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10/20 Report
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With the increased current in the river, smallmouth fishing is excellent. On Saturday 10/20, we an incredible day on the water boating at least 30 smallmouth between 18-20 inches. Smallmouth was stacked up and aggressive. I have been using a few new techniques that have proven deadly this past week and will be discussing these new techniques over the winter months at my seminars, clinics and in Northwoods Adventures Magazine. Northwoods Adventures Magazine will now be published six times per year and I will be adding additional writers and content. This hot bite should continue through the next few weeks.
10/16 Big Smallmouth Bite/Excellent!
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Fished on 10/16 with George and Barb and we caught lots of big smallmouth. The smallmouth were relating to weeds and on the feed.
As the water temp continues to drop the action will only get better.
THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
10/16 Report - Fall Bite Continues
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10/6 Report
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Fishing remains great on the Menominee River. The rain has increased the river flow and smallmouth are starting to bunch up. Red tail chubs are producing big smallmouth but so is the Yo-zuri Pin’s Minnow. Twitching this crankbait tight to weeds has proven deadly. The finish and balanced action of the Pin’s Minnow is driving big smallmouth wild.
9/30 Great Fishing Continues
  
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Fishing on the Menominee River remains great. The bite varies from day to day, due to the weather and wind direction. However, regardless of the conditions we are putting 19 inch plus fish in the boat every day. Most of the big smallmouth, and the occasional big pike, are taking chubs. Plastics and Yo-Zuri crankbaits are also catching nice fish.
9/21 Report
Big Smallmouth on a big time Bite!!!!!!!
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5 pound Smallmouth every day!!!
Smallmouth fishing remains excellent on the river. We continue to find big fish in non-typical areas.
Besides minnows, the Yo-Zuri Pin's Minnow has been hot. With limited current smallmouth are hitting
the Pin's Minnow with a jerk and stop retrieve.
9/20 Report
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Fished on 9/19 & 9/20 with Todd and Kay Morgan. We caught some big smallmouth.
While we are catching Big Smallmouth this fall the pattern is very different, due to low water.
9/14 Report
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Smallmouth fishing on the Menominee River remains excellent. Water temps are dropping due to a series of cold fronts. Most smallmouth are holding in deeper water but a few have been caught holding tight to shallow cover. Fished on 9/13 & 9/14 with Lyle Webb from Indianapolis and his brother Mike from Philadelphia. Even with high winds and a nasty cold front, we caught big smallmouth on plastics and chubs. The fall bite will only get better.
8/17 Summer Largemouth
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Mid to late summer is not the most popular period for many bass anglers. However, whether you choose to fish for smallmouth or largemouth, it can be a time of plenty both for big fish and action. As usual, the key is concentrating on the proper water and using the proper presentations. While my clients catch many nice bass in August, if we were to fish a different lake only a few miles down the road, the fishing would be very tough. READ ON
8/12 Fishing Report Fishing/Excellent!!!!
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8/2 Fishing Report
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So far the smallmouth action on the Menominee River has been as hot as the weather. The best part is that smallmouth continue to hit a variety of presentations. Plastics, topwater or crankbaits, pick your bait of choice! Although my expertise on fly fishing is limited, I have been putting my fly fishing clients on active fish, due to the excellent topwater bite.
The agenda has been to start out with topwater baits like the Yo-Zuri 3-D Popper. If the topwater action slows down, we switch to soft plastic jerkbaits and tubes. On occasion if the bite stops, we switch to crankbaits like the Yo-Zuri Hardcore series and look for scattered smallmouth. Except for the occasional trip with kids, I have had no need to use any live bait. The action should intensify in August, which is typically the best topwater month.
7/21 Fishing Report
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We now have a definite pattern. One angler should toss a topwater bait and the other a tube or jerkbait.
You can end up with a double on 2 different baits. Smallmouth are starting to bunch up so when you catch
a fish, slow down and work the area!
7/17 Fishing Report
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Smallmouth fishing on the Menominee River remains very good, but the bite is not easy to pattern. The last few days fishing weeds in the morning yielded nice smallmouth on the Yo-Zuri 3D Popper. The 3-D Popper will emit strike-provoking clicks and rattles at the slightest movement. Gold/Black and Tennessee Shad have been the hot colors. If you move a topwater bait to fast, you will coax a strike but not hook the fish. Always use a Senko or Fluke as a follow up bait.
 
