Dock Talk at Lake St. Clair

Posted on
The Yeti Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair will be like none other. Sure it’s 2020, the year like none other. What that means this week is fishing is only allowed on the U.S. side of the 430-square mile lake due to the Canadian border closure. <br><br><i>All captions: Craig Lamb</i>
The Yeti Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair will be like none other. Sure it’s 2020, the year like none other. What that means this week is fishing is only allowed on the U.S. side of the 430-square mile lake due to the Canadian border closure.
All captions: Craig Lamb
How will that play out during this favorite stop on the Bassmaster Elite Series? Will St. Clair (and Lake Huron) fish small? That’s what myself and photographer Andy Crawford set out to do with Dock Talk. That’s tournament slang for full and transparent disclosure of the truth, or a modified variation of it.
How will that play out during this favorite stop on the Bassmaster Elite Series? Will St. Clair (and Lake Huron) fish small? That’s what myself and photographer Andy Crawford set out to do with Dock Talk. That’s tournament slang for full and transparent disclosure of the truth, or a modified variation of it.
What’s fun about Dock Talk is we never know what we’ll get. You get to decide. We also try to capture the body language to give you inside clues. Here’s what we dug up at the ramp at Lake St. Clair Metropark.
What’s fun about Dock Talk is we never know what we’ll get. You get to decide. We also try to capture the body language to give you inside clues. Here’s what we dug up at the ramp at Lake St. Clair Metropark.
<b>Brandon Palaniuk</b>
Brandon Palaniuk
“Practice was terrible. This is my least favorite smallmouth fishery. It’s like fishing for smallmouth in Lake Okeechobee. There are no contours. They just float around. It’s like one day you find them, and the next you go back to see if they are there and they are not within a half mile.”
“Practice was terrible. This is my least favorite smallmouth fishery. It’s like fishing for smallmouth in Lake Okeechobee. There are no contours. They just float around. It’s like one day you find them, and the next you go back to see if they are there and they are not within a half mile.”
“I’ve had good finishes here before, but they have always been in Canada. This year without being able to fish Canada I’ve spent the entire practice looking at new water. It’ll still take good weights to win, but I don’t think it’s fishing as good as it was last year.”
“I’ve had good finishes here before, but they have always been in Canada. This year without being able to fish Canada I’ve spent the entire practice looking at new water. It’ll still take good weights to win, but I don’t think it’s fishing as good as it was last year.”
<b>Gerald Swindle </b><br><br>“Practice was rough. Lumpy like dry oatmeal. The wind blew on the first day and forced a lot of us in the river.”
Gerald Swindle “Practice was rough. Lumpy like dry oatmeal. The wind blew on the first day and forced a lot of us in the river.”
“Yesterday the wind blew the opposite way and across the current. It made it tougher to drift. I’m finding fish to be extremely scattered.”
“Yesterday the wind blew the opposite way and across the current. It made it tougher to drift. I’m finding fish to be extremely scattered.”
“The word of the week is random. You run around and catch singles. You just don’t get a lot of bites in the same area.”
“The word of the week is random. You run around and catch singles. You just don’t get a lot of bites in the same area.”
“I still think it’s going to take 18 pounds each day to cash a check and 22 pounds to win. It really makes you push yourself to drift. I haven’t seen anyone go to any one spot and capitalize.”
“I still think it’s going to take 18 pounds each day to cash a check and 22 pounds to win. It really makes you push yourself to drift. I haven’t seen anyone go to any one spot and capitalize.”
<b>Chad Pipkens</b><br><br> “It’s Lake St. Clair where they roam around a lot. I caught some big ones but they are moving.”
Chad Pipkens
“It’s Lake St. Clair where they roam around a lot. I caught some big ones but they are moving.”
“A place where I thought I could catch 25 pounds earlier in practice was vacant. There are plenty of fish.”
“A place where I thought I could catch 25 pounds earlier in practice was vacant. There are plenty of fish.”
“It’s going to be about being in the right place at the right time.”
“It’s going to be about being in the right place at the right time.”
<b>Chris Johnston</b><br><br> “Practice was hit or miss. I’m catching fish but they are moving a lot. The key here is on tournament day, and especially in the morning, I am going to have to go looking for them like it’s a practice.”
Chris Johnston
“Practice was hit or miss. I’m catching fish but they are moving a lot. The key here is on tournament day, and especially in the morning, I am going to have to go looking for them like it’s a practice.”
“The lake is going to fish very small with Canada off limits. You are going to see flotillas of anglers. Guys are going to group up when they find a school of fish.”
“The lake is going to fish very small with Canada off limits. You are going to see flotillas of anglers. Guys are going to group up when they find a school of fish.”
“In my opinion, the Canadian side fishes better right now, but you still are going to see a lot of 20-pound limits.”
“In my opinion, the Canadian side fishes better right now, but you still are going to see a lot of 20-pound limits.”
<b>Cory Johnston</b><br><br> “Practice was hit or miss. I found little groups of them. Some have a lot of fish; other places there will be only a few.”
Cory Johnston
“Practice was hit or miss. I found little groups of them. Some have a lot of fish; other places there will be only a few.”
“For me, it’s going to come down to covering a lot of water.”
“For me, it’s going to come down to covering a lot of water.”
<b>Carl Jocumsen</b><br><br> “Practice was tough. It wasn’t the Lake St. Clair to which I’m accustomed. I covered from Lake Huron and into the Detroit River. Got kicked out of there on Sunday. Never had that happen.” (The Detroit Police closed the downtown section to protect rafters.)
