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QueticoMike
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12/28/2016 12:59PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
During the 2016 fishing season for smallmouth bass in Quetico and the Boundary Waters I have found they keyed on three main type of lures during three main phases of the warm water seasons, early spring, summer and late summer.

Early Spring

For most of the year the Stike King Zulu (Zman StreakZ ) is my main lure for smallmouth in the Quetico. They are also commonly known as “Z Too” lures, which means they are Zulus with a split tail. Zman ShadZ are also the split tailed version. This lure is constructed out of a very durable soft plastic, called elaztech. I have caught upwards of 50 smallmouth with one lure. This year I tried a new lure called a Zman RaZor and rigged it like I rig a Zulu with a size 3 or 4 SPRO ball bearing swivel, about 10 inches of mono line leader and a thin wire, 1/0 Gamakatsu worm hook. This lure could be worked extremely slow which worked out better in the colder waters this early spring.

The best time to institute the use of this lure is when the water warms enough to initiate the movement of smallmouth up from their winter depths and into the pre-spawn stage. Once smallmouth mount an assault on this lure they will continue to do so until they move back into their deeper haunts later in the year.

This Zman ShadZ and RaZors fished with a sub-surface presentation have produced more quality and quantity bronzebacks than any other lure I have ever used. The lure is presented to the fish using a “walk the dog” method. Slow methodical twitches and pauses will cause smallmouth to strike this soft plastic jerk bait with reckless regard. Basically the lure appears to be a dying, fluttering bait fish. By rigging this lure weed-less you will never have to worry about being snagged. Since there is only a single hook with this rig, you don’t have to be nervous about “lipping” these fish out of the water when landing them.

The Zulu or Z Too has also produced its share of walleye and northern pike. I have caught my walleye limit with this lure on more than one occasion and landed pike over 40 inches. If you would like more detailed information concerning this lure and presentation, consult my article from the Spring ‘08 BWJ entitled Zulu Magic. Or if you like to read more about this presentation send me an email at - queticomike@yahoo.com

Summer

When the waters heat up and the smallmouth become more aggressive it is time to move towards a top-water lure approach.

Fishermen need to determine where the bass are located during the summer months. Bass will be found where the forage is located. Smallmouths like to ambush their prey, so fishermen must look for well established ambush points. Weed beds are the first place to inspect. In the early months of summer they are not fully grown and late in the year they can be very thick. Early in the season fish over top of them, late in the season work the edges and pockets in the middle. Smaller fish and baitfish try to use weeds as some type of protection and the bass wait on the edges or in the pockets to ambush them. Moving water is always another important location to concentrate on. Fish above waterfalls, fish at the bottom of the falls and fish any river or creek deep enough to hold fish. Fish the inlets and outlets of these rivers and creeks as well. While working shorelines, search out large boulders that could be holding some fish tight. A non-typical structure is a pod of bait fish randomly moving in the lake. They can be found by actually seeing them pushed to the surface by fish and by gulls feeding on the baitfish missed by the smallmouth. Big, clear lakes have bigger fish and they will follow suspending forage. Look for humps and reefs in basin areas. If you don’t have depth finder, you can randomly use jig baits while drifting to find different levels of depth. Fish all around the outside of these mid lake humps. Smallmouth do not sit still, they tend to move in and out of areas. Wind blown shores and points can stack up baitfish and crawdads attracting predators to their haunts. Shade is another location that can be overlooked during a sunny mid day outing. Shade from the woods, a downed tree or a backside of a boulder is always a good place to search during this time. There could be several fish sitting under one tree.

Once you determine when to fish, factoring in the conditions, the forage and the location, you now need to select the correct lure and presentation to produce some quality top-water smallmouth action. Smallmouth top-water lures come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. The following lures have been the most productive for the summertime period.

