We just had a chance to see the best bass anglers in the world spend a week in Sturgeon Bay for the big Major League Fishing Tournament.  Like kayak tournaments this catch and release format puts the well-being of the smallmouth bass as the top priority.  

 

Now that we are at the halfway point of summer let’s talk some Door County smallie fishing.  I’m on the water often whether in one of my Jackson kayaks or out in my fishing boat.  It continues to surprise me that I don’t see more kayak anglers on our water.  With over 300 miles of shoreline and the growing popularity of kayak fishing, I’m sure we’ll see more and more anglers out in kayaks.  Our smallmouth bass fishery has received a good deal of pressure in recent years and the numbers are somewhat down going back a half dozen years, but we still have an outstanding fishery that can produce some very big smallies and decent numbers to be caught and ideally released.

 

With water temperatures in the 70’s, most smallies leave their shallow spring and early summer locations and go into their summer patterns, which is heading to deeper water.  I’ve been out several times recently and am finding them in 8 to 15 feet of water.  You will still find some, and especially smaller bass in shallow around docks and piers.  Finesse presentations tend to work best this time of year with three good ones being the Ned Rig, Drop Shotting and swimming a curly tail grub or swimbait.

 

If you enjoy fishing from a kayak, or have wanted to give it a try, now’s a great time to do it.  If you have any kayak/kayak fishing questions or would like more detail on the three finesse presentations I mentioned, please email me at kayakfishingwisconsin@gmail.com