Yo-Zuri 3D Popper Nightcrawler
As the day progresses topwater baits are still catching smallmouth but crankbaits also become effective. By mid day the best action is occurring in the rocks with nightcrawlers and tubes catching most of the fish. On some days a good topwater bite has occurred during the early afternoon period. So be prepared to use a variety of baits.
June 25 Report
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Smallmouth fishing on the Menominee River has been good, but a bit sporadic. During the past few weeks we have experienced many weather changes including a few tornados. We are catching smallmouth each day but are using a variety of presentations and a different pattern each day.
On June 21st I had an awesome topwater and crankbait bite, but the next day nightcrawlers caught the most fish. Today Senkos rigged weedless and Wacky style did the trick.
The last few days on the river we are starting to run into larger fish. Although the topwater bite is fair, give it a try each day. However, for best results rely on crankbaits and plastics.
With smallmouth now in the summer pattern fishing should be consistent!!!
On High Falls Flowage the walleye fishing has been excellent with lots of fish in the 17-21 inch range. Walleyes are hitting large jumbo leeches fished on deep structure.
June 2 Big Smallmouth Report
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Menominee River High Falls Flowage High Falls Flowage
I have been fishing both the Menominee River and High Falls Flowage this past week and the quality of the smallmouth remains excellent. We are boating 20-inch plus smallmouth on a daily basis.
On the Menominee River the post-spawn smallmouth are aggressive and are hitting Yo-Zuri crankbaits and soft plastic jerkbaits. Four-inch jerkbaits rigged wacky style have been catching the most numbers and the largest smallmouth. However, I still rely on crankbaits to locate smallmouth. Typical of post-spawn smallmouth they are scattered, so don’t expect to find a load of fish in one area. Fish weeds, rocks & wood.
On High Falls the pattern is patience. While we are catching a few smallmouth on plastics, stick with large leeches. Fish the same rocky shorelines where smallmouth spawning occurred, but work the 5-10 foot depths. Hook a large leech on a number 4 hook, with a small split shot clinched 12-16 inches up from the hook. The big smallmouth have been hitting like perch. One tip is to watch your line for any sudden movement. Smallmouth will suck in the leech and head for deep water.
Memorial Day Weekend Report
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The fishing remains excellent! Most of the smallmouth have completed spawning but, they have not fallen into the dreaded post-spawn period.
Instead, they are on the feed big time. Over the weekend we had fantastic fishing on High Falls Flowage, catching several smallmouth in the 18-20 inch class. Over on the Menominee River, the fishing is even better, with both size and numbers. The next few weeks shout be great fishing. Look for the Menominee River in particular to be producing some big smallmouth.
Post-spawn smallmouth can be scattered so use a crankbait to locate them, but make sure you cover the water effectively. If smallmouth are tight to the shorelines use a Yo-Zuri floating and sinking crystal minnow. If the bite is light, switch to a Yo-Zuri Pin's Minnow. The Pin's minnow has a smaller diameter than the crystal Minnow and has a highly reflective body that will trigger neutral smallmouth. Once you locate a few smallmouth work the area with tubes, jerkbaits or leeches. If smallmouth are holding off the shorelines try a Yo-Zuri Jerk-O, which is a suspending jerkbait.
Stop in at Hook, Line and Sinker, when in the Crivitz and pick up a few Yo-Zuri Crankbaits.
May 13th Good Fishing Continues
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YO-ZURI CRYSTAL MINNOW
Even with the brisk wind, we managed to catch some nice smallmouth today. We caught the smallmouth on soft plastic jerkbaits and Yo-Zuri Floating Crystal Minnows. Hot colors on the Crystal Minnow were orange/yellow and black silver. Work the Crystal Minnows with a twitch-stop-go mannor. The crystal Minnow will dart and dive, then float to the surface.
May 11 Good Weather/Good Fishing
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With the water temperature in the 60’s, the smallmouth action has been phenomenal on the Menominee River. Fished with my friend Roby Blust on Thursday, may 10th. Working the shorelines with senkos wacky rigged, and Yo-zuri Crystal Minnows yielded several big smallmouth. The average fish we caught went 18-20 inches. Great average size in anyone’s book!!!
The action should remain excellent through next week. I have openings on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Walleye action on High Falls Flowage has been good with leeches being the top baits. On Friday we found walleyes in 12-15 feet depths relating to rock points. We also caught a few dandy smallmouth on Friday on High Falls.
May 7 Report Prime for a BIG SMALLMOUTH
Over the weekend the water temperature dropped due to the front, and slowed down the fishing. The temp went from 60 degrees to 55 degrees. Smallmouth were holding tight on High Falls Flowage Saturday and we had to put the bait right in front of them. A white, three inch senko (jerkbait) did the trick. Most of the smallmouth we caught were males. However, with the warming weather the water temperature is again starting to rise and the big fish bite should be excellent the rest of this week. I have caught many big smallmouth on High Falls during this early season.
Over on the Menominee River the water temperature also stared to climb yesterday and those 5-6 pounders should be right where they are suppose to be. Fishing the rest of the week and through the weekend should be excellent. Now is the time for the six pounder, or maybe even a seven pounder.
 
