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Deep water smallies
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2003 12:04 pm
by Gardenfly
I was looking for advice on fishing smallies in deep water on lakes. The lake iam fishing has a good population of both smallies and largies but the largemouths tend to run alot smaller.I think to win the tournament we are in this weekend its going to take a bag of big smallies to win. Anybody have any advise or lure selctions they use for deep water smallies?
Deep water smallies
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2003 1:36 pm
by Dennis Bligh Jr
Chrome crankbaits that dive 6-8 feet. Is that how deep your talking about, or deeper. Chrome crankbaits are my go-to bait in deeper water for smallies,aaaaaah baby!
If you need to go deeper try a jig and pig. Try to match the hatch the best you can. If the main food is craw, go with brown, if its shad, try white, or white with silver fleck. Good Luck buddy
Deep water smallies
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2003 3:02 pm
by brendanc
Gardenfly,
What body of water are you fishing for this tournament? It may help the guys give you information specific to the body of water you are going to.
BC
Deep water smallies
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2003 3:15 pm
by Gardenfly
The body of water Iam fishing is Mecosta lake in michigan. Its your typical clear water lake. Gravel bottom. There isnt alot of weeds and the weeds that are present are deep. Its a lake that is shallow for a long ways and drops off deep. There are a few sunken islands were I have had most of my luck but I cant seem to get into the smallies in those areas. My presentation Iam thinking of useing this weekend was 6# flourcarbon line with a yamamto grub on a 1/4 jig.
Deep water smallies
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2003 3:55 pm
by brendanc
GF,
One of the best lures for clear water smallies is a 3 1/2" tube rigged on a ball head jig. I personally like a dark green in clear water, or a "sandy" color. I use 8lb low-vis green Berkley XT and the fish don't seem to be line shy with this combo. If there is no wind then I might go down to 6lb. I will have two rods rigged with tubes (1 with 8lb, 1 with 6lb) so I can just pick the other up when conditions change.
I would spend some time working the edges of that deep weed you are talking about. Find the weed that is broken up a bit, but still near the heavy stuff. Check bottom composition with your electronics and look for a secondary drop-off that comes close the weed bed.
If you can find rock mixed in with that sparse weed, near a drop-off and their is bait around... you've got everything that those big smallies want... and they will be all over that tube...
Smallies school up good in weed, so when you connect with your first fish, drop a buoy marker and start circling the area where you caught that first fish. Just keep making the circle bigger until you connect with another fish and find the sweet spot in the weed bed. The marker will give you some point of reference and you can repeat this process if you have enough markers on the boat. You can actually see what direction the school is moving in if you remember to drop a marker when you catch a fish away from the previous marker you dropped.
Let us know how you make out and good luck.
Brendan
Deep water smallies
Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 3:50 am
by johnnie crain outdoors
Gardenfly, the guys have given some top notch advice as always. You might try a 1/4 ounce hair jig, bucktail or bear or whatever with a pork strip-2/3 inch. Maybe brown jig with black strip. Tubes are very good too. A little known bait that might win for you is the Little George tailspinner, these are great smallie baits in deep, clear water. Pump it off the bottom and let fall, strikes will come on the fall. Free-swimming a 1/2 ounce in-line spinner might get the job done, try to keep it about one foot off the bottom, I suggest plain hook, no dressing or tail.Good luck and keep us posted, we wait with "baited" breath. I don't know what that means, but I've heard it. Johnnie
Deep water smallies
Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2003 11:42 am
by Gardenfly
Thanks for the tips guys. I just found this message board about 2 weeks ago and I see its going to be a great asset to my fishing arsinal. Thanks again.
Mike