Going into the Elite Series tournament at Lake St. Clair, I figured I needed 100 more Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points to qualify for the 2026 Bassmaster Classic. I typically do well at smallmouth tournaments and had been looking forward to catching them at St. Clair.
My goal was to leave with a Top 10 finish. That would have given me enough points to avoid stressing over making the Classic at the last event of the season on the Upper Mississippi River. I didn’t come close.
I had the worst practice at St. Clair I’ve ever had for a smallmouth derby. I decided to fish the first day of the tournament in an area where I had the most bites. It wound up being my best day for catching numbers of smallmouth, but my worst day for the quality fish I needed.
I weighed in 18-3 on Day 1 and landed way down in 76th place. I had dug myself into a deep hole. St. Clair is such a phenomenal fishery that you have to catch at least 20 pounds a day to do well.
And, the weights are insanely tight because everybody sacks them there. Kyle Welcher weighed in 20 pounds even on Day 1, which put him in 44th place. I had only 1 pound, 13 ounces less than Welcher, but he was 32 places above me.
If I finished 76th at St. Clair, I probably would have needed a top 20 finish at the Upper Mississippi to make the Classic. That would have been a tall order for me.
On the second day at St. Clair, I was feeling more pressure than at any time this season. I had to somehow catch enough bass to make the Top 50 cut.
I abandoned everything I had been doing to find the bigger-than-average smallmouth I desperately needed. I fished new water and treated it like a practice day. I went to Anchor Bay, put my trolling motor down and stayed on the move until I started catching smallmouth heavier than 4 pounds.
That day I weighed in 21-7, which jumped me to 47th place. An enormous weight came off my shoulders. I followed up with 20 pounds on Day 3, which pulled me up to 34th place.
I’m now 28th in the point standings, so I won’t need a great finish at the Upper Mississippi to make the Classic. But you can’t take any points for granted when you’re fishing against the world’s best bass anglers. I still need to work my butt off there and capitalize on every bite.
My adjustments for success at St. Clair: The smallmouth roam at St. Clair, and you often have to stay on the move to find them. The spot I fished on Day 1 had a sandy bottom and no vegetation. From my experience, the smallmouth roam more when no grass is present.
On the second and third days, I fished an area that had clumps of vegetation. Those clumps gave the bass something to hang close to, which reduced their urge to stay on the move. I caught my bass 9 to 11 feet deep on all three days I fished.
I fished minnow and dice baits high in the water column the first day. Over the next two days, I rolled with drop-shot rigs. They consisted of a No. 2 BKK long-shank drop-shot hook, an Xzone Lures green pumpkin Rally Shad and a 12-inch drop line to a 1/4- or 3/8-ounce weight.
A 3/8-ounce weight might seem like too much for the depth I was fishing, but sometimes a heavy weight creates a reaction bite. It’s like punching grass with a 1- to 1 1/2-ounce sinker. When you drop a heavy punch bait or a drop shot on a bass’ head, the bait sinks so fast the fish just react and eat it.
I zipped around with my trolling motor on 10 while holding my drop-shot rod. I might go 40 minutes without seeing a bass and then spot 20 of them in one little area. Those groups were typically in clean sand patches within the grass.
I’m not happy that St. Clair turned out to be one of the worst smallmouth tournaments I’ve ever fished. But I’m pleased that I left with essential points. I saved my season after a rough start that could have been a disaster.
