July 01, 2016
By Dr. Hal Schramm
Lions, Tigers and bass. That's Detroit Lions, Detroit Tigers, and elbow-jarring St. Clair smallies. When asked his favorite summer bass fishery, Bassmaster Elite rising star Jonathan Van Dam was quick to reply Lake St. Clair. When I asked the Michigan native why he picked St. Clair after reminding him of the manifold sky-blue-water opportunities in Michigan and neighboring states, he was quick to reply: "It's a big fishery, it has lots of fish, and it is one of the best smallmouth bass fisheries in the world. A 'good day' in the summer is 20 to 30 bronzebacks ranging from 12 inches to 6 pounds."
St. Clair smallies feed heavily on yellow perch in the summer. Van Dam's advice was simple: "Head toward the middle of the lake and look for perch fisherman." The "middle of the lake" area isn't exactly the middle, rather more like 1 to 2 miles out from the shoreline area referred to as "Mile Roads," the stretch of shoreline from Metro Park south to Ford's Point. The water will be 14- to 19- feet deep, and the habitat will be clumps of cabbage. Use your electronics to find groups of bass.
When he finds what he is looking for, Van Dam starts with a Strike King Series 5 crankbait. If the crankbait doesn't produce, a drop shot or a tube gets the call. A deep diving jerkbait always deserves time in the water.
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The fish often group by size. Keep moving until you find the quality of fish you want. Then mark the spot with a waypoint and fish around it.