Poppers and Chuggers
Popping and chugging type lures are best to use when the smallmouth are neutral to positive. When you first cast these types of lures let them sit on the surface for a period of time before you move them. Typically wait until the rings on the lake surface are no longer seen. Occasionally smallmouth will slam a lure before you ever move it. The presentation is to twitch and pop the lure a couple of times followed by a pause. Most of the strikes will come on the pause. Start off with a quicker retrieve and then slow it down if not productive. The smallmouth will tell you how they prefer it. Once this is determined, stay with the same cadence. Try to make the lure look as realistic as possible. On sunny, calm days go with the natural colors. If the smallmouth are targeting baitfish use a shad or perch color. During the mayfly hatch I will downsize to a smaller 2 inch lure in the shad color. In the back of a weedy cove I might consider a bullfrog color. If the conditions are cloudy and\or windy, you might want to consider more solid colors such as chartreuse, black or white. In the middle of the day you should consider throwing a smaller popper in the 2 inch version when they are not as aggressive. The poppers used most during the summer are the Rebel Super Pop-Rs and the Rapala Skitter Pops in the 2 ¾” size. These lures also work well in current as you can practically just pop them in the same place if casting downstream and bringing it back upstream. If there are fish in the area it will drive them to hit it. Any type of popper you use in the Boundary Waters should have a feathered back hook which dangles just under the surface and tantalizes the smallmouth into striking. When I fish at night I use a Heddon Lucky 13 in the bullfrog color. This is a big chugging type lure which produces a good amount of noise when popped and helps the bass home in it. I change the hooks out on this lure to sharper, light wire trebles. If in Quetico, switch them out for a quality barb-less hook due to the regulations. This is also a good lure to use when going after big smallmouth or pike during the day in any of the conditions. I use a braided line to increase the pop. Mono has too much stretch. This lure also works better than its smaller counterparts in choppier conditions or when it is raining.

Prop baits
There are several prop baits on the market, but I only use two different ones made from the same manufacture, Heddon. I always take several bullfrog colored Tiny and Mega Torpedoes to the Quetico or the Boundary Waters. I use them in all of the same areas as the popping type lures, but mostly when I am targeting smallmouth that are foraging on frogs. They do tend to work better than the poppers in the choppy\wavy conditions. Some of my biggest bass have come on the Heddon Mega Torpedo. You can work this lure the same as the popper with a couple of pops and a pause or reel it in with constant retrieve like a buzz bait. This a good lure to use when searching for smallmouth on the surface.

Late Summer

The Berkley PowerBait, pumpkin green, 4” or 4.5" flipping, hollow body tube bait is the lure to use whenever the smallmouth seem to want a slower approach and are keying in on crawdads.This lure is best used with a non-lead 1/8 oz. or ¼ oz. tube bait jighead.

The most productive areas I found over the past few years in the late summer period are areas with moving water and an abundance of crawdads. Smallmouth will still hit an occasional Zulu cast into the moving water, but most of the smallmouths in these areas are looking for crawdads and the bigger the better. You know when they say big lures catch big fish, well I am a firm believer in that statement. Don't be afraid to use a 4.5 inch flipping tube.

I fish extremely rocky areas during this time of the year so I find myself swimming the lure back on the retrieve more than jigging the lure. I pause and drop the lure on occasion, but I try not to let it hit bottom and if it does hit bottom it does not stay there long. Most of the time you will feel just a little tick at the end of you line, give it a second and then set the hook

The hop and reel technique is the most common and standard way of retrieving this lure. Cast the tube out to your specific coverage area. Let the bait fall completely to the bottom on slack line. Once it makes contact with the structure, reel up the slack in your line until it becomes tight. Now by lifting the rod or snapping the line at the tip, the jig will respond by moving inches or feet depending on the amount of lift or snap. Let it drop back down to the bottom and continue this method all the way back to the canoe. Smallmouth will either strike the bait on the fall or pick it up off the bottom while it is paused motionless. Just like when swimming the bait, you will feel a little tick on the line, pause for a second, reel up any slack and then set the hook.

Another method of fishing this lure is called dragging. This technique is just how it sounds; you drag the lure very slowly along the bottom of the lake imitating a crawfish, pausing every now and then. Smallmouth could hit aggressively at anytime so always be prepared to set the hook.

So what are your three best lures for smallmouth in early spring, summer and late summer?

 
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12/28/2016 06:32PM  
Wonderful review and great tips. I will definitely use some of these tips next August on my trip. Thanks for sharing.
 
dbpmw3
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12/28/2016 08:59PM  
Thanks for the info Mike, always appreciate learning from your experience.

The last couple of years in addition to the Zulus we have thrown ZMan plastic frogs for top water and have had a blast.

