Lures for Trophy Smallmouth in Western New York
Have you ever heard someone utter the phrase, “Well, the bite is slow, but at least it’s perfect weather!”? Captain Joe Fonzi of Thumbs Up Guide Service in Western New York hates that saying. On a recent trip during the week of May 4th, On The Water’s Anthony “Cheech” DeiCicchi and I set out for a 3-day excursion to fish the Niagara River and Lake Erie. Little did I know we would be fishing in 4- to 5-foot Great Lake swells, catching 6-pound-class smallmouth. I must say, the Greater Niagara area has to be one of the best smallmouth bass fisheries in the Northeast, if not the country, and I have to give credit to the upper Niagara River where it is due. While I was extremely excited to fish the Niagara, I knew the true beast of a bass that awaited me lied in the seemingly-endless waters of Lake Erie.
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A New Personal Best
Day 1 started out on the Upper Niagara River. I heard it is jig fishing heaven, and I couldn’t have been more eager to fish it with my own tackle. Bluff walls, docks, rock piles and grass skirt the edges of the river for miles. Reading the current seams and feeling the bottom was important—no electronics needed. We set up behind a rock hump, which acted as a current break—an ideal spot for big fish to prey upon anything tumbling by. In short order, I landed my first ever smallmouth out of the Niagara—a 5.4-pound personal best. It took me years to catch a smallie surpassing 5 pounds back home in Massachusetts.
The Beast Coast Open Water Sniper Jig was designed for the Great Lakes, and with its natural colors and finesse hooks, it proved its worth on this trip. Alongside the jig, finesse swimbaits like the Rapala Crush City Mayor absolutely dominated the multi-species game, and giant smallmouth especially took a liking to it. Cheech quickly figured that out.
Through much of day 1, I found success by dragging jigs down the initial drop-offs, while Cheech fished his Mayor swimbait in the outer current seems. It was the ideal approach between the two of us. We consistently caught quality fish, and it seemed like any cast of a jig or swimbait could be met by the coveted 6-pound-class smallmouth we were after.
Lake Erie Smallmouth
Day 2 is really where it all started. Cheech went on a separate boat headed out to Lake Erie, with a different captain who is one of the fishiest guys we’ve ever encountered, which says a lot coming from an office full of anglers. A perfect, glass-calm morning brought excitement to most, but not Captain Joe Fonzi. Fonzi loves the wind. He predicted a slow day, and a very slow day it was. However, a late-day pattern change blessed Cheech with the 6-pound giant he was looking for while slow rolling a Rapala Mayor on the bottom. Fonzi made it clear that big wind gets these fish going, and we were about to find out firsthand. Cheech and Captain Joe identified the heavy wind coming the next day, and knew they needed to grab me and go full send.
I was fired up to fish Lake Erie. They say no expectations are the best expectations, but I had a hunch this was going to be better fishing than I have ever experienced. Fonzi was ready. We left Buffalo Harbor on day 3 and blasted through 4-foot waves stacked right at the mouth, but Fonzi’s 23-foot Ranger was built for big water. He said he designed the boat for rough and tumble Great Lakes conditions, and it showed.
A bumpy 20-minute ride out got us to the first area. The pattern was going to be fishing heavy ¾- to 1-ounce football heads with swimbaits. Fishing the 3-inch CrushCity Mayor—a step up from the 2.5-inch model we were using in the river—was the deal. Staying pegged on the bottom and consistently ticking the rocks was imperative to success. Braided line was a necessity for sensitivity and pulling power, so we landed on Seaguar PEX8 and St. Croix Black Bass spinning rods. It sounds simple enough, but even with all the right gear, we needed to really focus on maintaining contact with the bottom while fishing in 4- to 5-foot rollers on the front deck of Fonzi’s boat. We were up to the challenge, but I didn’t fully understand what we were in for until Gerry Benedicto of Seaguar hooked the first smallmouth of the day, and out of a massive wave, an even bigger bronzeback launched itself several feet into the air. That first fish was a 6.2-pound giant, and it was not going to be the last.
Staple Smallie Baits in Western New York
Finesse-style soft plastics and heavy jigs are must-haves when targeting trophy bass in big water on the Great Lakes. The smallmouth bass of Lake Erie fatten up on abundant and invasive round gobies, and our 3-inch soft plastics were a close match to their size and profile. Here are some of the go-to paddletails you won’t want to leave the dock without.
Rapala CrushCity The Mayor
The 3-inch Mayor is an effective solo swimbait or jig trailer due to its subtle kicking action with even the slowest retrieve. As a result, it shines in cold water or pressured environments, and in places where smallies hold tight to structure. Short hops and lifts of the jig produced just enough action to entice them to eat. Gobies typically measure 3 to 6 inches long, so The Mayor was a close match to the primary forage of these aggressive smalljaws.
Great Lakes Finesse Dropkick Shad
The name of this bait alone is enough to warrant its use in pursuit of Western New York smallies. The 2.75-inch paddletail has a tight kicking action and provides anglers with versatility in rigging, whether it be on a jighead, an underspin, or a drop shot. Its ribbed body generates just-barely-noticeable vibrations, and because the material is neutrally-buoyant, the tail likes to stand up and waver when it is rigged on a football jig and crept over or around rock structure. Plus, it has a goby-esque profile and 3D eyes to enhance its already lifelike appearance.
Z-Man MinnowZ
When smallies find their way into grassy areas, the 3-inch MinnowZ is a good swimbait to reach for. Rigged on a jighead, its split dorsal keeps the hook point sitting flush to its body, which helps to minimize snags and maintain a realistic presentation. Because it is made with Z-Man’s neutrally buoyant and tear-resistant ElaZtech material, it also makes a great football jig trailer as the tail tends to stand up, which helps it get looks in areas with spotty vegetation. However, it’s also worth trying Z-Man’s Gobius swimbait, which is a dead ringer for the real thing.
Nomad Live Ops Spectre Minnow
This scented, 3.25-inch paddletail is highlighted by lifelike enhancements—namely, Nomad’s Mirage-X internal foil system, which produces a realistic shimmer and gives anglers an advantage in stained or churned-up water on the Great Lakes. Its narrow, tapered tail is punctuated by a large boot-style paddle that generates heavy kicking action, making it a great choice for a football-style jig or swim jig trailer.
With a 6-pound smallie already boated, Fonzi initiated a game plan. It was all about setting up the drift and keeping the swimmers rolling slowly along the bottom. Every fish we hooked was over 4 pounds, which made for unbelievable fun on light gear in ocean-sized swells. Cheech dialed in and caught two 6-pound fish, one of which came on a double-up with Gerry.
Unfortunately, a major storm front rolled in and cut our day short, but not before we recorded a near 30-pound bag of smallmouth. With his years of guiding experience, Captain Joe Fonzi had the equation figured out—big wind equals big bass in these parts.
Lake Erie is a unique fishery that truly captures the will and dedication of the Northeast bass fisherman. I highly recommend experiencing it yourself, or booking a trip with Captain Joe Fonzi (@thumbsupguideservice). It is truly the land of giants.
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Source: https://onthewater.com/lures-for-trophy-smallmouth-in-western-new-york
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