St. Clair Smallmouth Bass

Limited computer access and lots of running have caused me to miss some timely reports. Some stuff warrants noting, though, even if it is after the fact. A good example is the fun day that Nathaniel and I spent with Doug Cummings of Fine Line Guide Service on Lake St. Clair a couple of weeks ago.

Nathaniel and I always enjoy a day on St. Clair with Cummings, who always seems to know exactly what's going on with the lake's hefty smallmouth bass. YUM F2 2ubes and Mighty Bugs were the day's top producers, but we also caught fish on XCalibur Square Lip crankbaits and Rattle Baits. The Xr50 Rattle Bait is Cummings' go-to lure for St. Clair smallmouth bass, and he keeps a couple of them rigged and ready at all times.

We caught a bunch of smallies, with several in the 4-pound range, plus plenty of overzealous rock bass an a couple of small pike. Nathaniel also had fun battling a couple of big drum, but you can read that for yourself on his blog.

Smallmouth Bass the MAINE Attraction

"Moose!" Doug Teel called out, pointing everyone's attention to the massive, dark-colored animal that was right beside the truck for an instant and then crashed into the thick Maine woods and disappeared.

Teel, who operates Northridge Outfitters & Guide Service, was driving David Hart, Lawrence Taylor and me from the Penobscot River to his lodge after a day of fast-action fishing. Spotting a moose only added to the whole Maine experience, as did the loons we saw and heard on the water, the steamed lobster we'd have for dinner the next evening and the black bear we would also spot while riding Maine backroads.

Smallmouth bass, however, were the "Maine" attraction, and the clear but dark waters of the
Penobscot did not disappoint. Heddon Torpedoes, XCalibur Zell Pops and Rebel Pop-Rs prompted crushing surface strikes for two full days. Top producers beneath the surface included YUM F2 Dingers an XCalibur Square Lips crankbaits.

Teel's two favorite lures, by far, are a Bullfrog-colored Torpedo, which he presents with patient pauses and steel nerves, an a Bumblebee Swirl YUM Dinger, which he rigs wacky style and weights with a small bullet weight. A Zell Pop, fished the same way as Teal works his Torpedo, was the top producer for me.

New Water Important During Trout Outing

Jim Bedford and I were surprised and disappointed to find another car at the bridge where we planned to slip into one of Jim's favorite Michigan trout streams. It's a small river where he very rarely has company, and we knew that fishing in other anglers' tracks might not be good. We didn't know if the other anglers had waded upstream or down, though, and we could remain hopeful that they wouldn't travel far.

An unusually slow first hour or so on a normally productive river suggested that we might indeed be fishing behind the other anglers, and eventually a group of three appeared on a streamside "fisherman's trail," hiking back downstream to their car. Jim queried them a bit about their methods and success and about how far they had traveled and learned that they were using minnow baits and spinners (same as us) and had caught several trout, and that they had gone about as far as Jim had been planning to wade.

Not long after they continued down the path, Jim determined that it would make sense for us to cut losses by hiking back out ourselves and then walking one bridge crossing downstream and fishing back to the car. He likes the waters we were fishing best, but following three anglers throwing the same types of lures at the same targets didn't seem to be working.

It didn't take long after we got to the "Plan B" waters to confirm that Jim's decision had been a good one. We landed four trout in the first five minutes, which was more than we'd even seen in the other section. The fish were still a little off, relative to what they can be, and we didn't hook any big browns. However we ended up landing several trout, and the difference between the new water and the waters that had been fished was very noteworthy.

We caught most of our fish on Rebel Minnows, with most of mine coming on a 2 1/2-inch Tracdown Minnow in the Slick Brown Trout color pattern.

Cabela's Stop Always a Family Favorite

For Eli, 2 1/2, it was his first visit to the giant Cabela's store in Dundee, Michigan (at least that he would remember), and his eyes opened as wide as a boy's eyes can open when we walked through the doors. Our other four children had all been there before, but they were no less fascinated by the giant aquariums filled with trout, bass, walleyes and other sport fish; the full body mounts of everything from elephants to polar bears to rattlesnakes; the endless-seeming aisles of fishing, hunting and camping gear; the giant lodge atmosphere...