Yo-Zuri Pin's Minnow Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow Yo-Zuri Jerk-O
My baits of choice would be a Yo-Zuri Pin's Minnow and a Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow. They come in both sinking and floating models. Cover water first with the Yo-Zuri floating crank baits. Cast tight to shoreline and let the crankbait sit for 5-10 seconds. Next make a short twitch and again let the bait sit. Repeat this presentation until you are 10-12 foot from the shoreline. Next, work the same shoreline with a sinking crankbait twitching the bait all the way back to the boat. When smallmouth are suspended off the shoreline, the new Yo-Zuri Jerk-O is deadly. I have never seen a suspending jerkbait with such an erratic action. UNBELIEVABLE ACTION!!!
 
Tube 3-4 inch Jerkbait
When you locate smallmouth, switch to a tube or jerkbait. For tubes, I stick with crayfish patterns, but white or silver/fleck works best with jerkbaits. Rig the tube weedless and the jerkbait wackey style. Don’t hesitate to bring along a few leeches if you are after a big smallmouth.
April Walleye Report 4/3/07
Although a cold front will hold the water temperature to around 40 degrees, it is still prime time to boat a big walleye on the Menominee River. Walleyes are holding just out of the main current and on the edge of shallow sloughs. Water levels are excellent for fishing. A jig and minnow is the best presentation.
Besides walleye, crappie and perch offer excellent opportunities in April. After anglers fill there one walleye bag limit, they can fish for big crappie and perch. The many sloughs off the river offer fantastic action for these big panfish.
11/26 Big Smallmouth, One More Time!
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Mark and Bob Follett joined me one more time in a hunt for Big Smallmouth.
Bob caught 2 smallmouth over 5 pounds in the cold 36 degree water.
Wish I could fish this late in the season every year.
10/18 more Big Smallmouth
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Dan Schibig traveled from St. Louis, MO. to catch this giant 21 1/2" Menominee River
smallmouth. He and his friend caught several other smallmouth over 20".
What a fantastic day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10/17 Fall Feedbag Continues!!!!!!!
Each day we continue to catch both numbers and big smallmouth.
Some smallmouth are feeding in the weeds while others are stacking
up in deep water.
10/7 Hot weather/big smallmouth
10/9 Cold weather/big smallmouth
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The weather does not seem to be an issue. On Saturday Oct 7th, I fished with
Joe and Joey Kozak and we caught several big smallmouth by fishing mid river sections.
The air temp reached 70 with a southwest wind.
On Monday Oct 9th, I fished with my brother Scott and my nephews Colin and Josh
and we boated many big smallmouth. The air temp was 49 degrees and dropping
with a brisk north wind!!!!!!
Good Musky Bite 10/8
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The Fall musky bite is also underway. Here is a photo of my brother
Scott and nephew Colin with a nice musky we caught and released from a
local flowage. With the cold front expected this week, they should be on
the feed. Use a combinbation of Crankbaits and jerkbaits.
Late Fall/Big Smallmouth
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From mid October through early November the big smallmouth will be on the feed big time.
This period is not a time to catch numbers of smallmouth, but giant fish. We have caught
smallmouth until ice up, even with water temperatures as low as 35 degrees.
The bulk of the big fish are caught in deep water, but on occasion we catch them as shallow
as 5 foot. Be prepared to fish both deep and shallow until you find them. Use a combination
of crankbaits, plastics and of course RED TAIL CHUBS.
Get on the water!!!!
9/27 More Big Smallmouth!
 
