GreatLakesBass.com talked to Jonathon VanDam this spring at the annual D & R Sports Center (http://www.dandrsports.com/) fishing show. We asked him to share his favorite bass fishing waters and he did so... with one exception - Lake X? Somewhere in the Traverse City area lies a gem full of giant smallmouth including one the young B.A.S.S. Elite angler says he personally saw a record sized bass that would not only break the Michigan state record but possibly the World Record!! We all have our personal honey holes and we just couldn't quite get this one out of JVD. Wonder which lake it is?
http://youtu.be/_UP9Yf_sS2s
We sure are spoiled in this Great Lakes state!
I can understand him keeping his best lake to himself, i am sure a lot of us have fished the lake in question, we just didn't know it. Plus, these guys have knowledge that takes years to garner. Getting KVD or JVD to list their best TC lakes is like solving the Kennedy shooting. I am starting to notice more and more traffic on the lakes in question. Just last week i fished the TC area and was amazed at how many anglers were out midweek on October.
Most of the lakes around TC are great to start with, finding the stand out water is the hard part. Lots of water to cover, etc. That said, if anyone knows something feel free to share, i so love Northern Mi. smallmouth fishing. Its so addictive!
Must be nice to have the connections and information JVD is privy too. Most of those lakes up there can produce 30 pound bags just gotta hit it right and know where to be.
Never hurts to know the right people...
Lakes up that way I know the VanDams fish a lot are Lake Leelanau, The Torch Chain including Bellaire, Clam, Torch, SKegmog, and ELk. My largest smallmouths have been from Bellaire(mine was 5 pounds 12 ounces, but an eight pounder was caught there 20 years ago and Joe Lockman caught a 6 pound 10 ouncer out of there a few years ago), and my largest Michigan Largemouth was a six pound 10 ouncer from Green Lake in Interlochen. With the bass caught during the Lake Drive Classic this year, you would have to think they might have a potential state record too.
I've seen one bass up north in the past that I, and much more traveled tournament angler I was with, both thought was over 9 pounds and that was on Torch Lake. It was quite some time ago though. I have seen plenty of big ones up north including a few I thought were over 7 pounds since but have not seen a real giant. I have no doubt they are up there somewhere - Thunder Bay, Grand Traverse Bay and quite a few inland lakes have the potential.
I noticed in In Fisherman last year that
2 master angler fish for C&R came out of Cedar Lake net to west bay. Both fish were like 24" caught last October.
I didn't catch or see anything resembling that big fishing it this spring. I coached a high school tourney on Green Lake this spring(numbers only) and one of my anglers had a near 6# SM and the other student angler caught a 5# LM.
I know Crystal has some pigs. Have been told by someone local who scuba dives the lake, they are convinced a record SM swims in there.
TCook can vouch that we almost had one in the boat in the TC area that would easily have went over 7. We had just released a smallie over 5 and this one made it look like a dwarf! But, to get me to tell you where would require lots of beer and wings at Hooters!!
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I grew up fishing some of the lakes near TC. My personal best small mouths have all come from Glen Lake where my parents have a place This was back when I was in my late teens... which puts that back in the early 80's. Two smallies in the same day over 6 lbs. just trolling with rattle traps. As recently as 2007 my (at the time) 15 year old fishing partner/buddy Martin caught a 6 lb smallie AND a 6 lb largemouth less than a half hour apart on our lake dragging the same rattle traps! I have seen KVD there several times over the years... but I'm sure he fishes all the lakes up that way and has some sweet spots on all of them (I know where it is on Glen Lake by the way! LOL!!)
Ed and I are heading up that way tomorrow afternoon for the entire weekend... going to hit some sure spots and maybe a few new ones. We'll post pictures of anything "picture worthy."
Dan, how about a poll? What body of water is most likely to have a record smallmouth swimming in it?
Might be a pretty long list on the poll just for Northern Michigan!?!
Yeah, water in or around Michigan. List a dozen and have a box for other-list in reply and describe. Then have a box for "secret spot but will take Cameraguy to do a video for greatlakesbass.com ::) ;D
I think the box will say take djkimmel and he might take cameraguy too if he is a good boy!!
How could I narrow it down to a dozen even? There's a bunch of lakes up there just in the Traverse City area!