Also last fall in the Quetico I caught most of my fish on lipless crankbaits. Love the Duo Realis in bluegill color. Little expensive but I try to pick them up on sale.
 
12/28/2016 10:04PM  
Quetico Mike:

Thanks for taking the time to take us thru your top smallie presentations for the early spring, summer and late summer time periods. I am primarily a walleye hunter but the insight you have provided me on this forum has certainly made me a better smallmouth fisherman. Many thanks.

I normally go to Quetico on 10 day trips the last week of June thru the 4th of July. My #1 presentation for smallies is the "Quetico Mike" Zulu "just below the surface" method followed by a Skitter Pop for "top water" action.

My other top 2 methods I use to catch smallies during the early summer period when smallies are located primarily "near the bottom":

-Charlie Brewer 1/16 and 1/8 oz. Slider Head with a 4 inch motor oil colored worm (ala Mastertangler)

- "Wacky Rigged" 4 inch Yakamato Senko in green pumpkin or watermelon flake with a Gamakatsu 2/0 EWG (extra wide gap) hook or 2/0 Octopus or 2/0 Finesse Wide Gap hook plus a "O Ring".

I have also had some good luck at times with 1/4 oz. VMC Finesse Head Jigs or Mushroom Jigs with Big Bite 4 inch Paddletails. And a 3/8 oz. Strike King Spinnerbait in white or chartreuse ...tandem willows. But truth be told ... I use Zulus most of the time.


 
QueticoMike
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12/29/2016 08:56AM  
@ Wally13 - The 3/8 oz, double willow blade, chartreuse spinner bait is another great lure for searching smallmouth bass in the Boundary Waters. I like to use the BooYah model with the blades painted chartreuse as well. A top 5 lure for most of the smallmouth season. I live on a river and this lure works best at the beginning of spring and the end of fall.
 
Spookmeister
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12/29/2016 12:52PM  
Great article, Mike. Most of my trips have been during the late July/early August summer period. I've had better luck with walking baits than with poppers or prop baits. I fish the Super Spook jr's the same way you fish the poppers...twitch, twitch, and a long pause. Alternatively, I fish the full-size Super Spook with a fast, steady, walk-the-dog retrieve. This at times will trigger vicious surface strikes that I am guessing are strictly reaction strikes.
The only other lure I would add to your list is a blade bait (Sonic, Silver Buddy, etc.) for fishing the bottom on mid-lake humps at 15-30 feet of water. This is my number one walleye lure, but have also caught many smallies on it. I generally use either silver or gold, but I'm not sure that color makes much difference.
Thanks again for a great read. Is it spring yet?!?
 
QueticoMike
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12/30/2016 10:21AM  
The spook has great action and the smallmouth love to attack this lure. With that said I think they sometimes are trying to kill the lure rather than eat the lure. It produces a good number of strikes, but its one flaw for me is that hook up ratio is low compared to poppers and prop baits. I always seem to have caught more smallmouth on baits that are not constantly moving in an erratic manner. Maybe it is just me?
 
Savage Voyageur
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12/30/2016 11:35AM  
Good article Mike, thanks. I have to agree with Spookmiester. The Heddon Super Spook JR is one of the most underrated lure I've used. I have had days where I catch a bass on every other cast. I also work it in the walk the dog or zig zag retrieve, pausing ever few seconds. I'm not sure what makes this lure irresistible. It might just make them mad it's going by or it looks tasty.
 
Spookmeister
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12/30/2016 02:44PM  
quote QueticoMike: "The spook has great action and the smallmouth love to attack this lure. With that said I think they sometimes are trying to kill the lure rather than eat the lure. It produces a good number of strikes, but its one flaw for me is that hook up ratio is low compared to poppers and prop baits. I always seem to have caught more smallmouth on baits that are not constantly moving in an erratic manner. Maybe it is just me? "


The big Super Spook with a rapid retrieve definitely draws some missed strikes. About half the time I can draw a second strike if I switch immediately to a slow, steady walk-the-dog after the miss. I've not had much luck just leaving it sit still after a missed strike, and I think continuing a fast retrieve must move the lure out the strike zone before the bass has a chance to re-orient itself for a second attempt. But hey, even the missed strikes are good for an adrenaline rush!
 
missmolly
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12/30/2016 08:25PM  
Orange F13 Rapala with a wacky hooked Senko for a follow-up bait. If they're hitting like crazy, I'll go to a size four or three Mepps with a undressed hook and plain brass blade.
 
mastertangler
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01/02/2017 08:03AM  
Yup good stuff by the Smallie Guru.......When my trips were early July I couldn't keep the smallies off the Zulu, nice ones to.