Here is Terry Haack and Don Hayes with a few of the big smallmouth we caught the last couple of days.
The big fish are starting to bunch up and we are running into them every day. Few fisheries can boast
as many quality smallmouth as the Menominee River.
9/25 Smallmouth on the Feed
 
Had a great day on the river today, fishing with Scott and Crystal Ferguson. Smallmouth were active
and we caught several nice ones. Smallmouth are starting to bunch up, but some are still scattered.
We found fish around rocks, wood and weeds. Most of the smallmouth were caught with red tail chubs but
we caught a few with soft plastic jerkbaits.
Fall Bite is On!
 
 
Big smallmouth are on the move and on the feed. Although smallmouth are scattered, the big fish are catchable, with the weeds,
rocks and wood all producing. If smallmouth are in the weeds, topwater and cranks have been hot. When they are holding in the
deep rocks, red tail chubs are the bait of choice. The action should only get better as the water temp drops.
8/19 Hot Topwater Bite continues!
 
The awesome topwater bite continues on the river. I have never seen the bite this good.
Thanks to the Yo-Zuri Live Bait Popper, myself and Jim Sydak caught fish after fish with
several doubles. The action was so good we were waiting for a fish to rise and then casting
at it. Lots of smallmouth over 18 inches. Folks, this is as good as it gets. This hot action
should only get better. NOW IS THE TIME FOR TOPWATER ACTION!!!!!
Hot Summer Action/Big Smallmouth!
Add a bit of rain in summer to low water and what happens? Big Smallmouth!
Most of the big smallmouth have been holding in deeper water due to the low water levels. However, yesterday
we had some late afternoon and evening storms. Although the storms did not raise the water level, they did drop enough water
to increase the current. This increased current was enough to put the big smallmouth on the move.
Plastics were the ticket on these big fish.
Who says you can't catch fish after a storm.
7/19 Report
  
