Lake St. Clair preview

Matt Morgan hopes to get 5 of these Sunday

This Sunday is the clubs annual event on Lake St. Clair and it is a favorite of everyones for good reason. LSC is considered by many to be the finest smallmouth fishery for both size and numbers in the country. It measures over a million acres and connects the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers. The lake has fished a little tougher this year but it is still a fish factory and 15+ pounds is usually required to win the club event.

St. Clair is very diverse with the northern part resembling a huge sand flat with scattered weedbeds. There is a lot of current present, especially near the river mouths and the channels. The farther south you go the more rock that you will see, not tons but scattered boulders and gravel. The Canadian side of the lake gets the least amount of pressure and has a multitude of options available and this is where a lot of the huge weights are caught during big events.

Patterns: Yes dragging tubes is a great technique for LSC but you can't just launch the boat and start dragging. There is a lot of water and the fish may seem like they're everywhere but they're not. Locating irregularities such as slight drops, weedbeds and rockpiles are the key. Plastics are not the only way to catch the smallies either. The FLW tournament held here last year saw many high finishers throwing jerkbaits and crankbaits to locate active fish. Spinnerbaits will work as well and drop-shotting is also a great way to catch pressured fish. These smallies will feed on crawfish, small perch and the ever present gobies so matching the hatch is important. The mayflies may also be an issue so topwaters could come into play.

Factors

Run or stay close: There is a lot of water and the grass is always greener somewhere else so this will be a big decision for many of the club members. The Canadian side is intriguing and the mile road section is a great option. But with big boat rides come big risks like time lost fishing and the drive back from a far off location can be downright dangerous on this big lake. Remember, the last two club tournaments on St. Clair have been won within 5 minutes of the launch ramp.

Weather: As with any big water the weather must be considered when deciding where to fish. Big winds can come up in a hurry and make the ride back to the weigh in an adventure and it can also muddy up quality fishing areas. The clear water is the key to the sight oriented smallmouth so a few days of high winds can change things greatly. The water temps have been as high as 74 already this year but a recent cold front knocked the temps back into the high 60's recently so the fish may still be recovering from that although higher temps are predicted for Sunday.

Pressure: Lots of tournaments are held each week on this lake but it seems to bounce back quickly. There is a NBAA event going out of the Harley launch Saturday that will feature close to 100 anglers so that may also be a consideration whether to stick close or find less pressured fish. The mile roads seems like a popular destination for local club events but it can seem like bumper boats down there on a busy weekend.

Ones to Watch

Jim Rice Jr.: He has extensive experience on this lake and is a threat every tournament.

Scott Rice: He won the last club event and has a score to settle with St. Clair when a poor finish last year cost him the AOY title.

Mark Dereadt: The current AOY leader has a lot of momentum and is solid on St. Clair.

Matt Morgan: He's new to the club but not the LSC smallies. Matt has probably the most experience on this lake of anyone in the club and is a serious threat.

Mike Maske: A spinnerbait guru who always seems to do well here including a win on St. Clair in 2008.