It's hard to comprehend just how big a moose is until you are standing a few feet from one -- and the one in Cabela's stands shin deep (I guess moose have shins) in natural-looking stream that runs through the store and that is filled with big trout.

Swinging through Cabela's to stretch legs and explore during a family trip always adds an hour or two to an already-long day of travel. No one ever minds, though. In fact, we are always glad that we stopped.

Tour De Bronze Continues

Travel that begins early tomorrow morning is mostly a personal trip - driving to Michigan with the whole crew in the van to visit family. However, it's hard for me to go to Michigan and not spend a day or two fishing, so I'll spend one day in a creek, casting for trout with Jim Bedford, and one day on Lake St Clair, targeting smallmouth bass with Doug Cummings.

I'd be hard pressed to select a single favorite kind of fish to catch, but smallmouths would be way up there on the list, which might explain while I've already fished for them in Tennessee and Wisconsin this year, and why I have summer smallmouth trips planned in Michigan, Maine, Virginia and Arkansas.

Michigan report to follow!

Welcome to Sunrise Farm

There's nothing quite like a plate of freshly baked cookies to make you feel welcome, and 14-year-old Madison had baked our cookies to perfection. Madison's family operates Sunrise Farm Bed & Breakfast in Salem, SC, and my wife and I were checking in for an anniversary stay.

Situated on a 10-acre farm in the South Carolina Upcountry -- very handy to much of the state's most spectacular scenery -- Sunrise Farm has much to boast: a traditional farm house, two unique cottages, attention to details, wonderful breakfasts, friendly farm animals... Still, it's the people that make or break a B&B stay, and Jeff, Julie & Madison Pierce have mastered the art of hospitality.

Denise and I stayed in the Corn Crib Cottage, which, as the name suggests, is housed in the farm's original corn crib building. Julie personally showed us the cottage and made sure we were comfortable with everything from how to work the TV's remotes to where we would find drinks and snacks. She also gave us plenty of options for breakfast and had us pick a time. We didn't see the Pierce's again until breakfast, but Jeff and Julie both made it clear that they were happy to help if we needed anything at any time. And we knew they meant it.

Coffee was freshly brewed and waiting to be poured when we stepped into the main house, and the hand-written breakfast menu on the wall included a "Happy Anniversary" note. Julie greeted us and visited just a bit before going to work on breakfast, and she explained each course she brought it, each time asking a thing or two about our family and answering questions we had about the inn and its keepers.

The mission statement of Sunrise Farm says: "Sunrise Farm Bed & Breakfast exists to glorify God by providing a welcoming, peaceful environment where individuals, couples and families will receive rest and refreshment." From the standpoint of the Samsels, mission accomplished, and accomplished well.

Swimmingly Simple & Seriously Fun

Sure, retrieve speed makes a difference, and long, well-directed casts improve your total numbers most days. Still, there isn't a much more basic approach to catching fish than casting a Kalin's Lunker Grub with a spinning outfit and winding it back slowly and steadily. In fact, when you're swimming Kalin's Grubs though the legendary smallmouth waters that surround Door County, Wisconsin, the most difficult thing is landing the decidedly mean smallmouth bass that are going to attack your grub.

Despite an accurate day 1 forecast of "winds 25 to 35 MPH with gusts over 40" on my recent trip to Door County, we were able to catch some fish while drifting and dancing across big waves in broad bays and to find and catch a bunch more that were piled up in protected canals. Day 2 brought calmer seas and allowed us to work bigger areas with our grubs and to see more of the area's beautiful shoreline. Although I never caught any of the giant fish that sometimes show up in and around Sturgeon Bay, I caught between 30 and 40 smallmouths on the second day, and my best five would have weighed close to 20 pounds without a "kicker" in the mix.

We mostly fished our grubs on 1/8-ounce Spot Stalker jigheads, fished on 8-pound fluorocarbon (or light braid with a fluoro leader), and medium action Denali Rosewood Shadow Series spinning rods. A few fish hit savagely. Most were just there. One minute you'd be reeling in a grub. The next minute you'd be setting the hook into a smallmouth that was suddenly on your line.

It was my first trip to Door County, but I think it's safe to say that it won't be my last!