The excellent topwater bite continues on the river, as the Vollmers' from O'Fallow Illinois found out.
They love to fish topwater, and thesmallmouth cooperated. We are fishing weeds early in the day and
switched over to current and rock later in the day. Use a slow Pop & Pause.
A fast continues action has been seeing few strikes, since the smallmouth are sucking it in on the pause.
Summer on the River
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The topwater bit this summer remains excellent. We are catching fish on top regardless of the weather. On windy days we even managed to get out of the wind and find active smallmouth. The interesting aspect is that we are catching fish in weeds, wood and rocks, regardless of the time of day. Typically weeds are most productive early and late in the day and the rocks are hot during mid day.
One drawback to fishing topwater is that after you catch a few fish, you tend to fish it the rest of the day. While you may continue to catch a few fish on top, on some days by changing your presentation, you may catch more and bigger fish. When I am guiding, the angler in the front of the boat will use topwater and the one in the back will use either a crankbait of soft plastic jerkbait.
7/5 Topwater Bite Continues
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Even a passing cold front could not put a damper on the awesome topwater bite.
Today crankbaits and plastics caught nice smallmouth but topwater produced the most
and biggest fish. We caught smallmouth in the weeds, around rocks and tight to wood cover.
The Yo-Zurri Live Bait Popper and the Crystal ZZ Popp, both caught dandy smallmouth.
I have fished smallmouth for well over 30 years and have never seen topwater baits produce
like the Live Bait Popper and the ZZ Popp. The Live Bait Popper is soft and has a loud
popping/gurgling sound. The distinct color patterns make this a very deadly bait.
The wide scooped mouth of the ZZ Popp has awesome action, even with the slightest twitch.
6/18 Hot Topwater Bite
Although smallmouth were feeding on crayfish, the hot humid weather was ideal for topwater fishing on the river.
We caught lots of dandy smallmouth with several going over 4 pounds. Most of the fish were tight to the shoreline,
we also caught several tight to wood. After a cold front you can expect the topwater bait to ease but after a few
days of warming weather the bite will continue.
6/17 High Falls Flowage Report
Mary McCarthy High Falls Smallmouth
Fishing on High Falls Flowage remains good. The lack of weeds on the flowage makes for easy access to the fish. Smallmouth bass and largemouth bass are holding in 3-5 foot of water and are hitting leeches, soft plastic jerkbaits and Yo-Zuri Twitchin Minnows & Live Bait Cranks. The Yo-Zuri Twitchin Minnow has really been the hot bait on the flowage, although leeches are always tough to beat. Hot bass action this past week was reported in the river, right in front of Peshtigo River Rentals.
Yo-Zuri Live bait series crankbaits are now available at Hook, Line & Sinker in Crivitz
Walleye fishing has been spotty on the flowage and best results are in evening and at night. Due to the lack of weeds off shore structure is most productive.
6/14 Hot Crankbait Action
 
Yo-Zuri Live Bait Crankbaits continue to catch loads of smallmouth on the river. We were
catching smallmouth and pike on the cranks and following up with a soft plastic jerkbait "Wacky Rigged"
This one-two punch had been deadly. Here are a few smallmouth my brother Scott and I caught while filming for my
TV Show.
6/7 Menominee River/Mixed Bag
 
Jake & Mark Fincato traveled from Ohio to fish with me on the Menomine River. Today
we fished with soft plastic jerkbaits and Yo-Zuri Crankbaits and caught lots of big fish. Where else but
but the Menominee can you catch big smallmouth and largemouth on the same day. We also caught several
northern pike. The great fishing continues!!!!!!!!!!!
High Falls Flowage Smallmouth
 
People have been asking how the fishing has been on High Falls Flowage. Well!!!
The smallmouth fishing is the best I have seen in years. Lots of fish and plenty of 18-20 inchers.
Due to the winter drawdown weedgrowth is minimal and smallmouth are feeding on the rocks.
Smallmouth are hitting leeches, soft plastic jerkbaits and Yo-Zuri crankbaits.
Walleye fishing has also been good. Catching walleyes in 18-25 foot of water on leeches.
5/22 More Big Smallmouth
 
Brian Keller with a 6# & 5# smallmouth
5/21 Big Pre-Spawn Smallmouth
 
Mark Follett Brett Follett
After a series of cold fronts and cold rain, the water temperature finally began to stabilize.
Smallmouth remain in the pre spawn stage and holding tight to cover. A combination of tubes and leeches did the trick today.
This weeks warming temps should turn the fish.
4/29/06 Smallmouth on the Move!!!!!!!!
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Mark Whitt with a few pre spawn smallmouth, caught while walleye fishing on the river.
2005
Fall Feedbag Continues
 
October or 2005 continues to be fantastic as we continue to catch giant
on a daily basis
10/10 Report
 
Smallmouth are in a definite fall pattern. The secret to success this fall is to fish both the shallow and deep water. Start out fishing shallow
weeds and even after you catch fish, move to slightly deeper water. Many of the largest fish have been caught in deep holes near weeds.
9/30-10/2 Cold front-----Warm Spell
Myself & Aaron Mullins while filming a segment on my TV Show
 
