St. Clair In Much Better Condition This Time

By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor

The 2013 Lake St. Clair Bassmaster Elite Series was somewhat of a misnomer, as almost nobody who fared well in that derby fished the namesake body of water. Winner Chris Lane and 3rd-place finisher Alton Jones trekked up to Lake Huron, while most of the others who cashed big paychecks made the rugged trip to Lake Erie and back each day.

St. Clair, which had been named the top bass lake in the country by Bassmaster just a few months earlier, was in a big-time slump. Some environmental factor (or a combination of more than one) had rendered many of the lake's smallmouths skinny and sick-looking, and most competitors determined they had no choice other than to venture to one of the adjoining Great Lakes to catch bags that would put them into contention.

That's all over now, however, and the final regular-season event of 2015 will be contested on a fishery that's once again living up to its lofty reputation. St. Clair has surrendered numerous 20-plus-pound bags in local and regional events over the past few weeks and will do so again this Thursday through Sunday as the 50-angler field for next month's AOY Championship is determined.

Because of St. Clair's recovery, marinas along the Detroit River will get far less gas money from Elite pros than they did 2 years ago.

"It's setting up to be a great tournament and I'll almost guarantee that it's going to be won in St. Clair," said Scott Dobson, a Clarkston, Mich. resident and former FLW Tour pro who's been one of the top sticks on the lake for many years. "The crayfish have exploded out of nowhere and for the last 2 weeks the lake's just been on fire.

"It should really be a slugfest and guys who figured things out quickly in practice will bust 22 pounds a day over 4 days barring any weather catastrophes, and the forecast is setting up for it to be a knockout."

Before getting into more about the bite, here's some intel on the fishery itself:

BassFan Lake Profile

> Name: Lake St. Clair (along with the Detroit River system that includes lakes Erie and Huron and the St. Clair River)
> Type of Water: Great Lakes system
> Surface Acres: Nearly 10,000 square miles are available between St. Clair and Erie combined.
> Primary structure/cover: Offshore ridges, islands, isolated rock (Erie), grass, weeds (St. Clair and rivers)
> Primary forage: Gobies, crayfish, various minnow species
> Average depth: 11 feet (Lake St. Clair), 62 feet (Lake Erie)
> Species: Primarily smallmouths, a smattering of largemouths
> Length limit: 14 inches
> Reputation: One of the most-heralded smallmouth fisheries in the country
> Weather: A mix of sun and clouds with light to moderate winds. Some shower activity expected for the weekend
> Water temp: Low to mid 70s throughout much of the system
> Water visibility/color: Variable, depending on location, but generally good (down to 15 feet in St. Clair). A massive algae bloom has spread across the southern portion of St. Clair and the northern part of Erie.
> Water level: Normal
> Fish in: 2 to 40 feet
> Fish phase: Summer
> Primary patterns: Dropshotting or dragging tubes, crankbaits, jerkbaits, Carolina rigs, jigs, jighead worms, spinnerbaits, grubs, spybaiting
> Winning weight: 88 pounds
> Cut weight: 32 pounds (first 2 days)
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 4 for St. Clair, 3 for Erie
> Biggest factor: The sometimes-unpredictable weather (as always)
> Wildcard: The river bite (some big largemouths live there, but not a lot of them)

St. Clair: Mother Lode Out There

Quality bags can be caught from numerous locales on St. Clair, but Dobson said finding the largest concentration of 4- to 5-pounders will unlock the door to victory.

"It'll come down to a couple guys figuring out where the big ones are," he said. "There's a couple-square-mile area that's loaded with them, and every year that group sets up somewhere and stays for the whole summer. The last few years it's been more on the northern side. It's totally bait-driven, especially the crayfish.

The critical depth range is 18 to 20 feet.

"It's a matter of finding the schools and staying on them. The big fish bite in 1-hour flurries and you've got to be in the prime area when it happens. You can catch them here and there throughout the day, but the best bite has been happening from about 11:30 to 1, when the sun gets high and bright."

Dobson said deep-diving cranks and other reaction-type baits have been effective recently. Spybaiting, the Japanese ultra-finesse technique utilizing a slow-moving prop bait, has worked exceedingly well.

"It's been knocking fish out of the water," he said.

