The key to catching smallmouth on St. Clair has appeared: the sun. This is great news for the anglers. But there’s a p.s. that comes with it. The clouds are only gone because a stiff wind has pushed them out of the area.
This sun should fire the fish up, and in fact has already, with Cory Johnston, Luke Palmer, and Ed Loughran III all posting critical catches in the last 5 minutes: Palmer a 4-4, Johnston a 4-15, and Loughran with a 5-5 for the new Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead of the day.
The problem is the wind. Though the fish can now see the baits better, the anglers are having a harder time seeing the fish. Trolling motor-mounted forward-facing-sonar transducers are bobbing in and out of the water right now, as 10-to-15-mile winds rock the anglers’ boats.
And then there’s the run-in. There’s a little under 3 hours left on the clock for the first flight. Twenty-minute runs this morning may take 40 to retrace this afternoon. And those that made long runs are looking at less than an hour to fish at this point. Lots of mixed emotions on the water no doubt.