The three photos show how weather effects smallmouth. The top photo was taken after one inch of cold rain and a cold front. The water temp dropped 5-6 degrees and the smallmouth were stacked up like cord wood. They were aggressive and hit hard. On that day we caught about 10 smallmouth in the five pound class. 10 smallmouth and over fifty pounds. These are incredible numbers anywhere.
The bottom two photos are 2 smallmouth in the five pound class. These fish were scatted and we only found one big fish in an area. Finesse presentations were in order to catch both these fish. These fish were caught under warming conditions and rising water temperatures. Warm conditions mean a slow bite in the fall.
9/27 Adapt to the Current
 
Even though smallmouth are in the fall pattern it is a different pattern than most years. Due to the low water levels and lack of current, smallmouth are holding deeper than normal. Today we fished the edge of a slough but caught no fish in shallow water. Smallmouth were holding on the deep edge of the breakline in the current. A soft plastic jerkbait or tube can be effective but the hands down favorite bait for big smallmouth is a red tail chub. Whether you are fishing a chub on a Tin Man Jig, or a plain hook, use the lightest possible weight.
Smallmouth are feeding but the bite is light. This is again due to the lack of current. The slower the current the slower the bite. It may take more patience this fall to catch that trophy smallmouth.
9/24 Hot Bite continues!!!!
Judy Berghoefer
The action continues to be consistent on the river. On Saturday I fished with Dan and Judy Berghoefer. We caught lots of smallmouth as they continue to be on the move and active. Red tail chubs fished on a plain hook with a split shot did the trick. We found a variety of different sized fish all holding together. We would catch a 12 incher on one cast and an 18 incher on the next. Lots of fun!!!!
9/23 The Fall Bite Begins!!!!
 
The thermometer hovered just above freezing as I left home this morning. I have been waiting for this and so have the smallmouth. Finally the fall pattern!!!!!.
Big smallmouth were on the move and on the feed. Today we caught several nice smallmouth on red tail chubs and only fished a few places. We missed lots of fish and the locator was lighting up constantly. The water temp is now in the mid sixties and should continue to drop. This is the start of what I believe should be an excellent fall.
The fall bite is on!
9/20 Portage Lake Variety
  
Gary Price--Smallmouth Mark Whitt--Walleye Paul Shingledecker Northern Pike
I just returned from a few days of fishing and filming on Portage Lake in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I was joined by my good friends Mark Whitt and Gary Price from Sylvan Boats. We stayed at Ridge View Resort and owner Paul Shingledecker was a great host.
Due to the unusually warm water temperature fish were not in the typical fall pattern. The key to finding fish was fishing all types of cover. We found smallmouth in both weeds and on rocks with tubes being the hot bait. Pike were hitting spinnerbaits in the weeds and walleyes were hitting plastics in the wood. Portage Lake has a diverse fishery and anglers are able to establish some sort of pattern. I can’t wait to return next spring. www.ridgeviewresort-up.com
9/7 Early Fall Topwater Action!!!!
 
The early fall period can be excellent for topwater smallmouth. With the water temperature in the 60-68 degree range smallmouth are very active. A slight drop in the water temp will cause a feeding frenzy. Today, September 7 we caught a few smallmouth with soft plastic jerkbaits but once we switched to topwater baits the action was fast.
Both popping baits and prop baits are good in the early fall and on most days it won’t make a difference. On some days you might find one type of bait more productive. Try different retrieves throughout the day. One fish my hit a fast retrieve while another will hit a slow retrieve. By trying a different retrieve you will catch more smallmouth.
Don’t get in the rut of only fishing one type of structure. Fish weeds, wood, and rocks since they all will hold fish in the early fall. Many anglers find a few smallmouth in the weeds and spend the rest of the day fishing weeds. This will cut down on the numbers of active fish you will find.
Also when fishing topwater baits for smallmouth be observant. Baitfish will start to school in the early fall and smallmouth will not be far behind. If you notice surfacing baitfish, get over to the area and make a cast ASAP.
THE EARLY FFALL TOPWATER BITE CAN BE EXCITING AND LOTS OF FUN !!!!
8/3 Fishing Report
  
