Great Lakes Bass Fishing Forum

Any of you guys ever fished Grand Lake for smallmouth?  WHat baits do you use and where?

I've fished it once and the conditions were not favorable. Post-frontal with strong winds. The water overall churned up and very stained to muddy. Since I've not been there another time I don't have a comparison to how it would normally look.

So I stuck to moderate-paced retrieves with 'louder' lures. I only caught a few bass.

I haven't researched it heavily but I would imagine parts of Grand would be similar to Long in color and clarity. Grand seems more mature with more soft bottom and weeds so I would expect Grand to be more colored even in normal but I have  heard it can get fairly clear.

Long is darker colored water but can be clear to 6 or 7 feet at times - I've only been there two or three times also. I think once during the spawn and the other time or two was in September. All the normal smallmouth lures worked both times with more or less success depending upon their activity level.

I like faster lures when I can get away with it like spots/traps, crankbaits and spinnerbaits. They all worked when I was on schooling bass or conditions were favorable. Otherwise, I used soft plastics I would use anywhere else - tubes, smaller creature baits, worms and grubs. I didn't use those so much my one time on Grand because of the wind and dirty water. I think I caught the few bass I caught on spots and shallow crankbaits with rattles.

I'm told Grand has a really good bass population with maybe bigger bass overall than Long? I didn't hit it on a day to make that judgment but each time I fished Long Lake I was impressed with the number and average quality of smallmouth bass.

I fish Grand Lake in early October, so I do not know about summer patterns, but I have done the best by targeting reed fields in 4-8fow.    I throw a chatterbait and have a 6" weightless T-rigged senko at the ready.  Couple of casts with the chatterbait, followed by a couple with the senko, then move to a different spot. 
Next best bet has been to troll a medium diving orange-toned crankbait along the first drop off out from shore.
I have caught some really nice smallies: at least one 4# or better every trip.