Smallmouth Habits - Lake Flip

[idn713]

Hey Guys,

I am trying my darnedest to pattern the Lake O smallmouth and I am trying to do so specifically off of Braddocks Bay and Sandy Creek.

I fished off of Braddocks yesterday (I really believe there is some amazing smallie action to be had out there) and I hit spots that have incredible bottom structure. These spots should have at least had a few fish on them, but it was a wasteland out there.

Granted, I was fishing after a lake flip and it was an east wind but I still felt that they should have been out there. Instead, I was looking at an empty graph everywhere I went.

So my question is, do the smallmouth move off the shoals during the flip, possibly into the creeks and bays? And considering the browns are still in 15-30 ft of water, is it still to early to be fishing the main lake for smallmouth? I figured a few fish would still hang tight out there even in cold water but apparently I was wrong.

I just gotta figure those dang smallies out!

P.s. I do know there are smallies out there as we caught some pigs last summer and we did not fish half the spots we know of now. I am also not convinced the gobies are that much of an issue.

[bondouley]

when i was trolling for browns yetsreday off of durand i saw several smallmouths schooling and feeding on a pod of baitfish right off the beach   maybe 6ft of water     they were going nuts jumping out of the water for the minnows that were trying to jump out of the way.  this was just after sunrise maybe 545

[Guidewayneo]

I fished Mexico Bay yesterday for smallies and only got one small one. We had been doing well the past week out there and it seemed as if they where all the sudden gone. I am thinking it has to do with recent weather. We did manage to catch a 5 pound and a 6 pound brown in 15 to 20 feet of water though.

Sent from my LG-VS700 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[idn713]

Good info, they must have pushed up shallow. I will give it another look when the west wind gets the lake back into a normal pattern

[idn713]

Good info, they must have pushed up shallow. I will give it another look when the west wind gets the lake back into a normal pattern.

[jsmith009]

Fished Mexico bay this morning. Only got one smallie, 7 fow. Marked fish in 12 fow or less.

The weather is def a factor in finding them.

[NickR]

From my younger years when all I did was fish bass in creeks/ rivers- when the lake flipped it was game on. I think they move into the creeks where the water is substantially warmer. Just my .02

[fishfish]

They are not there like they used to be. The big rocks in front of braddocks get fished hard.

Gobies changed things, we used to catch them trolling small crank baits. Big tube jigs seem to work better now.

You will catch a 20 incher every once in a while then thats it. No small ones is a bad sign.

If you use bait, use a drop shot rig keeping your hook 18 inch off bottom.