Fishing has been excellent on the river the past 3 days. I have been fishing with John and Jo Fincato who traveled from Ohio to catch some big smallmouth. While we did catch a few bass on a variety of baits nightcrawlers have been hot. On several occasions we caught bass as soon as the crawlers hit the water. The best action occurred during the warmest part of the day. When smallmouth are feeding on crayfish it is hard to beat a nightcrawler. This great action can only continue through August. Find rocks, and current near deep water and you will find lots of big smallmouth.
August is Prime on the River
 
The late summer period is a time of plenty for many bass fishermen but it can also be the “Dog Days of Summer” for others. For me personally it is one of the most consistent periods in which to catch fish. As usual where we fish is the deciding factor and it is tough to beat a river in late summer.
While the numbers of smallmouth in rivers may be high anglers still need to concentrate on location. If you are targeting numbers and big fish you will need to fish specific areas in the river. The amount of current flowing through the river will also play an important role in determining where you choose to fish. One stretch of river can be hot for a while and cool down as the conditions change.
A river like the Menominee has rock shelves that can be a small as fifty yards or as long as a half mile. These rock areas will average 3 to 6 feet in depth. On the upstream and downstream from the rock shelves will be deep water which can range from 8 to 20 feet. There are lots of these areas throughout the river and they all hold good numbers of smallmouth.
Under normal summer conditions most smallmouth action will occur right in the middle of the river. Anglers who target the shorelines will catch smallmouth but in lesser numbers. While fishing the mid river areas we will watch shoreline anglers drifting by not aware what they are missing. The mid river rocks are home to millions of crayfish which are the preferred forage of smallmouth and an occasional walleye. Once you locate rocks anchor on the upstream end of the rocks and keep sliding downstream until you locate fish. On some days you will need to move often while on other days you can fish in one or two places and catch smallmouth throughout the day.
Crankbaits are the most effective bait when searching for active smallmouth. With crayfish being the preferred forage crayfish imitation baits are tops. It is important to use a crankbait that bumps the bottom. If the crankbait doesn’t make contact with the bottom you won’t catch big smallmouth. The shallow running baits will get quick strikes from 12 to 16 inch fish. The big bruisers will hold tight to the bottom and you will need to put the bait in there strike zone.
As far as live bait goes nightcrawlers are also hard to beat. They can be rigged either on a plain hook or with a Tin Man jighead. I fish exclusively with Tin Man Jigs when jig fishing. Hold on when fishing crawlers because you will occasionally hook into a behemoth sturgeon.
If water levels rise which is common after heavy rains you will need to change your fishing accordingly. Smallmouth with either move to the deep holes or hold tight to shoreline cover. Smallmouths relating to shoreline cover are the easiest target. Under these conditions spinnerbaits or soft plastic jerk baits are the bait of choice. Both baits can be worked tight to wood cover and the shoreline. Surface baits like Pop R’s and Heddon Torpedoes can also be very effective at times. The problem with topwater fishing is that on some days it just does not work.
Boat control is important and will depend on the current and the type of boat you have. My 18’ Sylvan Avenger has proven ideal and made my job easier. Besides being stable it offers me and my clients ample room. You can either slip in the river using your electric trolling motor or anchor. On many occasions you may need to utilize both methods. I have my best success slipping downstream using my electric trolling motor to slow down my drift. Using this method I can easily target both shoreline structure and mid river rocks. The large deck on the bow of the Avenger allows for me to control the trolling motor while my client fishes. Due to the stability of the boat I am able to get in an occasional cast.
This hot smallmouth action is consistent from August through September. So there is no need to fight the boat traffic or complain about the jet skis. Let the pleasure boaters have the lakes and flowages and head for the river in August. So if you want to get into this hot summer action e-mail me at mladfish@ez-net.com or give me a call at 715-854-2055.
7/13 Hot Topwater Action
 
