I think most guides would be happy to take the time to show an angler special skills and techniques as well as go and catch fish, but I can only speak for myself.
This will be my first year as a guide on Lake St. Clair, connecting and inland waters but I have over a decade of experience teaching and training bass anglers about how to improve their game. Your trip begins long before, and the exciting journey to learn more long after a single outing. I have the most comprehensive and easy to use support products available for Lake St. Clair and smallmouth bass fishing. My new book, "Smallmouth Confidential" is geared specifically toward anglers who want to get deep into the techniques and idiosyncracies' of both the bass, and our own approach to fishing for them.
Here are some things I can cover with you both on and off the water:
How to approach different types of structure - Points, flats, weedbeds, weedlines, patches of weed, rock/sand combinations, weed/sand combinations, sand grass flats, current, open water, sloping breaks, fast breaks, seawalls, rip-rap, channel markers, deep river structure (drops, flats and slopes), spawning flats, isolated humps in the lake, rock shoals, etc..
Presentations that are most effective during each season - Pre-spawn, spawn, post-spawn, summer bite, fall transition and fall
What high percentage baits are and how to build confidence in what you throw - This doesn't just have to do with my bait designs but everything you use. The bottom line is that confidence will catch more fish than any bait in your tackle box. I'll work with your bait lineup the way it is and help you to define what the best baits are for your current skill sets. Once you are sure about how and when to use what you have, it will be easier to decide which baits to add to your arsenal.
Boat control - Especially on the big water, expert boat control can turn a good day into a great day. Learn how to deploy wind socks (sea anchors), use the trolling motor in a drift, use the trolling motor in the river, where to position the boat along structures like rip-rap, flats, rock piles and shoals and more. Learn to let current do most of the work for you or even how to power fish through it to get a bigger bite.
Learn how to take advantage of bass chasing forage - Gobies have become a favorite food and smallies respond well to certain colors and presentations. Know when to fish the bottom or bring a bait up a little higher with other bait presentations like the drop-shot or the 3-way rig to get a bigger bite. With any luck, we'll get caught in a mayfly hatch and I can show you a technique that will put 100% of the bass you cast to into the boat. The day I finally learned this my last 15 fish of the day were all over four pounds with some over five. Know where the zone is when baitfish stack up in front of the channels and are aggressive.
Fill out your skill sets by learning a new presentation - Sometimes getting better at bass fishing can be as easy as picking up a new skill. If learning fast presentations is what you want then getting the most out of a rattle trap, spinnerbait, jerkbait or one of my favorites...the buzzbait will put you on bass that are looking for it. If fishing slow is what you want to know then you'll love hanging out with me. My motto..."The slower the bigger" for soft plastic presentations in the lake and the river. It's not just about the fast or slow, but where and when they work the best. We can work with wacky rigging, drop-shotting, crankbaits, topwater, tubes, Texas rigs, 3-way rigs, deep vertical jigging, dock fishing and more.
Learn to fish open water when the only structure you see is on the electronics - Fishing spots that have no visible structure is a special challenge. Using marker buoys is a skill that can keep you on the fish and avoid hours of fishing dead water. There are many helpful GPS techniques at our fingertips too which can orient us in open areas. Marking spots is one but also how to use the track log to find a spot or a productive drift is another.
Get some inside info. on productive ways to eliminate water - This is one of the best skills of all to have for dialing in on the bite. It's one thing to find hot spots but they can let you down from one day to the next. Eliminating unproductive water can lead us to productive water under all conditions. Learn ways to identify dominant structure elements that don't hold good numbers of bass before the boat even hits the water. Find out how seasonal changes take large chunks of water out-of-play. On the water see how each cast and each catch can tell the story about an area that won't give you the fish you are looking for.
Fish with baits designed by me that have stood the test of time as well as some exciting new additions - I've also been designing soft plastic baits for over 10 years and depend on their success to make a living. If something doesn't work I fire it, then build something better. Last year Mark Frickman won the amateur side of the FLW event on the Detroit River and $30,000 with St. Clair Crayfish. This year looks to be an exciting one too with the 2009 addition of Great Lakes Perch. Some of my other baits are: St. Clair Goby, Great Lakes Craw, Firetiger, Erie Goby, Canadian Mist and more in drop-shot tubes, 4" tubes, 5" tubes, skirted twin tails, X-worms, goby baits and tube trailers.
If you just want to go out and catch fish we can do that too!
A brochure about my guide service is attached to this posting if you would like to view or download it. You can also find my information products in the GreatLakesBass store:
http://www.greatlakesbass.com/store/glbstore2.htmlBooks: Smallmouth Confidential
No Secrets on Lake St. Clair Vol. 1
No Secrets on Lake St. Clair Vol. 2
Maps: Marked Map Series 1
Marked Map Series 2
Marked Map Series 2C (color)
There really is no substitute for time on the water so any way you can get it is a good thing. I'm familiar with the other guides mentioned in this posting and have a great respect for them all. My hope is that when you do get out there the experience meets or exceeds your expectations and that you can build on that for years to come.
Wayne Carpenter
Great Lakes Captain