Erie: Go at Your Own Risk

The 70-mile-plus run to Lake Erie, which often must be accomplished through extremely choppy water, is fraught with even more peril this time than usual. For one thing, the north shore has been inundated with a huge algae bloom and is not fishing up to its normal standards. For another, a Northern Rayovac Series derby is taking place this week out of Sandusky, Ohio, which means there'll be a lot of competition for the best spots.

"I'll be surprised if more than about half a dozen (Elite) guys do it," said Joe Balog, the longtime northern smallmouth guru who produces a weekly column for BassFan. "Last time a bunch of them were forced to go because things were so tough on St. Clair, but it's a tremendously long run and it's terrible.

"If the water's dead-flat it's not so bad, but the chances of it being like that for 4 straight days are slim to none."

Also, the fishing there isn't nearly as easy as it once was.

"It used to be that myself and some other guys who've traditionally done well there had so much water to ourselves because (visiting) guys weren't finding the subtle stuff. But with today's electronics and the overall knowledge of the anglers, there's boats on the good stuff all the time.

"In the old days, guys would say that 45 minutes over there is all I need, but it's not like that anymore. You can catch one here and one there, but a lot of times you have to get them fired up and they move around around. More people fish for them now and they're harder to catch because of that pressure."

Last Shot for Some

Some competitors who've had so-so seasons will see their hopes of competing in the 2016 Bassmaster Classic die at this event. Quite a few veterans with impressive résumés currently reside in the 40th through 60th spots on the points list and at least a few will end up outside the Top 50, which means they won't advance to the AOY Championship at Sturgeon Bay (Wis.).

Here's a look at that "bubble" group and their point totals heading into St. Clair:

40. Tim Horton -- 360
41. Billy McCaghren -- 358
42. Terry Scroggins -- 357
43. Brent Chapman -- 354
44. Boyd Duckett -- 349
45. Shaw Grigsby -- 348
46. Michael Iaconelli -- 346
47. Scott Rook -- 343
48. Dennis Tietje -- 342
49. Ish Monroe -- 341
50. James Elam -- 337
51. Brandon Coulter -- 336
52. Stephen Kennedy -- 334
53. John Murray -- 331
54. Stephen Browning -- 328
55. James Niggemeyer -- 328
56. Bradley Roy -- 326
57. Brett Hite -- 325
58. Ken Iyobe -- 320
59. Chad Pipkens -- 318
60. Seth Feider -- 316

Here's a look at how Lake St. Clair and the surrounding water sets up, courtesy of Navionics:

Field Notes

Following are some practice notes from a few of the anglers who'll compete this week.

J. Todd Tucker
"It seems like it's fishing pretty good and the fish are definitely healthier than when we were here before. The weights should be a little higher.

"We had a lot of wind in practice that hindered running to Erie, but I'm probably going to stay in St. Clair anyway because I don't want to run that far. I did it last time, but this time I was able to stumble on some pretty good ones here. I've gotten some decent bites.

"I think it'll be pretty textbook for what usually happens here and there won't be too many surprises. It's going to take a lot of weight to make the Top 12, for sure. You won't do it on 18 pounds a day like you could last time."

James Niggemeyer
"As far as St. Clair goes, they're biting better than they were last time and they do look healthier. I've gotten some good bites, but I just don't think I'm getting enough of them. It's been one of those practices, though, where I've been moving fast and covering a lot of water, and I might be able to get more quality bites once I sit down and buckle in.

"The best stuff always gets found; it doesn't seem to matter if you're on Okeechobee or the (California) Delta. You're going to have guys finding the same areas and the same concentrations of fish. I think the masses will spread out pretty good, but the way it's shaping up, some guys will have company.

"I'm kind of targeting that 18-pounds-per-day range. I think that would make everything right for me as far as the AOY Championship. I figure I need to finish in the Top 25 to 30 range, and that should do it."

David Walker
"I'm getting some bites, but it just seems so sporadic. St. Clair is such a random place to fish because where you catch one looks exactly like a spot where you didn't catch one, and that makes it tougher to determine whether a place is good or not.

"It's been hard for me to pinpoint the depth or type of structure I need to be on. The places I've gotten bites, water seems to be the only common denominator.

"As far as consistent quality, I just haven't come across that yet."