Robert Tomes Bob Swan
The topwater action this summer has been the best I have experienced in years. Not only is the action consistent but we are running into big smallmouth on a regular basis. Robert Tomes and Bob Swan fished with me the past few days and caught many nice smallmouth. While they were fishing with fly rods, my clients fishing with spinning and casting rods have also had great action. This explosive topwater action should continue throughout the summer and into the fall.
Topwater Tips
When fishing topwater in the river it is important to concentrate on the action of the bait and not the color. If you fail to get a strike with your favorite bait, don’t change to color but switch to a bait with a different action. One day they will crush a popping and the next day the will hit a prop bait. Also if the action slows or you see follows and no strikes vary your retrieve. While topwater fishing might not work everyday, if you are versatile you will get more strikes.
7/10 RIVER REPORT
 
Jerkbait rigged wacky style
Jack Huffman traveled north to the River from Wellston Ohio. Due to the low water smallmouth
were scattered. However, we still managed to get into some nice fish. Had some topwater action but
soft plastic jerkbaits did the trick. Even though smallmouth are feeding on crayfish they are hitting
jerkbaits. When fishing low water conditions it is important to fish the plastics slow since the smallmouth
are holding tight to cover. The slower the presentation the larger the smallmouth. The next few weeks
should be prime.
When water levels stay low river fishing is good. Navagation will be difficult but smallmouth are active.
Topwater action can be explosive as smallmouth relate to mid river structure. The best action with big fish
will occur in current and near deep water.
Take a Kid Fishing This Summer
 
While anytime is a good time to take a kid fishing, summer river fishing is ideal. Not only is the weather comfortable but the fish usually cooperate. Spring and fall may be a great time for catching trophy fish but the unstable weather and unpredictable fishing can make for a long day.
Summer on the river is a time for action. Kids do not need to catch huge fish to have a good day on the water. As long as they get into some fish they are happy and will get hooked on fishing. Along with the smallmouth, panfish will also cooperate.
The secret to getting kids hooked on fishing is to make things as simple as possible. Many people make fishing to complicated and kids can easily become frustrated. Over the years the easiest way to catch river smallmouth is fishing with a nightcrawler on a plain hook. Use a number 4 Octopus Hook tied directly to the line with no swivels or excess hardware. Add a small split shot clinched about a foot up from the hook. Hook on a crawler and cast it out and let it drift on the bottom. Smallmouth are feeding heavily on crayfish in summer and a nightcrawler which resembles a crayfish is irresistible.
Any mid river rock structure located near deep pools will be a magnet for both crayfish and smallmouth. Anchor the boat on the rocks up stream from the deep water. Most of the aggressive bass will hold on this edge. If you don’t get into any action pick up anchor and move. Keep moving until you find the active bass. If you spend too much time in an area and don’t catch fish, kids will quickly get bored. A short boat ride will revive there enthusiasm.
So head out on the river and bring plenty of nightcrawlers and get the kids hooked on fishing. I have boxes full of tackle and often a nightcrawler on a hook will catch the most fish.
6/29 River Report Smallmouth Action
Smallmouth Bass are active on the Menominee River even with the low water levels. With the low water you can forget about fishing shoreline cover and fish the mid river rock structure. The best action is mid morning through early afternoon. Most of the fish are hitting soft plastic jerkbaits and crawlers with some good topwater action. This hot action should continue through July.
Portage Lake Adventure June 20th---23rd
This was my first trip to Portage Lake on the Keweenaw Peninsula in the U.P.
The smallmouth fishing was excellent and we shot plenty of footage for “Fishing with Northwood’s Guide” TV Show. We stayed at Ridge View Resort and Paul Shingledecker was a great host. Brian Whitens (my Camera Man and Video Expert) and I were joined by Mark Whitt and Gary Price from Sylvan Boats along with my good friend Jack Mudgett from Action Marine.
We had little trouble finding active smallmouth along the rocky shorelines. The water temperature was in the low 70’s and due to the post spawn most of the fish we caught were males in the 2- 3 ½ pound range. They were hitting tubes and topwater baits. The best topwater bite occurred in the evening but we did have some topwater action during the day. Other anglers saying at Ridge View Resort had good success with northern pike. Along with the great fishing we had lots of fun.
This is one awesome smallmouth fishery and we plan to return this fall to hunt for both big smallmouth and trophy pike. www.ridgeviewresort-up.com
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