| Fall normally means the beginning of
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| | depth in-between. Locate a good school
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| football season. To the Lake Erie bass
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| | of bass and to duplicate the drift each
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| angler it means jumbo-size, `football'
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| | time, drop a marker at the beginning and
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| shaped smallmouth bass. August to late
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| | at the end of your drift. This will keep
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| October/November is when Lake Erie's
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| | you in preferred water and allow you to
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| fat-n-sassy bronzebacks begin to put on
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| | be more productive. Markers or floats
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| the feed bag and begin to stock up for
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| | that are visible to boats are like a
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| winter. Now is the time to catch one of
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| | blue-light special. They tend to attract
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| the lake's best game fish and certainly
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| | alot of people looking for a bargain or
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| regarded by many as Erie's best battlers.
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| | your easy fish! Tip: When in a crowd or
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| With the unexpected introduction of the
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| | around unwanted uncourteous anglers is to
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| Zebra Muscle in the late 80's, the Lake
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| | use your Loran/GPS to mark your spot when
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| Erie Smallmouth Bass really took off into
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| | you reset your drift.
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| something just short of spectacular. With
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| | When fishing live bait such as
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| the cleaner and clearer water resulting
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| | soft-shelled crayfish, minnows, or
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| from the zebra muscles, bass will
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| | leeches, you'll need proper hooks and
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| encounter with a vengeance any preferred
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| | have sinkers of various weights. Use of a
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| bait when presented
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| | sharp #1 to #4 hooks are the most common.
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| correctly. Tip: Smallmouth bass are
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| | Due to the rocky structure and occasional
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| generally sight feeders. Which means once
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| | snags, wire hooks work best. The type of
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| the bass visualize it's prey, it will
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| | weight you use is optional. Slip
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| attack and devour. Unlike Lake Erie
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| | sinkers, wrap around sinkers, and rubber
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| walleyes, smallmouth generally are not
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| | core sinkers all work well. Placement of
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| boat shy and are not bothered by
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| | the weight should be 12" to 18" minimum
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| sunlight. This makes them an
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| | above the bait for best results. Tip: Use
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| accommodating and easy target when
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| | only enough weight to keep the bait near
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| located in both shallow and deep water
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| | the bottom. To big of weight for the
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| most any time of the day.
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| | conditions will result in lost strikes
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| Catching Lake Erie Smallmouth Bass takes
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| | from the fish feeling the
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| nothing more then a bait box of
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| | weight and dropping the bait before the
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| soft-shell crayfish, a bucket of minnows,
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| | hook set.
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| leeches, or a tackle box of properly
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| | To avoid loosing bait to snags and
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| selected artificial's (tube baits,
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| | bottom, drop your baited offering over
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| crankbaits, spinners, etc.). While you
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| | the side of the boat until you feel
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| can anticipate summer walleyes to roam
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| | bottom, shut the reel and simply fish.
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| the open, deep water flats, smallmouth
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| | Remember, smallmouth are not boat shy!
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| prefer
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| | You'll often catch them right under your
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| hard structure. Bass in most cases are
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| | drifting
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| easy to locate. If you can find
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| | boat! Occasionally lift and lower the
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| rocks,you'll find smallmouth.
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| | bait to allow for extra movement similar
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| Tip: A little pre-planning with a lake
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| | to perch fishing. Wait for the pickup,
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| chart, a couple minutes of questions at
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| | feel the weight of the fish for a second,
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| the bait shop, or simply book a charter
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| | and set the hook! Tip: When using live
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| and pick your captain's brain for
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| | bait, don't set the hook to hard. In
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| information, will remendously add to your
| |
| | other words, don't use what I refer to
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| success. Remember to always have a game
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| | as the "Bassmaster Whack". Use just your
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| plan when
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| | lower arms, keep the line tight, and have
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| smallmouth or "Jumper" fishing.
