Smallmouth Bonanza on Chequamegon Bay

The cool , serene morning was suddenly interupted as something tried to rip my swim jig from the end of my line…My casting rod buckled over as a big brown torpedo boiled into the air!

I just returned from 3 days on Chequamegon Bay (Lake Superior) in Ashland, WI. with fishing partner, Dr. David Lambrix. This weird spring weather gave us a mix of post spawn bass and some late spawn activity. Chequamegon Bay is one of the top Smallmouth Fisheries in the nation and it showed its colors this trip with an incredible average size of almost 19” for about 80 bass netted.

It didn’t take Dave long to join the action with a beautiful Lake Superior Smallie 19.5" long…Dave did very well fishing Senko worms and flukes…We dodged T storms all week and ended up with some good fishing weather. The calm mornings gave us some topwater frenzy until the sun hit the water…Rapala MaxRap Pop, Heddon Baby Torpedo and

the Chug Bug.

During Later morning until mid day…the fish would move out along deeper flats. We changed to drifting 3-6 fow, finding flats that had wood, rock, weeds or gravel… best lures per success rating…

(1) Senko worm rigged wacky style (Yamamoto or Trigger X)

(2) Swim jigs…(Terminator or Brovarney) with a Trigger X curly tail grub

(3) Spinner Baits…white or chart white with gold willow blades… I used 1/2 oz Terminators and Stanleys

Late afternoon…I tried Jerk baits quite a bit but they just weren’t working this trip. Tuesday the wind picked up and I threw Rapala DT 4s and 6s in Citrus Green with some bone jarring strikes. I believe the biggest bass of the trip I lost on a DT 6 Iaconelli Blue Back Herring. She did a somersault about 30′ from the boat and both Dave and I gasped at her size… we both figured 6 lbs+

the new Lew’s Reels and Dobyns Rods I fished for the first time were AWESOME! I also have to rate the new Sufix Flouro much improved over last years product. These big smallies succumbed to 8# new Sufix and Invizx flouro and 10# Siege Mono… The other fishermen I talked to were amazed that I was using such light line. But a QUALITY 8# flouro is really strong w a smaller diameter! Not to understate the smooth drags on the reels, because several of the bass tested those drags!

A word of thanks for IDOer and Premo Cheq Bay Guide Chris Beeksma for always being willing to give us a "heads up" on the fishing conditions. GetBit Guide service is the BEST way to learn to have success on this fishery. I have hired Chris on three trips the past few years and it was well worth it…