STURGEON BAY, Wis. – In less than a week, the 80-angler Bass Pro Tour field will kick off practice for Stage Five Presented by Covercraft in Door County, Wisconsin, on the legendary Sturgeon Bay. After an Executive Order by Vermont’s Governor forced the move of Stage Five from Lake Champlain to Wisconsin, most anglers in the field likely shifted their thoughts and plan to big smallmouth bass.
Many anglers in the field have experience on Sturgeon Bay, but nobody competing knows this part of Lake Michigan like Freshwater Fishing Hall of Famer, Cap. Dale Stroschein of Wacky Walleye Guide Service. He was born and raised in the area and has been guiding here for bass and walleye for 36 years. The Plano pro also operates the Sand Bay Beach Resort, which will house several competitors during the tournament.
Stroschein offered insight into what Lake Michigan’s smallmouth are doing, and what fans can expect when Stage Five Presented by Covercraft begins on July 10.
Stroschein shared that the weather on the Door Peninsula has been unusually warm through early summer, and that the smallmouth bite is just as hot.
“It’s really hot and humid lately after a wet spring,” he said, adding that Lake Michigan’s smallies are beginning to move into their postspawn and summer patterns. “The season started with a tougher bass bite, but it has really picked up lately,”.
Stroschein believes this bodes well for the MLF “every scorable fish counts” format, and that Stage Five is shaping up to have some big weight totals.
“I’m curious how well they are going to do for numbers of fish, but an average fish here right now is about 3 1/2 pounds,” he said. “These guys are the best in the business are dissecting things quickly and getting on patterns. There could be some really impressive daily totals.”
Sturgeon Bay is a Top 5 smallmouth destination, and anglers travel many miles to fish the famed waters. Because of this, Stroschein and his team of guides target fish-of-a-lifetime smallmouth, and he says the current fishing conditions should make this a great event for large fish.
“The bite is great right now, and when we have clients out, we’re usually specifically looking for big fish. Most people don’t want to catch a bunch of 2-pounders because they can do that at home,” he shared. “They come here because they want a trophy fish, and each trip we see a few fish close to 5 and even 6 pounds.”
When asked how his clients are catching bass at Sturgeon Bay, Stroschein rattled off a list of classic smallmouth techniques. He believes that there should be plenty of ways to catch big Sturgeon Bay smallies bass during the event.
“Guys are doing well with reaction baits like swimbaits, spinnerbaits and topwaters,” he said. “But they’re also catching them with Ned rigs, tubes, and drop-shot rigs.”
This event’s timing is lining up perfectly for a diverse week, as bass are in all different parts of the water column. This may spread out the field and let them fish the way they prefer, according to Stroschein.
“There are still quite a few fish up shallow after just coming off of the beds,” he said. “You can also catch them in deeper water around the many islands and reefs. Overall, the fishing is excellent right now.”