Heading to Malberg and Adams June 8th-9th. Exiting via Phoebe, Beth..

I have done a little largemouth fishing in ponds in Washington but am a rookie as far as BW smallmouth goes. Since I have never fished walleye I figure targeting smallmouth is wiser choice.

My research suggests Malberg and Adams are promising but they both have lots of arms/bays. Any tips on which areas to focus my effort would be greatly appreciated.

If you have any input on fishing on the Hazel, Phoebe, Grace, Beth route that would be a bonus.

Thanks in advance for any guidance you can offer.

I've done much better on Adams on the main body of the lake, around the islands, than in the back bays.

Thanks Stumpy

We’ll be in the same area around the same time. First time to the area, so I can’t offer any specifics there.

Generally, smallmouth are way easier to target. Fish top waters in the evening. I like poppers mostly, but torpedoes, frogs, etc also work well. Smallmouth will also hit soft plastics and hardbaits as well, so throw whatever you like. My favorite way to fish for smallmouth up there is Quetico Mike’s Zulu technique. Look it up on this site if you haven’t heard of it.

For walleye, try trolling lures that dive about 7-10 feet deep. Shad Rap 7 or 8 and similar style baits work well amongst others. Focus on pinches/saddles between points or islands and troll about half the speed you normally paddle. People like different colors - gold/black, chrome/blue, firetiger are all popular.