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| | a correctly set drag. To much hook set
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| Some great areas to begin searching for
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| | with a heavy action rod can pull the bait
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| fall Smallmouth Bass would be around the
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| | and hook right out of the fish's mouth.
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| famous Bass Islands, Kelley's Island,
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| | To tight of drag will cause many broken
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| Ruggles Beach off Huron, and of course
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| | lines or pulled hooks.
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| the angler's choice at Pelee Island in
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| | Keep your drag on the loose side. Don't
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| Ontario waters. Tip: Remember when
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| | be greedy when the hard-fighting fish
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| locating bass they are territorial fish.
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| | need line. In most cases your only lip
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| Smallmouth rarely roam open waters and
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| | hooking the fish. A good rod of choice
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| will not migrate twenty miles like
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| | would be nothing heavier them med
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| walleyes do each fall. When the bass
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| | med-heavy or a rod action with a moderate
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| move, they tend go deeper or even
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| | to fast tip spooled with 6 to 10 lb. test
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| shallower around their home! If you find
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| | line. If you do miss a strike,
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| structure that is good for bass, expect
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| | immediately drop your offering back.
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| to find them in the neighborhood again
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| | Many times there's competition for food
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| and again within close proximity on your
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| | within the bass community and there may
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| next trip or even next season. If you
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| | be following fish which may strike any
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| locate a prime bass spot mark it with
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| | offering remaining on the hook. Tip: Bass
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| your Loran/GPS, landmarks or a means that
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| | anglers should constantly check your
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| will allow you to return another day.
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| | line for nicks or cuts resulting from
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| Good smallmouth spots aren't here today,
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| | zebra muscles. These small scratches will
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| gone
| |
| | weaken your line and you'll breakoff many
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| tomorrow like walleyes! Keep in mind
| |
| | fish! You are fishing a bottom covered by
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| you'll not want to tell other serious
| |
| | the muscles. Line can be weaken by the
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| bass anglers!
| |
| | sharp edges of the mollusks shell. After
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| Once you have located a suspected prime
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| | each fish is landed, run your finger over
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| bass hide-out, where do you begin? You
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| | the line a couple inches above the weight
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| have to decide if your going to anchor or
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| | to the hook to check for bad areas. I've
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| drift. Drifting is preferred and you can
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| | seen many big fish lost to damaged line.
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| drift with any bait that can be presented
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| | In the Fall months, smallmouth generally
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| to a hungry smallmouth bass. If it's to
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| | prefer a more natural live bait
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| windy in the area your fishing or your
| |
| | presentation. As the water begins to
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| boat drifts so fast to properly present
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| | cool, bass begin the stock up for the
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| your bait, anchor safely at your spot and
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| | long winter. This is when these little
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| fish your area
| |
| | `footballs' put on the weight and really
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| thoroughly. To cover more water while
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| | show their muscle. If the angler is hardy
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| anchored, occasionally release or bring
| |
| | enough, and doesn't mind missing alittle
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| in anchor line. It's best either to fish
| |
| | hunting, the angler can catch a real
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| shallow then move out to deeper water or
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| | trophy. The 1994 fall Smallmouth Bass
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| deeper to shallow water, never
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| | season was spectacular with the average
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| in-between. This important step allows
| |
| | fish falling between 14" to 16", with
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| you to
| |
| | many over 17 to 21 inches and four pounds
|
| work over areas to eliminate
| |
| | plus! Why miss out on the "best" of the
|
| unproductive waters. Tip: There is never
| |
| | "best" when it comes to fishing Lake
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| any water to shallow or to deep for
| |
| | Erie.Lake Erie's fall football season is
|
| smallmouth. Any day of the fall season
| |
| | just around the corner.Fishing guide on
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| smallmouth could be found in any depth
| |
| | Lake Erie for 21 years. I specialize in
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| ranging from a shallow 8ft. to a deep
| |
| | catch and release bass fishing all season
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| 30ft. or at a
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| | long.
|
