and it wasnt anyone i know.  But once we figured out that the fish stalled out on there way in due to the weather, we enjoyed some very productive days again. 

Two years ago, I found fish up in the river channels thick as thieves.  It was an extremely hot, hot summer and they were there like they haven't been for quite a few years.  I found last season to be more like he described.  Last year with the weather change in July where there was about a week or two that they were there.  But then a cold front came through and no fish.  Wasn't even marking the numbers that I had marked two years ago.  Phenomenon??  Not necessarily...........but they did stop at the mouths of the channels.  When I went down to those areas after trying areas that were up in the river, I started catching them like I had previously in the river the season before.  Just goes to show you that depending on the person, we all do things a little different.  We can always debate what we learned however, pictures tell the real story.  A log book with pictures will help you even further.  I have been keeping records for 20 years.  I can confidently say that there are some strange things going on out there this year.  I will leave that to a future post, like after this season is over so that my data will be conclusive.  Very important to have conclusive data.  I guess that's what I get for being a "lab rat" at work.  I let the data tell me.  My data tells me that St. Clair is off.  Off by about 3 weeks or so.  That can change though.  A warming trend of about 5 to 10 days of really hot 95 degree weather can change everything and change it quickly.  I have years of data that has told me this.  Now remember, I let the data from the past help me figure out the future.  I have been struggling out there on the Mile Roads lately however on some trips up to Selfridge over the past weeks, I'm finding that it's just starting to turn on up there.  Next to turn on will be the Mile Roads, then the Grosse Pointe area, and then Windmill Point.  Usually when Windmill Point turns on, so does Askins Point.  However, we never know that until the Canadian season opens.  There have been years that Windmill Point hasn't turned on until the Canadian opener.  Recording that data from trip to trip and season to season, has told me this.  Two years ago we missed Askins Point turning on because of the hot summer and Windmill Point turned on two weeks sooner than that time.  Just some stuff to think about fellas. 

*Disclaimer:  The statements above have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration and therefore should not be used to treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  they are simply opinions based on previous experiences, to be used for entertainment purposes only.  In no way, shape, or form are these statements iron clad or guaranteed.  Please remember to tip your waitress and thanks for coming out tonite.  Party on Wayne, Party on Garth. 

PoorBoy himself

At this point in my post, I go with McCarter's disclaimer.  Thanks Brian.  You got some great info there.  Perhaps we should get together sometime and compare some of our notes.  You have definitely done your homework assignment.   


BD