Then I went in August and had a hard time getting a smallie over 14" in a lake where earlier in the year you could watch 20" fish cruise by. I tried everything including plenty of plastics in deep water humps and points. I left that lake and went back on Basswood and began trolling a large deep basin and started catching very nice smallies in 50ft of water which were coming up 20ft to blast my Crankbait. Go figure.........I seen them on the bottom with my depth finder and have always regretted leaving them and wished I would of used jigging spoons.

I also agree that the Spook is an awesome lure capable of bringing big fish up from deep water. But you have to really "want" to use that bad boy as it becomes work after an hour or so. I to have had lots of missed strikes on it but it is definitely a big fish lure.

Hey Wally you like the little slider heads? Ha! I also like the little motor oil worm with the orange tip. This set up, coupled with 4lb XT green line, has accounted for many big smallies and largemouths for me when all else has failed. I just wished the hook was better........this was the jig head I was using when the big smallie which broke my heart on lake Z in the BWCA mustered one last head shaking jump after laying sideways just out of reach.

I actually reached out to the Brewer company asking if I could supply the hook (Owner).......I never heard back.
 
Trouthooker
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12/02/2020 08:29PM  
I like to uses the K.I.S.S. method keep it stupid simple.

Topwaters-
Black Jitterbug
Rapala Skittle Prop :)

Jigs with Plastics
4 inch Kalins grubs or other plastics

Thats it could get them all for around 50$ and would have a blast catching fish.

A big bag of Skittles to pass time in-between each bite :)
 
Hawk777
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01/02/2021 10:14PM  
Would you consider late May/early June "Early Spring"? Or pretty much summer ? Though technically it's late spring. What bait would work best with Smallmouth?
 
passthepitonspete
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03/21/2021 11:01PM  
We've been tooling up since Christmastime on these lures! The hardest to find were the Heddon Lucky 13s - finally found 'em at Bass Pro in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

As for those various Zed-baits, I had to put in an order to Bass Pro in the You-Ess. Coming soon, can't wait for the Electric Chicken for the walleye.

We also picked up a bunch of Lunkerhunt Lures - they have some very clever-looking designs! Plus some bitchin'-lookin' propbaits from Savage Gear - big noisy monstrosities.

Can't wait to chuck them in Quetico in June. They will probably be the first lures the fish will have seen this year!

Thanks for all the tips, and the articles too, Quetico Mike!
 
QueticoMike
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03/22/2021 06:03AM  
Hawk777: "Would you consider late May/early June "Early Spring"? Or pretty much summer ? Though technically it's late spring. What bait would work best with Smallmouth?"


What I mentioned about early spring is pretty much what I would use in late May or early June. Using a slower approach in cold water is best. Try using a soft plastic jerk bait, a green pumpkin tube or slow roll a chartreuse willow blade spinner bait.
 
QueticoMike
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03/22/2021 07:15AM  
passthepitonspete: "We've been tooling up since Christmastime on these lures! The hardest to find were the Heddon Lucky 13s - finally found 'em at Bass Pro in Niagara Falls, Ontario.


As for those various Zed-baits, I had to put in an order to Bass Pro in the You-Ess. Coming soon, can't wait for the Electric Chicken for the walleye.


We also picked up a bunch of Lunkerhunt Lures - they have some very clever-looking designs! Plus some bitchin'-lookin' propbaits from Savage Gear - big noisy monstrosities.


Can't wait to chuck them in Quetico in June. They will probably be the first lures the fish will have seen this year!


Thanks for all the tips, and the articles too, Quetico Mike! "


Hey Pete, when you throw those Lucky 13s it is best to be fishing with braided line. The non-stretching line really helps to give this big lure some pop. When you use mono, the line stretches and you really have to jerk the lure hard to get a proper pop out of it.
 
passthepitonspete
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03/23/2021 12:06PM  
Yes, I am a big fan of braided line, the moss green Power Pro being my favourite.