Carl Jocumsen
“Practice was tough. It wasn’t the Lake St. Clair to which I’m accustomed. I covered from Lake Huron and into the Detroit River. Got kicked out of there on Sunday. Never had that happen.” (The Detroit Police closed the downtown section to protect rafters.)
“I caught my personal best smallmouth weighing over six pounds. I wanted to make the long run to Saginaw Bay, but the wind shifted and made it impossible.”
“I caught my personal best smallmouth weighing over six pounds. I wanted to make the long run to Saginaw Bay, but the wind shifted and made it impossible.”
“Now, I’ll be out grinding with everyone else in the river.”
“Now, I’ll be out grinding with everyone else in the river.”
<b>Greg DiPalma</b><br><br> “Practice was different compared to last year. The fish aren’t as grouped up. They are more scattered. I had one really good day. I had a school located. They disappeared but I think I found them today.”
Greg DiPalma
“Practice was different compared to last year. The fish aren’t as grouped up. They are more scattered. I had one really good day. I had a school located. They disappeared but I think I found them today.”
“The wind direction has changed daily. I think that explains why the bass are scattered. Yesterday it changed to the north. I fish Canada when I come here, and do well, so I think it being off limits will have an impact. That made the lake new to me.”
“The wind direction has changed daily. I think that explains why the bass are scattered. Yesterday it changed to the north. I fish Canada when I come here, and do well, so I think it being off limits will have an impact. That made the lake new to me.”
“I searched for new water. I did a lot of graphing. The fish are relating to different structure than in the past.”
“I searched for new water. I did a lot of graphing. The fish are relating to different structure than in the past.”
<b>Brandon Lester</b><br><br>“Practice has been good. Getting bites is difficult, but when you do it’s a good quality fish. I’m going to mix it up between the lake and the river, like I did last year.”
Brandon Lester“Practice has been good. Getting bites is difficult, but when you do it’s a good quality fish. I’m going to mix it up between the lake and the river, like I did last year.”
<b>Derek Hudnall</b> <br><br> “Practice was okay. It’s not the Lake St. Clair that we are used to seeing. The fish aren’t grouped up. They are scattered. Even so, I have several different things that are working.”
Derek Hudnall
“Practice was okay. It’s not the Lake St. Clair that we are used to seeing. The fish aren’t grouped up. They are scattered. Even so, I have several different things that are working.”
“The key here is going to be fishing the conditions as they are encountered each day. Canada is 70 percent of this lake. The challenge is that all of the water is the same. Eliminating dead water is just as important as finding productive water.”
“The key here is going to be fishing the conditions as they are encountered each day. Canada is 70 percent of this lake. The challenge is that all of the water is the same. Eliminating dead water is just as important as finding productive water.”
<b>Brad Whatley</b><br><br> “Practice was okay. If I can do what I’ve done in practice then I’m going to do well. The lake is going to fish small with Canada off limits. I think I can get five big bites a day out there.”
Brad Whatley
“Practice was okay. If I can do what I’ve done in practice then I’m going to do well. The lake is going to fish small with Canada off limits. I think I can get five big bites a day out there.”
“I’m probably going to pair it down to one or two rods.”
“I’m probably going to pair it down to one or two rods.”
<b>Chris Groh</b><br><br> “It was probably the best practice I’ve had. I’m super comfortable.”
Chris Groh
“It was probably the best practice I’ve had. I’m super comfortable.”
“I’m catching fish. I’m thinking really open. I didn’t even go to my areas from last year. There was no need.”
“I’m catching fish. I’m thinking really open. I didn’t even go to my areas from last year. There was no need.”
<b>Matt Arey</b><br><br> “Practice was up and down, very random. On a scale of 1 to 10 my practice was a 6.5. Typical Lake St. Clair. I covered a lot of water, and just hoped to come up on the right ones.”
Matt Arey
“Practice was up and down, very random. On a scale of 1 to 10 my practice was a 6.5. Typical Lake St. Clair. I covered a lot of water, and just hoped to come up on the right ones.”
“One thing that concerns me is the fish don’t look as good as they did last year. It was later in the year, and they were putting on more fall and winter weight. They are a little skinny.”
“One thing that concerns me is the fish don’t look as good as they did last year. It was later in the year, and they were putting on more fall and winter weight. They are a little skinny.”
<b>Brock Mosley</b><br><br> “Practice was good. I’m hoping they continue to bite like they did in practice. I’ve done well here in the past, but I’m worried that pressure is going to get to it with Canada having been off limits all spring and summer. You can tell it’s already happening.”
Brock Mosley
“Practice was good. I’m hoping they continue to bite like they did in practice. I’ve done well here in the past, but I’m worried that pressure is going to get to it with Canada having been off limits all spring and summer. You can tell it’s already happening.”
“I’m seeing fish on my Garmin LiveScope and they move off the structure when I get near them. They are boat shy. It’s not going to be the 100-pound tournament for which we were hoping. I’m predicting it’ll take 88 pounds to win. Catching 18- to 20- pounds a day is my goal.”
“I’m seeing fish on my Garmin LiveScope and they move off the structure when I get near them. They are boat shy. It’s not going to be the 100-pound tournament for which we were hoping. I’m predicting it’ll take 88 pounds to win. Catching 18- to 20- pounds a day is my goal.”
<b>Frank Talley</b><br><br> “Practice for me was up and down. I never could find the right bites. The wind direction has changed every day. I think that repositions the baitfish and the smallmouth follow them.”
Frank Talley
“Practice for me was up and down. I never could find the right bites. The wind direction has changed every day. I think that repositions the baitfish and the smallmouth follow them.”