Kurt Dove
"My first practice day was pretty good, but then a little cold front came through and the second day was a little tougher. There's a huge difference in the look of the fish this year – they're looking fat and healthy and you can tell there feeding well.

"I've found a few areas where I feel like I can catch some decent-size fish. It's probably going to take about 16 pounds a day to make the (Top 50) cut, and I feel good about my chances because I've got two areas that are producing pretty well. I haven't caught any 5-pounders, but I've gotten several nice ones in the 4-pound class.

"I haven't seen any Top 12-type bags – you're going to need 19 to 20 pounds a day for that – but maybe the opportunities are there if I get the right bites."

Top 10 to Watch

With the above in mind and more, here (in no particular order) are BassFan's recommendations for the Top 10 to watch in this event.

1. Aaron Martens – He's about as hot as anyone has ever been in this game and he loves northern smallmouth fisheries. He likely would've won the 2013 St. Clair event if not for a mechanical issue on the long return trip from Erie. He may fish somewhat conservatively this week to protect his massive AOY lead, but whatever program he chooses stands a good chance of resulting in his sixth Top-15 showing of the season.

2. Chad Pipkens – He had a string of poor-to-mediocre finishes over the first half of the season, but heated up when the weather did and has put himself in position to make a run at qualifying for the AOY Championship. This is a "home game" for the Michigander and he should take advantage of that opportunity.

3. Bernie Schultz – The 60-year-old has had a remarkable season and he comes into this one at No. 10 on the points list. His Florida roots belie a great affinity (and supreme acumen) for catching smallmouths.

4. Kevin VanDam – A bomb at the Chesapeake Bay took him completely out of the hunt for his eighth AOY, but he gets the chance to rebound on a fishery that he knows intimately. He's had some difficulty adjusting to altered conditions over the past couple of years, but that issue likely won't plague him this week.

5. Brandon Palaniuk – The Idahoan is a major threat to win at any venue where smallmouths are the predominant quarry. He's still only 27 years old, but his knowledge of how to locate and catch brown fish rivals that of anyone in the sport.

6. Jacob Powroznik – He's been rock-solid since a rough opener at the Sabine River that came on the heels of his ascension to the top of the BassFan World Rankings. He's good just about anywhere, but he's a true ace on smallmouth venues.

7. Jonathon VanDam – He comes in off miserable showings at the St. Lawrence River and Chesapeake Bay (81st and 93rd, respectively) and is a longshot to make the AOY Championship from his No. 66 position in the points race. Nonetheless, he's always dangerous in brown-fish events in his home region.

8. Mike Iaconelli – He's had an up-and-down summer, sandwiching a 10th at the St. Lawrence River between bottom-of-the-field bombs at Kentucky Lake and the Chesapeake Bay. He can only lose a few places in the points standings to remain inside the cutoff for the AOY Championship derby, so he'll be highly motivated.

9. Clifford Pirch – The unassuming Arizonan has firmly established himself as one of the top competitors in the game and his track record in smallmouth events is strong.

10. Todd Faircloth – He snapped a string of five straight non-money finishes with a 17th at the Chesapeake, so perhaps his slump is history. He'll need an even higher showing to get into the AOY Championship event, and the four-time Elite Series winner is certainly capable of producing it.

Notable

> At No. 43 in the points, Brent Chapman can afford to lose little ground this week in his quest to qualify for the AOY Championship. He endured a less-than-stellar practice, primarily due to the strong winds. To read his practice recap, click here to visit Pro View Reports.

Launch/Weigh-In Info

Anglers will launch at 6:20 a.m. each day from Lake St. Clair Metropark (31300 Metro Parkway, Harrison Township, Mich.). Weigh-ins will get under way at 3:15 p.m. at the same location.

Weather Forecast

> Thurs., Aug. 27 – Mostly Cloudy - 74°/57°
- Wind: From the NNE at 5 mph

> Fri., Aug. 28 – Partly Cloudy - 78°/63°
- Wind: From the SSW at 7 mph

> Sat., Aug. 29 – P.M. Showers - 82°/66°
- Wind: From the SE at 9 mph

> Sun., Aug. 30 – P.M. Showers - 82°/65°
- Wind: From the SSW at 11 mph