Plus a fluorocarbon leader, joined with an Alberto knot. I can never remember how to tie the bloody knot, so I have some Youtube screenshots saved in my cell phone. Sheesh.
 
passthepitonspete
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03/24/2021 11:42AM  
Question for Mike et al,

I found an old Zara Spook down in the basement. I have not fished with it much in a long long time, here is why.

We used to have a Tracker boat where you could stand up in the bow and cast. I found when using the Zara Spook to walk the dog, I had to point the tip of the rod straight down at the water, and work the lure back to the boat that way, to get the right action.

I only fish from a canoe these days. I found the Zara Spook very difficult to operate while sitting in a canoe because my rod tip must necessarily be someplace up in the air. It seemed to be a real bastard of a chore to make the lure do the zig zags the way it's supposed to.

Or perhaps it is merely the fault of the "operateur"...

Thoughts?
 
Spookmeister
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03/24/2021 05:21PM  
passthepitonspete: "Question for Mike et al,


I found an old Zara Spook down in the basement. I have not fished with it much in a long long time, here is why.


We used to have a Tracker boat where you could stand up in the bow and cast. I found when using the Zara Spook to walk the dog, I had to point the tip of the rod straight down at the water, and work the lure back to the boat that way, to get the right action.


I only fish from a canoe these days. I found the Zara Spook very difficult to operate while sitting in a canoe because my rod tip must necessarily be someplace up in the air. It seemed to be a real bastard of a chore to make the lure do the zig zags the way it's supposed to.


Or perhaps it is merely the fault of the "operateur"...


Thoughts?"


Use the shortest rod you have. My favorite rod for fishing spooks from a canoe is an old 4' 8" MH rod. You give up quite a bit in casting distance and there's very little "forgiveness" when fighting a good fish, but its very easy to walk-the-dog from a seated position with the rod tip up.
 
QueticoMike
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03/25/2021 05:50AM  
passthepitonspete: "Question for Mike et al,


I found an old Zara Spook down in the basement. I have not fished with it much in a long long time, here is why.


We used to have a Tracker boat where you could stand up in the bow and cast. I found when using the Zara Spook to walk the dog, I had to point the tip of the rod straight down at the water, and work the lure back to the boat that way, to get the right action.


I only fish from a canoe these days. I found the Zara Spook very difficult to operate while sitting in a canoe because my rod tip must necessarily be someplace up in the air. It seemed to be a real bastard of a chore to make the lure do the zig zags the way it's supposed to.


Or perhaps it is merely the fault of the "operateur"...


Thoughts?"


I don't fish it with the rod up or down while in a canoe. Basically, I keep the rod right in the middle and twitch and reel sideways. Does that make sense to you?
 
passthepitonspete
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03/25/2021 03:46PM  
QueticoMike: "I don't fish it with the rod up or down while in a canoe. Basically, I keep the rod right in the middle and twitch and reel sideways. Does that make sense to you?"


Er, um ....

1) so the rod is parallel with the surface of the water, neither pointing upwards nor downwards from hand level?

2) if you are fishing out of the starboard/stern canoe seat, is the rod pointing 3 o'clock straight out?

3) which direction is the lure then?

There HAS to be a better way.

And I'm sorry, my rod is just TOOOOO long!!

[that's what SHE said.] ;)
 
QueticoMike
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03/25/2021 06:56PM  
passthepitonspete: "
QueticoMike: "I don't fish it with the rod up or down while in a canoe. Basically, I keep the rod right in the middle and twitch and reel sideways. Does that make sense to you?"




Er, um ....


1) so the rod is parallel with the surface of the water, neither pointing upwards nor downwards from hand level?


2) if you are fishing out of the starboard/stern canoe seat, is the rod pointing 3 o'clock straight out?


3) which direction is the lure then?


There HAS to be a better way.


And I'm sorry, my rod is just TOOOOO long!!


[that's what SHE said.] ;)
"


Yes, yes, and I'm not sure.......

I don't know what to tell you, but that's what I do and don't have any issues?

I'm sure you can figure it out. Buy a wake bait and you don't have to worry about twitching anything. Get a KVD wake bait, cast it as far as you can and reel it back tantalizingly slow and I promise you will get some exciting action.
 
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