TRENTON, Mich. — Calling early September part of the fall is a bit of a stretch. Don’t tell the smallmouth around the Detroit River, though. Whether anglers choose to run north to Lake St. Clair, south to Lake Erie or stay put in the river, the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Michigan Division Super Tournament slated for Sept. 6-7 should take place right as the fish are starting to think (and move) like it’s autumn.
This year, BFL anglers benefit from an expanded slate of Regionals, which minimizes travel costs and provides more opportunities to qualify for the $120,000 BFL All-American while fishing familiar, closer-to-home waters. Click here to find out more.
What to expect
There may be few areas where anglers get more spoiled than around the Detroit River, as the river and the two fisheries it connects offer easily some of the best bass action in the country, regardless of species.
However, one thing always amazes local Chris Hellebuyck.
“St. Clair and Erie are separated by 25 miles of river, and yet they can fish two entirely different ways,” Hellebuyck said. “It’s just incredible how different they are.”
And with that, one typically out performs the other based on the time of year. For this event, it may be Erie.
Hellebuyck admits St. Clair is the better fishery most of the summer, but right around this time, the lake gets in a funk as the smallmouth seem to disappear from their summer places but are not yet congregated in their fall spots.
Meanwhile, the schools in Erie can be extra big, especially for any angler able to find some larger, isolated boulders. The issue can be making long runs in potentially rough water (it is a Great Lake, after all, which always has the potential for big waves), as well as fooling fish that have been pressured more than ever before.
“With forward-facing sonar, those fish in Erie really see a lot of baits; far more than in the past,” Hellebuyck said. “So, it’s easier to find them, and big ones, but getting them to bite is definitely trickier, which is why I think you may see pros making even longer runs than normal along that north shore.”
Baits to bring
Whether a pro goes to St. Clair or Erie, they’d better have some drop-shots and minnow baits rigged up, as forward-facing sonar should dominate.
That said, Hellebuyck thinks some anglers could get sneaky in the river with Carolina rigs and Alabama rigs, the latter of which can start to really heat up this time of year.
What will it take?
As stated above, these two fisheries are simply incredible, and with that, the potential for a bag of smallmouth in the upper 20s is always possible. However, history shows that 22-23 pounds a day is what is needed to win a Super Tournament around this time.