You don’t need training as a weatherman to recognize that an intense golden sun suspended in a field of deep blue translates into a dry day without a hint of humidity.  Not the type of summer day that most bass anglers would choose to go smallmouth fishing on a clear-water lake. 

But that is exactly the type of weather that confronted another outdoor scribe and myself during a morning of trolling the deeper waters of Oneida Lake in western New York with a professional walleye fisherman.  The sun was directly overhead when we moved into a bay near the ramp to finish interviews.   

While the other writer wrapped up his work with the guide, I stared into the transparent water, letting my eyes wander across the extensive shallow sand and cobble flat.  Intermittent patches of dark moss-like grass broke up the light-colored bottom.   

I watched as a dark glob broke off from a larger patch, and began moving across the sand.  Odd, I thought.  The first glob was followed by a second, then another, and another.  Suddenly my mind realized I was observing a pack of smallmouth bass! 

My heart began pounding!  I looked about the bow of the boat for something to throw to the fish but all the rods were rigged for trolling.  I spied a spinning rod in the rack with a stickbait tied on.   

The fish were lazily swimming away from our position at a slight angle, so I made a long (and not very accurate) cast to intercept the bass pack – which numbered more than a dozen fish.  The lure splashed down hard.  I feared the splash had spooked the smallies – until I saw at least four bass race towards the plug.  They stopped about three feet short.  

I gave the jerkbait one good rip and all heck broke loose.  The first bass to reach it blew the lure out of the water, but another fish grabbed the bait as it touched down.  The line went tight and I set the hook.  

The hooked bass was in and out of the water several times, while other smallies attempted to take the bait away.  As I worked the bass closer to the boat, the entire school followed. 

“Get a rod! Hand me a net! Do something!” I shouted.   

My boat partners thought I had gone mad –until they looked down and saw the fish advancing.  Then they scrambled for rods, leaving me to unfurl the long-handled net and scoop the nearly 3-pound smallie over the high gunwale of the walleye boat. 

The drifting boat continued an aimless course over the flat.  Mayhem broke out as additional wolf packs of 2 to 3-pound smallmouth bass were observed moving about. Casts zinged in every direction with bass exploding on lures like artillery shells falling on a battlefield. 

The other writer in the boat muttered, “Smallmouth this shallow in the middle of a sunny summer day – it’s not natural.”   

Was this a fluke or an anticipated occurrence?  That is the question I later put to two professional bass anglers from northern states. 

The Why Factor 

“Clear water forces smallmouth deep in the summer – that is a myth!” states Frank Scalish, a BASS Pro from Ohio.  

“When I began expanding my fishing to other waters in order to prepare for the national tournament trail several years back, one of the things that struck me was how northern natural ‘grass’ lakes with a smallmouth population get this incredible shallow-water bite in the summer,” continues Scalish.  “That’s not something I was accustomed to on dirty-water Ohio impoudments and southern reservoirs.”   

Pro angler Jordan Paullo of Connecticut, who coincidentally finished near the top at the 2003 CITGO Bassmaster Open on Oneida Lake by focusing on shallow flats, expresses a similar view.  “I have always been fascinated at the number of smallmouth bass that are found in five feet or less in clear water natural lakes.  Not only schools of 2 to 3 pounders, but the larger loner fish as well.”   

Known for deepwater summertime haunts, why are these brown bass cruising the shallows?  Paullo and Scalish answer in one word – “Prey.” 

“These smallies are not feeding on pelagic baitfish, such as shad that roam the open water depths on southern reservoirs,” explains Scalish.  “Instead, they are on the hunt for shoreline bait like spottail and fathead minnows, and small yellow perch.” 

“Perch and crayfish,” adds Paullo.  “These natural lake smallmouth love to eat yellow perch the size of an average threadfin shad or a little larger.” 

While clear-water natural lakes exist throughout the country, the greatest concentration is within a wide belt extending through the New England States, Great Lake states and into Minnesota.  Most northern natural lakes support a big population of yellow perch.  Like most fish, perch school by year class and the smaller ones roam the shallow flats that feature a mixture of sand, rock and weed.

The Where Factor 

“For me, finding the perfect balance of weed and rock in shallow water is key,” explains Paullo who hails from the hard rock New England states.  “What I mean by the perfect combination is an area that is primarily a shale type bottom with scattered boulders that transitions into broken cobble or fine gravel, thereby allowing patches of weeds grow.   

“The better weeds are milfoil, coontail or cabbage.  The vegetation needs to have openings – it can’t be too thick.  Imagine a weed maze among a hard rock bottom, and you have a pretty good idea of the areas I look for.”     

Paullo says other natural lakes have different scenarios on the flats – such as a hard spot, rock outcropping or shell bed which breaks up a large weedbed.  Even though this is the opposite of the weed-patch-within-rocky shallows, a rocky spot-amid-weedbed yields the same result: a magnet for smallmouth.  

“Regardless of which type of shallow flat, the crucial element is an ambush point – small but defined pieces of cover different from the surrounding bottom material that helps to camouflage smallmouth,” adds Paullo.  

Not every natural lake flat fits one of the above formulas.  Scalish details the sandy flat environment. 

“It’s not uncommon to find smallmouth on a sand bar inside of the grass line,” explains Scalish.  “On light colored sand, I look for dark spots of mossy grass – which are perfect camouflage for the bass.   

