The Hottest Summer Techniques on Lake St. Clair

This video is a more in depth breakdown of the two hottest summer techniques on Lake St. Clair. I go over rods, reels, line, hooks, baits, and tips for both techniques.
If you need to get your hands on any of the gear in this video visit Sportsmen’s Direct or Hook One Bait and Tackle if you are in the neighborhood of Lake St. Clair or St. Clair River.
I am still booking guide trips, check out www.lakestclairbass.com for more information.

[@DennisDuffy-n8g]

Front facing sonar is number one 👍😎

[@NRP.fishing]

I had to turn it off the other day and just bomb cast 😭 you can only target so many fish before you lose your mind

[@Joe_Duchon]

Great video and info! New subscriber and St Clair local. Not so much a bass guy, but the drop shot presentation obviously works for perch and walleye too.

[@joebauerfishing]

@@Joe_Duchon Yes it does!

[@SALMONSLAYER06]

congrats on your success. good luck next tournament

[@joebauerfishing]

Thanks!

[@Michdave700]

Great job! Nicely done with full detail including all the reasoning behind the detail. I watch some good YT fishing channels including the big ones, but this episode is about the very best I’ve ever seen. Thanks!

[@joebauerfishing]

Thanks for the support! We are just getting started 💪🏻

[@TheFarmerdawg]

I'm pissed I haven't started following you sooner. Great info, thank you

[@joebauerfishing]

@@TheFarmerdawg We are just getting started 💪🏻

[@1stJohn215]

Excellent infor for a guy that lives "down south". I have several of the smeltenator heads. Quality heads!

[@joebauerfishing]

Yessir!

[@thomasindler1576]

Yanky or Red neck, were all good, when fishing / 😂

[@brett_Thorpe]

Hi Joe, Great info and you nailed it. I’ve been having awesome days on LSC lately

[@joebauerfishing]

Keep on hammerin!

[@toddkobylarz4758]

omg. a dropshot and a jig. geeze

[@JLaird-ji1qr]

Outstanding info Joe ……. My Dad and I are coming up in a few weeks for our annual “summer” trip……can’t wait

[@joebauerfishing]

Tear Em Up!

[@jrmartin9395]

Northland Smeltinator for the win!

[@joebauerfishing]

You know it!

[@geostrong3606]

Thk u for information I fish stclair alot love to dropshot

[@joebauerfishing]

@@geostrong3606 The drop shot is by far my favorite. There’s so many different baits you can throw on it and they flat out eat it!

[@geostrong3606]

@@joebauerfishing are the fish in deeper water now?

[@joebauerfishing]

@@geostrong3606Yes I have been mainly targeting 16-18 ft however there are still some in 11-12 and as deep as 22. Full blown summer pattern right now.

[@brandonconner4860]

I got an ugly stick with some 80lb fireline tied up with a 4000 series reel and a can of nightcrawlers..you think thatll catch dem 5lbers out there?

[@joebauerfishing]

@@brandonconner4860 Yessir!

[@jimlukas7812]

Just started to fallow you , I would be interested to know how you have your FFS mounted and factory bracket or after market, I am new to FFS , I can see the bait out to about 40’ after that very hard , be nice to see you do a live sonar video , Thanks

[@joebauerfishing]

I will see what I can do with that.

[@ewwee2k]

Thanks for the info. I’ll be there early-mid August. What’s your leader length on the drop shot & what part of the lake and what depth should I be targeting in Early August?

[@joebauerfishing]

From sinker to hook I usually start around 18” and then depending on how tall the grass is in the area that I’m fishing I will adjust it either longer or shorter. I want my bait to be at the top of the grass, not down in it. When I tie my FG knot I use about 15-20ft of Flourocarbon. You’re going to want to get off the bank and fish around. If you aren’t seeing or catching fish keep moving, 15-22ft.

[@ewwee2k]

@@joebauerfishing Thank you! I’ll be launching from the Windsor Canada area. Is there any worthwhile fishing where The Lake meets the Detroit river? Also any areas on the Canadian side you like?

[@joebauerfishing]

@@ewwee2k There’s a lot of fish out there in several different areas. Just gotta keep moving until you find them. They move around quite a bit.

[@ewwee2k]

@@joebauerfishing Thanks again. Is there any top water bite to speak of?

[@joebauerfishing]

@@ewwee2k If it’s calm enough there absolutely can be. Especially if you are around the baitfish. I always have one tied on. Sometimes I use it sometimes I don’t.

[@keenanmoore264]

I've been doing good on an underspin. Just huck it around and slow roll along the bottom.

[@joebauerfishing]

Awesome! I haven’t thrown ole flashy much in the summer.

[@keenanmoore264]

I assume you're tying a palomar to the hook and then feeding the line back through the eye down to the sinker? I've had my line break at the palomar knot quite often on fish. I'll get them in the boat boat the fight will break the line and I'll lose my sinker. Am i tying a bad knot or is that just common?

[@joebauerfishing]

That is pretty common. I tie the palomar on my hook and then just what you said put the tag end back through the eye to make the hook stick out. After I catch a couple fish I have to retie. That’s where the long leader to start with comes in handy so you don’t have to tie a new FG out on the water. I can actually look at my leader and tell when it’s about to break. These smallmouth are eating a lot of bait fish in the summer and their “teeth” are more prolific than when they are eating crawfish. I think when your hook is pegged in the roof of their mouth, which is where it’s supposed to be, the line rubs back and forth across their sandpaper and weakens the leader line. It will start to look milky just above your knot, instead of clear, that’s when I know it’s about to break.

[@johncoopes1056]

What length are you using on the Drop shot between the weight and lure?

[@joebauerfishing]

From sinker to hook I usually start around 18” and then depending on how tall the grass is in the area that I’m fishing I will adjust it either longer or shorter. I want my bait to be at the top of the grass, not down in it.

[@keenanmoore264]

How long of a leader do you use on your drop shot?

[@joebauerfishing]

From sinker to hook I usually start around 18” and then depending on how tall the grass is in the area that I’m fishing I will adjust it either longer or shorter. I want my bait to be at the top of the grass, not down in it.

[@thomasindler1576]

Excellent, every heart of missiles, shockwave? 3,5 green pumpkin, watermelon, They seem to discontinued ( it a swim, paddle bait, 3,5, any substitutes, color wise, having issues finding

[@joebauerfishing]

I’ve never used the shockwave. For a paddle tail I typically use a 3.3” keitech or a 3” crush city mayor.