When this funk takes place obviously depends on when the bass spawned. The bass tend to rest and recuperate for up to a couple of weeks. Often, this transitional phase coincides with the mayfly hatch, and bass have some easy pickin's and don't have to chase for food. Gostenik said anglers can enjoy some hot topwater action during this period. The bass are widely scattered for a period after the spawn, but it doesn't take long for them to regroup into marauding packs during the summer.

Midsummer bassin' on both lakes Erie and St. Clair can be fantastic. Twenty- to 40-fish days are common, and techniques for catching smallies on both lakes are very similar in many cases.

"Tubes and drop-shotting really takes off then," Gostenik stated. "The tubes are the perfect imitation of a goby."

With a weight on the bottom and a tube jig fixed to the line about 8 inches up from the weight, the bait is constantly in the zone. It represents an easy meal. Tube colors that match gobies are dynamite. Try pumpkin-, motor oil- and avocado-colored tubes. When the bass are keying on shad or native minnows, try a silver/metal flake color.

Although most bass will have long since completed spawning chores by midsummer, Gostenik said it's not uncommon to find bass still spawning in the stable deep-water environment of Lake Erie long after most bass are done. As summer winds down, bass move back in shallow for one last feeding binge.

"The bass just pig out for about two weeks in October," Gostenik said. "The peak is hard to predict, but hit it right and you can find some incredible fishing."

Humps and calm beds located just off the mouth of the Raisin River can produce incredible sport as the smallies prepare for a long winter. Once waters begin to chill, bass begin a slow migration to where they'll spend the winter. In Lake Erie, that means rockpiles and other subtle structure found in deep water.

The bass in Lake St. Clair also move, but in the lake's more stable environment, the migration is normally not that pronounced.

"In the summer, you might find the smallies just stacked in the channel of the St. Clair River," Gostenik said. "You might find fish in 40 or 50 feet of water and need a big, heavy tube jig to get down to them." The same thing can apply to the Detroit River.

As a general rule, the stable confines and bounty of food found in Lake St. Clair promotes excellent numbers of bass. Lake Erie produces bigger, but fewer, smallmouths.

"Local tournaments are usually won by guys that make the long run to Lake Erie," Gostenik said.

The Michigan waters of the lake make up a very small portion, and it's very easy to cross the state line without knowing it. It's wise to purchase an Ohio fishing license in addition to your Michigan license, just to be safe.