Scalish says while it may seem the fish are randomly scattered across the flats, they are actually relating to small breaks and transition areas. 

“On many of these lakes, the large sandy/loam flats have small valleys and ridges formed by wave action.  The valleys run parallel to shoreline and the bass use these 1 or 2-foot differences as pathways to move across the flats, as well as using changes of bottom material like sand to clay or sand to rock. 

“They may temporarily hold on a rock outcropping or weed clump, but they never stay long. These shallow bass are nomadic fish, largely because baitfish are constantly moving.”  

“Or if the shallows have a lot of broken rock, such as at 1000 Islands, smallmouth will lurk in the crevices.  It’s not uncommon to look into shallow, clear water but not see any bass.  However, throw out a soft jerkbait, twitch it once and suddenly smallmouth rise from the shadows.” 

Power Tactics 

Although the water is clear and bass are often visible to the angler, Scalish and Paullo both agree this is not the time or place for a finesse approach. 

“Forget the small baits and light line,” says Scalish.  “These fish are actively foraging, and are instinctively tuned into chase behavior.  This is all about power fishing.” 

The key is to cover water quickly.  Choose lures that fish easily in the shallows while allowing you to keep moving.  If you pull into an area, immediately catch a couple bass and then hang out at the spot thinking you have a shallow-water honey hole – forget it.  That group or school of bass has already moved on. 

Scalish usually starts out with a jerkbait – either a soft stick or a hard plug – looking for the reaction bite.  He fishes both at a fast pace. 

“I rely on YUM’s Houdini Shad for the shallowest water.  It’s heavy enough to throw long distances with a baitcaster, comes through those mossy patches without getting slimed and hardly requires any water to work it.  Sometimes I’ll be fishing water less than 18 inches deep.   

“The Bomber 15A is another of my go-to baits for the flats – the floating model not the suspending model.  The suspender would get stuck in the bottom as shallow as I sometimes fish on flats.” 

He fishes both jerkbaits on fluorocarbon.  A proponent of carbon line, Scalish has said in the past he fishes it for properties other than its invisibility.  “However, in this super shallow clear-water situation, I feel an invisible line is critical,” he stresses.

Another reaction-lure frequently found on Scalish’s rods is a Cordell Spot.  “This is an excellent search lure.  Reel it as fast as possible.  Hits are so ferocious that cork in the rod handle will squeal as brown bass try to pull if from your hands!” 

Scalish uses 7’ Quarrow baitcasting rods in medium or medium/heavy action with 14 or 17-pound Silver Thread Fluorocarbon for his shallow presentations. 

Staying On Top 

For covering water on relatively calm days, Scalish goes to a Super Spook Jr.  “Just tie on a Spook, put the trolling motor down and keep hauling across the flat while working the bait.  You will eventually run into marauding smallmouth.” 

Paullo concurs.  “On those super slick days, I will spend as much time as possible with a top-water on my rod.  My pick is a clear Super Spook Jr. with a feather dressed treble.  It is always good to have a follow-up bait such as a tube on deck for followers.” 

Paullo also plays to the smallmouth’s competitive nature with a dual rigged soft jerkbaits.  He starts with a three way swivel tied directly to 20-pound main line.  To the 3-way, he attaches one soft stickbait on a 12” leader and another one on a 24” leader.  The leader material is 17-pound test and the hooks are Excalibur TX3 lightwire wide gap.  Preferred bait colors are natural shad or pearl-white.  A 7’6” flipping stick allows him to make two-handed swing cast similar to throwing a Carolina rig.       

But Paullo’s number one choice for covering flats is a spinnerbait.  “Two reasons: long casts and fast presentation,” he says.  “Wind is a necessity to disguise the spinnerbait silhouette; otherwise you get a lot of followers but no takers.  I use a ½-oz. Booyah Glow Blade in colors that most closely resemble perch: chartreuse skirt, chartreuse blade, perch skirt (chartreuse/orange/black). 

“I go with double willow for maximum flash and the ability to burn the bait.  Long casts are critical, waking the bait past isolated grass patches or boulders.  The strikes are vicious, so hold onto the rod tightly.  Heavy line – 20 pound Silver Thread AN40 – a 6’10” medium/heavy Shimano Crucial rod and high-speed Shimano Chronarch reel all contribute to making this presentation work.” 

Scalish gives the nod to spinnerbaits as well.  “I throw spinnerbaits with either a transparent or a bright gaudy colored skirt – and retrieve it as fast as possible so smallies don’t have chance to look it over.” 

Are there absolute rules when it comes to selecting baits for the shallows?  “Not really,” says Scalish.  “I rotate through the lures mentioned until I start catching bass.  I’ll stay with that bait until the bass stop eating it.  Then I switch to something else.  When shallow smallies are on, you will hook one and see six following it.  When the followers stop, then it is time to switch lures or move on.  This isn’t a hole-sitting situation.” 

Past Articles

EAST MEETS WEST ON LAKE ERIE
TACKLING RIVER SMALLMOUTH IN THE FALL
INDIGENOUS BAIT
SUPER SHALLOW SUMMER
CREATURES OF THE NIGHT
CRANKY SMALLMOUTH
TINY TORPEDO
LAKE ERIE “BEST” FOR SMALLMOUTH BASS
HOW TO CATCH THE BIGGEST SMALLMOUTH OF YOUR LIFE
IN QUEST OF CENTER HILL SMALLMOUTH
LOVE THOSE HELLGRAMMITES!