Fall Smallmouth on Chequamegon Bay

Warning! If you are prone to lightheadedness, extreme excitement or nervous palpitations when having 20″ plus Smallies on your line… Do NOT fish Chequamegon Bay in October!
My friend Dave Lambrix and I planned on coming back to this Lake Superior mecca after a great trip last June. Watching the IDO video with James and my good friend and Cheq Bay Guide Chris Beeksma…I couldn’t wait! A quick 3 hr drive from my home and we were in the water Wed by 10:45 AM.
Chris was tied up so he gave us a few spots to try in the Ashland Harbor and in short order this 20 5/8″ Tank smashed my 1 oz spinnerbait in 12 fow… I was “slow rolling” the lure to keep it close to the bottom…even the stout St. Croix 7′ MH Sweeper rod, I had a heck of a battle with this girl! This one I guessed at the 6lb range.

Shortly after Dave connected with a gorgeous fish that gave him all the fight he wanted on his 7 MF Mojo Spin rod.
Dave was using a weedless jig tipped with an Erie Darter 4″ ribbed plastic. That bait was pretty impressive throughout our trip.
Just before we arrived there were high winds and the water clarity was poor. Chris recommended brite colors for our offerings.
The weather was not the best for fishing either… bluebird skies and afternoon air temps close to 80 made us work for our fish and seek deeper water than normal for October.
We ended Wed on a high note with a good number of bass, five between 18.5″ and 20 5/8″…most of mine on spinnerbaits…Daves mostly on Erie Darters.

We went out with Chris Thursday afternoon and had a BALL! Mr. Beeksma has spent much of his life on the Bay and is THE MAN to book with to learn this fabulous fishery. He is also a fun guy in the boat and a patient teacher on presentations and electronics.
The rising water temps were pushing the baitfish and Smallies back into the main body of the Bay so we followed, fishing deeper contour breaks…either with football jigs/craws or his signature 1 to 2 oz mongo spinnerbaits (not easy to find). Dave caught this exceptionally heavy 19″ Bass on a jig…We put her on the new Rapala digital scale for a 5lb 04oz weight… WOW!

I do have a good news/bad news story…
I landed an exceptionally heavy bass…just short of 21 inches on a big white spinnerbait. I wish I could have weighed her, but it was just before we headed out with Chris and my scale had broken a couple weeks ago…I am guessitmating upper 6lb class..who knows?
Bad News… I had a TRUCK smash a DT6 crankbait while slipping of a drop off with Chris… I have not had a bass pull that hard in my life! 7’8″ MH St. Croix Big Crankbait rod and 14# fluoro line… just absolutely ripped powerful headshakes and bulldog runs against the drag! Just as Chris grabs the net and Dave the camera…the line goes slack and the bass shakes off… I coulda died…
If that don’t bring a guy back…Nothing will!

In Summary…
Dave used St. Croix 6’8 to 7′ MF/MXF spin rods
I used 7’to 7’4 MXF and MHF and crankbait casting rods
Spin reels with 15-20# braided line
Casting reels with 20-30# braid and 10-14# fluoro

1/4-1/2 oz jigs/plastics(darters, craws, senkos) natural color
Brite colored 1/2 to 1 oz spinnerbaits
Brite colored Rapala DT cranks… DT6 to DT16s
This bite is late this year and has not peaked…GET OUT THERE!

GetBit Guide service… Chris Beeksma
http://getbitguideservice.com/ phone 715-292-4410
for more info on Cheq Bay