Big-uns!

[roadwarrior]

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/trophy-smallmouth-lures.html

 

<-------------  8 1/4 & 7 1/4

Tennessee River January 2005

[J Francho]

Great video!  I don't entirely agree that spring is the only key time.  In my experience, Great Lakes smallmouth are fat as heck almost year round, save winter when I've never fished for them or directly spawn/post-spawn (see pics below).  My PB came on a warm November day, in a deep wintering hole on Erie.  I do have some outstanding catches from pre-spawn and spawn periods, as well as dead of summer.  

 

June, directly post-spawn

 

Novemeber:

 

Early May, minutes from spawn.  Males were already making nests:

 

August (a few decades ago, lol):

 

Late May, full on spawn:

 

 

[Dwight Hottle]

All my biggies have been prespawn April & May on lake Erie. Although the fall fish in Oct & Nov carry great weight. 

 

 

[Mike L]

Early winter to early summer has been my sweet spot, and has been for many years. 
Every 8+ bass I’ve caught has been between Dec and June with most from late February to mid May. 
(4 so far this year)

 

Every DD came from early March to late April. (2 this year)

 

So there’s some truth to it for me but not all. 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, Dwight Hottle said:

All my biggies have been

Way bigger than John's.

[blackrain]

Dwight, that last one is a freak of nature!

[Darth-Baiter]

those bass are flat out JUGS!!  wow.  

 

they fight like a banshee at that size?

[Dwight Hottle]

2 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

those bass are flat out JUGS!!  wow.  

 

they fight like a banshee at that size?

 
Look at the tail on the last one and you have your answer. 

[Bdnoble84]

22 hours ago, J Francho said:

Great video!  I don't entirely agree that spring is the only key time.  In my experience, Great Lakes smallmouth are fat as heck almost year round, save winter when I've never fished for them or directly spawn/post-spawn (see pics below).  My PB came on a warm November day, in a deep wintering hole on Erie.  I do have some outstanding catches from pre-spawn and spawn periods, as well as dead of summer.  

 

June, directly post-spawn

 

Novemeber:

 

Early May, minutes from spawn.  Males were already making nests:

 

August (a few decades ago, lol):

 

Late May, full on spawn:

 

 

Agree with that. Ive caught/ lost some of my biggest mid-late summer

[MassBass]

On 6/8/2022 at 10:29 AM, J Francho said:

 

 

August (a few decades ago, lol):

 

This pic is classic man, the August haze, the summer doldrums, the big lake dog days. The water looks like late summer. It is the feeding season for big smallmouth. They are feeding if you can find them. This time of year I feel they tend to wander more. 

[J Francho]

20 minutes ago, MassBass said:

This pic is classic man, the August haze, the summer doldrums, the big lake dog days. The water looks like late summer. It is the feeding season for big smallmouth. They are feeding if you can find them. This time of year I feel they tend to wander more. 

This is pre-goby era on Lake Ontario.  You could literally go out in 15-20 FOW, drop a tube over the side and get bit.  If they were smaller, move to find the bigger fish.  Now they scattered over much greater depths, picking off gobies at will.  I don't bother with those fish, I hunt for schools of alewife.  Find those, and find the big smallies.

[Dwight Hottle]

27 minutes ago, J Francho said:

I don't bother with those fish, I hunt for schools of alewife.  Find those, and find the big smallies.

 

And that sir is the reason jerk baits are so effective for big smallies. When they are feeding up jerk baits rule.

 

[J Francho]

28 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

 

And that sir is the reason jerk baits are so effective for big smallies. When they are feeding up jerk baits rule.

 

As long as they're somewhat shallow-ish.  Sometimes it's August, and I'm looking for bait carpeting the bottom foot or so in 35-40'.  In that case, a Hopkins jigging spoon or drop shot is what I go to.  I think this may be a difference between Erie and Ontario.  I do have EXCELLENT results jerkbaiting in early spring on certain Finger Lakes.

[Darth-Baiter]

I'm gonna need one of you to help me get on one of your local giant smallies one day.  those things look fantastic.  

[IcatchDinks]

This thread is not good for me. Jealousy has turned me pea green with envy.

 

I would love to get out on the great lakes someday. But without a boat and living almost in the dead center of Michigan, that makes it kinda hard. So I fish my local rivers (mostly the Chippewa) for smallies. My PB is the 2lber in my profile pic. 

 

I caught him in early September last year.

[IcatchDinks]

2 hours ago, IcatchDinks said:

 My PB is the 2lber in my profile pic. 

I just realized I uploaded the wrong photo. That one was later in September. Weighed closer to 1.5 lbs. 

[A-Jay]

April & May and August & September have given up the largest Brown Bass for me. 

The inland lakes of northern lower Michigan are mostly fairly fertile.

Some with goby, some without.

Here's a few ~

Fish Hard

A-Jay

[roadwarrior]

 

 

                               

[Steve Goldy]

On 6/10/2022 at 10:18 AM, IcatchDinks said:

This thread is not good for me. Jealousy has turned me pea green with envy.

 

I hear that, brother!?