"The increased water clarity has made walleye fishing more of a night fishery," said fisheries biologist George Madison, "so more anglers are targeting smallmouths during the day."

Anglers fishing around the bass opener will find smallmouths clustered near gravel shoals off the mouth of the Rapid, Ford, Tacoosh and Days rivers. Later in the summer, the bass spread out over the 12- to 18-foot flats and off points out from Kipling, and off Hunters and Saunders points. According to Madison, bass in the 3- to 5-pound range are common.

Madison said that there is plenty of forage in Bay de Noc for smallmouths, but their favorite is crayfish. Because of this, it's pretty hard to beat crayfish imitations, like tube jigs, when targeting smallies. Use quick, erratic retrieves with a pumpkinseed-colored tube near bottom and the smallmouths will jump all over it.

To sample Bay de Noc's fantastic smallmouth fishery, contact Bay Shore Resort at (906) 428-9687 or on the Web at www.bay-shore-resort.com.

Dexter said the stretch of the Kalamazoo from the city of Kalamazoo to Allegan is perfect smallmouth habitat - gravel, rocks, boulders, riffles and pools. One reason the K-zoo's smallmouth population has boomed is because of all the contaminants that are in the river. There are restrictions that limit it to a catch-and-release fishery. Dexter said that might be one reason why the bass don't get too big either. But what the K-zoo bass lack in size, they more than make up for in numbers and spunk.

Dexter said that just about any lure will work on the river's smallmouths - it's just a question of how many you want to lose. Dexter said it's pretty hard to beat a 3/8- or 1/4-ounce black or motor oil-colored jig. They imitate the crayfish that the bass feed on and they're inexpensive. Floating Rapalas and spinners will work, too.

The best fishing usually takes place during the heat of the summer. Dexter said there is a unique opportunity for flyfishers then during a mayfly hatch called "the white fly." Bass go berserk when the flies are hatching. The best stretch of the river for fly-fishing is near the town of Marshall.

For more details on the Kalamazoo River's fabulous smallmouth fishery, contact the DNR's Plainwell office at (616) 685-6851.

"One of the best times to fish Cass Lake is during the early season," claimed Gostenik. "The bass are likely to be really bunched up and deep in April. Look for them stacked up on the ends of points or on the turns in the weedline. The best way to catch these fish is with jigging spoon." Gostenik advocated using a lift-and-drop technique and to watch your line for subtle takes. Cass Lake is open to early catch-and-release bass fishing.

As the water warms, Cass Lake smallies head for the shallows to spawn in May. Use a spinnerbait or buzzbait to call up bass located over flats during the pre-spawn. Once the bass get on the beds, finesse-fishing with tubes can be challenging and exciting. Expect to catch plenty of smallies in the 2- to 4-pound range.

Anglers can access Cass Lake via Dodge No. 4 State Park. There is an excellent launch there with picnic and bathroom facilities. The park is very popular, so plan on getting there early. Contact the park via the Pontiac Lake Recreation Area at (248) 682-7323.

"The locations where you find the bass changes from year to year," observed Gerry Gostenik. "Last year, the best fishing was off Stony Point on the Canadian side. I don't know why, but the fish held over the 12- to 18-foot flats there all summer."

One place that has produced consistent bassing the past few years, and is overlooked by many anglers, is in the deep waters of the St. Clair River and the channels that feed Lake St. Clair.

"The fishing there is mainly during midsummer," said Gostenik. "You're fishing 20 to 40 feet of water with 1/2-ounce tube jigs. I've fished as deep as 60 feet. Smoke and green are the best colors. The trick is to let them down to bottom and allow them to drag. I use 10-pound monofilament and just keep the jig near bottom. You'll catch a ton of fish in the 2- to 4-pound range. My best day we landed five fish that weighted 25 pounds. And there's not many guys doing it."

July and August produce the hottest fishing. The season for smallmouths on Lake St. Clair opens the third Saturday in June.

The area between Huron Metro Park, at 16-Mile Rd., down to 9-Mile Road produces consistent summer angling, too. Drifting with native spot-tailed shiners along the edges of weedbeds in 10 to 15 feet of water produces a lot of smallies, plus a variety of other species.

For lake maps, bait and tackle, contact Lakeside Fishing Shop at (586) 777-7003 or on the Web at www.lakesidefishingshop.com.

"I would say that the bass population in Kent Lake is now about 60/40 smallmouths," claimed Gostenik. "There's still some really good largemouths in the lake, but the smallmouths seemed to have benefited most from the clearer water as a result of the zebra mussels. There seems to be more gravel now along the old river channel and it is solid beds when the bass are spawning. The smallmouths seem to really be reproducing well."

Gostenik said he's landed and released as many as 65 bass in a single day on Kent Lake! The biggest will be around 3 1/2 pounds, but there are a lot of 2-pounders.

Prime places to key on for Kent Lake's smallmouths are along the twisting river channel, near points with access to deep water and along the riprap along Interstate 96. Largemouths are more prevalent in the back of bays and around the many islands in the 1,000-acre lake.

To sample Kent Lake's exciting smallmouth fishing and other bass venues in southeast Michigan, contact Gerry Gostenik at (313) 277-8002 or on the Web at www.greatlakesbassfishing.com.